NOT THE RIGHTEOUS.

By

Frazer Williamson.

A Play in Three Acts.

ACT ONE.

Scene One.

[A room in the middle-classHome of the WHITETHORN Family. The curtain rises on RODNEY and EDNA WHITETHORNAnd eighteen year old Daughter KAREN. They have Just come from church.]

EDNA: If I have to suffer through yet another of our Rector’s boring sermons, I shall scream.

RODNEY: That might have the effect of waking up the rest of the congregation.

KAREN: It was not boring. In fact it was quite challenging.

EDNA: I can’t say that I felt challenged. Were you Rodney?

RODNEY: Challenged? No, but it was interesting as an academic exercise.

KAREN: The Gospel of Christ and salvation is more than an academic exercise, Dad.

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EDNA: Anyway I found it neither challenging nor stimulating as an academic exercise and as far as our salvation is concerned we are faithful church-goers. Which is more than I can say for your sister Maria who should have been with us. Rodney you should have insisted that she come with us.

RODNEY: She’s completely rebellious and won’t do a thing she’s told to.

EDNA: She has to be made to toe the line.

RODNEY: I take it you were as successful as me in making her toe the line.

EDNA: She exasperates me so! Thirteen years of age and she thinks she knows it all.

RODNEY: I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s a phase she’s going through. She’ll get over it and we’ll survive.

EDNA: I don’t remember you going through such a stage, Karen. Why was that?

KAREN: It’s because I don’t belong to you.

EDNA: Oh, don’t be childish. Of course you belong to us.

KAREN: Not since I was eleven. That was when I gave myself to Christ Jesus, and he instructed me to honour my father and mother.

RODNEY: Quite right too! Maria has no respect for us.

EDNA: There were times when you didn’t do what I told you to, Karen.

KAREN: True, but those things you wanted me to do where not things Jesus would have me do. They would not have glorified God if I had done them.

EDNA: Those were times when you appealed to your father and he took your side.

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RODNEY: I did what I thought was reasonable. If Maria started going to church again I think it would help. Any ideas, Karen?

KAREN: We could try and remove the stumbling block.

EDNA: And what might that be?

KAREN: You and Dad.

EDNA: Us! How can it be us? We want her to go to church.

KAREN: It’s the way that you treat her. You provoke her to anger and that’s part of the reason she doesn’t go to church. You discourage her rather than encourage her.

RODNEY: Hmm, interesting. What’s the other part of the reason?

KAREN: I am not being disrespectful when I say this to you. Maria sees and hears what you say and do in church and she puts two-and-two together and she comes up with the strong belief that you are social climbers and do not believe in God.

EDNA: How do you know all this?

KAREN: Maria told me. She says you say the creed and you take communion and you don’t really believe in what you are doing.

EDNA: And I suppose you agree with her?

KAREN: I don’t know. God only knows what you think and believe. I make no judgement.

EDNA: Well, it seems that that Madam upstairs has judged us. How dare she! Your father is Secretary to the Select Vestry and I am Chair of the Mother’s Union. We are Christians like everybody else who attends Saint Bernard’s. And I suppose she’s been up there all morning on that computer surfing the internet instead of attending to her duties to the church. I’m going up now to her and I’ll give her a piece of my mind.

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RODNEY: Try to keep calm, Edna. Don’t work yourself up

EDNA: What would you know?

RODNEY: I know you should think carefully about what you should say to Maria. Karen’s right you do make her angry, (pause) sometimes.

EDNA: She’ll learn to obey me or know the reason why!

RODNEY: Is that wise? Don’t do anything hasty.

EDNA: What would you know? (EDNA exits)

RODNEY: No good will come of such ill considered action. I’ve often found your mother unreasonable.

KAREN: And you’ve always wanted a quiet life.

RODNEY: It not what I got.

EDNA: (entering) She’s not there. She’s taken herself out, after me telling her not to. Just wait until she comes back.

[End of Scene One)

Scene Two.

[A disordered room in a Disordered house. In frontOf a computer sits ALBERTBLACKWELL. He switches the Computer off and leaves his Seat, speaking his thoughts.]

