The Maruca Man

A One-Man Play by David J. Lynch

CHARACTER NAME BRIEF DESCRIPTION AGE GENDER
MAN 37 Male
WOMAN 30's Female
MRS 30's Female
SCENE ONE.
MANS residence. A table is set onstage with a ragged
tablecloth and a few chairs around it. Besides this, the
stage is bare. WOMAN enters, wearing all white. She
examines the room for a few beats. She encircles the
vicinity, looking quite blissful, and then she sits down.
She smiles. MAN enters wearing a suit and carrying a
briefcase. He is staring at his feet, rapidly pacing and
rushing in. When in the room, he takes a glance upwards.
He sees WOMAN. He pauses.
(A beat.)
WOMAN
Hi.
(MAN drops his briefcase. He is shocked.)
MAN
How did you--
WOMAN
Im here.
(MAN steps towards her. He is a bit
uncommitted to WOMAN.)
MAN
From?
WOMAN
Upstairs.
MAN
Staying?
WOMAN
Just for a few minutes. Its odd, you know, the way I live now. Well, not living. More...
experiencing. Thats a good way to put it, I guess. Experiencing. Its not the way we lived.
(MAN places his briefcase onto the table.)
MAN
Wouldnt think so.
WOMAN
Things have really changed here, havent they? I dont remember much of this. Come to
think of it, I dont remember anything.
MAN
Its different.
WOMAN
New wallpaper?
MAN
You get used to it.
WOMAN
Dark gray? Reminds me of hell...
MAN
Have you seen hell?
WOMAN
Only a few times.
MAN
Right.
WOMAN
Hey... I miss you.
(MAN acknowledges the comment.)
Whats with the suit?
MAN
New jobs.
WOMAN
Ive never seen you wear a suit before. You look like one of those James Bond guys.
Except, you dont have an atomic rifle. And you dont commit murder..... Remember when
wed watch those movies? Wed lie on the couch, youd hold my hand for a bit.... My life
aint like that now you know....
MAN
That was a while ago.
2.
WOMAN
Not really! Only 7 years.
MAN
9 years.
WOMAN
Right, 9 years. Well, 7 is pretty close to 9. You just add 2. What can change in 2 years
anyway? You just become older. How old are you now again?
MAN
37.
WOMAN
I lost my age count.
MAN
Youd be 35.... 36 in a month.
WOMAN
You remembered that?
MAN
Well, your birthdays the same day the second Star Trek came out. June 4th, 1982.
WOMAN
Yeah.... yeah, I kind of remember that.
MAN
I know I do.
WOMAN
But all that matters is that Im here, with you.
MAN
Yeah.
WOMAN
Did you miss me?
MAN
Yeah.
WOMAN
I missed you. I was walking around a bit and I noticed it was different. Now that Im back,
I thought we could change some things, you know, just to make it a little more... warm.
3.
MAN
I--
(She begins to walk around the house and
point towards specific areas [since there are
no set pieces involved].)
WOMAN
See, this painting right here. Its too boring. And this... this... what even is this?
MAN
Its... its a lamp.
WOMAN
I know its a lamp, but its a damn shame of a lamp. Its just black, where is your sense of
imagination or like creativity? Dont you want color in this house-- dont you want color in
your life?
MAN
More than you know.
WOMAN
Then lets start the renovations. Ill call Woman tomorrow and--
MAN
What are you doing?
WOMAN
Redecorating our house!
MAN
Its not your house anymore. Its mine and... Its my house.
WOMAN
I still have legal rights over this house.
MAN
No, you dont, actually. Thats what a will is for.
WOMAN
I never made a will!
MAN
You died out of the blue; we had to make one for you.
4.
WOMAN
So who got the house?
MAN
Me.
(A beat.)
WOMAN
But what if... What if I came back?
MAN
You cant.
WOMAN
Well, maybe I can runaway from heaven and finish those plans. And Ill just stay. We can
share this house, and we can be together again! Just like old times. We can finally live to be
that old couple I always dreamed of. Well retire together. We could start a family. We can
raise children together and we can live a perfect life. We can be perfect.
MAN
Perfect... but you cant stay here.
WOMAN
What do you mean?
(Abruptly MRS enters. She is seen in sweat
clothes and seems a bit distressed.)
MRS
Hes been crying all day.
WOMAN
Whos that?
MAN
(ignoring WOMAN)
Try the pacifier.
MRS
Screw it. How was work?
MAN
The beauty of tax lawyering.....
5.
WOMAN
Youre a tax lawyer?
MRS
Dont complain about your day.
MAN
Is it a competition now?
MRS
No, no, honey.... Its just.... Im sorry. Im stressed out, you know that.
MAN
But, hey! I got an interview over at that school I was looking at.
MRS
(very disinterested)
Oh, right. That school....
MAN
I hear theyre even looking for a music teacher! Man told me.
WOMAN
You always did like music.
MRS
Um, yeah, thats... thats great. Good for you.
MAN
Is something wrong?
MRS
No, its just that.... nevermind. I should go back to the baby now. Glad you had a good
day.
(MRS runs offstage.)
WOMAN
Who was that?
MAN
My wife.
6.
WOMAN
Youre... remarried?
(He nods.)
I thought you loved me.
MAN
I did love you.
WOMAN
But now you love her.
MAN
I was lonely.
WOMAN
We have something.
MAN
Had something.
WOMAN
You would tell me you loved me every night, but that didnt mean anything, did it?
MAN
Of course it meant something.
WOMAN
You dont love me anymore?
