CAST

Sam: Male, 25-30 years old, African-American. Jill’s husband. He’s in the third year of a four year prison sentence.

Jill: Female, 25-30 year old, white, Sam’s wife. They have a seven year old son that she’s supported while waiting for Sam’s release. She’s a strong person, not a whiner or whimperer.

SETTING

All the set really needs is a bed. Takes place in a small mobile home or trailer inside the prison yard. This trailer is used exclusively for conjugal visits. In the trailer are minimal, spartan furnishings, basically a bed and maybe the counter of a very minimal kitchen.

There is an exit to a bathroom.

TIME

Present

Note

Jill has visited Sam many times in prison, however, this is the first conjugal visit. A conjugal visit is an overnight visit by a prisoner’s husband or wife. These generally take place close to the end of prisoner’s sentence with the goal of providing a controlled/safe environment for the couples to get to know each other again. Also used to reward good behavior in prisoners. The play opens with two monologues, one by Sam, one by Jill. I see these pieces as being spoken in a sort of limbo. They are not audience address pieces but rather letters that might have been written and never sent. I picture Sam and Jill on opposite sides of the stage. Jill speaks first in a spotlight, then Sam. Whether the person who is not speaking should be doing something is left to the director. Sam might be smoking, Jill might be packing. The idea of these monologues is to reinforce the idea of their separation/isolation.

(Spotlight up on Jill)

JILL

I never take a book or magazine on the bus with me. I do it on purpose so that I spend that time thinking of you. It’s a good time to do it, think about you, gone. First thing in the morning on the way to work and then afterwards, going home. So I spend time each day with you, so you’re part of everyday. It’s a good place too, there on the bus, cause I won’t cry in front of all those people. And the week of our visit, I plan what I’m going to tell you. What Donny said, and how your Mom came over, and about painting the backporch. I make a list in my mind of all the outward things that make up our lives. That pass the days and nights, and weeks, and years.

I almost never cry anymore. I’ve gotten way better, but sometimes something will set me off. Like last last night I was laying in bed and it was real hot. I had the sheets off and was just laying there in the dark, listening to some talk show. They’re the best for putting you asleep. Anyway, they said something and it made me remember the first night we met and you came home with me. I was never like that, you know, and I thought, “Jesus, he’s gonna think I’m like that.” But we sat up in bed and it was hot, just like this, but I had all the covers pulled up cause I was nervous. And you talked, god you talked. You told stories all night. Just held my hand and told stories. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. it was like you’d saved up everything you’d ever done just to tell me that night. And it wasn’t till the next morning that we did it. And I was glad, you know? That we waited till it was light cause I could see the way your skin looked against mine, black on white. Then I went into the bathroom and I remember my knees were shaking. I thought to myself, “I better sit down before I fall down.” And I cried just a little there on the toilet, just a little. Just like I did last night and like I’m doing now.

Anyway Donny came into my room, he must’ve heard me and you know, he’s real good about it. I mean he’s getting old enough to understand. It still scares him though, I mean to see his Mom crying like that. So I stop myself. I think of words that don’t mean anything. Unimportant words… like aluminum… or powdered sugar. Wool. It almost always works. Pepper. Lemon Pledge. And I picture each thing in my mind, I mean really concentrate on each thing for like five seconds. Sometimes it even makes me laugh, the different things look so damn ridiculous just sitting there in my mind. Casserole. Corned beef. And I think to myself…” I’m going down to the store for a squash… or a gourd. The only time it doesn’t work is when I think of how many unimportant… how goddamn many unimportant words have somehow got into my life since you’ve been away.

(Spotlight dims on Jill, then comes up on Sam)

SAM

Thing was big, man. I mean it was a big damn ship and I was all the way at the top. I remember’d coming up through the decks, all these stairs up. They was after me and I was runnin’ and now there was nowhere else to run to. I looked out the window and it was white everywhere, snow and ice. Flashin’ in the sun like off glass. Glitterin’ like some giant parkin’ lot covered busted glass. I haul ass out on to this balcony. And way down there, solid fuckin’ ice. Sheer white. I start panickin’ man, cause now I know what’s that’s comin’ after me. The ice-monster. He’s down there coming for me. I gotta get outta here. Someone comin’ up the metal stairs. Tryin’ to close it, somethin’ to block it up with. Then I see it’s you comin’ round the corner, up the stairs. “Honey, you’re here, we gonna make it out ok,” But you pointin’ back sayin’ there’s two men comin’, “gonna help us, gonna save us.” They two guards from the prison. I know they helpin’ the iceman. They got you fooled. I slam the door fore you get in. I slam it, tears streamin’ down my face. I lock you out Jill honey, cause they tricked you. You screamin’ at me. I run across to the other door. Wood splinterin’ behind me. He’s comin’. I can’t let him get me. I’m through the other door and slam it, smashin’ his ice hands and ice fingers, but it won’t close. I run to the rail of the balcony and he right behind me. I dive off and try to fly. I flap my arms but I’m fallin’. The solid ice comin’ up fast and it’s all on fire, white flames lickin’ across it. I’m gonna die. I know I’m gonna die, but then I realize, just before I hit, that it’s better. It’s better to die than let the ice monster get me. Way better. I think to myself, “I choose to die. I want to die than let the ice man get me.” Then I hit. I wake up and look at the springs, the stained mattress above me, dirty white sheets caught in the steel mesh, ripped. it’s still kind of dark and I lay there. I think bout that dream and look at the top bunk. Outline of the guy’s body pressin’ down through the foam and I remember last night a couple hard-timers slappin’ this new guy around. Hasslin’ him for some smokes. They don’t even want the cigarettes. Just want to break in the new punk, cause he been outside free while they been in here. They leave and I hear him cryin’ in the dark…and I was happy. Happy it ain’t me. Happy they just leave me alone.

I wake up from the dream and I know right away where I am. Used to be that I think I was still dreamin’ when I see that damn bunk over me and look over at a window got bars on it. I lay there thinkin’ if maybe that dream come part out of a book I read. Tryin’ to remember the last time I read a book. I’m layin’ there and I suddenly think about you and I remember what day it is. You comin’ here to the prison, to stay overnight. I close my eyes. It’s been so long. I been through so many changes now. It all seem like another dream.

(Spotlight dims on Sam. Sam, then Jill enters the trailer space as the lights come up. She is carrying her overnight bag and a bag containing food, gifts, etc.)

JILL

Sam?

SAM

Hello mama.

JILL

God Sam, is that really you?

(They move into each other’s arms and kiss.)

SAM

Yeah.

JILL

I mean is this real? We’re really here.

SAM

I’ll show you somethin’ real, you put this stuff down, sweetheart.

(Kiss)

Jesus, I’ve missed you.

JILL

Ok, ok. Just hold on.

(She pushes him away and puts the bags on the counter. She surveys the room.)

So this is it? I mean the place we’re staying?

SAM

Yeah, not too damn bad, hunh? Lemme give you the grand tour.

(Sits on bed and pats it invitingly.) This is the bed.

(She walks around the bed, hesitant.)

JILL

I mean is there even a bathroom?

SAM

Damn girl, I give you the rest of the tour later. Come on over and at least say hello.

JILL

(Jill approaches bed and smiles.) Hello.

SAM

Come over here, lover.

(Sam pulls her into an embrace which quickly escalates to more than just a kiss and a hug.)

JILL

Sam…

(Pushes him back a bit.) hold on a minute… wait.

SAM

Wait for what?

JILL

Just give me a minute. Least tell me how you are.

SAM

How am I?

JILL

Yeah.

SAM

I’m three years worth of horny for you girl. (He tries to pull her in again.)

JILL

No, come on… honey… Sam. Stop… come on…

SAM

You come on.

JILL

No, I mean, wait a minute. Ok?

SAM

Wait a minute.

JILL

Yeah.

SAM

What’s the matter with you? First time we been alone in a room for three years and you tellin’ me wait a damn minute.

