Of A Feather - By Kerry Black

Written By: Kerry Black

Category: Stage Play Script (adapted from my original short story)

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

We are delighted to feature Kerry Black's compelling stage play script "Of A Feather" in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Kerry's work, an adaptation from her original short story, is a profound exploration of family dynamics, memory, and the complexities of caring for loved ones in their twilight years. This creative writing piece, set against the backdrop of a frail care facility, delves into themes of love, loss, and the enduring ties that bind generations together.

About the Work

"Of A Feather" masterfully navigates the emotional landscape of a multigenerational family dealing with the challenges of dementia. Through its vivid character portrayals and poignant dialogue, the script captures the humor, frustration, and deep affection that exists within family relationships. Kerry Black employs sharp wit and tender moments to shed light on the struggles and resilience of those caring for aging relatives, creating a narrative rich with empathy and authenticity.

Of A Feather

Original Submission by Kerry Black

OF A FEATHER

By Kerry Black

CHARACTERS:

LILY

Strong willed, observant, kind, deflects with humour. 20.

MICHELLE

Puts everyone else first, independent, people pleaser, softer than she lets on. Early 50’s

GRAN

Blunt, tender under a hard exterior, a wild card in her prime, now suffering from dementia. Early 90’s

DR SWART

Patronising, bored with life, painfully unhelpful. 60’s.

SCENE ONE

THE CAR

LIGHTS UP

It's raining cats and dogs.

Lily sits on her phone, in the passenger seat of the car with her legs up.

LILY:

Mom! We need to go, we're gonna be late.

Michelle enters, rushing toward the car as she balances her handbag, shopping bag and comically oversized stanley cup.

MICHELLE:

A little help would be nice.

Lily starts getting up.

LILY:

Why didn't you just ask?

MICHELLE:

Stay in the car, I'm here now. You'll get wet.

Michelle plonks down all of her belongings and gets into the driver's seat.

MICHELLE:

Ugh! I’ve just had my hair done!

LILY:

It's fine…

Michelle tries to fix her hair in the mirror.

MICHELLE:

You always say that. Everything is good and fine.

LILY:

Mom, you were wearing your beanie.

MICHELLE

And?

LILY:

So it's fine.

MICHELLE

It's not wet, but it's all messed up.

LILY: (looking)

It looks good!

MICHELLE:

See… “Good”.

LILY:

Mom…

MICHELLE:

Really?

LILY:

Yes! Really.

MICHELLE:

I’m not convinced.

Lily tucks a stray piece of hair behind Michelle's ear.

LILY:

There… Fabulous!

MICHELLE:

Thank you.

LILY:

Mhm.

Michelle continues fixing her hair.

LILY:

Mom…

MICHELLE:

What? Oh yes! Gran.

LILY:

Yeah…We need to go.

MICHELLE: (talking lists out loud)

Okay…The house is locked up. The pets are fed. Shopping is packed…

Shit! Where's my-

LILY:

In the cup holder.

MICHELLE:

And my-

LILY:

Chargers in the bag.

MICHELLE:

Thank you.

Michelle turns the key in the ignition.

Car engine sounds.

MICHELLE:

I feel so bad that we didn't visit last week, there’s just so much going on.

LILY:

I know-

MICHELLE:

Oh well thats nice-

LILY:

If you let me finish. I was going to say- It's okay… I'm sure she’ll understand.

MICHELLE:

Do you know your grandmother?

LILY:

Well, maybe we’ll be lucky and she forgot?

MICHELLE:

That's not funny.

LILY:

Sorry.

MICHELLE:

They did have that nice holiday lunch planned for them last Sunday, so it’s not like she was doing nothing.

LILY:

Exactly! She does hate their food… but we’re going now!

MICHELLE:

That's what matters!

Michelle sighs. Silence fills the car.

The engine hums.

LILY: (Narrating)

Gran stays in a frail-care facility, over the mountain. It's basically a big building that looks somewhere between a house and a hospital. Her room is on the second floor.

She’s in High-Care, which means there are nurses available 24/7 in case she needs help getting dressed, being fed or if there’s some kind of health emergency. She did live with Mom for a few months after I moved out into my own place, but I think after a while it just became too much.

MICHELLE: (talking to herself)

I mean, do I ever stop running around like a blue-arse fly? It's just go go go, all the time! The to-do lists are endless! I mean if I’m not working, I’m paying bills, If I’m not paying bills I’m grocery shopping, If I’m not grocery shopping I’m driving somewhere. It's ridiculous! Between work and my mother, I barely have a life!

LILY: (Narrating)

Mom doesn't have any siblings, so the caring, providing and visiting all fall on her.

MICHELLE:

All I’m saying is it would just be lovely if there was someone, anyone out there to help me. Is that too much to ask? It's a lot for one person to take on a whole nother human being!…

Michelle takes a deep sigh.

MICHELLE:

Listen to me, sorry love. We are lucky she's still around for us to see her!

It is a blessing and a privilege!

Beat.

MICHELLE:

One hour a week isn’t enough.

Michelle switches the engine off.

SCENE 2

FRAIL CARE

LILY:

Right on time. It's 3 ‘o clock.

MICHELLE:

Great.

LILY:

Do you think we’re the only people who come visit?

MICHELLE:

Maybe on Sundays?

LILY:

There's only ever one other car in the parking lot and I'm pretty sure it belongs to the

security guard.

