Dziadza and Red Squirrel

by

John Biggs

Dziadza is pronounced phonetically "d-ja-d-ja", with the same accents asZsaZsa. It translates to 'grandpa'. The other Polish words in the dialoguewill be in phonetics in italics.

Cast of Characters

Kash Jablownski - A red haired, fairly large girl of 16. Her full name isKasia (KASH-A).

Linda Jablownski - The mother of Kash and Charles. A rather thin woman withdark hair and features. She is 40, though stress has made her look mucholder. Mother to Kash and Charles. Her accent is mild.

Charles Jablownski - A thin waif with dark hair. He is 17 and tryingdesperately too look older. He skulks in leather and a spike hair cut butLinda will not allow him to look any "worse" than that i.e. no earrings ortattoos.

Dziadza - An old man. His red brown hair is streaked with gray. He isalmost never lucid, though his eyes are very expressive and say what hismouth cannot. He suffers from senility bordering on Alzheimers. He sits inthe dining room from 6AM to 11:30PM, then sleeps. His accent is thick andreal. He often mixes languages, saying "bess" and "bessout" often, "bes"meaning without.

Nero - Charles' friend. He is everything Charles is not allowed to be. Hispersonality swings from raucous and wild to mild and philosophical. He isquite older mentally than physically. He is eighteen.

Act 1, Scene 1

The play is set in a Polish dining room in a city like Pittsburgh orCincinnati. It is fairly small, about 15 feet on it's longest side. It ispapered in a dark red pattern, floral with vertical lines. On the wallfacing the audience is a large picture window with a settee about a foot inwidth. It is covered in a long, tan fringed cotton rug. The window facesout into some trees. It is light at the opening of the play, an Indiansummer dark, and the lights outside darken as the scenes progress. On theleft side of the window, about head high on the wall, is a picture of thePope. Next to the portrait is a cabinet of plain, dark wood, filled withcrystal glasses and bowls, looking like both a planned collection and a setof "good" silverware and place settings. None of it looks terriblyexpensive.

To the right of the window is a bookcase. The bottom two shelves are filledwith knickknacks with a distinct Slavic tone to them. A pair of dancers incostume flank a large, rough statue of Jesus or a particularly sad lookingman. The rest may be curios from any Slavic area. The top two shelvescontain small thin books as well as many larger tomes, looking like college

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textbooks. One large book is a Bible.

In the center of the room is a large, oblong dinner table surrounded bythree simple chairs. There is a fireplace on the far right wall with a fewblack and white and color portraits suspended on the wall over it. Themost important article in the room is a high backed, well cushioned chairwith a small table next to it. On the table is a clock, a pile of neatlystacked newspapers, and a water glass. The chair is left of the window andfaces outside at an angle, so the audience will be able to see anyoneseated in it fairly well. Detail can be sparse around the chair, but thechair itself must look old and well-used. The chair is to be well lit, thebest lit object in the entire room.

There are entrances on opposites sides of the set, one next the fireplaceand on in the center of the left wall. The right exit leades to the kitchenand outside while the left leads to the other rooms of the house and to thebasement.

It is 6 PM when the play opens.

(Enter Dziadza holding a newspaper. He looks contented, a half smile on hisface. He walks to the chair and sits, placing the newspaper onto the neatpile on the table. Two minutes pass. Dziadza alternately looks out thewindow, checks his pulse with the clock, or straightens the newspaper.Enter Kash, winded, who drops a bookbag on the center table and looks atthe window, evidently at her reflection.)

Dziadza: You are not going somewhere, now, Kasia, are you?

Kash: No, Dziadza, I'm staying right here.

Dziadza: Because you run around too much. You are young, yet. Stay to homefor now.

Kash: I know, Dziadza.

(Kash turns sideways, evidently looking at her bust or stomach)

Dziadza(distantly): Where is Mama?... Kasia? Where is Mama. It is time forthe pills... Kasia?

Kash: MOM! There, she's coming, Dziadza.

