I FORGOT YOU WOULDN’T BE HERE BY JEFFREY LO
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A room in a nursing home.
Lying in bed is KATIE, 76 years old.
She sits there quietly sleeping.
If you listen closely you can hear her breathing.
…
Somewhat aimlessly, DEZI, 29 years old Filipina-American, wanders into the room.
DEZI spots KATIE.
DEZI: Oh… Umm…
DEZI closes her eyes.
Beat.
DEZI: Right…
DEZI sits in the visitor’s chair beside KATIE.
DEZI: I forgot… Shit.
DEZI takes a deep breath and listens to the sound of KATIE breathing.
DEZI looks around.
DEZI: How long has it been since… ? You’d think I’d remember by now… Adjusted by now… What’s shitty is that between those last few years and now… there’s really not much of a difference. No adjustment to be made. Or at least not one that I realized… until it was too late.
DEZI spots a sealed bottle of water and opens it.
DEZI: Hope you don’t mind.
DEZI drinks.
DEZI: I’ve been feeling dehydrated lately… I’ve been feeling a lot of things lately… Right now… Just before… I have no idea why I’m here anymore.
Beat.
DEZI: Well, actually. I do know. I…
Pause.
DEZI has difficulty speaking.
DEZI: I got out of bed early this morning because… well, I couldn’t really fall asleep. And after tossing and turning one too many times I just gave up on getting any sleep at all... So I get out of bed, take a shower and think to myself – you know what would be a good thing to do with my extra morning hours? I should visit Lola… I haven’t visited Lola in…
Pause.
DEZI: God knows how long…God knows… I’ve been so busy Lola… So so busy. And…
Pause.
Pause.
DEZI: I forgot you wouldn’t be here…
Silence.
DEZI: I must’ve forgotten you died…
DEZI drinks more water.
DEZI: Makes sense I guess, seeing as how it must have felt to you like I forgot you were living when you were still here… I… I think I just got so caught up in trying to make something special of myself that I forgot that I was always something special to you…
DEZI finishes the water.
DEZI sits in silence.
CLEAVON, a nurse, gently peaks in the room and knocks on the door.
CLEAVON: Excuse me.
DEZI: Oh. Hi.
CLEAVON: Are you related to Miss…?
DEZI: Oh. No, no. I am not. Sorry.
CLEAVON: Can I help you with something?
DEZI stands up to leave.
DEZI: No. Um… No. I um… I made a mistake.
DEZI exits.
CLEAVON approaches KATIE, still asleep and adjusts her blanket for her.
Lights fade.
END OF PLAY.?