MAN
Youre dead.
(A beat.)
WOMAN
And the baby?
MAN
What about him?
WOMAN
How old is he?
MAN
Almost 4 months.
7.
WOMAN
And his name?
MAN
Boy.
WOMAN
Your life is perfect now.
MAN
Youd think that.
WOMAN
Why isnt it? Youve got a beautiful wife, a new baby boy; Im just a memory of the past
now-- some chick on a photo.
MAN
Thats not true.
WOMAN
Isnt it?
(MRS re-enters. She stands directly in front
of WOMAN.)
MRS
Listen, I need to tell you what I think, as someone who loves us and cares about you.
WOMAN
(to MAN)
Can I introduce myself to her?
MAN
Yes?
(WOMAN crosses in front of MRS and
sticks out a hand, which MRS ignores
because she cant see WOMAN.)
WOMAN
Hi, Im his ex-wife. Well, not really ex
saying as we never formally got a divorce,
but I got hit by a truck and apparently that
means you can get re-married, so here I
am...
MRS
(talking over WOMAN)
You need to rethink that interview.
8.
MAN
I need to rethink the interview?!?
WOMAN
I was talking to you!
(MRS walks past WOMAN, hitting her.)
MRS
Its great that you have such a fantastic interest in music and helping kids, but with--
MAN
But what? You know how much Ive wanted this job.
MRS
Honey, how much does this job pay?
MAN
You cant--
MRS
Tell me. Just say it.
(A beat.)
WOMAN
Follow your heart.
MAN
Honey, I hate my job right now. I dread waking up every morning. Its terrible. Do you
know how great it would be if I could wake up every day and smile? Wake up and enjoy
my life?
MRS
(offended)
I wake up right next to you every one of those terrible days.
MAN
I, I didnt mean it like that.... Hey, if I get the job, you can start working again!
MRS
Oh, Im not going back to work.
WOMAN
What does she mean?
9.
MAN
Well need the money!
MRS
Exactly.
(A beat.)
Think about me. With this tax lawyering job, sure youre not living like a prince, but it
really isnt that bad. With the money you make, I can buy new clothes, I can go new places,
I can add more gray walls onto the house, I can paint the entire damn house gray for all I
care! And what about our son? One day hell be heading off to college and you expect a
music teacher salary to pay for that? No, you cant.
MAN
Do you understand how terrible my job is?
MRS AND WOMAN
When you love someone,
MRS
Youll do anything to be with them. You love me, dont you?
MAN
Yes.
MRS
Then you know what to do.
(A pause.)
MAN
Ill call Woman tomorrow and cancel the interview.
(MAN gives MRS a kiss.)
I love you.
(She smiles, and begins to walk away.)
I mean it.
MRS
I love you too.
(MRS exits.)
WOMAN
What about everything we had here?
10.
MAN
Cant you see its all gone?
WOMAN
It doesnt have to be!
MAN
What do you want me to say?
WOMAN
I want you to tell me you love me; I want you to tell me that you missed me!
MAN
I cried for weeks after you died. Not even weeks, I cried for months! I kept praying and
hoping that youd come back to me, that there would be some way you could just appear
and we could keep living the way we did. I had hope in that. I didnt stop loving you. I
thought that strong love we shared couldnt be broken by death. But then I realized I
couldnt keep living with that mind-set. How was I supposed to live the rest of my life
holding onto a bond with someone I was never going to see again? Did you expect me to
meet you again? Did I think you were going to come back? No, I didnt.
WOMAN
But Im here.
MAN
And thats the worst part. I still love you.
(very forced)
But as you can clearly see, I also love my wife now. Shes the one who brought light to my
life after you died. She showed me that maybe its okay to..... love somebody else. All
those dreams we wanted I can share with her now. Im happy. And I cant leave her.
WOMAN
I understand.
(MRS slowly enters.)
MAN
So, I do miss you. And I do love you. I love you more than you probably love me. I love
you so much that it kills me. All I can think about is you. I can try and try to stop, but you
never leave my mind. And, yeah, Im so happy I get to see you. But Im never going to see
you again. So, this is it.
11.
MRS
Honey, who are you talking to?
(A pause. No response. She puts her hand on
his shoulder in a soft embrace and exits.)
WOMAN
(a bit depressed)
Right. Love you.
MAN
I really wish we could be together.
WOMAN
Me too.
MAN
I miss you.
WOMAN
I have to go back soon. Dont want the big guy getting angry. Its not good when he gets
angry.
MAN
Stay here for another minute or two. Please.
WOMAN
See you soon.
(WOMAN crosses to the table. She stops to
take a moment to look at his briefcase. She
looks down at it, looks back up and
continues her way offstage.)
MAN
See you soon.
(MAN takes a stride around the room. He
begins to quicken his pace, deeply breathing
and slowly descending into madness. He
pulls himself into one of the chairs around
the table. He takes a deep breath and looks
around. He reaches his hand into his
briefcase.)
Love cannot be broken nor traced. Love will never leave.
12.
When you love someone, youll do anything to be with them.
(The lights dim. Gunshot. Blackout.)
END.

13.