Little Boy's Blues (eBook)

Act 1

Scene 1
Lisa

(She walked right out of the Bayou.)

LISA

Whatcha playing boy?

LITTLE BOY

(Without missing a beat or even looking up.) The Blues.

LISA

The Blues!?!? (LISA’s voice was a mixture of both excitement and curiosity.)

LITTLE BOY

Yeah, the Blues.

LISA

Boy, what do you know about the blues?

LITTLE BOY

I know a lot. (As a matter of fact.) My Grandpa says the blues are the feelings you get when you can’t explain a story that won’t stop playing in your mind.

LISA

Huhhhh? What are you talking about?

LISA chuckled, her spirit causing LITTLE BOY to crack the signature half smile that would later become his trademark. The very smile that only those close to him could see. It was the last glimmer of hope, that in spite of it all, still remained with him.

LITTLE BOY

Best I can explain it. At times its both scary and exciting.

LISA

Truth be told, that sounds a lot like confusion, if you ask me. Well, that’s what my Nana would’ve told your grandpa if he had told her that old wives’ tale, because she’s the truth.

LITTLE BOY stopped strumming the guitar long enough to look up at her. He didn’t realize it while she was talking, but when he

saw her, he knew deep down inside that the million or so actions

that his grandpa told him were required to bring two souls together had just completed a cycle. His grandpa was always right. This was how souls met.

LISA

Are you OK? Why you are sitting there with your mouth wide open like that? You trying to catch that fly? Don’t tell me. Let me guess. It’s the blues… (LISA laughed her laugh.)

LISA’s laugh was so pure. So innocent and infectious. LITTLE BOY had no choice but to laugh along with her when he heard it. Right then he knew, when he heard her laugh, that she was feeling OK This was an event in and of itself because LITTLE BOY rarely laughed at all.

LITTLE BOY

I don’t know what just happened. I was looking at your face and I heard you talking. Then out of the blue my grandpa popped in my mind. All I heard after that were the crickets.

LISA waltzed over and plopped down, right next to LITTLE BOY. She wasn’t aware of his rules about his personal space. There was an area around him that LITTLE BOY just didn’t let anyone penetrate. When people did, their actions, even when innocent, hurt more than they helped.

LISA was so close that LITTLE BOY felt like he was wearing her shadow like a sweater. It was a little irritating but LITTLE BOY knew he wouldn’t win this battle, so he took the high road and embraced the moment. At least that’s the way the story would be told to their children.

LITTLE BOY

I take it you’ve never been “confused” before? (LITTLE BOY used air quotations to accentuate LISA’s word, confused.) I guess you’ve never felt like your world was upside down? (This was the world that LITTLE BOY lived in.)

LISA

Hmmm… I don’t know. Maybe. I guess so.

LITTLE BOY

Whew. I hope all your answers aren’t going to be like that.

LISA

Oh, boy hush. Deal with it.

LITTLE BOY

(LITTLE BOY shook his head. Intrinsically knowing her words to be right and exact. A precursor for how their relationship would always be.) Well, I live with the blues. In fact, I don’t remember the time before them. It seems to me, the blues are all I’ve ever known.

LISA

Oh, you got lost in the sauce. That’s something we’re going to have to work on. (She didn’t know this would be a lifetime commitment.) Life ain’t supposed to be like that. Anyway, what’s the name of that song you were just playing?

LITTLE BOY

I call it Wanda.

LISA

Oh, a girl. (A shade of disappointment.) Sounds like you like her. (Temporarily deflated.)

LITTLE BOY

I think so.

LISA

YOU THINK SO!!! (LISA was surprised.)

LITTLE BOY

Yeah, I think so. Why’d you say it like that?

LISA

Because when you play her song, she’s written all over your face. (She reached over and wrote WANDA across his forehead.) Listen up boy, a girl wants a boy that knows what he likes, not one whose all wishy washy, sounding like he could take her or leave her. I can see why you’re always playing the blues, it sounds like you met the girl of your dreams and had no idea what to say to her.

LITTLE BOY

First off, I never said I met her, and I most certainly didn’t tell you that I dreamed about her. All I said was her name. Truth be told, I saw her one time from a distance, at the train station, and before I could find the courage to walk over and say hello, her train pulled up, and like that she was gone. I hesitated. I froze. I guess I didn’t believe I deserved anything that beautiful in my life.

LISA

Awweeee mannnnn, that sounds so sad. She could have been the one. You know, your everything.

LITTLE BOY

MY EVERYTHING??? (LITTLE BOY spoke the words like this was the first time he had ever considered them.)

LISA

Yes, your everything, the one you can’t wait to see every day after school. The one you share your candy with. The one that makes you feel like you’re the most important person in any world. Real or imagined.

LITTLE BOY

Is that what your everything feels like to you?

LISA

When I meet him. I’ll let you know.

LITTLE BOY

Oh. You haven’t met. You know what? I’m not going to let that happen to me again. I won’t freeze the next time. She could have been my everything, just like you said. Now she’s gone and I’ll never know. (LITTLE BOY looked off into the distance. For a moment he allowed himself to believe that his blues started with her.)

LISA

Yeah, don’t freeze next time. (LISA wondered why she told LITTLE BOY that she could have been his everything.) Girls like boys who know what they want even when they don’t? Your face is still blue though. It’s not just her, is it?

LITTLE BOY

Nope. There’s more. I really don’t like talking about it.

LISA

We gotta change that too. How am I going to fix you if you don’t talk to me? You gotta talk to somebody and since I’m here, why not me? (LISA shrugged.)

LITTLE BOY

Tell you what. How about I let my music do the talking today. Listen closely, I think this will help answer some of your questions.

(LITTLE BOY played a few chords from a different song. This was his song, A Little Boy’s Blues.)

LISA

That’s cool. You talk with your hands. That’s a start....