18: Not to oppress the weak
The Book of Knowledge
Laws of Character
Not to oppress the weak (Ex 21:22)
1
a forest at night
a SENATOR and his teenage daughter ABIGAIL bury a body
SENATOR
what are you doing for the science fair?
ABIGAIL
i’m not doing the science fair
SENATOR
i thought it was required every year
ABIGAIL
i’m a senior i’m not taking science this year
SENATOR
what about the electrodes?
ABIGAIL
what?
SENATOR
the thing you did with the electrodes last year
ABIGAIL
what about it?
SENATOR
that was amazing
ABIGAIL
was it?
SENATOR
i thought so
beat
should we get acetone?
he’s bigger than i thought
ABIGAIL
the ground’s soft enough
and it’s barely midnight
SENATOR
smiling
my little worker bee
2
ABIGAIL and her mother ISABELLA
ABIGAIL
it makes my heart ache
ISABELLA
we all make sacrifices
ABIGAIL
what he does-
ISABELLA
it’s not ideal i admit
ABIGAIL
the murder isn’t ideal?
yeah i’d say so
ISABELLA
we don’t have to support him to live with him
ABIGAIL
i’d rather be able to support him
ISABELLA
he has a different outlook
ABIGAIL
what about my outlook?
ISABELLA
we make allowances
we empathize
we avert our gaze
that’s family sweetie
don’t you understand that’s family?
3
DAUGHTER and FATHER burying another body
ABIGAIL
dad
SENATOR
what is it darling?
ABIGAIL
i think
umm
i’m
old enough to know
to know why
why you
…
do this
silence
SENATOR
do you not like helping your old man any more?
ABIGAIL
no
SENATOR
is/ that it?
ABIGAIL
no no no no no
SENATOR
time was all you wanted was to be like your daddy
what’s changed?
ABIGAIL
i just want to understand
i’ll help dad
i want to help
no matter what i want to help you
you’re my dad
beat
SENATOR
why do i do it?
ABIGAIL
yes
why?
silence
SENATOR
simply and directly
no menace
because they’re vermin
every last one of them
and you kill vermin
you and i
we’re the exterminators
they’re the vermin
you see how it’s natural?
ABIGAIL
and what’s mom?
which one is she?
silence
SENATOR
i don’t know yet
the SENATOR goes back to digging
ABIGAIL whacks him over the head with the shovel
he falls down unconscious
she begins tying him to a tree
4
ABIGAIL and ISABELLA
ISABELLA
tied him up?
ABIGAIL
i didn’t know what else to do
ISABELLA
heading out
stupid stupid girl
ABIGAIL
where are you going?
ISABELLA
i’m going to fetch the man you tied to a tree/
the man you know as your father
ABIGAIL
mom no you can’t not alone
ISABELLA
then what were you planning to do?
ABIGAIL
i hadn’t gotten there
ISABELLA
your father loves us
ABIGAIL
he’s
no good mom
to put it mildly
ISABELLA
weak
weak
you’re weak which i always knew i always knew you were weak
whispered
your daddy doesn’t know you’re weak but i do
MOTHER heads for the door
i’ll be back
5
ABIGAIL waits for her parents
she waits and she waits
nighttime turns to dawn
ABIGAIL falls asleep
6
a knocking at the door
it wakes the ABIGAIL up
it is slow but insistent
ABIGAIL hesitates for a long time
until finally she opens the door
the SENATOR stands there
in his arms is ISABELLA's dead body
her heart has been torn out
the SENATOR dumps the body at ABIGAIL’s feet
SENATOR
this one’s yours
the SENATOR kneels down
kisses ISAEBLLA's corpse
and goes upstairs
7
later
the body is gone
DAUGHTER is scrubbing the floor
FATHER comes downstairs
freshly showered
SENATOR
well done
ABIGAIL
…
SENATOR
where is she?
ABIGAIL
forest out back
with the others
SENATOR
it’s getting crowded out there
FATHER kisses DAUGHTER on the forehead
she holds back tears
he whispers in her ear
i’m weak sweetie
i’m broken
i can’t
i can’t help that i do what i do
i can’t help it
i wish i could
this bloodthirst
i wish i could stop it
but i’m not strong like you
don’t punish me
i can’t be punished if it’s not my fault
you have to help me
you have to help me because i’m weak
i’m weak
he collapses to the ground sobbing
DAUGHTER reluctantly comforts him
his crying subsides
ABIGAIL
you should go
you’ve got a vote today
i’ll finish up
the SENATOR holds her tight
SENATOR
thank you baby
the SENATOR exits
ABIGAIL keeps scrubbing
END OF PLAY