The gift
Commentary:
Friends, its 24th December 1949 - 8.30 in the morning.
And we welcome you to this sweet home of Mr. ∧ Mrs. James Dillingham Young???????????..
�Or???????????
?Jim? and ?Della?.
?Jim? and ?Della? - A couple in their early twenties ? living a life full of sobs, sniffles, struggles and smiles. This moderately educated duo is finding it difficult to earn enough to live a luxurious life. Their biggest challenge is to manage 8 dollars of monthly rent to pay to their Scottish landlady Mrs. McBride.�
However, what we are going to see now has nothing to do with the poverty, education or mundane struggle of a middle-class life. The story that we are going to see is about Jim ? about Della ? about me ? about you ? about all of us.
This is a story of everyone who is in love, or has ever been in love in his or her life. Let us proceed.
Curtain is lifted?
After the curtain is lifted gradually light will be spread across the stage, and comes in sight a living room of a lower middle-class family. In the center, there is a small table with two little bamboo settees on both the sides. There is an empty flower-vase on the table. Next to the flower-vase, there are some old magazines and a couple of newspapers. There is a small sofa behind the small table. In the background, there is a medium-sized face-mirror on the wall. There is a window on the right of the mirror. Above the window there is a wall-clock. On the left of the mirror a calendar of old style is hanging. The calendar shows the date, 24th December.� On the right of the mirror, some faded painting is stuck on the wall. It should look like an unsuccessful attempt at giving an aesthetic image to the room.� In the corner, there is another table of a bigger size. On the table some old books and clothes are lying. On the same table, there is a big-size radio of old style. In stead of a radio even a Gramophone would do. On the right hand side of the a wall there is hanging a name-plate on which the name ?James Dillingham Young?has been engraved in golden color.��
Scene - I
Jim ? a moderately built young man is seen on the stage rushing from left to right, searching for something beneath the table, settees and sofa.� His face is a typical one showing the transition from a ?boy to man?. He has put on a white office-shirt and a black trouser. None of his clothes has been ironed. He is neither too disheveled like an urchin, nor he is too sophisticated. Yet, he is pleasantly presentable.
From the same direction comes Della - a young lady with a tray and two cups of tea/coffee in hand. Dressed in a domestic dress and white apron, she looks as beautiful as a young housewife can look. She has long conspicuously tied beautiful hair and an expressive face. A stray lock of hair dangling on her face makes her look more attractive. She is watching Jim desperately searching for something.� She puts the tray on the small table and sits on the settee.
Della : what is it Jimmy? What are you searching for?
Jim : obviously, I am searching for my coat. Where has it gone?
D : I think you put it on that table last night. Just see there.
J : I did. Its not there.
D : did you see beneath? It might have fallen down ?
J : (sits on the floor near table and looks beneath the table) oh yes! Here it is. (takes the coat out..)
D : you might not have put it properly?
J : (looks at coat and cajoles it, and speaks as if pampering a child) oh dear. Did I hurt you? I am so sorry! (kisses the coat)
D : how many times a day do you kiss that old coat?
J : (sitting on the sofa) don?t you call it ?old?. Do you know it is my Grandpa?s gift to me.
J : (pulling the socks on and putting on shoes) my grandpa had only 3 tangible assets to give me. This coat, this name plate (shows the name plate in the corner) and this watch.
D : I still don?t understand, why a name plate?
J : (taking the newspaper from the table in hand ? but he just takes it in the hand, does not read it) he had a dream, that some day I will have a big mansion of my own. That?s why he has given this name plate to me to put on the main gate of my mansion. (laughs?) What a dream !!!
D : (stands up and starts walking slowly towards the window, speaks as if lost in thoughts) dreams are like curtains Jimmy. They loom large in front of your eyes and never allow you to see the reality. (shrugs the shoulder and looks back at Jim as if she had regained her consciousness) but I must tell you, his watch is just excellent.
J : (now reading news paper? and sipping the tea) he used to tell me (speaks in a husky voice as if imitating his grandpa) Son! You can buy a timepiece but not the time itself! That is why never be too happy or too sad about your time. Because you are never going to own it. So have fun.
(Looks at the watch again and suddenly becomes serious) before his death, he wanted to buy me a chain for this watch. So that I can put it inside the coat. Nevertheless, his pocket and my fate did not allow him to buy.
(Meanwhile Della is looking out through the window?)
J: (stands up with the newspaper and goes towards her) what are you looking at?
D: can you see those combs dangling outside that cosmetic shop? How nice do they look? They say they are specially made for silky hair. Mrs. McBride showed me two pairs she bought yesterday.
J : do you want them? I will buy you.
D: do you know how much do they cost? 25 $ per pair. We?ll buy when we shift to your mansion.
(takes the tray and empty cups and goes inside)
J : for the first time I saw Della craving for something. She has never complained for anything. She does not demand anything because ??? because she does not want to remind me of my poverty probably. Tomorrow would be the Christmas Day and I am not in a position to assure her any gift. I have never bought anything great for her. I am such a stupid!
D : (Comes in?) who is stupid?
J : nothing? nothing , I was just reading this ad in the newspaper. Really sounds stupid.
D : what?s that?
J : (reads aloud) Mme. Sophronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds. Sell your hair. In order to make original hair-wigs - we purchase hair.� Females only.
D : that really sounds stupid.
J : its not stupid sweetheart! Everyone does not have great hair like you. Wigs are in great demand. If I had long hair, I would have sold it and managed a chain for this watch.
D : (takes a box out from below the table) but right now you manage our residence first.
J : what does that mean?
D : (hands over currency note) on the way you pay this to Mrs. McBride.
J : but why today? Its only 24th. The rent falls due on 31st.
