Broken Clock

In this monologue from the play “Broken Clock”, Charlie shares his deep frustration and sadness over his son’s behavior and their deteriorating relationship.

CHARLIE: You know, when I look at him, I see a stranger. That boy, our son, he’s turned into someone I can’t even recognize. Every word out of his mouth is like a jab, every action a defiance. What happened to the kid who used to hold our hands, who looked at us like we were his heroes?

I’m at my wit’s end. It’s not just the staying out late, the grades slipping, or the constant backtalk. It’s this… this wall he’s built around himself, shutting us out, shutting the world out. I’ve tried, God knows I’ve tried. I’ve reached out, I’ve been stern, I’ve been gentle. But it’s like talking to a brick wall.

And it’s tearing me apart. Not just because I’m watching him throw his life away, but because it feels like I’m losing my son. And I don’t know how to get him back. I don’t even know if he wants to be found. It’s like we’re living with a ticking time bomb, just waiting for everything to blow up.

Where did we go wrong? Was it something we did? Or didn’t do? Every night, I lie awake, turning it over in my mind. But I come up empty. Empty and scared. Scared that one day, he’ll walk out that door, and that’ll be it. We’ll have lost him for good.

I’m fed up. Fed up with the fights, the silence, the endless worrying. But more than that, I’m scared. Scared of losing our boy. I don’t know what to do anymore. I just… I just want my son back.

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