Mother’s Day play brings out the sad condition of the mother in most homes. A mother works from dawn till night to satisfy the needs of her husband and children. But sadly she gets no reward or praise for her labour.
Summary
Mrs. Pearson is very fond of her husband and children. But they are thoughtless and selfish. The children (Cyril the son, and Doris, the daughter) take no notice of the mother. They treat her like a servant.
Mrs. Pearson’s neighbour Mrs. Fitzgerald, offers to set the Pearson’s family right. She knows some magic. Mrs. Fitzgerald changes her personality with that of Mrs. Pearson. Now she looks like Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Pearson look like her. Mrs. Fitzgerald sends Mrs. Pearson to her house for some time.
Soon Mrs. Pearson’s daughter Doris, comes home from work. She feels shocked to see her mother smoking (Actually, as we know she is Mrs. Fitzgerald.) and playing cards. She gets a curt reply in incisive tone when she asks for tea which is not ready. The mother says she might go later for dinner at Clarendan. Doris says angrily that she had been working hard all day and yet she can’t get even tea.
The mother replies that she too has been working hard all day long. Doris is unable to understand why her mother is behaving so strangely.
Now, Mrs. Pearson’s son Cyril comes in. He is back from work. He feels annoyed to find that his mother has not prepared tea for him. He asks his mother if his shirt has been mended. Mrs. Pearson replies sharply that she doesn’t like mending. Cyril wonders what has happened to his mother. Mrs. Pearson says that they all work for fixed hours in their offices. They have two day off a week. She announces that she will also have off days in a week.
In the meantime, her husband, George Pearson comes in. He notices Doris in tears. He looks at Mrs. Pearson sipping stout at the odd hour of the day. He is surprised at her and annoyed to learn that there is no tea ready for him. He is further told that he is one of the standing jokes for club members. They call him Pompy-Ompy Pearson because he is so slow and pompous, George is horrified. He turns to Cyril for help. But Cyril only confirms Mum’s observation that Dad is laughed at by club members at his back. George leaves the room, much put out Cyril angrily at mother and asks why she has hurt Dad’s feelings and his too. Her answer is that truth ought not to hurt anybody. Secondly, if father did not go to the club so often they would stop laughing at him.
All the three can hardly believe the change they see in Mrs. Pearson. They have never seen her in such a terrible form. Now they are all scared of her. None dares her to oppose her in anyway. Meanwhile Mrs. Fitzgerald from next door knocks at the door. Cyril calls her a silly old woman which is object to his mom. She is let in. She enquiries if everything is all right. Cyril doesn’t like her interference in the family affairs. The mother silences him with a rebuke and calls him a silly, spoilt young pie can. But the next moment, the real Mrs. Pearson can no longer stand the shabby treatment of her family. George, Doris and Cyril are asked to leave the room for sometime.
The two ladies change back into their proper personalities. Mrs. Fitzgerald warns Mrs. Pearson not to go soft again or it would all be mere waste. George, Doris and Cyril have now changed a lot. They readily agree to do whatever Mrs. Pearson wants them to do.
