Act Two Scene Three
Interior: Cafe, The next morning
(Tru and Willow are workind behind the counter. Willow is training Tru on the espresso machine.)
WILLOW
You've done this before, so it shouldn't be hard to pick it up again.
TRU
Done it before....
WILLOW
Yeah at the cafe with Matthew?
TRU
Matt.
WILLOW
Yeah, the Coffee Boy, right?
TRU
Right. Him.
WILLow
Does that make me the coffee boy too?
TRU
Coffee Boy Too? Coffee Boy Two? Coffee Boy Two point O.
WILLOW
Coffee Boy Take Two. Better this time around.
TRU
I hope so.
WILLOW
What's that?
(The door chimes that it has opened. Denise,A woman in her early thirties, approaches the counter.)
Can I help you?
DENISE
Yeah, a cup of coffee to...oh, hello Deborah.
TRU
Its Tru. I go by Tru now.
DENISE
Is that right? How come?
TRU
Because...its a long story.
DENISE
Isn't it though?
WILLOW
Here's your coffee, to go, right?
DENISE
Yeah. That's right. I don't want to stay.
WILLOW
That'll be 2.15 please.
DENISE
Here's 3 dollars, keep the change. And best of luck to you.
WILLow
Thanks!
DENISE
You'll need it.
(Denise takes her coffee and exits coffee shop.)
WILLOW
Well, that's kinda weird. What the hell do you think that was all about?
(Tru is silent.)
I mean, I'll take the luck but, um, why?
TRU
She...was Matt's sister.
WILLOW
Oh, um, all right. So?
TRU
So?
WILLOW
So, why do you go by Tru and not---
TRU
Deborah.
WILLOW
Yeah, that's a pretty name. You know what it means?
TRU
Yeah I do, actually. We all looked our names up once.
WILLOW
We?
TRU
At the old coffee shop--
Flashback: A younger Tru, no dreadlocks, sits at a patio table with Matthew, James, Shaggy, Thomas, and Ray. Its a very small patio, basically the front entrance of the cafe itself, with one table surrounded by a stairway, a wheelchair ramp. The gang sits either at the table (seats two) or sits on the railings.We get the feeling that its been a week or two since Tru and Matthew's first meeting.
TRU
So, Matt?
MATTHEW
Yeah?
TRU
What are you up to?
MATTHEW
I'm working.
TRU
Hardly.
MATTHEW
Do you see customers coming in?
TRU
Yeah, that's not really a good thing, is it?
MATTHEW
Depends. I mean, I'm getting paid right now and I'm just sitting here, right?
TRU
Yeah.
THOMAS
So, Debi, you got plans tonight?
TRU
Debi? I prefer Deborah, but to answer your question
(She looks at Matthew.)
I don't know yet.
THOMAS
Because there is this bible study tonight and...
TRU
Um...
MATTHEW
I think we were going to hang out tonight, weren't we, Deborah?
TRU
Oh, yeah, that's right. We were.
JAMES
Bible study? I used to do that, when I was a kid. My mom would drag me to her church.
THOMAS
That right?
JAMES
Yeah, she was Methodist.
TRU
Was?
JAMES
She passed. Last year.
TRU
I'm sorry. Really I am.
JAMES
Its fine. She's in a better place, truly. Anyway, she had this name meaning thing in the back of her Bible. Used to look through it.
TRU
What's your name mean?
JAMES
I don't know, I forgot.
THOMAS
I think I got that in my Bible.
(He pulls his Bible out of his bag, opens it, flips to the back.)
Yeah, here it is.
JAMES
Okay, what does James mean?
THOMAS
(reading)
James Boy's name meaning, origin, and popularity. ... A classic boys' name derived from the Hebrew name Jacob. It means "supplanter," one who follows. Heel grabber.
JAMES
Heel grabber?
THOMAS
Yeah, Jacob and Esau?
JAMES
Oh, right. Jacob have I loved. James have I loved.
TRU
Someone's full of himself.
JAMES
Past tense: James have I loved.
TRU
Past tense?
MATTHEW
Okay, anyways, do me now.
TRU
Do you now?
THOMAS
"gift of YAHWEH", or gift of God.
MATTHEW
Nice, I'm a gift.
TRU
I like it. So, what about Deborah?
THOMAS
The name Deborah is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Deborah is: Bee. Also, says the meaning is simply, "She Knows."
TRU
I'm a bee that knows.
SHAGGY
Knows what?
TRU
I don't know.
SHAGGY
So, what about me?
RAY
Yeah and me.
THOMAS
There isn't a Shaggy. But, Thomas...means twin. So, like is there another version of me roaming around here?
RAY
I sincerely hope not.
THOMAS
Very funny. Your name isn't in here either, by the way.
RAY
Yeah?
THOMAS
Oh, wait, there it is.
RAY
Really?
THOMAS
Yeah. It says, "king of the lawn gnomes", also "smelly, drunk hippie". Huh? So accurate.
fade into: Present Day.
WILLOW
Huh? So, why did you change your name anyway?
TRU
Change it? Its still there, I just go by Tru.
WILLOW
Okay, but why?
TRU
Eh. You ever see Hamlet?
WILLOW
Yeah, awhile back. Why?
TRU
Matt and I found this cheesy version on TV once. We started quoting lines from it to each other. I remember one he used to quote to me all the time, I can still hear him clearly saying it in my...heart...
Flashback: Matthew standing in front of Tru.
MATTHEW
To Thine Ownself Be True.
Fade into: Present day.
WILLOW
Huh. Guess that makes sense.
TRU
Yeah. So I try to live by that. My name is just a reflection of that, I guess.
(Tru picks up dish rag and starts wiping down tables around cafe.)
Its slow today. Not good for business.
WILLOW
Just like---
TRU
Yeah.
WILLOW
Wait a minute, you said "was"...Was his sister.
Fade out.
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