(Prologue. An abandoned car and the interior of a small apartment in the middle of a desert. The lights come up on David, a young man of about 30 and an old woman. She's eating a bowl of cold cereal.)
DAVID
Momma, I had to see you—
SYLVIA
Ugh.
DAVID
—I—
SYLVIA
God damn it!
DAVID
What?
SYLVIA
Ugh. In my whole mouth, I have two teeth. How is it possible that I could get food stuck in there?
DAVID
I don’t know.
SYLVIA
Ugh. I can’t eat no more. I can’t enjoy my food.
DAVID
Look Momma, I want to—
SYLVIA
David, do you see a lot of old people where you live?
DAVID
What?
SYLVIA
Old people. You know. Old. Do you see them?
DAVID
There’re some.
SYLVIA
Do you ever talk to them?
DAVID
Talk to them? I don’t know. Sometimes. Momma, I—
SYLVIA
You talk to them?
DAVID
Yeah, small talk, “how ya doin”, you know.
SYLVIA
So maybe you could tell me. Are they like me?
DAVID
How?
SYLVIA
Are they like me? In my predicament.
DAVID
Predicament? I don’t understand.
SYLVIA
Miserable. Are they miserable?
DAVID
You’re miserable?
SYLVIA
Yeah. So, are they like me?
DAVID
You never told me you were—
SYLVIA
Miserable. Yes. I’m very unhappy.
DAVID
You’re miserable?
SYLVIA
I hate living. I don’t know why you live just to get old. Doesn’t make any sense.
DAVID
I dunno. I don’t see an alternative…
SYLVIA
Are they miserable too?
DAVID
Who?
SYLVIA
The old people. Are they miserable too?
DAVID
I don’t know.
SYLVIA
When you see them again; look carefully, deeply, in their eyes and if you can take some time from your busy schedule—
DAVID
Momma—
SYLVIA
—talk to them and get back to me. I want to know if it’s everybody or if it’s just me.
(Pause.)
David, don’t get old. It’s not worth it.
(Pause.)
I’ve hit an all-time low.
(Silence.)
Ugh. Place smells from cats and I don’t even have a cat.
DAVID
I don’t smell anything.
SYLVIA
You don’t got a good smeller. Smell’s from downstairs. The Russian’s got at least ten cats. Maybe fifteen. Takes ‘em in offa the street, fixes ‘em up good as new and stinks up my apartment! Smell goes right up through the vents. And everyone thinks she’s so nice, “poor little kitties need a home” well, I’m the one that’s gotta smell the stink! It's not fair!
(A short beat.)
Why on earth do I live here? Why this place? Out of all the places in the world, beautiful places; France, Florida, the Caribbean, tropical islands. Why here?
DAVID
This is our home.
SYLVIA
Ugh! Why this place? Why Brooklyn? This is a horrible place to live. Why is this home and not some place nice?
DAVID
This is nice.
SYLVIA
It is not. It stinks from cats. I just told you!
DAVID
I guess, well, this is where our—you know— your parents and grandparents and great grandparents—
SYLVIA
I didn’t ask you for no goddam Ellis Island history crap! What I’m asking is why didn’t we see this place was a dump and move somewhere else?
DAVID
I don’t know.
SYLVIA
You know. You knew a long time ago. I could tell just by lookin at ya. Why didn’t you say somethin?
DAVID
I was a kid.
SYLVIA
(With disgust.)
Eh!
(Short pause.)
My neighbors say I’ve lived here, in this furshtunkunah building for over thirty years. Is that true?
DAVID
No. Closer to forty.
SYLVIA
How can that be when I hate it so much?
DAVID
Momma. You didn’t always hate it. There was a time you loved it.
SYLVIA
No.
DAVID
Yes. You loved the ocean. The rides. The air.
SYLVIA
Doesn’t sound like me.
DAVID
You always talked like you loved it.
SYLVIA
Nope. You're way off-base, kiddo.
DAVID
Momma, I heard you say—
SYLVIA
You’re confusing me with your sister.
(A beat.)
Hannah. Hannah Rebecca. Remember her?
DAVID
Of course, Ma.
SYLVIA
I just saw her the other day.
DAVID
You saw her?
SYLVIA
Yeah. Out my window. Smilin. Flying around. Doin tricks. Waving at me. She loved everything. The water, the wind, the sun, the moon, the stars. You name it, she loved it. That’s how she was. I thought she was crazy. “Don’t you just love the water, Momma?” “The water’s polluted” I’d tell her. “I love the hot sun on my back, Momma.” “Gives ya cancer! Wear sun block!” She shoulda listened.
(A short beat.)
She was somethin wasn’t she? Always smilin. What the hell was she smilin about? Even if she was miserable, she never let anyone know. Not like me. If I’m suffering, you’re gonna hear about it! She was different.
