Drama Monologue

Question 1

What line do you say after: Deep within me, words pile up in huge drifts.

Answer 1

Mountains of phrases and sentences and connected ideas.

Question 2

What line do you say after: Mountains of phrases and sentences and connected ideas.

Answer 2

Clever expressions. Jokes. Love songs.

Question 3

What line do you say after: Clever expressions. Jokes. Love songs.

Answer 3

From the time I was really little—maybe just a few months old—words were like sweet, liquid gifts, and I drank them like lemonade.

Question 4

What line do you say after: From the time I was really little—maybe just a few months old—words were like sweet, liquid gifts, and I drank them like lemonade.

Answer 4

I could almost taste them.

Question 5

What line do you say after: I could almost taste them.

Answer 5

They made my jumbled thoughts and feelings have substance.

Question 6

What line do you say after: They made my jumbled thoughts and feelings have substance.

Answer 6

My parents have always blanketed me with conversation.

Question 7

What line do you say after: My parents have always blanketed me with conversation.

Answer 7

They chattered and babbled.

Question 8

What line do you say after: They chattered and babbled.

Answer 8

They verbalized and vocalized.

Question 9

What line do you say after: They verbalized and vocalized.

Answer 9

My father sang to me.

Question 10

What line do you say after: My father sang to me.

Answer 10

My mother whispered her strength into my ear.

Question 11

What line do you say after: My mother whispered her strength into my ear.

Answer 11

Every word my parents spoke to me or about me I absorbed and kept and remembered.

Question 12

What line do you say after: Every word my parents spoke to me or about me I absorbed and kept and remembered.

Answer 12

All of them.

Question 13

What line do you say after: All of them.

Answer 13

I have no idea how I untangled the complicated process of words and thought, but it happened quickly and naturally.

Question 14

What line do you say after: I have no idea how I untangled the complicated process of words and thought, but it happened quickly and naturally.

Answer 14

By the time I was two, all my memories had words, and all my words had meanings.

Question 15

What line do you say after: By the time I was two, all my memories had words, and all my words had meanings.

Answer 15

But only in my head.

Question 16

What line do you say after: But only in my head.

Answer 16

I have never spoken one single word.

Question 17

What line do you say after: I have never spoken one single word.

Answer 17

I am almost eleven years old.

Question 18

What line do you say after: I am almost eleven years old.

Answer 18

I can’t talk.

Question 19

What line do you say after: I can’t talk.

Answer 19

I can’t walk.

Question 20

What line do you say after: I can’t walk.

Answer 20

I can’t feed myself or take myself to the bathroom.

Question 21

What line do you say after: I can’t feed myself or take myself to the bathroom.

Answer 21

When people look at me, I guess they see a girl with short, dark, curly hair strapped into a pink wheelchair.

Question 22

What line do you say after: When people look at me, I guess they see a girl with short, dark, curly hair strapped into a pink wheelchair.

Answer 22

By the way, there is nothing cute about a pink wheelchair.

Question 23

What line do you say after: By the way, there is nothing cute about a pink wheelchair.

Answer 23

Pink doesn’t change a thing.

Question 24

What line do you say after: Pink doesn’t change a thing.

Answer 24

They’d see a girl with dark brown eyes that are full of curiosity.

Question 25

What line do you say after: They’d see a girl with dark brown eyes that are full of curiosity.

Answer 25

But one of them is slightly out of whack.

Question 26

What line do you say after: But one of them is slightly out of whack.

Answer 26

After folks finished making a list of my problems, they might take time to notice that I have a fairly nice smile and deep dimples.

Question 27

What line do you say after: After folks finished making a list of my problems, they might take time to notice that I have a fairly nice smile and deep dimples.

Answer 27

I think my dimples are cool.

Question 28

What line do you say after: I think my dimples are cool.

Answer 28

Sometimes people never even ask my name, like it’s not important or something.

Question 29

What line do you say after: Sometimes people never even ask my name, like it’s not important or something.

Answer 29

It is.

Question 30

What line do you say after: It is.

Answer 30

My name is Melody.

Question 31

What line do you say after: My name is Melody.