Michelle is on her phone. Checking the time.

MICHELLE:

We’ll leave at 4:15. Is that okay?

LILY:

Yeah. I only need to be at dinner at 6. So that's perfect.

Michelle gets out and starts grabbing the things from the back.

Lily looks out the window.

LILY:

Is it weird that I feel bad for having a life outside of these visits?

MICHELLE:

You’re supposed to have a life.

LILY:

I know but-

MICHELLE:

Lily, you're twenty. Come.

Lily places her phone on airplane mode and leaves it under the seat.

LILY:

The world will just have to wait!

Lily gets out of the car.

They walk toward frail care.

LILY: (Narrating)

Usually we are greeted by a warm smile but today Sister Thandi, the head nurse, is hiding behind the front desk avoiding eye contact? Weird…

Before we can walk down the hall Thandi asks Mom if she can have a word, which is never a good sign.

Michelle walks over.

Lily stands in the hall.

LILY: (Narrating)

My Granny was born in 1932, she’s 93 years old or “ bloody fucking ancient” as she liked to remind us on the days she was feeling extra old. You’d swear she’d been a sailor with the words that came out of her mouth at times. Her health is perfect, no serious illness, thank God, but she is blind in one eye and can't really see much out the other.

Just harsh contrasts, the fuzziness of familiar faces and spaces, and by some miracle, the tiniest speck of something partially out of place in her room. According to her doctor she has signs of cognitive decline or something? A fact Mom and I had been choosing to ignore…

MICHELLE:

Dementia? You said mild though? Okay and um, what is the difference between mild and?-

LILY: (Narrating)

She can't really remember the details of her early life. Being a child in the war, the bunker her brother built, how strict her mom was, or the time her sister Gloria fell from a tree, which always used to make me laugh because Mom said she was "a bit of a cow.”

It's so strange to think that the brain just starts erasing all of that. That being said…would I remember something that happened over eighty years ago? Probably not. Most of us can barely remember what we ate for breakfast yesterday.

MICHELLE:

Okay. Thank you, for um… the heads up Thandi.

That's…yeah…Thanks for keeping me up to speed.

Michelle puts on a brave face and walks back over to Lily.

LILY:

What did she say?

MICHELLE:

Oh, just giving me an update.

LILY:

And?

MICHELLE:

All good!

LILY:

Really? That's great!

MICHELLE:

Yeah.

Michelle steams past, blowing a massive puff of air out her mouth as she walks.

SCENE 3

GRAN’S ROOM

LIGHTS UP on Gran, asleep in her chair.

Michelle starts organizing the things she brought.

Lily goes to wake Gran up.

MICHELLE: (under her breath)

Give me strength.

LILY:

Hi Gran… Gran?

GRAN: (groggy)

Oh…

LILY:

Hi!

GRAN: (Confused)

Hello…

LILY: (to Michelle)

Does she not know who I am?

MICHELLE:

It's us Mommy!

GRAN:

Oh, yes hi. Hi darlings.

LILY:

Hi.

Lily gives gran a huge squeeze.

GRAN:

Is it Sunday?

MICHELLE:

It is…

Grans gets fidgety in her chair

GRAN:

When did I see you last?

MICHELLE:

Two weeks ago. Sorry we missed the last visit.

GRAN:

Too busy for me as usual.

Michelle wants to say something. Doesn’t.

Lily moves to kneel beside the chair.

LILY:

How was the week Gran Gran?

GRAN:

The same.

LILY:

What's new?

GRAN:

Nothing. Why weren't you-

LILY: (interrupting)

Did you have a nice lunch yesterday?

GRAN:

I don’t know…

LILY:

That's okay. What was it?

Gran wiggles her feet in her fluffy socks like an irritated cat wags its tail.

MICHELLE:

They were supposed to do a roast.

GRAN:

It was probably bloody awful was what it was.

Michelle and Lily share a look. Lily lets out a small chuckle.

MICHELLE: Some things never change.

Gran gets up from her chair, her left leg bent like a boomerang.

GRAN:

Did you bring my stuff?

LILY: (Narrating)

The less Gran could remember, the more she needed to be in control of everything.

It started with counting the number of sips she took in sets of five when drinking water and ensuring that she drank exactly four and a half glasses before 4pm each day and then evolved to making sure we brought extras of everything.

GRAN:

Will you check the soap? Everything is empty.

LILY:

Yes.

Lily goes to check the products in the bathroom

MICHELLE:

I’ve brought your cream, a new toothpaste, body wash and a whole new box of movicol-

You should have soap though. I brought that last time.

GRAN:

I don’t, it's empty.

Lily enters

LILY:(to Michelle)

It's all full.

TALKING CLOCK:

The time is 3:30 p.m. The temperature is 28.8 degrees celsius.

Gran pushes past Lily with her walker on her way to the bathroom

MICHELLE:

Where are you going?

GRAN:

To have a wee.

LILY:(Narrating)

The most recent addition to Gran's list of compulsions was going to the bathroom every hour, on the half hour.

MICHELLE:

Mommy just sit down won't you? It's going to take you half an hour.

GRAN:

I need to go to the bathroom.

MICHELLE:

Right now?

GRAN:

Oh leave me.

MICHELLE:

Come, just sit mom.

GRAN:

No, let me go!

Gran swings her arms in the air, brushing Michelle away in frustration.

