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Description
HELEN (calmly)

No.

ELI

Whaddaya mean, “no”?!

HELEN (deliberately)

Eli, you are my son, and I will not per-

ELI

Ma, I’m not your child anymore.

HELEN

Do not interrupt me!  (regaining composure)  Eli, sweetie, you have such potential!  You’re always making good grades in school, you’ve visited some of the best colleges in the country… Why you’d want to go and throw all that away is beyond me.  You could make something of yourself.  You could be someone!

ELI

This is being someone, this is being me!  Just think, after training I could-

HELEN

Stop it!  (takes him by the arm, points into the dining room)  Do you see that man in there?  He doesn’t even know that we’re here, Eli.  For the past 10 years, we’ve been taking care of him, and he doesn’t even know we’re here!  Is that what- No!  No backtalk!  We’re going to go and have a quiet dinner and then you can have your say.

Helen and Eli walk into the dining room where Grandfather sits in his wheelchair.  They sit down, Helen prays, and then they begin to eat in silence.  Several minutes pass.

GRANDFATHER (reaching across the table and taking Helen’s hand, he looks up into her eyes)

It’s time to let the boy go, Helen.

Helen collapses into sobs as Grandfather goes back to eating.  Eli looks on stunned at both of them.

Description
HELEN (calmly)

No.

ELI

Whaddaya mean, “no”?!

HELEN (deliberately)

Eli, you are my son, and I will not per-

ELI

Ma, I’m not your child anymore.

HELEN

Do not interrupt me!  (regaining composure)  Eli, sweetie, you have such potential!  You’re always making good grades in school, you’ve visited some of the best colleges in the country… Why you’d want to go and throw all that away is beyond me.  You could make something of yourself.  You could be someone!

ELI

This is being someone, this is being me!  Just think, after training I could-

HELEN

Stop it!  (takes him by the arm, points into the dining room)  Do you see that man in there?  He doesn’t even know that we’re here, Eli.  For the past 10 years, we’ve been taking care of him, and he doesn’t even know we’re here!  Is that what- No!  No backtalk!  We’re going to go and have a quiet dinner and then you can have your say.

Helen and Eli walk into the dining room where Grandfather sits in his wheelchair.  They sit down, Helen prays, and then they begin to eat in silence.  Several minutes pass.

GRANDFATHER (reaching across the table and taking Helen’s hand, he looks up into her eyes)

It’s time to let the boy go, Helen.

Helen collapses into sobs as Grandfather goes back to eating.  Eli looks on stunned at both of them.