Four Cycle pt9: Somnambulatory Grain Harvester by Drake Iowa
[LIGHTS UP on bare stage. FIANCEE enters, stands awkwardly at one side of the stage.]
FIANCEE
Hello? Anybody home? Are you here, sweetie? [He walks to the table.]
[louder]Hello!? [He waits, sits.]
[OLD WOMAN enters.]
OLD WOMAN
Oh. Hello. Do I know you?
FIANCEE
[Standing] Uh, I don't think so. Though I'm sure this is the right address. Um. Do you live here?
OLD WOMAN
Yes. No... Not really. I lived here some time ago. I'm staying here now, but it's my daughter's house. Or it will be. If she ever shows up.
FIANCEE
Wait. [He opens his billfold and shows OLD WOMAN a photo.] Is this your daughter?
OLD WOMAN
[Taking billfold for a closer look.]
It must be! I'm not one hundred percent certain, mind you. I haven't seen her since she was eight.
FIANCEE
You're serious! Wow, she never thought she'd see you again.
OLD WOMAN
[Handing back wallet.] Oh, is she coming?
FIANCEE
...is... she?
OLD WOMAN
Yes. Er, well, how do you know her?
FIANCEE
She's my fiancée.
OLD WOMAN
Oh! Really? I never imagined she'd grow up to be the, ah, marrying kind. That's wonderful. Congratulations.
FIANCEE
Well. Thanks. Have you heard from her? How long has she been gone? I got a letter from this address just about a week ago.
OLD WOMAN
A week ago? From this address? I've been here a month and a half, and nobody else. Is it dated?
FIANCEE
[Pulling folded papers from pocket, leafing through them.] Yeah. October fifth.
OLD WOMAN
I've been here since mid September.
FIANCEE
But...
OLD WOMAN
So the girl sent you letters from this address, when the only person who's been here is me.
FIANCEE
Yeah...
OLD WOMAN
How long has she been sending them from here?
FIANCEE
Well, maybe a year and a half. I mean, mostly in the last month or so... I guess there was almost a year there where I didn't hear from her. I've been really busy. See, my graduate thesis in B... Where's the old man?
OLD WOMAN
Her father?
[FIANCEE nods.]
She didn't tell you? [Pause]
[FIANCEE stares blankly.]
Have a seat
[He sits]
The old man has been dead now. Nearly two years.
FIANCEE
[Pause. He reaches for the letters and the billfold.]
Look at this address. Look at this photo. Is this the right address? Is this girl your daughter? Are you sure this is right?
OLD WOMAN
It's right. Look. [She points to another room.] In there is all the mail that came here. The crazy mailman just started putting it inside the house I guess. Only ones I opened are from the attorney. Not to be rude, but it turns out I'll inherit his money. If we can find her. [beat] There's a stack of letters from you. Unopened.
FIANCEE
I know... she's been writing me... why would she lie? She said she was living here with him.
OLD WOMAN
Did you notice the fields?
FIANCEE
Hm?
OLD WOMAN
I bet you'll hear the harvester late tonight. I can't figure out who drives the thing, but the silos are full.
FIANCEE
Her?
OLD WOMAN
[shudders.] God I hope not.
FIANCEE
What in blazes is going on?
[BLACKOUT.]
"Four Cycle pt9: Somnambulatory Grain Harvester" IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED, TRANSMITTED, PRINTED OR PERFORMED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR
"Four Cycle pt9: Somnambulatory Grain Harvester" debuted November 15, 2002, performed by Aprille Clark and Paul Rust.