Thinking of You

By Benjamin J. Stephens

Summary

A father remembers a son he's never met and a son wants to know more about the man who only wished life for him.

Characters

BOY,
ANGEL,
DAVID,
ABBY

Special notes:

BOY and ANGEL are mic'ed off stage. Scene shifting (Designated by * * * * *) can be enhanced by a music supplement - either instrumental or an appropriate song.

Script

(David sits at a table drinking a cup of coffee, runs his hand through his hair periodically and seems very agitated. Other people may be milling around before wandering off.)

BOY: Which one is he?

ANGEL: Does it really matter, Little One?

BOY: I'm just curious.

ANGEL: That's true.

BOY: So…

ANGEL: You really want to know?

BOY: Yes.

ANGEL: The one sitting at the table.

BOY: The one running his hands through his hair?

ANGEL: Yes, that's him.

BOY: He's handsome.

ANGEL: Why have you been so curious?

BOY: (Pause) He didn't want me to die.

ANGEL: Yes, I know.

BOY: I just wanted to know what he was like.

(Stage slowly fades to black)

ANGEL: Right now, he's having a tough time.

BOY: Why?

ANGEL: Because he's thinking of you.

BOY: Me?

ANGEL: Yes, you.

* * * * *

(Center stage)

DAVID: Abby, it doesn't have to be this way.

ABBY: What choice do we have?

DAVID: We could get married.

ABBY: Married?

DAVID: Yes! And I could get a job and we could raise this - our - baby.

ABBY: Come on, David! I've still got my senior year of high school and you're supposed to be heading to the University this fall. Do you want to just trash our future?

DAVID: (Searches for the right words - ultimately says nothing meaningful)

ABBY: I didn't think so. (Begins to walk off stage)

DAVID: Look, we've got to have some choices here.

ABBY: (Stops and returns to David) We do, eliminate the fetus and go on like nothing happened.

DAVID: Eliminate the fetus? It's a baby, Abby. Our baby.

ABBY: And neither of us are ready to be parents. Look, David, (Pause) we made a mistake. I wish it hadn't happened - you didn't want it to happen, but it did and now we've got to do something that will give us a future. Having a baby right now will not do that.

DAVID: I hear your words Abby, but I can't believe them. We're talking about our baby.

ABBY: (Tries to be convincing) We are talking about a blob of tissue, David. (Smiles warmly - David shows confusion) It's not a baby - not yet.

DAVID: Blob of tissue? Where did you hear that? At the clinic?

ABBY: Yes, (Forceful) the clinic.

DAVID: I don't know, Abby. It just seems wrong somehow.

ABBY: (Inhales deeply and moved near off stage). Look, David, I've gotta go, we'll talk about this tomorrow. OK? (Walks off stage leaving David alone)

DAVID: Sure - tomorrow.

* * * * *

DAVID: You did what? (Pause) When?

ABBY: (Subdued - hugging herself) I just got back from the clinic. Look, It's over, David. Neither of us have to worry about this anymore.

DAVID: Why didn't you let me know?

ABBY: Would you have allowed me to go through with it?

DAVID: No. (Pause) Yes. (Pause) I don't know.

ABBY: I'm just as confused as you are, but I can't think about this right now. It's done. Sorry you had to hear it this way.

DAVID: (Said quietly) Me too.

ABBY: You better go now.

(David moves to the side of the stage and sits at a table drinking a cup of coffee)

DAVID: A blob of tissue - not really a baby - a mistake, yeah, just a mistake. (Pauses - runs hands through hair) Who am I kidding, my child was murdered today. Maybe I could have stopped it. If Abby would have just listened - if I had done the right thing - IF. (Begins weeping) My son.

(Fade to black)

BOY: He has a son and a daughter now.

ANGEL: Yes he does.

BOY: I think he's happy.

ANGEL: He is.

BOY: He's my dad.

ANGEL: I know.

BOY: He never met me.

ANGEL: That's true.

BOY: I wonder if he - remembers.

(Light slowly fade back up on David - a suit coat replaces the school letter jacket)

ANGEL: Do you recall when you first saw him in the coffee shop?

BOY: Yes.

ANGEL: What was he doing?

BOY: Running his hands through his hair.

ANGEL: What is he doing now?

BOY: (Pause) He's running his hands through his hair.

ANGEL: Yes, but he is doing something even more important.

BOY: He is?

ANGEL: He's doing something very special, something he has done every day since you came to stay with us.

BOY: Really?

ANGEL: (Pause) He's thinking of you.

(Fade to black)

................................