Truth Beyond the Necklace

By Collena McMinn

                         Characters

CHRISSY: Late 30s. Second oldest Sibling and emotional heart ofthe family. Care take took the steps of their mothers passing. Carries theweight of fathers’ abuse.

LEE-ANN: Late 30s. The oldest sibling.Shares a traumatic history with sister. Wants to keep it hidden from brothers. Castthe misunderstand and lies that had spite the family.

LAWSON: Early 30s. Second youngest sibling. Easy-going,empathetic, but avoid conflict. Don’t believe Chrissy

JON: Early 30s. Youngest sibling. Bitter towardChrissy; strong sense of loyalty for father. Relationship with Chrissy isstrained due to past misunderstanding and lies.

                         Setting

A dimly lit funeral home, blanketedin a heavy atmosphere of grief and unresolved tension between siblings. Soft,somber light filters through stained glass windows, casting colorful reflectionon the floor. Soft classical music plays in the background, barely audible. Atthe center of the room stands a mahogany coffin wreathed with white roses and aframed photographed of the deceased. Couple of rows of church seats, all empty,stress the isolation felt by the characters.  

Scene 1: The Coffin

FADE IN 

                          Standing at a coffin CHRISSY walks up when JONwas looking down at their father.

JON: (Shock, whispering) I didn’t expect to see you here. Ithought you wouldn’t come.

CHRISSY: (whispering) I’msurprised myself. I had to come. He was my father too, even it only by marriageto Mom.

JON: (Hesitantly) It... Iguess we both have our reasons. You being gone so long, it’s just... strange,seeing you here.

CHRISSY: I know. I thought for today, maybewe can put aside our difference, if just for him.

JON: (starts to tense) what areyou doing here? You know... you know you are not welcome here.

CHRISSY: (Sharply) He was mydad too, might be stepfather and all. I can wish him to rest in peace.

JON: (Firm) You areright- stepfather. He is my father, not yours.

CHRISSY: Take achill pill. He really doesn’t need to rest in peace if you really knew yourfather.

JON: (Search to be proud) I do, andhow can I honor his memory when you’ve here, If you don’t get out here now.

CHRISSY: We willfinish this conversation later. We need to discuss how everyone has beentreating me since “OUR MOM” passed away.

                               CHRISSY leaves, sits in the frontrow as LAWSON, LEE-ANN walks up to the coffin to pay their respects, then joinsJON and CHRISSY in the first row of an empty church.

LEE-ANN: (Quietly) I’m surpriseyou’re here. Saw Jon said something to you over the coffin.

CHRISSY: Shah, wewill talk about it later.

LEE-ANN: What wasthat about with Jon

CHRISSY: (Sighs) Just Jon,being John Nothing new.

LEE-ANN: It’s been along while since we’ve all been together. Military life?

CHRISSY: (Agreeableand sad) Too long.Shame it’s under these circumstances. Military is military.

LEE-ANN: He stillupset with you; you know.

CHRISSY: If someone hadn’tlied to Jon, I might have a family to talk to, right now.

LEE-ANN: (Defensive) I did not lie;I saw what I saw.

JON: Well, maybeif some people haven’t’ taken advantage of Dad, we wouldn’t be in this way oflife.

CHRISSY: (Hurt) And y’allwere not there when I had talked to Dad. Yes, he was drunk most of the time,but-Shah.

                                 CHRISSY Put up her hand to stop LEE-ANNfrom talking back at her.

FADE OUT