THONG OF THORNS

THONG OF THORNS

(Part 1)

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Thong of thorns is a play or drama script which tells about the life of Rose Wallace, a single mom who lives in Roseborough - Manayunk, Philadelphia. She gets a taste of bitterness and sweetness in few years. So as it happens, She falls in love with a man who would cause her terrible pain, unleashing a world of hurting.

The play would come in four short episodes. Links to the previous part of the play would be included in the subsequent parts of the storyline.

Hope Wallace, a woman of age thirty once lived with her only child, Randy Wallace in Roxborough-Manayunk; a town located in the largest city in Philadelphia. Her mother Emmy Wallace died two years before she had Randy. It was not a pleasant time for hope but she always had her dad comforting her through the dark times. Hope decided to move on with her life without a man in her world after she barely survived uxoricide. After the police took the case into their hands and made her boyfriend pay for his crimes, she decided she would not love again. Before she had randy, she had tasted nothing but bitterness from life. First, her mom suffered in the sickbed for a year battling cancer before she eventually gave up. After a while, she noticed that her ex-boyfriend who used to be the light that lits her world of darkness became the darkness itself. He changed and his behavior towards her became rather rough and rigid till she could not take all that aggression from him. The night she decided to leave him was the night he tried to kill her but she was fortunate he did not prevail. She was lucky that night but she did not know she was already pregnant until quite some time. For some reason, she decided to keep the baby and love it just like every mother should. Almost every night, her father – Dickson Wallace would cuddle the child and sing him sweet songs until he sleeps.

Randy became everything and more to hope. She loved him with all her heart and nothing ever mattered to her other than Randy. Even though Hope’s story was not too pleasant, Randy became the light and hope in her darkest hour. She was not happy when she realized she was pregnant and thought of getting rid of the baby but she could not. Every time she looks at Randy, she thanks the heavens for not allowing her to take the child’s life. Mr. Dickson Wallace owned a restaurant by the roadside in a popular street in Roxborough-Manayunk town in Philadelphia where he prepares different delicacies. His restaurant is quite known in the district.

Hope grew up learning ways to prepare good food under the tutorship of her parents. Dickson Wallace and Emmy Wallace started running the business with lesser capital than one can imagine. They both kept pursuing the dream of owning a large restaurant, which prepares different meals, till their dreams became a reality. It grew from a very small-scale restaurant business to a large-scale business, where it had about twenty-three employees enlisted in the payroll of the business. As soon as Hope came of age, Dickson and his wife decided to teach her how the restaurant was run and how she must always make sure her customers get their money's worth. She was diligent and tactical in the way and manner she managed the family’s business.

One morning she woke up, very tired, she lays back on her bed, thinking of what to make for breakfast.
Randy: (rushes into his mum’s bedroom) Mum! Mum!

Hope: What is it, Baby? (She asked while smiling).
Randy quickly jumped on the bed yanking his mum.

Randy: Come let us both make breakfast, he said.

Hope: Alright baby; what would you like for breakfast! (She playfully asked)

Randy: Tomato pie! (He shouted as he grabbed his mum’s finger firmly).

Hope: Alright dear, let’s go make some pie.
After Hope had prepared the pie, she served herself and her son with a glass of orange juice.

Randy: (chewing) Mum, I love your tomato pie. (He paused for a moment, then He said) or should I say I love your tomato pie?

Hope: That is exactly what you should say (she said as she carefully pats his nose with her fingers).

Randy: I want to be able to cook like you. You make the best dishes; you are my superwoman (He added).

Hope: Once you come of age, you would be taught to become a better manager than I am. Before that, you would learn how to prepare different dishes in different ways. We wouldn’t just be mother and son but business partners.

Randy: Yeah! (He said before he took another bite) Umm, you are the greatest cook.

Hope: Yeah, I know baby but you have to stop talking, otherwise you may choke on your food.

Randy: Okay mum.

AT A PUB (AT NIGHT)

Bran: What! Murphy, you have been drinking

George: I think he needs it; just let him drink himself to death (He said scornfully while smiling)

Bran: Murphy give me that (He said as he tried to collect the bottle Murphy was holding).
(Meanwhile, George was having a glass while he made lustful eye contact with the waitress standing by the other side of the table).

