Jimsonweed (3) TAYLOR No, not even our Attie’s. (FATHER INOXIA enters the room and puts his arms around the sisters. In a corner of the hospital room, a brilliant light illuminates a magnificent spiral staircase. An ANGEL appears at the top of this magnificent spiral staircase. The ANGEL wears a long white flowing robe. The ANGEL has the traditional wings, which angels are often portrayed as having. The ANGEL makes her way down the long, spiral staircase.The ANGEL stands at the foot of ATTIE’S bed and stretches out her hand to ATTIE. FATHER INOXIA, TAYLOR, CINCI, Dr. RICHARDS and NURSE CONNIE stand frozen, motionless.) ANGEL (In a gentle, but commanding voice) Attie! Attie Datura! Arise! I have come for you! (ATTIE rises and walks obediently towards the ANGEL. ATTIE is dressed in the clothes she wore after the Christmas Eve Service. She looks first at the ANGEL and then at her family. She is confused.) ATTIE (Confused) Where am I? And who are you? ANGEL (Comfortingly) Attie, relax. ATTIE (Looking at her family) Relax! I’m there and I’m me! I mean. Am I dead? And who the hell are you? Oh, my God, you’re an angel, aren’t you? ANGEL Yes, Attie, I’m your guardian angel. We have work to do before morning. Come. ATTIE I’m not going anywhere with you! ANGEL Attie. ATTIE How did I get here? The truck! I felt hands pushing me! ANGEL Listen to me Attie. You are not dead, yet. You may live! ATTIE Some crazy son of a bitch pushed me. ANGEL No person was seen by your family. ATTIE It was a person, some evil ANGEL Yes, indeed, something evil. Something evil pushed you. The thing, the evil presence you’ve been feeling lately. Especially, at your seances. ATTIE (Finally comprehending) An evil spirit has attached itself to me, hasn’t it? ANGEL Yes, Attie, I am afraid so. ATTIE How? God, that jimsonweed god. That evil god. Toloache. ANGEL Yes that is right. ATTIE It meant to kill me and it nearly did! Why pick on me? ANGEL Attie, no one knows the answers to these questions. Do the innocent need know why the evil in the world enjoys their suffering? ATTIE This thing, this evil spirit, it won’t be happy until I am dead, will it? ANGEL No. (The ANGEL shakes her head ‘no’.) Toloache will not be happy until you are dead. He is a warrior spirit. Because of your God given ability to contact the Spirit world, he considers you a Warrior. He con- siders you a worthy opponent. There isn’t much time till morning. And we have much work to do. come. Come Attie Datura. (ATTIE and the ANGEL climb the magnificent staircase coming to the top, the brilliant, white light vanishes.) Blackout SCENE 2 A wooded park adjacent to a cemetery. ATTIE and the ANGEL are seated on a park bench next to a frozen pond. ATTIE and the ANGEL are invisible to others. They watch the ICESKATERS, a FATHER with his CHILDREN (one of these children is DANNY.) ATTIE I don’t feel dead. Are you sure I’m not dead? ANGEL Cross my heart, Attie. You are not dead. ATTIE I’m not cold. I don’t feel cold. Are you cold? Oh I guess Angels don’t have to feel cold. ANGEL No, I am not cold. And you needn’t worry about the cold tonight. Relax! ATTIE Relax! I got hit by a truck! And I am supposed to relax! (The SKATERS, having fun skate past ATTIE and the ANGEL. ATTIE sees that one of the skaters, is DANNY!) Hey, there goes Danny! (The SKATERS exit right.) Danny can really skate. Way to go Danny! Look how fast he can skate. He’s got way ahead of the others! Wait Danny! He’s gone way out past the safe skating area! His father has gone after him! Oh, no, the ice gave way under Danny! He’s fallen in. Help! Help! Someone save the little boy! Save Danny! ANGEL Attie! Attie! Danny’s father has him. He’s reached down under the freezing water and grabbed Danny by his coat! Only a matter of inches! He’s got him! (DANNY’S FATHER carries a very lifeless DANNY. He enters stage right. He places DANNY’S very lifeless body on stage.) FATHER What do I do? What do I do? ANGEL Tilt his head back. Hold his nose, while you breathe through his mouth in several deep breaths! (DANNY’S FATHER does just this and DANNY comes to! Gasping and sputtering! But he is alive.) ATTIE Lord be praised! Danny is going to be OK! (DANNY’S FATHER picks his son up and exits right. ATTIE and the ANGEL walk through the cemetery entrance. The cemetery is very quiet and well tended. There are many elaborately carved headstones, some with angels, some with small children. The snow drifts around the headstones.) ATTIE This is the cemetery where my mother is buried. (ATTIE and the ANGEL come to a small headstone engraved with the words: ‘Edna Jean Datura, born 1935-1960, Loving Mother and Daughter.’ I was so angry with her for dying. For leaving me! ANGEL She loved you and your sisters very much. ATTIE Yes, I know. ANGEL She didn’t want to leave you. You were all so little. And hard as it was to understand, in the midst of pain. Sometimes, God has a plan. (ATTIE and the ANGEL towards walk a burial. There are three YOUNG GIRLS; YOUNG ATTIE, YOUNG TAYLOR and YOUNG CINCI. ATTIE’S GRANDMOTHER holds the sisters, comforting them. They are all crying. FATHER INOXIA dressed in Church vestments, and holding a Bible in his hand, officiates at the burial service. He is, of course, thirty years younger. EDNA JEAN DATURA,ATTIE’S mother, appears at a nearby gravestone. She beckons to YOUNG ATTIE. Both YOUNG ATTIE and ATTIE walks towards her. EDNA JEAN Attie, you mustn’t grieve for me. (She brushes away YOUNG ATTIE’S tears.) YOUNG ATTIE AND ATTIE (Together) Why did you leave us? EDNA JEAN I didn’t want to leave you or your sisters. It was my time. It was part of God’s plan. ATTIE AND ATTIE (Together) Then I hate God! (YOUNG ATTIE bursts into tears and cries against her Mother’s chest.) EDNA JEAN Attie Datura! You do not! And you know it. God simply has a plan for each one of us. We don’t always know what that plan is, or why. YOUNG ATTIE AND ATTIE (Together) I don’t care! I want you back! EDNA JEAN I will never be far away. I promise! (From behind them, ATTIE’S GRANDMOTHER and her two sisters are moving away from the grave.) Attie, it is time for you to go back to Grandmother. It is time for you to leave me. YOUNG ATTIE AND ATTIE (Together) No! No! EDNA JEAN Remember that I love you always. Attie. Remember that in each of us the spirit can either weep or sing! In you Attie Datura, the spirit sings! (EDNA JEAN exits left. ATTIE, tearfully gets up from the bench and makes it back to her GRANDMOTHER and YOUNG TAYLOR and CINCI. The GRANDMOTHER puts her arms around YOUNG ATTIE. The ANGEL puts her arms around ATTIE.) ANGEL You know Attie, your Mother is in heaven, and she still keeps an eye on things; on you, your sisters. She and Grandma still argue as to whether Cinci is too fat and needs to loose weight. Or that Taylor is too intra- verted for her own good. Or whether it’s time you, Attie, found a nice man. Let’s go have some fun! Blackout SCENE 3 Outside the ANDREWS’ home. The only thing solid about the house, is the front door, gaily decorated with a Christmas wreath, there are no walls to obstruct our view. ATTIE and the ANGEL are following CARROLERS. They join in singing traditional Christmas carols. They join in singing, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. CAROLERS (ATTIE and the ANGEL join in) God rest ye merry gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, For Jesus Christ, Our Savior, Was born upon this day, To save us all from Satan’s power When we were gone astray Oh, tidings of comfort and joy. Comfort and joy, Oh, tidings of comfort and joy. (ATTIE and the ANGEL stop suddenly in front of the ANDREWS’ home. ATTIE seems confused. The ANGEL puts her arm around ATTIE. ANGEL (Knowingly) What is it, Attie? ATTIE I feel. I feel compelled to enter this house. I don’t know this house. I don’t know the people who live here. ANGEL It’s the gift, Attie. It is directing you! ATTIE Yeah, I’ll say. I feel an extreme sense of urgency. How perfect everything looks blanketed in snow. Like a Christmas card. ANGEL (To herself) Yes, it’s hard to believe that an evil thing has been let