LILY: (Narrating)

The last few times we've visited Gran has had this scared look in her eyes.

Like a child who has just woken up from a nightmare…

Mom told me that between the ages of four and seven my dreams were so intense that sometimes it took me over an hour to come right again after waking up. I used to struggle to differentiate what I'd been dreaming from reality. I remember waking up totally disoriented, crying, or in fits of rage. One time, I asked her over and over again to take me home, even though we were standing in my bedroom.

I imagine that is as close as I’ll get to understanding how Gran is feeling right now.

GRAN:

I have to go at half past.

MICHELLE:

Why Mom?

Gran searches the room as if looking for the answer.

GRAN:

Oh I can't remember.

Michelle guides her back to her chair.

MICHELLE:

It's okay.

GRAN:

I can't-

Gran sits down. Lily squeezes in next to her.

LILY:

Do you wanna know what I remember?

Lily places her fist in the palm of Gran's hand and twists it round.

GRAN:

What?

LILY:

You, used to pick me up from tennis every Tuesday and Friday, without fail. Never late, always thirty minutes early after I came back from our half-time water break. One day my coach asked who the Miranda Priestly look-a-like was sitting under the boma at court three, because you’d always wear these huge fabulous sunglasses so I couldn't miss you.

Gran lets out a small chuckle, her eyes soft now, as if she were picturing it in her mind's eye.

LILY:

You used to watch me play with the same excitement you had watching Djochich, except luckily for the kids I was playing against, you didn't get up and yell when things got hairy.

MICHELLE:

Which is exactly what you did when we watched tennis at home!

LILY:

You know you told me that I had to be the grandchild that played at Wimbledon,

because the boys gave up when they got to high school.

MICHELLE:

Didn't you do social tennis?

LILY:

Yes…I mean the chance of me becoming the next Williams was unlikely, but you believed in me. We used to spend every Monday and Sunday afternoon at the tennis court by your house. I think I spent the first week or two swinging my racket and throwing it at the net because I wanted to get things right on the first try and didn't, but you never let me quit. Which used to drive me up the wall, so you bribed me with ginger biscuits and coke. And you never let me drink any because apparently I got too hyper.

MICHELLE:

You did! You used to come back home and act like a hooligan.

LILY:

Well clearly it worked because we perfected my serve and my backhand.

We did have to go fetch lots of balls from the no-man's-land on the other side of the court though. There was one day where you fetched me from school and it was scorching hot. 40 degrees or something. I remember coming off the court feeling like I had been roasted and seeing how red my cheeks were in the mirror. All of the stay-at-home moms in outrageously sized Land Rovers had taken up two parking bays so you couldn't get parking and your car was starting to overheat. Nevertheless I hopped into the backseat and I got tucked into the lunchbox you’d packed for me.

Gran chuckles.

GRAN:

You loved those lunch boxes.

LILY:

Do you remember what they were?

Gran shakes her head no

LILY:

It was a mini pack of salted TUC biscuits, three Melrose cheeses to put on top, still wrapped because I liked to assemble them myself and an apple lucozade-

GRAN:

Apple Lucozade.

LILY:

Yeah! You know that was actually the only flavor I'd ever tried up until last year, I just assumed that if it was your favorite, it must be the best.

MICHELLE:

What happened to the car?

LILY:

I think we made it half a kilometer down the road before Gran realized Betsy might not make it back home over the mountain, so we stopped at the underground parking lot car wash at the mall close to school and let it cool down for a few hours. You know you’d think I would've been afraid of an overheating car on the verge of combustion-

MICHELLE:

Considering you googled the exact number of crashes Qantas had in each Boeing 747 before our trip to Australia-

LILY:

I know. But I wasn't, because I was with you and if I was with you I knew everything would be okay.

GRAN:

I feel like having a good howl.

LILY:

Why don't you?

GRAN:

If I start I wont ever stop.

MICHELLE:

I have a story for you. Do you remember the time we ran around the village starkers?

LILY:

STARKERS?

GRAN:

Nonsense, I wouldn't do that!

MICHELLE:

Oh yes, you most certainly would! You’d just moved into the retirement village. We’d been unpacking your boxes all day and decided that we wanted to celebrate the occasion. Your last hoorah before you officially considered yourself “an oldie”. We stood at the kitchen counter and you poured us each a drink. I had a whiskey, and you had a cane and coke and then we took off all our clothes, got into our gowns and stood outside on the front lawn for a while. I asked you if you were sure, and true as nuts, you took my hand, dropped the gown on the wet grass, said, "Fuck it!” and ran down the road in all your glory.

GRAN:

I must have been quite hot in my day.

MICHELLE:

Frank was in the road that day.

LILY:

NO! Frank?

MICHELLE:

Do you remember Frank Mommy?

GRAN:

No- not really.

LILY:

Ah that man loved you! No wonder-

MICHELLE:

He was your neighbour. Madly in love.

GRAN:

I can’t believe I did that.

MICHELLE:

It gets better!

LILY:

Agh no!

MICHELLE:

One of the old ladies who’d seen us running up and down the road called the estates manager Chantel and reported us, so then she came over in her golf cart to tell us that “we had best get ourselves inside immediately!” And then you wagged your fingers in the air and told her to "Get stuffed!” and ran back home laughing your head off the whole way. I had to stay and apologize. I told her you’d lost your marbles.

