Strangely Strong by Shannon Dare

character: Emily

gender: Female

age: any that can pull it off

style: Drama

length: 3 min

backround info: this the 3rd piece in the Emily trilogy.

monologue:

I stopped laughing a long time ago. I stopped crying not too long after that. When I was fifteen, my father died. (Thinks) I think I killed him. I wouldn’t laugh. I wouldn’t laugh at his jokes. All he wanted was for me to laugh at his jokes. That’s not hard. That’s not a high expectation. What’s so bad about that? (Pause)

I don’t know if he ever knew that I loved him. I don’t know if he ever knew that- that I thought he was funny. (Chokes on tears) I loved him more than anything in this world. I don’t think he ever knew that. I loved him. (Pulling back the tears) Two months before he died, he asked me to wear the whup again, I told him no. I said I had outgrown that years ago. He looked so hurt when I said that. It was like I was rejecting him, the childhood that he gave me. I didn’t even care. I just shrugged my shoulders and thought that he had to move on. I was so god damned involved in myself. I had to be cool, I had to be a teenager. I had to be defiant, and not listen to my parents. I couldn’t show him that I cared. I couldn’t show my love.

(Angry) Then he died. He died and he never knew. He died with only the bratty words of a spoiled teenager in his mind. I never got to say goodbye. I never got to say “I love you” one last time. It must have been years since he had heard those words out of my mouth. (long/dramatic pause, looking towards heaven). I love you daddy. I’m still your little girl, I’ll always be your little girl. Hold me please daddy, just for a little while. Please daddy.