Mildred Inez Lewis writes poems, plays and screenplays. A member of the Dramatists Guild, she is part of the playwriting units of the Ensemble Studio Theatre-Los Angeles and Company of Angels, where her new short Dedications will premiere in March 2020. CowGirls was originally written for Playground-LA, then produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre-Los Angeles and Everyday Inferno (NYC). She teaches in the English department of Chapman University.

CowGirls

In honor of the horse men and women of Compton.

Characters:.

D’ANDREA: 23, African American. A member of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association.

LISETTE: 23, Latinx. A single mom and assistant manager at the local 99 cents store.

Time:

Now. Late afternoon between Thanksgiving and Christmas..

Place:

A clean, but threadbare motel room at the Mustang Inn, in Compton, CA. The rooms are mostly rented by the hour. Its only amenities are a clock radio and small flat screen television. Its neon sign blinks erratically.

IN DARKNESS: The sound of car stereos banging hip hop, R&B with a touch of nortena gives way to the sound of passing horses.

LIGHTS RISE: D’ANDRIA rushes into the room wearing a professional cowgirl outfit and sparkly cowgirl hat. She unpacks a gift bag of Wrangler clothing and bottle of tequila from her battered suitcase.

​She turns on a country station. The music is quickly overwhelmed by a passing car’s blaring hip hop.

D’ANDRIA
You win…

D’ANDRIA turns off the radio, freshens up, checks the time, fixes herself in the mirror. She looks at the time again. Pulls out her phone, texts, but no response. She finally lays on the bed and practices with her lasso.

LISETTE knocks. She wears a cowboy hat identical to D’Andria’s. D’ANDRIA opens the door and they twirl and lift each other off their feet, like girls and lovers.

D’ANDRIA
I wasn’t sure you’d come.

LISETTE
My word's good. Welcome home.

D’ANDRIA
So…

D’ANDRIA twirls to model her patches, buttons and medals.

LISETTE
Everyone wants to see you. They’d get a kick out of all this color.

D’ANDRIA
Next time.

(pointing)

Check this out, it’s a Wrangler medal. Wait, here...

She hands the Wrangler goody bag to LISETTE.

D’ANDRIA
Wrangler swag, for you and Tommy.

LISETTE lays the jeans and shirts on the bed. Our first hint that she doesn’t plan on having sex.

LiSETTE
He'll be out of these in three months.

D’ANDRIA
I'll win some more and send more.

LISETTE holds up a pair of sneakers.

LISETTE
Wrangler makes kicks?

D’ANDRIA
Made. They’re leftovers from the men’s circuit.

LISETTE
Who cares? At least I won't have to worry about anyone snatching them. They're not in style.

D’ANDRIA
They’re still doing that?

LISETTE
You haven't been gone that long.

D’ANDRIA
How about I want to forget all the bullshit? Everyone trying to get over on everyone else.

LISETTE
Sucks.

An ice cream truck drives by.

LISETTE
Except for that.

She runs to the window.

D’ANDRIA
Noise pollution.

LISETTE
Magic.

D’ANDRIA
Doesn’t even make sense. It’s cold outside for LA.

LISETTE
It’s a Michoacana.

D’ANDRIA
Whatever.

LISETTE
They’ve got duros, cueritos. You don’t want fried shit, they’ve got fruit. Mango with chili lime! Let’s grab some. We can catch them. They drive like two miles an hour.

D’ANDRIA
I like it when people buy stuff in stores.

LISETTE
Except when it’s some fancy food truck, hunh?.

D’ANDRIA
I guess.

LISETTE
Get out of here. I saw that shit on Instagram. You were on line grinning with the rest of them.

D’ANDRIA
Oh! That was some bomb ass grilled cheese. Never had anything like it before.

LISETTE
Looked like it.

The ice cream truck drives by again.

D’ANDRIA
They don’t care how many times they go without a sale. They are not giving up.

LISETTE
They’re just trying to make it. Like everybody else.

D’ANDRIA
I don't want my world to be that small.

LISETTE
Yeah.

LISETTE starts packing the bag.

D’ANDRIA
Where are you going?

LISETTE
Packing.

D’ANDRIA
Hang on a minute.

She digs boots out from her suitcase.

D’ANDRIA
Check out these shit kickers. They’re yours.

LISETTE
I don't know. They look narrow.

D’ANDRIA
They’ll fit. I traced your feet for the guy on paper. We went through every boot in the store until I was sure.

LISETTE
They’re used?

D’ANDRIA
That way you don’t have to break them in. I don’t want you to get blisters. No pain.

LISETTE nods her thanks.

