Duty
by Emmy Kreilkamp
CHARACTERS
MOTHER 70-80 years old
MAN 40-60 years old
TIME/PLACE: Here, now.
SCENE 1
MOTHER is sitting in a chair, with a blanket wrapped around the lower half of her body, watching television. Sounds are of war: shouting, screaming, gun shots, etc. but no news commentary. If there are words audible, they are not in English or in a clearly identifiable language and are muffled, distorted. Long pause. She stares at the TV, starts to fall asleep. Sound of key in the lock. MAN enters. MOTHER picks up the remote and the sound of TV fades to very low volume, under dialogue, until the end of the scene. MAN stands by the door, a distance away from MOTHER. There is another chair, closer to her, but he does not sit in it. They both look, for the most part, straight ahead and avoid each other’s gaze. They take many pauses between lines.
MOTHER
Long day.
MAN
Yes.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
I’ve been watching the news.
MAN
Yes.
MOTHER
It’s hard work.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
I appreciate your service.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Grandma appreciates it too.
MAN
She does?
MOTHER
Even if she doesn’t say . . . can’t understand. In the home.
MAN
Yes.
MOTHER
She’s comfortable.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Not in pain.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
You’ve seen to that.
MAN
I have.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
It’s difficult work.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Isn’t it?
(Pause.)
MOTHER
It was difficult for your father too.
(Long Pause.)
MOTHER
Were you on this action?
MAN
I can’t say.
MOTHER
No.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Still, I saw on the TV.
MAN
Saw me?
MOTHER
No. Other men.
MAN
Oh.
(Pause.)
MAN
I did my duty.
MOTHER
Yes.
(Long pause.)
MOTHER
Why don’t you go to bed?
MAN
Alright.
(MAN crosses to leave the room while there is a . . .)
BLACKOUT
SCENE 2
MOTHER is again sitting in her chair, watching TV. Sounds as before but more identifiable now, a few words in English here and there, but still muffled, with static, distortions. Long pause. She stares at the TV. Sound of key in the lock. MAN enters. MOTHER picks up the remote and turns down the sound. MAN stands by the door, perhaps sits on a stool or a different chair a ways away from MOTHER. There is another chair, closer to her, but he does not sit in it. Again, they both look, for the most part, straight ahead and avoid each other’s gaze.
MOTHER
Long day.
MAN
Yes.
MOTHER
I’ve been watching the news.
MAN
Yes.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
These are difficult times.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Were you on this action?
MAN
I can’t say.
MOTHER
No.
MAN
No.
MOTHER
Still. I saw it on the TV.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
It was tough to watch.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
I know it’s necessary but it’s still difficult to see.
MAN
You could turn off the TV.
MOTHER
I could. But I want to know what is happening.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
It looks bad.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Like things are getting worse.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Do you think things are getting worse?
MAN
I don’t know.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
You find it difficult?
MAN
What?
MOTHER
The work.
MAN
No.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Still, it is hard. Even for men as strong as you.
(Long Pause.)
MOTHER
When there’s children.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
There were children?
(Pause.)
MOTHER
I saw there were children.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
That’s difficult.
(Long Pause.)
MOTHER
They screamed?
MAN
Of course they screamed.
(Long pause.)
MOTHER
Are there ever . . .
MAN
What?
MOTHER
Times when they’ve gone?
MAN
What do you mean?
MOTHER
Times when you arrive and they aren’t there?
MAN
Yes. Sometimes they’ve left.
MOTHER
How?
MAN
They learned we were coming. We came too late. We were delayed.
MOTHER
Sometimes?
MAN
Yes.
MOTHER
Not today.
MAN
No.
MOTHER
No.
MAN
Sometimes I have to tie my shoe.
MOTHER
Your shoe?
MAN
It’s against regulations. A hazard. You have to stop and tie your shoe or you could fall.
MOTHER
Oh.
MAN
And sometimes that can make me delayed.
MOTHER
Oh.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll get you up in the morning.
MAN
Alright.
BLACKOUT
SCENE 3
Mother is again sitting in her chair, watching television, but this time more alert and on the edge of her seat. She looks around at times, startled. Sounds from the TV again are of war, shouting, screaming, etc. But slightly different this time, with more words in English but still distorted, muffled. Long pause. Sound of key in the lock. MAN enters, and MOTHER takes a long sigh of relief. She picks up the remote and settles back into her seat, while the sound of TV fades. MAN enters. He enters and sits in the chair close to her. They both look, again, for the most part, straight ahead.
MOTHER
Long day.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Grandma died.
MAN
Oh.
MOTHER
Yes. I was going to call but thought it better to talk in person.
MAN
Yes.
MOTHER
It was in her sleep.
MAN
At peace, then.
MOTHER
Yes.
MAN
Better that way.
MOTHER
Yes.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
I heard a disturbance across the hall. The neighbors.
MAN
Oh?
MOTHER
Yes.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
They were taken.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
They weren’t foreign.
MAN
No.
MOTHER
I thought only—
MAN
No.
(Long pause.)
MOTHER
What if one day—it . . .
MAN
One day?
MOTHER
It’s our address?
(Pause.)
WOMAN
Would they—
MAN
I don’t know.
(Pause.)
MAN
It would be someone else.
MOTHER
Someone else?
MAN
Yes. Not me.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
But if it is someone else . . .
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Would they . . .
MAN
They’ll do their duty.
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Is there no . . .
(Pause.)
MOTHER
Is there no—
MAN
What?!
MOTHER
Way for them to be delayed?
(Pause.)
MAN
Delayed?
(MAN looks directly at MOTHER who stares back. Pause.)
BLACKOUT
SCENE 4
Lights up on the room. MOTHER is now gone. TV is on as before but quieter. The blanket that the mother had wrapped around her is now strewn on the floor. Long pause. Sound of key in the lock. MAN enters, looks around anxiously, sees the blanket. He then crosses to the chair that he sat in before. He sits and takes a deep sigh. Watches TV for a long moment. Picks up remote. Turns it off. He then looks straight ahead. Long pause.
BLACKOUT
END OF PLAY
Emmy Kreilkamp is a writer, director and educator based in the Pacific Northwest. She is currently an associate Professor of Theatre and Drama at Centralia College in Washington State.
Photo by PJ Gal-Szabo on Unsplash