The Depths of Our Soul

[Everything is dark, a white sheet in the background, hiding the wall, plants to each side of the set. Scene moves out to see Narrator at right, looking solos.]

 

Narrator begins by stating:

"This is a novel of a real life. Mine, someday in the future."

[As lines are read by narrator, attention is drawn to the left where two people are sitting.]

Narrator:

I knew, as soon as our eyes meet... [laughing slightly] It sounds so cliché, I've heard that line, it must have been a thousand times before. It was nearly 2 hours into the party when we looked up, and began what future historians will call, history.

[Shadows of tree leaves against white sheet, hearing the russell of leaves in the wind]

Narrator:

The night was good, a humid cool breeze was blowing, which shook the tree leaves. It always gave me sort of a chill, spook. We found a secluded spot in which we sat down. Our eyes never seeming to stray from each other's, except for maybe a moment, just enough so that we wouldn't stumble and fall. We sat down and began to talk.

[Attention and focus complete on couple.]

Women:

"Hi."

Narrator:

She said, and [said while couple blush] we both blushed.

Man:

"Hello."

Narrator:

I replied, in shock and amazement at this, [quietly inhale] such beautiful creature, which I had given up hope on, that has now walked into my life. I was unable to continue with this [swallow while speaking] frog in my throat.

Women:

"My name is..." [Fading]

Narrator:

As she spoke her words were so soft, they laid gently on my ears. I listened intently, [pinch fingers together to show precision] every word. I could recall our entire conversation, and enjoy her soothing voice even to this day. [Pause]

We stayed there talking, hours after the party had died down. [Unidentifiablefriends walking by, Man looking up to acknowledge them, but not bring to attention to Women] My friends just walked by, nodding their head and moving on. They knew, what I had just discovered hours before.

[Focusing on Narrator, slowly background and set fade away to light gray background]

Narrator:

Something that even the depths of my soul had known, and has searched for, for all my life.

 

[New scene appears, wedding day, outside, trees visible, birds flying, focusing in on wedding as narrator speaks. Description: red isle, people on both sides, preacher up front and Man and Women taking place in ceremony, with canopy (very stereo typical set.) White being a primary color, draped everywhere in thin cloth]

Narrator:

We dated for several months, and shortly after were wed on a summer's day. It was beautiful, she was beautiful, life was beautiful! [Narrator excited] [Couple kiss]

 

[Scene stays for a couple of moments, then fades to gray and night fall.]

[Narrator head down, raising up to speak]

 

Narrator:

Three years we were together, until that day.

[Small solos chuckle]

Narrator:

Life is such a peculiar thing. So many things happen with no explainable reason at all.

But for at least a little while, everything was perfect, and crystal clear, or so I thought.

[Scene becomes clear again, narrator on top of hill overlooking a busy intersection.]

Narrator:

It happened right down there... [gesturing in an ambiguous direction] a car swung out in front of her, [pause] there... [holding back a burst of emotional sadness] there just, was nothing she could have done.

[Focusing back on Narrator]

Narrator:

I got a call at 9:13, I was already wondering where she was, I was starting to worry, and then my worst fears came.

You know, the funny thing is, she always hated that intersection.

 

[Scene abruptly disappear, black background, indefinable/infinite]

[Scene focuses in hospital waiting room, Man sitting on the chair, expressing the narrators lines]

 

Narrator:

The waiting was horrible, not knowing, wondering, fearing, crying. How could they make someone wait? How could they do this to me? How could they do this to me! [Man stands sharply up]

Doctor:

"Mr. Davis."[Man turns sharply in unexpectedness]

Man:

"Yes."

Doctor:

"Please come with me."

[Man and Doctor step into another room, Doctor begins to speak, muted, the audience doesn't hear the conversation]

Narrator:

I did not hear one word he said as he went over the details of the accident. [Man nodding as if he was listening] Only one thing repeated through my head, as his words where spoken... [background of hospital scene fades to party scene] Thinking back to just over 3 years ago, at a party, where we first meet. [Background returns to hospital]

My ears tuned out everything he said, searching, for the one word I'd hope for, or the other I would dread.

 


Copyright 2002 by Markus Samuals