D’ANDRIA
That’s it?

LISETTE
How grateful do you need me to be?

D’ANDRIA
I was hoping for a little more gratitude.

LISETTE
I can’t deal, D. This used to be a space where we could get away. Now it’s ...

D’ANDRIA
The shoes prove I know you. Every part of you. If I went blind, I could still find all your soft spaces.

LISETTE
Wish I could say the same.

D’ANDRIA
You can.

LISETTE
You’ve got hard places in you I don’t recognize.

D’ANDRIA
What are you talking about?

LISETTE
Nothing.

D’ANDRIA
Don't do me like that.

LISETTE
We’re the same size. Keep them. You’ve got more use for them than I do. I don’t know what cold really is.

D’ANDRIA
You’re the one on your feet 10 hours a day. They’re good support. Just try them. If you don’t like them, I’ll take them back.

LISETTE
Okay.

D’ANDRIA dances LISETTE back toward the bed.

D’ANDRIA
(sings “Buffalo Gals”) Buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight? Come out tonight? Come out tonight?

LISETTE
Buffalo? You trying to tell me my butt’s getting big?

D’ANDRIA
(sings) Buffalo gal won't you come out tonight?

LISETTE
You're turning into a sure enough Okie.

D’ANDRIA
(sings) And we'll dance by the light of the moon.

LISETTE steps away and dances.

LISETTE
(sings “California Love” ) In the city of good ol' Watts. In the city, the city of Compton. We keep it rockin'. Keep it rockin'.

D’ANDRIA gets behind Lisette and circles her waist as if they were riding.

D’ANDRIA
Brown girls riding palominos down Avalon. Past low riders and cars so old como sí Cuba. Chickens and perros meeting in dirt alleys.

LISETTE
My poem.

D’ANDRIA
Safe up high. Riding past, over, around. With your girl. Me..

LISETTE
Air clear. No fear. Gangstas and drive bys in somebody else’s movie. The boys from Brentwood and chicks from Calabasas playacting rebellion with our lifelines.

D'ANDRIA finger snaps her applause.

D’ANDRIA
You still go to The Townhouse?

LISETTE
That dump? Yeah, every Tuesday they’ve got karaoke and spoken word.

D’ANDRIA
What do you do with Tommy?

LISETTE
Compton’s Mexican now, baby. You know we don’t deal in sitters. We bring the kids.

D’ANDRIA
Great grandparents, aunties and the half dead.

LISETTE
If they can fit in the van, why not?

D’ANDRIA kneels on the bed, moves seductively, then pats a spot for LISETTE.

LISETTE
I’ve got to get back.

D’ANDRIA
You’re still on lunch.

LISETTE
I need time to park. I’m assistant manager now. Can’t be late.

D’ANDRIA
You didn’t see everything. This is the gold I won in futurity.

D'ANDRIA holds up a gold buckle.

LISETTE
Futurity? There are sci-fi horses?

D’ANDRIA
The whole circuit feels sci-fi to me, Lis.

LISETTE
With you playing the alien?

D’ANDRIA
With me playing the girl running to her car before the good ol’ boys get too lit.

LISETTE
At least you got out.

D’ANDRIA
Damn.

LISETTE shrugs.

D’ANDRIA
We had the same shot.

LISETTE
You got lucky. That’s all.

D’ANDRIA
Wow. You got anything else to say?

LISETTE
How long’ve you got?

D’ANDRIA
I paid for an hour. The tour leaves in two.

LISETTE
I’ve got less than 20 minutes. So let’s just talk about you. How was Waco?

D’ANDRIA
Fine, but I’m not going to Vegas. She only beat me by four seconds though. Next year.

LISETTE
Next year. So you're staying on the road?

D’ANDRIA
We talked about this.

LISETTE
You talked about it. We talked about making a family.

D’ANDRIA
How do you put together a family with nothing? Our only shot is to get out. That was always the plan.

LISETTE
I’m not leaving my family.

D’ANDRIA
Because they’re soooo good to you.

LISETTE
Because they’re my people. I’m tired of running. I’m not doing it any more. Come look.

They look out the window.

LISETTE
What do you see?

D’ANDRIA
Crap hotel. Crap neighborhood.

LISETTE
I see home. Ugly, beautiful, city, country.

D’ANDRIA
All this from a no tell motel?

LISETTE
Raj and his family keep this place spotless. Hard place.

D’ANDRIA shrugs, unpersuaded.

LISETTE
Compton’s not special. Every place has a spot like this. Needs a place like this. Sheets are made to carry secrets.

LISETTE picks up the bag.

D’ANDRIA
Take this.

