Scene 3

A spotlight shines on the stage and an older Derrick steps into it.

Derrick: I came every year, so did Sofia like she promised, and every year for 20 years we watched the turtles going into the sea. Sofia told me to study hard and I listened to her, and now I’m a veterinarian in my own clinic. She was proud when I told her. Strangely though, we both live in the same town and I never saw her anywhere else, or at any other time, than when we were supposed to watch the turtles. But I never minded, because the time we spent made it seem as if she was our next door neighbor. And now, I’m going to meet her again.

The spotlight goes into black and the whole stage lights up showing a wooden bench with Derrick on it. He is sitting and waiting. A lady slightly younger than Derrick holding a weathered stuffed turtle, comes and sits beside him. Derrick turns to the side and looks at her.

Girl: Are you Derrick?

Derrick: Yes, I am.

Girl: My grand aunt Sofia sent me. She said you would be here and told me to give this back to you. Gives him toy turtle

Derrick: Takes the stuffed turtle Sofia was your aunt? Where is she?

Girl: Yes. She…passed away a few days ago. It was one of the last things she said to me. She was the best aunt anyone could have. My father and I saw her lying on her bed and we thought she was sleeping. But when she didn’t wake up for breakfast the next morning, we knew she was really, gone. Pause Aunt Sofia had a disease you see, and, she couldn’t go into the sun. She only went out of the house once a year, to watch the baby turtles going into the sea. She loved them.

Derrick: Did, she ever say anything about-?

Girl: You? Well she never stopped talking about you. Except for the ladies-aid volunteer, her only other friend was you. I wanted to meet you, but I was away studying for most of my life. Other than you two and family, I think she had no one else to talk to. But she was very grateful for everything she had.

Pause. Derrick examines the toy turtle for a while. A tear runs down his eye, which he wipes away.

Girl: I know…

Derrick: You must have loved her a great deal.

Girl: Everybody who knew her did. She never complained, not once. There’s no one like her. It devastated all of us when she died.

Pause. Derrick wipes another tear away and looks at the girl

Derrick: I didn’t get your name…

Girl: Looks down, puts her hand on the bench Diana. Aunt Sofia named me, the day after I was born.

Derrick: That’s a pretty name…

Diana: Thank you.

Pause. Diana looks out into the audience.

Diana: The turtles are starting to come out now.

Derrick: They’re beautiful aren’t they?

Diana: The prettiest I’ve seen.

Pause. Diana and Derrick look at each other. Derrick slides his hand over hers and they move closer to one another. The lights slowly dim. The play ends.