CONNIE: A nurturing 43 year old mother, wearing a summer dress/trousers.
STEVE: A confident 50 year old, wearing a shirt/tee shirt and trousers/shorts.
(Please note that for added realism, Steve's back may face the audience while
acting out CPR, rather than facing the audience, which will appear more convincing
by creating extra cover)..
FRED: An eccentric 92 year old, speaking with a Cornish dialect, wearing a long
sleeved shirt and trousers.
ESTIE: A bright 9 year old, wearing a swimming costume.
Scene: A summer’s day on a beach in Cornwall
FX - seagulls, waves, distant children playing. Lights.
CONNIE (Kneeling in the middle of the stage beside Estie, who is lying on
her side, motionless and silent. Distraught and shouting out) Help,
help, please somebody. Help me, help. (To herself) I can’t believe
it, I’ll never forgive myself. (To Estie) Oh, my darling Estie.
(Shouting out again) Help, help.
STEVE (Running from downstage right to Connie) I heard you screaming.
Who’s this?
CONNIE She’s my girl, I only turned away for a moment, she was
swimming in the sea.
STEVE (Kneeling over Estie) Right, let’s take a look.
CONNIE I was keeping watch and then I found her here.
STEVE She’s obviously been washed up with the tide. I need to place her
on her back. (Moving Estie) How long has she been lying here?
CONNIE I don’t know. It can’t be long. (Panicking) Can you do something?
Please.
STEVE I’ll do everything I can, I promise. I’m Steve. What’s her name?
CONNIE Esther. We call her Estie.
STEVE Estie, can you hear me? Can you hear me Estie? (Pause for a
few seconds) She’s stopped breathing.
CONNIE (Distraught) Oh, my baby.
FRED (Walking slowly from downstage left – and standing throughout
the scene) Thought I’d see what the commotion was.
STEVE I’m going to begin CPR. Okay, here we go. (Said a little quieter
‘in the background’, lasting for 15 seconds while Connie and Fred
speak over Steve) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
CONNIE (Taking hold of Estie’s hand) Estie, please, I’m, I’m holding your
hand. Can you hear me?
FRED (In a matter of fact way) She can’t ’ear ya, ya know.
CONNIE (Starting to cry a little) Oh no.
FRED ‘Ow old’s she then?
CONNIE Nine.
FRED Thought she was. (Pause for a few seconds) Only nine, poor
thing. Looks small for ‘er age. She could ‘ave swallowed a lot of
water. Left ‘er on ‘er own did ya?
CONNIE (Stops crying. Angrily) I did not! Estie, Estie.
(Two breaths given by Steve to Estie after finishing counting
to 30).
STEVE (Said quickly) I don’t think you’re helping here much mate.
FRED I’m not your mate.
STEVE (As before, said quieter ‘in the background’, lasting for 15
seconds while Connie and Fred speak over Steve) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,
25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
FRED Mind ya. Looks like ‘e knows what ‘e’s doin’.
CONNIE (Frustrated and letting go of Estie’s hand) Of course he does.
(Fed up with listening to Fred) Please, can’t you just go away?
FRED It’s a public place. Got as much right bein’ ‘ere as you folk ’ave.
Even more so as I’m born ‘n’ bred ‘ere, boy ‘n’ man.
CONNIE Well don’t just stand there gawping.
FRED Human nature init? But I’m not gawpin’.
(Two breaths given again by Steve to Estie after finishing
counting to 30).
STEVE (Said quickly again) Do me a favour. Make yourself useful and
stand in the way of the sun (said deliberately and
overemphasised), mate. (As previously, while Connie and
Fred speak over Steve) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
FRED Told ya before. I’m not your/
CONNIE (Assertively) Yeah, just make yourself useful.
FRED I’ll oblige. (Moving over Estie) There. Shadow’s over the
poor thing now.
CONNIE (Frustrated) Aaah, you’re so infuriating! She has got a name.
FRED Betty, Etty, what’s ‘er name again?
CONNIE (Frustrated) Aaah! It’s Estie.
FRED You’re not a couple then?
CONNIE No.
FRED ‘Cause if ya were, you’d be the oddest couple I’d ever seen.
Well, stranger things ‘ave ‘appened.
(Two breaths given again by Steve to Estie after finishing
counting to 30).
STEVE (As previously, while Connie and Fred speak over
Steve) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
FRED Yes, that may well be but I feel a friendship blossomin’ from
today. (Pause for a few seconds) And not from round these
parts, otherwise you’d know ‘bout those strong currents. From
up north are ya?
CONNIE (Surprised) How did you know?
FRED Just know these things.
CONNIE I didn’t realise it was so obvious.
FRED Only to some. (Pause for a few seconds) The north, where it
never rains but pours!
(Two breaths given again by Steve to Estie after counting to
30, followed by Estie coughing and spluttering).
STEVE Thank god for that, she’s breathing. (Sitting Estie up).
