A Cranberry in Harlem

Posted by Ajanae Mills in English 2 - Pahomov - A on Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 10:52 am

“ I have some good news to tell you .. “ ( Laughs nervously ) “ Well, hopefully it’s good news to you.. but today I .. I went to the doctors and they told me .. they told me I was pregnant. We are going to have a ba-” ( Face turns into utter despair ) “ Wha - what? It’s not yours? Tyrek, yes it is. You’re the only one I’ve ever laid down with. How could you say something like that? “ I’m keeping this baby, I’m loving it already and you’ll learn to love it too.” “ Don’t say that Tyrek! How could you just walk out on something so precious?” “ It is precious, you’re such an asshole. You’re just like you’re father, he left you and now you’re leaving your child. ( Actor says this forcefully ) It needs you just as much as it needs me ! I cannot do this alone, I need you to be here for me! Can’t you see that you’re everything to me.. to us.. to the baby.” “ Don’t you walk away from this, don’t you leave me here alone.” “ Tyrek ! Tyrek, where are you going.. Tyrek .. “ ( He leaves although he was never on the stage)

( Actor sobs ) I know , I know he had other girls and I wasn’t the only one .. but I was in love. I was blinded by the gifts he gave me, the love I thought we shared and the sex.. and I forced myself to believe he could be with me, and only me. I thought maybe, maybe this child could fill the void he had with me. I thought maybe if I gave him something, to love and to care for he would see that I wasn’t like everyone else, every other girl “loved” him because he had money, and flashy cars. He was in the streets so he was going to give them the “ hood” love every girl craved.. I loved him for more than just the material things, I loved him because he had a sweet side, where he showed affection beyond compare , ( sort of start angrily rambling here ) where he told me he loved me too and now he’s leaving me here, without any help, any guidance.. and he knows I can’t take care of this baby alone, he’s know I’ll suffer without him !

( speaking to self) Calm down , calm down.. cause you don’t need him. You don’t need that no good ass nigga, who is leaving you and your baby for dead. I will get through this by myself, I do not need that tall, dark, buff and handsome man … Wait no what am I doing, I have to get over him, I just have too. ( Leaves the stage)

Comments (6)

Sopheary Sok

I can connect with the character because I have loved the thought of something more than the actual thing itself. I will remember that every girl will think that oh, I am different from other girls and I can change him, but you're better off moving on to someone who will stay loyal to you.

Jevon Price

Although I do not connect with exact situation, I do with the feelings because at some point everybody has experienced the feelings of rejection and loneliness. My favorite moment was when she said," I forced myself to think he would love me." This stood out because she proclaims her love for him but at the same time she knew inside that things were not right with him, and he probably was never going to fully commit to her.

Arielle Moore

1) I can connect with the character because of their feeling of regret and reflection on the mistake they made. 2) A moment I will remember is when she's explaining how she thought that what they had was different but their relationship was left in ruins in the end.

Tigidankay Saccoh

1)Although I never have had this happen to me before, I really appreciate the emotional display the character is undergoing. It was really to put my self in the character's situation because you described her emotions in such a raw way. 2) I cannot pick a specific moment that resonated with me. This is fantastic!! Hope it get's picks for the festival :)

Imani Williams

I could connect to the emotion that this character was feeling, While listening, I felt like I was this person I actually got emotional. So many females can relate to this situation. It felt so real. The moment that will stick with me is " Calm down, Calm down cause you don't need him" yess so right! You go girl!

Sandra Watson

I could connect to it because the emotion was so real. It felt real as it can be. It was beautifully written . It is so relevant it happens so much in the female mind and I feel as if the character revealed it perfectly.