Dianne Austin: Bedtime Story

BEDTIME STORY

By Dianne Austin

(Screen Treatment or Scene from a Play)

The following staged scene is dedicated to Faye Parker, a lady who obviously instilled the importance of family, and presently emphasizes an appreciation and awareness of one’s heritage for a new generation

The year is 2105 and it’s just after Christmas. A light snow is falling outside, but melting as it hits the ground, because this southern part of the US rarely gets much snow in the winter.

The houses now are constructed a bit differently for the most part, but some of the old fashioned ones are still standing. This house happens to be one of those. There is a curving staircase with dark oak banister that is reminiscent of days gone by, and at the top of the stairs is a bedroom where a boy of about six or seven and his Dad are saying good night.

Father: OK son, have you said your prayers?

Boy: Not yet, but I will.

Father: Good boy. Are you ready to close those sleepy eyes and have some dreams about what you’re going to be when you grow up?

Boy: Not yet Dad. Can we have a goodnight talk like sometimes we do?

Dad: (Walking over to the bed where the boy has already been tucked in by mom and given his favorite snugly): OK. I see you still want to take stuffed toy “Ben” to bed with you, even when you’ve got the real “Ben” in the terrarium out there in the playroom.

Boy: Yeah. It’s because I can’t take real Ben to bed with me ‘cause he’s a box turtle. You can take real puppies to bed though! (Looking at Dad with eyes wide and bright)

Father: It seems to me we’ve had this talk before, haven’t we?

Boy: Yes sir.

Father: And what did I say? I told you that we would think about getting a puppy when you’re a little older so you can have more responsibility taking care of it yourself.

Boy: I know. (Bows his head and closes his eyes.)
Father: (His father notices the long sweeping lashes against his pale skin. His heart melts). So we’ll have to put this conversation on hold for a while. OK?

Boy: OK. But will you tell me a story?

Father: Sure. The story I have for tonight is about a real person though. (He sits on the edge of the bed and now that he’s closer, he can see the boy’s freckles more clearly—he’s even got a few right under his eyes). It’s not a made up story.

Boy: Oh. What’s it about?

Father: It’s not about a what; it’s about a whom -- a relative of yours who achieved fame and fortune in his lifetime. He was your great, great granddaddy Aiken.

Boy: I know him! Mama has a picture book with him in it and she showed me his picture! He had a dog and I saw it ‘cause it was in some of the pictures! Can’t remember its name though. (Looks perplexed)

Father: The dog’s name was Raleigh.

Boy: Yeah! It was Raleigh! But why was it called Raleigh Dad?

Father: Not absolutely sure, but I think it was after the name of a town back then. Now we have regions, but once, this place we now live in was divided up into smaller areas called towns.

Boy: Oh. (The boy is smart and quite verbal for his age, but this does not interest him much).

Father: Anyway, I wanted to tell you a little bit about your great, great granddaddy Aiken, since he did some really terrific things in his life, and you should know about that.

Boy: His last name was not the same as ours. It was the name mama used to have.

Father: Right—Aiken is the name from your mom’s side of the family. Aiken is the name your mama had before she married me.

Boy: Oh. So, he wasn’t your great, great granddaddy too?

Father: Not really son, not by blood, but you would say he was by marriage.

Boy: Oh. Well, was he a nice granddaddy?

Father: Well, no one in our family now actually knew him because he passed before they

were all born. But your Papa Aiken remembers and he says he was a nice grandfather and
a wonderful father too. Tonight though, I’m going to tell you about when your great, great, grandfather was a young man.

Boy: What you gonna to tell me Dad?

Father: First, I’m going to tell you that he had a great voice.

Boy: You mean like singing?

Father: Yes, I mean like singing, but I also mean another kind of voice.

Boy: What other kind?

Father: I mean like the voice you have inside your heart. The voice you want to use to speak to the world about the things you think matter.

Boy: Oh. I’m not sure I have that kind of voice Dad.

