. nu -u u .4 ll 1| 31293 0057? 015 11 1111111111111 11 7 117 9— 16L??— TH E 3 LIBRARY Michigan State Jtynivenity This is to certify that the thesis entitled A TOUCH OF LIGHT presented by Jan Elizabeth Hoenshell has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for Major professor 0-7639 MS U i: an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution RETURNING MATERIALS: MSU Place in book dr0p to remove this ‘ checkout from your record. FINES UBRARIEb will be charged if book is returned g _- after the date stamped below. A TOUCH OF LIGHT By Jan Elizabeth Hoenshell A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of English 1989 1 \/,),J I U ABSTRACT A TOUCH OF LIGHT By Jan Elizabeth Hoenshell When the intensity of need that fills a dream finally reaches the pitch necessary to propel that dream into reality, the truth often takes a shape the dreamer had not originally intended. Once he recog- nizes his dream in its corporeal form, however, he often has to admit that it has become even more what he truly needs than he ever could have imagined. A Touch of Light, a full-length comedy-drama in two acts, demon— strates this dream-to-a-greater-reality process as it affects the lives of two extraordinarily vivid dreamers, Emily Gilbert and Jesse LeBlanc. Displaced homemaker and handyman, thrown together by an ironically prosaic episode--a broken bathtub--Bnily and Jesse warily enter into each other's haunted lives, and together bring into being a single reality far more couplete than the sum of its visions. In the process, with the inadvertent help of her precocious teen-age son, Nelson, and his solipsistic younger sister, Marsha, Emily and Jesse discover that possibly the only difference between dream and reality is sinply that it is the dream that one comes to see with the greatest clarity that becomes the most palpable truth. Copyright by JAN ELIZABETH HOENSHELL 1989 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS For his rigorous, yet gentle, counsel and criticism of A Touch of Light, from my first character sketches of Emily and Jesse to the final draft, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Professor Arthur N. Athanason of the Department of English at Michigan State University. In spite of my mediocre performance in his graduate—level Drama Workshop four years ago, he enthusiastically agreed to shepherd rre through a full-length play, refusing to consider that I might not succeed and continually urging me to "press on. " His support , advice and friendship have been invaluable . I would also like to thank my two readers at Hausrnan Steel Corporation in Lansing, David M. Beaumarchais and Mary P. Zdume, for the "rave" reviews they gave A Touch of Light--the sort of unqualified approval and encouragement that can only derive from true friendship. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to Dean A. Marsh, Hausman Steel's district manager in Michigan, for the wholehearted permission he granted me to produce the final two drafts of this play on the typewriter in my office—-as well as for his anused tolerance of my distraction and intermittent agitation as I wrote them. Jan Elizabeth Hoenshell Michigan State University Spring, 1989 iv CAST OF CHARACTERS (in order of their appearance) Nelson wadsworth Marsha LeBlanc Ehdly Gilbert Harmon Melody Jesse LeBlanc Muffin J inmy Mason Time: Mid-1980's The entire action takes place in Etnily Gilbert's apartment in student housing at a large Midwestern university. Page Act I, Scene 1. An early Friday evening at the beginning of December ........................... 1 Scene ii. Late evening, the same day ......................... 55 Act II, Scene i. Mid-morning, the next day ......................... 109 Scene ii. Mid—evening, the same day ......................... 133 Required Throughout: Middle: End: Suggested Beginning: Middle: End: Possible End: SONGS "Killing Me Softly (With His Song)," Roberta Flack or Orchestral Arrangement "Gloria," Laura Brannigan "Stones," Neil Diamond "Solitaire," Laura Brannigan "I Found Someone," Laura Brannigan (preferred) or Cher "Don‘t Cry'Out Loud," Melissa.Manchester "H6110," Lionel Richie "Innocent Man," Billy Joel "I Wanna Dance with Sorrebody (Who Loves Me)," Whitney Houston "I Knew You were waiting (For Me)," Aretha Franklin "Uhchained Melody," Righteous Brothers vi I-i-l-l68 The kitchen-living-study area of EMILY' s apartrrent : The kitchen is at stage right and consists of countertop and sink, cupboards, a refrigerator and a stove. m the countertop is a coffee maker. At downstage right stands a small dining table surrounded by four chairs . On either side of the countertop and appliances are two bedroom doors, EMILY's at downstage right and NELSON's at upstage center and right. Beyond NELSON '5 door