Guardian Angels

Taken straight out of my life as a way to cope when one of my best friends took her own life. She was so young and had so much potential. We just wished we could have done something for her.

Scene 1

At Rise: It is about 3:00 P.M. MAX is sitting on a couch center stage with a T.V remote in his hand and pointed at the audience. DAD is sitting at a table stage right looking through some papers. ARRY enters stage right and throws the backpack she was carrying on the floor.

ARRY I'm home.

DAD How was school?

ARRY Fine.

MAX (Sarcastically) How descriptive.

ARRY Ha, ha.

DAD Max, can you go to your room for a little while. I need to talk to Arry alone.

MAX Alright. There's nothing to watch anyways. (Exits stage left.)

DAD Arry, I-

ARRY (Interrupting) Whatever it is, Max did it! It's not my fault!

DAD (Sadly) It's no one's fault. I have some bad news.

ARRY What's wrong?

DAD I suppose I should just come out and say it. (sighs) Do you remember your friend Meredith? (ARRY nods.) Well, her mother called me this morning after I dropped you off at school. She told me that Mer… Mer committed suicide a month ago. (ARRY has a shocked expression on her face, but stays silent.) I'm sorry I couldn't soften the blow for you.

DAD freezes as the lights dim. There is a spotlight on ARRY.

ARRY (Gazes out into the audience.) S… suicide? Meredith committed suicide. (ARRY'S face loses all of its emotion. She looks as though she is going to faint.) And I thought I knew the meaning of the word. Simply to kill yourself. How wrong I was. One does not simply kill one's self without cause. There must be a cause. Such a powerful longing for escape that the only way out seems to be death. But why didn't she get help?

Lighting gets brighter and DAD unfreezes.

DAD (Handing ARRY a folded piece of paper from the table.) Her mother… Carrie had me copy this down for you and Kia. Meredith gave the original to her when she was in the hospital. It had your names on it, so she wanted to make sure you two got it. (ARRY starts to unfold the paper.) Don't read it until you think you are ready.

DAD exits. ARRY sits on the ground and stares at the paper in her hand.

ARRY "Don't read it until you think you are ready." (Sadly) If I were to do that the note would never be read. (Unfolds the note.) Well, here goes…

(Lights dim and an eerie red light comes up. MER enters.)

ARRY (Reading.) "Darkness."

MER A journey to my mind would give you complete darkness. I search my soul and find the same thing; a void where love, compassion, and happiness once rested. A raven. Ever an omen of bad news; foreboding and malicious. I see my mind and soul transform into this bird of sorrow. Tears. The hateful liquid forms in my eyes and threatens to submerge. My thoughts cry out and forbid me to let them spill. As they stream down my face I am once again left alone in the darkness, abandoned by my own thoughts. Fools. My Rabbi, family, therapists. They know everything and yet nothing. Try as they may they cannot hope to understand what I myself struggle to decipher. Or perhaps I am the fool, to not know why I feel what I feel. Freedom. I long for this with every fiber of my being. There are two roads to that which I seek. One long, the other short. Both end in death. To be truly free you must not be tied to the Earth. Death. The destination of both roads. But does the short road lead to freedom as well as death? I go on asking questions that I will have to answer myself. Darkness, a raven, tears, fools, freedom… death. I have decided to take the short road, for what do I have to lose? My friends? They are back west where I used to live. My mother? She will be better off without me. My mind? Well… that has been gone for quite some time now. Arry, Kia, if you read this I would just like to say that you are… were the best friends I have ever had. I loved you very much.

MER exits. ARRY drops the note, lays down on the stage, and starts to cry. Lights fade into a blackout.

 

 Scene 2

At rise: Lights come up on a gothic-looking bedroom. There is a bed downstage right and a desk center. ARRY is lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling.

ARRY What happened Mer? It wasn't supposed to be like this. You were supposed to move to New York and make new friends. I remember when you were happy… when you, Kia and I used to hang out all the time.

Lights dim and ARRY gets up and walks over to the desk. KIA and MER enter. KIA sits on the desk and MER stands next to her. The lights brighten.

MER OK Kia, do you have the kit?

KIA Yes, of course. Should we pour the wax in now, or paint the pots first?

ARRY My dad is melting the wax right now, so we may as well paint.

MER Alright.

The girls start painting small clay pots.

MER So where are your brothers? Usually they would have found a way to annoy us by now.

KIA Steven had a doctor's appointment. Thank God!

ARRY Max is at my mom's house.

MER Awesome! Maybe we can go in his room and rearrange all of his stuff!

ARRY (Laughing) One project at a time!