JILL

I don’t know. It’s just that…

SAM

What? Just what?

JILL

I just want to… just give me a minute. Talk to me first.

I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Just hold me and talk for a minute. Ok?

(Pause)

SAM

(He holds her.)

I love you baby. I just missed you’s all.

JILL

I know. I love you too. I miss you so much.

SAM

Damn, I’ve missed you woman.

JILL

(She pulls away.)

I know, I know. I’m just nervous or something. I don’t know. It’s just not… I mean this isn’t how I pictured things. You know?

SAM

Ah, Jill honey.

(Reaches for her hand.)

JILL

I think that search just upset me.

SAM

What d’you mean? They do somethin’ to you?

JILL

No, no. I mean I knew I they was gonna search me and all but it was just so… dirty. The room was dirty and this woman smelled like… I don’t know… sour. And I thought, “Oh god.” And she pulled all my stuff out and held up the new nightie I got, like maybe she was thinking of buying it or something. Like it was merchandise, like I was merchandise at some cheap sale. Hold my arms out.

Spread my legs. Her fingers on me. Touching me. And then she said to get dressed and go into this little trailer out in the yard, all surrounded with barbwire. I thought it was just another waiting room and I came in and saw you but I wasn’t expecting you… and I… I… I don’t know. It was just so dirty.

SAM

Hey, it’s all right, honey. It’s ok. hey, I get searched everyday. It don’t mean nothin’.

JILL

I know, I know…

SAM

What’d you ‘spect? They gonna search you in a doctor’s office or somethin’?

JILL

No… I didn’t know.

SAM

Hey, come on now. It’s just us here now. Come on…come on over here. It’s my turn to search you.

JILL

Can I take a shower first?

SAM

A shower?

JILL

Yes, please?

SAM

You just got here.

JILL

I know. I just feel dirty, that’s all. And I want to take a quick shower. It’ll calm me down.

SAM

I don’t want you calmed down.

JILL

You know what I mean. Just get freshened up.

SAM

So I guess I make you feel dirty.

JILL

No! Come on Sam, please. It was just that woman and…

this place and I feel like… I just want to get clean, change my clothes. Start fresh. I know I’m being silly.

SAM

What’d you expect here? This is all we got babe.

JILL

I know, I know.

SAM

You know what they call this place, you wanna feel dirty? They call it Motel 69. Yeah. Motel 69.

(Not shouting, sad and bitter.)

They be after me all week, “Hey Sambo, you gonna get a little off your wife? Hunh? She able to swallow the whole thing?” Yeah, and I got to just take it cause I say one word and I’m down in the hole and you ain’t comin’. I got to lick ass for months to get here and now it makes you feel dirty.

JILL

Sam…

SAM

“Hey Sambo, how come you got a white woman? You don’t like dark meat? She as good as everyone say she is Sambo?”

JILL

Please…

SAM

“Think she forgot how to do it or maybe she been practicin’ while you been inside. Maybe she got some new tricks she…”

JILL

Sam!

SAM

I ain’t goin’ nowhere.

JILL

Stop it.

SAM

Go on. Take your damn shower.

JILL

SAM… please! Stop it.

SAM

Not for another year I ain’t going nowhere. Go ahead on, wash it all away.

JILL

Stop it!!! (Pause)

I’m sorry! I wanted everything to be perfect. I just want to be clean and put on my new things. Let’s just start over. Calm down. I’ll wash my face and it’ll be all right. Ok? Please?

SAM

Sure… like I say… I ain’t goin’ nowhere.

(She’s hurt, starts to say something but then just grabs her bag and goes toward the bathroom. He stops her.)

Just don’t be gone too long or I’ll come in to get you!

JILL

Promise?

(He jumps at her and she slams the door. He lays down whistling. Then he gets up and listens at the bathroom door. He undoes his pants, opens the door and flashes her.)

SAM

Whoooeeee!

JILL

Hey! Out!

(He laughs and backs out. Sam goes over to the bag of food and starts rummaging through. As he does he sings a little song to himself that he makes up as he goes along. The bluesy/ jazzy lyrics may go something like this “My baby does it in the morning, my baby does it at night, etc.” He dances and sings and sorts through the things in the bag, unwrapping things, tasting and smelling. Generally making a happy mess. He finds the dessert and takes a bite or two. Jill comes out dressed in robe and negligee. She is clean, calm, sexy… strikes a seductive pose…)

Well, what do you think?

(Sees Sam with mouthful of dessert and the general mess.)

Oh no, Sam!

SAM

Hey, this pretty good Mama. Almost tastes as good as you!

JILL

That’s supposed to be for dessert.

SAM

Darlin’ you my dessert and I’m gonna eat you all up.

JILL

Sam, come on, stop eating that.

SAM

I’m hungry.

JILL

So you’re hungry, you eat? You can’t wait for me? You can’t see I’ve got something special planned.

SAM

Hey come on now, a man’s hungry he got to eat.

JILL

I was gonna make you dinner. A nice dinner.

SAM

Shit, the way you actin’ I thought you just come to take a damn shower. I thought maybe the shower facilities at home busted or somethin’, so you thought you’d…

JILL

Stop it and stop eating that.

SAM

I’m not sposed to eat this?

JILL

No.

SAM

(Quietly)

Then what did you bring it for? Hunh girl? What in the hell did you bring it for?

(He drops the dessert on counter.)

JILL

Sam! What’s the matter with you?!

SAM

Me? Woman, what d’you think’s the matter with me?

What are you thinkin’ bout? We finally alone together after three years, I want to and it make you feel dirty, you gotta take a shower. I’m hungry but you say “no, you can’t eat.” What the hell’s the matter with you?

JILL

I don’t know! I’m just too nervous and it’s making me upset.

SAM

So now I make you feel nervous.

JILL

No! It’s not you. I’m just scared it’s not gonna work out. That everything’ll go wrong, and now it has. I just wanted… I just want tonight to be perfect. Just the two of us alone. Shut out everything else. Just us two. I guess I just imagined something different.

SAM

What? You think this was gonna be the Garden of Eden or somethin’? Cause it ain’t. You understand? This is prison baby. Inside! We lucky to have this!

JILL

No. I know it sounds dumb but I thought maybe we could act like, well… pretend we was at home. Like maybe we sent Donny over to your Mom’s and it was just us two having a nice quiet night at home. A normal evening at home. Like everybody else.

SAM

Hell, why not pretend we at the Hilton Hotel? Then we cold just call up the damn room service. “Bring us up some strawberry daiquiri and be damn quick about it.” That ok with you baby or maybe we can get some of them maitais, “Yeah, two double maitais and don’t forget the umbrellas.”

JILL

(Forcefully)

I… just… wanted… to give you one night… at… home. The way it’s sposed to be, should be. Just for one night to act

like we was at home together. Just one night. That’s all I wanted. That’s all.

SAM

You talkin’ crazy woman.

JILL

I don’t care if it is crazy. It’s better than being in prison. Isn’t it? What’s wrong with just wanting to feel like you’re at home for one night. I mean you aren’t getting out for another year. For now this is all we got. If that’s crazy I say fine, so what. You just sit there and I’ll cook dinner and we can talk… or you can read the paper. I brought you the sports.

SAM

Read the paper.

JILL

You just sit and relax while I get dinner ready. Stay there, ok?

SAM

Pure bullshit.

JILL

For me please? It’s all I’ve asked for in all this time. You just do it.

SAM

Ok, ok… crazy bullshit though. Ok.

JILL

(Pause)

I got us a nice big porterhouse steak. You should’a seen the look on the man’s face when I asked for it. I mean, like I was the first person in ten years to order one. He got real excited and started telling me all about how porterhouses was the best cut and you could tell people that knew good meat and stuff like that. I made his day.

SAM

Porterhouse.

