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by: Anonymous 
a (short) merentha play
The Players Scene 1 A dark street, lightly lit by a street lamp. A male person, possibly human (Father) but it is to dark to tell, is pacing back and forth infront of a small building. A medical symbol can barely be made out above the door of the building which is closed.
Father:
(pacing infront of the building)
Mother (off stage):
(screaming) (Father turns around quickly in shock at his wife's scream, stage goes black) Scene 2 In a fairly well lit room. It is lit by several torches around the room. What we see is the corner of the room. A bed lays against the walls such that the mother is laying on the bed. At the foot of the bed leans Atmos. Atmos: The child is almost here. You must push harder.
Mother:
(screaming in pain) (After a few seconds of labor screams the mother faints from exhaustion and Atmos holds in his hands a still born child.)
Atmos: By the will of the gods the child was born without a breath, without a life.
Scene 3 At the graveyard. Atmos has just buried the child and covered the hole. A bridge over a stream leads back to the village. The scene is lit by an orb floating near the head of Atmos. The bridge is nearly completey dark. A basket sits on the bridge but is not noticable.
Atmos: Dear me, I have buried the child of a family I barely know. Nor do they know me. What am I to say or to do once I return? I must return now even if I can not find the words for surely by now the mother has woken or the father entered the room.
Baby: (soft crying)
Atmos: Why what is this
Offstage Mother: to whoever finds my child, forgive me. I am but a lone mother with no means, no property, no family. It is not an easy decision which lays before me but it is one which unfortunately for this child is forced upon me. I was once a proud wife with a strong and respected husband. Together we had planned a great life and had the means to make it happen. We were married on a spring morning, with the first spring winds blessing our vows. Such a beautiful day it was, we were told by the elders that there was none finer in known memory. The winds brought with them the petals of the mountain rose which rained down upon us. It was said the gods were there that day to bless our marriage and that nothing bad could ever happen to us. But they were wrong. It was not long after that I discovered I was with child. Celebrations were held in honour of this moment. During the celebrations the invaders came and destroyed our town and everything we owned. Those with the ability armed and armoured themselves and took after the invaders into the mountains. My husband, her father was among those which went. He did not return. With our possessions destroyed and no means to gain more, for the village too was in shambles, I left for another town where I took to begging for scraps of food and change. If I were to keep this child even a worse fate would befall her. I could not force that fate on another, much less my own. In such a world I would chose not to raise my child. To whoever finds this child, her name is Kala, please allow her to keep this name. Please love her. Please care for her. Today you are all she has in this world. I ask you never tell her of me, never let her know of this, let her believe you are her rightful parents, for now you are. Treat her as your own and give her a good life, for these things and nothing more are the best a child like her could ever have. These are all that I ask. Farewell.... (Atmos picks up the child, still holding the letter in one hand and walks off as the letter finishes) Scene 4 Back in the room with the mother. Same scene as in scene 2. The mother is still sleeping. Atmos walks back into the room just as the mother is waking up. He paces around the room with the child, the child is making typical baby google noises.
Atmos: (to child, craddleing child in arms) Atmos is walking around, uncertain as to what to do. He is confused and disorientated. As he walks by the mother's bed the mother reaches for the child.
Mother: My child
(Atmos is about to object when Father opens the door and peers inside) Father: Forgive me but I heard the cry of a child and I must see for myself. Mother: Come see your daughter, she appears healthy, is she healthy Atmos? (Atmos still dazed and confused and is searching for the right words but is not given the oppertunity to talk)
Father: Such a beatuiful child, and such an ordeal it was to have her.
(Atmos is struck and has barely heard a word said. He still holds in his hand the letter from the basket.) Atmos: Kala, her name is Kala.
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