Play # 16

A Vagabond's Eulogy

__________________________

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 young woman dressed in black. This is
EYREN. She stares out over a field.

In walks POL, also darkly dressed. He doesn’t

get too close to Eryen.

POL
They’re waiting for you.

EYREN
Let them wait.

POL
It’s been an hour.

EYREN
They can wait two. Or more.

A moment.

POL
It’s nice here.

EYREN
He liked it.

POL
Did he.

EYREN
Says it was his favorite spot in all the green earth.

POL
It’s a good one.

EYREN
I think I like the glen in the valley more.

POL
That’s a good one too.

EYREN
It’s a different green.
 2.

POL
Yeh.

EYREN
Not as bright. But purer somehow.

POL
Eyren.
(beat)
We should go back.
(beat)
You need to go back.

EYREN
This is what he chose. Didn’t he. This place. Of all the places he could have chose, it
was here.

POL
It was near to home, I suppose.

EYREN
Claimed to love it.

POL
I know I do.

EYREN
You do.

POL
Yeh.

EYREN
How do you love it?

POL
What?

EYREN
How do you love it. If you love it, then how. How do you show that love.

POL
I don’t know what you mean.
 3.

EYREN
He says he loved this place, but was never here more than five days maybe six. Then he
was off again. Even he didn’t know to where. But he was off.
(beat)
Is that how you love this place?

POL
I love it... the opposite of that. Never gone nowhere. Never gonna go.

EYREN
Is that love?

A long silence.

Eryen gets lost again looking over the field.

Pol looks back to where they need to go.

POL
Everyone is waiting.

EYREN
I’m waiting.

POL
Waiting?

EYREN
If he loves this place, he’ll come back.

POL
Eyren.

EYREN
He always has.

POL
That can’t happen now.

EYREN
It has to. If he loves this place they way he says, the way he always has.
 4.

POL
He still loves it. And to prove it he’ll never leave again. This is where he wanted to stay,
after all the places he’s been, this is it. The place he’ll always be. And never leave.
Never.

Eryen turns to Pol.

EYREN
And you?

POL
I love it like he does now.

EYREN
Like he does now.

POL
Always.

Eyren grabs a hold of Pol’s hand. He puts his

arm around her.

EYREN
They’re waiting for us.

Eyren and Pol exit together.

The end.