Stargazer

A Tragedy in One scene by Jonathan Wamukota.

 Even with the promise of heaven, we would rather search the
earth for immortal for we have no use for better bodies, crowns of
righteousness and mansions of glory for the deepest darkest hell,
is our paradise if the one we love is there.
-Jonathan Wamukota-
 (Lights fade on off stage, Jonathan is seated on a block another man,
dressed neutrally walks in)

Jonathan: Youre late.

Unknown: Fashionably.

Jonathan: Why would you have any need for fashion?

Unknown: When youve been around a while you tend to gather minute

oddities, fashion is my little quirk

Jonathan: Clearly not the clothes.

Unknown: Ah, touch, you never lost that sharp tongue

Jonathan: Or the wit that went with it.

Unknown: (slight pause)Howve you been?

Jonathan: trust you of all people to try save a dying conversation.

Unknown: Well, II was just trying to make conversation.

(Slight silence)

Jonathan: The stars look beautiful today

Unknown: Yesyes they do. (Slight pause) So are you ready, we really

need to get going, as you said, I was late.

Jonathan: Just a second (Deep sigh) so many memories.

Unknown: Now, now, dont dwell on the past look to the future and the

future needs to happen now.

Jonathan: Oh, come off it. This is the last time Ill be here. I want to at

least gaze at the stars, remember a few things.

Unknown: Really, like what.

Jonathan: I dont know,

Midnight walks and empty roads,

Starlit streets and evening breeze

Misty lanes in twilights light

Sunsets over deserts white.

Unknown: (Chuckle) Had I known you are a poet...

Jonathan: You did.

Unknown: Well, I guess I was hoping it was a phase you were passing

through, like the playwright phase, and the musician phase

Jonathan: (Slightly annoyed) I cant believe you, weve been friends so

long, with you virtually my shadow and yet you had no idea

that these were things I actually liked. youre incorrigible

Unknown: In... What

Jonathan: Akh, youre hopeless

(Unknown tries to hold a straight face but ends up laughing)

Unknown: (While laughing) You my friend are very gullible

Jonathan: What (narrowing eyes) sometimes I think you do that just to

annoy me.

Unknown: (Between laughs) You know what; sometimes I think I do that

to annoy you too.

(Jonathan exasperated walks off in a huff, unknown, slowly losing steam

walks over to Jonathan and puts one arm around his shoulder)

Unknown: Ok, ok fine, enough of that, lets get with the memories.

Jonathan: What memories?

Unknown: You know, the reason youre still here, not getting a move on,

etcetera.

Jonathan: No

Unknown: No? Well then I believe I should start, remember the time you

were seven and you really had to go and I mean really had to

go, during class but you were too scared to ask the teacher

for

Jonathan: (Cutting off) Alright, fine, you are such a blackmailer.

Unknown: More of a chess player but lets not go there.

Jonathan: Ive beaten you quite a few times though

Unknown: (Jokingly) You cheated.

Jonathan: But you finally beat me.

Unknown: As always, now remember that?

Jonathan: What?

Unknown: Games, laughter, friends, that...that club you used to belong to

Jonathan: Which one, Ive been in a lot of clubs

Unknown: No, the one you were in, in university

Jonathan: Oh, that one, I made so many friends.

Unknown: There were many good people there.

Jonathan: Yup, each as warped and dysfunctional as I am and yet with the

capability to appear as normal as, well as you

Unknown: (Mockingly melodramatic) My, I am shocked, how dare you

call me normal.

Jonathan: Well, you are the most normal friend Ive ever had.

Unknown: Coming from you I dont know whether to take that as an insult

or compliment, so Ill just play dumb

Jonathan: Like you need to

Unknown: (Clearing throat) So Ill just play dumb and say thank you.
Jonathan: But they were a riot

Unknown: Yeah, and speaking of riots remember you saying you werent

going to start dating till after your PhD.

