NOT A MOTHER: A Play in One Act

NOT A MOTHER

A Play in One Act
By Madison Shields

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Margaret: mother, late thirties, dresses too young for her age.
Maggie: fifteen, conservative, a good student.

SCENE ONE

TIME: The present, on a Thursday night.
SCENE: A modern living room with a TV opposite the front door, the room is sectioned by a hideously lime-green leather couch and large oval rug similarly colored.
AT RISE: Maggie sits on the couch bundled up in a blanket watching the TV with the volume on low, her mother, Margaret, stumbles in the front door loudly, texting .

MARGARET

Oh hey, Honey! You’re still up?
[continues texting]

MAGGIE

Yeah...I put Matt to bed around eight, but I didn’t know when you’d be home so I--

MARGARET

[still texting]
Oh, Sweetie you put your brother to bed too! Wheres’s the change from the money I gave you guys for pizza?

MAGGIE

[digs out a five from her pocket, making sure the rest of the change remains in her pocket, unseen]
Here.

MARGARET

[grabs the five and buries it between her cleavage]
Are there any leftovers? I told Jason he could come over, maybe go for a dip in the jacuzzi. I don’t know how leftover pizza is with wine, but who gives a crap, all I need is the wine!

MAGGIE

Mom, it’s two thirty in the morning. Don’t you think it’s a little late to be having people over? I have school tomorrow and so does Matt. I have to take the bus at--

MARGARET

[phone buzzes and she squeals as she reads the text and begins typing a reply immediately]
He’s bringing a movie too!

MAGGIE

Mom...

MARGARET

[scoffs and lowers her phone for a moment]
Oh what? Mom’s can have some fun too you know. I deserve some fun. It’s not like you or your brother need me to take you to school. Like you said, you take the bus. So what’s it matter if I have a little fun tonight?
[goes back to texting]

MAGGIE

I know but, Mom, I have to get up at six. Plus the elementary starts later than the high school; I’m not going to be here by the time Matt wakes up and needs to get ready for school. And he had some papers he needs you to sign. I didn’t know when you’d be home tonight so I signed the homework ones for you, but you should still look them over before he turns them in. And one’s for a field trip the third grade class is planning next week, he needs some money to reserve a seat.

MARGARET

You looked over the papers didn’t you? That’s good enough, they’re already signed so whether I--
[phone buzzes again and Margaret begins to reply again]
Oh! Haha! Wow I was more wild Wednesday night than I remember!

MAGGIE

[rolls her eyes]
Yeah, you don’t remember me helping you to the toilet when you got home?

MARGARET

[still texting a reply]
Oh, Honey, of course I remember. You were very kind, thank you.
[phone buzzes again]
Haha! Maggie you should really meet this guy, he’s hysterical! I can barely get a word in!

MAGGIE

[mumbling under her breath]
Yeah, me neither...

MARGARET

[looking up suddenly from her phone]
What was that?

MAGGIE

Nothing. Mom, what about Matt’s papers he needs you to--

MARGARET

Excuse me, Young Lady, but I am your mother. You don’t get to mumble crap about me and expect I won’t hear it.

MAGGIE

Look, Mom I just--

MARGARET

[finishes her text]
Look? Maggie, you need to shut up. I work very hard to support this family! Taxes don’t wait around you know, there are deadlines I have to meet and now that the season is done I have every right to go out and have a good time! No one said you had to wait up for me.
[phone buzzes, Margaret begins to text back without looking up]
You’ve turned into such a little snot, you know that?

MAGGIE

[begins to tear up]
Mom! I--you’ve been like this since I was ten! You go out almost every night! When I was little the baby sitter would have to leave from our house to catch the bus to school in the morning because you’d be out until five!

MARGARET

[looks up from phone]
Excuse me? Are you saying I don’t deserve my time!

MAGGIE

No, I just--

MARGARET

[phone buzzes, Margaret texts]

MAGGIE

You can’t even put down your phone to talk to me! I’m only fifteen! I--

MARGARET

[stops texting]
Look! I worked two jobs while your father finished school. I worked all god-damned day so that he could do what he wanted and he didn’t even come out with a fucking degree! It took him getting laid off from Home Depot to finally choose something. I have worked very hard starting up this tax business and I deserve some god-damned fun!

MAGGIE

Nobody asked you to do any of that! Dad worked too! And I’m happy for you with the new business but--but I shouldn’t have to raise my own brother.

MARGARET

Oh like putting on cartoons for a nine year old is so hard. You sniveling little brat! You don’t know what I’ve been through! You don’t know what I’ve had to deal with.

MAGGIE

Right, I’m sure cheating on Dad and introducing me to all of the strange men while he was up at the Police Academy working to help you, to help us, when I was ten, was so fucking hard for you!

MARGARET

You little bitch!

MAGGIE

I’m more of a mom than you are! I’ve had to take care of Matt since I caught you sleeping with that guy behind Dad’s back. I’ve had to take care of both of them after what you’ve done! And I’m trying to--

MARGARET

Trying to what, Maggie? Trying to make me look like a whore? Trying to get me thrown in jail! Calling fucking CPS?

MAGGIE

I told you! I didn’t call them! I don’t know who called them, okay? It was probably one of the neighbors, it’s not like they don’t know what’s going on here. I get asked questions at the bus stop all the fucking time by the neighbor kids because your screaming and sex in the jacuzzi with Jason, or whoever it’ll be next week, keeps them up at night!

MARGARET

You shut your mouth. I’m a single woman with my own career and I have the right! You’re lucky I don’t ship you off to military school for this shit!

MAGGIE

I’m fifteen, Mom! I’m fifteen years old! I haven’t been a kid since I was ten because you couldn’t handle being a mom.