SCENE – 8B
(Nancy, Peggy, Carol, and Dan are sitting around the dining room table. Rest of the siblings are scattered about the house or outdoors. Tim is with his dad)
Setting: Dining room sits just adjacent to the living room. Long table with high-backed chairs on the ends, and bench seating on the sides. A cabinet holding crystal, dishware, etc. sits snugly against the end wall. Visitation and funeral arrangements are being discussed and legal matters.
Their dad has three days left in his life. He is home, in his bedroom preparing to die from congestive heart failure. The nine children have flown in from around the country to say their last goodbyes. Siblings are commiserating, waiting for their turn with Dad.
LIGHTS COME UP
PEGGY very calmly and with purpose.
THOUGHT WE MIGHT JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO GO OVER A FEW THINGS. THESE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL BE SOMEWHAT HECTIC AND IF WE CAN ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE THEN EVERYTHING WILL GO SMOOTHLY. IS THIS OK WITH YOU MOM?
NANCY keen-eyed and attentive.
OF COURSE. YOUR FATHER AND I HAVE PLANNED THIS OUT. GO AHEAD PEGGY.
PEGGY tablet in hand.
THIS IS WHAT MOM HAS PLANNED. I`LL SHARE THIS WITH THE GROUP A LITTLE BIT LATER BUT JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE`VE COVERED ALL THE BASES. (Posturing up a bit and proceeds) ALL THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE WITH FREDERICH`S FUNERAL HOME. MOM HAS PICKED OUT A SUIT. MOM WANTS TO ALLOW THE KIDS TO PLACE SOME KIND OF PERSONAL MOMENTO IN THE COFFIN WITH DAD. JUST SOMETHING SMALL. A COUPLE DAYS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR VISITATION. ONE WILL BE USED. WE EXPECT QUITE A SHOWING. IT WILL BE IN THE EVENING FROM 5PM TO 8PM. CHURCH SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT ST. RAPHAEL WITH THE BURIAL AT SACRED HEART CEMETERY IN BENSENVILLE. THE CHURCH SERVICE WILL START AT 10AM WHEN THAT DAY ARRIVES. PROCESSION TO SACRED HEART AND BURIAL TO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW. THE NAVY WILL BE PROVIDING A FLAG FOLDING CEREMONY AND TAPS IN HONOR OF DAD. (pause) HOW AM I DOING MOM?
NANCY approvingly.
SOUNDS GOOD SO FAR.
PEGGY continues.
AS FAR AS CHURCH SERVICE: READINGS HAVE BEEN PICKED OUT. MARIANNE AND MIKE WILL GIVE THE EULOGY. DAN AND MARTHA WILL SING AND TIM WILL BE AT THE PIANO. PALLBEARERS WILL BE MIKE, KEVIN, DAN, TIM, JERRY, AND JIM. WE`RE STILL LOOKING FOR A SONG TO END THE CEREMOMY. I THINK KEVIN HAS AN IDEA ON ONE. HE`LL GO OVER IT WITH MOM. (Short pause) IT`S SUMMERTIME SO I DON`T ANTICIPATE WEATHER WILL BE AN ISSUE. MOTHER HAS BEEN ADAMANT ABOUT PROVIDING HOTEL ROOMS FOR IMMEDIATE FAMILY WHEN THE TIME COMES. A FEW OF US CAN STAY AT THE HOUSE BUT WE ARE LIMITED ON SPACE. I`VE CHECKED AROUND AND ROOMS SHOULDN`T BE A PROBLEM…QUESTIONS?
CAROL quickly.
NOTHING FROM ME. SOUNDS GOOD.
DAN
GREAT WORK PEGGY. AND MOM, YOU AND DAD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO ORGANIZED EVEN IN A TIME LIKE THIS. COUPLE THINGS (looking at Peggy) DAD`S STILL WITH US, HOWEVER, PROBABLY NOT MUCH LONGER…WHAT KIND OF TIMELINE HAVE YOU CONSIDERED UPON HIS PASSING? WHO WILL REACH OUT TO EXTENDED FAMILY AND HAS AN OBITUARY BEEN PENCILED YET?
PEGGY understandingly.
GOOD QUESTIONS. GLAD YOU ASKED. UPON DAD`S PASSING WE HAVE PLANNED FOR ABOUT A WEEK TO TEN DAYS TO BRING FULL CLOSURE. CAROL, MARIANNE AND I WILL REACH OUT TO EXTENDED FAMILY AND OF COURSE I SUSPECT ALL THE SIBLINGS WILL PARTICIPATE. AS FAR AS THE OBITUARY, MOM HAS CREATED AN OUTLINE BUT WOULD LOVE YOUR INPUT. YOU`RE SUCH A GOOD WRITER. WOULD THAT BE OK?
DAN nodding.
OF COURSE IT WOULD. I`D LIKE NOTHING MORE. ONE LAST THING FROM ME…MOM, I TOLD DAD BUT I MIGHT NOT HAVE MENTIONED IT TO YOU. (enthusiastically) DAD`S NBA PENSION WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO YOU UPON HIS DEATH. IT`S NOT MUCH BUT IT SHOULD BUY YOU A BEER AND BURGER NEXT TIME YOU`RE IN IRELAND.
Everyone chuckles and Mother smiles approvingly.
LIGHTS FADE
END OF SCENE
Nancy- 77, Peggy- 60, Carol- 51, Dan- 47