Jonathan: Dont go there, thats hitting at a man while hes on the ground.

Unknown: Really, now where are you with your education?

Jonathan: Just finishing with my masters

Unknown: Just finishing with your masters, and whats your (clear throat)

marital status

Jonathan: Single

Unknown: Liar

Jonathan: I am single

Unknown: Cheat

Jonathan: But its the truth

Unknown: No its not, its half the truth

Jonathan: (Conceding defeat) Ok fine I'm single but attached by

engagement

Unknown: Now dont we work fast?

Jonathan: Oh, shut up.

Unknown: Ooo, did we touch a nerve, speaking of nerves, and whoever is

touching them, hows Eve doing?

Jonathan: Shes fine, excited as you would expect her to be.

Unknown: I can imagine. (Slight pause)Oh, the memories the two of you

could make together

Jonathan: Yeah, our first house

Unknown: Id say home but Ill let that pass, your first car.

Jonathan: Our first child

Unknown: Your childs graduation

Jonathan: And the little things

Unknown: Like what

Jonathan: Like that hand print she will leave on the frosted glass window

in the bathroom, and no matter how hard we try we wont be

able to remove it oror arguing on the fact that junior turned

out normal and we had to cancel sky diving classes.

Unknown: Okay, I doubt that will happen, but hey, its good to dream.

Jonathan: What? We could have normal children.

(Unknown sputters)
Jonathan: (Ignoring him) Anyway, what about ice cream on the balcony

with the kids, as they tell us how naughty our grandchildren

have been, and ask if they were ever such a handful for us.

Unknown: Wow, thats beautiful.

Jonathan: Andand how about the tree with the swing in the garden, and

those long nights once all the children are off, living their lives,

we get to live ours once more, and we sit on that swing for

hours, not saying any words, just letting time pass us by, while

we look up at the stars.

Unknown: Ah, wonderful, and how about that spectacular sunset on your

wedding anniversary and the two of you sitting out on the

balcony, old and grey, just watching each other.

Jonathan: And you say youre not a romantic

Unknown: Hanging out with you, I was bound to catch a thing or two,

Besides, it tends to give me this lovely warm fuzzy feeling

inside, I think our generation refers to it as nausea if I'm not

mistaken.

Jonathan: (Sarcastically) Ha, ha, ha.

Unknown: Glad to see I do something for your funny bone, though I

couldnt help notice quite clearly that you have a thing for the

stars

Jonathan: What makes you say that?

Unknown: Considering the number of times youve mentioned them, I can

only imagine (Slight pause) You really love her

Jonathan: I am but human

Unknown: Always searching

Jonathan: Always looking

Unknown: Ever yearning, never satisfied

Jonathan: So we build castles in the air and light candies in the sky

Unknown: Longing for fulfillment and that elusive companionship

Jonathan: The sweetest illusion we could ever weave over our eyes,

Unknown: And that one person

Jonathan: One whose laughter lingers in the air like a forbidden wish

Whose caress is gentler than the whispered prayers of maidens

Her hair, locks that open my heart

And her eyes, Id love her to close them

So I can experience the thrill of their flutter

This make-believe fantasy

Unknown: Yet that's all it is

Jonathan: Air and dreams and ghosts and vanity

Like a cotton stuffed teddy bear

A mere imitation, for we could never survive the real thing.

So we weave music and poetry and stories

Trying to put these demons to rest

Trying to deny yet accept what we are

But in the end realizing that only in eternal sleep are we

together

Only in forever afters, shared in eternal slumber are we truly

one.

Unknown: Yet knowing the hurt, the pain, the sheer emotion of it all, you

would do it again

Jonathan: In a heart beat, after all, despite how life in my eyes is a cold

dead pearl and love is a game of fools, I am human and alive,

(with a sad smile) and the king of all fools

Unknown: That was beautiful. You truly are a poet

Jonathan: Thank you, my friend

Unknown: (Slight pause) You know, you shouldnt have left the bachelor

party mid-way, it was in your honor.

