Aug

Livin the Dream

Posted by Tiffnroy Published in Entries

Characters:

Future Roy (FR) / Past Roy (PR)
Future Tiff (FT) / Past Tiff (PT)

Setting: Los Angeles, CA 2008

ACT I

Scene 1

[[Lights up on a sunny loft. Big window covered with sheet. Walls brightly colored and hanging artwork. FR sits on couch while FT fusses with a camcorder. Has problems setting it, calls FR over. Both sit on couch in front of camcorder. Remote in hand, press record.]]

FT- Hi Roy and uh, me!

FR- what’s goin on?!

FT- We wanted to make a video and send it to you guys before you left on your journey to California allllll the way from good ole DC! Aww, DC…anyways, we wanted to impart some knowledge, advice and randomness to you as you prepare for this extreme change of life. First off…

FR- We never made it to California. Unfortunately we punked out and we couldn’t leave our family and friends.

FT- Yeah, we told ourselves and everyone else that we were going to stay just a few more months and save some more money before we left, but you know how that goes. Can’t fail if you don’t try, right? So here we are…living and working in MD, wishing we were in California.

[[Long pause. FT and FR look at each other. FT slowly gets up from couch and takes sheet off wall revealing a beautiful view of SoCal.]]

FT/FR- SIKE!!! [[Laughing, murmered excitement and chatter]]

FT- Are you kidding?! There’s no way we weren’t going! Especially after telling EVERYONE that we were moving to LA, we had to go!

FR- I hope you guys know us better than that, or er yourselves better than that.

FT- I wonder if they were watching this thinking what the heck happened that we didn’t make it! Shoot, they probably knew we were lying!

FR- Yeah right! Probably. Man, it’s great out here yall! The best part though was the trip to get out here!

FT- I wonder how far back this video is goin?? Roy have you even decided that you’re going with me to LA yet? I mean you only really did decide about a week before I left.

FR- Yeah, yeah… I knew I was going with you the whole time. You already know that Roy! Sorry to spoil it, but he’s stickin with you Tiff.

FT- He’s so crazy last minute! But you already know that, or you will! And even though it’s not yall’s first road trip…this is the one we said would “make or break us”…but as you can see…

FR- We still rollin!

FT- Okay, okay enough!Back to the original reason we’re makin this video. Advice numero uno: try sitting in the packed car before you actually take off, you wanna be able to move you seat.

FR- Numero dos: Do bring medicine with you, Roy, you will get sick! But knowing you, you won’t. And DO document the entire trip.

FT- Definitely! There are so many things you may miss out on or forget if you don’t have a camcorder, camera or journal…all of which we had! They become a link between the past, present and future.

FR- Yeah because this was the start of us following our dreams, this was the definitive moment when we took action.

FT- Yeah, we packed up all of our entire 22 and 25 year old lives into a 2001 honda civic. But we had to leave a lot of things behind, shed our weight so we could be free. Roy wrote about it, actually it’s the first entry in our journal as we left Virginia.

[[Scene changes to interior of car. PR writes:]]

Gray skies fill the clouds of our hearts. Raindrops take me back to fallen tears. The tears of the mother as she lets go of her child. The tears of a child as they feel that release. All seems so new and the eyes need to adjust like coming out of the fog. And we cry like the raindrops that fall from the heavens. Sorrow, happiness, pain and love, fall gently from our faces, we cry life. And as we do so, we get closer to all that is. It was written that rain is the tears of God.

PT- I wish it would stop raining!! I think we might be driving through a tornado! Does the sky look green to you, or is it pink? What’s the color of the sky before a tornado hits?

PR- The sun is setting, that’s why it’s that color.

PT- No, there were already 7 tornadoes today or was it 7 states that a tornado hit, anyways, It’s making me anxious. I need music, is the cd player working? I swear if you work I’ll write a song for you CD player!