Answer 31

I can remember way back to when I was really, really young.

Question 32

What line do you say after: I can remember way back to when I was really, really young.

Answer 32

Mum carrying me home from the hospital—her face showing smiles, but her eyes squinted with worry.

Question 33

What line do you say after: Mum carrying me home from the hospital—her face showing smiles, but her eyes squinted with worry.

Answer 33

Melody tucked into a tiny baby bathtub.

Question 34

What line do you say after: Melody tucked into a tiny baby bathtub.

Answer 34

I didn’t splash or kick.

Question 35

What line do you say after: I didn’t splash or kick.

Answer 35

Mum massaging me with lotion after a bath—I can still smell the lavender.

Question 36

What line do you say after: Mum massaging me with lotion after a bath—I can still smell the lavender.

Answer 36

Then wrapping me in a fluffy towel with a little hood built into one corner.

Question 37

What line do you say after: Then wrapping me in a fluffy towel with a little hood built into one corner.

Answer 37

Songs floated through me and stayed.

Question 38

What line do you say after: Songs floated through me and stayed.

Answer 38

Lullabies, mixed with the soft smells of bedtime, slept with me.

Question 39

What line do you say after: Lullabies, mixed with the soft smells of bedtime, slept with me.

Answer 39

Harmonies made me smile.

Question 40

What line do you say after: Harmonies made me smile.

Answer 40

It’s like I’ve always had a painted musical soundtrack playing background to my life.

Question 41

What line do you say after: *It’s like I’ve always had a painted musical soundtrack playing background to my life.*

Answer 41

*I can almost hear colors and smell images when music is played.*

Question 42

What line do you say after: *I can almost hear colors and smell images when music is played.*

Answer 42

*Mum loves classical. Big, booming Beethoven symphonies blast from her CD player all day long.*

Question 43

What line do you say after: *Mum loves classical. Big, booming Beethoven symphonies blast from her CD player all day long.*

Answer 43

*Those pieces always seem to be bright blue as I listen, and they smell like fresh paint.*

Question 44

What line do you say after: *Those pieces always seem to be bright blue as I listen, and they smell like fresh paint.*

Answer 44

*Dad is partial to jazz, and every chance he gets, he winks at me, takes out Mum’s Mozart disc, then pops in a CD of Miles Davis or Woody Herman.*

Question 45

What line do you say after: *Dad is partial to jazz, and every chance he gets, he winks at me, takes out Mum’s Mozart disc, then pops in a CD of Miles Davis or Woody Herman.*

Answer 45

*For some reason, I’ve always loved country music—loud, guitar-strumming, broken-heart music.*

Question 46

What line do you say after: *For some reason, I’ve always loved country music—loud, guitar-strumming, broken-heart music.*

Answer 46

*Country is lemons—not sour, but sugar sweet and tangy.*

Question 47

What line do you say after: *Country is lemons—not sour, but sugar sweet and tangy.*

Answer 47

*Lemon cake icing, cool, fresh lemonade!*

Question 48

What line do you say after: *Lemon cake icing, cool, fresh lemonade!*

Answer 48

*Lemon, lemon, lemon! Love it.*

Question 49

What line do you say after: *Lemon, lemon, lemon! Love it.*

Answer 49

*When I was really little, I remember sitting in our kitchen, being fed breakfast by Mum, and a song came on the radio that made me screech with joy.*

Question 50

What line do you say after: *When I was really little, I remember sitting in our kitchen, being fed breakfast by Mum, and a song came on the radio that made me screech with joy.*

Answer 50

*So I’m singin’*

Question 51

What line do you say after: *So I’m singin’*

Answer 51

*Elvira, Elvira*

Question 52

What line do you say after: *Elvira, Elvira*

Answer 52

*My heart’s on fire, Elvira*

Question 53

What line do you say after: *My heart’s on fire, Elvira*

Answer 53

*Giddy up oom poppa oom poppa mow mow*

Question 54

What line do you say after: *Giddy up oom poppa oom poppa mow mow*

Answer 54

*Giddy up oom poppa oom poppa mow mow*

Question 55

What line do you say after: *Giddy up oom poppa oom poppa mow mow*

Answer 55

*Heigh-ho Silver, away*

Question 56

What line do you say after: *Heigh-ho Silver, away*

Answer 56

*I wanted to hear the song again.*

Question 57

What line do you say after: *I wanted to hear the song again.*

Answer 57

*But Mum just looked at me like I was nuts.*

Question 58

What line do you say after: *But Mum just looked at me like I was nuts.*

Answer 58

*How could she understand that I loved the song “Elvira” by the Oak Ridge Boys when I barely understood it myself?*

