The Prodigal Box

The Prodigal Box
by Bob Prescott

Open to the front porch of an old house. ERIKA is sitting on the front steps and JIM is seated on a bench up stage right from her. They are siblings, both in their early twenties, single. ERIKA seems distraught, but JIM is studying a small wooden box he has come across.

ERIKA: I still just can’t believe he is gone. It just seems unreal. Like this is another one of his jokes, and he is gonna just pop out of the basement and say, “Gotcha!”

JIM: Yeah, but that was a nice service, wasn’t it?

ERIKA: He looked so peaceful. I think he would have liked it.

JIM: And I must say, Erika that was a beautiful eulogy. You simply have a way with words.

ERIKA: (A smile) Thanks, Jim. That means a lot. We were pretty close.

JIM: I didn’t know you two still played checkers every Sunday afternoon.

ERIKA: He still let me win too. He insisted that he didn’t, but I could tell. I’m not a little girl anymore. (She notices the box)

JIM: Yeah.

ERIKA: What is that?

JIM: This? I’m not sure, but I think he would have wanted me to have it.

ERIKA: What did he leave it to you in his will?

JIM: No, I found it. It was in a board, underneath his night stand.

ERIKA: And he said he wanted you to have it?

JIM: Well, not word for word so to speak—

ERIKA: Then what makes you think it’s for you?

JIM: Well, I am the oldest.

ERIKA: So…

JIM: Well, back in the day, that’s how an entire inheritance worked.

ERIKA: Well, this isn’t “back in the day”

JIM: There are still traditions. I think it was something rather dear to him, and so
it just makes sense that he would pass it on according to tradition.

ERIKA: Oh cut the bullshit, there is something valuable in there, isn’t there.

JIM: Maybe.

ERIKA: Well, we both know I was the closest to him. If it was something dear to him, he would have left it to me. I was the one he confided in. There are some things that he told me, that he had never even told Grandma.

JIM: So then he told you about this?

ERIKA: Well, not exactly, no. But for something that important, he would want me to have it before he would want you to.

JIM: Well, if you two were so amazingly close, why didn’t he tell you? Why didn’t he simply leave it to you in his will?

ERIKA: Who knows, but he certainly didn’t leave it to you.

JIM: Well, the world may never know.

ERIKA: What the hell is that supposed to mean?

JIM: It means there is no way you can prove that he wanted you to have it, and so
there is no way I am giving it to you.

ERIKA: You are such an ass sometimes, you know that?

JIM: What? Finder’s keepers.

ERIKA: Oh just grow up, this isn’t some retarded treasure we found in the yard playing treasure hunt.

JIM: No, it’s something I found and you didn’t, and now you’re jealous.

ERIKA: Jealous??

JIM: You heard me right. You’re still pissed I always beat you.

ERIKA: You didn’t always beat me.

JIM: Yes, I did. Name one thing that you ever beat me in.

ERIKA: What?

JIM: Name one thing.

ERIKA: It’s not that you beat me; it’s that I never cared.

JIM: (Laugh) Oh please, that’s why sometimes you were in the verge of tears.

ERIKA: I was five!

JIM: Six!

ERIKA: Whatever, the point is, I was a little kid. I’m not anymore. I don’t hold
grudges.

JIM: Doesn’t matter, I’m still holding the box.

ERIKA: What happened to you?

JIM: What do you mean?

ERIKA: I mean that at one time, you were fun to be with, we used to run in the park
together. When Big Dave started to pick on me, you would stand up to him. You would outwit him and just simply confuse him and you were my hero.

JIM: What is your point?

ERIKA: I remember the time he actually tried to hit you and you never told him you
took karate and moved so fast and put him on his back before he knew what was going on.

JIM: (More emphasis) What is your point?

ERIKA: My point is that ever since Grandma died, you’ve been distant. You’ve been
kind of an ass. Is everything okay?

JIM: Yeah, everything is fine.

ERIKA: No, you are not. (She crosses to him.) What’s going on up there?

JIM: I don’t want to talk about it. (Frustrated, he gets up and crosses away from her. But he leaves the box on the bench.)

ERIKA: Ah ha! Got it!

JIM: No! Give that to me, I found it.

ERIKA: And I deserve it.

JIM: He wanted me to have it.

ERIKA: He didn’t leave it to you.

JIM: He left it to whoever could find it. And that was me.

ERIKA: And then I outsmarted you for it. I deserve it.

JIM: You don’t play fair.

ERIKA: Yes, I do. I beat you fair and square.

JIM: Beat me?

ERIKA: Yes. "Name one thing you ever beat me in." This. I beat you in this.

JIM: So it is about the grudge, I knew it.

ERIKA: No, it’s not. You told me to name one thing I ever beat you in. Well, this is one.

JIM: You suck.

ERIKA: (Examines the box) I wonder what is inside. (Jim looks over in curiosity, and Erika notices.) You don’t know what it is, do you?

JIM: Of course, I do. Why would I fight with you over some box of something I don’t know what it is.

ERIKA: Then what is it?

JIM: What you don’t know?