Dziadza: I cut out all the comedies you like. I told Mama to put them onyour bed for me. I cut out this Garfield and Peanuts, like you like them.

Kash(gently): You didn't have to. I can just read them out of the paper.And I stopped reading funnies two years ago.

Dziadza: You are a girl, yet. You can still read comedies, I think.

(Kash crosses to the table and sits down, pulling books out of her bag.Linda enters from left, wiping hands on a dish towel.)

Linda: Don't yell for me, Kash. Especially with Dziadza in the room. Ithurts his ears. Yes, Papa?

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Dziadza: I think it is time for the pill. Six 'o clock the doctor says, no?I need to get a new doctor. I think he is bad at surgery...

Linda: Yes, it's time for your pills. (Reaches under the table and bringsout a metal canister and a pill bottle. She shakes out one of the pills andhands it to Dziadza)

Dziadza: And the Ludens? This is for my heart?

Linda: Yes, the pill is for your heart.

Dziadza: The Ludens? I need the Ludens, too.

Linda: No, Papa, you don't need these.

Kash (under her breath): Give him the damn cough drops.

Dziadza (distantly): Asha gave me cough drops... where is Asha? Where isshe?

Linda(frazzled): Young lady, do not use that language around me or Dziadza.Don't give me that look. You know he doesn't need the Ludens. It's justmore sugar...

Kash: Asha is dead, Dziadza.

Dziadza: What's that, Kasia? I couldn't hear you, darling...

Linda(To Asha): Get out of this room.

Kash: I'm doing my homework...

Linda: You get the hell out of here right now. Get out of this room. (ExitKash, left)

Dziadza: What did she say, Mama?

Kash: Nothing, Dziadza. Here's your Ludens.

Dziadza: Good. I need. I can't breathe besout it.

(Continued activity in the room. Eventually Linda leaves left, leavingDziadza alone. He sits, reads the paper, looks out the window, and willoccasionally mutter something to himself, presumably in Polish. He is ananimated fixture in the room, a piece of furniture that just belongs there.This activity occurs whenever he is alone in the room. Kasha enters left,visibly upset.)

Dziadza: Finish all your studies?

Kash: Yes, Dziadza, all finished. All done. And I'm not going anywheretonight and I'll read the comics when I go upstairs. And...

Dziadza: You look like Babcia(BAB-CHA), you look like Asha. And one time wetook to you when you was very little to see where I worked with the bigtrains. And there they always asked Babcia if you was her little daughter.Your mother was sick, then, so you stayed very much with us. You remember?

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Kash(distractedly, trying to concentrate on her books): I don't think I do.

Dziadza: You were very little. You stayed in the apartment with us, beforewe bought this house. And your Papa always said that if you ever caused anytrouble just to leave you for the gypsies for your Mama could not take careof you. And I laughed at this, and Papa laughed, his big voice like a traingoing through the little apartment.

Kash(loudly): I don't remember that, Dziadza.

(Slamming of doors off stage. Enter Charles and Nero, left)

Charles: Bitch! Bitch... Jesus Christ, Mom is on the rag or something.

Dziadza: Hello, Charles. Hello, Nero. It is early and you are here?

Kash: Hey, Chuck. Nero...

Nero: Hello, Mr. Jablownski. We came by for a little while to listen tomusic. Downstairs.

Dziadza: That's nice. It's good you have friends, Charles. Watch out forthis other bad boys. And on these streets when you cross...

(Charles crosses to Dziadza. Nero looks at Kash, who looks away, down ather books, her eyes red and pleading.)

Charles: Hello, Dziadza. Did you take your pills?

Dziadza: Yes, my heart medication and my Ludens, right? This is what doctorsaid?

Charles: Yes, Dziadza.

Nero: Let's hit it, Chuck.

(Nero looks one last time at Kash and exits right. Lights down.)

Scene 2

(When lights go back up, Dziadza's chair is empty but still lit. Kash stillsits in the same spot, trying to concentrate. She is less shaken now, butstress is still visible. After a minute, enter Nero, right.)

