Stage: An airport terminal. Four chairs are set up in the middle of the stage. Mark, a fifty-something year old man in a flannel long sleeve shirt and old worn blue jeans, is seated in the fourth seat from the left. May, a fifty-something year old woman in a very plain blue dress who wears glasses, is seated to the right of Troy. Ruth, a twenty-something year old woman wearing a pink haltertop, a watch, and a pair of black jeans, is seated to the right of Anna. Jacques, a twenty-something year old man wearing a grey polyester shirt and black corduroy pants, is seated to the right of Ruth. On the seat next to Jacques are a black carry-on bag and a briefcase.
Voiceover: The next flight to Paris, France will now begin boarding first class passengers only. Repeat, Flight 162 to Paris, France is now boarding first class passengers only.
Mark: (coughs and shifts in his chair) Sure is crowded up in here.
Ruth: (sighs and looks at her watch; says in a deadpan manner) Lots of people fly. The airport’s always crowded.
May: (looks from one end of the stage to the other slowly as if she’s watching someone walk by) Look at that woman over there on her cell phone. She just bumped into that nice young man there! That’s the problem with young people today. Always too busy to watch where they’re going. They’re always talking on their cell phones or fixing their hair or something. And people wonder why there’s so many accidents on the road.
Mark: I heard bout this guy driving out on the ol’ Hackley highway that was nearly ran off the road by a guy on a cell phone. Damned things oughta be outlawed if you ask me.
Ruth: (sighs and looks at her watch; turns to Jacques) Jacques, honey, do you have your cell phone?
Jacques: Of course I do, dear. I bring it with me everywhere.
Ruth: You remembered to bring the charger for the car, right? I guess the car chargers still work over there.
Jacques: Don’t worry, it’s in the bag. (puts his hand around Ruth’s shoulders and pulls her close to him) I’m really excited about all of this.
Ruth: (smiles and replies in a half-hearted fashion; appears to be uncomfortable) Me too.
Jacques: (releases her and turns to everyone) Does anyone want anything from the shop over there? I’m going to go and grab a newspaper.
May: I don’t need anything. (mutters under her breath) At least, nothing from you. (turns to Mark and speaks at normal tones) Do you need anything, Mark dear?
Mark: (stands up) I need a bathroom. Where is it?
May: (points stage left) I think I saw one back that way, dear.
Mark: Thanks, hun. Be right back. (walks off stage left)
Jacques: (turns to Ruth) Ruth, do you need anything?
Ruth: (looks up at Jacques and smiles) I guess I’ll take some water, dear, if you don’t mind.
Jacques: (smiles back at Ruth) Be back in a minute with your water. (walks off stage right; May watches him go while Ruth leans over and pulls the carry-on bag over to her)
May: Do you think he walks funny?
Ruth: (opens up the carry-on and looks inside) Who?
May: ‘Jack-ques’
Ruth: (slightly annoyed tone as she continues to dig through the carry-on) ‘Gaa-k.’
May: Whatever. I think he walks funny. (pauses) Of course, most people do these days. I swear, I don’t think anyone teaches their kids how to walk anymore. Just sit em in front of a T.V. and let em learn from Big Bird or that big purple thing.
Ruth: (pulls out a book and begins reading) I guess.
May: Luckily, you were raised right. I taught you how to walk myself. (looks over at Ruth) And I taught you how to read too.
Ruth: (grunts and reads her book) Yeah.
May: (looks from one end of the stage to the other slowly as if she’s watching someone walk by; shakes her head) See that child over there? Doesn’t know how to walk right. I mean, look at how he’s putting his feet. So sad, so sad. That probably isn’t even his real dad with him. So many step-dads and former dads and deadbeat dads and step-step dads out there, you can’t tell who’s related to who these days.
Ruth: (grunts and reads her book) Jacques has a step-dad. I don’t see what’s so wrong with it.
May: Well, I don’t know about ‘Jack-ques’’s family (Ruth looks up from her book with an annoyed look on her face), but in my family, back in my day, that kind of thing wouldn’t have happened. Families stuck together through thick and thin. They didn’t break up at the drop of a hat.
Ruth: (looks up from her book at her mother; menacing look) Sometimes people just aren’t compatible. Sometimes they just can’t live together. (turns back to her book and hunches over to read)
May: (watches as the man and the child walk off stage left, then turns and tries to look at Ruth’s book) What are ya reading?
Ruth: (continues reading her book until she pops up from her hunched over position and looks at May) Oh, oh yeah. It’s the new John Grisham book. You wouldn’t like it, Mom.
May: Who says I wouldn’t? What’s it about?
Ruth: (turns over the book and reads in a very sarcastic tone the summary) Well, it’s a tale of political intrigue about a secret faction of the government plotting to take control of the United States. Jack Ryan, the main character, is racing against the clock to try to find out everything he can about their plot to steal a nuclear weapon off a Chinese submarine and thwart their plan before they can hold the world hostage. (turns back to her book)
May: (pauses) Oh. (pauses) You’re right, I wouldn’t like it. It’s some of your weird stuff. (pauses) Does ‘Jack-ques’ read that kind of stuff too?