Father: I know son, but you will one day.

Boy: What about his singing voice Dad? Mama says all the girls in the world LOVED his singing and all of them thought he was sooooo handsome and all of them wanted to MARRY him!

Father: Yes, son he had the most beautiful voice you could ever hope to hear. People talked about it and wrote about it, and the sound of it was recorded for many years while he lived. He gave so many people much joy with the songs he sang, and he received many honors and awards for his beautiful voice over the years he lived. You’ve heard it, remember? We played his songs for you when you were a baby and we wanted you to go to sleep. You seemed to love the sound of his voice.

Boy: I remember. Mama plays those songs for me now too. Maybe I can meet my granddaddy Aiken.

Father: Now you know that’s not possible, because he’s passed.

Boy: No, I mean maybe I can meet him in the VR room, and I can put on the headset. Mama’s let me put on the headset and go in the VR room two times now for the two puppy stories she bought me, but she won’t let me go in for other stories—not even Disney tales. She says there’s always a scary part and it would be too real. She says it would scare the mess right out of me!

Father: I think we might arrange for you to see Grandpa Aiken in the VR room for you.

Boy: Yeah! Can I do it tomorrow?

Father: We’ll see. I don’t think we have any VR tapes of him yet, but I can convert the old DVD’s I have of him to virtual and then you can see him.

Boy: I can meet him!

Father: No, I explained this before. When you’re in the VR room and you put the headset on, you feel like you’re doing real life things, but you still have to know you really aren’t. The people you see there are not real. Remember?

Boy: Yes, I remember. (Eyes cast downward again. His father notices that the tips of his ears protrude a little from the shaggy hair, but it’s cute). But I can pretend he’s seeing me when I’m seeing him!

Father: Yes, you can pretend, but you always have to remember that it isn’t real and he isn’t really meeting you. Now, maybe you want to change your mind about this and wait ‘til later to go and see what he was like.

Boy: No, I still want to do it. Can I?

Father: You may. I’ll sit right outside the room while you’re viewing, OK?

Boy: OK.

Father: And now, I’ll tell you about his other voice.

Boy: Wait Dad. Did my Granddaddy Aiken have a dad just like you? And did his daddy come in to have goodnight talks with him, just like you and me are doing now?

Father: No buddy, I don’t think he did. He did have a daddy, but I don’t think they were like you and me are.

Boy: Well, why not?

Father: It’s complicated. But I do know something for sure. He had a mama that he loved very, very much and she was supposed to be uncommonly wise and very pretty.

Boy: I love my mama a lot, and she’s pretty too.

Father: Your mama? She’s downright beautiful! Now, can I tell you about Grandpa Aiken’s other voice?

Boy: You mean the one in his heart Dad?

Father: Yes, the one that came from his heart.

Boy: If you have a voice come out of your heart, does it make your heart hurt?

Father: Sometimes, son. But not in the “Ow—pain—that hurts” kind of way.

Boy: What kind of way then?

Father: More like the “I feel like I’m gonna cry” sort of way. More like, you hurt my feelings kind of way. Or “I love you so much I don’t know what to do” sort of way. Do you understand?

Boy: I think so.

Father: Good. Your Grandpa Aiken was like no other because he had his absolutely amazing singing voice, but he also had this huge heart voice. And because he had both, he touched so many people in the world.

Boy: Did he make their heart hurt?

Father: The opposite—he made their heart happy. He didn’t just care about himself, he cared about others and he made sure that he did what he could for other people. That’s important you know, caring about everyone around you. And Grandpa Aiken really cared. He cared so much that he always made sure to use both voices to change the world. He especially looked out for kids. He loved kids—every kind of kid, and he especially wanted to help the kids who are disabled.

Boy: What’s disabled Dad?