All three hysterically laughing. Michelle is keeled over, Gran gripping the chair and Lily might just pee her pants.

GRAN:

Well I have now haven't I?

Beat.

MICHELLE:

No you haven't.

LILY:

I can’t believe you did that!

MICHELLE:

We had fun alright! You have no idea the nonsense this one got up to.

Do you remember the time you stuck your bum out the window?

LILY:

Sorry- WHAT?

MICHELLE:

Oh yes!

LILY:

No man! Gran! You naughty naughty woman! For what reason!?

Gran throws her head back and lets out what sounds like an orangutan on happy gas.

MICHELLE:

That's your grandmother…If she wasn’t tanning topless on the beach she had her bum out some window.

LILY:

Excuse me?!

GRAN:

I did not!

MICHELLE:

Ah I wouldn’t be so sure.

All three continue laughing.

LIGHTS FADE

BLACKOUT.

SCENE 4

CHRISTMAS DAY

Michelle is on the phone.

Tying a ribbon on Gran's Christmas gift.

Dr Swart is on speaker.

Lily sits in the car waiting.

MICHELLE:

Yes. Thandi did speak to me briefly at our last visit.

What I’m battling to understand is how this just happens overnight?

DR SWART:

It didn’t happen overnight.

MICHELLE:

Two weeks ago it was just cognitive decline and now it's been diagnosed.

DR SWART

Well, you see the use, or abuse of sleeping tablets-

MICHELLE:

Abuse? My mother doesn't abuse sleeping pills.

Michelle grabs the gift and stands up, heading to the car.

She puts the phone to her ear.

DR SWART:

Well then…extended use, over the span of many years does unfortunately increase the risk of developing a neurocognitive disorder such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia.

Michelle gets in the car and turns on the engine.

Lily sits up trying to hear.

MICHELLE:

But she's been taking them for years?

DR SWART: (MUTE)

Yes.

MICHELLE:

And you prescribed them?

Michelle's phone connects to the car's bluetooth.

DR SWART:

Dementia is complicated…

LILY:

Gran has dementia?

MICHELLE:

No.

LILY:

I just heard him!

Michelle tries to disconnect the phone.

MICHELLE:

This bloody phone!

DR SWART:

Michelle?

MICHELLE:

Still here!

LILY:

How bad is it?

MICHELLE:

Not bad-

SWART:

Moderate.

MICHELLE:

What?

SWART:

She has moderate dementia.

MICHELLE:

What does moderate mean?

SWART:

Well…it's progressive.

MICHELLE:

How do we slow its progression then?

DR SWART:

You can’t.

LILY:

Oh great. That's wonderful.

Michelle looks sternly at Lily

SWART: (condescending tone)

Picture her brain was a big block of cheese that mice have been eating little holes into over time, and as time goes on, those holes get bigger, and things start being erased per- se.

MICHELLE:

So there's nothing you can do? Nothing?

SWART:

If it were that simple, we would have done something by now.

LILY:

Suuuuuch an arse!

Michelle freezes. Swart has definitely heard Lily.

SWART:

Excuse me?

MICHELLE:

Sorry. One moment.

Michelle quickly mutes the phone.

MICHELLE: (laughing)

Lily!

LILY:

What? He is! He’s like the least helpful doctor on the face of the earth.

SWART:

Hello? Are you still there?

They try to contain themselves.

MICHELLE:

Sorry, bad line. Thank you—thank you soo much for the update Doctor. You have a good Christmas. Bye bye!

Michelle hangs up. They laugh.

MICHELLE:

You can’t just say things like that.

LILY:

I hope he heard me. He’s useless.

MICHELLE:

He definitely heard you.

LILY:

Good. It's true.

MICHELLE: (mocking him)

I mean really. The audacity. “We would have done something by now”. Well clearly you haven’t done enough or she wouldnt have progressed from “congitive decline” to moderate fucking dementia in the span of two weeks!

Silence. They laugh and sigh, realizing what this means.

Michelle looks in the mirror and puts on her Santa hat.

MICHELLE:

Well this’ll be interesting…

Lily and Michelle get out of the car.

Michelle carries Gran's gift.

ACT TWO

SCENE 5

FRAIL CARE

LILY: (Narrating)

It's surprisingly festive for an old age home. The nurses are all dressed up as elves.

I imagine it's as much for them as it is for the oldies. Most people like to keep the magic alive for as long as they can.

LIGHTS UP on Gran's room.

Gran sits in her chair, not paying much attention to Lily or Michelle.

They enter the room. Michelle places Gran's gift on the table.

MICHELLE:

Hi Momma!

Michelle hugs Gran.

GRAN:

Hello…

Lily hugs gran too.She puts a hat on her head.

GRAN:

What are you doing?

LILY:

It's a Christmas hat.

GRAN:

It's not Christmas?

LILY:

‘Tis indeed! That's why we’re here on a Saturday today.

GRAN:

Wasn’t Christmas the other day?

MICHELLE: (Under her breath)

Tell me about it.

Gran starts taking the hat off.

LILY:

Just wear it, you look cute. We match!

MICHELLE:

It's nice to see you! How’ve you been Mommy?

GRAN:

Okay.

MICHELLE:

Okay, what's up?

GRAN:

I think the man next door died.

MICHELLE:

Which one?

GRAN:

Mr…Mr…ugh I don't know…what's his face?

LILY:

Mr Atkins?