Ruth: (sighs, closes her book, looks at her watch, and turns to May) First of all, it’s ‘Gaa-k,’ not ‘Jack-ques.’ Second, it’s not ‘weird stuff.’ It’s modern culture. Everyone likes it. (turns back to her book)
Loudspeaker: (oos) The next flight to Paris, France is now boarding passengers in rows I through L. Repeat, passengers in rows I through L can now begin boarding Flight 162 to Paris, France.
Jacques: (walks back on stage from stage right carrying a newspaper under his arm and a water bottle; Ruth closes her book and looks up at Jacques as he hands the water bottle to Ruth and sits down to the right of Ruth) Ah, the new John Grisham novel. I didn’t know you had picked that up, honey.
Ruth: Yeah, I got it when I went to Wal-Mart to get more masking tape. (pauses) I hope they don’t shake the stuff we checked in too much. I’d like to have some silverware left whenever we get there.
May: I don’t know why you’re flying anyway. Awful business, really. I will never fly, I can tell you that. Ain’t no way they’re getting me up there so that we can fall out of the sky.
Ruth: (sighs and looks at her watch; speaks coldly) Well, it’s safer than driving. (turns to Jacques; voice returns to a normal tone) It’s a good book, thus far. You know, the usual Grisham thing.
(Jacques nods and then opens up his paper and begins to read; Ruth turns back to her book)
May: You know, I heard on the news that reading too much can hurt your eyes. They said you’re only supposed to read two hours a day or something.
Ruth: (does not look up from her book; disbelieving tone) Yeah.
May: Good thing I almost never have time to read. As it is, I’m almost blind as a bat. (chuckles a bit; Mark walks back onstage from stage left and sits to the left of May) Found your way, honey?
Mark: Damned airport is too big. Thought I’d pee in my pants ‘fore I found the damned bathroom.
May: (rubs Mark on the back and then abruptly stops; looks from one end of the stage to the other as if watching someone walk by; jaw drops, very shocked look on her face; shakes Mark on his shoulder and then does the same to Ruth; Ruth looks up from her book with an annoyed look on her face before returning to her book) Do you see that? I mean, do you see that? Those two guys over there holding hands! You’d have never have seen that in my day! I mean, up in here in full daylight, flaunting themselves like that. They should be ashamed.
Mark: Damned right!
Jacques: (looks up from the paper to look at the two men as they walk offstage) I don’t see what’s wrong with it. (turns back to his paper)
May: (huffs) You wouldn’t, ‘Jack-ques’. (Ruth looks up from her book and gives May an annoyed look)
Mark: Well, I know I sure don’t want to be seeing that round here. Do you want me to go and tell them something, dear?
Ruth: (annoyed tone) You will do no such thing! Just leave them alone!
May: (stares at Ruth with an angry look on her face; pauses, then sits back in her chair) No, Mark dear. Let those guys go. Ruth: (sighs and looks at her watch, then turns to Jacques) Jacques, how are Greg and Terry doing?
Jacques: (looks up from his paper as if unaware of the situation) They’re fine. They love the new house, you know, the one they bought in Malibu. Still very much in love.
Ruth: (looks directly at May) They’ve been going out for three years now. Wonderful guys. (turns back to her book)
Loudspeaker: (oos) This is a general boarding call for all passengers on the next flight to Paris, France. Repeat, we are now boarding all rows on Flight 162 to Paris, France.
Ruth: (Ruth and Jacques stand up first, followed by May and Mark. Ruth puts the book back in the bag, zips the bag up, and picks it up) Guess we’d better go.
May: I really wish you would’ve waited another day. I mean, Melanie’s going to have her baby any day now. You two were so close when you were little, you’d have thought y’all was sisters ‘stead of cousins.
Ruth: (sighs, then looks at her watch) We’ve been through this…
May: I know, I know, the job, the job. (hugs Ruth very tightly; Ruth hugs back, but not quite as enthusiastically) Be careful on the flight, and call me when you get to New York.
Ruth: (pulls away from May) If we have time between switching planes. (May reluctantly hugs Jacques while Ruth hugs Mark) Love you.
Mark: Love you too. (pulls away from Ruth and shakes Jacques’ hand; Jacques and Ruth walk towards stage right with the bag that Ruth’s carrying on her side not facing Jacques; Jacques tries to take Ruth’s hand, but she shifts the carry-on bag to the hand closest to Jacques)
May: (waving and pulling a hankerchief from her pocket) Be careful! Call me if you need anything! I love you!
Ruth: (waves back while continuing to walk) Love you too! Don’t worry! Bye! (Ruth and Jacques walk off stage right; May and Mark slowly walk stage left)
May: She’ll be ok, I think. I think she’ll do fine. I know she’ll do fine. I just. (pauses) I just wish she didn’t have to go so far. At least we’ll see her at Christmas. (pauses) Or at least, I hope we will. (May and Mark walk offstage, and the lights fade to black.)