SONG OF SISTERS PART ONE--THE WEDDING—(A PLAY: OPENING)

Excerpt from the first part of a trilogy set in the Scottish Borders.  Wrote drafts of the first two parts then laid it aside for other things.  I've resumed work on the third part.

Part one-- The Wedding.

Part two-- The Wake

Part three- The Trial.

Characters in this excerpt.

Yvonne; Ellen; Sandra-- three sisters.

Sam-- Ellen's son 16/17/yrs.

Minister.

SONG OF SISTERS PART ONE--THE WEDDING—(OPENING)

SETTING: THE CHURCH.

 Play opens with a choir singing. Singing in celebration of the father’s wedding.   Envisage singing as audience are coming in.  The three sisters are in the choir.  The Minister greets people as they come in.

The audience represents and is referred to by the actors as the congregation for the wedding.

 The choir stops singing when Yvonne steps out of the choir and addresses the congregation with the ‘Song of Sisters.’

The choir and Ellen and Sandra stay where they are.

YVONNE— (Sings a cappella)

Welcome to this happy day

Ha not if we have our way.

My sisters and me

birthed in this land cannot agree

but each in our own individual way

take a stand against; this travesty. 

Our father too late in life

has plans for a brand new wife.

Picked her up at the lost and found.

Our mother barely cold in the ground.

And he makes his three daughters

(Ellen steps out of the choir.)

ELLEN—(Sings.) Ellen.

(Sandra steps out of the choir.)

SANDRA— (Sings.) Sandra.

YVONNE— (Sings) Yvonne…Wait.

The blushing groom unfashionably late.

(The church door opens and bangs closed.  Sam enters.)

But looks like the farce is about to get underway.

As said and meant of course—welcome to this happy day.

(Sam makes his way down the aisle. The sisters had though it was their Father but react with relief when they see it is Sam. The minister with disappointment, as Sam makes his way down the aisle.)

(Speech now.)

SAM-- The wind caught the door.  Sorry.

ELLEN-- It’s okay Sam.

MINISTER— Maybe you should go back to the door. The choir need their cues!

SAM— Message from John.  No sign of him.

(Ministers and the sisters go into a huddle.)

MINISTER-- Where could he be?

YVONNE/ELLEN/SANDRA-- No idea.

MINISTER— Your father is never late.  We can’t leave the bride.

YVONNE/ELLEN/SANDRA-- Why not?

SAM—(To Ellen.) Will I go back mum?

ELLEN—(To her sisters.) We have to say something.

(Sam stands where he is not sure what to do.)

(The three sisters come forward to speak to the audience.).

YVONNE—(to choir.)  Might as well take a seat. (The choir sits amongst the congregation.  To Sam.) Well?

(Sam doesn’t understand.)

SANDRA-- Your Aunt Yvonne means Sam…In her own charming way of course…For you to go back to the door.  In case…You know.

SAM-- (To Ellen.) I said that. Mum!  Do I give a signal?

YVONNE-- A signal!

ELLEN-- Yvonne!

YVONNE—Sorry Sam.  Your aunt Yvonne is just a wee bit stressed that’s all. 

ELLEN-- You and me both. 

SANDRA-- I’m not exactly got my feet up and chilled.

YVONNE—(re congregation.) You’re our friends and neighbours.  You know us.   Yarrow born and bred.  Moulded from the very hills.

ELLEN-- (Sarcastic to Yvonne re pulpit.) That’s the place for monologues. (To Sam.)  Did you get your hair cut like I said?

SAM—Mum!

ELLEN-- I knew it.  But still don’t you look handsome.  (Sam embarrassed.) A real grown up man now.  (To congregation.) You should see him on the farm.  A natural. 

(Yvonne moves towards the pulpit)

SAM—I’m not mum.

ELLEN-- You are.

MINISTER- (To phone.) I’ll try the landline again. Will I?

(The sisters pay no heed to him. He exits.)

ELLEN-- To congregation.) His papa said he could see himself in my boy when he was young.  Continuity.

SANDRA—(Sees Yvonne moving towards pulpit.) Yvonne! (Yvonne stops but moves towards the pulpit again when Sandra not looking. To Ellen. ) Continuity? 

ELLEN-- Dad said Sam was…

YVONNE— (Climbing into the pulpit.) As with my John.