are a bathroom door and a closet door. Taped to EMILY's door is a full- length poster of singer-songwriter HARMON MELODY. This is the Sensual HARMON. He wears high boots, tight pants and a T-shirt topped by a half-zipped leather flight jacket. He strikes a casual pose with guitar in hand, pelvis thrust slightly forward, and with a heart-wrenching half—smile on his craggily handsome face . For his actual appearances here he will enter--without his guitar-—from the extrerre lower right beyond the edge of the set. In all cases he will be allowed to go no further than a few yards into the kitchen area, and always 1 2 I-i-2-168 he will stand in a well-defined circle of light. At upstage left and center is an outer door leading to a comnon porch sheltered by the balcony of the apartments above. At stage left is a large picture window with a long table beneath it covered with piles of books and magazines. There are no curtains on the window. Only dingy, battered venetian blinds provide any treasure of privacy, and at the play's begin- ning they are raised to within a foot-and-a-half of the top of the window, giving it a wary, heavy- lidded look. Beyond the table and window is EMILY's study area at downstage left. It consists of a desk, book- shelves containing a number of French titles, and a director's chair. Over the desk are posters of l'Arc de Triarphe and HAR'MON MELODY: This is HARMON the Poet. He wears a shirt with flowing sleeves topped by a leather vest. He stares pensive- ly across the desk and out into the room. For his appearances here he will enter from the extreme lower edge of the set. In all 3 I-i-3—168 cases (save one) he will be allowed to go no further than a few yards into the study area, and as with the Sensual HARMON, he will always stand (save once) in a well-defined circle of light. At downstage center and left is a living room grouping of sofa (university issue) and loveseat perpendicular to each other, an end table between them, a lamp and a coffee table. On the end table is a telephone, and accenting the sofa are colorful crewelled pillows and an afghan draped across its back. The floor of the entire apartment is bare tile-~dull, pitted and scratched--with the exception of a small mat in front of the kitchen sink and a raveled carpet remnant in front of the sofa and loveseat. The apartment has no discernible decorating scheme, but it is tolerably clean—-if a bit cluttered. Most of the furniture pieces are worn but tasteful remdniscences of a former, more conventional lifestyle. Warm earth tones predominate. LIGHTS UP. A weak late afternoon, late autumn light filters through 4 I—i—4-168 the picture window. NELSON is seated at the dining table, which is littered with papers and books. He holds a pen, and lying open on the table in front of him is a thick spiral-bound notebook in which he writes from time to time. NELSON is 17 years old and wears jeans, a sweatshirt and glasses. He needs a haircut and occasionally runs his fingers through his hair to get it off his forehead. MARSHA, pacing between NELSON's chair and downstage center, is an attractive 29-year-old dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt that reads "#1 MOM." Her short, curly hair is mussed. Nelson (Furry bknxfleu... Get real! Marsha (irritated) What are you talking about? Nelson If I'm anywhere near that bathroom when my mother gets home, she's gonna suspect something. Marsha Howzat? Nelson well, mefls got the Gilbert bladder, and I've got the wadsworth bladder.... 5 I-i-5-168 Marsha Is this gonna be another one of your stories? Nelson So when the Gilbert bladder is due home-—especially after a two-hour exam in graduate economics--the Wadsworth bladder is in big trouble if he's in the bathroom and not puking his guts out. Marsha I see. Now why's her bladder so special? Nelson Lydia Gilbert. An ancestor of ours. (baring his teeth hideously) She was a witch. (normal expression) Hanged in Connecticut in 1654. Beat the Salem witch trials by 38 years. Marsha What does that have to do with your mother? Nelson Well, before they hanged old Lydia, they dunked her. . . . Marsha Yeah.... Nelson And if she hadn't had such a great lung capacity, she'd have drowned. Then the guys who did it to her would have found her innocent and wouldn't have had to go to the trouble of hanging her. . . . Marsha Uh huh. . . . 6 I—i-6-l68 Nelson So ever since old Lydia croaked, her more suggestible descendents have been trying to drown themselves in their own fluids in order to demonstrate their innocence. Marsha So that nobody'll think to hang them? Nelson Yeah. Or shit on themn... There is a pause while MARSHA con- siders this. Marsha (scornfully) Is that true? Nelson (shrugging his shoulders) That's what Mom says.... It's a symbolic thing, I guess. Marsha That's as weird as some of the stuff Jess comes up with. Nelson Who's Jess? Marsha (absently) My big brother. (reanimated) Oh, my God! Nelson! 