JILL

Yeah… and you know what’s wild? I didn’t even know what one was. It just came into my head while I was standing there. Just a word. I wanted something special for you and it just came out of my mouth. Porterhouse. And then he gave me this. I mean look at it. It’s huge.

(Pause)

And then you know when I got home I was in the kitchen talking to Donny. Oh Sam, you should’a heard him. he wanted to come along with me. To stay here overnight with you. He couldn’t understand how come he couldn’t come and I was trying to explain, but I mean he’s only seven and well I couldn’t tell him that we was gonna be, well you know. Anyway, it was kinda sweet and funny.

SAM

You bring that picture of him?

JILL

Yeah! I had it blown up. (Gets picture out.)

Don’t he look cute. With his little bat and all.

SAM

Darlin’ he look just fine.

JILL

Oh yeah. Anyway, what I started to tell you was that while I was talking to him, our neighbor, old Mrs. Holstein?

SAM

Who?

JILL

You know, that really big woman that lives next door? I told you. TV addict. Anyway she comes running out her back door chasing her dog. And you should see this dog, it’s like a little swelled up sausage itself. It’s got one of her slippers and she’s chasing it in her housecoat and curlers and wearing the other slipper, and she’s going (country accent) “Candy Cane! You bring Mama’s slipper back you hear me? You bring Mama’s slipper right back here.” Can you believe it? The dog’s name? Candy Cane. I swear me and Donny bout had a fit.

SAM

(Flat) Candy Cane.

JILL

It about killed us.

SAM

All right. How bout bringin’ me a nice, cold Colt 45 out the fridge.

JILL

Come on Sam, please?

SAM

Oh, I thought this was sposed to be like home.

JILL

It is.

SAM

Yeah, well then bring me a cold beer and turn on the stereo. I think I just listen to some relaxin’ music, or maybe we can catch somethin’ on the TV. How bout that?

JILL

Why are you doing this?

SAM

Cause this ain’t our fuckin’ home. You understand that? You standin’ there tellin’ me bout things that don’t make any sense. Porterhouse. And I sure don’t know anythin’ bout your damn fat ass neighbor. I never even lived in that house. You keep talkin’ bout things that I don’t know nothin’ about. And I ain’t gonna pretend that this shithole is our home. So don’t talk like it is.

JILL

Well, you tell me something then. I don’t care. I just want to talk to you. You never tell me anything about your life here. We gotta talk Sam. We got to. We don’t got anything else left.

SAM

My life here? You don’t even want to know. You wouldn’t believe it, cause it’s real. i feel like I was walkin’ round with my eyes closed till I got here. I thought life was somethin’ good till I got here. It ain’t. Life ain’t no pretend Candy Cane bullshit! It’s black and white and this place here, this is the black. It’s so black, you can’t remember that there is anythin’ else.

JILL

Sam…

SAM

You want to hear bout my life? I’ll tell you. How bout a couple weeks ago there was this white boy, worked in the kitchen with me. He an all right kid and he bout to parole. Anyway, there these three brothers and drinkin’ some homebrew and gettin’ fucked up. They gettin’ drunk and mean thinkin’ how they in the joint and this here white punk gettin’ out. You know, and they get pissed off, gonna give the boy somethin’ to remember, for when he get out. They come and haul his ass out of the bunk and the boy start yellin’. So they stuff his head in an old laundry bag and tie it shut, start beatin’ him. He still making noise so they drag him down to the toilets. And these are brothers I talk to everyday. I mean I know these dudes and I know this kid and I couldn’t say nothin’. I just lay there. I mean it, I just lay there and never said a damn word. They shove this guy down in one of the stalls, start rapin’ him and you could hear his head thumpin’ into the toilet bowl. They bend him over so that every time they ram it in, his head get crammed into the toilet. You could hear that thud every time they shove it in. Wham, wham, wham, and every time he struggle, they kick him down.

(Jill starts to get up and come to Sam.)

No!… just sit. After while all you heard is that head thuddin’. After they all finished with him, they come back through the room laughin’, get in bed, go to sleep. An’ I just lay there awake, searing to god I’d get those fuckin’ bastards. Do somethin’. Next mornin’ no one got outta bed, we all just lay there till the guards come in and find that boy still wrapped over that toilet bowl, red blood all soaked through that bag. And he dead. Suffocated in that bag. Then the guards start carryin’ him out and one of them guards slip on the blood that’s all over the floor and fell on his ass. I remember that place was dead silence, nothin’ moved, nothin’. And then this guard explode, ripping up beds and shit and screamin’ that we was all fuckin’ animals, over and over. Finally he run out and the other guards carry the body out and say we better have the whole fuckin’ place spotless by the time they get back. I never seen people clean like that in my whole life. I scrub that floor till my hands bleedin’ and I feel like I’m gonna cry any second. Me! And I keep tellin’ myself “you motherfucker, you fuckin’ chickenshit, coward-ass motherfucker.” I scrubbin’ up this kid’s blood cause I ain’t got the guts to help him. I ain’t man enough to help him. I ain’t human being enough to help him.

JILL

What could you do? They would’ve…

SAM

Standin’ on my head pissin’ my pants been better than what I done. I done nothin’ cause that’s what I’ve become, nothin’. Nothin’ but a fuckin’ animal.

JILL

You’re not an animal. Nobody can say that!

SAM

Society say I’m an animal! That’s why I’m locked in this fuckin’ cage! And they right!

JILL

I say you’re not!

SAM

Oh yes, they right.

JILL

Listen to me…

SAM

I can’t.

JILL

Yes, you will. Listen! You’re not some animal. You’re my husband. You’re Donny’s father. That boy!

(Points to picture.)

That boy right there! You think that’s what he wants to hear you say after all the faith he puts in you? You’re the man we love and need. We love you so much it hurts! Don’t you understand that?

SAM

That’s all I do is hurt you.

JILL

You stop it. You hear me. Stop. You listen to me. (Tries to force her way into his arms.)

SAM

I wanted to do things for you so bad, give you things.

JILL

Sam…

SAM

I wanted to give you so much and…

JILL

I need you.

SAM

Stead you got no one to take care of you.

JILL

You.

SAM

No one.

JILL

I just want you.

SAM

I wanna do things for you, but I’m stuck here. I can’t get out.

JILL

Then do something here.

SAM

I can’t.

JILL

Yes, you can! Listen to me…

SAM

What?

JILL

Hold me.

SAM

I can’t. I’m ashamed.

JILL

Just love me and hold me.

(She forces herself into his arms.)

SAM

(Pause)

I’ll hold you baby. I’ll hold you.

THE END

A One Act Play

CAST OF CHARACTERS

HENRY DAVIS ……………………. A man in his mid 30s

JOANIE DAVIS …………………… His wife; in her mid 30s

VOICE …………………………. Male

Time: Sunday morning; pre-dawn; the end of October.

Place: A small town outside Buffalo, New York.

Setting: A dusty, dismal one-car garage in a pre-dawn glow. A feeling of emptiness permeates the room and its furnishings. A few light bulbs with pull-strings hang from the ceiling. At right are a chair and a desk with a computer, drafting paper, pencils, a swivel light and a telephone. Various machines covered in white sheets and cabinets are around the grim room. One open cabinet reveals various spare parts [washers, screws, nails, pipes, etc.]. A large, mobile trash bin stands in the rear of the room in front of a series of shelves on a wall filled with tools, boxes, and awards. A banner falling off the back wall reads “DAVIATION Takes You Away!”. In a far corner sits a piano covered by a white sheet. At left is a wooden table with vices around the corners. A large container that continues offstage rests in front of the table.

The curtain rises to reveal HENRY DAVIS, a man of iron in his mid 30s, solemnly gazing down at a closed container. He is wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and a bandage on his index finger. He opens the container and takes out a portion of a hot air balloon- an envelope- and waves it about dreamily. He finds an area of the envelope that has been freshly repaired and begins, as if sewing it himself, to mend the tear. After a few threads, he begins to sing the Jewish funeral prayer, ‘El Male Rachamim’.

