TheBanyanTree: FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY

[Sharon Mack]

FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY

Two homeless ladies are rushing down a side street past an abandoned granary.  Their old grocery cart is full of their newest treasures, some nickel return bottles, dirty clothes and old blankets wrapped tightly in wads at the bottom.  

First Homeless Lady:  Hey Hosey, slow down.  What's your hurry?  I'm not as young as I used to be.  Wait up!

Hosey:  I wanta' get this stuff put away 'afore it gets taken.  C'mon. (She waves her left hand furiously)

They come to the back of the granary and shove the over-full cart inside.  Hosey lifts three of the floorboards to reveal a space below.

First Lady:  Whoa, Hosey!  I didn't know you had this. (She gets to her knees and looks inside)

Hosey: Here, help me get this inside. (Hosey begins to lift the objects out of the cart)

First Lady:  Heyyyyyy!  Looky what I found! (She holds up a green bill.  Both squint at it)

First Lady: (In a quiet breathy voice) This here is a hunnard dollar bill, Hosey!  A  hunnard dollars!  Is it real?? (She continues to hold the bill and squint at it)

(Hosey snatches the bill away and gives it a good hard look)

Hosey:  Looks real enough to me.  Move; let me take a look down there.  Move. (She pushes the other woman out of the way and lowers herself into the dark hole and disappears)

First Lady:  Wha d'ya see down there?

Hosey:  Nothin, too dark.  Got any matches?

(First lady searches her many pockets.  In one of the bottom layers of her clothing she finds a half pack of matches.  She hands them down)

(A small burst of light comes from the depths.  Hosey lets out a rush of air)

Hosey:  Gimme a bag.  A big one!

*************************************

The two homeless ladies are sitting on the floor, backs against the wall on top of one of the holey blankets.  The huge grocery bag between them stuffed to the brim.  They each hold several bills in their hands and stare at it.

First Lady:  Hosey, this is some treasure.  What're ya' gonna do with it.  We could get some hot food.  Ha!  Ya know what I'd like, some hot chocolate.  (She licks her lips)  Yeah, that's what I'd like some real hot chocolate, maybe with some o' that whipped cream on top!

Hosey:  I dunno.  I gotta think about this a bit.  (She stuffs her wad of bills down into the bag and ties the top closed)

First Lady:  What about this?  (She holds out her wad to Hosey)

Hosey:  No, you go on and keep that.  It's yers.  Get yerself some o' that chocolate you been crowin' about.

(Hosey stuffs the bag back under the floorboards with the rest of their loot)

***************************

(Next morning)

First Lady:  (Blinks her eyes.  She rubs the sleep from them) Hey, Hosey.  Hosey, where are you?

(She looks around and sees Hosey's blanket still on the floor.  The loose floorboards are open.  She laboriously moves towards them, stiff from the cold night.  The hole is empty except for the items from the grocery cart they'd brought in the day before.  She drops to her knees)

First Lady:  Oh my god, Hosey, what have you gone and done now?

***************************

One Year Later (at night)

First homeless lady is sitting in the granary eating soup out of a can.  She has a fire going in a metal barrel and sits close.  Her blanket is wrapped around her.

Hosey:  (Whispers) Hey!  Pssssst!  Hey!

First Lady:  (Jumps slightly.  Looks startled) Heyyyyy!  Hosey!

(She sets her soup down and gets up and moving quickly towards the other woman)

First Lady:  Where ya' been?  I thought mebbe you died or somethin'.  What'd ya' do? Where'd ya go?  I can't believe you're here, and in all those fine clothes.  That coat sure looks toasty.  (She admires the fur coat Hosey's wearing)  Is that real fur?

Hosey:  Nah, just fake.  Here*..(she thrusts a bag at the other woman)  Here, take it.  It's fer you.

First Lady:  Why, Hosey, its just like yours.  Thanks!  Wow, where'd ya get it?  It's really mine?

Hosey:  Yeah, put it on.  Go ahead now; let me see if it fits ya.

(The First Lady drops her blanket and first few layers of clothing and puts on the coat.  She begins to stroke it)

First Lady:  So where ya been all this time?  Ya' know someone took all yer money.

Hosey:  Did you get that hot chocolate you wanted?

First Lady:  Oh, yeah.  I had one most every day for almost a whole year.  What about you?

Hosey:  You don't wanta know.  No one stole that money.  I took it.  I spent it.  All it did was bring me misery.  I spent every last penny.  I got drunk, I got high and I got fat.  I got used, I got abused and when it was all gone there weren't no one around to keep me company no more.  That's when I come to you.  The only thing left was these two coats. I figured you deserved it, you bein' my only real friend in this world.

First Lady:  (Wipes a tear away) Why, Hosey, that's the best thing anybody's ever said to me.

(Silence)

First Lady:  Hey Hosey, why don't ya come on over here and set awhile.  I still got some soup left and with the fire we can be good and warm fer tonight.  We can share this here blanket if ya' like.

(Hosey smiled and moved over next to her friend)