Welcome Home

by Ayu Ohseki

Evangelion as condensed into a ten minute play. Surprisingly, not a parody. I wrote this, let's see...three years prior to the publish date for an English assignment. My teacher liked it, but I don't know.

Welcome Home
By: Ayu Ohseki

Characters: The Girl – a loudmouthed, pushy girl who always wants her way
                      The Boy – a quiet, meek boy with low self-esteem
                      The Young Lady – an intelligent, mysterious girl with an air of repose
                      The Tough – a boy with no class, but he has a sort of understanding
                      The Young Man – a friendly and reassuring but mysterious boy
                      The Man – the man who leads the Children away. Cold, uncaring
                      The Woman – the Boy's mother-figure. Compassionate, loving

Setting: A bench in the middle of a barren park. Two people, a Boy and a Girl of not much older than fourteen or fifteen, are sitting on it; nobody else is in sight. The Girl, with hair clipped back, wears a yellow sundress; she sits with her back straight, glancing occasionally at the Boy with more than a little curiosity. The Boy wears a plain white T-shirt and dark brown slacks. He sits hunched over, staring at his feet and refusing to meet the Girl's inquisitive and penetrating gaze. They continue on this way for several seconds until the Girl decides to speak.

Girl: So, what kinds of sins have you collected to find yourself here? (The Boy flinches, but says nothing.) You must have done lots of bad things to end up here. What did you do? Did you murder someone? Rape a girl at school? Oh, I know—you killed your mom! (A pregnant pause.) C'mon, don't leave me guessing. This is boring. (Another pause.) Say, what's your name?
(Before the Boy can answer, a Young Lady enters the park, walking slowly and evenly. Her elegant walk and mysterious air draw the attentions of the Boy and the Girl. Both are fascinated.)
Young Lady: (regarding them both as they stare at her) Hello. (She offers nothing further beyond this and stands next to the bench, ignoring the open seat next to the Boy. She stares straight ahead.)
Girl: Hey, why don't you sit down with us? We've got a long time to talk. There's plenty of room for you to sit!
Young Lady: (quietly, not glancing at the Girl) I do not wish to sit.
Girl: (gives her an irritated look, but cools off quickly) Okay, so you like to stand, that's cool. What's your name?
Young Lady: You do not need to know that.
Girl: (annoyance clear in her voice) What?
Young Lady: Where we are headed, names are unnecessary.
Girl: What-ever! God, I hate rude people. You'll never make friends like that. (The Young Lady does not respond in any way, much to the Girl's vexation.) Fine, be that way! We don't need you! (turns to the Boy) So what's your name?
Boy: (pauses for a long moment before answering) I...don't know.
Girl: (blinks) What do you mean, you don't know? Are you stupid??
Boy: (sighs heavily) Maybe I am...
Girl: (regards him with disgust) I guess you are. (turns away) Ugh! What boring people!
Boy: (turns slightly towards the Girl) What's your name?
Girl: What a dumb question! It's... (She pauses, then hastily remedies) Well, that's not important. After all, where we're going, names aren't important, are they? (Her last comment is directed straight at the Young Lady, who pays her no heed. After a short moment, the Girl snorts in disgust) What do you want, anyway?
Boy: Well, I was just wondering...what did you do to end up here?
Girl: (hotly) I didn't do anything!
Young Lady: That's not true.
Girl: That's none of your business!!
Young Lady: Everyone does something during their lifetime.
Girl: Huh?
Young Lady: Anyone who has never done anything would not be here.
Girl: You're weird.
(The Young Lady makes no further comment.)
Girl: (spontaneously) I've never done anything wrong. I'm always right.
(Neither the Young Lady nor the Boy responds, although the Boy glances over at her curiously. Both the silence and the curious look fluster the Girl.)
Girl: What, don't you believe me? I'm not a bad Girl! I'm not!! (flailing desperately, suddenly hits on inspiration and directs her next barbs at the Boy) Why don't you say anything, you spineless wimp?! Is it just easier not to say anything and not get hurt? What's your opinion in all of this?!
