The Harvest

A rural farmer faces loss and gain all in the same day in this short one act.

                                      The Harvest

Characters:

Ryan Ross - The father

Jessica Ross�" 19 year old daughter. Nickname is Jess or Jessie

Ryan Archer- 21 years old

 

Setting: A porch on an old farmhouse in Appalachia. The father sits in a wood rocking chair at the right end of the porch. There is a hanging porch swing on the other side of the rocker. It’s mid-evening in late summer and an orange light bathes the porch from the setting sun in the west.  Dinner is over. The father sits in his rocker looking out over the hills where he has spent his life working and raising his family.

 

Jessica �" (exiting the house to the porch) How was dinner dad?

Father- Just fine Jess. You’re one fine cook. You’ll make some lucky guy a fat ol man like me one day.

Jessica �" I made a pie. Are you ready for a slice?

Father �" What kind of pie?

Jessica- Your favorite, apple walnut.

Father �" Mmmmm, I think I ate my fill. I’ll have to wait a spell. (Smiling at Jessica and rubbing his stomach with his right hand)

How was your day today sweetie?

(Long Pause)

Jessica- Well, uh, not so great Dad. I wanted to talk to you about that.

Father- What’s wrong honey?

Jessica- The mill shut down for good today. We all lost our jobs.

Father-D****t! That was the last big company in the county cept for the Coal Company and no daughter of mine is workin the mine and we don’t take no handouts from the government.

(The father gets up out of his rocker and walks to the edge of the porch raising his right hand high on one of the porch posts. He looks up and then down the post and then along the porch floor planks.)

Father- Looks like this ol porch is needen a new paint job. I outta try and git it done before winter sets in. Cheaper to paint than replace rotted wood.

(Jessica sits down on the edge of the porch next to where her father is standing and puts her head down in her hands)

Father- Looks like we might have a decent harvest this year. The corn came in good and the soybeans up on the ridge are lookin fine. Maybe you can help me if you don’t find work by then.

Jessica- Dad (long pause) I need to leave.

Father- (still looking out toward the hills) How is that Billy fella you wuz seein?

Jessica- Dad, you know I have not been out with him in a long time. Did you hear me? I need to leave.

Father- I liked him. Seemed like a fine young man. Good family. You can’t replace good upbringing.

(The father returns to his rocking chair and sits down and Jessica turns to rest her back against the porch post looking at her father. She pulls her knees up to her chest and grabs her arms around her legs)

Jessica- Daddy. I have been thinking on this awhile and now with the plant closing it just makes for perfect time’n. I want to move to California. You remember my friend from high school…Natalie? She has a place out there north of Los Angeles.

Father- I remember (he points straight ahead) when your grandfather built this house with his own hands. My dad told me how your great grandmother was born in a log cabin just over that ridge. You’re a seventh generation Ulster Plantation Scot Irish. Our people settled these hills when it was still New Virginia. This is our roots! (He stomps his right foot on the porch)

Jessica- Daddy! There’s nothing for me here!

Father- That’s what your brother Bobby said before he left to join the Army (his voice begins to tremble and crack).You saw how he came back…. in a metal box. Now you’re the last of our line. Your brother and mother are gone and you want to leave …. This is where you belong Jess.

Jessica- Dad. There is nothing here. There are no jobs. The boys that ain’t tryin to scratch an existence from the dirt are either growing dope or runnin a meth lab. Bobby knew that and that’s why he had to git outta here. (Her eyes begin to well up… long pause) It ain’t you dad. I love you more than anything and I love these hills but there is no life here for me. If the cancer had not taken mother she would understand. I will die a slow death here.

Father �" (Looking off into the distance, his lower lip quivers) I wish your mother was still here. I miss her so much. We were going to hold hands together in that swing and watch the sunsets together forever. People say she’s in a better place but her place was supposed to be here with me. Now it’s your place to be here on the family land. This is our ridge from that one over there (he points off to the left at 10 0’clock) all the way down the hill there to Ross Bottoms (points back over his shoulder).

Jessica- (down on her knees she reaches out and grabs her father’s hands with her own) I know dad. I know how much you want me to stay here and take on what you have made but it’s not for me. I told Natalie I would be out in a couple weeks. She says she can get me a job where she works. 

Father �" How you planning to get all the way to California?

Jessica- I hope you’ll let me take the Chevy. If not, I’ll get a ride to the capitol and take a bus.

Father-(Stands up and walks to the side of the porch swing, grabs one of the chains holding the swing and looks out towards the setting sun reaching the top of the next ridge) I think it’s going to be a good crop this year. Should be enough to cover the taxes, do some fixin and still have some left over.