George: I need more drink (He said to her).

Waitress: Okay, on my way.

Bran: George, this dude has drunk himself to nothing. He is probably going to shit himself.

George: (laughs and continues drinking) Okay. (He said reluctantly).

Bran: George, grab his other arm and I grab this one; let’s take this dude outta here.

George: I am not done Bran; I still want another bottle.

Bran: You have got to be kidding me. Are you damn serious? Murphy is going nuts and you are concerned about taking more alcohol.

George: Damn it Bran! Just one night, just one good night, I decided to step out to have some fun and you are trying to stop me from having fun. Hey, do not let this dude bother you because he ain’t bother me.
After a while, George quit drinking and helped take Murphy home.\

Bran: This guy is so heavy. Dude, what have you been drinking? You smell like shit.

George: I can’t believe I did not have my way with that beautiful looking lady tonight all because of this lousy dude (He said as he dropped Murphy in front of his door).

Bran: Ah Ah… (Stretching his muscles) who were you talking about?

George: The waitress -the slim red-headed waitress.

Bran: I bet a lot of guys want her too, you addict (chuckles). Come on let’s take this log of wood inside.

The next morning

Natasha: Knock! Knock! Murphy! Murphy!!
(Murphy was still on his bed at the time. Suddenly he woke up scrambling everything he could touch. His eyes were still heavy and he was so weak to even walk to the toilet.)

Natasha: Murphy, I know you are in there! (She kept yelling)

Murphy: (slowly walked to the door). Who is there?

Natasha: Are you kidding me? Open this door! It’s Natasha

Murphy: Oh…Nat (He said in a low tone as he opened the door).

Natasha: Oh my God! What on earth's sake are you doing?

Murphy: I am a complete mess, right?

Natasha: You can’t be doing this to yourself. You don’t have to punish yourself like this. Mr. Sawyer meant what he said. If you don’t come up with a more exquisite and refreshing headline of event today, you would be fired.

Murphy: Yes I know (manages to sit on a couch). I know I am a damned fool.

Natasha: You are not (gently patting Murphy’s back), so did you make a pathway?

Murphy: I do not think I did.

Natasha: What! What do you mean? (Drops her purse on the chair).

Murphy: What does it matter Nat? I am tired. I am done.

Natasha: No you can’t be. Murphy look around you, you still have people who love you. It doesn’t matter how hard it gets. What matters is that you get tougher and hit back at life with all you’ve got. I do not want to see you slide back to what you used to be (she says as she holds his hands).

Murphy: Well, I am sorry Nat. I didn’t do anything. I am a reckless son of a failed home and the shittiest person you have seen.

Natasha: Murphy, you are telling me that you did not carry out the assignment Mr. Sawyer gave you (she said disappointed)

Murphy: Yeah I did not.

Natasha: Where were you last night?

Murphy: What does it matter to you.

Natasha: It matters to me. I am your friend and I am your partner. I called and called last night but you didn’t pick up the phone, why? Where were you? Huh? (She asked as if she was going to beat him up). I said where were you?

Murphy”: Oh Gosh! Okay, I was in a pub. I went out with Bran and George, and I drank myself to death.

Natasha: (scoffs) Oh God you are so crazy. I finally do not know why I spend so much time trying to make you better. You know what? Go! Go live your damn life the way you want. I’m out of here, have fun (she says as she grabs her purse).

Murphy: Yeah, that’s all you can do. You say you care about me yet you wanna leave. You want to leave me in this distressful state (He says with so much pity).

Natasha: (Turns around) what do you want me to do? Pat you and kiss you on your cheeks? You are a grown-ass man. Do not expect me to carry you like I was your mother or something. You are a damn disgrace. If you want to waste your life, go ahead and waste it, but I will not be there to either pick up your remains or support your stupidity.

Murphy: Ai! Stupidity! I don’t care if you call me stupid; you are Natasha, Miss Know-it-all, you have always thought yourself more special, smart, intelligent,, and loved. Well, sadly I am none of these things (He said after which he angrily walked into his bedroom and shut the door).

Thanks to @rich-ben for your contribution to the play.

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WATCH OUT FOR PART TWO

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