MICHELLE: (to Lily)

No she must be confused, he was young.

Lily goes to look out at the old man's room.

LILY: (To Michelle)

No. He's gone. His room’s totally empty.

GRAN:

Lucky bugger.

MICHELLE:

Mom!

LILY: (changing the subject)

Well how are you Gran?

Beat

GRAN:

Alright, I s’pose…

MICHELLE:

What's new?! How has the week been other than… Mr Atkins.

There is a long silence.

Michelle and Lily look at one another waiting, thinking Gran’s confused.

GRAN:

I tried to kill myself.

Michelle lets out a baffled laugh.

MICHELLE:

What!? No you didn’t Mom…No.

No you didnt…

GRAN:

I did.

MICHELLE:

Why would you do that?

Silence again.

GRAN:

I saved up my sleeping tablets.

LILY: (To Michelle)

Don’t they administer those?

MICHELLE:

Yes…

Did no one check you were taking your tablets?

GRAN:

No.

MICHELLE:

Did you really?

GRAN:

Yes, a handful. But nothing happened. I just woke up late.

MICHELLE:

How could you do that?-

GRAN:

Well what am I holding on for?

MICHELLE:

Us. We love you! I love you.

Gran sits upright in her chair, waving her arm in the air.

GRAN:

I want to die!

MICHELLE:

Stop it!

GRAN:

What's the point in dragging it out?

MICHELLE:

How dare you say something like that while Lily is here!

LILY:

Mom just leave it.

MICHELLE:

No! This is not right! This is not right!

Most people don't make it to this age.

Most people don't have the luxury of living in a place like this.

GRAN:

You wouldn't miss me anyway, you're too busy.

MICHELLE:

I am doing the best I can. I'm sorry it's not enough for you!

LILY:

Just leave it.

MICHELLE:

No, she has no right-

LILY:

Stop.

MICHELLE:

Are you happy now, Mom? Are you?!

GRAN:

Oh get over yourself Michelle!

MICHELLE:

You get over yourself!

LILY:

Please. Please just leave it.

MICHELLE:

I will not leave it!

LILY:

Please!!

MICHELLE:

You are SO selfish!

LILY: (under her breath)

I’m not doing this.

Lily gets up to leave

TALKING CLOCK:

The time is four p.m, the temperature is 17 degrees Celsius.

GRAN:

Please don’t go.

LILY:

I just need to fetch something from the car.

Lily hugs Gran and walks out.

GRAN:

I never see you.

MICHELLE:

It’s never about anyone else! Do you ever think of anyone but yourself?

Lily looks out in the hall at the dead man's room.

Michelle and Gran frozen in place.

LILY: (Narrating)

Across the hall, the hollowness of Mr. Atkins’ room hits me like a truck. Plainer, greyer and more void than ever before.

Lily stops for a moment before heading toward the exit.

LILY: (Narrating)

That could have been her.

Thandi is still sitting behind the desk, but this time I am the one avoiding eye contact.

Could you um, sorry. Just open the- Yeah. Thanks.

Lily EXITS

MICHELLE:

It is never enough! It is never enough for you!

GRAN:

I’m sorry Michelle.

MICHELLE:

No mom, I’m sorry, really I am!-

Gran's memory has lapsed, she looks around the room for Lily. Michelle hasn’t realised yet.

MICHELLE:

I'm sorry that you are so unloved! So hard done by!

GRAN:

Where’s Lily?

MICHELLE:

She left because of you!

GRAN:

What did I do?

Michelle is realizing.

GRAN:

What's wrong, why are you crying?

Michelle lets out a bitter laugh, devastated.

GRAN:

Where’s Lily?

MICHELLE:

In the car Mom…

Michelle puts the Christmas gift on Gran's lap.

Merry Christmas.

Gran is totally disoriented. She sits on the verge of tears in her chair.

LIGHTS FADE

SCENE 6

THE CAR

Lily is sitting in the car on her phone.

Michelle gets in. Taking deep breaths.

Lily is angry.

LILY:

Did you have to be so mean?

MICHELLE:

What?

LILY:

There was no need to get so angry at her. You were cruel.

MICHELLE:

I didn't have to be so cruel?

LILY:

No you didn't, she old, mom. She's old and she’s tired. You just go so overboard.

MICHELLE:

I'm tired! I am tired of living my life for people who don't even care. I am sick and tired of dealing with everyone's shit! Picking up and running around and never stopping.

I don’t get a moment to myself and this is how she repays me. I am done! I have had it up to here with everyone!

LILY:

Who’s everyone?

MICHELLE:

Everyone. Mom, work, you. All of it. I'm done!

LILY:

Oh okay, so now it's me? Its my fault? This is my fault?

MICHELLE:

I've had enough for one day without you making this about yourself.

LILY:

You just made it about me?

MICHELLE

I'm done Lily, quit while you’re ahead..

LILY:

You’re such a child.

MICHELLE:

What did you just say?

LILY:

That you are acting like a child! Actually- no, you know what. I was a child and I didn't ever act like this.

MICHELLE: (interrupting)

That's rich.

LILY:

Do you not think I'm also sad? That I’m also a human being with feelings, she just told us she took a bunch of tablets on christmas eve trying to kill herself? You don't just do that on a whim or for attention Mom, she battling. Of course I’m sad, that's my granny, but I’m not going to sit here and act-

MICHELLE:

She’s my mom! That is my mom. MY mom and no matter how hard I try.