ERIKA: Nope, not yet, but let me take a peek. (She peeks into the lid, but cannot see anything, but pretends to see it all.)

JIM: What? What is it?

ERIKA: But I thought you already knew.

JIM: Oh come on, are you gonna keep playing this game?

ERIKA: Until you say it.

JIM: I have no idea what is inside it, you know I don’t.

ERIKA: (Smiles mischievously) Then why did you want it so bad. For all you know, it could be some empty box.

JIM: It’s not.

ERIKA: How can you be sure?

JIM: Why would Grandpa have a box, just an empty box?

ERIKA: Why not?

JIM: It is, isn’t it? Just an empty box.

ERIKA: Who knows?

JIM: Well, didn’t you look?

ERIKA: (Laughs) I couldn’t see a thing.

JIM: I knew it! I knew you were lying.

ERIKA: Oh please, I had you quite fooled.

JIM: No, no, I was playing along.

ERIKA: I’m sure you were.

JIM: Well?

ERIKA: Well what?

JIM: What is it?

ERIKA: I don’t know.

JIM: Well then, open it.

ERIKA: No.

JIM: No?

ERIKA: Why did you want it so bad, but never looked yourself?

JIM: Because I didn’t want to know yet.

ERIKA: And you want to know now?

JIM: Yes.

ERIKA: Because now I have it.

JIM: Yes.

ERIKA: Why did you want to know before?

JIM: Because I actually had something of Grandpa’s that you never had. I actually
had something of importance to him that you didn’t know about.

ERIKA: Why would you even care? I thought it was about the money.

JIM: Because Grandpa always loved you more. Because you and Grandpa were best
friends and he would tell you everything, and I just wanted something, something that he gave to me and not to you.

ERIKA: Jim…

JIM: Because I was insanely jealous of your relationship. There, I said it. I was jealous. Are you happy now?

ERIKA: Jim, I’m sorry.

JIM: You were never sorry when you left me out. Remember when we used to be best friends? I didn’t become more distant, it’s that you had a new best friend. You didn’t need me any more. So I didn’t need you.

ERIKA: Jim, we never meant to keep you out.

JIM: Well, you did.

ERIKA: Jim, I’m sorry. I guess I just got so caught up in the relationship Grandpa
and I had and you standing on the outside that I didn’t realize it was us who put you there. That’s not what we wanted, and I know it’s not what Grandpa wanted.

JIM: How do you know? He never quite looked at me like he did you.

ERIKA: Because he didn’t think you really liked him. Because he thought you resented the fact that you were raised by your grandparents. But he loved you.

JIM: He never showed it.

ERIKA: He tried.

JIM: Not to me.

ERIKA: Jim, he was afraid too.

JIM: Of what?

ERIKA: That you would reject him. He saw you as his prodigal son. That soon you would come running back to him, and he would prepare a feast and rejoice in the restoration of the relationship. But he was afraid it was only a dream. And rejection would only diminish that hope.

JIM: Really?

ERIKA: Yeah. You know he always loved those parables, but his favorite was of the prodigal son, because it gave him hope.

JIM: And now he will never get to see it.

ERIKA: Maybe he can.

JIM: Huh?

ERIKA: Maybe he can see us right now. In spirit.

JIM: I don’t exactly believe in ghosts or anything.

ERIKA: Well, think of it logically, maybe he can hear us, and maybe he is smiling. Or maybe he can’t and our words fall on dead ears. Either way, it’s off your chest. And what’s the worst that could happen?

JIM: Grandpops, I’m not sure if you can hear me, but I want you to know, I always did love you, and I am going to miss you. We never did get to restore that relationship, but maybe I can make things right. But first I owe it to someone I know can hear me. Erika, sorry I have been such an ass.

ERIKA: I’m sorry too. I never meant to hurt you.

JIM: I know. You’re all I have left for family. We gotta stick together.

ERIKA: That’s for sure.

JIM: Together, nothing can stand in our way.

ERIKA: Absolutely nothing.

JIM: Starting with this. (Indicates the box)

ERIKA: Take it.

JIM: No, it would mean more to you.

ERIKA: Please, you just showed me how much it means to you.

JIM: Let’s share it.

ERIKA: Share it?

JIM: You bet. What do you think it is?

ERIKA: I think it’s Grandma’s jewelry box.

JIM: I think it’s a secret box.

ERIKA: A secret box?

JIM: You know a place that he put all those secrets that he never wanted anyone to
know.

ERIKA: Then who are we to control his secrets?

JIM: Well maybe it’s not.

ERIKA: But maybe it is.

JIM: Then what do we do?

ERIKA: Nothing.

JIM: Nothing?

ERIKA: Nothing. We bury it outside. He left it to neither of us, so who are we to
take it.

JIM: But we found it.

ERIKA: And we both thought it was something that showed his favoritism towards one of us. But we know it’s not true. We need to let go, and move forward together.

JIM: And this has only separated us.

ERIKA: And brought us back together.

JIM: It did.

ERIKA: Grandpa would be proud.

JIM: Grandpa is proud.

(Blackout)