Father: Well son, we don’t have a large amount of disabled children anymore, thank the Lord. But back when your great, great granddaddy was alive, there were many more children born who had trouble doing some things for themselves. A disabled person is different from you and me because he or she cannot do everything we can. But there’s no difference inside their heart. Sometimes they can’t walk or talk, but they can love just the same. There are times when a disabled person can’t sit up straight in their chair, but it doesn’t matter because they feel all the same things you and I feel. God just decided to design disabled people in a special way for his own reasons, and it is our job to watch out for them, protect them and help them whenever we can., because they can’t do everything for themselves.

Boy: I know who you mean! You mean like my friend Joey at school. He doesn’t talk the same as me. Sometimes I don’t understand him. But he smiles a lot and he hugs me a lot. Christopher is afraid of Joey but I’m not. Joey just makes me feel happy when I see him cause he’s smiling all the time.

Father: You’re right—Joey is a disabled person, and I’m glad he makes you happy. Joey is a gift from God and it’s great that he’s your friend. Just by being his friend, you’ll make Christopher see that Joey isn’t anyone to be afraid of. Got it?

Boy: Got it!

(There’s a gentle knock on the door and a very fair, pretty young mother appears.)

Mother (To Father, chiding, but with a smile): What on earth are you still doing up here? You came up an hour ago to say goodnight!

Boy: Dad’s telling me a story about great granddaddy Aiken and his huge voices. He says I can use the VR headset tomorrow and then I can meet, I mean see him!

Mother (Laughing, a little confused about the plural “voice” reference): I see. Can we finish up with this discussion tomorrow? It’s quite late you know you two. (She walks over to her son and leans down to kiss his cheek once more and then tucks him down under the covers a little. Before going out, she hugs her husband’s shoulders as he still sits on the bed). And besides, it’s almost our bedtime now! You comin’?

Father: Right now!

Mother: OK gentlemen. (Looks at the boy) OK my little man. (Blows him a kiss). Good night.

Father (Leans over and tucks until the bed bounces and the boy laughs): OK, it’s time now. (Leans down and kisses his forehead)

Boy: (Yawns) Night Dad.

Father: Good night Clayton. (Is just about to switch off the light).

Boy: Daddy?

Father: What buddy?

Boy: Mama told me once that my great great Grandpa was called “Clay”.

Father: You need to go to sleep son.

Boy: But just tell me why.

Father: He went by Clay for his singing public but his family and close friends still called him Clayton.

Boy: I like Clay.

Father: It’s a nice name, but so is Clayton.

Boy: Dad, do you think Justine Alderman would like me better if my name was Clay instead of Clayton?

Father: No son I don’t. I think she will like you if you are just yourself and and you’re kind and courteous. I don’t think she will like you any better if you shorten your name.

Boy: I still like it. I think starting tomorrow I want to be known as Clay. I’m gonna tell Justine on Monday.

Father: Well OK son, if you must, you must.

Boy: But Dad.

Father: Gosh Clayton, you sure do have the gift of gab! What is it buddy?

Boy: You and mom can call me Clayton still.

Father: Thanks son. Goodnight Clayton. (Switches off the light) Don’t forget your prayers!

Boy: Good night daddy. I won’t. (yawns but folds his hands—he’s still got his arm around the stuffed turtle. With eyes closed and copper lashes decorating porcelain skin, ears coming out from flaxen hair and freckles scattered across his face like stars on the carpet of the sky, the little boy prays).

Thank you God for my mom and dad. Thanks for Justine and Joey and Christopher. Thanks for Benny God. Please may I have a puppy soon? Please will you tell Dad it’s OK? I’m tired now. Amen. Oh, and thanks for great, great Grandpa Aiken. Will you tell him I will try to meet him in the VR room tomorrow? But if that doesn’t work, will you tell him I’ll meet him in heaven someday and he can sing a song to me? Thanks. Oh, but one more thing God. Will you tell him I’d rather hear it come out of his throat than out of his heart? I think he’s done enough of that “heart” stuff already. Thanks. Amen.

And God smiled and said, “That he has Clayton, that he has.”
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Copyright 2005 Dianne Austin. Printed with the permission of the writer.