DAD (From offstage) Mer! Kia! Arry! The wax is ready when you are.

ARRY OK Dad, we're coming!

KIA exits. MER starts to exit, but stops.

MER Arry, are you coming?

ARRY Yeah. In a minute. I just want to write down what we're doing.

MER Why?

ARRY So I can remember it later.

MER (with humor) Freakish writer!

ARRY sticks her tongue out and MER exits. Lights dim. ARRY lies on the bed again, and the lights brighten.

ARRY It's later Mer and I do remember.

Blackout

 

 

Scene 3

It is about 10:30 P.M. ARRY and KIA are sitting in ARRY'S back yard. There is a baby pool downstage right next to the two girls. They have a small collection of candles and incense scattered around them. Among the candles, three of them are floating candles. One of the candles is already lit. A blue light comes up on stage and a white light shines on KIA and ARRY.

ARRY (Staring at the candle blankly) I'm glad you were able to come over. (Looks at KIA) It's been months.

KIA puts her hand in the baby pool and twirls it around in the water. She then stares at the candle as though it is hypnotizing her.

KIA Yeah, I know. We used to see each other every week. We were best friends, what happened to us?

ARRY I guess we just got really busy. You with your chorus and me with my plays and musicals… (ARRY gets up and starts to pace, thinking) Still, it's really good that we were able to do this. When my dad told me I … I couldn't believe it. (Playing with her hair) At first I was in shock, and I didn't say anything, but then, when my dad left I just broke down and cried.

KIA gets up and walks to where ARRY is. She puts a hand on ARRY's shoulder.

KIA I know what you mean. She moved to New York in practically a day, and I didn't get to say goodbye. And to be honest, I hadn't talked to her for two years! (KIA walks to the edge of the stage, sits down, and lets legs dangle over the edge) And I hate myself for it!

ARRY (Smiling weakly/sadly) It's ironic, isn't it? It's like that song. The one that goes (singing) "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone…

KIA Big Yellow Taxi?

ARRY (Going back to the baby pool) Yeah. That's it. (Sighs and sits down.)

KIA (Swings legs up and lays on edge of stage) I just feel like I could have stopped it. Like I held her life in my hands and I just let it slip through my fingers like sand.

ARRY (Looks over at KIA) Kia, it's not your fault. How could you have known that she wanted to… to kill herself?

KIA (Raising her voice) NO! You don't understand. I did know!

ARRY (slowly) What?

KIA (Lowering her voice a bit) Sh-she told me. I mean, about suicide. She told me a few times actually. Before she moved away. I never expected her

to go through with it though! It's all my fault! I should've told someone.

Sitting up.

ARRY (Going over to where KIA is) Oh my �" w-¦well, still, even if you told someone, it still could have happened. She tried three times before she succeeded. (Sits down and gives KIA a hug) It isn't your fault. It's no one's really.

KIA Arry… (Near tears) I've thought about it too. I -

ARRY (Gasps and grabs KIA's hand) Don't! (Starts to cry) I don't think I could handle another loss! My Saba, my dog, and now Mer?! (Getting quieter) Not you too, please, not my best friend too-

KIA Oh my God - Arry, I'm sorry. Please stop crying. (Hugs ARRY) I won't.

ARRY (There is a long pause and ARRY stops crying) You know, I don't think she knows how much she hurt the people around her.

ARRY and KIA both get up and go back to the baby pool. They sit down.

KIA Meredith was all her mother had.

ARRY You know, (lighting another candle) she wrote Carrie a suicide note telling her that she was a good mother.

KIA Mm-hmm.

ARRY It really isn't fair for her. Carrie I mean. If it is this devastating for us, than think of how terrible it would have been in Carrie's shoes. No parent should have to bury their own child. (Awkward silence) Did your mom tell you that she said our names before she died?

KIA (Sitting up straight) What?!

ARRY (Surprised) She didn't tell you? Well then… I will. (Takes a breath) When Mer was on her (flinches) deathbed, she grabbed a nurse's hand and said, "Kia, you look so pretty…" (Pauses for a moment) and later she said "Arry, thank you for inviting me to your Bat Mitzvah." (ARRY lets a breath out too fast and the candles go out.)

KIA (hands trembling) I had no idea. That is so sweet.

ARRY Yes, but to me that makes it even more sad. In the note Mer wrote she said that we were the best friends she had ever had. She didn't make any new friends in New York. I just wish… (Sighs)I wish she had gotten help. I know my dad tried to get her and Carrie into counseling, but-

KIA Didn't she have bipolar?

ARRY (Gets up slowly, walks slowly across the stage) We think so, but it wasn't a sure thing. Why?