  HENRY

(Singing)

El maley rakhamim shokhen ba-m’romim ha-m’tzei m’nukhah n’khonah.

MAN

(V.O.)

We’ve tried everything.

Pause.

HENRY

(As before)

Takhat kanfei ha-sh’khinah.

MAN

(V.O.)

There was just too much damage.

Henry trembles.

HENRY

(Struggling)

B’ma’alot…

MAN

(O.S.)

I’m sorry, Henry.

His legs fail him, and he collapses to the ground, dropping the envelope. The lights change, revealing a wheelchair nearby.

HENRY

(Yelling)

Awwwww-aaaaAAAAAHHHHH!

JOANIE

(Far O.S.)

DANNY! DA—HENRY?! Henry where are you? Henry? Answer me!

Unseen, she runs through the house.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

(O.S.)

Jesus! WHERE ARE YOU HENRY?! Answer me! Answer—

JOANIE DAVIS, an exhausted woman in her mid 30s, appears at the door dressed in sweatpants and a shirt.

JOANIE (CONT’D) —me! Henry…? Are you—

HENRY

What?

JOANIE

What are you doing in here?

HENRY

Are you just going to stand there or—

JOANIE

Sweety…

She goes to him.

HENRY

You called out his name again.

Pause.

JOANIE

Let me help you.

She tries helping him into his chair.

HENRY

I’ve got it.

JOANIE

Will you—

HENRY

I said I’ve got it!

She lets go. He falls.

HENRY (CONT’D) What are you doing?!

JOANIE

If you’d let me help you once in awhile then—

HENRY

Stop teaching me!

JOANIE

I’m not teaching you, I’m—

HENRY

Just…! Give me a hand.

He lets her help. She notices the envelope.

JOANIE

What balloon is that?

HENRY

How many years and you don’t know it’s called an envelope?

JOANIE

Don’t snap at me Mr. Expert.

She puts him in the chair, then looks closer at the envelope.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

Is this— What is this doing in my house?

HENRY

Calm down and let me—

JOANIE

CHRIST ALMIGHTY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH THIS THING?

HENRY

Don’t blaspheme!

JOANIE

Why is this…?

She goes to the trash bin and pushes it in front of him.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

Get rid of this now Goddammit!

HENRY

What did I just say?

JOANIE

You don’t even believe in Christ!

HENRY

God is God. Respect Hashem.

JOANIE

I’m so sick of your quotes.

HENRY

He divided my light from my darkness. He—

JOANIE

Stop!

HENRY

He’s the only one who’s been getting me through it all.

JOANIE

Does God drive you to PT every week and stock up on suppositories?

HENRY

Don’t be crude.

JOANIE

Don’t tell me some invisible man is helping you when I’m taking double and triple shifts to pay for this, this…

HENRY

This what?

JOANIE

I don’t know what to call this. How can you have faith in anything that gives in one breath and takes away in the next?

HENRY

If you took the time to see that The Abundant One has—

JOANIE

The Abundant—

HENRY —blessed this house with our—

JOANIE

Blessed?! Are you out of your mind?

HENRY

Yes, we are blessed to be alive and we should be grateful to God because He is kind, and if you’d pray for forgiveness you’d see that—

JOANIE

Shut up… just shut your stupid mouth and stop making me feel guilty you—

The phone rings.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

Ughh!

She goes to the phone and picks it up. During the conversation, Henry tries to get her attention.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

Hello?! Oh, Mrs. Cooper, hi. Yes, yes, everything’s fine.

We’re just… cleaning. This early. Oh, that was a… hammer. Henry dropped a hammer on his— It’s funny, I didn’t

realize the walls were so— You know, it’s a mess in here and things are just— (To Henry, in a loud whisper) WHAT?!

He grabs the phone.

HENRY

Mrs. Cooper! Sorry to wake you, but we were just going through some things and— Yes, everything is A-okay! Huh? Me? Never been better. Yeah. I’m anxious for the unveiling. Sorry, the headstone unveiling. It’s a Jewish tradition when we dedicate the headstone a year after— Yeah. Well, that’s very kind of you. Thanks for calling. Sorry again. Bye.

He hands the phone to Joanie, who hangs it up. She looks at the envelope and back at Henry.

JOANIE

You’re anxious?

HENRY

Of course I’m anxious. It’s the first time I’ll get to see him. Next to Papa and Dad. You know, I need to thank you. For what? For following the law, even when it’s not yours. That’s special, Joanie. The headstone is such an important—

JOANIE

Let’s just stop talking about it.

HENRY

What’s the matter?

JOANIE

And why are you— Having this thing here—

HENRY

If you get upset again she’ll call back.

JOANIE

You think I’m upset now?

HENRY

Calm down.

JOANIE

Tell me how this got in here!

HENRY

Someone from the shop brought it over.

JOANIE

Someone?

HENRY

Yeah.

JOANIE

When did someone bring this over?

HENRY

Recently.

JOANIE

When recently?

HENRY

Just recently.

JOANIE

Why would someone bring this here recently?

HENRY

I needed to fix it.

JOANIE

For what?

HENRY

I’ll tell you later.

JOANIE

You’ll tell me now!

She moves the wheelchair so Henry faces her.

Silence.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

(Tenderly)

Henry. This isn’t healthy for you or me or this house, do you understand?

HENRY

It’s helping me.

JOANIE

Falling out of your chair in an empty, dusty garage when the sun is still down is not helpful. All of your accidents happen when I’m farthest away from you.

HENRY

No they don’t.

JOANIE

I came home the other day and your finger was gushing.

HENRY

I was trying to peel an apple.

JOANIE

With a steak knife.

HENRY

Accidents happen.

JOANIE

Stupidity happens, and you’re not doing yourself any favors keeping me as far away from you as possible.

HENRY

What’s that mean?

She starts to leave.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Hey!

JOANIE

I’m going to lie down and stare at the ceiling, and when I wake up this thing had better not be here.

She goes to leave.

HENRY

Well set an alarm because Steve is coming to get us at nine.

She stops.

JOANIE

Steve?

HENRY

Yeah.

JOANIE

Why?

HENRY

How else are we getting to the cemetery?

JOANIE

Henry—

HENRY

What?

JOANIE

I…

HENRY

What?

JOANIE

Already rented a car, so there’s no reason for Steve to—

HENRY

You did?

JOANIE

Yeah.

HENRY

How much did it cost?

JOANIE

Nothing too expensive.

HENRY

What kind of car?

JOANIE

It has a… big trunk for your chair. Plenty of—

HENRY

Big— What are you talking about? What kind of car is it?

JOANIE

What does it matter what kind of—

HENRY

If I can get a ride from my brother then I’ll do that instead of throwing money away on a big trunk.

JOANIE

Well, it’s already done.

HENRY

There’s a car outside?

Henry wheels himself downstage a bit to look out a window. He tries to lift himself up to see it, but fails.

HENRY (CONT’D)

We’ll deal with it later. Steve’s coming to get us.

JOANIE

Excuse me?

HENRY

That’s the way it is.

JOANIE

That’s not the way it is; you told me to take care of everything.

HENRY

I told you to take care of everything when I couldn’t, but I’m home now.

JOANIE

Yeah, and you’re calling The Great Steve when you should be asking to me about arranging things.

HENRY

You’ve got something against Steve now?

JOANIE

Yeah, him and his half-stories.

HENRY

What?

JOANIE

Nothing.

HENRY

What half-stories?

Silence.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Did- Did you talk to Steve?

JOANIE

…Yes.

HENRY

When?

JOANIE

Recently.

HENRY

Don’t pull that with me.

JOANIE

Don’t like your own game?

Pause.

HENRY

Was it yesterday? Was it yesterday?

JOANIE

When I was at work.

HENRY

What part of yesterday?

