THE FATHER WALKS INTO PAUL'S BEDROOM, FATHER HAS RED EYES DUE TO AN INTENSE DISPLAY OF EMOTION. PAUL IS SITTING ON THE FLOOR PLAYING WITH HIS STAR WARS ACTION FIGURES, FATHER STANDS AT THE DOOR, A SADNESS SPREADS ACROSS HIS FACE LIKE A VIRUS. PAUL HAS YET TO NOTICE HIS FATHERS PRESENCE .FATHER JUST STANDS FOR A WHILE LOOKING AT HIM, WITH SADNESS AND FEAR. HAUNTING IMAGES ARE PLAGUING HIS MIND.
HE THEN TAKES A SLOW WALK WHO IS STILL IN THE CORNER OF HIS BEDROOM PLAYING WITH HIS TOYS MAKING THE SOUNDS THAT SPACESHIP WOULD MAKE AS HE IS FLYING A TOY SPACESHIP AROUND IN FRONT OF HIM. FATHER THEN KNEELS DOWN AND PLACES A HAND ON PAUL'S SHOULDER. PAUL TURNS TO HIS FATHER.
Paul
Hi Daddy, Luke Skywalker is flying Daddy look.
HE SWINGS THE TOY SPACESHIP AROUND IN FRONT OF HIM. FATHER SMILES. BUT HIS IS STILL DISPLAYING A LOOK OF GREAT SADNESS.
Father
Wow Paul he’s really going for it!
PAUL SMILES. FATHER IS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT INSTEAD PAUSES AS THOUGH THE INFORMATION THAT HE IS ABOUT TO BEQUEATH IS SOMETHING OF A STRUGGLE. HE TAKES A DEEP BREATH THEN PROCEEDS WITH THE FOLLOWING, WITH GREAT SORROW AND EXERTION.
Father
Paul, Daddy has to tell you something that you may not understand. But before I do, I just want you to know that me and Mummy love you very much and we are always going to be here for you. (Pause) I have some bad news. When your sister went out earlier in her car there was a terrible accident, then the ambulance people came and tried their hardest to make her better, but, (tears begin to roll down his face) but they couldn’t make her better and now she has gone to sleep.
Paul
When is Shelly going to wake up Daddy?
Father
I’m so sorry Paul Shelly can’t ever wake up.
Paul
(Sadness in his voice) But how comes she wake up Daddy?
FATHER BEGINS TO CRY, AND FORCEFULLY TRIES TO HOLD IT TOGETHER.
Father
Paul, when Shelly had the accident she was in pain, and the doctors tried to make the pain stop, but they couldn’t, and the only way the pain would stop is if she went to sleep.
Paul
But she was going to take me to see where the queen lives.
FATHER LEANS OVER AND WRAPS HIS ARMS AROUND PAUL, THEN PICKS HIM UP AND SITS ON THE BED WITH PAUL ON HIS LAP.
Father
(Crying silently) I know she was, but me and Mummy will now.
Paul
Will I ever see her again?
Father
Shelly will be waiting for all of us in heaven when its our turn to sleep, but that’s not going to be for a very long time, you will see her again but not for a long while. In the meantime she will always be looking over you from heaven and protecting you, and in every hour of every day she will be with you right here. (He places his hand on Paul’s chest)
Paul
Will she be happy in heaven.
Father
Oh yeah, it’s a beautiful place, and she will be at peace and she will never feel pain ever again, and she will be looking forward to watching over you every day.
Paul
Won’t she even get a sore tummy like she used to?
Father
She wont even get her sore tummy.
Paul
I’m going to miss her Daddy!
Father
I know Paul I know, so am I. (Pause) But you can still talk to her whenever you want.
Paul
I can?
Father
Yeah, whenever you feel really bad, and really miss her, you can talk to her, you won’t be able to hear her, but she will here every word you say to her.
Paul
I miss her now Daddy, can I say something to her now?
Father
Of course you can darling, she would love that.
FATHER STARTS TO CRY AS PAUL STANDS UP GOES OVER TO THE WINDOW AND LOOKS UP.
Paul
Is she up there Daddy?
Father
Yeah that’s where she is, go ahead she can hear you.
Paul
Shelly Daddy say your asleep and that your in heaven, I miss you loads already, and wish you were here with me. But at least your tummy wont hurt anymore, and Daddy says I will see you again but not for a long while so I hope there’s lots and lots of things to do up there. I will speak to you every day. Love you!
PAUL GOES OVER TO FATHER AND SEE’S HE IS CRYING, PAUL THEN SITS ON HIS LAP AND WRAPS HIS ARMS AROUND HIM. FATHER CANT GET THE IMAGE OF SHELLY LAYING DEAD IN THE SUBWAY, HE TRIES TO REGAIN COMPOSURE.
Father
Good boy, and you know she loves you to. Now lets go downstairs and give Mummy a cuddle and make sure she’s ok.
Paul
Does she know that Shelly will be happy and that we will all see her again?
Father
Yeah she does son.
FATHER STANDS UP WITH PAUL IN HIS ARMS AND THEY START WALKING DOWNSTAIRS.