SAM-- Folk are listening mum!

ELLEN-- (To Yvonne. re pulpit.) I was joking in the midst of a stressful situation. Come down from there.

SANDRA— You go back Sam.   And no need for any signal. If your papa shows at all he’ll barge down that aisle wondering what all the fuss is about.

ELLEN-- Aye his daughters waiting to celebrate this happy occasion!

(Sam heads back to the church door. The he stops.) 

SAM-- I’m glad mum, that papa is selling everything.

(Ellen shocked as Sam heads towards the door.)

SANDRA-- Happy face Ellen.  It’s a wedding.

(Yvonne is in the pulpit.)

ELLEN-- (Sings deliberately badly.)  Och we have a new mammy.  Though our real mammy’s barely cold.  She sits at our real mammy’s table!  She uses her cup to make her ‘herbal’ tea!  She’s a right bi…

YVONNE/SANDRA-- Language! 

ELLEN—(Speaks.) I never said anything! I love our future mother. We all do don’t we girls?  The love of our father’s life.  (To congregation.) You know we do.

YVONNE-- Ellen!  (To congregation.) I’m sorry. You turn up for a celebration… (Ellen tuts.)…a celebration.   And any minute now our father will swagger through that door.  ‘I only went for a walk.  A big day for me this.  It’s not every day a man gets married. ’

ELLEN—(Sings.) To a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.  (To congregation. Speaks. ) This is our home.

SANDRA—Not mine.

ELLEN-- Look at these hands.  A bit of soap and nail varnish can’t wash away the land.  I said that to him.  I’ll get all dressed up and smile with the best of them.  (re nail varnish.) Mum bought me this. Always trying to make a lady out of me.  ‘You work all the give gone hours Ellen and he doesn’t even notice.’  I told her. ‘That’s rubbish mum.  He can see. You know what he’s like.  Never utter two words if one’ll do.’

SANDRA-- Or a scowl.

YVONNE-- When did he ever ‘scowl’ at you?  Daddy’s favourite. 

ELLEN-- Continuity. It’s in his bones. One generation to the next.  He notices. Then…Well! Madam. The day she flew into our lives was the happiest day of my life.  Such a winning personality.  Claws manicured to perfection.  Broomstick parked in the yard.

SANDRA—Give it a rest Ellen.  She’s not that bad.

(Ellen and Yvonne glare at Sandra.)

ELLEN—‘My broomstick parked in the yard.’  First thing she said to me Sandra…After the kiss unasked for on the forehead.  Her breath stinks.  (Mouths GIN.)

SANDRA-- She’s tee total. 

ELLEN—Her words not mine.

SANDRA-- And you’re the one to talk.

YVONNE—She read your mind Ellen.

SANDRA-- Knocking it back this morning.

YVONNE-- Ellen.  You promised.

ELLEN-- One that’s all.

SANDRA—One bottle.

YVONNE—How do you know she’s tee total? Don’t let the herbal fool you.

ELLEN-- Her new best friend.

SANDRA-- You saw her at New Year.  Dad and his whisky rounds.  Not a drop.

ELLEN— Don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like a whisky.  Mum did.  (To congregation.)

 A year since standing in the chilled wind of the graveyard outside.  How many of you stopped and showed your respect on the way?  Have you all forgotten her already.  Sorry.  Uncalled for.  You knew her.  Why are you even here?

YVONNE—Come on now!

ELLEN-- They shouldn’t be here. 

SANDRA-- We’re here.

ELLEN-- (to congregation.) Are you going to take us in when we’re chucked out on our ear? 

(Sandra leads Ellen to the side as Yvonne addresses the congregation from the pulpit.)

YVONNE-- Sorry. It’s all a bit fraught as you can see…and hear.  Change will do that.  I suppose.  I embrace it of course.  You’ve seen my paintings.

SANDRA-- Not the sales pitch Yvonne.

ELLEN-- Nobody’s seen your paintings.

YVONNE-- Father has.  He bought one.

SANDRA-- He did not!  (To Ellen.)  Did he? (Ellen’s shrugs.) But he always said… (Stops herself.)

YVONNE-- I know what he always said.  But he bought one.  The one of our farm.  Our home.  His home.  He was going to take it to his new home.  When they’d decided where.

ELLEN-- When she…

SANDRA-- Ellen!

