Setting: Steel bridge in the city, clear night. Full moon, car horns beep nearby. Old Woman lead arm in arm of a young man onto the side of the bridge. Young man is well dressed in black pants and button down shirt, woman wears long dress with shawl.

August: “Where now, Mamaw?”

Galena: {Studies a large, irregular beam with hand} “This is it, child. Set me down on that there bench.” {Points in general direction of a wood bench.}

August: “Mamaw, how do you know where that was?”

Galena: “I may be blind, sonny, but ma memory is damn near perfect.”

August: {Helps the woman to sit on the bench.}

Galena: “Mmm. Yup, this is it.”

August: “This is where what? Mamaw, why’d we come here?”

Galena: “Sonny, I am a very old woman. I done had a long life, married a good man who blessed me with a wonderful child that cursed me with you.” {Chuckles under breath}

August: {Smiles}

Galena: “I couldn’t ask fa’ more. Although, my husband, you never met. To-day, sonny, you is gonna meet ‘m.”

August: “Mamaw, you-”

Galena: {Quickly grabs boy’s hand. Young couple enters stage, lights turn onto to signify sunset. Car horns/tires sound in background. A young boy grabs a girl’s hand, both smile.}

August: “Mamaw, who are they?”

Galena: “Right now, we call her... Rylie.” {Closes eyes, smiles}

Rylie: {Blindfolded}“Leo, of all the crazy stu-pid things you do, this is beyond-”

Leo: “Shh, just walk.”

Rylie: {Grabs young mans arm tighter, wind picks up, holds hat on with other hand}
“Leo, a we on the Broo-”

Leo: “Shoosh means no talking!”

{Both stop, woman pulls off blindfold}

Rylie: “Oh, Leo! It’s GORGEOUS! The sun, why, the sun is the color of my dress! Oh, Leo!”

Leo: “We finished the bridge yesterday. They let me put in the least beam, the boys beat it up pretty bad, so we save it for last.” {Points at irregular beam}

Rylie: “Leo,” {gasps} “what an honor!”

Leo: {Pulls woman closer by waist, both stare at bridge}

Rylie: {Voice solemn}“Leo, is that why we’re here? If the bridge is done, then you’re out of a job?”

Leo: “No ma’am, but that’s why I brought you here.”

Rylie: “What do you mean, darling?”

Leo: “I have known you for three years. This bridge for five. My dear Rylie, with all my heart, I regret the time I spent here and not with you. God, I must have scared you everyday, there were so many times I could’a fallen and-” {Pause} “but that doesn’t matter.”
Leo: {Gets down on one knee}

Rylie: {Stops smiling, expression serious. Hand on chest, other in hand of boy.} “Oh, Leo, I-”

Leo: {Interrupts} “My dear Rylie, I saved enough money to give you a life. It’s not much, but last week I bought you a house darling. Where we can live, and raise a family of a’ own. We can have just one, or too many to name! I know we can, ‘cause I love you. I hope you love me enough,” {Pulls out a plain silver band, girl gasps} “To grow old with me, wearing this.”

Rylie: {Choking and tearing, hand on chest, other still held by boy} “Leo,”

Leo: “I love you, Rylie’. I can’t imagine anybody else who would wear this, or anybody I’d rather wake up next to, or make coffee fo’, or get excited to come home to after work at Murray’s”

Rylie: {Gasps, whispers} “You got the job Leo?”

Leo: “I got the job, and the house of my dreams and the love of my life. I swear, I’ll kiss ya every morning and every night until the day I stop catching ma breath at your beauty. I thought I loved you then, all those years a-go, now I can’t wait to love you foreva’.”

Rylie: {Cries, laughing}

Leo: “Will you marry me, Rylie Rose Havens?”

Rylie: {Nods, smiling and crying.}

Leo: {Hugs woman}

{Woman and man exit. Old woman lets go of young man’s hand.}

August: “Mamaw, that man was named Leo.”

Galena: “Mmhmmm.”

August: “And that woman’s name was Havens, Rose Havens.”

Galena: “For ma only grandchild, I was hoping you wasn’t this slow.”

August: “That was you?”

Galena: {Yelling} “Somebody give this boy a prize!”

August: “Mamaw, that was grandaddy?”

Galena: “Leon Augustus Fitzgerald.”

August: “Mamaw, why did you show me that?”

Galena: “Sonny, you’s a going to college soon, hm? There’s some’n you gotta understand. You’s the first Fitzgerald in our blood to attend higher schooling. You didn’t have a great start, neither did my Leo. You’s a worked hard, you’s both. Sonny, he done raised his child who raised you, and had nothin’ to leave but his working hands.”

August: {Concerned look}

Galena: {Puts hands on boys lap, stares aimlessly at cars} “You gone go to college, you’s gone work harder than you eva’ worked in your life. And you’s a gonna make enough money to take care of us both. You’s a gonna make my Leo proud. You is gone make me proud.”

August: {Wipes tear off cheek}

Galena: “And you is gone stopping crying right now! You ain’t gonna get a girl while acting like one. I want five gran chilln’, I want one named Leon, one Rose, one Lilly after ma mama, one George after ma daddy. I want you to give em’ the world. Just like my Leon.”

August: “Mamaw?”

Galena: “Just like my Leon.” {Wipes tear, smiling.}

{Lights fade, scene ends.}