JOANIE

What does it matter what—

HENRY

Just tell me.

JOANIE

In the afternoon.

HENRY

Why’d you call him?

JOANIE

He called me.

HENRY

He— And what did he say to you?

JOANIE

That’s between me and him.

HENRY

Oh well, so now you’ve got secrets with my brother?

JOANIE

Come on…

HENRY

Well if you can’t tell me then it must be a secret then, right?

JOANIE

What’s—

HENRY

You can’t tell me?! Well then I guess you’re sleeping around with him?

JOANIE

WHAT?!

HENRY

What else am I supposed to think?

JOANIE

Oh come on!

She goes to leave.

HENRY

How long has this been going on?

JOANIE

Nothing’s going on.

HENRY

After the first surgery? The second?

JOANIE

I’m your wife you idiot!

HENRY

Yeah, and he’s not stuck in a chair with nothing working down here, you don’t want to tell me what you talked about so what the hell else am I supposed to think?

JOANIE

You’re— Ugh!

HENRY

He’s not even that good looking.

JOANIE

You want to talk about sneaking around, like you waiting for me to fall asleep so you could sneak in here?

HENRY

Don’t change the subject.

JOANIE

Then don’t accuse me of messing around with your brother.

HENRY

He had no reason to call you.

JOANIE

Yesterday he did.

Silence.

HENRY

Well…?

JOANIE

That’s between me and him.

HENRY

Oh yeah! Nothing’s going on! Right! Not a thing!

JOANIE

Do you have a clue what he’s been going through?

HENRY

What he’s been— What HE’S been going through!

JOANIE

He was shaking and pale as a ghost.

HENRY

You saw him?!

JOANIE

Yes, I saw him, and he was a complete wreck, but he—

She looks at the envelope.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

It was yesterday, wasn’t it?

HENRY

What?

JOANIE

You made him bring this over yesterday. That’s why he was—

HENRY

Why are you pretending you didn’t know?

JOANIE

Because he didn’t say anything! Why are you putting us all through so much shit? You think you’re the only one in that chair?

HENRY

I am the only one in this chair!

JOANIE

No, you’re not. Christ!

HENRY

Respect Hashem.

JOANIE

Do you know how much it hurts to hear you say something like that?

HENRY

I’m Jewish.

JOANIE

Not that you— You haven’t been out of the house since you came home last month, and I’m out so much of the

day, but how you can think that after everything? And what you’re doing with this garbage bag is—

HENRY

Papa made this garbage bag by hand and built Daviation from the ground up, and when Dad took it over—

JOANIE

Don’t give me the sales pitch.

HENRY

It’s about family, and you never understood that.

She goes to the sign and looks at it.

JOANIE

You’ve got a hell of a sense of family.

HENRY

It’s all I have.

JOANIE

It’s time get back to what you know. Your tools are all waiting for you.

He holds up his weak hands.

HENRY

My tools are broken.

JOANIE

Your fine motor skills just need to redevelop and then—

HENRY

Oh, they just need to— Do you listen to yourself?

JOANIE

If you don’t make some kind of effort then you have no chance of getting back to where you were.

HENRY

Yeah, I’ll be back on my feet in no time if I start telling my toes to wiggle.

JOANIE

You need to do something constructive.

HENRY

What about my eyes? Of course I’m bumping into things and knocking stuff over.

JOANIE

Wear your glasses.

HENRY

They’re annoying.

JOANIE

Then—

HENRY

What?

JOANIE

Tell your company to pair you with someone who will draw your ideas and that you’ll go on-site to manage things. It’ll be good for you.

HENRY

I hadn’t thought of that.

JOANIE

You see?

HENRY

I’ll describe building plans to someone else who will render them… and let my crew shit on me every day. You’re a genius.

JOANIE

They won’t shit on you. How many times were they over here in our yard for barbecues and… and birthdays…?

HENRY

How come none of them came to visit me at the hospital?

JOANIE

Everyone came. You didn’t want visitors. There are so many people who care about you, do you realize that?

HENRY

He cares about me.

JOANIE

Who?

HENRY

The God of Abraham.

JOANIE

Come work with me at the store and then I won’t have to be the only one supporting us.

With great effort, he wheels over to the shelf where the awards stand. Struggling, he reaches up, takes a medal, and shows it to her.

HENRY

You see this?

Silence.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Do you see it?

JOANIE

Yes, I see it.

HENRY

“The Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture, 2003.” I am the youngest recipient since they started giving it out almost half a century ago. And these others…? No one’s got my credentials. I changed the skylines of Shanghai, Bangkok, Hanoi, Manilla—

JOANIE

God, your ego!

HENRY

You didn’t say a word when you were front row at any of those symphonies in Singapore or drinking twenty-five year-old Chivas on the roof of a club in the center of Shanghai.

JOANIE

That’s not import—

HENRY

So don’t tell me I can greet customers or stuff eggs—

JOANIE

Please…

HENRY

—and milk into shopping bags, and wheel my ass around the aisles with a price gun labeling cookies and diapers—

JOANIE

It’s work!

HENRY

—when you could’ve given me some steel and bolts and a cement mixer the size of a bowling ball bag and I could’ve built you an oasis in the middle of the Gobi Desert! DON’T TELL ME ABOUT MY PRIDE!

He lamely throws the medal, which does not get very far across the room.

JOANIE

Nice. Throw things around like a—

HENRY

Like a what?

JOANIE

An ass.

HENRY

That’s what you were going to say?

JOANIE

Yes.

HENRY

Are you sure?

JOANIE

I hate when you get like this.

HENRY

Like what?

JOANIE

Can it, will ya?

HENRY

Like at Shop ‘N’ Save?

JOANIE

Don’t step on what’s keeping food and treatment coming in!

HENRY

I can’t step on anything Joanie.

JOANIE

Don’t roll over it.

He laughs.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

Are you okay?

HENRY

Peachy keen jelly bean.

JOANIE

Oh my dear.

He wheels away from her.

HENRY

(Singing)

Oh my dear Joanie/ Mind me no more./I’m just your fool/Don’t you know it?

JOANIE

Hankie…

HENRY

(Singing)

Oh My dear Joanie/Mind me, won’t you?/ Don’t you see/ That I’m a fool for—

JOANIE

No songs.

He turns to face her.

HENRY

When are you going to start playing again? I bet all those kids in the cancer ward miss you. And your students at school. You should be back in the music room all day with your baton and your sheet—

JOANIE

No.

HENRY

They told you to take your time. Call your principal and they’ll have the janitor in there tonight cleaning all the music stands for first period Monday.

JOANIE

I can’t.

He wheels himself over to the piano. He partially removes the sheet. She turns away.

HENRY

Then do one-on-ones.

JOANIE

Cover that back up.

HENRY

You can earn so much more if you don’t want so many—

JOANIE

Cover it!

He plays a few notes.

HENRY

I always thought you were better than your mom, and she was something, huh? Roll this back in the living room and stick it where it was that first winter when we had music before we had heating. It would be so easy.

JOANIE

Uh-huh.

HENRY

You’re more able than I am to get back to what you know.

JOANIE

How can you expect me to play for another child when I can’t play for my own?

Beat.

HENRY

I’ve got one for you. There once was a lady who was tired of living alone. So she put an ad in the paper which outlined her requirements. She wanted a man who 1) would treat her nicely, 2) wouldn’t run away from her, and 3) would be good in bed. Then, one day, she heard the doorbell ring. She answered it, and there on the front porch was a man in a wheel chair who didn’t have any arms or legs. “I’m here about the ad you put in the paper. As you can see, I have no arms so I can’t beat you, and I have no legs so I can’t run away from you.” “Yes, but are you good in bed?” “How do you think I rang the doorbell?”

JOANIE

Is that supposed to be funny?

HENRY

From where I’m sitting, yeah.

JOANIE

What’s funny about your condition?

