Act One, Scene Four
( (Downstage right, at the Bear, Matthew, Maggie, and Deborah sit together.))
Matthew:
So, what happened? You called at like the crack of dawn this morning?
((Deborah is silent, sits staring)
What's going on?
Deborah:
He left, last night late. I don't know where he is.
Maggie:
What? James, who?
Matthew:
What happened?
Deborah:
He was angry. He gets that way, sometimes. But, its getting worse. Sometimes its good, then its not. I never know when...I walk on eggshells, even when its good. Its not like I remember him.
Matthew:
Did you do anything?
Deborah:
I don't know, I don't know. He says the strangest things. Have you ever seen anything with him?
Maggie:
Honestly, yeah, I have. He hasn't been the same for awhile. But, then I thought he's always been a little, different.
Deborah:
He gets really angry at me, for little things....
Matthew:
Has he ever, you know, hurt you?
Deborah:
No, but he's thrown things at me...
Matthew:
Did they hit you?
Deborah:
( (pulling up leg and revealing bruise)
Yeah...
Maggie:
Oh my...
Matthew:
Wow.
Deborah:
What do I do now? What do I do? Its like Madonna sang in Evita, "What do I do for our dreams to survive?" What do I do? Tell me, please, because I don't know anymore.
Maggie:
You keep fighting.
Deborah:
Fighting? For what? There's nothing left of me, in me. What am I fighting for? Really, I don't know. For us? Its in the past, I see that now. You can't reclaim what once was...I wish we could go back to...the golden road, the good times. But, who am I fighting for now? What am I fighting for?
Matthew:
Deborah, I don't know what to say.
Maggie:
For yourself. You fight for you, the only person that matters.
Deborah:
Yeah, yeah, fight. Never give up. Whatever.
((Maggie reaches for her hand,takes it, lights fade. Lights fade in again to Matthew, at the Bear, now sitting with James, Shaggy, Ray, and Thomas.))
Shaggy:
((to Ray and Thomas))
Hey guys, how long you in town?
Ray:
Just for a few days. Got to pick up some more, um, supplies.
Thomas:
Supplies?
Ray:
You know, food, water, clothes, camping stuff, and you know, beer.
( (All laugh.))
Shaggy:
How's the wife and kids, Thomas?
Thomas:
Kids are fine. But wife is...no more.
((looks at Ray. He holds up empty ring finger.))
Its like this.
Shaggy:
Oh shit I am sorry to hear that.
Thomas:
How's school, Shaggy?
Shaggy:
Oh, you know, going all right. One more year to go. Got a full-time job with NASA lined up once I get down. And the girl, of course, she wants to get married, then.
Thomas:
Well, it ain't all what its cracked up to be, marriage, that is.
James:
Hear, hear.
Thomas:
But, it ain't all that bad either, really.
James:
You're working for NASA?
Shaggy:
Yeah, isn't that ironic?
James:
But, don't you know about them? Don't you remember what you used to tell us?
Shaggy:
Oh well, now that I see it from the inside, it really isn't like that--
James:
But, the evidence---
Shaggy:
Is not really that important anymore. If you want to make a difference, you've got to get in the trenches, you know the inside out kinda thing, you got to stop believing in theories in order to fight--
James:
Really?
Shaggy:
In order to find the truth, not just theories, that is. You can't live your life afraid, running away all the time. You gotta get in there, and well, fight at some point.
Matthew:
Never give up the fight, right, Shaggy?
James:
I just can't believe it, man.
Shaggy:
How are things with you and Deborah, James?
James:
She is...crazy.
Shaggy:
Well, we all knew that but Deborah was, she was Deborah, you know, sweet.
James:
You don't know her like I do.
Shaggy:
Yeah, but that was always the case---
James:
Its not that, you just don't know.
Shaggy:
Um, okay, man, just calm down.
Matthew:
James, relationships are hard. You guys just need to take space is all---
James:
Space? Right, like that'll happen.
Matthew:
So, where is she...right now?
((James shrugs.))
Matthew:
You don't know, do you? So, proves my point that---
James:
That what? You on her side?
Matthew:
She'd give you space, is all. If you wanted.
James:
You don't know her like I do, is all.
Shaggy:
What has she exactly done? I want to know.
James:
You on her side?
Shaggy:
I'm not on anyone's side, but I just want to know--
James:
She come to you---
Matthew:
Yeah, Maggie and I talked to her--
James:
Listen. I've tried to have patience with her but she just doesn't listen, you know. I've tried to help her, to understand. I swear I've lost so much weight because she can't really cook. Its better if I just don't eat rather than die of poisoning or something..
Thomas:
Now, hold on--
James:
Even accidentally! I'm telling you, she's not all there. Not like she was back in the day. She takes meds now, you know, from a psychiatrist. They've messed her up. She's like one of them now.
Shaggy:
No, she's one of us.
((chants) )
One of us. One of us. One of us. (laughs) Come on, man,don't be crazy, you can't possibly believe that Deborah would do anything to hurt---
James:
((getting up))
You don't know her like I do!
((He exits, silence.))
Thomas:
What just happened? What is going on?
Shaggy:
Something isn't right there, man, not at all.
Matthew:
Yeah, I know, I know.
Shaggy:
Should we do something?
Matthew:
Like what?
Ray:
Have you talked to her?
Matthew:
A little.
Ray:
And?
Matthew:
She doesn't know what to do either. I'm trying to stay neutral, you know, but...I don't know.
Ray:
Why don't we go over there, then? You know, get some beer, play go, like old times?
(Lights fade out.)
No comments:
Post a Comment