Just One Rose by James Neufeld
SCENE 1
Lights up on a man appearing center stage alone
He is wearing a mechanics jump suit; a slight bit of grease appears on his
face - as though he were working on a car. He appears to be slightly emotionally
distraught- as he goes into his monologue, he conveys to the audience a feeling of
utter helplessness as he speaks of his experience of loss of life- during the
September 11th incident. He has a rag stuffed in his pocket that he will use to wipe
the tears from his eyes in a later scene. Two end tables appear on the outside right
and left of him beyond the spotlight center stage. Empty boxes of NAPA auto parts
lie scattered upon the kitchen table (Air cleaner, and oil filter boxes.) A couple of
wrenches, an oil filter wrench, as well as pliers- lay next to the boxes. A cell phone
lays on one of the tables as well as a bouquet of a dozen roses and one vase with
one lone red rose. The interior of the home is not seen at first, but it is a fairly
modern home. There is a kitchen sink, (Not necessarily working for ease of
construction) kitchen cupboards, (With two flower vases in cupboard) kitchen table
with four chairs, couch. Pictures of the family line the interior walls. There are two
windows with venetian blinds that open and close. Two doors left and right of
center, one has a coat hook on it. An option would be an entrance door at the rear
center of stage for better visibility. A painted outdoor scene "could be" placed
behind these blinds of the false windows. A big screen TV is on stage to be used in
another scene. Could use a throw rug onstage as well, just for effect. A dimly lit
floor lamp is plugged in and turned on. Other table lamps if desired
CLIFFORD:
We met at the subway station of the world trade center, and how it all started, I
don't know! She was short on change to ride the subway- I gave her some changeit
seemed like the right thing to do. At first it was just small talk-just getting to know
each other. The next day she was short on change again, and the next day as
well. So I kind of jokingly started to tease her -that for all the change I gave her,
that now she owed me a date! You know what? She turned me down! But that day
was a breakthrough- she finally told me her name was Dawn, of all things! So I told
her that her hair was as golden “as the dawn”! That her name was fitting that day,
she just smiled! So I bought a single rose that night and placed it into a vase the
night before. I got up for work and brought with me my single rose, in hope,
perchance, that she would go out with me! “Guess what?” She says, “I can't take
your rose-honey, but I'll take your change!" And so she did! I'm so glad no one else
was there when I threw that rose in the garbage, I would be so embarrassed
carrying that rose of rejection to work ... I'd said to myself. (Pause)
"Oh ... you'll find the right girl", she tells me, and laughs like mad! The next day I
brought another rose and asked her for her phone number. Her comment was, “if
you were going to court me-you're supposed to buy a dozen roses ... not just one!”
But guess what? She accepted my rose and gave me her phone number! We
started dating and I would buy her flowers, one rose at a time. (Pause- as he
smiles) I always told her that it was the thought that counts. A month later we
eloped, then she wore a carnation- but that was it! When Todd was born, I gave
her two flowers; one represented her son I'd said. Then there was Tonya, now I
gave her three flowers! I always told her if she wanted a dozen roses she had to
have I2 kids! (Pause) Well, we were working on it-she would say! (Pause) This
brings us up to date, today, September 11th, 200I! September 11th, was just like
any other day, we dropped the kids off at school, and I dropped her off at the
World Trade Center. You see we had two cars, and one of them I was to work on
this day, while she worked the stock trading. I drove back to our home, jacked up
the car and gathered all the parts that were to be replaced. I put the radio on and
in a matter of 30 minutes had both tie-rod ends off of the car. I remember that I put
the radio on and really liked the song playing, Sound of Silence, so I merely hit the
record button to save it. I'll play it back for you so you know what this day was like
for me.
(The lights come up as CLIFFORD walks over to the tape-player and places it into
the play mode. The recording has the song “The Sound of Silence” playing, and
eventually they interrupt with a lady DJ clearing her voice-for effects to simulate
September 11th, 200I. HE grabs two wrenches from one of the tables and walks
back to center stage to speak to the audience again)
CLIFFORD
You see the radio was playing and they interrupted it. I was lying under my car,
stunned at first that they would have the audacity to interrupt “that song”! I was in
the middle of changing the oil on the car!
(The DJ clears her throat, then we hear a faint whimper over the air
waves- from her voice as the recording plays and then abruptly stops! As she
begins to regain her composure, she speaks with a slight quiver)
.... crashed into the World Trade Center. We will keep you posted as to the outcome
of this national emergency.
(Radio goes dead and you hear a distant hum in the background, like a
warning signal.)
CLIFFORD:
I am re-living it now! As I climbed out from under my car, all I could think about
was my girl and her safety. Was she alive or injured? I could put off working on this
car, her safety was more important than changing the oil on this car!
(He drops the second wrench on the stage floor, then walks over to the big
screen TV and turns it on. A recording of the twin towers is used to show the
towers collapsing from a big screen TV set. It has to be set -up ahead of time for
this scene to work of course.)
CLIFFORD:
So I turned on the TV set, all I could see was one of the twin towers collapsing, I
prayed that it wasn't the tower that she works in! I couldn't believe my eyes ... And
then they announced it to be the very tower she was in at the time-or so I thought
at the time! My heart just sank, as my world was being shattered before my eyes.
(Walks over to one of the end tables to pick up his cell phone dials a number 2X)
CLIFFORD:
I call her on the cell phone, repeatedly, only to get her voice mail
(Slams the phone down-flustered)
Damn it! So I call her place of employment ... and oh ... all the phones are down!
So I guess that includes the tower.
(Slams the phone down in frustration, and then picks it up as the phone is
ringing)
So the phone rang next… it was her own motherI am reliving it! I can't forget it
I won't forget it! She wants to know “where is her little baby?”
"Are we having a funeral," she says? "Can't I look at her one last time before she's
gone from my life?" Mom I said, I'm going out there to find her! (Pause) She says
to me, “Are you glad now-that you bought her "just-one-rose" ... son? Is it still the
thought that counts-son? I was stunned I couldn't answer her! I just wept and drew
the shades closed and turned off the TV.
(Which he does, then turns off the table lamp and the lights fade to Black
[end of extract]