"The Healer in Darkness" by Westward Ho

            (THE HEALER lies in a cold, dark room, arms folded across his chest, as in
            death.  Tentatively, a SUPPLICANT enters.)

THE SUPPLICANT

Holy one? . . . Holy one?

THE HEALER

            (Not rising, barely moving)
I am not holy, only he who made me . . .

THE SUPPLICANT

Ah! are you well?

THE HEALER

I live.

THE SUPPLICANT

Will you heal me?  I hear that you have power; and I have had an oozing sore for twelve years.

THE HEALER

I will heal you.

THE SUPPLICANT

            (Waits a bit, then)
Will you rise to do it?

THE HEALER

            (Silence, then)
Yes, I will rise.

            (Creakily, THE HEALER sits up.  He is veiled in blankets and darkness.  He
            holds out his hand and makes a magic sign.)

                   THE HEALER (Continued)

You are healed.

THE SUPPLICANT

Am I?  Am I really?  Oh, master, is it true?  Thank the Lord!  Thank the Lord!  I’m healed!  I’m healed!

            (THE SUPPLICANT runs off shouting.  After he is gone, THE HEALER sighs
            like all the world.)

THE HEALER

Ah, I am so tired . . .

            (He lies back down and folds his arms across his chest, as in death.)

            THE END

"Summer Window, Part II" by Westward Ho

            (The second floor of the old garage, continuous with Part I.  WENDY rests in the
          window, the breeze slightly more bitter than before.  ROBIN looks up and sees
          the box.)

ROBIN

How did that---?

BETH

            (Sees the box)
Oh, wow . . .

ROBIN

Wendy, do you see that?

WENDY

            (Opening her eyes)
We must have more than one.

            (ROBIN reaches for the dusty box.)

BETH

Don’t touch it!

ROBIN

Come on, Beth.  It’s here; so it must be . . .

            (ROBIN pulls the box down.)

                  ROBIN (Continued)

            (Reading)
“Zappoletta Forasco.  Find out where you’ll be next year.”

WENDY

We heard you the first time.

            (ROBIN starts to open it.)

BETH

Don’t!
            (Sheepishly)
You don’t want you to rip the old paper.

            (ROBIN pulls the fortunetelleress out of her box.  It’s a papier-mâché head in a
            cloudy glass dome on a cheap plywood base.  The eyes are buggy and wicked
            looking.)

ROBIN

Look---

BETH

I don’t like---

ROBIN

            (Pulling out a slip of paper)
And here’s the instructions.
            (Reading)
“Gather three friends.  Sit in a circle.  Push the button.  And follow directions.”
            (To BETH and WENDY)
We’re three friends.

BETH

I don’t---

ROBIN

Wendy, come here.  You’re boring.

WENDY

I’m happy.

ROBIN

Come on.

            (WENDY sighs and sits with her friends.)

                  ROBIN (Continued)

We press the button.  Do I dare?  Are you afraid?

BETH

Don’t be dramatic.  I’ll do it.

            (BETH presses the button on Zappoletta’s base.  The eyes light up and the teeth
            chatter.)

ROBIN

Creepy.

WENDY

Yeah; let’s just break it when we’re done.

            (Zappoletta Forasco begins to speak.  The voice comes from an old phonograph
            cylinder.  For those who know, the voice is unmistakably Lois Murphy’s.)

RECORDED VOICE

So you have disturbed my sleep?  Then I shall tell you a secret.  Close your eyes and see next year.  Close your eyes and see next year.

            (The recording fizzles to an end.  The teeth stop chattering.  The eyes grow dim.)

WENDY

Stupid.

            (WENDY starts to move.)

BETH

But we haven’t done what she said---

WENDY

So?

ROBIN

She didn’t ask much.  Close your eyes with us.

WENDY

You two are weird.

            (WENDY settles back down.  The girls coordinate their gaze.  Then they all close
            their eyes.  Immediate blackout.  Flash of grim light, noise not meant to be.  The
            lights come back up.  ROBIN and BETH have seen something and are deathly
            pale.  WENDY, unchanged, heads back to her window.)

                  WENDY (Continued)

Waste of time.

BETH

Robin, did you . . . ?

            (ROBIN nods.  She and BETH go to the open window and kneel next to
            WENDY.)

ROBIN

Wendy . . . did you see anything when your eyes were closed?

WENDY

Of course not.

ROBIN

Nothing?

WENDY

Like being asleep.

 BETH

Robin . . . what did you see?

ROBIN

I . . . nothing.

BETH

            (Slowly, to ROBIN) 
I thought I saw you, only you looked a little older.  And Wendy . . .

ROBIN

Be quiet, Beth.

BETH

Robin---

ROBIN

Don’t bore us.

WENDY

Yeah, don’t bore us, Beth.  Just throw the thing out.

ROBIN

Beth and I have to go . . .

WENDY

Will I see you tomorrow?

ROBIN

Or sooner . . .  Good-bye, Wendy.

WENDY

Bye.

            (ROBIN waits for BETH to leave the loft ahead of her.  Then, slowly, somberly,
            looking back, she goes down.  Footsteps fade.  WENDY shudders momentarily. 
            The breeze keeps blowing.)

            THE END

"Summer Window, Part I" by Westward Ho

            (The second floor of an old garage, where hay was stored in the horse-and-buggy
            days.  Now it’s a storeroom for odds-and-ends.  It’s also a hang-out for twelve
            year-old girls BETH, WENDY, and ROBIN.  The big shudders are open to let in
            a summer breeze.  BETH is eating fudgie cookies.  WENDY lies listlessly by the
            open window.  ROBIN climbs up into the loft.)