CONNIE (Hugging Estie, so not overhearing Steve and Fred’s
conversation) Oh, my little one. Mummy’s here. I’m so, so
sorry.
FRED Done that before ain’t ya?
STEVE That’s number three, amazingly, in the last uhm, seven years. I
seem to be in the right place at the right time. Strange.
FRED These are strange times after all.
CONNIE (Overwhelmed and stopping hugging Estie) Thank you, thank
you, I, I don’t know what to say/
STEVE No problem. She’ll be fine.
ESTIE (Crying a little and in shock) Mummy.
CONNIE Everything’s gonna be okay. (Connie kisses Estie a few
times, while Estie stops crying. Connie wipes Estie’s face
and hair, and makes a fuss of her - so not overhearing Steve
and Fred’s conversation again).
FRED If I’m not mistaken, ya promised to save ‘er, didn’t ya?
STEVE How the hell did you realise/
FRED Even if it was just a promise to yourself. I saw the fight in ya
eyes. Ain’t seen that in a long, long time. (Pause for a few
seconds) Did a good job there for the poor, err, for Estie.
Credit’s due.
STEVE You would’ve done the same, I hope.
FRED Ya hope so.
CONNIE (Stopping making a fuss of Estie) Thank you so much, thank
you. Estie, this man, err, Steve, saved your life.
ESTIE Thank you.
STEVE It’s my pleasure. You’re very lucky. It may not feel like it now
but you are.
CONNIE I’ll be eternally grateful, we both will. (Hugging Estie and
kissing her a few more times, so not overhearing Steve and
Fred’s conversation as previously).
STEVE Tell me, were you purposely keeping her talking to take her
mind off things? That’s what it seems to me.
FRED Might ‘ave been. (Pause for a few seconds) A tactic learnt
durin’ the war. (Pause for a few seconds and emotionally) I
suppose I was tryin’ to help those poor lads, in their final
minutes.
STEVE I’m sorry to hear that. (Pause for a few seconds) You’re a bit of
a mystery.
(Connie and Estie stop hugging).
FRED And that’s probably what I’ll remain, to many. Too late to
change.
STEVE It’s never too late.
ESTIE (Excitedly and rushed) I went out too far, it was like I was
dragged out and I couldn’t get back, I was too tired. It was
frightening and I was calling you, mummy, mummy,
but I wasn’t frightened of her.
CONNIE You’re safe now. (Said aside to Steve) She’s alright isn’t
she?
STEVE I don’t know. She may be a little disorientated.
ESTIE (A little calmer) She helped push me nearer the shore. She
didn’t say anything but somehow I knew what she was
thinking. She was large and, and she was slippery. And her
tail, you do believe me don’t you?
CONNIE (Unconvincingly) Yes Estie, yes. (Said aside to Steve)
Perhaps she’s got sunstroke. She’s very hot.
FRED What was that ya said, ‘bout ‘er tail?
ESTIE She wanted me to hold on to her tail, and I did for a short time,
and then a wave separated us. Then she pushed me closer to
the beach, and I was, uhm, almost sitting on top of her. It was
like make believe. Then it all went blank.
CONNIE (Said aside to Steve again) Do you think she could have
banged her head?
STEVE I can’t see any marks.
FRED But ya haven’t made this up, ‘ave ya? Listen to me. It’s
important ya speak the truth ain’t it? Isn’t that what parents
always teach kids? Ya were saved by a mermaid weren’t
ya?
CONNIE Don’t be stupid. You’re putting ideas into her head.
ESTIE Yes, I was, I know it’s hard to believe. A real life mermaid
saved me.
CONNIE Let’s get you to a doctor.
ESTIE (Assertively) No. I’m not lying.
FRED Surely ya trust your own daughter? And she mentioned it
before I did.
ESTIE Do you believe me? You must.
CONNIE Listen Estie, I’m not saying I don’t/
FRED But you’re not saying ya do either. Your sayin’ it’s
unconventional. What I say is, whoever wanted to be
conventional in the first place? It still ‘aunts me to this day but
in a good way, if that makes sense.
ESTIE What’s the old man talking about mummy?
CONNIE You’re starting to frighten her.
FRED ‘Course I’m not. Am I frightenin’ ya?
ESTIE No.
FRED See. (Pause for a few seconds) I may be old, as ya put it, and
there’s no denyin’ that but I’ve never forgotten. Do ya believe
in coincidence uhh, uhm Connie?
CONNIE Err, yes.
FRED (Responding immediately and ignoring her reply) Nor do I. No
such thing, I’m tellin’ ya. Old wives’ tales. (Pause for a few
seconds) It’s no coincidence I’m meant to be ‘ere with ya
today. (Pause for a few seconds) It’s as if it ‘appened
yesterday.
CONNIE Mermaids? Come on, are you trying to tell me/
STEVE Let’s hear what he has to say.