Question 59

What line do you say after: *How could she understand that I loved the song “Elvira” by the Oak Ridge Boys when I barely understood it myself?*

Answer 59

*I had no way to explain how I could smell freshly sliced lemons and see citrus-toned musical notes in my mind as it played.*

Question 60

What line do you say after: *I had no way to explain how I could smell freshly sliced lemons and see citrus-toned musical notes in my mind as it played.*

Answer 60

*If I had a paintbrush . . . wow! What a painting that would be!*

Question 61

What line do you say after: *If I had a paintbrush . . . wow! What a painting that would be!*

Answer 61

*But Mum just shook her head and kept on spooning applesauce into my mouth.*

Question 62

What line do you say after: *But Mum just shook her head and kept on spooning applesauce into my mouth.*

Answer 62

*There’s so much my mother doesn’t know.*

Question 63

What line do you say after: *There’s so much my mother doesn’t know.*

Answer 63

*Thoughts need words.*

Question 64

What line do you say after: *Thoughts need words.*

Answer 64

*Words need a voice.*

Question 65

What line do you say after: *Words need a voice.*

Answer 65

*I love the smell of my mother’s hair after she washes it.*

Question 66

What line do you say after: *I love the smell of my mother’s hair after she washes it.*

Answer 66

*I love the feel of the scratchy stubble on my father’s face before he shaves.*

Question 67

What line do you say after: *I love the feel of the scratchy stubble on my father’s face before he shaves.*

Answer 67

*But I’ve never been able to tell them.*

Question 68

What line do you say after: *But I’ve never been able to tell them.*

Answer 68

*My father brought home a small stuffed bunny for me when I was really little—less than a year old, I’m sure.*

Question 69

What line do you say after: *My father brought home a small stuffed bunny for me when I was really little—less than a year old, I’m sure.*

Answer 69

*It was white and soft and just the right size for chubby baby fingers to pick up.*

Question 70

What line do you say after: *It was white and soft and just the right size for chubby baby fingers to pick up.*

Answer 70

*Mum placed the toy bunny in my hands, and I smiled.*

Question 71

What line do you say after: *Mum placed the toy bunny in my hands, and I smiled.*

Answer 71

*Then it fell on the floor.*

Question 72

What line do you say after: *Then it fell on the floor.*

Answer 72

*Dad placed it in my hands the second time.*

Question 73

What line do you say after: *Dad placed it in my hands the second time.*

Answer 73

*I really wanted to hold it and hug it.*

Question 74

What line do you say after: *I really wanted to hold it and hug it.*

Answer 74

*But it fell on the floor once more.*

Question 75

What line do you say after: *But it fell on the floor once more.*

Answer 75

*I remember I got mad and started to cry.*

Question 76

What line do you say after: *I remember I got mad and started to cry.*

Answer 76

*“Try again, sweetie,” Dad said, sadness decorating the edges of his words.*

Question 77

What line do you say after: *“Try again, sweetie,” Dad said, sadness decorating the edges of his words.*

Answer 77

*“You can do it.”*

Question 78

What line do you say after: *“You can do it.”*

Answer 78

*My parents placed the bunny in my hands again and again.*

Question 79

What line do you say after: *My parents placed the bunny in my hands again and again.*

Answer 79

*“Your life is not going to be easy, little Melody,” he’d say quietly.*

Question 80

What line do you say after: *“Your life is not going to be easy, little Melody,” he’d say quietly.*

Answer 80

*“If I could switch places with you, I’d do it in a heartbeat. You know that, don’t you?”*