loose on the world tonight. ATTIE Come on! (ATTIE and the ANGEL simply walk right up to the ANDREWS’ front door and enter! The living room and dining room are festively decorated for the Christmas season. There is a Christmas tree gaily decorated in one corner of the living room. ATTIE and the ANGEL arrive just as a young couple, JANET and TOM MERCER, are greeted at the door. They are welcomed by JANET’S MOTHER, ELLEN ANDREWS. She takes the couple’s coats.) ELLEN Janet, Tom right on time! Dinner is almost ready. ATTIE Smells wonderful. Oh, what a beautiful tree! (ATTIE almost bumps into JANET’S stomach.) Now that is what I call one pregnant lady! Any minute she’s gonna pop! (The ANGEL laughs and places a hand on JANET’S shoulder.) ANGEL Yes, any time now. (JANET places her hand on her stomach in a surprised manner.) TOM That’s my boy! Is he at it again, honey? JANET Yes, he is! He’s got a first rate kick going! (JANET’S father, JAMES, rises from his chair and paper to welcome JANET and TOM. He gives each one of them a hug.) JAMES Well, glad to see you both. Glad you could make it. JAMES (CONTINUED) Ellen has got one terrific Christmas Eve meal going! Let me tell you. She’s been slaving away all day! Not too much traffic kids? TOM Really not too bad for Christmas Eve. JANET We did hear something on the car radio. A poor woman just leaving a Christmas Eve service at her church, was pushed in front of a truck by someone. No one could identify a suspect. She is in serious condition at New York City Hospital. ELLEN How awful! The world can indeed be an insane place. (ATTIE walks up to JANET and becomes very serious when she hears this news about herself.) ATTIE (Reflectively) Yes, indeed. (The ANGEL puts her arms around ATTIE.) Blackout The lights come up in the dining room. The ANDREWS are seated around the dining table. ATTIE sits in DICK’S place at the table. The ANGEL sits on top of the china cabinet drinking a glass of wine. The dining room table is set beautifully with elegant china. A festive Yule centerpiece decorates the table. ATTIE is busy checking out the china. JANET Isn’t Dick coming tonight for dinner? JAMES He called saying he’d be running a little late. ATTIE What beautiful china! (ATTIE checks underneath a plate to see the make of the china.) Wedgewood! I knew it! You know, I’ve always loved Wedgewood! I’ve often said to myself, ‘One of these days, Attie Datura, you are going to buy yourself some beautiful china. You know to show off at dinner parties. ANGEL Be quiet, Attie! (The ANGEL hiccups.) ATTIE Be quiet, yourself! And how many glasses of wine have you had? (The ANGEL toasts ATTIE with her glass. ELLEN brings in the turkey on a large platter.) Oh, my. Would you look at that beautiful turkey! And it’s browned so lovely. I never can get my turkys to brown nice like that. (ATTIE tucks her napkin in her neck.) I’m starved! Let’s eat! ANGEL Attie Datura! Do not do anything to draw attention to yourself! ATTIE Well, hell. You’re sitting on top of the china cabinet! ANGEL I am doing what all angels do. I am being unobtru- sive. (The ANGEL hiccups.) ATTIE And do they all drink like a fish? (The ANGEL sticks her tongue out at ATTIE. ATTIE does likewise.) JAMES Mother that is one delicious looking bird! ELLEN Well, and I thank you James! (ELLEN sits the turkey down on the table, just as DICK enters the dining room. He starts to sit in his place at the table, where ATTIE is seated. She quickly gets up!) DICK Sorry, everyone. I’m late. Traffic. Lots of traffic on the freeway. ATTIE (To everyone) Excuses, excuses. And you see what a delicious holiday meal your mother fixed.