It will never be enough for her.

Michelle is finally being vulnerable and allowing her sadness to come out.

MICHELLE:

It breaks my heart! I don't want to lose her. I can’t lose her. She couldn't even remember-

LILY:

So what? You throw a temper tantrum and scream and shout and take it out on me?

MICHELLE: (at breaking point)

Get out!

LILY:

What?

MICHELLE

Get out of my car!

LILY:

Mom, seriously?

MICHELLE:

Get out!

LILY:

I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

MICHELLE:

GET OUT! GET OUT!

Lily gets out of the car and sits down on the side of the road.

BLACKOUT

SCENE 7

FRAIL CARE

LIGHTS UP on Lily.

LILY: (Narrating)

I'm seeing gran alone today. It's been a week since Mom left me on the side of the road. We haven't really spoken since then. I should apologize but if I’m honest I don't really feel like being the bigger person. I have the day off from work and Gran hadn’t really left my mind since Saturday, so I thought I'd seize the moment.

Lily walks inside.

Thandi is in her usual spot behind the counter, burying her head in piles of dusty paperwork. I seem to have caught her by surprise. Instead of greeting me she’s asking why I came early. Apparently I have to take a seat in the waiting area because gran is in the shower? But I know for a fact that they don't shower them on Fridays…

Only Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, apparently it's acceptable to go unwashed for an entire weekend?? Whatever, I’ll humour her for a moment…

Lily sits down.

Her phone beeps.

LILY:

Oh. speak of the devil. “How are you?” That's a start.

Lily starts typing.

LILY:

Good. Great. No…Okay and you? Agh whatever I'll reply later. If I’m here I'm not going to waste time sitting in the entrance hall on my phone, if its actually an issue Thandi will just have to hunt me down.

Lily gets up and walks down the corridor

LIGHTS UP on Gran sitting in her chair.

LILY: (Narrating)

There's a trainee nurse who I haven't met before, kneeling beside her chair. She’s wrapping a bandage around the middle of Gran’s arm. The trainee informs me that Gran had “taken a little tumble” on her way to the bathroom this morning.

It doesn't look like a little tumble, there's blood all the way down the arm of her shirt. This is the second time this has happened and no one ever lets us know. I actually wish Mom was here to yell at them. She’s much better at that than me. If I hadn’t come they'd probably let Gran forget and pretended it never happened. Like all the things gran “must have misplaced". Apparently this nurse wasn't on duty when it happened. It's not her fault, I know, but someone has to be responsible.

Lily rushes over to Gran, holding her shoulder.

LILY:

Are you alright?

Gran is flustered, squinting, not quite yet realizing that Lily is here, or remembering who Lily is.

LILY:

It's nice to see you!

GRAN:

Who are you?

Lily is taken back. Trying not to take offence.

LILY:

It's me… Ganna…

Gran is shaking her head in confusion, still nothing.

LILY:

Gran? It's me, Lily.

GRAN:

I don’t know who you are.

LILY:

Lily.

GRAN:

Nurse!

Lily grabs her arm, kneeling down beside her.

LILY: (gently)

Gran, no no it's fine…okay. It's me. You know me.

GRAN:

Nurse!! Help! Help!

LILY:

I’m your Grandaughter-

Gran is battling to work it out, but the fog is lifting.

GRAN:

Oh I am all muddled up!

LILY:

Your Pumpkin?… Lily.

GRAN:

My?… Oh. Yes. yes- …Lily.

Silence for a moment.

Lily pulls herself together.

GRAN:

It's not Sunday is it?

LILY:

No. It's not, I just missed you.

GRAN:

What day is it?

LILY:

Friday…Is it sore?

GRAN:

What?

LILY:

Your arm.

GRAN:

Oh…yes. A little.

LILY:

What happened?

GRAN:

I think someone left the bathroom floor wet.

I pushed my panic button but no one came. I waited there for ages…

LILY:

I’m so sorry.

GRAN:

It’s okay.

LILY:

Well…It’s a beautiful day outside today. Do you want me to wheel you round the garden?

GRAN:

Not particularly.

LILY:

Come, the sun's out! Let me take you for a walk! Pleaaaaaase?

Lily puts Gran into her wheelchair.

Gran puts on her hat, sunglasses and leather jacket.

LILY: (Narrating)

Gran hadn't been outside at all in the last three months,

other than for her doctor's visits. Apparently the nurses had offered to take her out a few times. They do these weekly bus outings, but Gran always insisted on staying in her room. I think the outside world starts feeling really big and scary when yours has become so small.

Lily wheels Gran round the garden.

Lighting soft and warm yellow.

LILY:

See isn’t that nice?

GRAN:

It would be nicer if I could see where we were going.

LILY:

You can listen!...In the good ear.

Gran chuckles.

Lily stops wheeling the chair.

LILY:

What can you hear?

Water flowing.

GRAN:

Water.

LILY:

And what else?

Bird song.

GRAN:

Birdies.

LILY:

Beats the squawking of nurses doesn’t it?

Gran nods quietly. They listen for a moment.

LILY:

Do you know what kind of birds they are?…It's the Egyptian geese!...

Do you remember Egyptian geese? Oh! And there's a baby guinea fowl walking along the bank of the stream.

GRAN:

I love guinea fowl.

LILY:

I know. You always had so many in your garden back home.

