copyright © 2002 Drake Iowa/Nick Clark

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.

Four Cycle:
[pt1, Law Abiding Bus Driver]
[pt2 - The Old Man Who Could Not Drive A Tractor]
[pt3: Prodigal Daughter]
[pt4, The Pungent Trucker]
[pt 5, the Neighbors on the Porch Swing]
[pt 6a - Barbed and Wired]
[pt 6b - Family Reunion]
[pt7 - The Nurse From the Quilting Club]
[pt8 - The Monster and the Truck]
[pt9: Somnambulatory Grain Harvester]
[X - The Dinosaurs Along I-80]

[Nick Clark's Web Site]

[Back to Library] Home