The Oberon Book of Modern Monologues for Women: Volume Two. Catherine Weate

someone says my name I smile.

      When everything inside me turns to night my face smiles.

      My smile is a free spirit.

      I know it’s strange.

      Smiling doesn’t fulfil the expectations doesn’t count as an answer.

      Smiling is always too little. Or too much.

      …

      When Albert says my name there’s no smile in me. Only music.

      I know who he is.

      Student rep Albert. Hero of class contributors.

      But the sound of his voice has the power to carry me.

      With three syllables across the kiddy pool.

      I’m afraid.

      It’s a new fear.

      I’m afraid he might go without saying another word.

      SHRADDHA

      (Faith: You are what’s in your heart)

       by Natasha Langridge

      Shraddha was first performed at Soho Theatre, London, on 29 October 2009.

      The Romany Gypsies are about to be evicted from the building site of the London Olympics. Understandably they are more suspicious than usual of outsiders (gorgers). PEARL PENFOLD is 17 years old and has been promised in marriage to another Romany community. However, she and Joe, a gorger from the local council estate have fallen in love. They run away together and PEARL tells fortunes at a local festival so they can eat. Joe asks her what she tells her customers and PEARL replies…

       PEARL

      I say, ‘Give me ye palm dearie’ then

      ‘Oh dordy

      Ye’ve had a difficult time haven’t ye dear

      Life’s been hard on ye hasn’t it?

      And she give me

      her bracelet to read

      ‘But ye gonna have a long life

      And

      Oh

      What’s this?

      Oh yes

      And ye do deserve it don’t ye dear

      A beautiful house and what a garden and

      There be

      Oh

      There is someone ye’ve to BEWARE of

      DANGER

      Who is it?

      Can’t quite see

      Getting a bit hazy

      If ye could just see ye way te give me a little more I might be able

       to see clearly dear’

      And she says she can give me a fiver but don’t have no change and

       I say that’s alright dear and I take the tenner what’s in her hand

       and she say, ‘Thank you’

      …

      ‘Now,’ I say, ‘Does ye know a woman with a name beginning with

      A, B, C, or D?’

      And she look even blanker than before in her eyes so I say ‘Is it

      D E F or G is it?

      I think it might be an H?’

      Her eyes light up a bit

      So I says ‘H yes BEWARE a woman whose name begins with H’

      And she say, ‘I knew

      I knew I couldn’t trust her’

      And then it took me over. Like it were doing it on its own

      ‘But it don’t matter dear, cos that special someone, ye haven’t met

       him yet but if ye keep ye eyes open for a lovely man he’s wearing

       them brown Wellington things, black jeans with a rip over the right

       thigh, a green t-shirt an there’s a thin bit of cotton or something

       round his neck and he’s got a speck of brown in his blue eyes.

      His hair is blond he’s pushing it back with his hand.

      He will love ye and lead ye onto the right path.

      And that dear

      is that – fer now

      I tired out’

      She yawns theatrically.

      ‘I ain’t got no more te give ye

      Not even a bit o gold fer comfort

      Cos ye know ye should never take gold from a Gypsy

      But a Gypsy can take gold from ye and ye know it will bring ye

       luck like ye never had and most important of all dear it will bring

       ye protection’

      And that were when she takes off this amulet from her bracelet

       and place it down in front of me and say, ‘Thank you very much’