artwork by Knowledgethe PoetMcD

Don’t Put Me Out

 

You didn’t see me
How I saw me

You looked into my depths
Peered into my soul

 

Characters

Abebi Robbins

Wendell Robbins

Police Officer

Scene:

(Late night. Wendell is standing at the front door of his home.  He is knocking loudly.  From the other side of the door his wife Abebi appears and stands to listen to him.)

Abebi

What Wendell?! You better get out of here before somebody call the cops on your ass!

Wendell

I’m not leaving girl until you open this damn door.

Abebi

Well then you gon be out there then.

Wendell

Stop playin and open this door. This is my house too! Mines!

Abebi

Nope. Not anymore. Not since you can’t keep your pants zipped. You wanna be out in the streets? Runnin wild? With all them random slutbag hoogies then stay out there. There’s no home here for you anymore.

Wendell

Baby I’m sorry. How many times I gotta tell you that.

Abebi

You don’t get it do you? Sorry don’t cut it this time Wendell. No more of your promises. Promises you will change and do better by me. No more promises for me to falsely believe brother. I’m tired of it all.

Wendell

Babe stop it. I’m tryin okay. Please.

Abebi

Apparently not hard enough. First there was Isha when we got together. Then there was Stacy and the pregnancy scare. Oh and then Michelle and that disrespectful trash leaving panties in my car and calling my house, our home! No Wendell. No more.

Wendell

Come on Abebi. (hits the door hard with his fist. Near tears)

Abebi

(Jumps in fright. Softens hearing his plea) I can’t Wendell. I just

Wendell

So you don’t love me anymore? Huh babe?

Abebi

It’s not that I don’t. Is love enough here Wendell? Is this love we are doing here because if you loved me you wouldn’t keep stepping out on me.

Wendell

It’s what got you ain’t it?

Abebi

What?

Wendell

Me being a player. Isn’t that what made you want me so much?

Abebi

Uh … no

Wendell

Really? Cuz when I started talkin to you I was actually single. Remember I stepped to you and told you I wanted to hook up with you and you dissed me time and again until you saw me with that one girl … uh … Tasha?

Abebi

(lowly) Damn

Wendell

We went out after that. I never dated Tasha. I just let you see me with her to get your attention and get that date. I only slept with Isha and Stacy and all them other girls cuz that’s what it took to keep you. You like games and I gave it to you. Shit I gave it to every woman before you. I just always liked you … no loved you most.

Abebi

So now you gon try to turn your wayward prick issues onto me, huh? Make it my fault. Ain’t that something brand new?

Wendell

I’m being honest for the first time in a long time.  You asked so I’m tellin you. You wanted to know so I told you.  I’m tryin to get back into my home. I want my wife back. I want it all. It’s on you now girl to help make this all go in the right direction.

Abebi

That is such bullshit  Wendell. You run so much game I don’t think you know fact from fiction. You should have been an actor cuz you are good sometimes. Really good.

Wendell

Open up this door girl and let me in this house!

Abebi

No. Not this time. Not. This. Time. I can’t let you rule over me this time.

Wendell

I am the king and this is my castle

Abebi

And I am a queen deserving of the best. Everyone knows a king ain’t shit without his queen.

Wendell

You’re right. So open this door and let us start making our royal alliance complete again.

Abebi:

(Reaches to touch the knob then pulls back) Why don’t you just leave me Wendell. Just leave me for one of those tramps you keep nailing. That would make things a lot easier for me.

Wendell

Because love isn’t a straight line babe. Whoever told you that it was told you a fairytale. A fantastic lie.

Abebi

And this isn’t no Danielle Steele or one of them Ashley & Jacquavis novels you be reading either. Too much drama can damage even the best of relationships. Why you think Danielle Steel been married like eight times?

Wendell

I don’t care what you do or say Abebi, I’m not leaving here. You are mines and you always will be. I own your heart. I’m in your mind. I know the language of your body. We got too many good memories.

Abebi

We got a lot of bad ones too.

Wendell

Not so much to make you want to let me go away forever? Huh?

Abebi

Wendell?

Wendell

Come on baby. Abebi? Abebi I love you.