Jonathan: I know but it had been a while since Id seen the stars, and they

always remind me of things. Things I havent paid attention to

in a while, you know.

Unknown: (Amused by Jonathans enthusiasm) No I dont, enlightened me

Jonathan Well, like Lazy afternoons and falling leaves

Me almost killing her every time I told her I loved her

Unknown: You couldnt possibly have killed her, Id know, I was there

Jonathan: Oh, so you were.

Any way, cliffs as the tide rose

Bike rides as the night came to a close

Of hanging between earth and sky

And hoping she could see me fly

Of so many things,

It was stupid. Painfully romantic on my part

Unknown: (Mock seriousness) Oh yes, quite unlike you and this comes

from the man who sent two poems to his love, one asking her to

be his love and the other asking her to be his love for life.

Jonathan: Oh, sod off

Unknown: British now are we?

(Both laugh and then silence falls again)

Jonathan: Remember our childhood

Unknown: Youre still living yours

Jonathan: (Sarcastically) Once again ha, ha.

Unknown: (brushing the sarcasm off) What about our childhoods?

Jonathan: Whatever fun we had

Unknown: Whatever fun I had, you never had a childhood.

Jonathan: You know what, youre right, as usual.

Unknown: You grew up so fast, not because you wanted to but because

Jonathan: (finishing the statement)I had to,

Unknown: (Slight pause)Dad losing his job

Jonathan: His depression

Unknown: You, trying to cheer him up.

Jonathan: He finally came out of it.

Unknown: By then you were grown up, if time had allowed it, you would

just be getting on the job market, settling down to real life.

Jonathan: True, but he was still there. It mattered more to me than a lot of

things.

Unknown: But look how you turned out.

Jonathan: (Almost angrily) Yeah look how I turned out. Twisted, dark,

totally pessimistic about life, no faith in human nature

 whatsoever and yet unable to bear anothers suffering when I

can help ease it, ooo, I turned out really bad.

(Unknown becomes slightly uneasy)

Jonathan: (Slightly cooled off) Look, I'm sorry for taking it out on you.

Youre my friend, but the fact of the matter is they are my

parents and no matter what they do, no matter how thick headed

they might be, and God knows they have been that more times

than I could count, they are still part of me and though there are

periods I may not be able to stand being in the same country, let

alone the same room as them, I still love them.

(Unknown, avoiding Jonathans eyes, gets up walks around for a bit then

finally sits down again, after a few moments he clears his throat, during this

time, Jonathan is just looking around reminiscing)

Unknown: (Almost apologetically) Your second is up

Jonathan: Wow that was a second. It was longer than I thought it would

be.
Unknown: You always did have the worst sense of time and timing

Jonathan: I know. (half-jokingly) Who else would go get mugged and

killed the night before his wedding, right?

Unknown: Yeah, (Pause) you really shouldnt have left the bachelor party

Jonathan: I know, (trying to lighten the mood) Well at least I know they

were right about the whole life flashing before your eyes, I just

didnt know you could pick the memories.

Unknown: You dont. I just though it nice for you to see what youd like to

see, you know, the good things rather than remember it all. Hey,

what are friends for, right? (After some silence) Shell be upset

Jonathan: I know.

Unknown: You sure you dont want me to bend the rules a little more,

shes trying on her wedding dress, its this lovely shade of white

with thisthis

Jonathan: This design made to knock the life out of any man just looking

at her then somehow breathe it back into him so he can get

knocked off his feet.

Unknown: Yes, how did you Wait, I thought it was bad luck for the

groom to see the bride before the wedding.

Jonathan: (Mirthlessly) Well, (Chuckle) I guess it is.

Unknown: (Trying to break the ice that is creeping in) So, was it worth it,

the walk, I mean.

Jonathan: For the stars, yes. At least she was the last thought on my mind.