HENRY

My— Joanie, look at me. Can’t you look at me?

She makes a face.

HENRY (CONT’D)

What was that?

JOANIE

What was what?

HENRY

That face you made.

JOANIE

I didn’t make any face.

HENRY

I’m not completely blind.

JOANIE

I need to go lie down.

HENRY

I’m here! I’m in this chair! You see?

Beat.

HENRY (CONT’D)

How can you get off on humiliating me?

JOANIE

I don’t get off on—

HENRY

So you are humiliating me!

JOANIE

Stop twisting my words around!

HENRY

Then look at me!

She moves away.

JOANIE

I can’t because your face is his face and your chair is his chair, and I’m always going to be taking care of someone who can’t take care of themselves.

HENRY

I didn’t ask for this!

JOANIE

Did I?

Beat.

HENRY

We were happy overseas. Everything was there. Hop a flight and end up somewhere—

JOANIE

We had Danny here.

HENRY

I’m talking about before.

JOANIE

You were happy before, but not after we had—

HENRY

Don’t put words in my mouth.

JOANIE

I don’t understand.

HENRY

I’m talking about how we could have done things differently. We could’ve had him earlier or—

JOANIE

There’s no reason to do that when everything is set in its way.

HENRY

I can still dream it’s not.

Beat.

HENRY (CONT’D)

I dream of the whale sharks.

JOANIE

Whale sharks.

Lights and sound change.

HENRY

It’s a bright sunny day. Not a cloud over that island with the fireflies everywhere.

JOANIE

Henry…

HENRY

Just the two of us and the owner with the French accent. You’re sleeping on a bed of roses. I’m in a… sun salutation and then a mountain pose on that little piece of land that juts out above the lagoon. I walk…

He stands and walks away from the chair and moves with his story. At one point, JOANIE joins him. Lights and sound continue to change.

HENRY (CONT’D)

I walk down that staircase of sea shells built into the rock and go swimming while chocolate crepes and mango lassies are cooking. I swim out a hundred meters. Everything is so calm, so removed from the things that get in the way of enjoying life. Paradise. Then, something hard brushes up against my foot. I look down and the biggest fish I’ve ever seen—blue, with white spots and a mouth this big, surrounded by these small white fish with whiskers—is dancing beneath me, gliding through the water as if weightless in this bottomless ocean. I come up for air… and see the endless horizon… and when I look down there are three of them now, the unit. And as they swim they change—

JOANIE

Henry…?

HENRY

—into us. And we are dancing weightless. Maybe if you’d come up there with us we’d have this story.

JOANIE

Maybe I’d e in that chair? Or in the dirt? Or—

HENRY

That’s not what I meant.

JOANIE

Do you know what I’ve dreamed about every night for the last year while you’ve been dancing with whales?

Sounds and lights change.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

I close my eyes and see you push Danny into the basket and I smell the cotton candy and feel the sun on my face—

HENRY

I—

JOANIE

—and you’re there, in the basket, already lifting off and pulling the cord and the flame is shooting out and you’re going higher and drifting away and then the next thing I know is something sparks and there’s, there’s BURNING above you and Danny and, and I’m in the basket and—

HENRY

Joanie!

JOANIE

—the wind howls like a pack of banshees and I’ve lost control of everything and Danny is bawling because there’s a fire spreading and now we’re—

HENRY

I don’t want to hear it!

Sound and lights of sirens.

JOANIE

—dropping like a rock and the ground is flying at us and we CRASH the ground and the sirens are blaring from the distance and getting closer I’m lying over him and he’s not moving and you’re—

HENRY

I said enough!

JOANIE

I SEE IT! AND I LIVE WITH IT!

He sits.

Silence.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

How can you tell me if you could do it over again you would still go up there?

HENRY

There’s a plan for everyone.

JOANIE

Don’t tell me that there was a plan that included my husband being broken and my son dying because of his father’s stupidity.

HENRY

We were meant to go up and you—

JOANIE

No, YOU took our son with cerebral palsy up in this garbage bag, and—

HENRY

You let him go.

JOANIE

Don’t you dare, after so many years of listening to you go on and on and on about ballooning and Daviation and how beautiful and safe it all is! Do you know what expert even means?

HENRY

Joanie—

JOANIE

It means, IT MEANS that when something goes wrong you can handle the situation and nothing bad happens!

HENRY

You can’t blame me for—

JOANIE

Yes, I can blame you because you are the expert and I trusted you!

She pushes the bin into him.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

This is my house, and I say what goes. This goes.

HENRY

(To himself.)

Up, up and away.

JOANIE

Out. Now.

HENRY

(Quickly)

After Danny’s unveiling Steve’s taking us to the fair grounds and we’re going up.

JOANIE

What did you just say?

HENRY

(Deliberately)

I’m going to finish fixing this, and Steve will load up the truck in the morning, come on over to get us, drop us off, and while we’re at Danny’s grave he’ll be setting up the basket and filling this up so by the time he comes for us and brings us over—

JOANIE

Oh…

HENRY

—everything will be ready. By noon we’ll be up in that heavenly sky and we’ll eat Danny’s favorite strawberry frozen yogurt together and—

JOANIE

God…

HENRY

—we’ll look down on the whole town and keep rising til we see clear to Niagara Falls and we’ll finally be—

JOANIE

Stop! Listen to me: I’m going to wheel you out of this room, and I’m going to help you onto the bed, and you’re going to rest.

HENRY

Can’t you see the beauty in it?

She approaches him.

JOANIE

I see that you’re very upset, and you need to—

He grabs her hands.

HENRY

Stop talking to me like I’m a child! We have to go up there! It all makes sense. You were afraid, and God punished us for not keeping the family unit together at that critical, defining moment of a tradition. We should have all been weightless, dancing in the air, and we will be, but first we have a sacred duty to perform. I’ve been practicing the El Maleh Rahamim prayer, and—

JOANIE

There is no unveiling.

Pause.

HENRY

What?

JOANIE

(Tears in her eyes)

I’m sorry, Hankie.

HENRY

What are you talking about?

JOANIE

You told me to take care of everything, and I did. He’s on my family’s plot at St. Paul’s.

He starts to laugh.

HENRY

Oh! Oh! Holy— Oh, Joanie Melissa Thompkins Davis. You got me! I’d bow down if I could and kiss those wonderful feet of yours. Whoo! Bless me, Oh Lord, King of the Universe, I thought I was the funny one. Did I or did I not marry the right girl? Come here and give old Hankie a kiss.

She sobs.

JOANIE

We didn’t know how to tell you. I tried… but you, you were broken. Steve asked me what I wanted, and so that’s what we did, and it’s… been killing me.

HENRY

A good joke knows when its course is run.

JOANIE

Danny’s buried with my family in Eden.

Pause.

HENRY

He’s buried in Eden?

She nods.

HENRY (CONT’D)

He’s in… Eden?

JOANIE

I was just going to bring you there today. Just me and you.

HENRY

Steve told me everything is ready to— Danny’s next to Dad. The whole family’s coming tomorrow.

Joanie shakes her head.

HENRY (CONT’D)

No. My brother wouldn’t stand here and lie to my face.

JOANIE

People lie. Family does it the best.

HENRY

You promised me to keep it Jewish.

JOANIE

I’m sorry.

HENRY

He’s—Danny’s Jewish, and he cannot be buried in a—

JOANIE

Just stop pretending! You didn’t even know one prayer til you were three months into traction, and we only ever celebrated my holidays.

HENRY

You kept this from me for a year! He— That’s not the Eden that God promises to—

JOANIE

God isn’t there for people to latch onto when they’re desperate for something and you’re despicable for even thinking that I would—

HENRY

He’s not there to be thrown away, either, when things turn rotten!

JOANIE

Stop pretending you believe in anything beyond you. I’d be damned if I was going to let my son rest with your family!

HENRY

How could you do this to ME?

JOANIE

You bastard!

