The Year Christmas Died

The Year Christmas Died

Scene One

(Lights up)

(As scene opens, Ron is sitting at his desk, tie undone, collar open, coat thrown across the back of his chair. He is working busily at his computer, and it is apparent he is very frustrated with his progress, or rather, lack thereof. There are stacks of manuals & reports on the desk, along with the refuse of a fast-food meal and a coffee mug. He sits back and groans in angry frustration, and reaches to hit intercom button on the phone.)

Ron: Sharon, please come here.

Sharon: (offstage) Coming, sir.

(Sharon enters)

Ron: Sharon, I need the Thompson file, and the latest set of sales reports, please.

Sharon: Right away, sir.

Ron: (hands her several papers) And can you please get these letters out for me? I would do it, but I’ve got to focus on this report.

Sharon: (glancing at her watch) Yes, sir.

Ron: (noticing her action) You do have time to work, do you not?

Sharon: Well, sir, it is getting close to noon.

Ron:  And is there a problem with that?

Sharon: You did say that we could leave at noon today, sir.

Ron: That doesn’t necessarily require that you leave at noon.

Sharon: I know, but I really was hoping to. I have a number of things to do to be ready for Christmas Eve for the kids.

Ron: Can’t your husband help you with some of those things?

Sharon: (hesitates) No, sir. He’s…not available.

Ron: Not available?

Sharon: No sir…you see, we’ve been separated.

Ron: Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.

Sharon: That’s OK. I haven’t talked much about it. It just happened three weeks ago.

Ron: (softening a little) Are you doing OK?

Sharon: (taking a deep breath) Yes, sir, I’m OK. I’m just trying to get through one day at a time. 

Ron: Not meaning to pry, but…he wasn’t abusive, or tried to hurt you, or…

Sharon: No, no, nothing like that, he just…well, he’s an alcoholic, and spent all his time and money at the bar. I just finally got tired of trying to cover for him. I…need to get on with my life, especially since he obviously doesn’t want to change.

Ron: Well, Sharon, then I won’t hold you up any longer. Just lay out the files I asked for on your desk, drop those letters in the mail, and take the rest of the day. And Merry Christmas to you and your children.

Sharon: (smiling) Thank you very much, sir. And Merry Christmas to you, too.

(Sharon leaves. Ron tries to go back to his computer, as offstage we hear the

voices of John and Donna Turner, “…I’m tired of you never coming home. I’m tired of

trying to cook dinner and keep the house up, while you hang out at the bar…I’m entitled

to a little R&R…you call drinking with your buddies R&R?...”. Ron is distracted by the

memory, but shrugs it off, and continues working. There is a knock, and his partner, Bob

Smith, enters.)

Bob: Hey, Ron, how’s the report going?

Ron: (sitting back from the computer) It’s coming along, Bob.

Bob: I just came by to say I’m outta here ‘til Monday.

Ron: So, ready for Christmas, are you?

Bob: (laughs) Yeah, I’m ready, and I didn’t have to lift a finger to do it, either.

Ron: Oh, so Susan did the shopping for you again, huh?

Bob: Yeah. I just gave her my credit card and my wife’s shopping list, and told her to go for it.

Ron: So, what is Alice getting?

Bob: Oh, the usual. Some piece of jewelry Susan picked out.

Ron: And what is Susan getting?

Bob: (with a wink) Well, I told her to get whatever she thought she was worth. She has earned a nice bonus this year. I think she bought herself a set of diamond earrings and matching necklace. (pauses, as if thinking to himself) You know, there was a time Alice and I had the same thing going on, but, you know, kids and work just got in the way. 

Ron: Yeah, it gets that way sometimes.

Bob: So, how are you and June doing?

Ron: We’re OK.

Bob: Just OK?

Ron: Well, she wants me home early tonight, but with this report to do, I’m not really sure when I’ll be home.

Bob: You know you do this every year. Why don’t you give yourself a break this Christmas Eve?

Ron: Because this is the only time I get a chance to do the report, and the board meeting is first thing Monday. It’s just one of the drawbacks to being head of the company—having to spend the time doing the things necessary to keep it running. 

Bob: Well, sometimes it looks more like you’re avoiding things instead.

Ron: And what am I avoiding, exactly?

Bob: (leans toward Ron) Christmas Eve!

Ron: (taken back; stumbles for an answer) I’m not avoiding anything—especially Christmas Eve!

Bob: (shrugs) Whatever you say, Ron. I’m just saying what it looks like from my standpoint, that’s all.

Ron: (angrily) Well, you’re wrong!

Bob: (distant now, obviously hurt by Ron’s words) Merry Christmas, Ron. (he turns and begins to walk out.)