Boy: (startled) I...um...I don't have anything to say.
Girl: Don't be a wimp!! (pushes him roughly; the Boy does not retaliate) Are you gonna let a Girl push you around!? What kind of a Man are you!?!
Boy: (genuinely confused) What did I do?? I'm sorry!
Girl: You're so pathetic, not standing up for yourself! You're so worthless!!
Boy: (curls up) ...I'm sorry.....
Girl: Don't say "I'm sorry," fight back!! What's wrong with you!?!
Boy: I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!
Young Lady: (cutting their argument short) Don't mistake your own faults as another's.
Girl: (snaps) No one asked you!!
Young Lady: Such permission to speak is unnecessary when faced by ignorance.
Girl: Shut UP!! I'm so sick of your self-righteous mumbo-jumbo! (She gets up from the bench and stomps over to the Young Lady, getting in her face. The Young Lady remains unfazed.) Well? What are you gonna do when I'm in your face? Huh?? Got anything else to say?!
Young Lady: The young and impetuous have constant needs to prove their worth. Thus they cannot bear to be wrong. You would do well to learn to recognize your own shortcomings.
Girl: (clipped laugh) There's nothing wrong with me! I'm perfect!
Young Lady: If that is what you believe, then you truly belong here.
(The lights dim for a few seconds, then flare again. Now there is someone new on the stage: the Tough, dressed in black and white sports clothes.)
Tough: Goils! Ain't nedder agreein' t'nuttin'! I'll nedder unnerstan' goils as long as I live! (slaps the Boy on the back, who flinches) Good t'ing dere's us men around t'keep 'em in line, huh?
Boy: Uhh...right.
Girl: Now HOLD ON! (stomps into the Tough's face, pushing him away) What gives you the idea you can boss us around?!
Tough: (shoves her back, touching her breasts) Don'chu fuck wit' me, bitch! You push me an' I'll push back!
Girl: (slaps him) Don't you touch me there, you pervert!!
Tough: (hits her back) You was askin' for it, bitch, so donchu act all high 'n' mighty like I didn't hitchu fer nuttin'!!
Girl: (shrieks and slaps him again) I hate men like you! Always so pushy and arrogant, always having to have their own way!
Tough: You ain't no prize yesself! Pickin' a fight f'no goddamn reason!
Girl: You said you were better than me!
Tough: When da fuck did I ever say dat!?
Young Lady: You didn't.
Girl: (whips over to her) You stay out of this! It's not your business!
Young Lady: Whether it was you or anyone else, she would have started the fight. That Girl cannot stand to be wrong. She must be better than everyone else, or else no one can be allowed to exist.
Tough: (snorts derisively) Yer all fucked up, Goil. Tryin'a make up shit dat nedder e'en happened.
Girl: Don't listen to her! She doesn't know anything she's talking about!
Young Lady: I know more than you think.
Girl: You don't know anything!!
Young Lady: Then feel free to enlighten us.
Girl: NO!! My life isn't any of your business! It's nobody's business but mine!!
Tough: What d'hell're you tryin' to prove? Yer a waste of time!
Girl: (whips back to him) I'll tell you who the waste of time is! (points at the Boy) It's him! He never does anything! He never takes sides! He never SAYS anything! He just sits there and rots!
(The Boy curls up into a fetal position, wrapping his arms around himself as if trying to protect himself from the Girl's words.)
Tough: Now you listen, Goil! That Boy nedder did nut'in'! Don'chu bring him inta summin' dat's nunna his worry!
Girl: You're just sympathizing with him because he's a Boy! You don't know what he's really like!
Young Lady: Do you? (The Girl moves to yell something at her, but the Young Lady cuts her off.) You don't know anything about any of us. You don't know why any of us are here. You don't even know why you are here. It is not your place to judge another.
Girl: (rising to the challenge) Oh yeah? (turns to the Boy) Then why did you come here, Boy? I ask again: what did you do!?
Boy: (cringing, raising his head) Leave me alone...I know I'm worthless! I know I'm no good! I don't know my name or even my reason for being! I don't know anything!! But I don't need you to remind me of that either!
Girl: You're pathetic!!
Young Lady: But you don't know why you're here either.
Tough: Isn't dat why yez won' own up t'anything?
Girl: (caught, but she doesn't want to admit it) I know why! I have my reasons!