KIA Well… (Kneeling next to baby pool and throwing a few rocks in) Your brother takes pills for bipolar. I thought maybe that was how she got those drugs.

ARRY Maybe. (ARRY sits down cross-legged where she is and closes her eyes) She took two kinds of pills, and I think they were both antidepressants.

Pause.

KIA (Looks over at ARRY) So she admitted to the doctors that she took a whole bottle of one kind of pill, but neglected to mention the other kind. By the time they found out it had already worked its way through her system and it was too late. Is that right?

ARRY nods. There is a pause.

KIA (KIA shifts to a cross-legged position) Should we do our little memorial ceremony now?

ARRY opens her eyes, gets up, walks back to the baby pool, and sits opposite of KIA.

ARRY Yeah. Let's light the floating candles and then bid Mer a final farewell.

KIA Should we try to contact her soul? You know, to guide her?

ARRY (Picking up a candle) If she felt such a strong need to escape from this world that she found death her only option, then I am afraid that she was already lost.

Pause

KIA We can only hope that she's not. I miss her so much.

ARRY Me too… You know, her mom said that Mer saw a little girl in her bedroom every night. (Long pause) After Mer died Carrie told their Rabbi about it. Most people would call it schizophrenia, but he called it her guardian angel.

KIA (Brightening a bit) Well then, there is hope. Maybe she's not lost!

ARRY As you said, we can only hope.

KIA What did the girl look like?

ARRY I don't know. Why?

KIA Oh, I just wanted to know if it was the same girl from my dreams. Maybe that girl is everyone's guardian angel. What do you think Arry?

ARRY It's a nice thought, but from what I've seen over the years, you can never really tell.

KIA (Sadly) Yeah, I guess you’re right. C'mon, it's getting late. We should finish this up.

They both pick up matches and light one floating candle each.

KIA (Indicating her candle) This one represents me -

ARRY (Holding her candle up) And this one is me.

ARRY and KIA put the floating candles in the baby pool.

KIA Now we say our own prayers for her.

They sit in silence for a few moments. Their eyes are closed as if they are meditating.

KIA (Opening her eyes) You done?

ARRY Yes.

KIA OK (Picking up the last floating candle) And lastly, this represents Mer.

ARRY and KIA light the candle together and put it in the baby pool. They then take a few moments to pray again. ARRY sighs. Gets up and walks center stage. KIA freezes and a spotlight comes up on ARRY.

ARRY Goodbye Mer. You could not find your happiness here on Earth. I hope with all of my heart that you are able to find it hidden among the heavens. If you ever need our help you can always think of Kia and me (pause) as your guardian angels

(Blackout.)

 

 Fin

 

Author's Note

Disclaimer: I doubt this needs to be said, but I do not own the rights to "Big Yellow Taxi".

Reviews

[Glen Yumang Manese]

its the heart of it all... in this stage play...you weave the lines of the characters and the somberness is quite reflected throughout the script...the way you give a final resting place...the words speak for themselves...and the reality is someone has passed...and there's hope...only God knows the end verdict...

[Ashira Macy]

Thank you for reading this one Glen, I know it is a bit lengthy. I am glad you took away the hope at the end. It was a sad time, but I wanted to leave something there, believe that she found peace.

[Glen Yumang Manese]

I like stage plays...if they are worth the read...my older sister writes them...she is the one who's bipolar...a hell of a mind...but a genius in all accounts...the student that never got nothing, but A's...just the best got the better of her...

[Ashira Macy]

I know how that is, my mother has bipolar as well. The mania helps her bursts of creativity and genius, it is the depression that seems to be the biggest issue, at least that is how I see it.

[KingO'Malley]

This is very . . . I don't know the word for it. But I think that the story was great. You wove the personalities into the story perfectly, and the topic is one I think is very much needed to write about more. Keep writing. This was great.

[Ashira Macy]

Thank you so much, I am glad you enjoyed it. =)

[Lyan]

It's a sad story but the ending is positive which is nice. I don't know if you have read the Fault in Our Stars , this play reminds me of the book.

[Ashira Macy]

Thanks for reading this one! Plays and longer stuff like books and chapters don't get as much attention on here, at least not yet, though most of the people I have befriended are predominately poets, so that is probably why. It is a sad but true story. I haven't read "the Fault in Our Stars", though the concept sounds interesting to me. Didn't that movie just come out?

[Lyan]

Yea, the movie for it came out not too too long ago. I haven't seen it though. at some point was going to but didn't get to it. I did read the book; I wouldn't say it's the best book ever or understand why the hype about it. but that's just me. I think it was sad and an okay book.