(almost tearfully)See I hadnt seen the stars in a while and they

kept reminding me of.

Unknown: (Gentle interruption)Youre repeating yourself

Jonathan: I am? (Slight pause) I am

Unknown: You really dont want to go do you?

Jonathan: If it means leaving her, no.

Unknown: But you must go.

Jonathan: I know

(Silence as Jonathan shuffles to end of stage that death came in through as

he begins to leave he turns)

Jonathan: Could you do me a favor.

Death: Sure.

Jonathan: Could you check in on her, once in a while, just to see how

shes doing. I know you are very busy and there is that thing

about you not being allowed inside heaven, but maybe I can get
 them to allow me to see you once in a while. Outside the gates

or something, please.

Death: (Nodding)Done.

Jonathan: Thanks.

(Jonathan makes no bid to leave)

Death: You really must go now.

Jonathan: (Snapping out of it) Ohum, yeah (Deep sigh, looking around,

tearfully) God, (Pause) Ill miss this.

Death: Youre dawdling again.

Jonathan: (Choking) Dawd... what? (Trying to put on the British accent

Between tears) British are we?

Death: (Slight chuckle) DawdlingDelaying on purpose? (Good

heartedly) Sometimes I think you do that just to annoy me.

Jonathan: (Teary ) You know what; Sometimes I think I do that just to

annoy you too. (Embraces death then walks off, Pause lightly at

edge of stage and turns) Goodbye friend.(walks off)

Death: (Waits till Jonathan has completely left stage)Ill see you

around.
(death sits for a while dabs his eyes and with a handkerchief then looking at

his watch quickly gets up)

Death: Oh, no time, no time at all, have to be (Slightly cracking)

fashionably late elsewhere. God I hate this Job.

The end.

.
 G. A. Studdert

MISSING--BELIEVED KILLED
ON READING A MOTHER'S LETTER

'TWERE heaven enough to fill my heart

If only one would stay,
Just one of all the million joys
God gives to take away.

If I could keep one golden dawn,

The splendour of one star,
One silver glint of yon bird's wing
That flashes from afar;

If I could keep the least of things

That make me catch my breath
To gasp with wonder at God's world.
And hold it back from death,

It were enough; but death forbids.

The sunset flames to fade,
The velvet petals of this rose
Fall withered-brown-decayed.

She only asked to keep one thing,

The joy-light in his eyes
God has not even let her know
Where his dead body lies.

O Grave, where is thy victory?

O Death, where is thy sting?
Thy victory is ev'rywhere,
Thy sting's in ev'rything.
 Stargazer

By Job Wasit

Of Midnight walks and empty roads,

Of Starlit streets and evening breeze
Of Lazy afternoons and falling leaves
Of Misty lanes in twilights light
Of Sunsets over deserts white.

Of bougainvillea lind lanes

Of cliffs as the evening tide arose
Of Biking as night came to a close
Of hanging between earth and sky
And hoping she could see me fly

Of scarves soft stroked by evening breeze

of sun bathed glen and moon lit cove
of starry sky such light they wove
of wildest pond and wilder bloom
of nature bright our wonder room

of little feet and pattering hearts

of love and life and hurting knees
of kisses, hugs and thanks and pleas
of growing old and growing up
of children's children on aging lap .

of sobs and cries soft stopped by cloth

of kind words read of thoughts untold
of wondrous times such treasure old
of final kiss and warm goodbye
of cold chilled brow and teary eye.

of loneliness and times embrace

of mem'ries cold and clear as night
Of cliffs and scarves and deserts white
of swift and painless final breath
of wish for cold yet fiery death

Of eyes closed still in slumbers wake

Of ternal sleep , deaths lightest robe
Of cries once heard, of painful sob
Of once more hanging tween earth and skies
Of looking deep into her eyes.
 Of eternal peace
Eternal slumber
Eternal love
For where your heart is,
so is your treasure
and where your treasure is
there lies your eternal life.