The Memory Box

The Memory Box

Dramatis personae

ELEANOR: (70s) A woman with a sharp wit and fading memory.

ARTHUR: (70s) Eleanor’s loving, patient husband.

ANNA: (40s) Their pragmatic, kind daughter.

Scene

The tidy living room of a small, cozy home. It is slightly cluttered with warm memories—framed photos, ceramic figurines, and a large, wooden “memory box” on a small table. The room is bathed in the gentle late-afternoon light of a late autumn day.

(AT RISE) ELEANOR sits in a rocking chair, a half-finished crossword puzzle on her lap. ARTHUR enters, carrying a steaming mug. He hands it to her.

ARTHUR

(Softly)

Careful, my love. It's hot.

ELEANOR

(Taking a sip, her eyes scanning the room)

Hot? It's freezing in here. Did you leave the door open again?

ARTHUR

No, Eleanor. It's a fine autumn day. You just always say that when I bring you tea.

ELEANOR

(She looks at him, a flicker of confusion in her eyes)

You look familiar.

ARTHUR

(Smiling gently)

I should hope so. We've been married for fifty years.

ELEANOR

(A small, nervous laugh)

Fifty? I... I was married once. To a very handsome man. He brought me tea just like this.

(ARTHUR's face falls slightly. He gestures toward the wooden box on the table.)

ARTHUR

Let's look at the memory box, shall we? Anna is coming soon. She'd love to go through it with you.

ELEANOR

Oh, Anna! My Anna. Is she well?

ARTHUR

She's wonderful. She'll be here any minute.

(The sound of a key turning in a lock is heard. ANNA enters, carrying groceries. She smiles warmly at her parents.)

ANNA

(Putting the bags down)

Hello, everyone. Looks like I'm just in time for story hour.

(ANNA sits on the floor by the memory box. She opens it and pulls out a faded photograph of Eleanor and Arthur in their youth.)

ELEANOR

(Squinting at the photo)

Is that... is that Arthur? He was so young. What a handsome boy.

ARTHUR

(Patting her hand)

That was me, my love. Still is.

ELEANOR

(Suddenly firm)

No. This is the man I married. My handsome man. I remember him.

(Eleanor looks at the photograph intently, then at Arthur, then back at the photograph again. A shadow of panic crosses her face.)

ELEANOR

(Fearfully)

Who are you?

ANNA

(Takes Eleanor's hand)

Mom, it's Dad. It's Arthur.

ELEANOR

(Wrenching her hand away)

No! You're lying to me! My Arthur... my Arthur is in that box!

(Eleanor lunges for the memory box, knocking it and its contents onto the floor. Photographs, old tickets, and a small, rusted music box spill out.)

ARTHUR

(Kneeling to comfort her)

Eleanor, darling...

ELEANOR

(Eyes wide with terror, she sees a small, rusted music box among the scattered items. She picks it up, her hands trembling.)

The music box... he gave me this. For our first Christmas.

(She struggles to open it. Her fingers shake. Arthur, seeing her struggle, reaches out and helps her open it. A faint, slightly tinny version of "Moon River" begins to play.)

ELEANOR

(A single tear rolls down her cheek as the melody plays. She looks up at Arthur, her eyes clear for a moment.)

Arthur? Is that you?

ARTHUR

(Choked with emotion)

Yes, my love. It's me.

ELEANOR

(A soft, radiant smile spreads across her face)

You came back.

Blackouts 

ANNA

Look, Mom. Do you remember this? Your honeymoon.

(Eleanor takes his hand, and they listen to the music box together. Anna watches, her own eyes filled with tears, a mix of sorrow and relief. The last notes fade.)

Blackout ends. A soft, warm light rises. A different day, perhaps. Morning. The living room is neat again. ARTHUR is tidying the last of the strewn items into the memory box. ANNA watches him.

ANNA

(Hesitantly)

Was she... was she okay after? Last night, I mean.

ARTHUR

(Pausing, holding the music box)

She was quiet. Listened to the song a few more times. Said it was beautiful. She remembered it. For a while.

ANNA

(Moving to sit next to him)

It breaks my heart, Dad. These moments. When she comes back.

ARTHUR

(A sigh, heavy with love and loss)

It's the gift, Anna. The gift and the curse. I get to see my Eleanor again, for just a moment. And then she slips away.

(He carefully places the music box back in the memory box, closing the lid gently. Anna takes his hand, and he squeezes it.)

