(a one-act)
CHARACTERS
LIAM, 30s
ALEX, late 20s, Liam’s fiancé
FRAN, 60s, Liam’s mother
SETTING: A very small town outside the city limits of Helena, Arkansas. Present Day.
FRAN hustles around the kitchen trying to get
everything ready. After a few beats, ALEX and
LIAM enter.
FRAN
Oh. I—hi. I just—
LIAM
Hey ma.
LIAM goes to kiss his mother. She turns reluctantly.
FRAN
I was hoping I had more time. The house is a mess. I wasn’t ready.
ALEX
Everything looks great. It’s way cleaner than our house has ever been.
Awkward silence.
ALEX
My house. I’m sorry. You’re in a couple so long that you forget. Oh, I’m—my house. Cleaner than my house has ever looked.
LIAM
Ma, this is Alexis.
FRAN
Yes. I figured. Hello Alexis.
ALEX
It’s Alex actually.
FRAN clears her throat.
FRAN
Right. Alex. Well sit down. Make yourself comfortable then. You two hungry?
LIAM nods as ALEX shakes her head.
LIAM
We haven’t eaten since morning. We’d love something.
ALEX
But only if you don’t mind.
LIAM sets a comforting hand on ALEX. FRAN nods.
FRAN
I’ve got some steak and tomatoes in the fridge if you—
ALEX
Oh I—
LIAM
Alex is a vegetarian, ma. I told you—
FRAN
Right, right. I forgot. Let me see. I must have something.
FRAN goes to look in the fridge. ALEX squirms
uncomfortably.
FRAN
You know what? I’ll just head to the garden. I’ll make us a casserole.
ALEX
Oh, you don’t have to—
FRAN
It’s not a problem. I’ll be right back.
FRAN exits.
ALEX
She hates me.
LIAM
You’re fine.
ALEX
I just—does she not know we live together?
LIAM
You’ve still got your old place so….
ALEX
LIAM
It’s fine. She’s probably just excited you’re an actual woman. With a name like Alex…
ALEX
Great. She’s homophobic too.
LIAM
I’m only kidding. Calm down. It’s not like—
FRAN enters holding vegetables.
ALEX
Well at least I know not to bring up your father.
FRAN
What about Cletus?
ALEX tenses up. She didn’t notice FRAN enter.
ALEX
Oh. I—
LIAM
Ma, what you got there? Your garden get bigger?
Pause.
ALEX
I need to—may I go to your bathroom?
FRAN
It’s down the hall to the left.
ALEX gets up and leaves.
FRAN
She don’t know, do she?
LIAM
No ma. I didn’t tell her.
FRAN
You realize it’d be the end of all of us if anyone found out. Christ, Liam, how could you be so irresponsible? You know, Jimmy just got into Harvard and how proud I been of him. And now you went ahead and—
LIAM
Ma, I didn’t tell her. ‘Sides even if I did, she’s not a stranger, she’s going to be my wife.
FRAN
Hell, Liam. My mama don’t even know. Boy, you done messed—
LIAM
Ma! I didn’t tell her.
Silence. ALEX returns. She sits down and crosses
her arms. She is at a loss.
FRAN
So Liam tells me you’re from Portland?
ALEX nods.
FRAN
What brings you to Arkansas?
ALEX
Teach for America. I work at Kipp.
Tense silence.
FRAN
Liam didn’t tell me you worked for Teach for America.
LIAM
Ma—
FRAN
At Kipp.
LIAM
Ma, Alex is just really serious about service work and thought that—
FRAN
Oh I know what she thought. You know how Teach for America works, don’t you, Alex?
ALEX
I know that it works if that’s what you’re asking.
FRAN
Oh does it? Well somebody light me on fire and call me a pig because—
LIAM
This is her last year but she’s choosing to stay. And work at the school. She’s not just leaving, mama.
FRAN moves to the vegetables and starts cutting
them to prepare the casserole. Long, uncomfortable
silence.
FRAN
(to LIAM)
So you’re moving back then?
LIAM
I am.
FRAN
And what will you do while your—while Alex is working at Kipp? Teaching.
ALEX
I’m sorry. Do you have a problem with teachers? I mean I can understand having a problem with me being from the city. Or being friends with gay people or something but teaching? How could anyone—
FRAN
You think what you’re doing is teaching? What you’re doing is prepping. Prepping kids to take bullshit test so that they pass along without knowing a goddamn thing and then when they get to college, they don’t know left from right because all they know—
LIAM
Ma!
Silence.
LIAM
Listen. If the two of you can’t get along, then fine. Ma, we’ll head into town and go visit—
FRAN
No. Stay. I’m sorry.
ALEX
I’m sorry too.
FRAN
For the record, I don’t care about your gay friends or whatever.
LIAM
Ma used to be a principal. She’s just really passionate about learning.
FRAN
Got my phD at Brown and everything.
ALEX
Oh. I—I didn’t know that.
FRAN
I figured.
Silence.
FRAN
I suppose you’ll be wanting Sugar’s ring.
