On the Move
By Richard Richard and Riekje Wallace
© 2001
Scene opens with a woman who is just finishing decorating the Christmas tree. (Piano/base/solo of "I'll be home for Christmas) Her husband is late home from work. She finishes the tree goes to the mantle piece picks up a photo and starts dreaming (until the end of the song). The husband comes in and she appears to take a few seconds to click back into reality.
©Copyright Note: This play is protected under copyright law and performance is strictly prohibited without the express consent of the author. Though production is generally granted royalty free, please contact Richard Richard and Riekje Wallace for permission to perform this play.
Rick: Hello, I'm home. (No response so a little louder) I'm home.
Rita: So I gather...and by the way, your dinner was burning in the oven until I took it out a couple of hours ago.
Rick: Yum. Fried and then frozen, just the way I love it.
Rita: Why is it, that when men detect a crisis brewing on the horizon, they develop this overriding desire to use humour?
Rick: Listen I'm sorry that I'm late...Ok real late...But you'll never guess what?
Rita: Let me guess...another accident on the A5?
Rick: Actually two. But that's not it. Jeff called me into a meeting today. Remember our office in Moscow has been having some problems? Well the guy quit yesterday and they've asked me to cover over the Christmas period until they can find a replacement. I had to hang around at the office for the courier to drop off the tickets.
Rita: Woe! Woe! Did you say tickets?
Rick: Got 'em right here!
Rita: Rick! It's 10 days until Christmas! I just decorated the tree today and you come home and announce that you're off to Moscow for Christmas. Don't you find that a little weird?
Rick: Not if you knew that wasn't just me going! You and me, we're both off to Moscow.
Rita: We're both going?
Rick: Great isn't it. Just think about it. Grandpa and grandma were originally from Russia. I'm getting to go back to my roots.
Rita: Great..you get to go back to your roots and I get to loose mine.
Rick: What do you mean you get to loose your roots?
Rita: Just that. Three years ago you come home and announce that the company's given us 4 weeks to pack up and move to Lisbon. So we move here and I work hard to make friends and build a life for myself here and put some roots down, and I'm enjoying it here.
Rick: But I thought you liked travel and adventure...