ANNA

I’ve been thinking. About the house.

ARTHUR

(His voice tightening slightly)

Anna, we've talked about this. I'm not leaving here. Not yet.

ANNA

I know, Dad. I know. But... she gets confused by the stairs. And the garden is getting too much for you to manage alone. We could have you closer to us.

ARTHUR

This isn't just a house, Anna. This is a life. Every room holds a memory. Every picture on the wall. The worn spot on the floorboards where we used to dance. You can't just put that in a box.

ANNA

I'm not trying to put your life in a box, Dad. I'm trying to make sure you both are safe.

(A moment of silence. Arthur looks at the rocking chair, a vacant look in his eyes.)

ARTHUR

Your mother... she always loved this time of day. The morning light. Said it felt like a new beginning.

ANNA

(Standing, taking a deep breath)

Dad. We need to talk about next steps. We can sell the house. I can help you find a place with a smaller garden. One you can actually enjoy.

ARTHUR

(Turning to face her, his voice weary)

I've spent my life tending this garden, Anna. It’s not a chore. It's a connection. To her. To us. To our home.

(Eleanor enters, wearing her dressing gown. Her face is bright and her demeanor calm.)

ELEANOR

(Smiling gently)

Arthur, darling. Are you and Anna arguing about the garden again?

ARTHUR

(Surprised by her lucidity)

Eleanor... no, not at all. Just talking.

ELEANOR

(Walks over to the memory box, picking up the music box)

Look, Anna. I found it. My music box. Arthur gave it to me, you know. He was so handsome then. A real charmer.

ANNA

(A lump in her throat)

Yes, Mom. He told me.

ELEANOR

(Winding the box, a faint, tinny melody begins to play)

Listen. Isn't that just the loveliest thing you've ever heard? Our song.

(Eleanor turns the music box to Arthur, extending her hand. He takes it, and they begin to sway slowly to the tune. It is a slow, halting dance, full of fragile tenderness. Anna watches, holding back tears, as her parents, lost in their shared, disappearing moment, dance in the morning light.)

Blackout

(Anna looks from Eleanor to Arthur, seeing the raw pain on her father's face and the fleeting clarity on her mother's. It is a moment of both joy and deep sorrow.)

Blackout ends. Weeks later. The living room is sparsely decorated, with most personal items packed into moving boxes. The wooden memory box, however, remains prominently on the table. The late afternoon light is harsher now, reflecting off the bare floorboards. ANNA is taping up a large box of books. ARTHUR stands, looking out the window. His back is to the audience.

ANNA

(Gently)

The movers will be here tomorrow, Dad. I've got everything ready. The pictures, the figurines... everything.

ARTHUR

(His voice is low, distant)

Tomorrow. Right.

ANNA

(A small silence passes)

We're going to love having you with us. The guest room is all ready. I've put the rocking chair in there. And the memory box.

ARTHUR

(Without turning)

She'll want her garden.

ANNA

We'll get a little one for the porch. Lots of pots. And there's a lovely park just down the street. We can go for walks there.

ARTHUR

(Turns from the window, his expression unreadable)

A little one for the porch. That’s nice. But it won’t be the same, will it?

ANNA

(Putting her arm around his waist)

No. It won't. But we'll make new memories there. You and me. And the grandkids.

(ELEANOR enters, dressed for bed. Her hair is disheveled, and she is holding the music box.)

ELEANOR

(Confused)

Arthur? Who is this young woman? She looks like Anna, but Anna is a child. Where is the music box?

(Eleanor looks at the music box in her own hands with surprise.)

ARTHUR

(Moving to her)

It's me, my love. It's Arthur. And this is our Anna. She's a grown woman now.

ELEANOR

(Shakes her head, her hand on her head)

No. This isn't right. I was just... I was just dancing with my Arthur. He was so young.

ANNA

(Steps closer, softly)

It was our song, Mom. The one from your first Christmas.

ELEANOR

(Her eyes fixate on a specific spot on the floor)

We danced right here. On these floorboards. The night we brought the box home.

(Eleanor's focus shifts from the past to the present with a jolt.)

ELEANOR

(Distressed)

Arthur! What is all this mess? Boxes everywhere! Did you forget to pay the rent again? We'll have to move. Again!

ARTHUR

(Takes her hand)

No, Eleanor. It’s alright. We’re moving to Anna’s house. Remember? We decided.