DAVID
Yeah.
SYLVIA
She smiled through the pain. Why would God take her so young?
DAVID
Ask Him.
SYLVIA
She withered away. Ugh. It was hard to look at her. My baby.
DAVID
Momma, please.
SYLVIA
And your poor father, killed him, ya know. He couldn’t take it. Watchin his little girl suffer and die like that. When you love your children—
DAVID
Momma.
SYLVIA
—when they’re everything to you—
DAVID
Please. I don't want to—
SYLVIA
—and you lose them…
DAVID
—go there—
SYLVIA
It kills you. It’s a tough thing; to love.
(Short pause.)
And gangsters live to be a hundred!
DAVID
That’s what I came to talk to you about.
SYLVIA
You came to talk to me about gangsters?
DAVID
No. Not that. I’m going to find out, Momma.
SYLVIA
What? What’s to find out?
DAVID
His Eternal Plan! If there's a plan at all!
SYLVIA
Who's plan?
DAVID
God's plan! It’s time He fessed up! It’s time He was held accountable! I’m going to find Him and ask Him why He does the horrible things He does.
SYLVIA
I’ve been asking Him for years. He don’t wanna talk.
DAVID
He’ll talk to me.
SYLVIA
Who are you that He should stop whatever he’s doing—?
DAVID
That’s what I mean! What’s He doing? Doesn’t look like He’s accomplishing very much, does it?
SYLVIA
You’re just askin for trouble.
DAVID
Ma, how can I go on (as if everything's fine), living my life, and soon, bringing a child into the World—
SYLVIA
Janet’s pregnant?
DAVID
Yes.
SYLVIA
Finally! Nice to see you two gettin down to business. God bless you.
DAVID
Thanks, Ma.
SYLVIA
And Janet. That’s wonderful news. God bless her, too. Tell her I said that. I know she thinks I don’t like her.
DAVID
That's not true.
SYLVIA
I don’t know what I did. I was always cordial.
DAVID
Momma.
SYLVIA
I thought we were chums. Send her my love.
DAVID
I will.
SYLVIA
I wish we could’ve gotten to know each other a little better. Then, maybe you both woulda come over and visited more often—
DAVID
Ma. Janet loves you.
SYLVIA
You’re just being a good son; lying to me. I appreciate it, but it’s too late.
DAVID
Ma. Janet loves you. I promise. Just listen to me. How can I do all that—
SYLVIA
Do what? Be a good son?
DAVID
No, Ma. Bring a child into this world where there’s so much hate? So much pain and suffering and cruelty? How can I do that with a clear conscience? How?
SYLVIA
You want I should tell you? How the hell would I know?
DAVID
No, Momma. What I mean is, what’s He doing up there? Playing a round of golf?
SYLVIA
That is not for us to know—
DAVID
I don’t buy that.
SYLVIA
—or question!
DAVID
That’s a lotta crap! A smokescreen! He is so vast and we’re so small that we can’t possibly fathom—bullshit! I’m going to sit out in the middle of the desert—
SYLVIA
Why the desert?
DAVID
Everything seems to happen in the desert.
SYLVIA
My son is a crazy person.
DAVID
I’m going to sit out in the desert, where He lives, until He tells me!
SYLVIA
Meshugga.
DAVID
I’m not crazy! I have to do this Momma. I’m going to Mount Sinai.
SYLVIA
The hospital?
DAVID
No—
SYLVIA
Why? You’re sick, too?
DAVID
No. Mount Sinai, the mountain. In Israel. I want to see His face.
SYLVIA
Who’s face?
DAVID
God’s face.
SYLVIA
You can’t wait till you’re dead? What’s the hurry? You’ll have all eternity to look at God.
DAVID
I need to do this. I need to do this now.
SYLVIA
Look, David. I don’t have too much time left. I’ll see Him a lot quicker than you will. I’ll let you know.
DAVID
Momma—
SYLVIA
I’ll contact you. A young man like you shouldn’t be wasting his time with craziness. You have a nice home. You have a beautiful wife. You have a good job. You have a future., kunahura. Go home.
DAVID
I can’t. Not until I’ve settled with Him.
SYLVIA
You're gonna lose everything.
(Pause.)
That’s what happens, ya know? Nowadays, people who go lookin for God, they find Him… it doesn’t end well.
DAVID
I wanted you to know, Momma. That’s all.
SYLVIA
So, now I know.
(Pause. They hear a crow’s “caw, caw, caw.”)
Ugh. Goornisht mit goornisht.
(She feels something deep inside of her.)
David? Ya hear that?
DAVID
Yeah. So?
SYLVIA
I’m shit outa luck.
(Sylvia closes her eyes.)
DAVID
Momma? Momma?
(She’s gone. The lights fade to black. Live music is performed, such as “Long Gone” by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee.)
End of Excerpt