[[Turns on cd player. Amy Winehouse is playing]]

PT-

[[Ode To my CD Player]]
I made a promise I had to keep
cuz without my cds, I’m in some real heat.
Please! Please! I begged and cried.
You must work, music is my lifeline.
I can’t go back to cali, cali
without my biggie smalls and E.I. Nelly.
You do your best, even when it’s hard
to keep me occupied, when I’m traveling far.
I know I push you to the limit
even though you try and act timid.
You the best, baby!
Please keep playing for me!
You got the goods to share
that’s why I love you my cd player!!

[[FT and FR reappear]]

FR- Yeah, that cd player is gonna get you all the way to LA, although there will be some iffy moments. But, that’s why it’s always good to have a paper and pen.

[[Interior of car, PT reads to PR, flustered:]]

[[Yes, because once again we have fallen victim to technology. Memory is full on both voice recorder and camcorder. So see the most reliable is the pen and the pad/ and it’s so sad/ that the youth of today/ don’t follow the way/ of such a beautiful art/ the pen—extension of hand and heart/ like a continuous flow/ where no never means no/ a stream of conscious plays/ in the moonlight’s rays/ a singin lark/ in a daylight’s dark/ and a frog catches a princess’ heart/ Allow us to be free/ from mental captivity/ when there’s no barrier/ between mind and time / and what can occur?/ time as it were?/ or forever will be/ to me/ on the blank white/ that is now filled with a different light/ the mighty mighty pen/ can be your best friend/ no matter what befalls or you move towards/ your written word can be your sword.]]

[[FT and FR reappear]]

FT- Can you believe that we’re in LA?I remember when we thinking about it on our way to the Grand Canyon. Oh yeah, the Grand Canyon is way more beautiful than any of those pictures you see on postcards. It’s…you’ll see.

FR- I remember too. And it was on our way there that we had a revelation.

[[Cut to car with PR and PT]]

PR- So what do you want from this trip? [[Holding voice recorder to PT]]

PT- I want to experience the whole country. People, the environment, everything. I want to see where other people are coming from. I want to clear my head, sit and talk about what this new episode of life is. Driving has really allowed us to talk things through and also allowed me to come to terms with leaving. Leaving was such a big step that this trip—driving across country has allowed me to see the magnitude of this decision and it’s beautiful. I appreciate the opportunities we have more because we’re doing this. Some people can’t, some people don’t. I’m hoping that I can utilize…this is a very brave thing to do and we’re following through. I feel like I’m really living life. The future resides in me—in my hands. What about you?

PR- I think that this trip is going to allow me the peace of mind that I’ve needed for so long. It’s also like you said: it’s a way to deal with the decision that I’ve made. I’ve wanted to leave home since my senior year of H.S. but I never did. Maybe I wasn’t ready. Now I get the opportunity to test myself. For me, this trip has been a meditation on my life, the choices I’ve made and am making. It’s a way for me to reflect on my past and be somewhat of a fortune-teller. If you can see your past, you can read your future. I’m hoping that I can stay open and stay willing to try.

PT- Baby look. Look at the sun, it’s setting.

PR- Look at those colors! They’re setting the sky on fire. No matter how we try to document nature, it’s too much. We can’t capture this spirit out here. I’m going to strongly recommend everyone take this trip. People fail to see the beauty where [[they]] live. This spirit.

PT- I can’t even describe the extent of what I feel as I look around us. It’s breathtaking. My heart is melting. This is something I only thought was imagined by artists and painters. This is definitely one of God’s masterpieces.

[[Cut back to sunny SoCal]]

FT – I’d do the trip again. In fact, I’m just waiting for someone to ask me to drive with them.

FR- We’re definitely getting a RV. I heard you could rent one. Our next journey? How you feel about Mexico? But seriously, yall don’t need to be scared about this trip or leaving home.

FT- You’ll have plenty of time to get the clarity you’re looking for while on the road. Believe me.

FR- Oh, and don’t think that there aren’t great things awaiting you in LA.

FT- ‘Cause there are, so on that note, we’re signing off. This is Tiff.

FR- And Roy

FT- We’re out! (don’t forget febreeze)

FR- (and snacks)

“I ain’t play the hand I was dealt- I changed my cards- I prayed to the skies-and I changed my stars”
– Kanye West