Play # 5

Transgression

__________________________

By Joseph Frost

Originally written for the 2019 "31 Plays in 31 Days" challenge

Contact:
Joseph Frost
710 Newland St
Jackson MS 39211
FrostJosephD@gmail.com
 A warm evening.

SHONNA sits in a window seat, with a candle

stick lit in front of her.

SHONNA
“You can’t take it back,” I said. At least I think I said. I can’t be sure any more. You
can’t take it back. It’s... It’s not like that.
(beat)
I’m pretty sure I said it. Out loud.
(beat)
I must have. He looked at me with that face. One of those faces. Where he’s somehow
hurt by the glaringly obvious fact being said out loud. That now that it’s been said, not
only is it truer than it was before, but somehow it’s my fault for saying it, for making it
true.
(beat)
Anyway.
(beat)
I wish he was a liar. It would be easier if he were a liar, I think. I’m probably wrong
about that. I’m probably wrong about a lot. But I still wish he’d lied. The truth is a
branding iron.
(beat)
And it’s just not fair. Being a truth teller after all of that. No, I say. No. You don’t get
to be the truth teller after that, what you’ve done, what you’ve become. Or revealed
yourself to be. No. I deny that. I do not grant you that. No.
(beat)
No.

Rain trickles down the outside of the window.

HAL appears outside of the window. He is

getting rained on. He has no coat or hat.

HAL
Shonna.

SHONNA
I don’t want to speak to you.

HAL
I want to come inside.
 2.

SHONNA
Absolutely not.

HAL
I know.

SHONNA
You may not.

HAL
I don’t deserve it.

SHONNA
You absolutely do not.

HAL
I know.

SHONNA
Then get lost.

HAL
Shonna. I am lost.

SHONNA
You are not doing this.

HAL
I am lost, Shonna.

SHONNA
Please leave.

HAL
Please let me stay.

SHONNA
I don’t want you here.

HAL
I don’t want to go.

SHONNA
I asked you to go.
 3.

HAL
I asked you to let me inside.

SHONNA
You heard my answer.

HAL
I did. I beg you to reconsider.

SHONNA
I’m telling you no. And that is it. No. Hal. No.

A moment.

HAL
I’m sorry, Shonna.
(a long beat)
I’m sorry.

SHONNA
I know you are.

HAL
I so sorry for what I’ve done.

SHONNA
You should be.

HAL
I am.

A moment.

SHONNA
Do you think that’s enough?

HAL
Enough.

SHONNA
You can show up and say you’re sorry. That’s it?

HAL
I have nothing else to give.
 4.

SHONNA
Unbelievable.

HAL
I want nothing more than to come inside.

SHONNA
You can’t. Not after what you’ve done.

HAL
I know. It is my fault.

SHONNA
I know what you’re doing.

HAL
I’m apologizing.

SHONNA
You’re trying to make me look bad.

HAL
No.

SHONNA
That because I’m not letting you in, that because I... what... remember, what you’ve done.
That I caught you, called you out, and am holding you to what you’ve done. Making you
own it. That now, somehow I’m the bad person.

HAL
I just want to come inside.

SHONNA
Do you?

HAL
Yes.
(beat)
What do you want?

A long beat.

SHONNA
I want you to come inside.
 5.

HAL
You want me to come inside.

SHONNA
Yes. More than anything.

Hal starts to move

SHONNA
No.

HAL
Shonna.

SHONNA
You can’t.
(beat)
You want to. I want you to.
(beat)
You can not.

HAL
Because of what I’ve done.

SHONNA
Because of what you’ve done.

HAL
I’m guilty.

SHONNA
Yes.

HAL
Yes.

SHONNA
So you can’t.
(another long moment)
Tell me.

HAL
Tell you what?

SHONNA
Something true.
 6.

HAL
True.
(beat)
I wish I loved you better.
(beat)
But I didn’t.
(beat)
And now I can’t.
(beat)
I wish I could take it back.

Shonna waits for a moment.

She leans down and blows out the candle.

Shonna opens the window.

Hal starts to move but Shonna stops him.

Shonna climbs out of the window.

She stands face to face with Hal.

They continue to get rained on.

SHONNA
You can’t take it back.

HAL
I know.

SHONNA
You can’t come inside.

HAL
I know.

Shonna kisses Hal.

For a few moments.

The rain continues.

Lights down.

End