ALBERT: That’s it done. Shouldn’t have been done, but it is done. Young Maria will be coming to meet me. If only I had someone to explain to me why it is that I am capable of knowing and doing that which is good and beautiful while at the same time I am I

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am also capable of thinking and doing that which is evil and ugly. The more conscious I am of that which is beautiful and good the more deeply I sink into depraved thinking. No-one has any idea how much it takes out of me to fight against the evil and to do good. I am forty and ugly. I shouldn’t be going to meet a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. Thoughts excite me and leave me trembling. They give me enjoyment and commit me to loathsome action. Are you going to take a life Albert? You don’t want to. And yet you have to look out for yourself. You don’t want to be caught and punished. Call it off. Don’t go! Stay here. But if I stay here I’ll be alone, and who will love me? Touch me? I’m bitter and if I don’t meet her I’ll get more and more bitter. I’m a tormented man and I need someone to ease my torment and take away my shame. I’m ashamed of myself for I am a worm. I’ve lived forty years as an intelligent worm and watched the success of a procession of fools. Life sickens me. Why should I want to live in this loveless state any longer?. It would be pointless just like everything else is pointless in this absurd world. So, here I go; out to meet this lovely young Maria. (Exits)

CURTAIN.

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ACT TWO

[The stage is divided in two.On the left is a room in the Whitethorn family home with RODNEY, EDNA, and KAREN.On the right is a prison cell With ALBERT BLACKWELL.Although the cell is darkened ALBERTCan be seen dimly getting up, pacing, Lying down on his bunk or sitting inThe chair. The curtain rises on the Whitethorn family.]

RODNEY: The worst is over.

EDNA: It isn’t over! How can it be over? It’s just continuing.

RODNEY: Edna, I said it before and I’ll say it again, we’ve got to put all this behind us and move on. It’s the only thing we can do. What do you say Karen?

EDNA: You ask her because you know she’ll agree with you.

RODNEY: She’ll agree because it is the rational and sensible thing to do. Karen, you know I’m right. We’ve got to wipe this thing from our minds.

KAREN: It is something that will always be in our minds, but it must be dealt with properly.

EDNA: She’s right. I’ll never get out of my head what that pervert did to my poor Maria. And then to plead ‘not guilty’ in the face of all the evidence and put us through all the trauma of that horrible court case where his defence lawyer treated us like criminals. The gall of the man to suggest that Maria was an unhappy teenager and that we were neglectful parents responsible for her unhappiness.

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RODNEY: For goodness sake Edna, what good does it do to get all worked up again? What you said to the Media was enough. Let it rest at that.

EDNA: I didn’t say half enough.

RODNEY: Far too much in my opinion.

EDNA: Who asked for your opinion? I meant what I said. I truly hope that while he rots in jail he will be treated with the same brutality that he inflicted upon Maria.

KAREN: You’d have been better not saying that to the Press. They’ll have a field day showing that Christians are no different from the rest of the world when it comes to vengeance. We should be different and be seen to be different.

EDNA: It’s your mother you’re talking to. Remind her, Rodney, that I’m her mother.

RODNEY: Karen knows who you are, Edna. She also knows that your grief for Maria carried you away.

EDNA: I did not get carried away. I said what had to be said and if you had not been so lily-livered you would have said it.

[ALBERT’S cell becomes a A shade lighter and three men Enter and give ALBERT a beatingDuring the ensuing dialogue.]

RODNEY: There was just no point in saying anything if you think about it. What happened to Maria had to happen. It was her fate to be murdered by Blackwell, just as it was Blackwell’s fate to murder her, and our fate to suffer through the consequences. We have to accept that.

KAREN: I don’t accept that. It could have been otherwise. Maria could have stayed home and Mr. Blackwell could have chosen not to kill her. Everybody has free will.

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EDNA: Listen to her! Calling that brute Mr. Blackwell. And that’s another thing: you’ve no idea how embarrassed I was when Celia Burroughs told me at the Mother’s Union meeting that you had the temerity at the prayer meeting to pray aloud for the soul of that animal to be saved.

KAREN: He’s not an animal. He’s a human being. Why should you be embarrassed? You should have been there and if you had had the right Spirit, that prayer for Mr. Blackwell should have come from your heart as well as mine.

EDNA: (to RODNEY) I suppose she wants me to forgive him?