FRED This old man standin’ ‘ere ‘asn’t once ever spoke out ‘bout it
to anyone. In case people thought I was crazy. Maybe I got a
tiny bit crazy by not tellin’ a soul. I know I got to now. Try
stoppin’ me.
CONNIE Go on then. We’re all ears.
FRED (Pause for a few seconds) 1936 it was. I was exactly your age
Estie. Imagine that. Hard, init? Probably seems impossible to
think of me at your age. We all get like this eventually, if you’re
blessed. I’m sure ya got a good imagination though. But not
too good to think up a mermaid. Right?
ESTIE Right.
FRED Good girl. (Pause for a few seconds) I was ‘ere. It must ‘ave
been pretty much in the same spot. Yes, I remember the cliffs
there. It all comes back to me. That wind, the sky, the terrible
roarin’ sea. (Pause for a few seconds) I was a good, strong
swimmer. I used to swim from ‘ere to the end of the pier and
back again in twelve minutes and twenty seconds exactly. That
was my best ever time. You couldn’t keep me out of the water.
It was a calm summer’s day to begin with. By the time I went
for a swim late in the day, the sky ‘ad pockets of grey clouds
forming. And it was gettin’ chilly. Anyway, I started to swim out
and after about five minutes, it all changed. A sudden gust of
wind, the sky went dark and the waves were beginnin’ to
overpower me. Then ‘eavy rain began to fall, followed by
lightnin’, and the loudest clap of thunder you ever ‘eard.
ESTIE What did you do?
FRED I couldn’t do nothin’. I was washed out to sea, way beyond
the end of the pier. I’d never gone that far before ‘cause my
parents told me not to. Bet it was half a mile. I was shoutin’
for help but nobody ‘eard me. I was petrified. It was then that I
knew there was no way back. I fought for as long as I could.
(Pause for a few seconds) Ya know that they say ya whole
life flashes in front of ya before ya meet your maker?
STEVE Did it?
FRED Well, what do ya think? I’d only had a short life up ‘til then. So
I can’t say that it did. But I did start to think of me dear mum
and dad, me sister, me friends, and me soppy, loveable white
labrador. Thinkin’ if they’d ever find me. Thinkin’ what I’d
miss. That’s quite somethin’ at that age.
ESTIE What happened?
FRED That was it, all over for me. I took one last look at the sky
and a final gulp of air and sank below the waves. (Pause
for a few seconds) Then a miracle. This magnificent
creature, ‘cause that’s what it was, swam beneath me, pushed
me up to the surface and told me, in my mind, to swim for me
life, and said that I was goin’ to be safe and to not be afraid.
That’s why I knew your girl was tellin’ the truth, because there
was some kind of communication goin’ on. It’s not easy to put
into words. She pushed me all the way to the shore. To this
day, I never stepped into the sea again. (Emotionally) And it
‘appened ‘ere, all those years ago. (Pause for a few seconds) I
still get this special feelin’ inside sometimes. And you will too
Estie if you’re lucky. And you’ll believe you was given a second
chance, like me. (Pause for a few seconds) You be a good
daughter for your mum, yes?
ESTIE I will. Always. (Pause) You do believe us mummy?
CONNIE I do darling. I really do.
FRED Thank ya folks. That means an awful lot to me, an awful lot.
(Standing still for a few seconds before slowly and quietly
walking off stage left, turning around once to give a final
glance whilst nodding his head up and down in thought, before
exiting. This is done while Estie is talking, so that Connie
and Steve do not notice him disappearing).
ESTIE (Connie and Steve look at Estie) It was precisely how
he described it. I’ll never forget it. Do you mean it?
CONNIE Yes, I promise, I do. I’m sorry I doubted you. Please forgive
me.
STEVE You’ll need to get her checked out.
CONNIE I will, thanks. (Pause for a few seconds) Then ice creams all
round, (turning to speak to where Fred was previously
standing) and for, (shocked that he is no longer there) oh,
where’s he gone?
STEVE (Puzzled and looking around) I don’t know. I never saw him
leave.
CONNIE (Also looking around) I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, or
even ask his name.
STEVE (Pause for a few seconds) You do know that you never once
mentioned your name and the man knew it? That’s very odd.
CONNIE Are you sure?
STEVE Positive.
CONNIE I’ve got goose bumps. (Pause for a few seconds). There was
something unusual about him. Peculiar even.
ESTIE Different mummy, just different. (Said under her breath while
Connie and Steve stand up, so not overhearing Estie)
Goodbye Fred, and thank you.
CONNIE (Putting out her hand and shaking hands with Steve) Well,
my names Connie. (Estie stands up).
STEVE Yes, and as you know, I’m Steve. (Stopping shaking hands
and smiling) How do you do?
CONNIE (A little nervous laughter) Very pleased to meet you.
Black-out. End.
Copyright © 2018 Marc Harris