10: A Mother's Prayer

by Joseph Frost

a play written for The 31 Plays in 31 Days Project

Draft August 10, 2013

Attic Scripts, 2013 4550 Normandy Dr Jackson, MS 39206 atticscripts@gmail.com

A girl and her mother. A backless bench. GIRL I wanted nothing more than to stay. MOM I wanted to hold you close to me. GIRL Funny if that were true. I wouldnt lie to you. MOM

GIRL Youve told me lies my whole life. MOM Santa and the Easter Bunny dont count. They are not real. GIRL

MOM Theyre real, they just dont exist. Mom. GIRL

MOM You cant tell me I didnt want you to stay here. I begged you. Begged you. I pleaded. I threatened, and cried. What was I supposed to do? Tell me the truth. I knew what was best. I know. Now I know. GIRL MOM GIRL I didnt know that then.

MOM If we could go back and tell her. GIRL She wouldnt believe me. She didnt believe you. God, I loved her. MOM

2. GIRL I couldnt before.

You did.

(beat) At least I can be honest with you now. I know. MOM

GIRL I dont want to go this time either. Dont tell me that. Im just being honest. MOM GIRL

MOM But you know, dont you? Of course. GIRL A moment. MOM Ill tell you something. You have to promise not to tell your father. GIRL I wouldnt even if I could. MOM While you were gone... every day... I... prayed... for you. Prayed. Yes. GIRL Like prayed, prayed. MOM Like on your knees. To God.

GIRL You dont believe in God. MOM That was your father. Didnt breathe a word about God in his house, forty years. He was angry and a drunk and a liar, and somehow he got it in his head that God was all those things too. Like God was made in his image. (beat) But that wasnt me. I never knew. GIRL

3. MOM I kept it quiet because of your father. (beat) Thats not saying that I thought it would do anything. I was praying about you as much as I was for you. When I started. But every day I would get down on my knees and I would fold my hands and I would say these words. A mothers prayer. (beat) Oh God. You are big, and Im small. Im sorry I do wrong, but forgive me, because I forgive the wrongs done me. I dont understand why she left, but keep her safe. I dont think I could take it if anything happened to her. But if something does, let it be what you want. Amen. That was your prayer. Something like that. A mothers prayer. Every day. And I was kept safe. GIRL MOM GIRL MOM GIRL

MOM I dont know about that. So much happened to you. would have kept all of that away from you. But Im here. You are. I am. GIRL MOM GIRL A moment. Youd better go. Yeah. She needs you. MOM GIRL MOM

I wish it

4. GIRL

I dont know... She does.

MOM She needs you to pray for her. GIRL MOM

Im not sure... She needs you.

GIRL I dont know if there is a God, mom. MOM God doesnt need your belief to exist, sweetheart. Girl gets up to leave. GIRL That was all you had to say... to pray? That was it. MOM

GIRL Did you have to mean it? I sure tried. MOM Girl takes a few steps away, stops and turns. GIRL Will you still pray for me? Im doing it now. MOM Girl exits. Mom gets down on her knees at the bench. A moment. Lights down.