Native Gardens 10

(enter)

Virginia. I don’t mean to intrude on you morning.

Tania. I’ve taken the day off. Don’t you have a big fancy-schmancy party happening tomorrow?

Paula and I are good people. We don’t want to hurt you.F

Frank and I are good people too.

I’m so sorry I said those things to you.

Swearing in Spanish seems so much more satisfying.

I promise, you won’t have to hear that type of language again.

Would you like a seat? You must be tired.

Thank you.

You should take a load off. Here let me help you prop up your feet. Your poor ankles.

I never thought I would swell up like this.

None of us do. And then it happens. But it’s so worth it. You’ll see. Kids add a lot of color to your life. I love being a mother.

Virginia-

Call me Ginny.

Ginny, you need to know, I never intended for this to get like this.

I know. I know. And suddenly…

Exactly! And I don’t want this to get worse. I knew if I came here. and we talked that would be a step in the right direction. There has to be a compromise.

I am so relieved to hear you say that.

It’s just been so overwhelming and all at once. The pregnancy, the move, and the firm and now all this stuff. The entire office is coming tomorrow. The baby is due in five weeks…

The only thing that matters is you need to take care of yourself. Keeping you and the baby healthy has to be your priority.

Yes. Of course.

So ironic this all had to happen the same week as Frank’s gardening competition.

I’m so sorry about the timing.

Well I know throwing this party isn’t easy either.

What we do for our partners.

Our crazy, neurotic partners.

Impulsive, and more impulsive.

Wanting to win, wanting it all

Ah Marriage! (laugh)

Although, we want to win too. Don’t we?

Yes but for different reasons.

Very different.

Paula and I are just trying to build a better future for our family.

Yes of course you are. It’s the United Statesean dream.

(laugh)

Like Respect.

Ginny, we didn’t mean to be disrespectful.

Of course not, but you were.

You do understand we do have the right to build the fence.

Don’t you find that kind of entitled?

But you are the ones who felt entitled to plant flowers wherever you want…

Can you hear yourself? You are accusing us of what? Planting flowers. Now what kind of crime is that?

It’s our land. And those flowers are detrimental to the environment.

Your desire for more started this all.

You mean my greed?

I didn’t say that word. Did I?

No one has ever called me greedy before.

You are a woman. They probably masked it with more generous words like ambitious and determined or bitchy. It’s so unfair. Believe me, I know.

I’m greedy for hoping to get what I paid for? So Virginia, what are you? How did you get more land than you bought?

As far as I remember, this has been like this for a very long time.

And that’s the crux of it. You have because you have. Because you are used to it. Stolen good are not stolen. They are acquired. The world is already so entrenched in your favor you don’t even need to recognize how you benefit from inequity. You are blind to your privilege! And you don’t stop unless you are held accountable! You…you people…you…

You? What do you mean…by: you people?

You and Frank.

You mean senior people?

I mean…you and Frank.

Would you attack us if we had a Cactus in our backyard?

Oh, because Mexicans only want Cacti in their backyard?

See! You are Mexican!

I am Mexican! And American! And Latinx!

Latin - what?

X!

Why are you yelling?

I want to make sure you hear me, even if you don’t want to!

Aha! See? There it is, the big chip on the shoulder. You would handle this different if we were different.

No. I would not. If you were my Latinx neighbor and you had two feet of our yard, you better believe I would still come and claim it. But…I bet you would be a lot less resistant to our rightful legal rights if we “fit in better.”

That, young lady, is ageism.

Virginia, the only “ism” you feel is your own narcissism. How you managed to paint yourself as the victim in all of this is a feat of your own self-delusion. We are the ones that have been cheated. Not you.

We are upright, taxpaying, law-abiding citizens.

So are we.

But you are taking things we love away from us.

You know, I came here to apologize…

And I graciously accept your apology.

I don’t think I am giving it to you anymore.

Honey you are pregnant. It’s making you irrational.

I’m passionately rational!

I’ve never been entitled a day in my life. Except now. When the title of our land actually says we are entitled to the land we bought and that you have. You are the occupation. But we shall overcome. You will not stop us.