7 I-i-7-168 Nelson (startled) What?! Marsha You just gotta keep your mom outta that bathroom 'til Jess gets here! Nelson Marsha, I can't! After that two-hour econ exam it's gonna be urgent! Marsha Look. Jess can handle everything. The bathroom and your Mom. Please! Just keep her outta there 'til he gets here. Nelson Does Jess do Harmon Melody impersonations? Marsha Hah? The singer Harmon Melody? Nelson Yeah. Singer, songwriter and hunk. The way Mom's been lately, Harmon's the only person who could handle her, and he's not available right NOW. Marsha Un, . . . why not? Nelson Last week Mom spilled a glass of wine into her tape player, and old Harmon can't sing to her 'til she gets it fixed. Marsha (haughtY) Well, Jess is two things that Harmon ain't. He's in Maintenance here, and... he was in Vietnam. He's one of them that came back with it 8 I-i-8-168 all together. He can handle anything. Nelson Marsha, . . . nobody came back from Vietnam with it all together. Marsha Jess did. Nelson Well, that may be, but Mom's not too crazy about the people in Maintenance here. She says they're a bunch of sadists. Marsha Why? Nelson The last guy who came out to unclog the kitchen sink told the guys in Housing we had a E here. We had to send poor Muffin over to Grandma's house, and Mom cried for three days. Marsha That wasn't Jess's fault. He has a. dozen cats on the farm, and he's crazy about them. Nelson Just don't count on Jess's being able to make a difference. Mom's had it rough since she left French six months ago, and this bathroom business is gonna be the last straw. Marsha (miffed) I didn't think good writers used clich'e’s. Nelson (ignoring her) What do you care anyway? You and Mom haven't said two words to each 9 I-i-9-l68 other since you moved in. It's gonna be. . . (with emphasis) ...no skin off your nose if she's mad at you. Marsha (suddenly intense) Nelson, can you keep a secret? Nelson Nope. I'm gonna be the kinda writer that spills 'is guts and everyone else's. Marsha I'm gonna tell you anyway. Nelson (resigned) Go ahead. . . . Marsha I'll keep it short. Jess is lonely, and I can't stand to see him that way. And I've watched your Mom caning in and out of the building, and she walks lonely. Nelson That's arthritis. It's in her feet and ankles. She blames that on Vulcan and Aroni. Marsha Who th' hell are they? Nelson Vulcan is blacksmith to the gods. The _l§m_e_ god. And Aroni's a Nigerian god who's lame because he has one foot in our world and the other foot in the 9333 world. Makes it kinda hard to walk straight. 10 I-i—lO—168 MARSHA glares at hhn. (vemmdng'up) You see,... VUlcan is the natural planetary ruler of Virgo, which just happens to be MOm's birth sign, and until Vulcan gets out from behind the sun so it can get discovered, Virgos are gonna tend to be just a bit testy, and somehowe—force of gravity maybe-—all that bitchiness ends up in their feet. MARSHA begins to advance on NELSON. He glances uneasily at her. ( quickly) Now, the way I figure it,... if NASA could just get the funding for a little trip to the other side of the sun, then.maybe we wouldn't have to wait for Vu1can to... to... unL... MARSHA leans over NELSON threateningly, and he trails off to stare back at her. Uh,... maybe I won't try to explain the rest of that. Aroni can wait, I guess. Satisfied, MARSHA resumes her pacing. Marsha Anyway,... I thought maybe I could just try to get Jess and yourrnan together, and then. . . Nelson (incredulous) Is that why you wrecked our bathroom? Just so you could get them together? ll I-i-11-168 Marsha Nb! Nelson was Jess in on this? Marsha 'Ng, Nelson! That's not the way I was gonna do it. I was just gonna... gonna... SOUND of a car driving into the parking lot accompanied by the SQUEAKING of a loose fan belt. Nelson (omdnously) She's home.... The SOUND of the car's ignition being turned off. The ENGINE DIES reluctantly. Marsha Oh, God.... A car door SLAMS shut. Nelson (worried) Really! That car's gonna croak soon.... MARSHA and NELSON stare at the outside door. MARSHA begins to back slowly away from it. NELSON cranes his neck to look out the window. 