January 5 Play: PEELERS (1)

#5: PEELERS (1) - by Ed Valentine
© January 5, 2010 * ed@edvalentine.com

LIGHTS UP: A desert. Hot sun beats down. Two SISTERS in pioneer garb, each at a chair with a metal bucket of by her side. CINDA VIOLET is older, LULABELLE ROSE is younger. Each has a mound of carrots in her lap, and she shucks off their skins with a wicked-looking metal peeler. CINDA wears her bonnet so her face is in shadow. LULABELLE wears her bonnet down around her neck.

BOTH
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
(Breath.) (Breath.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
(Breath.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
(Breath.) (Breath.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
(Breath.)

(From offstage, a loud steam whistle. Both sisters shake out their hands.)

CINDA: You’re not fast enough, sister, nowhere near.

LULABELLE: My hands weren’t made for this.

CINDA: Oh, the Queen of Sheba.

LULABELLE: They weren’t and you know it.

CINDA: Oh, the Queen of France.

LULABELLE: They were made for working lace. Nobody could turn the lace like me.

CINDA: And look at you now. All thumbs. Aaaallll thumbs.

LULABELLE: Lacework isn’t peeling.

CINDA: Break’s almost over. Strap on your peeler and get ready. You got no reason to put on airs, you.

(LULABELLE wipes sweat off her face.)

LULABELLE: Someday, Sister.

CINDA: Someday what?

LULABELLE: Someday I’m gonna put this peeler right through your eye. Someday when you least expect it.

CINDA: Well.
(Flicks an imaginary peel from her apron.)
I’d like you see you try.

(Offstage, a second loud whistle. Instantly, they grab up peelers and whip back to their work.)

BOTH
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
(Breath.) (Breath.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
(Breath.)

(Peeling, counting, breaths continue as lights fade.)

END OF PLAY.