Saying Good-bye by Demetrice Crite

SAYING GOOD-BYE Written by Demetrice Crite 2/25/22

2/25/20

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SAYING GOOD-BYE

Characters: BRITTANY ... Thirty-ish, white, housewife BRETT ... Thirty-five, bi-racial, attorney

2/25/20

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ACT I – SCENE I (At rise Brittany is sitting alone on the bench, talking on the telephone. Slow music plays on a radio, wine glasses set on blanket.)

BRITTANY I’m great! (Pause) Oh stop it. (Pause) Sitting on the bench, waiting on Brett. (Pause) Can you keep a secret? (Pause) I’m pregnant! (Pause) I’m gonna tell Brett tonight. (Pause) Actually, I’m gonna give him a copy of my sonogram in a card.

(Pause) I’m 8 weeks. (Pause) I’ve asked the doctor to keep it a secret. (Pause) All of my dreams are coming true. (Pause) Well, Brett’s headed this way...okay, I’ll tell him. (Pause) Okay, I’ll see you on Friday for the fundraiser.

(Brett walks up, preoccupied with his phone, sits down next to Brittany. Brittany pours two glasses of wine, puts the bottle back into picnic basket.)

Let’s make a toast.

(Both raise glasses.)

To the best husband and attorney in the world. I’m so proud of you.

BRETT (Takes a sip and continues to text.)

Thanks.

BRITTANY (Cuddles up to Brett.)

Dinner was great.

BRETT (Unattentive.)

Mmm-hmm. You sure ate a lot.

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4 (Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” begins to play on the radio.)

BRITTANY Do you remember when we danced to this?

BRETT (Still texting.)

Yep. BRITTANY Our wedding night seems like eons ago, but it’s only been 7 years.

Time flies when you’re building a dream. The only thing that’s missing is a baby.

BRETT (Looking up from phone.)

We’ll get around to it one day, I promise.

BRITTANY Thanks.

BRETT How’s the fundraising for the community center coming?

BRITTANY Slowly, but surely we’re getting donations.

BRETT (Ends texting and puts phone in pocket.)

I’ll have my secretary, Stacy, put in some calls this week.

BRITTANY Thanks, but I think I can handle it.

BRETT You sure?

BRITTANY I’m not too fond of her, she oversteps.

BRETT She’s an important part of our success.

BRITTANY

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She takes care of a lot; I used to do the same for you when I was your secretary.

BRETT I just want you to enjoy life.

BRITTANY If I would have finished my degree I could have been your… / BRETT I’m successful enough for the both of us.

(He goes back to texting and doesn’t hear her next lines.)

BRITTANY I feel like I’m useless, unwanted and always alone. (Pause) I just need to feel wanted.

BRETT (Looks at his watch. Beat.)

There’s something I need to talk to you about.

(Brittany receives a text.

Attentively reading. Begins to sob.)

BRITTANY You couldn’t even say it to me yourself, fucking coward.

BRETT I just didn’t have the heart to tell you. I just didn’t know how.

BRITTANY Who sends divorce papers via text?

BRETT I’m sorry.

BRITTANY I know you’re sorry, what’s your other excuse.

BRETT I’m not happy.

BRITTANY

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What will it take to make you happy? I left my job and friends in New York to come to California to be with you.

BRETT I never put a gun to your head.

BRITTANY No, I came because I love you!

BRETT You can have anything you want, alimony, furniture, the house, whatever. I just want the wedding album.

BRITTANY No way!

BRETT There are photos of mom and me in there, the last ones she took with me before she died.

BRITTANY I understand your reasons, but I don’t have any sympathy for you, you don’t sympathize with me.

BRETT That’s a fucking lie, I’m just not happy anymore.

BRITTANY You’re sleeping with your secretary.

BRETT You don’t have to bring Stacy into this.

BRITTANY I’ll take that as a yes! Deny, deny, deny!

BRETT Please don’t accuse me without solid proof.

BRITTANY Hell, she sent the divorce papers. (Beat) But back to the wedding album, I really do want it. It has sentimental value, it’s the only visible memory of the most important day of my life.

BRETT (Angrily.)

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You can’t have it! The pictures of mom and me are special to me as well, I’m willing to fight for them.

(Beat.)

BRITTANY Can I ask something? Whatever happened to until death do us part? When you said that 7 years ago, you had tears in your eyes, did you lie?

BRETT No. (Beat) I don’t want a bitter divorce. I just want this to go smoothly.

BRITTANY I don’t want to fight.

BRETT Since we agree on everything except the wedding album, let me make a suggestion. There are only two pictures of mom and me in there, let me just take them out and give you the rest of the album. That way the judge doesn’t laugh us out of his courtroom.

BRITTANY That’s the man I know. Now I see that was out of love and from the heart. I didn’t want to spend time fighting over the wedding album.

BRETT So we agree?

BRITTANY Yes, thanks. (Pause) Before we leave, let me say this, this divorce is what you want… / BRETT Yes it is… / BRITTANY Don’t interrupt me. I won’t fight you on how you feel, but I want you to know how I feel also. Every night I say my prayers, one for my mother, one for my father, and one for the love of my life, you. Now that you’ve decided to leave, I’ll still pray for you, but I want you to do this: Leave tomorrow at the front door, take only half of yesterday with you and please forget all

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hope for the present because with your leaving, it just all went away. Do that for me.

(Brittany reaches into picnic basket, pulls out a white envelope, hands the card to Brett, stands to her feet.)

BRITTANY (CONT’D) There’s a card and another picture to add to your collection.

(Brittany walks off stage.)

(Brett opens the card and sees the sonogram inside.)

(Luther Vandross’s “Here and Now” begins to play on radio.)

(Brett sits looking dejected.)

(Lights go down and the curtain falls.)

The End