Young Lady: But you said earlier that you were here for no reason—you hadn't done anything. If that is the case, then what is the real "truth"?
(The Girl can't and doesn't say anything. She's caught, and she knows it, and she knows the others know it.  Twirling around to face the others, she stares from face to face, then collapses onto the floor.)
Girl: I'm not worthless...I'm not!!
Young Man: No one said you were.
(From out of the curtains, a Young Man appears. His hands are in his pockets, his hair is rumpled, he's dressed in the same manner as the Boy, and he has a gentle, casual smile on his face.)
Young Man: Hey there. I'm the last Children to arrive until the last stop.
Girl: Last stop? Are we going anywhere?
Boy: When did we start going anywhere?
Young Man: As soon as we were born, we started going somewhere.
Girl: That makes no sense!
Young Man: It does make sense; you just won't open your mind to it. You need to want to grow beyond what you are now before you can actually accomplish that.
Boy: So...if I believe in myself, I can grow?
Young Man: (smiles over at him) Yes.
Boy: (echoes) Believe... (He shakes his head slowly.) There's nothing about me that's worth believing in...
Young Man: There is.
(The stagelights dim on the other Children and focus on the Boy and the Young Man.)
Boy: I've never been any good...I don't do anything worth doing, I just do it. I can't stand up to anyone. I'm a weakling...
Young Man: There is strength inside you; you need only to realize it's there.
Boy: I don't want to live, but I don't want to die. I'm just taking up space. Who could possibly want me?
Young Man: There is someone who wants you; you need only to find him.
Boy: I trick everyone around me into thinking the way I want them to think. I'm a liar and a coward and a cheat!
Young Man: There is weakness in every human; you need only to overcome it. (He and the Young Man lock gazes; to them, nothing else exists but the other.) God knew Adam and Eve could not rely on Him for all eternity. Such was and is the way of everything; the bird must leave the nest; that is God's word, and even God cannot change that. God, then, intended for Adam and Eve to fall from grace and leave Eden. They needed the capacity for curiosity; He led them to wonder about the true nature of the Tree of Knowledge. They needed the capacity to reason; He employed the Snake to counter what they believed with new ideas. They needed knowledge; He allowed them to eat from the Tree of Knowledge without interfering, when as an omniscient being He could have easily stopped Eve and Adam from biting into the apple. But He did not, for they were His Children, just as we now are God's Children, and it was His wish to watch us grow without His constant interference.
Boy: (stunned silence) Are you an angel?
Young Man: (surprised laughter) An angel? Why do you think that? I am merely a sacrifice.
(The lights illuminate the entire stage. Once again, there is someone new; this time, it is the Man, in a black suit, with a cold face. He has come for the Children.)
Man: It's time.
Girl: What? So soon?
Man: Let's go.
Tough: Wait! I don' wanna go!
Man: You have no choice in the matter.
Young Lady: (walking over to the Man as the others protest) I'm home.
(The Boy rises to join the Man, understanding the hopelessness of the situation, but the Young Man stops him.)
Young Man: You don't have to go.
Boy: (confused) But I—
Young Man: There must be someone left behind—and the one to die should not be you. (smiles comfortingly) Thank you. Because I met you, my life became meaningful. (turns to leave)
Boy: But we only just met!! If this was how it would end, why did I even come in the first place?!
Young Man: (halts, but does not turn around) Those are answers you must find for yourself. And when you find those answers to who you are and why you came...
Woman's Voice: ...I'll be waiting. Promise?
(The Young Man leaves with the Man and the other defeated Children stage left, leaving the Boy alone. The Boy stares after them in disbelief, then collapses on the ground, on the verge of tears. From stage right, the Woman who had spoken before enters silently, regarding the Boy with motherly compassion. After a few seconds, the Boy lifts his head.)
Boy: I'm home.
Woman: Welcome home.

~ E ~ N ~ D ~