(Dedicated to all the mothers who left our world and by their departure; it became devoid of light and peace)
Setting: The scene takes place at a dining room that seems to be open onto the kitchen. It seems dark as electricity is out and the dining room and the apartment overall is lit by candles (evening time, mostly at 8 PM). The dining table is strategically situated in front of the balcony which is open (implying that it is not cold, more like spring time with a nice breeze coming in. The time is April the 3rd; at the height of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Characters:
A mother, whose name is not identified; she is in a wheelchair implying disability; it is not known when this disability occurred.
Son: Hassan, a graduate student who seems to be to be the only son with no other siblings.
Ms. Zahraa: the elderly neighbor and a retired 1st grade teacher
Ali: neighbor’s kid
-Scene-
Hassan: Mum, come on, let’s have dinner
Mother: I don’t want to eat right now; I am not hungry
Hassan: I know, me neither, but you need to take your medication; I know I am not the best cook in the world, but I promise that today’s dinner is something else, it would make you forgive all my transgressions against the culinary arts….
Mother: You know that I love your cooking, you are the best chef in the whole world
Hassan: then prove it and eat with me
Mother: okay, but, the food is cold..
Hassan: Not a problem, I guess that patch has gone cold already, I would fetch us a hot one; I am already leaving the pots on low heat to further the flavor.
(Hassan goes to the stove behind the counter and brings in hot plates, the mother glances at him with a sad contemplating face)
Mother: I don’t know what I would have done without you
Hassan: Come on, you would most likely had a better meal if I wasn’t around; hang in there, I think I am getting better with each failed attempt, but I promise, by the end of this quarantine, I would make you proud of my cooking
Mother: I am already proud of the whole of you, not just your cooking.
Hassan: Ah, then what is my reward?
Mother: whatever you want……
Hassan: First, to smile, I want to see your smile, come on, the electricity is out and I want some light in here, second: to finish your plate, that is all what I want. In exchange, against doctor’s orders, I would prepare you a cup of tea and we could have tea together in the balcony, it is a clear night and the stars are amazing tonight.
Mother: Okay, you know I cannot say no to you.
(both start eating)
Hassan: by the way, did you see the paper plane I made today? I saw this crafts challenge on facebook and I decided to give it a go, I guess I would give it to the neighbor’s kid, you know, Ali, the little devil
Mother: How I wish that you got married and had a little devil of your own; you are really great with kids and I want to see you being a father one day….
Hassan (interrupting): Who has time for kids nowadays, you know, work, graduate classes and….
Mother: ….and me, I know, you taking care of me for years so far has taken a toll on you.....
Hassan: Don’t say that, don’t you ever say that, you know that being with you is the only thing I enjoy in this world; I am not saying that to scare you, but you are the only thing tying me to this life, without you, I wouldn’t know how to even live, so it is me who should be thanking you…
Mother: That hurts me even more; I don’t want to be the mother who steals the prime years of her son; sometimes I wish that I would die so that I would release you from your duties as my caregiver….
(The mother bursts in tears)
Hassan: If you did that, I am afraid that I would die right after….
(wiping his teary eyes and trying to crack a smile)
Hassan: and imagine your surprise when you see me right there with you, a Night Shyamalan plot twist….
Mother (cracking a tired smile): there is no winning with you I guess….
Hassan: no, I guess not, anyway do you remember the kites we used to fly when I was a child, I am remembering these days lately
Mother: Yes, these were lovely days; the dream song of my life; everything was like a perfect renaissance painting; your father and I…..
Hassan: Continue your sentence…. Why don’t you ever finish a sentence about him, is it because he is no longer here with us?
Mother: your father was a great guy, he was a superman, funny, inexplicably happy against all odds with a strength of a titan and a compassionate heart of a little angel; he was too precious for this world, so I guess his life mission was to live long enough to give me you and depart this Earth. Sometimes I picture him being a hermit walking the earth to do more good than we could imagine; you know, slaying monsters and giving water to travellers dying of thirst in the desolate deserts.
Hassan: but you don’t speak much of him; it makes me wonder, was he really that great of a man, or are you just telling me that because you wanted me to have a good memory of my late father?
Mother: I don’t speak of him because I feel I don’t need to….. your father is alive in you, sometimes when you wake me up in the morning with breakfast and medication, I feel that he has come back and is finally taking me home…
Hassan: Please don’t say that
Mother: He is within you, he is in your face, in your kindness, in the strength of your hands and the resolve of your mind.
Hassan: Let’s change the subject, is the food tonight really okay ?
Mother: It is very delicious, thank you
Hassan: it is just that I cooked extra food for our elderly neighbor, you know, the 70-yearl old teacher that used to teach me in first grade.
Mother: When are you going to visit her?
Hassan: after we finish up eating and have the tea I promised you in our terrace. I wouldn’t miss that for the world
Mother: Send her my greetings and tell her that I miss her so much and that I want to see her soon, but not too soon if you know what I mean, I want her to live couple more decades…..
(Suddenly, the wind blows from within the curtains and the candles are put out)
Hassan: You see…. that is such a nice breeze; sipping tea in our balcony would be such a delight. Stay put, I would try to find the matches…..
(before Hassan moves out of his chair, a sudden burst of light takes place as electricity is back on in almost a blinding flash which is accompanied by the sudden mixed sounds of neighbors’ televisions being turned on and the sound of neighborhood kids cheering for the return of electricity)
Hassan: Mother, mother, mum….
(Hassan glances at the other end of the table and starts crying profusely……there lies his mother’s picture, placed on his mother’s wheelchair and along its corner, a black ribbon implying that his mother too is deceased. Hassan wipes away his tears and opens up his cellphone and calls his elderly neighbor)
Hassan: Hello Ms. Zahra…. I was wondering if I could come visit you tonight?
Ms. Zahraa: unheard response
Hassan: Nah, it is nothing serious, don’t worry, I just didn’t want to have dinner by myself and I thought about having a dinner with you
Ms. Zahraa: unheard response
Hassan: Don’t worry, I would come my gloves, face mask and all, I would look like a chemical warfare agent after it takes its post-mission decontamination shower
Ms. Zahraa: unheard response
Hassan:…… and, Ms. Zahraa, thank you so much for having dinner with me, I will heat up the food and be right there
(Hassan finishes the call, glances at his mother’s picture and the plate of food placed in front of her wheel chair, leaves it and goes to the kitchen to find a small serving tray already set with food and ready to go, he lights a candle, leaves it by the side of that plate and proceeds to open the apartment door while holding the food tray. Before he closes it, he turns off the lights. As it goes dark, the mother in the picture comes back to life in the faint candle light and says lovingly “stay safe son, I will see you the next blackout, till then”).