D’ANDRIA slips a wad of money into Lisette’s bra. LISETTE takes it out.

D’ANDRIA
It’s a love offering. Look, I don’t want to spend the little time we have arguing. I’m asking you to stay.

LISETTE
I came here to break up with you.

D’ANDRIA
Shit.

LISETTE returns the money. ​

LISETTE
Not to get further in.

D’ANDRIA
There’s someone else.

LISETTE
No one, but Tommy.

D’ANDRIA
Swear to God I didn't see this coming.

LISETTE
All this obligation. It feels like a honey trap. I don’t want it.

D’ANDRIA
How is money we both know you need obligation?

LISETTE
Can you hear me? This is what it feels like to me.

D’ANDRIA
I busted my ass to get you all this shit. I went without and was happy to do it. Am I a fool?

LISETTE
There's more than one way to be bought. You taught me that.

LISETTE heads for the door. D’ANDRIA blocks her path. LISETTE slowly walks around her.

D’ANDRIA
What we have is too deep to throw away.

D’ANDRIA reaches behind her and grabs the lasso. She twirls it in the air and “ropes” LISETTE. LISETTE stops.

D’ANDRIA
Say it’s good to be able to shop without holding your breath for payment declined.

LISETTE
It is good.

D'ANDRIA kisses her.

LISETTE
No.

D’ANDRIA
It's not sexy anymore?

LISETTE
Not unless I ask.

D’ANDRIA
Are you asking?

LISETTE pecks D’Andria’s cheek.​

LISETTE
No.

D’ANDRIA
Screw this.

LISETTE
I’m not dealing with the first half of that sentence.

D’ANDRIA
No, screw me.

LISETTE
That used to get a laugh out of you.

D’ANDRIA
When things were still funny.

LISETTE
This has been coming for a long time.

D’ANDRIA
What else do you want? I’m texting. I’m calling. You can always find me.

LISETTE
But you’re not here.

D’ANDRIA
Come with me.

LISETTE
And do what?

D’ANDRIA
Live. Breathe.

LISETTE
You don’t make enough.

D’ANDRIA
So you get a job. One of those internet work-from-home gigs.

LISETTE
What about Tommy?

D’ANDRIA
You can homeschool the rug rat.

LISETTE
I’d have felt a lot better if you’d called him our rug rat.

D’ANDRIA
Okay, our. Should go without saying.

LISETTE
Tommy’s in Challengers Club now. Choir. I finally got him straight at school.

D’ANDRIA
What about your moms? She's got room.

LISETTE
I’m not doing to him what they did to us.

D’ANDRIA
Now what?

LISETTE
You found your way out. I need to find mine. For Tommy and me. I got knocked up. You terminated. Reap, sow.

D’ANDRIA
Then reap again.

LISETTE
This is where I step off.

LISETTE steps outside of the lasso.

D’ANDRIA
So what’s left?

LISETTE
I still have love for you.

D’ANDRIA
That’s insulting.

LISETTE
I finally figured things out. You’re the tumbleweed, a wind that sweeps in. My cowgirl.

LISETTE grabs the lasso and twirls it.

D’ANDRIA
You’ve been practicing.

LISETTE
I had to teach Tommy.

D’ANDRIA
Does he love it?

LISETTE
He needs it more than we did. The gangs are on him. Punks are after him.

D’ANDRIA
It never stops.

LISETTE
He’s good for now.

LISETTE pats D’Andria’s shoulder goodbye. D’ANDRIA crumples.

LISETTE
Don’t cry.

D’ANDRIA
You don’t get to say that.

LISETTE
You’re still Auntie D.

D’ANDRIA
Not mom two.

LISETTE
You’ve been on and off for two years. He doesn’t think of you that way any more.

D’ANDRIA
Did you help that along?

​LISETTE
I wouldn’t play you like that.

D’ANDRIA
You sure?

LISETTE
It just happened with time. It got away from us.

D’ANDRIA chokes back a sob, then knocks back a shot of tequila.

D’ANDRIA
Then I’ll be this person.

D’ANDRIA reaches for the bottle. LISETTE ropes D’Andria and takes away the motel’s plastic cup.

LISETTE
No.

D’ANDRIA
Can we...?

LISETTE
It’s not a good idea.

D’ANDRIA
Please.

LISETTE shakes her head ‘no.’

D’ANDRIA
I know it’s be the last…

D’ANDRIA dissolves into tears.

LISETTE
Shhh. Shhh. Let’s ride.

LISETTE kisses the tears away. They slowly, mournfully embrace for the final time as lovers.​

Lights out. End of play.