Nero: Hey, Kash. Ok?

Kash: Yeah, real good. Just fine.

Nero: Your Mom again?

Kash: Where's Charles?

Nero: Downstairs. Want to talk about it?

(Kash stands and looks around. Walks to Dziadza's chair and tests it'sseat. Then looks out the window.)

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Kash: So much tension in this house. Since Dad died, and Grandma... sincethey died Dziadza has been worse and Mom's been bitching so damn much, andshe's been talking in Polish a lot, sometimes to herself, and... I justwant out of this house.

Nero: Want to go for a walk? I can tell Chuck we're going for pop or cigsor something.

Kash: I want to be alone, right here, in this house. Alone without Dziadzababbling or Mom screaming or those goddamn pictures of Dad and Grandmalooking down at me from the mantle and the walls of every room in thishouse... it's so sick, the way she put them up, making some damn shrine inevery room.

Nero: Take them down. It's been a year.

Kash: It won't work. Nothing ever works, here. All of Mom and Dad's plans:to move out of here and into a real house, all my college plans, the planto move Grandma into a home when Dziadza died... they're shot. It's like wenever even thought about them, now. I just want to be alone, so I canfigure stuff out by myself.

Nero: I'll go.

Kash: Whatever. I still won't be alone. Dziadza's coming back from thebathroom or the back porch or wherever he went. Nothing matter, in here atleast.

(Exit Nero, right. Enter Dziadza and Linda, left)

Linda: Didn't you hear him calling? He almost fell in the bathroom. I camein and he was holding onto the towel bar.

Dziadza: Don't yell to her. She was doing her work. I'm ok, nothing harmed,honey.

Linda: She needs to start taking on a little more responsibility in thishouse. All she does is go out until all hours and comes home smelling ofsmoke and beer and she's a...

Dziadza: Quiet, Asha. She is girl yet. Don't yell to her so much.

Kash: That's not Asha, Dziadza. That's your daughter-in-law.

(Dziadza is led to his chair)

Linda: Young lady, that was entirely uncalled for. I tell you to do thingsaround here to help out and all you end up doing is hurting everyone. Wheredid you get these habits?

Kash: You?

Linda: You're not going anywhere tonight. And you're not going anywheretomorrow night. Nowhere, the whole month. You are a... little brat. If yourfather were...

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Kash: If Daddy were what?... Leave me alone.

(Linda stops, as if to say something, then exits, left. Time passes.Dziadza pulls out a pair of small school scissors and cuts some comics outof some newspapers.)

Dziadza: You know, Kasia, you are my little red squirrel.

Kash: What?

Dziadza: I have a little squirrel, outside, who I feed bread through thewindow. And he is so small and gentle and he never looks through thewindow...

(Kash walks to window)

Kash: There's no bread out there. I don't see any bread anywhere out there.

Dziadza: He eats with his little hands out there, but is always afraid tolook in window because he will see me in there, and I think he wants tothink he found this bread alone. In Polska, you never see squirrels withother squirrels, because they know that if they are with other squirrelsthere will be a fight when they find food. So they like to think that thefood they find is only theirs, so they never look around. And you are mylittle red squirrel, no? So small and gentle and kind.

Kash(Giving the old man a peck on the cheek): I might be, Dziadza.

Dziadza: Don't be so bad to mother. She has troubles, like all of us.

Kash: I know, Dziadza. I know... I'm going downstairs now. Do you needanything?

Dziadza: Nothing, please. You are good girl, Kasia.

(Exit Kash, right. Dziadza busies himself. He looks up for a moment andputs his hand on his chest, then looks down, as if he had forgottensomething. Charles enters, right)

Dziadza: Charles... did I get my medicine? Bo (BOA) I think I did not getthem. I am cold.

Charles: I think you took them. I can ask mother...

Dziadza: No, no. I think so, too. Is cold, though, I think is the window.Do you have Ludens?

Charles: They're in the little box under your table. Here they are.