KAREN: If you really believed in God you would trust Him and obey Him.

EDNA: I believe that there is a God.

KAREN: Believing that there is a God is not the same as believing in God. You believe that there is a God but you do not want Him to interfere with the way you live. If you believed in God you would forgive Mr. Blackwell even you’d struggle to do so.

EDNA: Never! I shall never forgive him. Never!

KAREN: Oh, mother, please take care, for when you die and judgement comes you will be forgiven according to the way you forgave those who sinned against you. Please don’t cultivate unforgivenes.

EDNA: I’ll be damned if I’ll grant that foul fiend forgiveness. I don’t understand you, Karen, you’d rather see him in heaven than me.

KAREN: I’d like you both to be in heaven. You need to ask God to forgive you for what you said.

EDNA: You’re out of your mind if you think I’d want to spend an eternity with such a brute. He’s been sentenced to life imprisonment and I’m going to see that life does mean life and

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that no liberal thinking will free him before he dies within prison walls.

KAREN: That’s so vindictive. Why waste your life on that?

EDNA: My life won’t be wasted, I’ve negotiated a substantial sum from one of the national newspapers to tell our side of things, and also with a film company who want to make a documentary about Maria’s life.

RODNEY: You never said anything about this. Why bring it all up again?

EDNA: Because it will give the lie to everything his horrid little lawyer said about us.

RODNEY: How much money are we talking about?

EDNA: From both, three quarters of a million. I expect you both to co-operate with these people.

RODNEY: What will be will be.

EDNA: Karen? There will be enough to see you through University without getting into student debt. You’ll be able to pay your way. You’d better co-operate. It’s to your advantage.

KAREN: I’m not so sure. I’ll pray about it.

[The three men finish and Go leaving ALBERT unconsciousIn his cell.]

CURTAIN.

ACT THREE.

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Scene One.

[The curtain rises on a roomIn the prison. THREE PRISONERSSit at one side of a table. A chair atThe other side is empty. Two guardsStand each side of the door throughWhich KAREN enters with a femaleGuard who takes position beside one of The other guards. KAREN sits in the chair.The PRISONERS regard her salacious Looks then grin at each other. ]

1st PRISONER: A bit of what you fancy.

2nd PRISONER: Does you good.

3rd PRISONER: You come to do us good girl?

KAREN: I hope so. I have permission to speak with you and I have fifteen minutes to say what I want to say. You know who I am?

1st PRISONER: You’re that poor wee girl’s sister that that pig Blackwell murdered, and I reckon you’re here to thank us for what we did to him.

KAREN: I’m not here to thank you for what you did to Mr. Blackwell. He is a human being and not a pig, and what you did to him was wrong. I’m here to ask you to leave Mr. Blackwell alone. What was done to him must never be done again.

2nd PRISONER: We only did what your family wanted. Your mother wanted him treated with the same brutality that he dished out to your sister.

KAREN: My mother was wrong to say what she said, and she was not speaking for all of the family. Mr. Blackwell should not have been harmed.

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3rd PRISONER: Aw, come on girl, get real. Blackwell deserved what he got.

KAREN: Who gave you the right to do what you did?

3rd PRISONER: When your mother said what she said on Television she gave us the go ahead.

KAREN: She did no such thing.

1st PRISONER: When we heard Blackwell was coming here we drew lots to see who would do it. We won the draw. It was a pleasure to do what we did to that pervert even though we got and extra two years and lost any chance of parole.

KAREN: I come to you in the name of Christ Jesus. In the eyes of God what you did to Mr. Blackwell was every bit as bad as what he did to my sister.

2nd PRISONER: You’re going to tell us we’re all sinners. The Sky Pilot here tells us the same thing but he’s as daft as you are. There ain’t no pie in the sky when you die, and there ain’t no hell at the bottom of the well. Go home girl and be thankful hat we gave your family justice. We might be sinners but compared to Blackwell we’re saints.

KAREN: There are no degrees of sin. Sin is sin no matter how small or great. You’ve heard that God sent His Son into the world to save the likes of us. Repent of your sins and accept that He died on the cross at Calvary to Save you from an everlasting imprisonment in Hell.