And your ducks! They all loved you because you fed them all the time.

Gran smiles for a moment, before her expression changes to something colder.

GRAN:

I’m ready to go in now.

LILY

Are you sure? The sun's good for you!

GRAN:

Mhm.

Lily wheels Gran back to the room and puts her back in her chair.

TALKING CLOCK:

The time is 3pm, the temperature is 25.9 degrees celsius.

Gran puts her face right up to Lily's, really taking her in.

Silence for a moment, smiling at one another.

GRAN:

You have such a beautiful face.

LILY: (surprised)

Thank you.

GRAN:

Such pretty eyes.

LILY:

Thanks Ganna.

GRAN:

Gorgeous little face!

Lily giggles.

LILY:

Well I borrowed it from you, so you can thank yourself for that.

Lily's phone beeps. It's uber.

Gran keeps looking at Lily. Taking a hold of her hands.

A beat.

GRAN:

Thank you for loving me.

LILY:

Thank you for loving me!

Lily's phone beeps again.

LILY:

Okay I must go. But. Last touch!... Then you go Nix-

Gran, without missing a beat, crosses her fingers.

GRAN:

Nix! No take backs!

Lily in awe for a moment, Gran remembered.

Lily gives Gran another squeeze.

LILY:

Love you.

GRAN:

Thank you.

LILY:

You don't have to thank me.

Lily's phone beeps again.

LILY:

Okay, I really have to go this time!

GRAN:

Last touch! Nicky no take backs!

LIGHTS FADE

BLACKOUT

SCENE 8

THE CALL

LIGHTS FADE UP

Michelle on stage alone.

Her phone starts to ring.

MICHELLE:

Ugh, what time is it?...Hey siri snooze alarm.

Siri. Snooze!

The ringing continues. Michelle grabs her phone, half awake.

The bright white light illuminating her face. She answers.

MICHELLE:

Ugh! Hello?...Who is this?

Is that Thandi? Oh hi Thandi. Sorry there’s no caller ID and I’ve just opened my eyes.

Is everything alright?....

Michelle listens.

MICHELLE:

What?...

Michelle stands up, flustered.

MICHELLE:

Sorry…What? I'm just struggling to understand…How- When? Yes. I see. Um–

Michelle doesn’t know what to say.

MICHELLE:

Okay…okay… um. Thank you… for telling me…

I’ll um, I’ll be there as soon as I can. Bye… Bye Thandi.

Michelle puts down the phone.

Sobs.

LIGHTS FADE TO BLACKOUT.

SCENE 9

CAR RIDE

Soft rain.

LIGHTS UP

Michelle sits in her car in silence, trying to put on a brave face, facing the window.

Lily walks toward the car and gets in.

LILY:

Hi.

Beat.

LILY:

Hello?...Mom?...

Michelle still isn't talking or looking at Lily.

LILY:

Please can we not do this? Can we just start fresh?

It's been a week. I didn't mean what I said…I’m sorry.

Come on, it's Sunday. I don't want to start our visit like this.

Michelle breaks. Still unable to face Lily.

LILY:

You don’t have to talk but please just look at me, at least…. Mom! Seriously. I'm sorry! I’m really sorry.

Lily tries tugging Michelle’s arm.

LILY:

Oh my goodness! Mom! Hello??? Hello???

Ugh okay. I'm not doing this!

Lily starts to get out of the car.

MICHELLE:

No just wait-

LILY:

You aren't even talking to me!

MICHELLE:

Sorry just-

Lily catches a glimpse of Michelle's face.

LILY:

Are you okay?? I'm really sorry. I had no idea-

MICHELLE:

Thandi phoned.

LILY:

Okay…

MICHELLE

Gran-

LILY:

What?...

MICHELLE:

Granny is-

LILY:

Gran is what?

Lily knows but doesn't want to believe it.

Michelle is struggling to get the words out.

MICHELLE:

She died.

LILY:

What?

MICHELLE:

Last night.

LILY:

No. No. I was with her two days ago? She was fine. She was fine-

MICHELLE:

I'm so sorry.

LILY:

No, she remembered me Mom she looked at my face and she actually knew who I was- And then what? What she just dies??? Just like that. Just dies. Right when she remembers again. She dies. That's not fair, that's not fair.

MICHELLE:

It's not fair. It's not.

Michelle tries to reach her hand out to Lily.

LILY:

Just drive.

MICHELLE:

Lily…

LILY:

No, I just need a moment.

MICHELLE:

I’m sorry.

They sit in silence.

LILY:

Just drive please.

Michelle turns on the engine.

Lily broken out the car window.

SILENCE

SCENE 10

FRAIL CARE

Lily and Michelle get out of the car and walk slowly toward frail care.

They stop at the front desk.

MICHELLE: (totally flustered)

Hi. We're just here to collect Mom’s belongings…

Yes. Mrs Green. Oh sure, um.

Michelle digs in her bag for a pen. She doesn't find one.

LILY:

Frail care was emptier than it had ever been. Just us and all of the nurses, lined up in a row. Every single one of them with a different version of the same "I'm sorry for your loss” look stuck on their faces…Even the trainee.

Lily walks to gran’s room.

Starts going through her things.

MICHELLE:

I just- um do you have a pen please?

Oh agh okay. I'll um… just speak the answers and you can fill it in.

Yes.

No.

No, no one has told me what happened, just in her sleep.