Abebi

I bet you said that to the last trick you fucked.

Wendell

Ahhhhhhh! (kicks the door) I’m sick of this shit! Open the fuckin door!

Abebi

No! Fuck you punk! Get away from my gotdamn door!

Wendell

I ain’t goin no gotdamn where! You got some otha dude in there! You got another man in my shit! Bitch you betta open this gotdamn door before I go off!

Abebi

Bitch? Bitch? I got yo bitch. Don’t be gettin me twisted for them side-hos you be crawlin in. You will respect this queen or stay your ass out in the dog house. You might as well go to one of them because you ain’t gettin in here tonight.

Wendell

(He is kicking the door hard. Harder. Harder.) Open. This. Damn. Door!

Abebi

Wendell you betta get yo behind from off this porch makin noise before somebody call the cops and get you put down like Cudjoe.

Wendell

I don’t give a fuck. Let me in Abebi.

Abebi

Wendell, no.

Wendell

You take my shit all these years and now you want to put your foot down. This is fuckin stupid and ridiculous Abebi.

Abebi

We have to grow up Wendell. We’re getting too old for this stuff, these games.

Wendell

Well I’m not leaving. I’m not giving up. Even if I gotta sleep on this porch all night and all day tomorrow and the night after that and until infinity gotdammit.

Abebi

(Smiles) Wendell?

Wendell

Yeah.

Abebi

If I let you back in, and we make this thing whole again. If you screw this up again. You won’t have to leave the house. I will. Got it.

Wendell

Got it.

(At that moment Police Officer steps behind Wendell)

Police Officer

Hey put your hands behind your back and step away from the door.

Wendell

Fuck outta here. This my house … cop.

Police Officer

Yea right. There’s been a series of robberies and one just took place around the corner. You fit the description.

Abebi

(Hears the Police Officer and Wendell speaking. She tries to open door but it is jammed from Wendell’s kicks.  She pulls harder then scrambles to find something to pry door open.)  Oh shit. Oh shit. He’s gonna kill Wendell. Or Wendell’s gonna kill him. Either way I gotta get this door open.  (Finds a screw driver and pries at door)

Wendell

Don’t every brotha fit the description of a criminal. Fuck outta here and go get some donuts.

Police Officer

(Draws his gun at same time Wendell draws his gun) I’m warning you you son of a bitch. Put the gun down! Get on the ground now!

Wendell

Fuck you! You get on the ground muthafucka. Now I will shoot you. I got twenty-four bullets in my clip. You got … what … six? Let’s see who will win.

Abebi

Wendell! No! Officer! No! He lives here. Please!

Police Officer

Put. Your. Gun. Down! This is the last warning!

Wendell

Mines too. You on my property. Looks like you’re trespassin. I will shoot to protect my property.

Abebi

Wendell baby … No!

(She gets door pried open and tosses screw driver behind her. She opens the door. Gunshots ring out. Smoke covers the stage as a number of gunshots are heard. As the gunshots stop after the sixth one, the smoke clears.  Abebi is laying on the ground. Wendell sees the Police Officer still standing.  They share puzzled looks before they both take notice to her lifeless body on the ground.)

Wendell

NO! NO! No-no-no-no-no! Come on baby get up. Baby get up! Don’t die on your king! You killed her you ….

Police Officer

She had a knife!

Wendell

She ain’t have no gotdamn knife … you mutha … Ahhhhhhh!  Baby get up. Abebi please.

Police Officer

She had a knife! I saw it.

Wendell

(Sobs over her body. Stands and takes two shots at the cop. His body drops. He hears the sirens in the back ground. Presses gun to his head then removes it.) Ahhhhhhhhh! (Falls by Abebi’s side while tossing gun at the feet of the dead police officer. The stage goes black. Sirens sound.)

The End.

©2015 Gregory A. Waits, Jr. All Rights Reserved.

______________________

Gregory A. Waits, Jr. is an editor, poet, playwright, and author.  Recently released book, Naive Eve: A Novella is available on Amazon.com and will be available in print edition in early 2016, followed by the book, Drive: Poems. Also, in 2016, his play, Where R U Now? will be produced.