(To DICK) Geez, you’re cute! Tall, handsome. (ATTIE sits on DICK’S lap and throws her arms around his neck. She kisses him on the cheek.) ANGEL (Admonishingly) Attie Datura! (ATTIE kisses DICK on the lips! ATTIE Good Heavens, how much wine have you had? ANGEL So, I do imbibe, from time to time. ATTIE You look embalmed, not imbibed! (ATTIE looks at DICK.) Isn’t he cute? Now, why can’t I meet a cute guy like that? ANGEL Because, you’re in the shop all hours, or busy giving readings. Not busy living, Attie. ATTIE (Sadly) Yeah, and now it may be too late. (The ANGEL touches ATTIE’S shoulder comfortingly.) DICK All right, Janet, sister of mine, how is my nephew doing? JANET Kicking, keeping me up at night. The doctor says any day now. DICK Any minute, more like! (JANET laughs and then has to stop laughing, placing a hand on her stomach.) Sister, you’ve certainly had a rough nine months of it! TOM Yeah, she certainly has. Complete bed rest. This is really the first time she’s been out of the house in months. JANET Well, I wouldn’t have missed one of Mom’s holiday meals for all the world! JAMES (He lifts his glass in a toast.) To Janet and Tom. And to their new baby! ATTIE (Puzzled) They’re so cute! I feel such a sense of urgency when I’m around them. Like I’m supposed to be with them. Protect them… But, I haven’t got a clue as to why. ANGEL Perhaps, it’s because you wanted children, Attie. ATTIE Yes, wanted and still do. But, the right man just never came along. ANGEL Nonsense, Attie! You never gave it a chance. What with working all hours in the shop and those rediculous séance sessions. Mostly, telling fools what they wanted to hear. ATTIE (With anger) Hey, I have the gift. My mother had it, and my grandmother. TOM (Concerned) What is it Janet? JANET (Alarmed, she is grabbing her stomach in pain.) Oh, Tom, something is wrong with the baby. I can feel it! Blackout SCENE 4 The hallway adjacent to the delivery room in the New York City Hospital. JANET lies on a hospital gurney. A DOCTOR and NURSE push her quickly down the hallway to the delivery room. TOM holds her hand. ATTIE and the ANGEL follow down the hallway some distance from the others, trying to catch up with them. Suddenly, TOLOACHE, the jimsonweed god appears! TOLOACHE tries to stop ATTIE and the ANGEL. TOLOACHE knocks ATTIE down to the floor. The ANGEL struggles with it and TOLOACHE knocks her to the floor. ANGEL (With desperation) Attie! Grab this evil thing! Don’t let it get near Janet’s baby! (TOLOACHE moves towards the delivery room. ATTIE grabs it and struggles violently with it. The ANGEL appears by ATTIE’S side. Her countenance is fierce and righteous! Suddenly, TOLOACHE screams and vanishes! The deafening scream and desperate fight with the evil TOLOACHE goes unnoticed by JANET and the others, who enter the delivery room.) ATTIE It’s gone! Vanished! Praise the Lord! ANGEL Yes, praise the Lord, indeed Attie! Amen! (Suddenly, ATTIE grabs her chest in pain and collapses!) ANGEL Attie! What is it? Blackout SCENE 5 ATTIE’S hospital room in ICU is adjacent to the hospital nursery. ATTIE sits up in bed, holding her head in her hands. She has a bandage on her right temple. TAYLOR and CINCI sit next to her holding her hand. Dr. RICHARDS reads her chart. Dr. RICHARDS Well, Attie, you sure gave us all one hell of a scare. It really is a miracle that you survived with such a head trauma. You’re made of stronger stuff than I can even guess at. CINCI Attie Datura you gave us all one hell of a scare and on Christmas Eve, too. TAYLOR You’re alive. You’re alive! CINCI Sister, I told you Attie has one thick skull. Some people, their brains go scattering all over the street. Not Attie’s! Her brains aren’t scrambled, not one bit! (ATTIE holds her stomach.)All those brains look like someone poured ketchup all over them, runny. You know, some people do, put ketchup on their eggs. But, not Sister here. She likes her eyes over easy, no ketchup on her eggs. ATTIE (Holding her head.) My head. Oh, my head! Tylenol, extra strength. CINCI Does your head hurt bad, Attie? ATTIE (With sarcasm) No, it doesn’t. It just feels like I got hit by a truck! (Everyone laughs.) ANGEL Well, done, Attie. (A light fills up one corner of the stage, illuminating the magnificent staircase. The ANGEL appears half way up the staircase. She stands there looking down at ATTIE and the others. They are frozen motionless.) You’ve scored some points with the Lord tonight. You’ve