48: Not to perform yidoni
The Book of Knowledge
Laws of Idolatry and Paganism
Not to perform yidoni (magical seer) (Lev. 19:31)
CW: violent imagery
a carnival tent
a FORTUNE TELLER sits across from teenagers ROSA and ZACK
the FORTUNE TELLER is obviously bored
her speech is flat and unaffected
FORTUNE TELLER
what would you like to know?
ROSA
will i be fabulously wealthy?
beat
FORTUNE TELLER doesn’t do anything
FORTUNE TELLER
no
beat
ROSA
will my career be fulfilling?
FORTUNE TELLER
doubt it
beat
ZACK
when will i meet the love of my life?
FORTUNE TELLER
you gay?
ZACK
no
FORTUNE TELLER
then never
ZACK
would i
…
have better luck if i was gay?
FORTUNE TELLER
probably not but who’s to say
ZACK
shouldn’t
…
you be the one to say?
FORTUNE TELLER
i only know what the cards tell me
ROSA
you don’t have any cards
beat
FORTUNE TELLER pulls out a tarot deck
slams it on the table
FORTUNE TELLER
cards say no
anything else?
ROSA looks over at ZACK
he nods at her
encouraging her to ask what she wants to ask
ROSA
umm
yeah
…
when i was eight
my mother
…
everyone said it was an accident
my parents had a bunch of friends over
she’d been drinking and maybe she’d done a few lines of coke?
my mother was a party animal
not me
FORTUNE TELLER
obviously
beat
ROSA brushes past this
ROSA
lots of people were there they saw her they saw her fall over the banister
i was upstairs but i heard the crack
i bolted to the railing
from below
her face
staring back
blood on the marble
eyes glassy
her neck twisted ‘round
…
the police came
examined the scene
took statements
filed a report
“a mishap a tragic tragic mishap”
that’s what they told me
i didn’t speak just nodded and cried and nodded
and that’s it it was just this fucking shitty awful thing that ended my childhood
but there’s always been
discrepancies?
little things
nothing that
…
nobody thought to
…
my dad hates talking about
…
but at night i hear him on the phone and i
…
i hear him he doesn’t think i do but i do i listen
i know things he doesn’t want me to know
i know i know i know
and
i fear
…
my dad might be a very very very bad man
silence
FORTUNE TELLER
you want to know if your father if a very very very bad man?
ROSA
no
i want to know
…
i want to know
…
ROSA looks desperately at ZACK
he squeezes her hand in support
ZACK
softly
you got this
beat
ROSA
was my mother murdered?
long silence
for the first time the FORTUNE TELLER looks like she’s focusing
finally she says-
FORTUNE TELLER
yes
silence
ROSA
did
my father
kill her?
silence
FORTUNE TELLER
no
she leans forward
i did
long silence
ROSA
ok we’re leaving
FORTUNE TELLER
Isabella
beat
your mother’s name
Isabella
whispered
i was there
at the party
i pushed her
ROSA
why would you say that?
silence
FORTUNE TELLER
because
your mother hurt people
your father is a very
very
very
bad man
but your mother was worse
grins
i did you a favor
silence
ROSA
you weren’t there
FORTUNE TELLER
slow and quiet
i was
i am
i’m there right now
pushing her over the banister
her neck snapping
blood on the marble
beat
they were serving pulled pork sliders at the party
and teriyaki skewers
the attire was “garden party chic”
the Santa Anas were raging that evening
and your father paid me handsomely
silence
without saying another word
ROSA leaves the tent
ZACK gets up to follow
FORTUNE TELLER
you are gay
you know
ZACK
no i’m
…
that’s insane that’s
…
you are
ZACK exits
FORTUNE TELLER
i hate teens
calling outside
NEXT!
END OF PLAY