12 I-i-12-168 (sotto voce) Maybe you'd better go now, Marsha. She's going for the mail, so you've got time to lam outta here. MARSHA abruptly reverses direction and hurries toward the door. She stops at the bathroom door and looks in. Marsha (shaking her head) How could I have done all that? Nelson Talent, I'd say. (grinning--MARSHA.mdsses it) I'll give you a call when it's safe to come down. MARSHA turns to look at NELSON. Marsha Great idea! I can't stay long, though. Gregory's gonna call tonight, and I don't wanna mdss hhn. Nelson Gregory? Marsha (importantly) Yeah. He lived with me before the girls and I moved out here. He's studying in London now, but he'll be moving back in just before Christmas. NELSON shakes his head in annoyance. Anyway, I've already called Jess, and he oughta be here any minute. My? it ,C“ 13 I-i-l3—l68 Nelson I'll order pizza. Mbm's never been able to eat that and be mad for long.... (to himself) Too bad Dad never figured that out. MARSHA scoots to the outside door and opens it but turns to face NELSON again. Marsha By the way,... after you call, could you go upstairs and watch the girls for me? Nelson Who's watching them now? Marsha Big Bird. Nelson Oh. Sure, I'll watch them for you, but... Marsha I'll pay you this time. Nelson Okay,... but Mom says you've probably been taking me, so for this it's gonna be double time. Marsha (wailing) Nelson.... Nelson Look, Marsha,... if you can afford cable TV, a brand new stereo VCR and. . teen I 1 pau (I) 1‘. {)2 yr . [11‘s dill”. 14 I—i-l4-l68 and all that tuition and the medical textbooks and instruments,... then you can afford me. Marsha (pause, then grhnby) Okay, you got it. MARSHA slips out the door. Marsha (Offstage) (surprised) Oh! Hi, Em! How‘d the exam go? EMILY enters upstage center and right, backing in to speak to MARSHA. NELSON lays down his pen, rises fromlthe dining table, crosses to the sofa and sits down next to the telephone. He lifts the receiver and begins to punch the buttons. Emily Marsha, I don't even want to think about that examluntil I've had dinner and a nice,... hot... bath. Marsha ( Offstage) (pause) Oh, geez.... (brightly) Well, bon appetit! See ya later,... maybe. Ehdly Yeah. EMILY turns to enter the apartment, 15 I-i-15-168 pausing at the closet to shed her worn car coat and hang it up. She glances at NELSON as she closes the closet door. Hi. guy! Nelson Hi, lady! (into the phone) Yes. I'd like to have a sixteen-inch pizza delivered.... Emily Good boy. NELSON grins at her and EMILY smiles faintly as she drags her bulging backpack into the kitchen. In her other hand she carries her car keys and a few pieces of mail. She ljmps noticeably. EMILY's hair is medium length and disheveled. She wears glasses that have ridden down on her nose, and as she walks into the kitchen, she pushes them up with the hand holding the mail and her keys. EMILY is a nice- but ordinaryelooking 37-year-old dressed in jeans and a sweater. She looks tired as she hooks her backpack on the back of the chair NELSON has just vacated and tosses the mail and her keys onto the table on top of NELSON's books and papers. l6 I-i-l6-l68 Nelson (into the phone) Eighteen forty-three H University Apartments. . . . EMILY bends over to look under the dining table. (hand over phone) No Muffin, Mom. (into the phone) Five five five. . . nineteen forty-nine. . . . EMILY straightens up to look at NELSON. Elnily Yeah, I know.... I just thought maybe she'd get tired of all of Grandma's sneezing and sniffling and come back home. . . . Nelson (into the phone) Wadsworth and or Gilbert. Wadsworth's paying for it. Emily You're a good kid, kid. Nelson (hand over the phone) Yeah, I know. Comes with the genes. (pointedly) Bo_tt_1_ sides. EMILY frowns at him and wanders over to her desk. She sits in the chair facing downstage left and stares moodin at the floor 17 I—i-l7-l68 in front of her. NELSON leans forward on the sofa and cranes his neck to look at the bathroom door. He strains next to stare at EMILY's back. Puzzled, he shakes his head and settles back into the sofa. (into the phone) Double cheese, double dough, mushrooms.... Yeah, and we'd like that half pineapple and half anchovies.... Yeah, that's for real. Pineapple for Gilbert and anchovies for wadsworth. Just don't let them.run together. . .. No, no ham or pepperoni. We don't eat mammals. Emily Not... unless they're economics professors. Nelson (into the phone) Can you give me a price on that? ALL LIGHTS GENTLY DOWN except for a DIM, HAZY LIGHT on EMILY. EMILY leans forward.in her chair, staring intently at the space in front of her. Emily Harmon? (Pause) lkumrmh I need you. Can you come now? HARMON's MUSIC--"Killing Me Softly"-- UP. There is a brief pause. HARMON's LIGHT UP--a soft, rosy glow. HARMON enters downstage left to stand 18 I—i-l8—168 in his circle of light. Harmon (casually) Hi, babe. EMILY is abruptly alive, intense. She smiles radiantly. Emily Hello, lover. Harmon I've massed you. Emily (ruefully) I've been studying. Harmon How‘d the exam go? Emily ( sighing) I think I may have failed it. Harmon Is that why you called? Emily Well.... yes. I'm worried. I need an MBA, and the MBA needs that economdcs course. Harmon well, just take it over. 19 I-i-l9-168 Emily I ' ll have to . Harmon Well. What else