ALEX
Sugar?
FRAN
My grandmother.
LIAM
Actually, I was wondering if you still had Cammie’s.
Silence.
LIAM
I know it’s wrong to ask for it but—
FRAN
You’re goddamn right it’s wrong to ask for it.
LIAM
But it’s not like you need it anymore and it means a lot to me.
FRAN
To you? It means a lot to you? What the hell do you think it means to me?
LIAM
I was figuring nothin’ considerin’.
FRAN
Considerin what, Liam?
LIAM
Ma, come on. You don’t need it. You don’t even wear it.
FRAN
That don’t change the fact that it’s mine.
ALEX
Well technically isn’t it Carrie’s?
FRAN
It’s Cammie!
LIAM
Alex, don’t—
FRAN
And not that it’s any of your business, Alexis, but it was my wedding ring. You must think I bout lost my mind if I’m going to—
LIAM
You hated Cletus.
FRAN
Last I checked I wasn’t the only one.
LIAM
I’m just trying to make a bad thing right.
FRAN
This ain’t the way to do it.
LIAM
Well it’s a start, ain’t it?
FRAN slams down her cutting knife.
FRAN
You selfish bastard. You think this city bitch is worthy of that ring?
ALEX
Hey!
FRAN
Shut up and stay out of this. This don’t concern you.
LIAM
He left the ring to me.
FRAN
Burn in hell. You know he was so drunk that night. You asked him right before—You had damn good timing, I’ll say that.
LIAM
Ma, it’s just a ring.
Silence.
FRAN
Alex, what you don’t understand is that ring was passed down for centuries. The stone in it is—(pause)—The stone in it is from the Treasure of Lima. You know, the stolen one.
ALEX
I—
FRAN
Look it up when you’re bored. The point is the ring is literally priceless. I don’t know how the family came up with it but—
LIAM
That whole family line was crooks and thieves. I’m not surprised at all.
ALEX
Liam, don’t talk about—
FRAN
No. The Porra family was full of crooks. Liam’s right.
ALEX
The Porra family?
LIAM
My dad’s family way back was Spanish.
FRAN
But then somebody married a Gorecki and they haven’t been able to get rid of the last name since.
Silence.
LIAM
Ma, Alex is about to be a part of the family. Just give us the ring. Please.
FRAN
Your father may have been good for nothing but that ring—Liam. It’s too much to ask.
LIAM
Ma, don’t you remember what he was like?
FRAN
Liam—
LIAM
He’d beat you, ma. All of us. He was a drunk. And he was just—he’s where he belongs now, mama. No point of keeping bad memories.
ALEX
Then why do you want to give me those memories?
LIAM
I don’t. I want to change them. I want to turn something bad, something awful, into something amazing.
Pause. FRAN leaves the room. ALEX and LIAM
sit in silence. FRAn returns holding the ring.
FRAN
Taking this ring as your wedding ring means you’re part of the family now.
LIAM
Ma—
FRAN
Is that what you want, Alex?
ALEX nods hesitantly.
FRAN
FRAN grabs ALEX hands. She removes her
engagement ring and tries on the new ring.
FRAN
Good. It fits.
She takes the ring off.
FRAN
We shot him.
FRAN gets up, grabs a bottle of whisky, and three
glasses. She pours a little bit in each glass.
ALEX
Excuse me?
FRAN
Cletus. We shot him. Liam, Jimmy, and I. Planned it out and shot him in the woods.
LIAM
FRAN downs her whisky. Both LIAM and ALEX sip
theirs. FRAN pours more whisky into her glass.
FRAN
He was an absolute brute, you know. Fucking terrible. I don’t regret it for second. But if you’re going to wear his family ring, you best know what happened to him.
ALEX is frozen. She can’t speak.
FRAN
Thing is, now that you know, you can’t tell anybody. Or I’ll shoot you too.
FRAN finishes her drink.
FRAN
I’m not about to lose my freedom because some Teach for America cunt can’t keep her mouth shut.
ALEX
Excuse me?
FRAN
You heard me.
Silence.
LIAM
Alex, it’s way more complicated than—
ALEX
No. Don’t. You killed someone. You all killed someone. Over what? And you didn’t even…Why hasn’t anybody wondered where he is? Didn’t the police look into it? How could you be so calm about it?
LIAM
You didn’t know him.
ALEX
I didn’t know him? That’s all you have to say? Why hasn’t anyone looked into his death?
FRAN
Didn’t nobody care he was missing. Everyone just figured he’d moved.
Pause.
ALEX
Oh, I can’t—you people are despicable.
ALEX stands up.
ALEX
(to LIAM)
Find your own way home. I’ll have your stuff packed by the time you make back into town. Goodbye Mrs. Goreki. Hope to never see you again.
ALEX slams the door behind her.
LIAM
That was a shitty thing to do, mama.
FRAN
You know I gotta kill her now, don’t you?
LIAM nods.
LIAM
Yeah. I know.
They both finish their whisky. THE END.