Wishing and Magic

(A woman (BREATHING) sneaks onto the stage.  She passes below the projection.  From the sky, her shadow falls onto her and she takes an audible breath. She stands up.  Her shadow lays behind her on the projection.  She smiles. Light hearted, she begins to explore the space and temple.  She takes special note of the flower, a rose buried in the bramble specifically catches her eye. She bends over to smell it.  Delicious.  She reaches to pick it but is stopped by an audible gasp from off stage. The gasp is cause for momentary pause, but after a cursory peak to the source of the sound she returns to the flower. As she picks it, there is a grunt of pain from the same place.  Concerned, the woman looks to the source of the sound and hides in front of the projection.  She is scribbled out in the light and made invisible (stolen from DV8).

After a moment an old man (FRAILTY) enters with a cane.  He immediately checks the empty place where the flower was.  As quickly as an old man can, he collapses in despair in the empty spot in his temple and garden.

The woman peaks her head out of her cover of dark.  She looks at him for a moment then disappears into it again.  The blackness dissolves.)

 

BREATHING

Sorry.
                                    (He shakes his head.)

                                                BREATHING

I’m sorry.
(She walks over to him and offers the rose.)
I am.

(He swings his cane at her wildly which she catches in one hand effortlessly.) 

                                                BREATHING

I really am.  Here.  We can plant it together.

                                    (She offers he help him stand.  He refuses and hobbles to his feet.)

                                                FRAGILITY

No no no no no no …

                                    (on his feet, he takes the rose)

… no.  Do you see this?  Snapped.  No roots.  You ever laugh at a chicken with it’s head cut off?

                                    (She laughs.)

                                                 FRAGILITY
  See, there you go.  Not funny.

                                                BREATHING

I’m sorry.  A chicken?  You’re silly, give me the rose.

                                                 FRAGILITY

46 hours.  That’s the record.  Once a chicken lots her head and lived for 46 hours.  How do I know?  She was mine.  I was hungry so I lopped her head off.  Couldn’t eat for two more days.  She was sensation around the world.  Everyone was fascinated.  The press all came.  I have her on video around here somewhere.  Disgusting.  How did it live so long?
When will it die?  Will it die?  Well, it died.  It died a joke and a sideshow and now my rose is doing the same.  Slowly dying for your enjoyment.  Happy?  Now leave.

                                    (He throws the rose on the ground and walks up stage.  She picks it up and follows him.  Eventually he notices her.  She stuffs the rose in his nose.)

            BREATHING

Rose and nose rhyme.  Did you know that?

                                                FRAGILITY
Yes.

                                                BREATHING

It’s a not coincidence even though most people think it is.  Not an accident, it’s an act of… a reminder.  Most people say swan song, but I think the rose is a nicer metaphor.  The ultimate act of generosity.  As their dying they share their beauty with the world: Spread.  That’s why they’re the most beautiful flower.  Rose and nose rhyme to remind us, but nobody pays attention.  Daisy and lazy rhyme too but that’s just a coincidence.  I’m sorry about your chicken. 

                                                FRAGILITY

Thanks.

                                                BREATHING

What was her name?

                                                FRAGILITY

I don’t… she was a hen.  They don’t have... I called her Cluckie. 

                                                BREATHING
Cluckie. 

                                                FRAGILITY

She was cluckie number three.  I’m on fifty-eight now.  I call them all Cluckie.  Name ‘em so I can kill me.  Seems right.

                                                BREATHING
  This is Rosie.

                                                FRAGILITY
  You can’t name a rose rosie?

                                              BREATHING
  You named a hen cluckie.

                                                FRAGILITY
 

                                                BREATHING
  Fine.  Laurence. 

                                                FRAGLILTY

Laurence.  Fine.  Should we say good-bye?


                                                BREATHING
  Yes.
                                              (They stand and walk to the temple.)

                                                 FRAGILITY

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to say good-bye to Laurence.

                                                BREATHING
  Laurence the rose.

                                              FRAGILITY

He was a dear friend.  My favorite.  The last blossom on the only plant in the garden that I did not plant.  He was born the day my beloved wife passed, he died only this past hour.  And as his swan song…

BREATHING

…his rose bloom…

                                                FRAGILITY

You know, you can’t just hijack my metaphors.  I was going somewhere.


                                                BREATHING
  I’m sorry. 

                                    (He glares.)

                                                BREATHING

Let’s not fight at Laurence’s funeral.  Sorry.

                                            FRAGILITY

As his swan song, Laurence will bloom and his petals will blow away with the wishes we make for him today.  Would you like to… I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.

(Breathing smiles and takes the rose.  She blows into it and the petals scatter into the wind.)

            FRAGILITY

Thank you.
                                    (He takes the rose’s stem and buries it into the earth.)

                                            FRAGILITY
Thank you.

Leave a Reply