(Jessica stands up and walks next to her father and wraps her arms around him laying her face into his back)

Father- About 21 years ago I had been out of high school a year. Most of my friends were working in the mine and been married a couple years and already had kids. I was chasing all the girls that were not married. Mostly though, I was chasin your mother. She was not real fond of me at first and she had this big dream of going to California to be an actress.  She was going to be a movie star and shop in Beverly Hills…. This little girl from the hills of West Virgina. (He turns to his daughter with tears rolling down his grey stubbled cheeks). Jessie, I made her stay. I took her dreams and made her trade them for mine. She gave me gifts in you and then your brother and now you are all that is left.

(Jessica looks at her father and begins sobbing. A silent eternity passes)

Father- You go baby. You go and follow your dreams. Make your mark and be happy.

Jessica- (Smiling, yet with tears) Are you serious daddy?

Father- Yes. I want you to go.

(Jessica lets out a scream as she raises her arms and jumps and then gives her father a hug)

You need to make me a promise Jess.

Jessica- Anything dad.

Father- Never settle. You give and demand one hundred percent from everyone and everything. And you write and call me regular like.

Jessica- I promise Dad.

Father �" I think I’ll take a piece of that pie now. Do you have any vanilla ice cream to go with it?

(Father sits back down in his rocker)

Jessica- You know I do dad! Do you want a fresh cup of coffee with it?

Father- No I better not. I need to get up at the crack of dawn and start bringin in that first plant of corn.

Jessica- OK. I’ll get up with you and help with the harvest.

(Jessica turns and as she reaches the screen door and opens it to go in the house she stops and turns toward her father)

Jessica- Dad, you expectin company this evenin?

Father- No, why?

Jessica- Well, someone is drivin down our ridge (she points off to the left). They’re either lost or comin here.

(Jessica goes in the house and the father watches the approaching vehicle, slowly turning his head from left to right)

(The sound of tires crunching gravel is followed by a car door shutting and 21 year old Ryan walks up to the porch from stage left)

Ryan- Good evening sir. Sorry to bother you. I’m looking for Ryan Ross.

Father- Well you found him young man. What can I do for you?

(The father sits back down in his rocking chair rocking slowly)

Ryan- My mother said I should look you up.

Father- She did huh, and just who is your mom?

Ryan- Allison Archer. She said she grew up around here and you’d remember her.

Father- (appearing surprised) Well, I remember Allison very well young man. There was a time… uh, we were very close friends your mom and I. She left kinda sudden like. Moved away twenty years ago or so. Where is your mom now?

Ryan- She passed on sir. We lived over in Ohio. Up near Steubenville.  I just come from her funeral yesterday. Buried her next to her parents at Mt. Olive cemetery.

Father- I know the place. Sorry to hear about your mother. She was a special woman and sorry I did not hear about her funeral.  I would have come and paid my respects.

Ryan- That’s OK

Father- So what’s your name?

Ryan- It’s Ryan sir. Ryan Archer.

 (He steps forward with his hand out and shakes hands with the older man as the father stands up)

Father- That’s a good name. Same as mine by the way. Archers were a good family round here. Can’t think of any still around here though. I think they sold off all their land to the coal company.

(The father slowly drops his hand and studies the young boy’s face in silence)

Are ya lookin for work cuz I guess maybe I could use a hand with my harvestin?  Can’t pay ya much tho.

Ryan- Well that’s not what brought me here but I’m purty good in all matter of chores around a farm. Know how to operate a combine and a bailer. Been doin that work for the past couple of summers since I graduated high school.

Father- Is your father from around these parts or is he from up in Ohio?

Ryan- Uh well. No sir. I never knew my father growing up. Mom never spoke of him … that is until she was dyin and then she told me who he was and where to find him. She said he likely did not even know about me. Guess she never saw fit to tell him that she had his baby.

(Father and Ryan stare at each other)

Father: I reckon so. (Closes his eyes and nods his head)

(Jessica comes to the front door)

Jessica- Dad, would our company like some pie?

Ryan- Awe, no thanks.

Father- Jess. I think I’m gonna pass on the pie. Fetch me my jar of shine from the cupboard and I think that in the back of the drawer by the sink there is a pack of Marlboro’s. Fetch em too.

Jessica- Dad? You ain’t smoked in years.

Father- Jessie, I know you’re only 19 but you may want to grab a glass for yourself. I don’t think we’re gonna be workin the fields tomorrow.

How bout you son, you want a glass? (Father sits in the swing)

 

(Fade the stage to black)