Yes. Yes they phoned to let me know that she, that she had passed…away.

Last night. Yes. In her sleep. Like I said. Do you not have this information already?

Yes, um. she wanted to be cremated…

Sorry, what do I need to sign??

Sign her out? What for?!

No, I don't have a pen. I wasn’t expecting to do this.

Do I have to do this right now? My mother just died.

I'm sure you can wait 15 minutes okay?

It's not going to kill you.

Michelle arrives and gathers herself in the doorway.

MICHELLE:

They waste no time! Already asking me to settle her accounts-

Michelle notices Lily rummaging through Gran's drawer.

MICHELLE:

What are you doing?

LILY: (Taking out the boxes)

Just looking at all her things. She has enough Movicol to survive the apocalypse.

They both laugh.

MICHELLE

I don’t think we’d need that in an apocalypse.

LILY:

Three toothpastes. Two body washes. So many tissues.

MICHELLE:

I think she was just making sure we'd come back.

Silence

Lily opens grans dresser and takes out the jacket.

She holds the jacket up to her face.

LILY:

You know she wouldn't let me have this? I must have asked her a hundred times but she always said “one day when I’m gone.”

Lily lies down, holding the jacket.

MICHELLE:

What are you doing?

LILY:

I don't know, the floor’s nice.

MICHELLE:

Can I join you?

LILY:

Mhm.

Heavy silence.

Beat.

MICHELLE:

I'm sorry.

LILY:

For what?

MICHELLE:

Our fight.

LILY:

Oh. I’d forgotten about that.

MICHELLE:

I shouldn’t have said what I said. To you, or to Mom.

LILY:

I'm sorry too.

MICHELLE:

She forgot, you know. She forgot why we were fighting.

LILY:

What?

MICHELLE:

She just kept asking me where you were…

Beat.

MICHELLE:

What are we going to do without her?

LILY:

I don't know…

Lily sits up and puts on the jacket.

A guinea fowl feather in the pocket.

LILY:

Look. Look!

MICHELLE:

Just let me lie here for a bit.

LILY:

No look! It's a guinea fowl feather.

Lily shows her.

Michelle sits up, in awe.

MICHELLE:

I'm glad the old gal got home safe.

LIGHTS FADE

TO BLACKOUT

SCENE 11

THE BEACH

LIGHTS UP.

Warm, sunset.

Waves hitting the shore.

Michelle and Lily sit on the beach, a picnic basket sits open between them.

Michelle pulls out a packet of TUC biscuits.

MICHELLE

I had to search high and low for these!

Michelle opens them and holds up a box of Melrose cheese.

LILY

Three please. Prepare to be mind blown.

Lily makes three perfect Tuc and cheese sandwiches. She hands one to Michelle.

MICHELLE

She never packed four?

LILY

Nope. Cheers.

They both take a bite. Lily gets crumbs all over her jersey.

MICHELLE

I drove there last Sunday. Automatically, I didn't even think about it. I was halfway over the mountain before I remembered.

LILY

Well if it makes you feel better I’ve been drinking three apple lucozades a day.

MICHELLE:

You’re a mess.

LILY:

Ah, thank you.

MICHELLE

No your jersey you nana. You've got biscuit crumbs all over your top.

LILY: (brushing them off)

Oh.

MICHELLE

I told someone to "Get stuffed!" at work yesterday.

LILY

Good for you!

MICHELLE

…It was the photocopier.

LILY

No man. I was so proud for a moment there.

MICHELLE

I did wag my finger at it.

Lily laughs, remembering.

LILY:

Do you remember the time she smacked Dad?

MICHELLE:

When you were born she wouldn't let him hold you, poor sod. Get stuffed!

LILY:

Up yours!

They laugh, sad this time.

MICHELLE:

We had fun.

LILY:

Happy birthday Gran, wish you were here.

Michelle raises her glass to toast.

MICHELLE:

To the most beautiful woman we know. Inside and out!

Happy birthday Momma…

LILY:

She would have loved this. SO much better than a funeral.

MICHELLE:

She was adament, no relative of hers was going to be subject to crying on a rickety pew.

Now we just need a bonfire to dance around.

LILY:

We could go for a dip?

MICHELLE:

In the middle of winter?

LILY:

Why not?

Lily starts playing “This Is My Life” by Shirley Bassey and takes her jersey and jeans off.

MICHELLE:

What are you doing?

LILY:

What Gran would've done.

MICHELLE:

You can’t be serious.

LILY:

Oh I am. I'm going, with or without you.

MICHELLE:

Fine, but I'm going like this.

LILY:

Okay if you want soggy clothes.

Lily and Michelle stand there bracing to run into the ocean.

BOTH:

3…2…1-

LILY:

Race you!

MICHELLE:

Hey! Wait!

LILY:

Get stuffed!

They run off into the distance laughing.

SHIRLEY BASSESY fades out.

Ocean waves fades out.

LIGHTS FADE TO BLACKOUT.

THE END.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar offers a prestigious platform for writers worldwide to showcase their creativity and literary skills. Celebrating diverse voices and innovative storytelling, the competition invites participants to share their unique perspectives through various forms of writing. It stands as a testament to the power of words to connect, inspire, and transform, bringing together a global community of writers and readers.

Thank you, Kerry Black, for sharing "Of A Feather" with us and participating in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your stage play script is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the profound impact of familial bonds. We appreciate your contribution and look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.