can I do for you? EMILY looks at him thoughtfully for a moment . Emily What can you do? You're not really here, are you? Harmon Well, if you want to put it that way, all I really have of you is four letters . Emily Harmon, tell me again. What was 1_n those letters that made you finally come when I called for you? Harmon (intent, leaning toward EMILY) Those letters filled my l_i§z_, Emily. You wrote that because of my music. .. you hoped that if you had a soulmate he'd be like me. You said it was because of my apparent depth, . . . compassion and capacity for love. You're weren't just another crazy female fan who thought she knew me. You knew you were only guessing. Emily And dreaming . Harmon Even my wife can't see me that way. She's like the others. She gets the fame and the glitter and the money all mixed up with me. You've never even seen me on stage, so you know just my music. Just me. 5—4 Ar. .d in Y0 20 I-i-20-168 Emily I was afraid that seeing you, I'd start to cry. Harmon And again?. .. What have I done for you, babe? Emily If I hadn't dreamed you up, Harmon, I'd have never had the courage to leave Arnold. Harmon And my next three albums? Emily Believing they were for me helped get me through the next five years. (anguished) But Harmon, lately it's been hell! I've been so scared. Harmon I know, babe, but I'm here for you now. Emily I don't know that. You first came to me like this only two months ago in a fever. Harmon But I was still here when you came out of it, wasn't I? Emily Yes.... Harmon So what's the big problem? Emily You're not really here. H: U; >67 11' 21 Harmon Of course I am. Emily You're not here here. Harmon (lightly) Beam me over, Scotty. EMILY stands up abruptly. Emily Dammit, Harmon! I don't want to dream anymore! Harmon What .13 it that you want, babe? Emily I want you here. (taking a deep breath) I-i-21-168 I want you to hop into your jeep, drive to the airport in L.A. , buy a one-way ticket to me, . . . and be; here. Harmon I can't 32 that, Emily. Emily Why not? Harmon Look, babe, . .. we've got it better right now than most married couples. Emily How' 3 that? , t ‘ a. We} 22 I—i—22-168 Harmon We're not getting in each other's way. Emily I want you in my way. Harmon You didn't want that with Arnold. . . . Emily When he got in the way it was because he talked too much about too little at all the wrong times. He never had a word to say about me or us or life or death or anything that really mattered. . . . Just business and his golf game. Harmon We already have that kind of getting in each other's way. Emily Harmon,... a week or so ago I had a dream about you. The nighttime kind of dream. There was a war going on outside the apartment, and barbs were falling, and the windows were taped so they wouldn't shatter. (smiling suddenly, briefly) You were in my bedroom. It was a huge auditorium, and you were giving a concert. There were girls screaming and crying and trying to get to the edge of the stage so that you could bend over and kiss them, . . . EMILY takes a yearning half-step toward HAIMON. He hastily steps back half a pace. EMILY halts. . . .and you were smiling and laughing and singing all the while. The bombs were still falling outside, and there was sniper fire, too, I think. Then... after the concert you stepped off the stage and walked slowly to where I was standing just inside my door. 3:. .Nu. “4 y“ 23 I-i-23-168 EMILY tries again to move toward HARVION, but he steps back nervously. By then you had on a doctor's scrub suit—-green, I think--and you didn't have any shoes on. And by the time you reached me, I didn't have any shoes on, either. And then. . . you were smiling in front of me, just looking at ne,... EMILY smiles at him. HARMON smiles back uncertainly. . . .and the shooting and bombing had stopped, and everyone else had gone hore, and it was very, . . . very quiet. And then you took both of my hands , . . . EMILY reaches her hands out to close them over a pair of invisible hands. . . .and very, . . . very lightly, you touched your feet to mine, . . . EMILY looks down at her feet in amazement and then back up again. . ..and suddenly the pain was gone. (pause, smiling dreamily) And then you took me into your arms, . . . and we danced. EMILY begins to dance slowly with her invisible partner to the PAINT STRAINS of "Killing Me Softly," a dreaming smile still on her face, her eyes half—closed . We danced very, . .. very close and for a long, long time. LL T. 24 I-i—24-168 EMILY continues to dance. And then... The MUSIC FADES. EMILY slows her movements, stops dancing in one final slow—motion twirl and drops her hands. And then when I realized that I was waking up, and that none of it was true, I started to cry. EMILY drops into her chair and lowers her head, shaking it slowly