used your God given talents unselfishly and generously and lovingly. And in this world where evil sometimes gets a hold and wins, that’s all there is child, to save us. Thank you Attie. Well done. Well done. (The ANGEL begins to climb the staircase. When she gets to the top, the staircase and brilliant light vanish.) ATTIE (Still holding her head) Oh, my head. Tylenol. Tylenol. TAYLOR Sister, you need to look before you go crossing the street! (ATTIE puts on her robe and slippers and slips out of the room. Directly adjacent, is the hospital nursery. There is a large window, allowing visitors to see the newborns in their cribs. The boy babies are wrapped in blue. The girl babies in pink. A NURSE places a boy in a crib. He is JEREMIAH MERCER JANET and TOM’S son. A NURSE, returning a newborn baby girl to the nursery, stops briefly beside ATTIE. NURSE Aren’t they all beautiful? ATTIE Yes, they are. I have a feeling about this one here. (She points to baby JEREMIAH. She reads his name.) Jeremiah Mercer. Jeremiah, I think you are special. Just look at you. NURSE Oh, my dear, all babies are special. (DICK arrives with ELLEN and JAMES ANDREWS. They happily tap on the nursery glass as they look at little JEREMIAH.) ELLEN Oh, he’s adorable. JAMES Oh, Ellen, all babies are adorable. DICK Well, little Jeremiah certainly is. Can’t wait to have one of my own someday. (DICK kisses ELLEN and she pats his hand. ATTIE suddenly becomes dizzy and touches the bandage on her head.) NURSE My dear, are you all right? ATTIE Oh, just a bit dizzy. Maybe, I need to go back to my room. NURSE Let me find someone to help you back to your room. DICK Please allow me to take you back to your room. No trouble. Miss? Attie. Thank you. (FATHER INOXIA and CINCI emerge from a nearby elevator.) Oh, good grief. (DICK takes her arm and escorts her to the elevator.) FATHER INOXIA Attie Datura! What could have possessed you! Well, at least you found a nice man to escort you back. ATTIE (DICK and ATTIE share a glance and laugh.) Will you be my knight in shinning armor? DICK Always! (ATTIE stares up at DICK in an adoring way as the elevator closes. Curtain ACT THREE SCENE 1 ATTIE’S Séance Chamber is decorated with Christmas trimmings. A Christmas tree is beautifully decorated in a corner of the room. ATTIE is seated behind the séance table. We can see her face, arms and upper torso. Edgar is perched on his stand preening himself. CINCI (Opening the door for a client, MISS KELLY, an eccentric, elderly lady.) Sister Attie will see you now. (MISS KELLY has brought her dog, Princess Ann, a small dog, which she carries.) ATTIE Miss Kelly, you’ve brought a dog for a reading? MISS KELLY Yes, Princess Ann seems troubled lately. ATTIE Miss Kelly, I don’t do dogs. MISS KELLY Oh, rubbish Sister Attie! Princess Ann is one of God’s creatures and she’s troubled. ATTIE Well, I guess in this case I can make an exception. After all, it is Christmas Eve. MISS KELLY Oh, thank you! ATTIE What seems to be troubling Princess Ann lately? MISS KELLY I think it is the recent death of Lord Rutherford. ATTIE Lord Rutherford? MISS KELLY Yes, Lord Rutherford. He was Princess Ann’s husband. ATTIE Oh, I see. And Princess Ann would like to make con- tact with her late husband tonight? MISS KELLY Yes, precisely. Sister Attie you see everything clearly. ATTIE Yeah, well. All right. I feel that the Spirits are churning tonight! (ATTIE prepares to go into a trance. Her eyes close and her breathing becomes deeper. We hear a growling sound.) Lord Rutherford is with us. (Opening her right eye.) He sounds pissed! MISS KELLY Pissed? Are you sure? ATTIE Well, he’s growling. (The growling sound changes into an urgent barking.) Slowly, Lord Rutherford. More slowly. (The barking becomes less urgent sounding.) Yes, yes. That’s better. Go on. Yes, Princess Ann was right. Lord Rutherford has something to say to her. (The barking becomes happy barking.) MISS KELLY What is it? What is it? Sister Attie? ATTIE Bones? MISS KELLY Bones? ATTIE
Copyright © 2002 Teresa Ann Salyer |