Dziadza: Just one. And some water, please, Charles. This would be verynice.

Charles: Water's right here next to your clock. Are you ok, Dziadza?

Dziadza: This is very hard for you, all of this life, huh Charles? Kasiacries, I see her. How are you doing?

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Charles(pauses, looking at Dziadza. Dziadza is distant): I miss Dad andBabcia, but I'm doing fine. I have you and Mom and Kash. And Nero, he's agood friend. And sometimes I think I hear Dad or Babcia's voice at night,sometimes. But...

Dziadza: You are holding on good, then? I took medicine?

Charles: Yes, Dziadza. You took your medicine. Everything's fine. Are yousure you're alright?

Dziadza: Yes, darling. I am fine. I'm just a little cold, but this is fromthin blood. How you get old you will see how nice it was to have thickblood. You are good, just like your sister. I think everything will be ok.

Charles: Yes, Dziadza. I think so.

(Charles stands looking at Dziadza who picks up his cup and slowly drinks.Dziadza mumbles something, something sounding like "Good boy" or "DobryHopek (DUB-REE HWHOA-PECK) Charles stays for a moment and then exits right.Lights go down)

Act 2, Scene 1

(In this scene the room is a cage. Dziadza is present, but seeminglyinvisible to the others in the room. The tension builds, but wanes as soonas one of the characters looks at the silent old man. The room is very darkexcept for Dziadza's seat. It is about 9 or 10 at night. When the lights goup, Kash is seated at the table and Linda paces the room, a caged animal.)

Linda: Why can't you understand what I'm trying to say to you? I asked youto do a simple thing. I asked you to wash the dishes. I asked you to callCharles up, you couldn't do either of those things. You just couldn't. Whynot? All you gave me was argument, and...

Kash (with hostility. She stands.): I don't know, Mom...

Linda: I work, and I pay bills, and I take care of you. Without Father andBabcia around, I just can't manage.

Kash: What do you mean without them 'around.' They're not on vacation.They're...

Linda: Don't start with me. I understand perfectly what has happened. Ithink a little more perfectly than you. With them gone, it is ten timesharder around here. I understand all of this, and you don't understandanything about what I'm trying to do.

Kash: Then why are their pictures up. So every time I walk by, I rememberthem, and the night they went out, and the call, and the hospital...

Linda: I didn't put them up to bring back bad memories. I put them up toremember them.

Kash: To remember them in every room? To remember everything? All the time.I just want to be alone, sometimes. And with them staring down at me...

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Linda (Pausing): Does it bother you that much.

Kash: Yes.

Linda: I does bother you, doesn't it. To see them. I just wanted toremember... I didn't get to see your father that whole day before he tookAsha to the hospital. The only time I saw him... no, I didn't even reallysee him. I glanced and closed my eyes. And had a closed casket... and Iclosed everything... And sometimes I wish I could have seen them. Just thatmoment before everything happened, and your Father and Asha were calm andhappy, their faces. And I just didn't want to see that rainy street and thecar... I thought if I couldn't see them... And all I want you to do isunderstand what I'm feeling. And how hard it is, for all of us.

Kash: I know how it is...

Linda: I loved them.

Kash: I did, too. But I want to remember them myself, alone. Without themall over the place.

(Dziadza tries to stand suddenly, clutching the arms of the chair forsupport. There is a silence as Kash and Linda both turn to look. Dziadzalooks at them pleadingly.)

Dziadza: My Ludens, Asha. Please...

Kash: He looks bad, mom. He looks real bad. The phone...?

Linda(She looks around, unsure of what to do. She looks as confused andchild-like as Kash. She yells right.): Charles, come up here. Dziadza needshelp. Charles. Charles!

Dziadza(Looking around hysterically, shaking but slowly relaxing): It'sraining, Asha. Let the dogs inside. Asha...

(Enter Charles and Nero. Charles rushes to Dziadza's side, helping him downinto the chair.)

Charles: What did you do to him?

Kash: What?