and squeezing her eyes tightly shut. It took me half an hour to stop crying, and then it was only 'cause Muffin was there to help me. Harmon That's a beautiful dream, babe. All except the very end of it, of course. EMILY lifts her head to look at him. Emily (trerrulously) Anyway, when I thought about it later, I said to myself ,... How nice. When Harmon finally really cores to me, my feet won't hurt anymore. I'll be free again. Harmon We could have that sort of thing from each other. We'd both be better. r4 0 It' 25 I-i-25-168 Emily (anguished) Could? Harmon, it's been five E93 since I wrote that first letter to you, and things are falling apart for me now. Muffin's gone,... I hate business, I miss my French, my mother's convincing me I'm going to fail miserably at whatever I try to do, . .. and I'm lonely as hell. Just talking to you and dreaming of you isn't making it anymore. I need you h_e_r3. Al_l of you. Harmon I can't come right now, babe. My family and the band need me, too,... and I'll be in the recording studio 'til spring, and then I've got a two—month tour lined up for next summer. . . . Emily Well,... can't you stop in to see me when you're in the neighborhood? Can't I at least know that you're real? Harmon I can't promise that. There're just too many people watching me all the time. Emily Then what's the point in our having this if we're not willing to make it more? Harmon It's a lovely dream, babe. It keeps both of us going. Emily Not me,... not anymore. Harmon Look. I'll see what I can do. Okay? EMILY stares at him for a long moment. (re: 1 1 . A (re GO.” 5—] 26 I-i-26-168 Emily (resigned) All right.... I haven't anything else, so I might as well wait. Harmon (relieved) Good girl. Look. Take care of yourself, and I'll see ya later. HARMON turns to exit. Emily Yes. Later. EMILY rises fromlher chair. HARMON exits downstage left, and his LIGHT EADES as STAGE LIGHTS COME UP. Emily walks slowly into the kitchen area. Nelson (into the phone) Ten ninety-five? You've raised your prices again?... All right. I'll see if I can get my'momlto co-sign a loan. He hangs up the phone as EMILY sits in the dining chair facing downstage center. She slouches far down on it, brooding, her legs extended beneath the table, her anms stretched out on tOp of it. Emily I've only got a dollar twenty—four, Nelson. Nelson That's okay. I just wanted to give her something to think about. If the 1‘." -\ 3. 1’“ l r—4 27 I—i-27-l68 they're going to cater to college students they really ought not to be raising their prices all the time. Emily Well, prices are one thing you won't have to worry about. You'll be living at hore. Nelson Now, Mom,... that's just what I'd like to discuss with you right now. The PHONE RINGS. With a head-shaking gesture of annoyance, NELSON picks up the receiver . (into the phone) Hello?. . . Gesundheit, Grandma. You and Muffin getting along all right?. . . EMILY rises quickly and limps over to NELSON. Well, look at it this way. Maybe she's allergic to you, too. That's probably why she's under the bed all the time. . . . Emily Oh, poor baby. . . . Nelson Wanna talk to Mom?... Okay. Here she is. NELSON hands the receiver to EMILY. She remains standing. Emily (into the phone) Hi, Mom... Gesundheit. How's Muffin?... Tell me about Muffin first. L_ogl_<_, Mom. Let me take her over to Arnold's house. He's offered already.. 28 I—i-28—168 Well, at least he wouldn't suffer as much as _yo_u_ are. . . . Nelson'd be there with her a lot. . . . All right, suffer then. . . . (sighing) I probably failed it... . Oh, I expect to be out on the streets in about three months. I'm touched by your faith in me, Mother. . . . I'm not being sarcastic. After all, no faith at all is a kind of faith. . . . (laughs mirthlessly) All right, I'll call back when I feel like being a bit more reasonable. . . . _Ng, Mother, it's not that time of month!... Gesundheit.... Yeah. Good-bye. EMILY begins to replace the receiver as if she would like to slam it down but at the last moment places it gently in its cradle. Like hell I'll call her back. Nelson Why do you let her get to you like that, Mom? Emily (grimly) Thirty-seven years of habit and a case-hardened urmbilical cord. EMILY walks over to the dining table, unzips her baclmack and begins to remove books and notebooks to slam down on top of NELSON's pile on the table. Nelson Another question . 29 I-i—29-168 Emily (surly) What? Nelson Why aren't you in the bathroom right now? EMILY removes from her backpack an empty, partially crumpled potato chip package. She lifts it to show to NELSON. Emily (drily) Induced water retention. NELSON rises from the sofa and crosses quickly to EMILY. He takes the potato chip package from her. Nelson Here. Let me take that. NELSON opens the door beneath the kitchen sink and stuffs the package into a wastebasket . There. Now sit down, Mom. I want to discuss this college business with you . Emily Just a minute, Nelson. I want to get sore aspirin. EMILY heads for the bathroom. 