Someone Named Paula & Her Father, Al, Consider Their Options (Variation #1)

SOMEONE NAMED PAULA & HER FATHER, AL, CONSIDER THEIR OPTIONS (Variation #1)

AL and PAULA sit at a table. Papers etc.

AL
Have Paula and Al ever been camping?

PAULA
You're considering it?

AL
Maybe…
Have we?

PAULA
I don't think so.

AL
Are we an outdoor-family?

PAULA
Are we outdoorsy?

AL
Are we?

PAULA
…we had a yard.

AL
We did activities in the yard.

PAULA
I liked our yard.

AL
We didn't need it.

PAULA
I know…

AL
…
It is safe to camp?
All things considered.

PAULA
I wouldn't see why not.

AL
Bears are a thing.

PAULA
They're more scared of you than you are of them.

AL
The whale.

PAULA
They are gentle giants,
so I am told.

AL
Miscellaneous unforeseen // circumstances.

PAULA
We can't let miscellaneous unforeseen circumstances dictate our lives.
That's no way to live.
Also, I got you some in-soles,
for your shoes.
They're in the garage.

AL
Thank you.
That is very kind.
… :/

PAULA
Have we ever collaborated
on a project we both find valuable?

AL
… :/

PAULA
Dad?

AL
… :(
Nothing.

PAULA
…
What?

AL
Have you heard from Andy?

PAULA
Why would I talk to Andy?

AL
He's your friend.

PAULA
Charlie's my friend.
Andy's my boss.

AL
Andy's a friend.

PAULA
Have we collaborated on a // project–

AL
Andy's a–

PAULA
Would you like to have a fight?

AL
Is that what we would do?

PAULA
I think so.

AL
Okay, you start.

PAULA
Okay.
Why do you hate me?

AL
I don't–
I don't hate you.

PAULA
Then why does it feel so much
like you do so bad.

AL
…
I'm…tired.

PAULA
It feels like you hate me
when you say you're tired
when I'm trying to ask you why–

AL
Why do you feel like I hate you?
What could ever make you think that?
Do you know how that feels to hear?
Did you consider that? Maybe?

PAULA
You never talk to me.
You never talk to me about anything that matters.
You never talk about the thing I need you to talk about
I need someone to talk about–
I need you to be my dad.

AL
I am your dad.

PAULA
Then act like it!

AL
How?!

PAULA
I miss mom! Do you?

AL
What are you insinuating?

PAULA
I'm not insinuating any//thing–

AL
You think I don't?

PAULA
You don't act like it.

AL
What do you want?
You want me to cry?

PAULA
I don't know–

AL
You want me to scream?

PAULA
No, I just want–

AL
What do you want?
How should I act?!

PAULA
Like you!
I don't know! X(
Act like you would if mom was dead
and I'm still here and I'm the only one here
and I'm sad about mom and I'm lonely without mom–

AL
Well, I'm still here too. >:|

PAULA
But you aren't!
Or–
Not the way I need you to be.

AL
And what way is that?!

PAULA
I–

AL
What?!

PAULA
Please don't yell at me… :(

AL
What do you want me to do?!
What do you want me to do, Paula?!
How should I act?!
What should I be?!

PAULA
My dad. :'( …
Just…
Be my dad again…

AL (?)
(Shakes head; this means nothing.)
…
Maybe you should take some time
to figure out what you want
and get back to me.

PAULA
…
Okay.

AL
Jesus Paula–
Can't believe you would speak to me like this.
As if I'm not trying my best, as if–

PAULA
Dad–

AL
Don't! Interrupt me!
My wife's dead and my daughter
doesn't want to be my daughter?
What the fuck would you do in–

PAULA
I // didn't–

AL
What did I just say?!

PAULA
I didn't think you heard that–

AL
It's a small house!

PAULA
And we're the only ones in it.
This isn't fun.

AL
Is it supposed to be? :/

PAULA
I don't know…
I just–
…
Feel like…
We aren't ourselves to each other anymore.
We're just
other people now.
We help each other sometimes.
You're the person that pays for stuff.
And we eat at a table.
And we sit in chairs…
…
I'm just–
a person who lives in a house
while a person named you is here too.
And neither of us really knows why…

AL
…

PAULA
…I miss having fun with you…
…
…I miss having fun with you…
…
…
…
…I miss having fun with you…
…
…
…
…
…I miss having fun with you…
…
…
…
…
…
…I miss having fun with you…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…I miss having fun with you…

AL
That's a thing we don't do together anymore.
…
Hard to imagine what that would look like–
Dammit. X|

PAULA
You're right.

AL
No, I mean, I can remember–

PAULA
I know.
…
We don't have fun anymore.
And I'm not so sure we can.

AL
…
You're not?

PAULA
No.

AL
… :/
… :(

PAULA
Paula's dad,
in this moment,
is reading his daughter's,
Paula's, me's, mind.
(Why is he doing this?)
Perhaps he doesn't believe her.
Perhaps he is looking to find lingering,
flickering, um, some nagging hope…I guess…
is what I'm trying to say and, um–
He can't find it.
It's–
It's not there.
…
There's a silence while he does this.
That keeps kind of dragging on…
…
And um, the silence, I mean um,
Paula acknowledges it.
And is suspicious,
having clarified that her suspicions,
that her dad–
He's reading her mind and she knows it and
she doesn't know why he is and
then she wonders if he could read her heart.
And thinks about her heart.
And so her heart,
well, it gets lifted up into her head, I guess, and
he sees it.
And he wonders if there's any hope there and
so he looks and looks and Paula thinks about
the moon in her heart, and suddenly well.
The moon's there
in his daughter's, Paula's, me's heart.
And he's there and he looks and he looks and–
I'm sick
of being
Paula. >X|

CHARLIE appears.

CHARLIE
Hey.

PAULA
Hi Charlie.

CHARLIE
I need to talk to you.

PAULA
Can we
do this later?
I…now's not so good.

CHARLIE
This can't wait.

PAULA
My dad's reading my mind.

CHARLIE
Why?

PAULA
Now's no good.

CHARLIE
Paula dear…
There's a moon in my heart.