ROBIN

Getting a tan, Wendy?

WENDY

There’s no sun.

ROBIN

I couldn’t come till my grandma left.  Were you talking about boys?

BETH

Wendy was.

ROBIN

Who?  Dan?  Mike?

BETH

            (Affirmative)
Umm-hmm.

WENDY

I like boys.

BETH

Look what I found.  Wendy doesn’t care.

            (BETH lifts the lid on an old white-painted chest.  She starts pulling things out.)

                   BETH (Continued)

It’s weird---

WENDY

Careful, or my mom will kill me.

BETH

Here it is.

            (She removes a dry box from the trunk.)

                   BETH (Continued)

See.

ROBIN

            (Reading)
“Zappoletta Forasco.  Gyspy Fortunetelleress.”  Is it a game?

BETH

I guess---

ROBIN

            (Reading)
“Find out where you’ll be next year.”  Next year’s not much.

BETH

It’s something.

WENDY

I’ll be where I am, relaxing in the window.  But with Dan or Mike

ROBIN

You and boys.

BETH

We should open it.

            (WENDY’S MOTHER pokes her head up into the loft.)

WENDY’S MOTHER

I thought you’d like some seven-ups.

WENDY

            (Irritated)
Mom.

WENDY’S MOTHER

            (Ignoring WENDY)
What are you girls up to?

            (She sits among them.)

BETH

We’re looking at some old stuff.  Is that okay?

WENDY’S MOTHER

Sure.  There’s---
            (Seeing the fortunetelleress)
Where did that come from?

BETH

In the chest---

WENDY’S MOTHER

I thought it was gone---

ROBIN

What is it?

WENDY’S MOTHER

Well . . . it’s a game.  Like a Ouija board.  Like something in an arcade, only smaller.  But you girls shouldn’t have it.

WENDY

Mom---

BETH

Is it old?

WENDY’S MOTHER

I just remember it that one summer I spent a lot of time up here.  With your mother, Robin.  And with Lois Murphy, the girl who drowned in Tonawanda Creek.  Well, let me, uh, leave you alone.  I know Wendy wants me out.

            (She puts Zappoletta Forasco under her arm.)

ROBIN

Please, Mrs. Starnes; leave it.  There’s nothing to do.

WENDY’S MOTHER

No; it’s---

BETH

We won’t play with it---

WENDY’S MOTHER

            (Snapping)
Of course, you will!
            (Calmer)
I’m taking it with me.  Enjoy the breeze; and let me know if you find anything interesting.

            (WENDY’S MOTHER goes down the loft with the fortunetelling box.  Her
            footsteps fade as she makes it down the ladder.  ROBIN looks down at her
            sandals.  WENDY keeps her eyes shut.  BETH scans for another cookie.)

BETH

Gee.

            (Zappoletta Forasco’s box appears and drifts of its own accord to a spot between
            some old tools, on a shelf above the girls’ heads.)

            END OF PART ONE

"Pottery Plays"

MRS. HO

Did you see what I bought, Westward?  I was at a yard sale.

            (Clink, as she brings out a dusty, dog-eared box.)

                  MRS. HO (Continued)

It’s decorated pots.

WESTWARD

They’re ugly---

MRS. HO

Each pot is covered with scraps of paper or bits of fabric---

WESTWARD

Patches.

MRS. HO

---and there’s clear paint or glue over it.

WESTWARD

They’re ugly---

MRS. HO

It was a fashion in the 1950s.

WESTWARD

'70s.  This one has some Bicentennial.

MRS. HO

I got them for you.

WESTWARD

I don’t want them.

MRS. HO

But don’t you see?  Some have old play scripts.

WESTWARD

Old play scripts?

MRS. HO

Bits.  I can’t understand the lines.

WESTWARD

Should I include them in the blog?

MRS. HO

If you don’t want them, I’ll throw them away.

            (Clink, as she moves the box.)

            THE END

"Deathbed Friend" by Mrs. Ho

THE FRIEND

What’s wrong, Minnie?

MINNIE

My mother is dying.

THE FRIEND

Let me help you with the work.

MINNIE

My children are here.  Please speak to your grandmother.

THE CHILDREN

You have been no help with the party I am planning.

MINNIE

I am sorry.

THE CHILDREN

It is important, for my husband’s work.

MINNIE

I am sorry.  Your grandmother has died.

            (THE CHILDREN softly weep.)

THE FRIEND

Attend to your children.  I’ll prepare the body.

MINNIE

Allow me.  The work soothes me.

* * *

THE FRIEND

What’s wrong, Minnie?

MINNIE

My husband is dying.

THE FRIEND

Let me help you with the work.

MINNIE

My children are here.  Won’t you make amends with your father?

THE CHILDREN

It is not the right time.

MINNIE

He cannot help when he dies.

THE CHILDREN

He is careless.  When is my turn?

MINNIE

Your father has died.  I am sorry.

            (THE CHILDREN softly weep.)

THE FRIEND

Attend to your children.  I’ll prepare the body.

MINNIE

Allow me.  It is a comfort.

THE FRIEND

Do you miss your dead?

MINNIE

Their mouths were like baby birds'.

THE FRIEND

And now they are shut.  Your children are a comfort.

MINNIE

I have children.

            (They look at each other.)

* * *

MINNIE

What's wrong, my friend?

THE FRIEND

I am dying.  I'm sorry.

MINNIE

It was you I loved.

            (THE MOTHER softly weeps.)

            THE END