3O I-i—30-168 Nelson (panicky) Can't it wait, MomQ EMILY stops and looks back at NELSON. Emily (surprised) I'll bg_just a mdnute. Nelson Oh, geez.... EMILY goes into the bathroomn and NELSON lunges fromlthe dining table to the telephone. He lifts the receiver and punches the buttons rapidly. Emdly (Offstage) OH... MY... GOD! (pause ) SHIT! Nelson (into the phone) Yeah, Marsha, core on down.... Yeah, it's safe. She's gonna be reasonable. NELSON replaces the receiver as EMILY'rushes limping out of the bathroom and comes to a halt in front of NELSON, facing him across the coffee table. 31 I—i-31-168 Emily (outraged) Just what the hell happened in there?! Nelson Emily Did that moron upstairs have anything to do with it? Nelson well,... There is a KNOCK on the outside door. (relieved) Door, Ntmn Emily Shit! EMILY limps angrily over to the door and throws it open. NELSON follows. JESSE, a nice-looking 41, stands in the doorway wearing green coveralls topped by a leather flight jacket. When he speaks it is with a trace of a French accent . EMILY looks hdmlup and down. (coldly) I didn't call for Maintenance. You must have the wrong apartment. EMILY slams the door shut, but NELSON pushes past her quickly 32 I-i-32-l68 to open it again. Nelson Core on in, Jess. JESSE enters easily. Emily Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Nelson? You know I r don't want any maintenance people in this apartment. Jesse Excuse me, ma'am, but your upstairs neighbor called for me. Emily The upstairs moron, you mean. I'll take care of you in a minute. EMILY turns on NELSON who backs into the living room with EMILY following closely. JESSE goes into the bathroom. (to NELSON) Now you can tell me what happened in that bathroom. Did the mental defective upstairs have anything to do with it? Nelson Mom, she didn't corpletely destroy the bathroom. Just the bathtub. And the immediate surroundings. And. . . Emily What. . . HAPPENED?! Nelson Well,... from the looks of it,... I'd guess that poor old Marsha just came hore this afternoon from her anatomy exam totally exhausted, . . . 33 I-i—33-168 started to draw herself a bath, . . . sat down on the sofa. . . and just. . . sorta drifted off. JESSE rejoins EMILY and NELSON. Jesse It can be fixed, ma'am, but I'll have to wait until Monday for some help. Emily Monday?! Jesse (shaking his head) I'm awfully sorry. . . . Emily I need that bathtub right now! Nelson Mcnm, it isn't that big a deal. We'll just have to stink for a few days. Emily Nelson,... I just flunked an exam, your grandmother's on my back, . . . my feet hurt like hell,... and I don't have Muffin here anymore. That bathtub was all I had left. Jesse Sounds like you've been having a rough time. Emily (proudly) Not really. I'm handling it. rm Y: 34 I-i—34-168 Nelson Mom, you made too much of that cat, anyway. Emdly Walson,... in the two years that I had her, she gave me more love and affection than your father was able to give me in fifteen years of marriage. And what's more important, she let me love her. She insisted on it. Nelson (mdffed) well, maybe you just didn't push the right buttons with Dad. Emily He didn't haye_any buttons. He ran all by himself. He didn't need me. ( to JESSE, formally) I apologize. You shouldn't have to be hearing all of this. Jesse (soberly) That's all right. It's a familiar story. There is a KNOCK on the outside door. EMILY rushes for it and throws it open. MARSHA stands in the doorway. Emily YOU! MARSHA pushes past EMILY to face her in the foyer. EMILY slams the door shut. 35 Marsha Look, Em,... I can explain. I-i-35-168 MARSHA backs into the living area, eventually coming to a halt at downstage center. EMILY follows her into the room.and stops to face her when she stops. glances at JESSE. (cheerfully) Hi, Jess! Jesse MARSHA Good afternoon, Marsha. You've been busy today, haven't you? Marsha ( sighing) Yeah. I had an anatomw'exam, and it was a real... Emily You two know each other? Marsha (relieved) Yeah. Emu I'd like you to meet my brother, Jesse LeBlanc. this is Emily Gilbert,... (gesturing toward NELSON but not looking at hhm) ...and this is her son, Nelson wadsworth. Jess, JESSE reaches for EMILY's hand and takes it quickly. Jesse I'm pleased to meet you, Emily. Marsha's told me a lot about you. 36 I-i-36-168 EMILY stares at her hand joined with JESSE's. After half a moment she shakes her head slightly and withdraws her hand. She recovers her anger. Emily How could she have told you about me? Jesse (to NELSON) She doesn't even know me. And I'm pleased to meet you, Nelson. Marsha tells