(After living a hard life being an outcast in his day to day life. African American Wes Holman from the story “Long, long After School,” is affected when his past grade three teacher, Miss Tretheway suddenly passes away from old age. In this monologue he sits by her grave confessing who she was to him.)


(Slow) Inside everyone’s head there is that one voice, the small voice that controls your thoughts, emotions, and every action you do. It gives you the power to move forward, fight through the pain and never give in. I spent my childhood with that voice as one of my only friends. It told me I was good enough when everyone else said differently. It said I should never be ashamed to be who I was. It let me know life could only get better from here. It shared with me everyone else was secretly jealous of everything I had going. At the time I passed these by as lies. (Starts to get upset) Every day I would walk the halls (Throws arms in anger) spat at, laughed at, thrown around, and put down (Hand on heart) because of who I was.

To think I wouldn’t be here alive without you makes me wonder why I’m here and you’re not. (Looks beside himself) (Pause, Shakes head) I guess what I’m really here for today is to pay my respect when much more is deserved. (Looks down at hand) The first day you took my hand in yours that was the day my life changed for the better. You were my saviour. When something was wrong you asked me how you could help. Just having that one person care made the world of difference. That year you taught me a lot, (Uses fingers to keep track) Math, English, Science etc. but the most important lesson – Too be proud of who I was and where I came from.

People go through life worrying about themselves and only them. To them being successful is making money, and owning property. You should proudly know you weren’t one of these people. You knew to be successful meant bringing success to others.
(Intensity) Have you ever ran a race and felt that instant where there is absolutely no possible way you can keep running? Where everything in your body tells you to stop and just give up. But when you turn the corner and standing there (Shouts word) shouting is one person cheering with all there might for you, and it gives you all the adrenaline to speed up and beat out everyone and everything. That one person didn’t even know who you were, or where you came from, to them all that mattered was making sure you did your best and because of them you did (Pause) (Quietly) because of you I did.

I came here today in hope that someway somehow you would be listening to me right now. (Looks up at sky) I never got the chance to say goodbye I never got that time to tell you how thankful I am. I owed at least that much to you. When I came here today I was stuck on why god made you leave. In my mind death was a cruel punishment brought upon you. But what if god had other plans for you, he wanted to bring you onto bigger and better things. Wherever you are they are lucky to have you because I know in that place this very moment you’re doing something with great intentions and execution. I can only hope that when my time comes I’ll be able to look back and feel I lived a successful life. (Places flowers beside grave) Rest in peace Anne Tretheway.