ELEANOR

(Pulling her hand away)

I'm not going anywhere. My Arthur is here. Right here, in this house. He's young and handsome, and he brings me tea every morning. And we dance. You… you can't be him. You're too old.

(The truth of her words stings Arthur deeply. He looks at Anna, who is on the verge of tears.)

ANNA

(Stepping in front of Arthur)

Mom, please. It's okay. You're just a little confused. We're all here with you.

ELEANOR

(Backing away from them, clutching the music box)

No! No. You're not my Arthur. And Anna... you're a child. I want to go home.

(Eleanor turns toward the doorway, moving toward the garden, her haven. The music box slips from her grasp and falls to the floor with a clatter. It does not break, but the lid springs open, and the music begins to play faintly. Eleanor freezes.)

ARTHUR

(Looking at the music box, his heart breaking)

"Moon River."

(Eleanor turns around slowly, her face soft and confused. She looks at Arthur, then at Anna, then back at the music box. The melody seems to pull her from her confusion.)

ELEANOR

(Taking a tentative step toward Arthur)

Arthur?

ARTHUR

(His voice choked with emotion)

Yes, my love.

ELEANOR

(Looking at the floor where they once danced, and then at the boxes)

The memories... they're all packed up.

(Arthur closes the distance between them, taking her in his arms. She rests her head against his chest, the music box still playing its small, tinny song on the floor between them. Anna watches, a witness to their quiet, fragile love.)

Blackout.

ELEANOR

Oh. There it is

[FINAL SCENE]

Scene

The living room is now almost completely empty. The moving boxes are gone. The memory box is on the floor, ready to be moved. The late-afternoon light is now a tired, washed-out gray. ELEANOR sits in the rocking chair, her gaze fixed on the empty space where the boxes were. ARTHUR is at the front door, speaking with ANNA, who is just outside.

ANNA

(Hesitantly)

Are you sure you don't want me to carry that for you? It looks heavy.

ARTHUR

(Shakes his head)

No. It’s the last thing. I'll get it.

ANNA

I’ll just be at the end of the driveway. In the car.

(Arthur nods, offering her a small, weak smile. She exits, closing the door softly behind her. Arthur stands in the silence of the empty room, looking around at the faint outlines of furniture on the floor. He walks over to Eleanor.)

ARTHUR

Ready, my love?

ELEANOR

(Her voice is small, childlike)

Is he really gone?

ARTHUR

(His heart breaks. He kneels in front of her, taking her hands.)

Who, my love?

ELEANOR

(Looks at him, and her eyes, clouded with confusion, are filled with a strange, fleeting sorrow)

My Arthur. The handsome one. He promised me he wouldn't leave.

ARTHUR

(Holding her hands tighter)

I'm here, Eleanor. I'm right here.

ELEANOR

(A single tear rolls down her cheek)

No. No, you're not him. You’re… the other one.

(Eleanor pulls her hands away from him gently and reaches for the memory box. She picks it up, holding it tightly to her chest. She tries to rock the chair, but the motion is shaky and uncertain. Arthur watches her, unable to move, unable to speak.)

ELEANOR

(To the box, a soft, crooning voice)

They're making us go, Arthur. I don’t want to go. Don't let them take me.

ARTHUR

(Whispers)

I won't, my love. I won't.

(He rises, walking over to the music box still sitting on the floor where it fell. He picks it up and winds it. The tinny, gentle melody of "Moon River" fills the silent room one last time. Eleanor, holding the memory box, stops rocking and listens. Her head is cocked slightly, a ghost of a smile on her face. Her breathing is shallow.)

(The melody ends. Eleanor's hands relax, and the memory box falls to the floor with a soft thud. Her head lolls to the side. The smile remains fixed on her face, but her eyes are no longer seeing the past. They are seeing nothing at all. Arthur stands frozen, holding the music box, watching her.)

(A beat of silence. The emptiness of the room feels vast, complete. Arthur walks slowly toward Eleanor. He gently lifts her head, resting it against his chest. He pulls her rocking chair closer to the center of the room. He sits on the bare floor, holding her. He starts to hum the melody of "Moon River." He looks at the now-opened music box on the floor, then at the empty room, and finally at Eleanor. His tears fall onto her still face.)

(The humming stops. The silence returns. Arthur just sits, holding her. He pulls her a little closer. The light from the window fades to a final, cold, gray wash.)

FADE TO BLACK.

END OF PLAY.

(Anna looks at the box, then back at her father. She sees his weariness, the deep lines of sorrow around his eyes.)