She lunges for Henry. After hitting him she picks up the envelope and begins tearing at it. He tries to stop her.

JOANIE (CONT’D)

You son-of-a— You damned him! You’ve damned him! You’ve damned him! You killed him!

HENRY

Stop it! Let go! Dammit stop!

JOANIE

You killed him! You killed him! You killed my baby! You killed my—

HENRY

Let go!

As the tug-of-war reaches its peak, the envelope tears and Henry is pulled out of his chair.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Ah!

JOANIE

I hate you!

They both wail. Then, Henry looks at her, the envelope, and around.

HENRY

Why? Why this?! It was just a second that I turned away to— Why did you let him pull the—… He pulled the…

because I turned and— Oh… God. I didn’t think anything could—

Joanie rocks in place.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Joanie…? Joanie…? I know it was my— Joanie? I held onto him and told him everything would be okay and not to look, but… he laughed. He had no idea what was happening, and just laughed and kept laughing til— I swear to you, he was laughing like it was the greatest thrill in the world. He was laughing.

She stands apart from him. Henry begins to cry.

HENRY (CONT’D)

He was laughing. He was…

Henry wraps himself in the envelope, brings his hands together and prays.

HENRY (CONT’D)

Baruch dayan haemet. Baruch dayan haemet. Baruch dayan…

Henry continues repeating “Blessed is the true judge…” Joanie is frozen. The cover over the piano slips off. After a moment, Joanie floats toward the piano, touches it and sits. She plays a song. Henry’s prayers quiet. As she plays, the lights change. Henry rises and floats over to Joanie. He watches her play. He sits beside her without her acknowledging his presence. At the end of the song, Henry rests his head on his shoulder.

Blackout.

The End.

by Susan L. Lin

 

Scene: A room with glass panels on one side and a door. Shelves of books cover the back and sidewalls. In the foreground, a girl in her early- to mid-twenties sits in a leather armchair. In her lap is an open book. She is lit softly by a light from above. To the back right corner of the room, a redheaded man hunched over a desk, working with great concentration. He is a shape in the darkness.

 

GIRL IN ARMCHAIR

I love this room. I always have, I loved its sound, I loved its voice, and when other kids were tripping each other on the playground, I was watching words spill out its throat. Mom told me stories here, she told them standing at the doorway, right outside, when I was sleeping. At school, I crawled all over the furniture: I couldn’t sit still. It was like I had too many legs—they were always moving, always propelling me forward and forward, but then back again. To the side. Forward. (Pause.) I always felt like I had too many legs.

REDHEADED MAN

(writing as he speaks) “The wings of the Ulysses Butterfly are iridescent blue-green when fully open and extended…”

 

 

 

GIRL IN ARMCHAIR

Sometimes I wasn’t sleeping, sometimes I was just pretending to. I could hear her feet on the carpet outside the door, her hands fingerprinting the windowpanes. Through my half-open eyes, I would see her looking through the glass at me. Her voice sounded oddly far away. She told me about people I didn’t know. A boy who flies too close to sun. A man who leaves home only to return twenty years later. A girl who tries to avenge for her father’s death by killing her mother. Later, she told me he kept books in the trunk of his car. She told me I was too old for this room. She was closing the door and I had to walk away. (Pause.) Art was powerful. Or could’ve been. She told me that too. Art caught her by surprise, left her wanting. She wanted to reach out and touch it.

 

The man sits up abruptly.

REDHEADED MAN

Where the hell’s my eraser?

 

He flips through the papers on his desk.

 

GIRL IN ARMCHAIR

Art was everlasting. I learned that one myself. The day I dropped all of her photographs, I picked them up and put them all back where I’d found them, all but one. That first photo that had fallen onto the floor—I slipped you under my shirt when Mom wasn’t looking and took you to my room. How old were you then? Twenty-two? Twenty-three? I’ve never been able to get that picture out of my mind. The way the lines of your body instinctively left one place and entered a new one: the past meeting the present, meeting the future. I didn’t care anymore then whether I had a right to touch the photo, claim it as my own. In art class, chalk pastels coated my fingertips with dust. (Pause.) Everywhere I went, I left fingerprints.

 

REDHEADED MAN

It’s getting dark. I need a light.

 

He strikes a match and lights the birthday candle on a frosted cupcake, creating a yellow glow around his work area.

 

GIRL IN ARMCHAIR

They were in small glass jars we kept in our desks. I never knew where the second grade teachers got them from exactly. Is there such a thing as mail-order caterpillars? Is there a catalog for these things? There must be. This is what I remember: each day we had to record our observations on worksheets like we were scientists. How fast were the caterpillars growing? How much were they eating? How old were they when they started forming their chrysalis? (Pause, softly.) Undergoing their metamorphosis.

 

REDHEADED MAN

(whispering) I’ll never finish this.

 

GIRL IN ARMCHAIR

A metamorphosis. That’s what the teachers called it. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard the word, but when they said it, it felt different, not at all like the echoes of my mother’s voice late at night. The day all the butterflies finally came out, we let them go in the garden behind our school. It was my eighth birthday that day. In the cafeteria during lunch, I brought everyone cupcakes and they sang “Happy Birthday” before I blew out the candle on my cupcake. That day… (Pause.) I wished for the impossible.

 

The lights on the girl start to dim.

 

REDHEADED MAN

(flinches visibly, suddenly) Shit.

 

The man reaches around for a tissue and presses it to one of his fingers, then gets up and walks quickly out of the room.

 

A moment passes.

 

The girl gets up and walks to the desk, closing her book and setting it down in the space where the man had been working.

 

GIRL IN THE ARMCHAIR

Come back to me.

 

She blows out the candle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A short play

 

CHARACTERS

MAE: A woman in her mid-seventies. Edgar’s wife of many years.

EDGAR: A man in his late seventies. Mae’s husband of many years.

 

SET

Edgar and Mae’s kitchen. A simple set is preferred. A kitchenette set with a table and two chairs, a stove, a sink; perhaps a refrigerator.

 

 

(Mid-morning.

 

LIGHTS UP on EDGAR and MAE.

 

MAE stands at a kitchen sink washing and drying morning dishes. EDGAR sits at a kitchen table, reading a newspaper.)

 

 

EDGAR

Good breakfast, Mae.

 

(MAE turns to him.)

 

MAE

Thank you, Edgar.

 

(Slight pause.)

 

EDGAR

Damn good breakfast.

 

(Beat.)

 

MAE

The secret’s in the skillet.

 

EDGAR

How so?

 

MAE

That’s my secret, not yours.

 

EDGAR

That’s right, that’s right. Your secret, not mine.

 

(Pause. EDGAR returns to reading his newspaper. MAE picks up a skillet. She looks it over. She gently runs the skillet under the kitchen faucet, and gingerly dried it with a paper towel. She looks toward EDGAR.)

 

Mae

You don’t wash it.

 

Edgar

What?

 

Mae

The skillet. You don’t wash it. With soap. You don’t scrub it.

 

Edgar

Why not?

 

Mae

It ruins the seasoning.

 

EDGAR

The what?

 

MAE

The seasoning. (Beat.) The flavor.

 

EDGAR

What flavor?

 

MAE

Maintaining the seasoning improves the taste and flavor of the foods you cook in it.

 

EDGAR

Where’d’ya learn that?

 

MAE

 

(Slight pause.)

 

EDGAR

(Smiling at MAE.)

You and your cookbooks.

 

(MAE smiles back at him. Pause.)

 

Mae

What do you want for dinner?

 

EDGAR

Dinner?

 

MAE

 

EDGAR

I’m still digesting my breakfast, Mae.

 

MAE

I need to defrost something.

 

(Slight pause.)

 

EDGAR

What about lunch?

 

MAE

Liverwurst sandwich, Edgar.

 

EDGAR

Right, right. Of course.

 

MAE

And I have bologna.

 

EDGAR

Right, right.

