At Rise:
The stage is black. There is the sound
of a car driving up, a door opening
and closing, a cat meowing, another
door opening and closing, then many
cats and dogs meowing and barking.
Finally, a third door opens and closes
as the other sounds fade away. A small
spotlight appears in the middle of the
stage. MRS.ANNA WARREN stands
uncomfortably in the middle of the
beam of light. She wears a large faded
print dress, anklet socks and worn
canvas shoes. A bobby pin holds her
hair away from her eyes.There is a
Mercurochrome patch on her leg. Her
body is wrapped around the bulky
blanketed object in her arms.
ANNA
I'll just stand here if you don't mind. Stand here and hold
Miss Kitty who's never been away from home in all the years
we've had her and that's almost thirteen if you count this
week-end which we shouldn't. The Mister and me want to thank
you for finding her a new home since everyone we asked wanted
a kitten cause they're so cute. The Mister told them they
might not end up cute but if you took Miss Kitty you'd know
what you were getting right away. And if you feed her good
she could be around a long time.
Did you say these people had children, or was it just like
the Mister and me who always wanted them? The Mister thought
it was because he was so much older, but I read once that a
man had a baby when he was nearly ninety-nine and his wife
was twenty-two which is even younger than me. I know
personally that Kitty would love to have some children to
play with. Sometimes it happens like that. You grow up and
all you want is a little place to live and some land to plant
your own tomatoes, since the ones in the stores taste like
old Halloween mustaches. I loved Halloween but if you don't
have children people think you're crazy dressing up and
hanging black cats in your window. If anyone made fun of your
clothes you could just say "This is my Halloween costume,
thank you " because Mama made me promise to be polite no
matter how nasty those children got to be. One time Mama took
my school picture and pasted it on a cardboard playing card
she'd drawn so good I looked just like the Queen of Hearts.
Everyone called me "Queenie" all day long and I was third
runner-up in the costume parade which is the best I ever did
at anything. (Pause)
Did you say this couple had a house cause Kitty's used to
one room and the bath down the hall so anything more will
seem like a palace which she would just love. I can't seem to
remember a thing you told me after I said the Mister would be
staying at the hospital permanent.
My father taught me to play cards in the hospital. "Fish"
and "war" and that other game you play by yourself. We were
visiting Mama who lost her leg from her sugar being so bad.
She cried when they told her they were taking it off since
she said her only pleasures in life were her Hershey
kisses, dancing with my Father at the Legion Hall on Friday
nights and having me of course. Kitty loves candy too but
it's the treat that taste like chicken or fish which is her
favorite. Mama said each of us has a special weakness and
God will forgive us if we ask just once. The Mister's
weakness is cigarettes which saved his life once in the army
when he bent over to light up and a bullet whizzed right by
his butt. Guess you only get saved once though. Not like Miss
Kitty who must surely have mroe than nine lives.
When I met the Mister he was bigger than me and stronger
too. Now I can almost pick him up in my arms. You're sure
there's no children at this new house Kitty's going to? I
keep forgetting. Daddy said he had to tell me important
things five times. Like when he said Mama was dead. I was
thirteen and kept falling asleep before he could finish. They
wouldn't let me see her or the leg but I cried so hard they
finally let me in. There was me and Mama and the light from
Jesus beaming right down on her like something from a movie.
She looked like a bride in that white gown and Daddy said
that was right since she was now the bride of Jesus and all
the angels would be at their wedding. He wasn't jealous at
all. I thought that was nice till daddy died and then my head
hurt wondering if Jesus could marry him too. So I just
stopped thinking about heaven till last week when they said
the Mister probably wouldn't be coming home again and how I
should consider my "options".
I keep trying to figure out
what they want me to say, but all I can see is the Mister's
skin falling off his bones and me alone. That's when I made
up my mind I wasn't leaving the Mister again cause I left
Daddy in mine shaft 34 and I still dream of him trying to get
out. The Mister worked right near Daddy in number 34, but he
had a tootheache so bad that day they had to pull it. He come
as soon as he heard there was an accident and stood right
next to me 'til they told us they were shutting it up for
good. When the fellow from the news stuck that camera in my
face and asked me how I felt being all alone, the Mister
said, "Bert's kid don't answer dumb questions" and took me
right home. Made me Campbell's tomato soup and a grilled
American cheese just like daddy,then put me to sleep in my
bed and sat up in the living room chair all night so I
wouldn't be lonely. We been together ever since and he always
says it's a privilege to be doing things for a woman like me.
I believe him too cause he's always been a gentleman in every
way and even clips my toenails.
You didn't say there were children did you? No, I remember
and you won't have to say another word. But would you tell
those people Kitty never grabs food from the table and she's
a real good mouser which I personally consider a gift. The
Mister says maybe Kitty has been better for us than children
since you never know how children will turn out, or if
they'll turn on you when you're not looking like his own boy
did. I said you can never know what God is sending you, like
meeting the Mister the same day I lost Daddy.
I forgot to give you this, which reminds me to tell the
people taking Kitty it would be real nice if they gave her a
special treat once a week. Not that she's picky 'cause she'll
eat whatever you give her. It's a small weakness really to
have a treat. Just a little something with fish would be just
fine.
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© 1998 Halem Studios
Last updated September 1998
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