D : she had come yesterday. She said she wants it today because she needs it for Christmas. if we don?t pay, we will be out next month.
J : (with a sigh ? looks upward) oh Grand pa! You taught me how to live, but forgot to teach me, how to survive. (looks at Della) that?s why, living is not a problem for me, but survival definitely is?.
Good Bye sweetheart. (Quits the place)
D : (as soon as he goes, starts counting coins and notes left in the box) oh its hardly one dollar and 87 cents. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day. And I don?t have money to buy even a simple gift for Jimmy. After so many months of efforts to save something, I am left with only this much? Why expenses are always more than our calculation. Had I not lost that job at Pinkerton?s I would have bought something for Jimmy. (starts sobbing)
(while sobbing she stands up and goes up to the mirror. Looks inside the mirror)
(suddenly she turns aside. Her eyes are shining. She is not smiling but looks excited as if she has discovered something. She grabs the newspaper and reads the ad? )
Thirty dollars (she whispers, counts on fingertips, and looks upward as if thanking the Almighty.)
She turns back to the mirror and opens up her hair and looks at them with a smile.
She puts on a jacket and with a whirl of skirts leaves the place
(The lights fade out ) ? curtain falls
Scene ? II
An office-like place. In the right hand corner of the stage there is a table and a chair. Behind the table there is a shelf on which various cosmetic items and a couple of skulls are lying with wigs on them. On the chair, a middle-aged lady is sitting with a brightly made-up face. Della enters from left.
D : excuse me, Mme. Sophronie please!
Sophronie : (Speaks with a heavy French accent )Oui, yes please, what can I do for you?
D : will you buy my hair?
S: (gives a routine smile) I buy hair. Come here, let me have a sight at the looks of it.
(Sophronie touches the beautiful hair of Della)
S : (like a keen observer ? thinks for a while and speaks) I can give you� 20 $ for this.
D : but give it to me quickly !
S : sure madame, do not worry. (hesitates a bit and asks?) should I ask you a personal question ?
D : Please?
S : you look so beautiful in this long hair. Tr�s belle ! why do you wish to sell your hair. just for a few dollars ?
D : who says I am selling my hair Sophronie ? I am simply exchanging it???.
Exchanging it for???
An invaluable Smile?.
S : Tr�s Bien! Come in !
(Both of them go rightward)
Lights fade out gradually?
Scene ? III
Jimmy and Della?s living room again. Della is in front of the mirror. She has a small gift packet in her hand. She is trying to put up a scarf around her skull so that Jimmy cannot immediately recognize what she had done to her hair!
D : I hope he likes me with short hair. but what could I have done with a dollar and eighty cents. When he would see this gold plated chain, he would really be happy. I think he will forgive me for this. I hope he does not say that I look like a truant schoolchild. (Looks upward) Oh God! PLEASE! Make him think I am still pretty! (Della walks across and stands near the corner table)
Enters Jimmy. He looks serious and thin. However, he is smiling. He looks like a winner in an Olympic marathon. Extremely tired but extremely happy.
J : (shouts) Dell ! Dell!
D : Yes Darling !
J : you????! Your??????.hair! (He is almost speechless and looks at Della with eyes wide open.)
D: (starts speaking brusquely as if she has to give an explanation as soon as possible)� Jim Darling ! don?t look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn?t have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. it?ll grow out again. So say ?Merry Christmas? and lets be happy. You don?t know what a nice ? what beautiful gift, I ?ve got for you.
J : (Still expressionless) you cut off your hair?
D : cut it off and sold it. Don?t you like me just the way I am?� Ain?t I me without my hair?
J : (sits on the sofa ? almost throws his body on the sofa) so you sold your hair, for� ?..
D :� for my love ? for you dear ? this was the best I could have done for you???.. please don?t look at me that way.
J : (as if regaining consciousness ? takes Della?s hands ) don?t make any mistake Dell. No haircut, shave or shampoo could make me like my girl any less. But if you unwrap this. (takes a gift pack out of his coat) you will realise why I went awhile at first.
Della quickly unwraps the packet and immediately follows a mixed expression of happiness and tears. There lay combs that she was watching in the morning. All the precious and costly combs. She does not know what to do. She kisses those combs and says?
D : don?t worry ! my hair really grows fast ! (Suddenly gets up to take her gift from the table in the corner) Oh! Oh! Let me show you your gift.
Hands over the gift to Jim and Jim stands up out of excitement unwraps it quickly. Comes out a metal chain.
D : isn?t it cool dear? You can now get rid of your leather belt on your Grandpa'? watch. Attach this chain to it and put it in your coat. Give me your watch, I wish to see how does this look on it.
J : (once again tumbles on the sofa ? still staring at the chain. With mixed expressions of smile and sympathy) Dell! Let?s put these gifts away for time being.� They are too nice to be used at present!
D : what?
J : because to buy combs for you?? I ????.I????.sold my watch.
D : (almost shouts) you sold your watch? You used to cherish it as a treasure.
J : your smile is worth more than any treasure?. (stands up and looks upward) Grandpa ! I am sorry, but you were wrong. Sometimes, by selling a timepiece, you can conquer the Time itself!!!
They hold each others? hands firmly, and laughs?.
J : now can we go into the kitchen and prepare something for Christmas together?
(both of them take the exit? with hands held firmly)
Comes back the commentator?
Commentary:
So friends, this was the story of two emotional kids, unwisely sacrificing their biggest treasures for each other.
But of all who give gifts, these two were the wisest.
Lets peep inside ourselves. A Jim or a Della definitely stays in some corner of our hearts. Lets find them out and make this world a happier place to live????
Curtain.
�
�
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1