 

MAE

(Tenderly.)

Edgar. We decided lunch years ago.

 

EDGAR

Right, right. Of course.

 

(Pause.)

 

MAE

What about dinner?

 

EDGAR

I’m thinking. (Slight pause.) What are my options?

 

MAE

(Exasperated.)

Chicken, chop meat, pork.

 

EDGAR

Is that all?

 

MAE

All what?

 

EDGAR

All my options.

 

MAE

(Confused.)

That’s what we got, Edgar.

 

(Pause.)

 

EDGAR

What if I wanted, say, I dunno … fish?

 

MAE

Fish?

 

EDGAR

 

(Beat.)

MAE

We never have fish.

 

EDGAR

But what if I wanted fish?

 

MAE

You hate fish.

 

EDGAR

Do I?

 

MAE

If memory serves me right, Edgar, you do hate fish.

 

(Beat.)

 

EDGAR

But what if I did want fish?

 

MAE

Why would you want fish?

 

EDGAR

Humor me, Mae.

 

(Pause.)

 

MAE

I suppose I would go to the market.

 

EDGAR

Today?

 

MAE

Yes, today.

 

EDGAR

Not Thursday?

 

MAE

(Smiling.)

No. Today.

 

(EDGAR smiles back at MAE. He returns to reading the newspaper. Pause.)

 

MAE (CONT’D)

Should I…?

 

EDGAR

(Looking up from his newspaper.)

What?

 

MAE

Go to the market….

 

(EDGAR looks at her inquisitively.)

 

MAE (CONT’D)

For fish.

 

EDGAR

I hate fish, Mae.

 

MAE

Of course you do.

 

(EDGAR returns to his newspaper. Pause.)

 

MAE (CONT’D)

Chicken, chop or pork?

 

EDGAR

(Looking up from his newspaper.)

What was in that breakfast?

 

MAE

Same thing as always.

 

EDGAR

Something was different.

 

MAE

Three sunny-sides, two American bacons, two links, slice of toast, orange juice.

 

EDGAR

What did you have?

 

MAE

My breakfast, Edgar. (Beat.) Scramble.

 

EDGAR

Right, right. (Slight pause.) Something was different.

 

MAE

(Emphatically.)

Nothing was different, Edgar. Chicken, chop or pork.

 

(Pause.)

 

EDGAR

What if we went out?

 

MAE

Out?

 

EDGAR

 

(Slight pause.)

 

MAE

Out where?

 

EDGAR

For dinner.

 

(Beat.)

 

MAE

Why would we do that?

 

EDGAR

Something different.

 

(MAE crosses to the table. She sits. Pause.)

 

MAE

Where would we go, Edgar?

 

EDGAR

(Putting down the newspaper; with emphasis.)

Anywhere we want to.

 

(Beat.)

 

MAE

I don’t know.

 

EDGAR

(Taking her hand.)

Come on, Mae.

 

MAE

Where?

 

(Pause. EDGAR thinks.)

 

EDGAR

(Smiling.)

Toscano’s.

 

(Beat.)

 

MAE

Toscano’s?

 

EDGAR

You remember Toscano’s.

 

MAE

Of course I remember Toscano’s.

 

EDGAR

I proposed to you at Toscano’s.

 

MAE

Of course you did.

 

EDGAR

And you accepted.

 

MAE

Of course I did.

 

EDGAR

Then, let’s go to Toscano’s.

 

MAE

Are you sure, Edgar?

 

EDGAR

Come on, Mae.

 

(Slight pause.)

 

MAE

Alright. Alright. Let’s go to Toscano’s.

 

(Pause, as they look at each other.)

 

EDGAR

Let’s get us a reservation.

 

MAE

Alright. Alright. (Beat.) When? What time?

 

(Pause. EDGAR thinks.)

 

EDGAR

We eat dinner at five.

 

MAE

Five, then.

(Slight pause.)

 

EDGAR

(An epiphany.)

No. Make it five-thirty.

 

MAE

Edgar!

 

EDGAR

(Confidently.)

Five-thirty, Mae.

 

(Beat.)

 

MAE

Alright, Edgar. Five-thirty.

 

(They look at each other.)

 

EDGAR

You gonna make the call?

 

MAE

Alright, I will.

 

(MAE stands and crosses to a kitchen wall phone.)

 

EDGAR

You got the number?

 

(MAE leafs through an old battered address book that had been hanging on a nail on the wall next to the telephone.)

 

MAE

In my book.

 

EDGAR

You got the number in your book?

 

MAE

Of course I do.

 

(Beat.)

 

EDGAR

All this time?

 

MAE

(Locating the phone number.)

Here it is.

 

EDGAR

(Lower voice; almost to himself.)

All this time.

 

(MAE dials the phone number.)

 

MAE

Hello. I would like to make a reservation for tonight for two people at five-thirty… What?… Is this Toscano’s?… Toscano’s…. Do you have the new number, then?… What?… When?… Oh, my…. Alright, then…. You have a nice….

 

(She places the receiver back on the hook.)

 

EDGAR

What?… Well…?

 

(Pause, as MAE crosses to the table and sits.)
MAE

That was…. That was….

 

EDGAR

(He takes her hand.)

Go on, Mae.

 

MAE

Toscano’s closed, Edgar. (Beat.) More than twenty years ago.

 

EDGAR

Who was that, then?

 

MAE

Some oriental lady.

 

EDGAR

I don’t think we’d like Chinese food.

 

MAE

No. (Beat.) It wasn’t a restaurant at all, Edgar. (Beat.) She was just an oriental lady. (Beat.) She’s had the number for years.

 

EDGAR

Oh. (Beat.) Well, then.

 

MAE

Well, then.

 

EDGAR

 

(Slight pause.)

 

MAE

Now what?

 

EDGAR

Well. (Beat.) We’ll have dinner here.

 

(Pause.)

 

MAE

Edgar?

 

EDGAR

What?

 

MAE

Why Toscano’s?

 

(Beat.)

 

EDGAR

No reason.

 

MAE

Why breakfast?

 

EDGAR

Mae?

 

MAE

Why fish?

 

EDGAR

No reason.

 

MAE

Edgar!

 

(Slight pause.)

 

EDGAR

I’ve been to my doctor. (Beat.) I’m sick, Mae.

 

MAE

What?

 

EDGAR

 

MAE

You’ve been sick before.

 

EDGAR

Not like this.

 

(Pause.)

 

MAE

Oh, Edgar.

 

EDGAR

Sorry, Mae.

 

(Slight pause.)

 

MAE

Bad?

 

(Beat.)

 

EDGAR

 

(Slight pause.)

 

MAE

When were you going to tell me?

 

EDGAR

Yesterday. Last night. This morning. Tonight at Toscano’s. (Beat.) Maybe never.

 

 (Pause. EDGAR and MAE silently look at each other. EDGAR breaks their stare to look at a wall clock. He stands and crosses towards the kitchen door.)

 

MAE

Where are you going?

 

(EDGAR points at the wall clock.)

 

EDGAR

 

MAE

Now what, Edgar?

 

(Slight pause. EDGAR stops at the doorway and turns to MAE.)

 

EDGAR

I don’t know.

 

MAE

Edgar?

 

EDGAR

Yes?

 

MAE

(Smiling.)

Chicken. (Beat.) Chicken. We’ll have chicken for dinner, Edgar.

 

(Slight pause.)

 

EDGAR

(Smiling.)

That sounds real good, Mae.

 

(EDGAR exits. MAE sits silently for several beats. She stands and crosses to the sink. She picks up the skillet. She turns on the water faucet and grabs a bottle of dishwashing liquid. She pauses over the sink. Holding the skillet in one hand and the dishwashing liquid in the other she begins to weep as the LIGHTS SLOWLY FADE TO BLACK.)

 

THE END.

 

*This piece may not be archived, reproduced or distributed further without the author’s express permission.