YVONNE-- Wherever!  He bought it.  (To congregation.) You know what he was like about my work. ‘You want to be what Yvonne?’  ‘An artist dad.’  ‘Don’t you need to be able to draw for that?’  It was a joke.  I knew that.  He wasn’t going to pat me on the back just for saying.  And he was right.  He made me work.  It was all down to him.  You need someone to tell you the truth don’t you?  You know what he was like! Some of you probably had the ‘truth’ told to you.  And he bought it.  One of my paintings.  And he bought the right one.  I worked on it for months.  Some of you have probably seen me traipsing out into the hills.  Rain, hail or…sometimes sunshine.  Always windy for some days…I had to tie stones to the easel. I must have caught it.  Finally. The land. The colours.  I must have.  Everything changes. You think it doesn’t.  He thought it didn’t.  ‘What are you on about now girl?’  ‘Dad.  The clouds, the colours, the very wind…’  ‘Arty farty rubbish. The wind doesn’t have a colour.  And the hills are rock and history.  And the now and forever.’  He got quite emotional.  Not like dad.  And his words made me try harder.  More rain and hail. More colourless wind.  And there it was! The finish sneaked up on me. I was going to add a bit more green and I stopped. I knew.  That was my landscape.  I could have stepped right into it. A wee lassie wandering and forgetting the time. And he saw that and he bought it.  I…I hugged him.  But you know what he was like. Like hugging a statue! But he bought it. 

ELLEN-- It was good Yvonne.

SANDRA-- Aye.

(The minister enters.)

MINISTER—No answer.

(He sees Yvonne in the pulpit. She takes the hint and comes down from the pulpit.)

(The ministers indicates for the sisters to join for another whisper.)

SANDRA-- No.

YVONNE-- Come on Sandra.  Sorry minister.  Sorry friends and neighbours.

SANDRA—(To Minister.) Just say.   

MINISTER-- It’s a private family matter Sandra.

ELLEN/YVONNE-- Private family matter, Sandra.

SANDRA-- Private?!   A private family matter?!  That’s right!  Because everyone here’s deaf and blind.  Aye they’re all passing the time pretending while all the time it’s... ‘Did you hear what she said?’ ‘Can you have a fight in a church?’ ‘Did she really say that old man Jones bought one of her paintings?’

ELLEN-- Below the belt Sandra.

SANDRA—(Addresses the congregation.) Friends, neighbours and total strangers. (Points to various in congregation.) I know her.  And of course them.  And…And… O how you doing? It’s been so long.  How’s Janet getting on?  That isn’t you! Sorry.  Are you sure? But I know you.  I think. Remind of your name again.   (Person says name.) Of course. How have you been?  Are you sure that’s your name? Well thanks for coming along here today to help us…celebrate…our father’s wedding.  Never mind Ellen shouting at you.  I’m glad you are here.  And I thank you for your patience.  It’s supposed to be the bride that’s late isn’t it.  Our mum said she was on time.  That dad was late…then…as well.  She loved him.  She couldn’t wait to get married.  In this church.  Right there.  And some of you have been up at the house.  You’ve seen the photo.  Of mum and dad on the church steps.  Her hair caught in the wind.  Wild.  And dad laughing.  With joy.  That’s what mum said.  ‘He was laughing with joy Sandra.  With love.’  

MINISTER-- Maybe we should have a hymn while we’re waiting?

SANDRA—(Addresses the congregation) And it’s okay to listen.  Because as soon as my father asked Miss Joan Peters to marry him.  As soon as he folded up our land and home like an out of date map and shredded it.  As soon as he packed all our childhoods and pictures of mum into an old battered suitcase and chucked it in the River Tweed then…And that’s where he is.  That’s this sister’s thought.  Standing by the river bank watching that battered old suitcase sink.  Then walking off into the sunset.  (To sisters.)  What am I supposed to do?

YVONNE-- He took of his wedding ring.

ELLEN—It meant nothing to him. 

SANDRA-- Rivers are funny. 

YVONNE-- The three of us standing at the window.

SANDRA-- Things don’t stay submerged.

ELLEN-- Watching him disappear.

SANDRA-- He saw us.

YVONNE—A smile.

ELLEN-- A grin.

SANDRA-- I am your father the look said.

ELLEN-- And I have decided.

MINISTER-- Hymn 423.