Ron: (with no real emotion) Yeah, you too, and tell Alice and the kids Merry Christmas from me, too.

Bob: (as he is out the door) Whatever.

(Bob leaves. Ron sits as if in deep thought. We hear John Turner’s voice again, “…So

what if I talk to someone else…all I hear from you is nag, nag, nag…maybe that’s why I

 don’t come home…there’s nothing good here anymore…”. Ron shakes his head, as if to try to clear the memory again, and turns back to his computer. The lights dim for a moment, the sound of a ticking clock is heard, and the lights come back up. Ron is still

typing, but we hear Donna, “…is that so?...nothing to come home to?...I can arrange for

you to never come home to me again…”. Again, Ron shakes his head, trying to

clear his mind, and keeps working. The lights dim one more time, and again we hear the

ticking. Lights come back up, Ron typing, and we hear Young Ron’s voice crying “Mom,

don’t go! Daddy, come back! It’s Christmas Eve!...” Ron holds his head in his hands,

and as the sound of Young Ron’s voice dies out, the phone rings. Ron glances at the

caller ID, rolls his eyes, and picks up the phone.)

Ron: (in a very professional voice) Hello, Turner, Smith and Jones, Inc., Ron Turner speaking.

(As he speaks, spotlight on June, on opposite side of stage, holding phone to her ear.)

June:  As if you didn’t already know who’s calling.

Ron: Now, June, you know good and well that I’ve always told my employees to answer professionally, even when they know who it is, so I have to set the example.

June: And who else is there to hear you at this time of night?

Ron: You might be surprised.

June: Yeah, right. Your secretary told me this morning when I called, that the office was closing at noon. She sure sounded too excited to stick around. And I’m sure everyone else was ready to leave too. Except you.

Ron: Look, I told you I have to have this report ready for the board meeting next Monday morning.

June: But why do you have to pick today to work on it?

Ron: Precisely because I let everyone else go early. I knew I could concentrate better with everyone gone.

June: Well, have you finished yet?

Ron: Not quite, I still have a few more things…

June: It’s after 11:00 pm!

Ron: Just a few more minutes…

June: (angrily, in total frustration) Honey, listen to yourself! It’s 11:30 at night, and it’s Christmas Eve! I need you here! I can’t set up Tommy’s train set without you! It was all I could do just to get him in bed, he’s so excited. And he kept asking me all night, “When’s Daddy coming? I want to wait up for Daddy!” Why can’t you be here on time this one night of the year? Why do we have to have this argument every Christmas Eve?

Ron: (also angrily) Look, honey, I’m doing the best I can, but I have to keep this company running, or there won’t be money to buy Christmas train sets with!

          Will you please leave me alone to finish this report? Please!

June: (pause, then a sigh) Leave you alone, huh? Well, if that’s what you want. I’ve about had my fill of being married to Mr. Scrooge, anyway. Maybe you might just get your wish soon.

Ron: Honey, wait, that’s not what I meant. I just… (June hangs up. Lights out on her.)

(Ron slams the receiver down, and covers his face.)

(Lights fade to black)

Scene Two

(Lights up)

(Young Ron is sitting on the floor in front of an easy chair, playing with several small toys. There is a small Christmas tree on an end table next to the chair. He looks up as John enters.)

John Turner: Hi, son. How’s it going?

Young Ron: (with great excitement) Hi, Dad! It’s great! I’m going to try to stay up and see Santa Claus this year!

John: (teasingly) Oh, you are, huh? You know that’s not going to work. He won’t come if you’re awake. You know that song “…he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake…” You’d better get to bed so he can come.

Young Ron: But, Dad...

John: (gently, but firmly) Come on, Ronnie, off to bed now, OK?

Young Ron: (with resignation) Alright, Dad.

(Young Ron starts to pick up his toys. Donna Turner enters.)

Donna: (to John) You’re late again, I see.

John: Now, Donna, don’t start with me.

Donna: And why not? Oh, that’s right, I’d forgotten! It never does any good to say anything, anyway, does it? You never listen to a word I say!

John: Now wait just a minute…

Donna: No, you wait just a minute! I’m tired of you never coming home. I’m tired of trying to make dinner and keep up the house, while you hang out at the bar all night!

John: I work hard. I’m entitled to a little R&R now and then.

Donna: R&R! You call drinking with your buddies R&R?

John: Yes, it helps me find an outlet for all the stress I put up with on the job!

Donna: And does that outlet include anything else?

John: What are you implying?

Donna: What do you think I’m implying?

John: I promise you, all I do is have a few drinks with the guys!

Donna: Then explain this.

(She hands him a small slip of paper.)

Donna: I found it in the pocket of the shirt you wore yesterday. It’s a phone number for “Julie”. Who’s Julie?