3rd PRISONER: We’re used to being banged up.

KAREN: Alone and in darkness without the least glimmer of light? I don’t think so. I commit you into the hands of the living God for His justice. And in the name of Christ Jesus do no more harm to Mr. Blackwell.

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1st PRISONER: If he comes back here he’ll get worse. In fact if he goes anywhere he’ll get worse. When you get home, thank your mother and tell here there is no charge.

Scene Two.

[The WHITETHORN family home.EDNA and RODNEY who is reading A newspaper.]

EDNA: She’s not co-operating with the reporters?

RODNEY: I take it you are referring to Karen? I thought she was co-operating. Non-co-operation would mean that she would not agree to be interviewed.

EDNA: You know very well what I mean. She’s showing absolutely no loyalty to me. I’m trying to wipe out the slurs on the family and build up the charity in Maria’s name. We need the Media’s money for that.

RODNEY: You think she’s being disloyal because she isn’t saying the things you want her to say.

EDNA: Her opinions are giving the impression that what Blackwell’s lawyer said about us was true. ( RODNEY does not respond, goes on reading his newspaper) Are you listening, Rodney?

RODNEY: I heard what you said.

EDNA: Is that all you have to say?

RODNEY: What more is there to say?

EDNA: When I think about it, you haven’t been much help with the media.

RODNEY: I suppose you’re right.

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EDNA: Of course I’m right. And you’d better change your tune and be more helpful. You can start by backing me up when I put Karen straight.

RODNEY: Karen’s opinions are Christian. Ever think that it might be you that’s crooked?

EDNA: What do you mean?

RODNEY: You’re not straight and you want Karen to be as crooked as you.

EDNA: How dare you! How dare you say that!

RODNEY: I’m not being daring, just honest. You and I, Edna, we go to church but we’re not Christians. We’re crypto-atheists.

EDNA: Speak for yourself. I am a good person. A good Christian.

RODNEY: Speaking for myself, and God knowing my thoughts I am certainly not, with my thinking, a candidate for Heaven.

EDNA: It wouldn’t surprise me if you were a candidate for the other place, but my destination is Heaven.

RODNEY: If you say so. I certainly hope so.

EDNA: That was a horrible thing to say. To suggest I might not get to Heaven. No, as far as I am concerned my righteousness is greater than many others and is therefore beyond dispute.

RODNEY: In that case you can face the truth. When she was alive you never liked Maria. You were always at loggerheads with her. You never loved her and you did make her unhappy. When she was murdered and was no longer a threat to your authority you made her into a saint and presented her as the perfect daughter who never gave you a moment’s bother or anxiety or resistance.

EDNA: How blind can you be? Why can’t you see that she was a happy girl?

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RODNEY: Because she wasn’t. And I failed to alleviate her unhappiness and sadness.

EDNA: When have you ever been successful at anything?

RODNEY: Certainly not since I married you. Anyway, since you’ve made a saint of Maria, I think you’re wrong to transfer all the vitriol you had towards her unto Karen.

EDNA: If that’s what you think…

RODNEY: That’s what I think.

EDNA: You think I held you back all these years? You think I’m responsible for your lack of achievement?

RODNEY: No, I’m responsible for that. I just gave up in the face of your importuning for all your wants rather than the need of this family. We began to compete you and I for our own selfish ends.

EDNA: I sweated blood for this family.

RODNEY: You sweated blood trying to dominate this family and with me you succeeded.

EDNA: This family needed leadership and you were no leader.

RODNEY: It never suited your purposes to follow my lead. (a door is heard opening and closing off stage) That must be Karen.

[KAREN enters]

EDNA: And where have you been?

KAREN: I’ve been to the prison talking with the three men who harmed Mr. Blackwell.

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EDNA: And I suppose you gave a press conference afterwards. I do wish you would stop referring to him in that manner.

KAREN: Mr. Blackwell was very badly beaten. In fact they almost killed him.

EDNA: I’m glad they didn’t for now he can suffer more. The more he suffers the better I like it.

RODNEY: I think you’ve said enough, Edna.

EDNA: Oh, be quiet, Rodney. That animal took little Maria’s life and she, (pointing to KAREN) she forgave him. I suppose you tried to convert these men.

