Monologues for Women

Turnaround

Turnaround
by Clem Martini

(SUMMATIONS. MEGAN, THEN LUCY, TO THE JUDGE.)

MEGAN: The last time I saw my mother she was thin an' curled up in a baIl, eyes rolled back in her head. I called 911- and they took her away, and when the ambulance picked her up the only thing I knew for sure was I was on my way to somewhere else. Again... She'd been home from detox for about two weeks and she promised things were gonna be different. And at first they were. Different. She came to a parent/teacher interview. We went for a walk one time, down to the river. And then I walked in the door after school one day and there she was... And I was afraid to even touch her. I stood in the doorway saying, Mommy. I called the ambulance, and it took her and after I was so angry. At me. I mean, how could I have been so stupid? How could I have fallen for that?

( BEAT )

I've never lived anywhere. I've always been on my way somewhere e1se, to the next place. TiIl now. I've been at the same place for a year almost a year. I've been in trouble in the past,, but I'm not causing any trouble now. I'm minding my own business. I'm not on any honour ro11 at school, but I'm doing better than I ever have. I've spent more time away from my mother than with her. She thinks I }ove her but f don't know what that means. I don't even know her anymore. She says 43 give her a chance, but what I want to know i-s, and what I want someone, someone to tell me is, how many chances does she get to ruin my life?

LUCY: Can I just say one thing? I am Megan' s mother, and I love her and I want what's best for her from the inside out. I was neglected, as a child, I was left to live in institutions, I never had anyone, and I don't want that for her. I am her mother. I may not have been there for her every time she needed me, but I know her better than anybody e1se. I have never, ever given her up, that's a matter of record, she's been taken from me, but f have never given her up and I am ready, I have my life together, finally, I am ready. Can anyone tell me who said there were only one, two, three chances, who made up those numbers, who says you get only so many turns? The Lord himself said we should forgive, seventy times seven times. When I first, heard that I cried, and I figured out the math, that meant four hundred and ninety times. And I tried to figure out had I used up all my times in God's eyes? Was I over the limit? Then my pastor explained to R€r what it really meant was there was no limit. He said God cast everything wrong I ever did into the sea of His forgetfulness, when I asked him to forgive me. And that was the first time -I forgave myself. And that was when I started to get better. And now I'm askin' for another chance, from you people and from Megan. I'm not gonna fail her this time.