John: (stalling) I don’t know.

Donna: What do you mean you don’t know?

John: I mean, I don’t know any Julie, and I don’t know how that got into my pocket.

Donna: You don’t know? John, this didn’t just appear out of thin air! Someone put it in your shirt pocket! If you didn’t do it, then someone else did. And that someone had to be awfully close to you to do it!

John: (explodes with anger) So what? So what if I did talk to someone else? What do you expect? All I ever hear from you is nag, nag, nag. You never have anything good to say to me anymore. Nothing I do is ever good enough. You know what? Maybe that’s why I drink! Maybe that’s why I don’t come straight home at night! There’s nothing good here to come home to anymore!

Donna: (just as angry) Is that so? Nothing good here? Nothing to come home to? OK, we’ll see about that. I can arrange for you to never have to come home to me again! 

John: That’s just fine with me!

Donna: Fine! Then I’m getting my stuff out of here right now. I’m leaving!

(Donna storms out the same direction she entered)

John: (calling after her) Good riddance!

(John turns and leaves in opposite direction from Donna. Young Ron has been sitting on

the floor during the argument, watching his parents with growing fear. Now he gets up

on his knees. He is starting to cry.)

Young Ron: Mom! Mom! Don’t go! Please! It’s Christmas Eve!

(No answer. He calls again)

Young Ron: Dad! Daddy!! Come back!

(There is no answer from either parent. Young Ron crumples to the floor, crying hard.)

(Blackout)

Scene Three

(Lights up)

(Tommy is lying in his bed, asleep. Ron quietly enters, and stands at the foot of the bed,

 momentarily taking in the sight of his sleeping child. Tommy stirs, and then opens his

eyes and sees his dad. He quickly sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.)

Tommy: Hey, Dad! Glad you’re home! What took you so long? I wanted to wait up, but Mom wouldn’t let me.

Ron: Oh, I got busy with something at work, and I forgot how late it was.

Tommy: But Dad, it’s Christmas Eve! Why do you have to work on Christmas Eve? Don’t you like Christmas?

(Ron sits on the edge of Tommy’s bed. He is obviously touched by his son’s question.

 During the following conversation, June enters, but stands back to listen.)

Ron: Well, Tommy, sometimes Christmas is not a happy time for some people.

Tommy: Why not, Dad? It’s Jesus’ birthday! And everybody buys presents for everybody else! How can it be a sad time?

Ron: Because sometimes bad things happen at Christmas, or maybe sad things happen, and so when it’s Christmas again, people think about the sad or bad things instead.

Tommy: Did something like that happen to you? 

Ron: (hangs his head, hesitates) Yes, Tommy, it did.

Tommy: What happened, Dad?

Ron: Remember how I told you that Granddaddy Turner and Grandmamma Bryson are my mom and dad, but they don’t live together?

Tommy: Yeah, you told me they got a divorce when you were a boy.

Ron: Yes, but what I’ve never told you is that Grandmamma Bryson left Granddaddy and me on Christmas Eve.

Tommy: (eyes widen) Wow, Dad, that must have really been sad for you.

Ron: Yes, it really scared me.

Tommy: No wonder you always look so sad at Christmas.

Ron: Yeah, I guess I’ve let myself think about the sad things, and I’ve forgotten how to be happy at Christmas. (Ron lays a hand on Tommy’s shoulder) But I’ve decided something tonight, Tommy. I’ve decided I want to change how I think about Christmas. I’ve been sad long enough. I can’t change what my parents did, but I can learn to focus on the good things instead of the bad. I want to be excited about Christmas again. Will you help me?

Tommy: (with a big smile) Yes, Dad, I’ll help! (hugs Ron)

(June slips forward and lays her hand on Ron’s shoulder.)

June: You’ve never told me your parents’ split up happened on Christmas Eve.

Ron: I’m sorry. I guess I just tried to ignore it. I guess I thought that not talking about it would make the memory go away.

June: Well, now that I know, it does explain a lot of things.

Ron: I’m sorry, June. I’m sorry for how I’ve acted. I apologize to both of you.

June: (smiles) I’m sorry, too, honey. I love you.

Ron: I love you, too.

Tommy: Oh, no, are you two gonna get all mushy?

Ron: (teasingly) And do you have a problem with that, son?

Tommy: (laughs) Well, just don’t get too mushy, OK?

Ron: Hey, by the way, I thought I saw something flying away from the house when I came in. I wonder who that was?

Tommy: Santa Claus! I hope he left my train set! Can I go see?

Ron: Yes, go ahead, son!

(Tommy gets up and runs out. Ron takes June’s hand and they begin following him.)

June: (with a smile) Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge!

Ron: (smiling back) And God bless us, every one!

(Lights fade to black)