How are we going to take care of a baby?
In dramatic scene from Another Bit of Light, Lisa has hurt her knee which brings up a subject matter only her and Mitt share.
LISA: I don’t want to bring attention to it, Mitt.
MITT: Your leg is bleeding!
LISA: Let it bleed without the fuss.
MITT: Does it hurt?
LISA: Stop it!
MITT: Let me take a look—
LISA: Just get some paper towels or a rag or something.
Mitt takes a washcloth off the stove handle.
MITT: Is this thing clean enough?
LISA: Not that one. Get one from the drawer, next to the stove. Other side! Yes, there.
Mitt finds a clean, white washcloth.
LISA: Wet it first.
He moves to the sink and rinses it.
LISA: Cold!
Mitt brings over the washcloth.
MITT: I got it.
LISA: I’ll do it myself. (She takes a washcloth from Mitt.) Ahh…ah, that’s it. (It stings.) Ah, damn. That’s it…
MITT: How’s that?
LISA: It’s painful!
MITT: I told you not to bother with them kids.
LISA: Don’t start.
MITT: But I told you, didn’t I?
LISA: You know I love children.
MITT: But look what happened to ya. You get too wound up. You go overboard.
LISA: We were having fun.
MITT: But you act like you’re four years old.
LISA: Will you quit lecturing me?
MITT: Right over the fire truck. All I saw was both your legs sticking straight up from under it. You could have broken your neck.
LISA: I didn’t break anything.
MITT: You could have.
LISA: I didn’t.
MITT: …Does it need stitches?
LISA: I don’t think so.
MITT: Can I have another look at it?
Lisa removes the washcloth from her knee.
Mitt inspects her wound.
MITT: … Looks deep. Not sure it will mend.
LISA: It’ll mend. I’ve had worse.
MITT: Can’t believe it!
LISA: (sighs)
MITT: I warned you. Told you not to get so excited. In one ear and out the other.
LISA: The kids love me, Mitt. And I’ve the opportunity to enjoy their company. Why can’t I have that?
MITT: You can have that.
Lisa studies Mitt’s movements.
LISA: Why didn’t we?
MITT: Huh?
LISA: Have children of our own.
MITT: Lisa, come on. Not after the day we’ve been having.
LISA: You said you wanted to have children with me, and then you changed your mind.
MITT: Cause I got fired, remember?
LISA: That’s a lame excuse.
MITT: We can’t bring a child into this world if we’re broke.
LISA: Why not?
MITT: Because there needs to be enough money for their food, their education, clothes and everything else that comes with it. If I ain’t got the money, how are we going to take care of a baby?
LISA: We’d figure it out.
MITT: You forget how lousy things were. We had the lights turned off all winter. Barely enough food to survive on our own. And you think having a baby would have made it easier?
LISA: Why not now?
MITT: …Now?
LISA: Yes…now?
MITT: …I thought you said you were past your time clock or something.
LISA: I’m not.
MITT: But I thought you said—
LISA: I’m not!
MITT: Why didn’t you say something?
LISA: I wanted to see if it was…aw forget it, it don’t matter none, does it?
MITT: You sure know how to confuse a man—
LISA: Go get me the first aid kit in the bathroom.
MITT leaves the room.
LISA (to herself): B’stard.
Lisa lights a cigarette for herself.
Mitt comes back after a moment. He carries a first aid kit.
MITT: Smoking in the house?
LISA: Is this the Ritz, Mitt?
Mitt hands Lisa the first aid kit.
MITT: Should let me do it.
LISA: NO!
MITT: Let me do it.
Lisa gives the first aid kit back to Mitt. She leans back and smokes.
Mitt squeezes a gel gently on Lisa’s knee.
LISA: Not too much of that.
Mitt carefully wraps the emergency cloth around Lisa’s knee.
MITT: Gash caught you just right.
LISA: Don’t matter.
MITT: Beautiful legs.
LISA: Not anymore.
MITT: It’ll heal.
Mitt finishes wrapping Lisa’s knee.
To read the full one-act ePlay, find purchase link below:
In the one act eplay Another Bit of Light, Lisa admits her inner struggles to her husband after an argument over an accident sets the stage for why they haven’t had children. 1 Woman, 1 Man. Drama.
