No one will ever know how much I loved him.
Drama scene from the eplay, “Shadows of My Mind” wherein Aunt Elda opens up to her niece Naomi about a past love.
AUNT ELDA: You remind me of me growing up. Everything hurt; even falling in love felt like the worst thing that could ever happen to me. I wasn’t happy, when I should have been happy. I couldn’t trust anyone, let alone myself, and I saw too much of the bad in everything. I should have let life take me along a bit; instead I’d freeze up, and run. You see, Naomi, it’s important not only to make decisions, but to stick to them in life with confidence. The confidence comes from trusting your gut.
NAOMI: Right.
AUNT ELDA: I’ll tell you something I never told anyone my entire life. Ready?
NAOMI nods yes.
I was in love once. Just once. His name was Giovanni. He was Italian. He was built like one of those Greek statues. Anyway, I did love him; I was crazy about him, but my family got involved because they didn’t like him. They thought he was a troublemaker and that he didn’t come from a good family – at least, not the kind of family my father and mother wanted me to be part of – and I listened to them. Biggest mistake of my life. I ended up meeting your Uncle Fred, and here I am. There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t imagine what life would have been like with Giovanni.
NAOMI: Wow, did my mom know?
AUNT ELDA: Your mother knows, but she doesn’t know the details. No one will ever know how much I loved him. That’s a secret I’ll go to the grave with. You see, I made the wrong choice. I went against my gut. Had I made the right choice and stuck to what was true inside, I may be better off today. Now, no one knows for sure… we are not gods. We cannot predict the outcome of choices, but I’ve always believed that it’s important to make decisions that make you feel rooted in something… and see them all the way through.
NAOMI: Right.
AUNT ELDA: That’s where all the good is anyway, right?
NAOMI: I think so.
AUNT ELDA: Am I making sense to you?
NAOMI: Yeah.
AUNT ELDA: How’s the Sangria? Good?
NAOMI: Actually, really good.
AUNT ELDA: I’ll give you the recipe!
NAOMI: I’ll need it stronger than this!
THEY both laugh.
AUNT ELDA: Don’t be too bold young lady. (beat) You’re much smarter than I was at your age. You’ll do fine. When you make a decision about something and stick to it, all the confusion and worry disappear. And it’s not a crime to change your mind, only after you see what the first decision brings you.
NAOMI: I understand; it’s just so confusing sometimes.
AUNT ELDA: The more you approach things in a calmer way, the easier it is to cope with life. No matter what choices you make, there’s always the bullsh’t. And not every choice you make is going to be the right choice in the long run, but at the moment you make a choice, it should feel like the right one. That’s all any of us can do.
NAOMI: Tell me more about Giovanni.
AUNT ELDA chuckles.
AUNT ELDA: He was a prince. Dark eyes with jet black hair and the most perfect smile and beautiful teeth.
NAOMI: Where do you think he is now?
AUNT ELDA: I heard he moved to California. Who knows? Probably married with his own family by now. I broke his heart.
NAOMI: Did you?
AUNT ELDA: Oh, sure, sure. I called the whole thing off. He wanted to propose to me, but I put an end to it before he had the chance.
NAOMI: Oh, that’s so sad.
AUNT ELDA: It is, it was. I’ll always remember those eyes of his when I told him. I never saw such… well, it was a tough time.
- To read the full one-act ePlay, find purchase link below:
In this one-act play, NAOMI opens up to her Aunt about a circle of depression she encounters in her life. Her Aunt shares her own personal story with her which grows their bond.
