Dear Kathy [Part Two] (8.7.12)

This one did not have a prompt but I felt I just needed to continue the Dear Kathy chronicles, so here's my part two. Part Three is definitely coming...maybe even a part Four.

#7: DEAR KATHY

(PART TWO)

Written

by

Sean Pollock

(Lights rise on Julie)

JULIE: Dear Kathy,

Sorry that creepy guys are hitting on you. I suppose that’s what happens when you put a pretty girl like you in a nuthouse filled with crazies. Tell me more though. What have you been doing? Have you been feeling better? (beat) All is ok here with Suzanne—I’ve had her friend Hami over recently and they played in the backyard and had a good time. I think she’s really grown to like me. It’s nice to have someone around while Hank is away all the time. I get lonely sometimes. Suzanne and I do fun things together sometimes too. Sometimes I take her out for walks, or we went to the movies last week…it’s been nice. (beat) Anyway, last night Hank came home very drunk about an hour and a half after I tucked in Suzanne. It was a little past eleven. His breath wreaked of whiskey. I knew he had been out. I asked him where he was and he didn’t say anything, and he kept stumbling around trying and trying to get away. I tried to pull him back from the stairs but he kicked me right in the face. It hurt a lot. My nose started to bleed, I had to go get a first aid kit and it took about half an hour for the bleeding to stop. When I came upstairs to yell at him, he was passed out on the bed and then he got up before I did the next morning so I didn’t have the chance to even talk to him about it. (beat) I won’t lie, this isn’t the first time this has happened. Hank and I have been rocky for a while. Like I said…I think he’s seeing this woman at the Corner store. I know that’s where he gets his alcohol...and it’s close by, and it just seems so easy. (beat) And the beating…well, that’s another story in and of itself. (beat) I’m overreacting. It’s not that bad. It just is hard sometimes is all. Anyway, I’ll talk to you soon.

Love, Julie.

(Lights fade on Julie, lights rise on Kathy)

KATHY: Dear Julie,

                 Glad to hear all is well with Suzanne. It sounds like you are treating her really well. Sometimes I find it hard to give all my energy to her, especially when all I want to do is lie down in bed all day and never get out. But I guess that’s why I’m here. I’m sure when you have a kid of your own you will be a great mom. Things are ok here. I’m still the hospital heartthrob here, even though some of the guys leave new ones come in and even if they don’t say anything creepy to me...sometimes they fixate on me with their piercing stares which can almost be just as bad. As I said it is especially hard to attend group therapy sometimes especially when you don’t have problems with the things they are dealing with. Sometimes people from the outside come in for Alcoholics Anonymous with really really sad stories. This one woman had six kids and every man she had ever dated was (or had been convicted of being) a pedophile. It looked like she was pregnant again but it turns out her stomach was permanently bloated from stress. She’s from the outside. (beat) However I have made a friend here—his name is Todd. He’s HIV positive and works as an accountant part-time but he has really bad paranoia and is bipolar. He told me he used to sell drugs too and misses smoking pot. When he started talking about pot, it kinda made me miss it too. I haven’t smoked since I was in college but I think I’d try it again. Todd’s different though. I mean besides the fact that he’s one of few older men who don’t hit on me or rape me with their eyes; Todd actually committed himself. (beat) I can’t imagine why anyone here would commit themselves. I mean this isn’t the worst place in the world—granted, but I just don’t understand why someone would want to be here. I mean I guess I had the choice to commit myself too…but…(beat) I’m sorry if I never clarified to you exactly why I am here. I know you know that I attempted suicide but you have to understand that I’d been planning it for a while. Ever since I was a little girl I have been planning ways to end my life. When things seem overwhelming I automatically just want to die. And I feel overwhelmed a lot. I know it probably seems selfish of me to want to end my life especially knowing that Suzanne’s father is gone and she’d become a ward of the state or something…and I feel even worse that she had to find me in the bath tub filled with blood and cuts on my wrists because that image alone is enough to scar someone for the rest of their life, but I wasn’t thinking at the time. (beat) Being a mother to Suzanne is very overwhelming and hard for me. Sometimes I don’t think I can completely love her when I don’t love myself. But I’m glad you’re providing love for her. (beat) Anyway now my hand hurts from writing so much but they say I can have visitors soon. So I’ll give you a call when you can visit. I have your number written down somewhere I think.

            Much love,

            Kathy