© Chris Port, 1994. All rights reserved.
Scene 18.
Monica, Louise, Narrator.
Monica’s plans for the future.
(Monica sits back down and continues to look at the stars. Soft music plays from inside where couples are slow-dancing. Louise comes out and sits down next to her).
LOUISE
Brenda just showed up those bitches in there.
MONICA
(Absently). Bitches?
LOUISE
Yeah. They’re gone now. I think they’ve gone to Tracy Johnson’s party.
MONICA
Oh. Your friends?
LOUISE
No. I don’t know who they came with.
MONICA
Other people leaving yet?
LOUISE
Yes. It’ll be over soon. Did you tell him?
MONICA
Hmm?
LOUISE
Dan. Did you tell him?
MONICA
No. It wouldn’t be fair on him. Not yet, anyway.
LOUISE
What did you say then?
MONICA
That I don’t feel the same way.
LOUISE
And is that true?
MONICA
Mostly. But you don’t ever stop loving someone. Not really.
LOUISE
Monny? Are you really going to go through with this?
MONICA
Yes. It’s what I want to do.
LOUISE
Mum and Dad’ll go spare.
MONICA
It’s my life now, not theirs.
LOUISE
But it might be dangerous.
MONICA
So’s crossing the road. You can’t stay at home all your life.
LOUISE
I can.
MONICA
(Fondly). I know. You’ll make someone a very good wife someday.
LOUISE
Relationships? Yuck. You’re the one for relationships, Monny. That’s what I don’t understand. You’ve got Dan. You’re clever. You can go to university. Get a good job. Get married. Why do you want to do aid-work?
MONICA
Because I’m selfish.
LOUISE
Selfish?
MONICA
(Looking back at the stars). ‘We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep’.
LOUISE
I don’t understand. Stop quoting at me, Monny. You know I’m stupid.
(Pause).
MONICA
Louise, I’m scared. I want the world to remember me. But I don’t have any talent. I can’t sing or dance or charm people like you can. All I can do is clean up puke, make coffee and quote Shakespeare. I could be the best educated waitress in the world. But maybe if I could help someone, someone who really needed it, then I’d have made a difference. I wouldn’t have been here for nothing. So you see? I really am quite selfish.
LOUISE
But what can you do?
MONICA
Whatever I can. The interview is on Monday. I’ll find out then.
LOUISE
I hope you’re not qualified.
MONICA
(Not unkindly). Thanks for being so supportive, little sister.
LOUISE
You’re welcome.
(They hug and go back inside).
NARRATOR
This is one of the most difficult things to deal with. Youth. Love. Idealism. (Coldly). You know it all comes to nothing...
But human beings are funny things. You can know something and know something and still... maybe this time.
Monica doesn’t get back with Dan by the way. But she doesn’t become an aid-worker either. She meets a very pleasant young man studying medicine and spends the rest of her life in this country, except for the odd holiday abroad.
As for Dan, he goes off to Paris on his own and doesn’t bother coming back. But don’t worry about him. A very reliable source informs me that he goes to some excellent parties and ends up being looked after by a rather attractively rich older woman who pays for him to do whatever he wants. So that’s all right then... Lucky bastard.
(Looking at watch). Well, its gone one o’clock now. We’ll lose most of our guests soon. (He waves his hand and most of the guests exit). There’s always a few casualties who just lie where they fall, so we’ll get our party aid-worker to throw some sleeping bags over them.
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