KAREN: They didn’t want to know. All I could do was to commit them into the hands of God.

EDNA: What did you expect from such people?

KAREN: Like us they are made in God’s image. They think, they feel, and they act. They sent you their regards.

EDNA: Why should they do that?

KAREN: They saw and heard what you said on television that you wanted Mr. Blackwell treated with the same brutality as he treated Maria. As far as they were concerned you sanctioned what they did. They said to thank you and there would be no charge for their services, and that when Mr. Blackwell recovers they will do for you again what they did before.

RODNEY: Good Heavens, Edna! What have you done? I should have stopped you saying those things. Now look what’s happened because you did.

EDNA: I didn’t ask them to do what they did. I’m not to blame. They are.

RODNEY: You’ll have to go and see these men and tell them to stop.

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EDNA: No! I’ll not do that. Let the swine suffer!

KAREN: Mother! Please! Please have a concern for your soul.

Scene Three.

[ALBERT BLACKWELLIn isolation from the other Prisoners. He shows signs ofA bad beating and moves aroundHis cell painfully.]

ALBERT: They’ll give me another beating if they get the chance, which is why I’m being kept by myself. They take me to exercise when the others are locked up. Some of the guards are ill disposed towards me. They throw my food at me and are delighted when it spills on the floor. The best time was when I was in that coma. Coming out of it was painful. I could hear someone reading to me, saying things that got under my wormy skin. Thing’s like:

“I’m the prison Chaplain, John Stone, Mr. Blackwell. I’ll be here each day to pray for the salvation of your soul and to read to you from the scriptures about our Saviour Jesus Christ who loves you.”

Well, at that time I knew that everybody hated me and thought he was talking through his hat. But he went on:

“I have a message for you from Miss Whitethorn, Karen, the sister of Maria whom you murdered. She forgives you Mr. Blackwell. She wanted to come and sit with you praying and reading but the authorities would not permit her to do that. They were afraid she would turn off your life support machinery. Instead she came to me and I am letting you know that she is praying for you. Karen wants to see you in Heaven, Mr. Blackwell.”

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And her mother, I thought, wants to see me in Hell, for those who beat me told me what she said. They made it quite clear that they were her agents.I could not understand why this Karen wanted to see me in Heaven. She also wanted me to be sorry for what I had done to Maria and to turn to God. For forty years I had lived with no awareness of God.All the time I was in that coma the Chaplain was there praying and reading to me from the Christian scriptures. I’ll say this there were times when it brought tears to my eyes for it made me realize my need for a love that was pure and inviolate.Maria seemed so young and pure but in killing her I violated love. I felt compelled to do it. It was as if I had no defence against that compulsion. There was no strength within me to resist. I knew I should but I did not. My own soul was helpless. I would have needed then a strength greater than mine.Coming towards consciousness I began to pray along with the Chaplain. When he read to me:

“And God said, when you spread forth your hands I will hide my eyes from you, yes, when you make many prayers I will not hear for your hands are full of blood.”

That was when a nurse noticed tears in my eyes and tried to rouse me to full consciousness. The Chaplain read on:

“Wash yourself, make yourself clean, put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes and cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek judgement. Come now, let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool. If you are willing you shall have the good, but if you refuse and rebel you shall be devoured.”

There were other readings but that one had a profound effect upon me. It gave me hope that it was just possible that there was a God, and that, even if every other human being hated me, He did not.That which brought me to consciousness was what happened to another murderer on the road to Damascus and then went on to

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serve Jesus Christ who was God come to earth to die on a cross to take away the sins of the world. On hearing the Chaplain read:

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

I gave a sob and cried out that Jesus Christ is Lord and that I had sinned against heaven in the sight of God. God forgive me I had no earthly justification for what I did to Maria.Since then, a great peace is with me and though I am in solitude I am no longer alone. Nor do I fear those who can kill my body or make me suffer for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep my soul committed to Him until Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead.

I sent word by the Chaplain to thank Karen for her forgiveness and prayers and that I will be waiting to meet with her in Heaven. I pray each day for Mrs. Whitethorn whom I have forgiven for her words made public whose rancour towards me is as great as ever. May God create in her a clean heart before it is too late.

CURTAIN.

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