Split

Description

Brighton Beach: A porcelain URN rests against the pebbles. It is embossed with the words: Madhu Monteiro, Beloved Grandmother and Mother. Behind it; the squeals of kids on fairground rides on the pier. A shadow falls across the surface and then a large PINK CANDYFLOSS drops down next to the urn. Ava (9, mixed Indian-English) bends down, her small arms cradling the urn. Leaving her sweet treat, she heads down along the beach. Running across the shingle in heels, comes highly strung Dimple (43, British-Indian). She finds the candy floss and walks up in the opposite direction calling to Ava. Shiv, hippyish(45, British Indian), barefoot walks down toward the beach. Shiv finds Ava who refuses to hand over the urn unless… Ava looks up at the forbidden rollercoaster. Ava grins on the rollercoaster. Dimple turns up, furious to see her daughter on the ride: Ava waves at her mum and aunty; the ride begins. Shiv tells Dimple that she’s going to tell Ava the truth. Dimple laughs, telling her sister that an egg donation doesn’t make a real mother: Shiv has no idea what being a mother is. Ava’s at the top of the rollercoaster. Her face turns from delight to fear. She screams. The sisters watch with fear. Ava gets off the ride and straight into Dimple’s arms. She throws up. Shiv tries to offer an ice-cream, but Ava just wants her mum. Dimple walks off with Ava victorious. A tear runs down Shiv’s face. But when she looks up she sees the Urn. She scoops it up; shouting to Ava. Ava is delighted to be reunited with the Urn; Shiv and Ava chat non-stop. Dimple, tries to keep up but she’s struggling in her heels. Shiv takes Ava’s hand. Dimple shouts for them to wait. Shiv ignores her. Dimple walks faster, missing her step. She twists her ankle, yelping in pain. Shiv looks around, her sister is hobbling. She keeps walking, taking Ava by hand.Shiv finds a quiet spot on the beach. Shiv keep looking at the Urn, containing her mother’s ashes: now her mother is gone, it’s time to tell Ava the truth. Now is her only chance to claim Ava as her own. She starts telling Ava how Dimple struggled to have a baby: Ava’s face changes from smiling to worry. Shiv begins to wonder if the truth is really in the best interest of Ava In the final moments; Shiv decides not to tell the truth for the sake of Ava. In the final scene, Shiv holds the urn, watching as Ava and Dimple walk along the beach together.

Biblical Connection

This story is based on the Judgement of Solomon 1, Kings 3:16–28. In the original, two mothers go to bed with their babies. Overnight, one of their babies dies, and there is a disagreement about who is the real mother. In his wisdom. Solomon suggests splitting the baby in two. The true mother is revealed as the one who, rather than having her child suffer, agrees for the other woman to have him. In my adaption, the women play a key role in the story. I’ve used egg-donation between sisters to give a modern-day context of two women coming from the same home. Like the Bible story it is impossible to decipher who the ‘true mother’ and one mother must make a choice of whether to let her child suffer, or let the other have ownership.