
03-26-2011, 03:12 PM
This is a monologue that I wrote.
David is in his late seventies. He is sitting in his living room which is cluttered with children's toys. It is late evening.
Bloody disgrace! They let them get up to anything these days. Marrying. Having kids. All the things that used to be special to normal couples. Our Lisa keeps telling me I shouldn't speak about them like that, 'specially not in front of Tommy. Not that he'll understand, he's only a little 'un. I was telling my eldest, Michael, about it on the phone the other day. About a story I read in the newspaper, telling him all about what that lot get up to. He just laughed. He's no bothered about that sort of thing. He's a real man my Michael is. He's coming over on Sunday, bringing a new 'significant other' to meet me. Her name's Sam. I imagine she's a pretty little thing.
Pause.
Well, I haven't actually met any of his girlfriends, but I know he has them. Our Lisa has got me one of them 'Facebook' profiles and some of those things he writes about, they'd make you're hair stand on end, and make his mother cringe. But by God, they make me proud, they'd make any father proud. This Sam is going to be good for my Michael. If only Lisa would find someone dependable, steady, unlike that Sandy she's with now. I mean, what sort of name is that? Sandy's a dog's name for God's sake. He's not good for our Lisa, he has a tattoo, you know.
Go to black.
Come up on David smoking in the kitchen.
Lisa thinks I've stopped. She's got me on all those God awful nicotine patches and had me chewing gum, the lot! She said it would be better for Tommy. I swear, she has him wrapped in bloody bubble wrap! When my two were kids, me and Marion smoked like chimneys in front of them and they were fine.
When my Michael has kids I know that he's going to be a proper parent, not like Lisa. Sure, her heart's in the right place, but she doesn't stop worrying. Every little thing. I had him out the back playing football the other day with a couple of other boys. She did her nut in, didn't she. It's a miracle she hasn't had a heart attack over him yet. Wait till he gets to school. Watch out, teachers! I say.
She's a brilliant cook though, see that beef joint there? Our lunch tomorrow. Getting to meet that new lassie of Michael's. Looking forward to seeing him. He stays a couple of hours away now. So I never really get to see him any more.
Pause.
Fancy car he has now, one of them 4x4's.
Go to black.
Come up on the living room again. It's evening. The curtains are closed. The table lamp is on.
Sam? What kind of name is Sam? A bank clerk, well, I knew all that. The one thing Michael forgot to mention was that Sam's a bloke! I thought it were a joke at first. They came in, holding hands, could've knocked me down with a feather. Lisa knew of course, didn't she? Didn't think to tell me, did she?
Thought it would be good for you to find out this way, she said. Sam and Mike have been together for two years, she said. Mike's always been gay, she said. She doesn't get it though, does she? My Michael, my boy, my only son. He's not gay! He's not one of them! He's normal!
Go to black.
Comes up on David in the living room. It is clear from the re-decoration that time has passed. It is dusk.
It was a brilliant ceremony, first one of them I've ever been to. No religion or anything like that in the vows. Not like mine and Marion's. They were proper vows. Michael and Sam did them on their own. The registrar was something too. He was one of them an' all. A nice chap though. I was talking to him when I was filling my going-home bag up from the finger buffet at the end of their reception. Lovely food. Smoked salmon, the works.
Of course, my Michael looked very dapper in his suit. Him and Sam were matching, I thought that were a bit much much, but they had a theme, or that's what they call it nowadays. All purple, black and silver. I took some of the balloons home, I said they were for Tommy, but I just love the helium.
Go to black.
Come up on the living room again. David is sitting with his evening meal on his lap.
I'll admit, I still see them as their lot and our lot, I always will. But my Michael is still my Michael. Always will be too. Took me a while to see it like that, took a lot of ear-bashing from Lisa and all. But, I did get there in the end. I'm one of them 'new-men' now.
Go to black.
Last edited by Ticker; 03-26-2011 at 03:26 PM..
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