Paul
Daddy?
Father
Yeah?
Paul
Can I get t a hamster?
Father
No Paul they smell and their rodents.
Paul
That’s not fair, I’m never allowed anything I want.
Father
Not now Paul, not now.
FADE TO BLACK.
HE THEN TAKES A SLOW WALK WHO IS STILL IN THE CORNER OF HIS BEDROOM PLAYING WITH HIS TOYS MAKING THE SOUNDS THAT SPACESHIP WOULD MAKE AS HE IS FLYING A TOY SPACESHIP AROUND IN FRONT OF HIM. FATHER THEN KNEELS DOWN AND PLACES A HAND ON PAUL'S SHOULDER. PAUL TURNS TO HIS FATHER.
Paul
Hi Daddy, Luke Skywalker is flying Daddy look.
HE SWINGS THE TOY SPACESHIP AROUND IN FRONT OF HIM. FATHER SMILES. BUT HIS IS STILL DISPLAYING A LOOK OF GREAT SADNESS.
Father
Wow Paul he’s really going for it!
PAUL SMILES. FATHER IS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT INSTEAD PAUSES AS THOUGH THE INFORMATION THAT HE IS ABOUT TO BEQUEATH IS SOMETHING OF A STRUGGLE. HE TAKES A DEEP BREATH THEN PROCEEDS WITH THE FOLLOWING, WITH GREAT SORROW AND EXERTION.
Father
Paul, Daddy has to tell you something that you may not understand. But before I do, I just want you to know that me and Mummy love you very much and we are always going to be here for you. (Pause) I have some bad news. When your sister went out earlier in her car there was a terrible accident, then the ambulance people came and tried their hardest to make her better, but, (tears begin to roll down his face) but they couldn’t make her better and now she has gone to sleep.
Paul
When is Shelly going to wake up Daddy?
Father
I’m so sorry Paul Shelly can’t ever wake up.
Paul
(Sadness in his voice) But how comes she wake up Daddy?
FATHER BEGINS TO CRY, AND FORCEFULLY TRIES TO HOLD IT TOGETHER.
Father
Paul, when Shelly had the accident she was in pain, and the doctors tried to make the pain stop, but they couldn’t, and the only way the pain would stop is if she went to sleep.
Paul
But she was going to take me to see where the queen lives.
FATHER LEANS OVER AND WRAPS HIS ARMS AROUND PAUL, THEN PICKS HIM UP AND SITS ON THE BED WITH PAUL ON HIS LAP.
Father
(Crying silently) I know she was, but me and Mummy will now.
Paul
Will I ever see her again?
Father
Shelly will be waiting for all of us in heaven when its our turn to sleep, but that’s not going to be for a very long time, you will see her again but not for a long while. In the meantime she will always be looking over you from heaven and protecting you, and in every hour of every day she will be with you right here. (He places his hand on Paul’s chest)
Paul
Will she be happy in heaven.
Father
Oh yeah, it’s a beautiful place, and she will be at peace and she will never feel pain ever again, and she will be looking forward to watching over you every day.
Paul
Won’t she even get a sore tummy like she used to?
Father
She wont even get her sore tummy.
Paul
I’m going to miss her Daddy!
Father
I know Paul I know, so am I. (Pause) But you can still talk to her whenever you want.
Paul
I can?
Father
Yeah, whenever you feel really bad, and really miss her, you can talk to her, you won’t be able to hear her, but she will here every word you say to her.
Paul
I miss her now Daddy, can I say something to her now?
Father
Of course you can darling, she would love that.
FATHER STARTS TO CRY AS PAUL STANDS UP GOES OVER TO THE WINDOW AND LOOKS UP.
Paul
Is she up there Daddy?
Father
Yeah that’s where she is, go ahead she can hear you.
Paul
Shelly Daddy say your asleep and that your in heaven, I miss you loads already, and wish you were here with me. But at least your tummy wont hurt anymore, and Daddy says I will see you again but not for a long while so I hope there’s lots and lots of things to do up there. I will speak to you every day. Love you!
PAUL GOES OVER TO FATHER AND SEE’S HE IS CRYING, PAUL THEN SITS ON HIS LAP AND WRAPS HIS ARMS AROUND HIM. FATHER CANT GET THE IMAGE OF SHELLY LAYING DEAD IN THE SUBWAY, HE TRIES TO REGAIN COMPOSURE.
Father
Good boy, and you know she loves you to. Now lets go downstairs and give Mummy a cuddle and make sure she’s ok.
Paul
Does she know that Shelly will be happy and that we will all see her again?
Father
Yeah she does son.
FATHER STANDS UP WITH PAUL IN HIS ARMS AND THEY START WALKING DOWNSTAIRS.
Paul
Daddy?
Father
Yeah?
Paul
Can I get t a hamster?
Father
No Paul they smell and their rodents.
Paul
That’s not fair, I’m never allowed anything I want.
Father
Not now Paul, not now.
FADE TO BLACK.
A touching piece, that takes you through the tough times we all encounter, through to the simple ways we get back in touch to real life.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed it on many levels.