Amarachi Logo is a Nigerian born Igbo actor, spoken word artist, and emerging playwright based in Melbourne. She grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. Her recent acting credits include Future Echoes: Edge Ensemble at the Arts Centre Melbourne (October 2019), The Watching with Western Edge Youth Arts (November 2019), Seers (Playlist Live 2019), the audio play WATCHING by Morgan Rose and Vidya Rajan (2020), A Disorganised Zoom Reading of Contagion by The People (2020), The Human Voice (March 2021), Burning Love (Playlist Live 2021) and THIS (RISING Festival 2021). In 2020, she completed a residency with Lonely Company and was a part of Melbourne Theatre Company’s First Stage program in 2021. Her play ‘Akaraka’ was shortlisted for the 2021 Griffin Award.
FLO & SUNDAY are outside loading the car with luggage.
- FLO
- Please tell me that you haven’t forgotten anything. I’m not going to drive back here.
- SUNDAY
- Relax mum, I’ve got everything.
- FLO
- Are you sure?
- SUNDAY
- Oh my gosh, I’m sure!
- FLO
- Are you alright?
- SUNDAY
- Yeah, fine
- FLO
- You’re grumpy
- SUNDAY
- Let’s just go
- FLO
- If there’s anything you want to talk -
- SUNDAY
- Mum, just leave it
- FLO
- Hmm
- FLO
- Do you want to drive?
- SUNDAY
- No, you drive. I’ll switch when we stop
- FLO
- Okay
They get into the car. FLO gets into the driver’s seat and SUNDAY gets in the passenger seat.
- FLO
- Lord thank you for blessing us today. Thank you for your Grace upon our lives. We pray that you protect us as we are driving to our destination. Let us be far away from accident. May we arrive safely. Cover this car with the blood of Jesus. Thank you for answering our prayers. We ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Sunday, say amen
- SUNDAY
- [reluctantly] Amen
FLO starts the car and SUNDAY connects her phone via Bluetooth. She selects the playlist “Car ride with mi madre”. A random song plays. She puts the volume up.
- FLO
- Can you put some gospel?
- SUNDAY
- How did I know you were going to ask this?
- FLO
- I’ve been listening to Reckless Love
- SUNDAY
- Reckless Love. I know.
SUNDAY sighs and searches “Reckless Love by Israel Houghton” on Spotify. She plays it and FLO smiles and starts humming along. SUNDAY looks at FLO and feels oddly comfortable. She smiles at her mother and relaxes into her seat and looks out the window. FLO continues to hum the song.
…
- FLO
- Oh the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh it chases me down, fight till I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine. I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away.
…
- FLO
- There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
…
- FLO
- Oh the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God …
I couldn’t earn it …
… Never-ending, reckless love of God
FLO wipes a tiny tear from the corner of her eye. They sit in silence for a split second. Shots by LMFAO plays next. SUNDAY scrambles to try and change the song. She skips the song and lowers the volume. FLO shakes her head and laughs. SUNDAY laughs as well.
- FLO
- You and your weird songs
- SUNDAY
- I put that in there as a joke. I forgot to take it out
…
FLO gets a text message.
- FLO
- Can you check who that is please?
SUNDAY picks up FLO’s phone and checks who the message is from.
- SUNDAY
- It’s from dad. He said he’s going to come later tonight
- FLO
- Oh.
- SUNDAY
- What do you mean oh?
- FLO
- I thought he wasn’t going to come
- SUNDAY
- Well he is now
- FLO
- That’s good.
- SUNDAY
- Do you want me to reply?
- FLO
- No, it’s okay. I’ll reply later
- SUNDAY
- Okay.
…
- FLO
- What happened?
- SUNDAY
- What do you mean?
- FLO
- Are you ok?
- SUNDAY
- Yeah
- FLO
- You’re lying
- SUNDAY
- Nope
- FLO
- This is meant to be a good holiday. I won’t feel happy if you’re down
- SUNDAY
- I promise I won’t ruin your trip
- FLO
- You said you were excited
- FLO
- Hmm?
- SUNDAY
- I was. I am. Can we just talk about something else?
- FLO
- Okay.
…
The next song plays. SUNDAY loves this song. She puts the volume up.
- SUNDAY
- Standing in the front yard, telling me how I’m such a fool. Talking about how I’ll never find a man like you
- SUNDAY
- I don’t think I’ll trust another man again
- FLO
- Why? What did that man do?
- SUNDAY
- That man. Lol.
- FLO
- What did he do?
- SUNDAY
- Weren’t you listening to the song?
- FLO
- No I wasn’t –
- SUNDAY
- He cheated
- FLO
- Oh?
- SUNDAY
- You can say it
- FLO
- Say what?
- SUNDAY
- I told you so?
- FLO
- Why would I say that?
- SUNDAY
- Oh, wow –
- FLO
- All I can say is this is why you need to listen to your mother more often
- SUNDAY
- Ha ha ha
- FLO
- He’s not the man that God has planned for you. I know it
- SUNDAY
- It has nothing to do with God. He was a dick – I mean a bad man
- FLO
- God knows best. I’ve been praying that this useless man will be exposed
- SUNDAY
- Okay
- FLO
- My prayers worked
- SUNDAY
- Lol, your prayers
- FLO
- You should pray more and God will reveal things like this to you
- SUNDAY
- Anyway …
SUNDAY lets the song play out.
- SUNDAY
- Do you think God actually listens to us?
- FLO
- He always listens
- SUNDAY
- How do you know?
- FLO
- Because I know He listens to everything
- SUNDAY
- Yeah, but how?