Charles: What did you guys do. I heard you yelling. He doesn't have a heartthat can handle you guys arguing in the same room. Jesus Christ. Dziadza...

Dziadza: I'm OK, Charles. Is ok. Everything was hard to breath for a momentbut is ok now.

Charles: Call the ambulance. What were you arguing about now?

(Nero begins to head left but Dziadza stops him.)

Dziadza: Is ok, Nero. Is ok. Don't worry. Is ok...

Linda: What were we arguing about? Charles, you know damn well what we were

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arguing about. Why are you always downstairs, or upstairs, or gone when weneed to talk. We need to take care of Dziadza and you're never here...

Charles: Don't even give me that shit, Mom. Don't even. I'm probably theonly one here who gives a damn about Dziadza. And you two know it.

Kash: Charles... don't start it up again...

Charles: Don't start it up. Dziadza's condition is getting worse whileyou're sitting here yelling at each other. Don't start it up again... Youknow his heart is bad. Real bad. The doctor said that. He can't be excitedor surprised, and I think that's exactly what you did, you... bitches.

Linda(Startled, in a position of punishment. Charles shrinks into adefensive posture.): You little... You little... punk. You have the nerve.If father... Get out of here.

Charles: What? You get out, you withered old bitch.

Linda: Get out.

(Kasha collapses into a wooden chair. Nero stands and watches, silent. Healmost moves to Kasha's side.)

Charles: To hell with you all... you too, Nero. Stay with your girlfriend.

(Exit Charles, right. Linda collapses into a chair and Nero leaves afterCharles. Lights go down.)

Scene 2

(When the lights go up, Dziadza is alone in the room. He busies himself,occasionally looking up and out the window. He looks fine, though for a fewmoments his gaze is unfocused and vague. His light is low, almost as low asthe surrounding lights. Kash enters and sits, running her hands through herhair and looking agitated.)

Dziadza: Kasia. There is nothing to worry about.

Kash: Yeah. I want to be alone, Dziadza. Just alone. Please?

(Dziadza turns, hurt. He looks out the window. There is something differentin his eyes, fear. He looks like someone else entirely. Enter Nero, right.)

Nero: Kash? Kash, we've got to go out and look for him. Your mother's outthere already. You know how he gets.

Kash: Emotional... yeah. I know. The whole damn family was and is likethat. Come here.

Nero: What?

Kash: Come here.

(Nero walks over to her and she stands. They kiss. Nero is limp andconfused while Kash is passionate, like a woman looking desperately forsome support before drowning or falling. She then pushes him away.)

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Kash: It's not the same anymore. Nothing is the same anymore...

Dziadza(Stands suddenly. Yells wildly): Mama! Mama! Kasia and Jezey(YE-ZEE) kzeeka (KSHEEKA). Kuri ne bendze zrobic jajek!(KU-REE NYEBEND-ZEE-A Z-ROB-ICH YAYEK)

Nero: What did he say?

Kash: He said 'Kasia and Jezey are screaming. The chickens won't lay eggs.'

Nero: What? Who's Jezey?

Kash: That's his name. Dziadza! Are you alright. Dziadza.

(Dziadza shakes and falls back into his chair. He looks into the distanceand is silently. Enter Linda, left, with haste.)

Linda (Urgently): Get out here, Kasia. Your brother's gone crazy. I swearto God he's gone crazy. He's two streets down breaking windows with rocks.I can't talk to him. We have to get him home. We have to get him...

Nero, come on, you know how to talk to him. Come on...

Kash: But Dziadza...

Linda: Come on! Jesus... Come on!

(Exit Linda, Kasia, and Nero, left. A minute passes on a quiet stage.Dziadza looks around, as if searching for something. He reaches for hisnewspapers and decides against it. He realizes he is alone. And, veryslowly, he begins to look puzzled. His stage light goes down as he beginsto smile. And finally, when his head falls to his chest, his eyes open, hislight goes out completely. Then, after a few moments, the surroundinglights fall.)

END

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