Sakura

Co-op with an old class mate who wrote the part of Café.

A brother and sister sit together in a waiting room. The girl, Dèss, is on the floor by her brother’s chair and idly scribbling in a journal. The boy, Dalzel, is sitting to the right of a table, across from an empty chair and reading a book, there’s a big pile of them under his chair, and he occasionally glances down at his sister. She’s dressed very ragged; her jeans are faded and worn, her oversized-sweater is torn in several places, her feet are bare and her hair is tied back in a messy bun. He’s dressed quite clean, a casually thrown on school uniform and generally well groomed appearance.

 

Café:

(Enters and hesitantly approaches Dèss and Dalzel. She’s holding a tray with 3 coffee mugs.  She stands next to the two, holding out the tray for them) Coffee?

 

Dèss looks up at the tray and girl with a distant gaze, shrugs and goes back to her journal.

 

Dalzel:

(Smiles and takes a mug) Thanks.

 

Café:

(Nods to Dalzel, placing the tray and third mug on the small table between them. She takes a sip of her coffee and sighs, relieved) So.... Have you been waiting long?

 

Dalzel:

(Takes a sip) I... (Looks at his pile of books) I don’t think so... I’ve been waiting as long as my sister. (Nods his head toward Dèss)

 

Café:

You don’t... think so ... You don’t think so... (She looks up at him) It’s strange. Waiting, I mean. Especially when we don’t know what we’re waiting for... (She takes another sip of her coffee)

 

Dalzel:

(Taking a another sip) Me, I’m waiting for her to be ready. (Places a kind hand on Dèss’s head, who looks up at him and smiles before going back to the writing.) And you? You stay here without knowing why, now that seems odd to me...

 

Café:

 (Takes a slow gulp, savouring the hot liquid with her eyes closed) That’s true. At least I’m not waiting alone anymore though.

 

Dèss:

(Looks up at her, glaring) Alone. Not alone. What’s the difference? Solitude permits reflection, company, distraction!

 

Dalzel:

Dèss! (Gives Café an apologetic glance)

 

Café:

Solitude kills man. How can we live without the other? Without love? Without friends? Without family?

 

Dèss:

(Stands abruptly and smacks Café’s mug, sending it smashing on the floor)  IN PEACE!  (Starts to storm off)

 

Dalzel:

(Half out of his chair, as if to follow Dèss, he changes his mind mid-motion and sits down heavily, turning toward Café) I... She... Dèss has a tendency to be... impulsive... I’m sorry.  You have to understand, the idea of family... it’s delicate with her-

 

Dèss:

Shut up Dalzel! She has no right to know why- Damnit Dalzel! You came here to be with me, not be a socialite! (She storms off, on the verge of tears)

 

Café:

(Looks over at Dalzel, baffled) What was....?

 

Dalzel:

(Shrugs with a small, apologetic smile) She-

 

Café:

(Stands up suddenly, cutting him off) I’m sorry... I obviously can’t do anything right.... (She leaves him, then the stage, on the opposite side from Dèss)

 

Dalzel watches her leave, sighs and follows Dèss off stage.

------

 

Dèss:

(Enters, looking at the empty chairs and calling out) Dal? ... Dalzel? ... DAL! (Discouraged, she steps towards the audience. Softly, she speaks for herself) I step forward? Yes... I move forward in life? Maybe... Yes, actually... I’m moving forward in a life molded by my past... But always with this weight, this question that anchors me to the past. “Why?” (Sighs)

 

(Louder now, she addresses the audience. Her tone is one of resignation.) I know what I’m doing. I’m searching. I’m searching but more than anything, I’m waiting. Waiting to understand. I want to understand the violence of this end. A tragic end to a too young life.  (Sounds more and more agitated) Why does your loss make me suffer so? Why? You, who seemed so happy, so full of life. Why choose such an end? You, the delicate cherry blossom, when you began to wilt, when your petals began to fall, you hid it too well. Me who thought you’d begun to bloom anew, what a shock it was to discover the last petal had fallen.

 

Like that ethereal floral treasure, even after you’ve gone your likeness remains, all too clear and real. A presence that invades my conscious and screams, (Screams) WHY? (Gasps, sighing and slips back into her resigned tone.)  And so, I wait. Some moments I’m calm, numb and resigned. (She becomes agitated and pained) Some moments I’m impatient, frantic and tortured.

 

(While she still sounds pained, her agitation has died down) Tortured because I can’t forget you. I’m incapable of silencing the voice that constantly, cruelly whispers to me. What was my role in the short story of your life?  Do I carry part of the blame? What could I have done to save you? Would a smile, a friendly ear, a shoulder to cry on, my friendship... (Pauses, contemplating )... would any of it have made a difference? Am I just putting too much importance on the impact of my actions?

 

 (Dalzel appears on the edge of the stage for a moment before stepping back into the wings. She steps toward him and freezes when he disappears. She yells after him.) Dalzel! Dalzel... (She realises his doesn’t hear her and sighs, discouraged) Dal...zel... (She addresses the place where he stood) Dal, I need you. I need your warmth to chase away this storm. You’re always so strong, so sure and me... I find myself weak and lost before the cruelty of my own thoughts.  Dalzel, brother, I beg you, come help me... (She falls to her knees) Help me find the sense in the absurd riddle that is her death...  (She speaks softly, almost a whisper.) The death of a girl I barely knew but whose memory has haunted me for so long already. A girl I could have known, had I only made the effort.

 

(Starts to get up, her voice stronger, more commanding.) Help me understand why she follows me without mercy. Help me understand why I miss this almost stranger with her ephemeral life. (Falls back to her knees, her voice shaking, afraid.) I’m lost, Dal. I’m lost in the labyrinth of questions that’s eating away at me piece by piece.  I can’t see the way out, but you, you’ll be able to see it. Get me out of here, Dalzel, I can’t take this anymore...

 

(Dalzel comes back on stage) Dalzel! (She stands and throws herself into his arms. He catches and holds her for a moment before pushing her back and holding her at arms length. They watch each other in silence for a moment. ) You listened, Dal? (He nods.) ... Dal... Why did you leave? ...

 

Dalzel:

You were finally talking. I didn’t want you to shut everything away again... Dèss... Since her death you’ve never given a voice to your questions. I wasn’t about to stop you from doing it...  (She buries her face against his neck and he holds her tighter, speaking softly, reassuringly.) Dèss...  There’s no end for you in always asking why and waiting for an answer hidden beneath the earth. Wait... Wait to accept the past...

 

(~Noir)

Reviews

[Kiri Nells]

I'm always fascinated by the ability to write scripts. You did very well, especially compared to what I could do.

[KittenCaine]

Ah X3 Well that difference is supposed to be there ^^"

[lost?]

I don't know... I guess Dalzel (the boy) came across as more mature... Dess seemed a little nuts and I thought it was because she was young...

[KittenCaine]

Oh? O.o What gave you that impression? (and they're twins)

[lost?]

Oh... I had them at 12 and 18 for some reason...

[KittenCaine]

They're 16/17 years old.

[lost?]

How old did you think Dalzel should be? Dess?