- FLO
- If you come back to church, you’ll find the answer you’re looking for
- SUNDAY
- Maybe
- FLO
- Really?
- SUNDAY
- I guess so. Maybe it’ll help
- FLO
- Help what?
Someone runs a red light and almost crashes into FLO & SUNDAY.
- FLO
- Jesus!
- SUNDAY
- Fucking bastard!
- FLO
- Sunday!
- SUNDAY
- I’m sorry but we almost died
- FLO
- Thank God we didn’t
- SUNDAY
- Some people need to get off the road
- FLO
- I don’t know who gave them their licence
SUNDAY relaxes and laughs.
…
- FLO
- I need to get petrol
FLO pulls up into the nearest petrol station. She stops the car. The music stops abruptly. She gets out of the car and fills the tanks. SUNDAY scrolls through her phone. FLO gets back in the car.
- SUNDAY
- I need to use the toilet
- FLO
- You should’ve gone while I was putting petrol
- SUNDAY
- I didn’t need to use it before
- FLO
- You’re so annoying
- SUNDAY
- Love you too mum
SUNDAY gets out of the car. FLO drives the car into a parking spot and waits for SUNDAY. She gets a call on her phone
- FLO
- Hello?
I’m at the petrol station with Sunday
I can’t wait to see you too
He’s going to be there today
My husband
I know. He told me he wouldn’t be there
I don’t think it’s a good idea
It’s a family holiday
Sorry, Sunday is coming. I’ll call you later okay?
SUNDAY opens the door to the driver seat.
Love you too
Bye
- SUNDAY
- Let’s switch
- FLO
- Oh thank God
FLO gets out of the car
- SUNDAY
- Was that dad?
- FLO
- What?
- SUNDAY
- On the phone
- FLO
- Oh, yeah it was your dad. I was just calling him back
- SUNDAY
- What’d he say?
- FLO
- He’s going to meet us there
SUNDAY starts the car, connects her Bluetooth and the song starts playing again from where it left off.
…
SUNDAY’s phone rings. It’s her dad. She answers the call using her car’s Bluetooth.
- SUNDAY
- Hey dad
- DAD
- Hey kid, are you with your mum?
- SUNDAY
- Duh, you know this
- DAD
- Has she seen my message? She hasn’t replied to it -
- FLO
- I’m replying to it now
- SUNDAY
- Wait, weren’t you just –
- FLO
- I’ll call you
- DAD
- I’m about to head home and get ready to come up
- SUNDAY
- Weren’t you literally just on the –
- FLO
- I can’t wait to see you
- DAD
- Alright. Just wanted to make sure you got my message. I can’t wait to see my favourite ladies
- SUNDAY
- Bye dad
DAD hangs up. It’s very awkward. The song resumes.
- SUNDAY
- Who was on the phone before?
- FLO
- What?
- SUNDAY
- Who were you talking to?
- FLO
- What do you mean?
- SUNDAY
- It wasn’t dad
- SUNDAY
- Who was it? Who is he?
- FLO
- He?
- SUNDAY
- Or she? Fuck, I don’t know.
The song comes to an end. The next song plays.
- SUNDAY
- Are you cheating on dad?
- FLO
- I would never do that. I go to church –
- SUNDAY
- Mum
- FLO
- I’m a good Christian
- SUNDAY
- Mum
- FLO
- Your dad is a good man
- SUNDAY
- Mum! Did you fucking cheat on dad?
- SUNDAY
- Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
- FLO
- I didn’t – I couldn’t – I don’t –
- SUNDAY
- You did it.
- FLO
- He’s never around
- SUNDAY
- Divorce is a thing!
- FLO
- Please. Um. Please don’t tell him. I’ll tell him myself
- SUNDAY
- You better, or I will
SUNDAY puts the volume up.
…
- FLO
- I wish I could…
SUNDAY puts the volume up louder
…
- FLO
- I love your dad
SUNDAY puts the volume to the highest. FLO gives up.
FLO starts a silent prayer but can’t finish it.
A gospel song comes on. FLO looks at SUNDAY who doesn’t take her eyes off the road.
- SUNDAY
- Lol
SUNDAY skips to the next song. They sit in silence. Allowing the songs to linger.
…
FLO looks out the window.
SUNDAY laughs to herself, shaking her head.
SUNDAY laughs louder
SUNDAY’s laughter turns into cries
FLO cries, still looking out the window.
SUNDAY pulls over into the emergency lane. She doesn’t turn the engine off. The songs still plays. She lets out a louder cry. FLO doesn’t move.
…
FLO turns and puts the volume down as SUNDAY cries.
- FLO
- When I was fifteen, I met your dad. High school sweethearts, that’s what they called us.
- We were in love
- God destined him for me.
- But do you ever wonder if God can make mistakes?
- Maybe He wasn’t paying attention the day he chose my soulmate.
- I love your dad
- I love God
- I love you and your brother
- I just don’t –
- I don’t –
- SUNDAY
- Know if it’s enough?
FLO nods. SUNDAY laughs with tears still fresh in her eyes.
- SUNDAY
- I’ve heard that before
SUNDAY wipes her eyes, puts the car in drive and turns her indicator on. She waits for a gap and resumes driving. They sit in silence for the rest of the trip.
…
They arrive. The playlist stops as SUNDAY stops the car.
…
She grabs her headphones and connects it to her phone. She plays the gospel song from the beginning (Reckless Love by Israel Houghton). She grabs her stuff and walks past FLO without saying a word.
…
SUNDAY looks out the window and sees that FLO has driven off. She changes the song to Shots by LMFAO.
THE END