me you do a lot of babysitting for her. Nelson Yeah. Mostly freebies. Emily Hey, look! I've got a broken bathroom, and you guys are getting up a party. Nelson Maybe that's just what we need, Mom. Endly Can it, Nelson! (turning on MARSHA) NOW explain! Marsha It was an accident, Emu... Ehdly (deliberately) There's no such thing as an accident. I want to know yours. Everything has a reason, and 37 I—i-37-168 Marsha Em, please. I was beat. I fell asleep on the sofa, and the water overflowed. It just must've soaked through my floor. Emily And now _yog bathtub is dangling over EE' . . which is full of plaster! You had to have done that before for that ceiling to have gotten that crumbly. Hale you? Marsha (to NELSON) Aren't you going upstairs? Nelson Sesame Street still on? Marsha Yeah.... Nelson The kids'll keep. I wanna watch this. (proudly) I'm betting on Mom. Emily (to MARSHA) Well, have you? Marsha Uh,... yeah. When we first moved in it overflowed once... or twice. Uh, maybe three.... I was having kind of a rough time.... Emily You've been having a rough time? For the last six months I've been listening to you drop marbles on my ceiling every night, and I've lost sleep, and I've had bronchitis twice, and the last time my meg—.5... rr1 38 I-i-38-168 temperature shot up to almost a hundred—and—five degrees, . . . Marsha Geez, that coulda killed you. Emily ...and that's not to mention the boom boom boom I get from your stereo all the time! Marsha Marbles? Emily Every goddarmned night. Marsha Oh, that's craps. Emily Wnat?! Marsha Craps. The girls and I play every night before story time. Emily You're playing craps with two little girls? Marsha Yeah. Gregory taught us. Emily Who the hell's Gregory? Marsha (grinning) My boyfriend. He's in London now, but he'll be moving back in with US 39 I-i-39—168 us just before Christmas. Emily You mean I'm going to have to put up with another one of you? Marsha well, yeah.... Emily Shit ! (turning on JESSE) New just what the hell is Marsha's brother doing here? Are you her backaup demolition expert? Jesse (calm, amused) Nc,... my'dear sister wrecks things and I fix themlback up again. Emdly well, I don't want any university maintenance people in this apartment. YOu're all a bunch of sadists. and.I'mIafraid you're just going to have to leave. Marsha How can you say that, Em? Jess didn't squeal on poor Muffin. Jesse Who did? Ehdly (outraged) One of you sons-... you... you.... JESSE holds EMILY's gaze, and she falters, confused and dazed. With a resolute shake of her head, 40 I-i-40-l68 she recovers. One of you... you guys in Maintenance told Housing about her, and they made me get rid of her. Jesse (concerned) You didn't have to have her... Nelson ( quickly) She's at Grandma's which is almost as bad. Jesse I'm awfully sorry about poor Muffin, Emily. . . . Nelson Mom, you did know when we moved in here that they didn't allow. . . Emily (fiercely) Nelson, mon petit fils bruyant, ferme la bouche! JESSE slowly steps back a pace and smiles broadly at EMILY. Nelson Yo, Mom. Sorry. Emily (to JESSE) What are you grinning about? Jesse (with a Gallic shrug) Rien, vraiment. Je suis heureux simplement de trouver une autre personne 41 I-i-41-168 qui parle franqais. La plupart des Americains parlent seulement anglais. EMILY is stunned, momentarily deflated. Emily Vbus parlez frangais. Jesse (soberly) Oui, madame. Je parle francais. Emily But how...? Marsha Geez, Em.... He was born in France. Jesse La Bretagne. Emily Brittany?! Jesse Have you been there? Emdly Only in imagination. EMILY glances briefly at HARMON's poster over her desk. She recovers her anger and turns on MARSHA again. In much the way that I'm going to have to soak my feet tonight. 42 I-i-42-168 Marsha Geez, Em.... I said I was sorry. Nelson Yeah, she did. I heard her. Ehdly I've had enough! Everybody... OUT! Nelson I live here! Emily Out of my sight! You can manage that, can't you? Nelson Oh, yeah.... I suppose I could do that. Jesse (to EMILY) Vbus avez besoin d'étre seule? EMILY looks at JESSE and deflates again. She puts her hand to her forehead and pushes her hair back with her fingers. Ehdly (heavily) Yes,... I need to be alone. EMILY turns to go to her room at downstage right. Jesse La vie est difficile quelquefois, n'est-ce pas? 43 I-i-43-168 EMILY stops and turns to face JESSE. Emily (tremolous) Yes, it is,.. difficult sometimes. EMILY turns away again toward her room. Jesse Ehdlie,... EMILY stops. ...je voudrais revenir. EMILY turns slowly to consider JESSE silently for a moment. Then she smiles faintly and nods. Emily Si vous voulez. Jesse (smiling) Merci. EMILY turns and walks slowly to her bedroom door. JESSE watches as she opens it, enters the room and closes her door. He continues to watch the closed door. Marsha Well! I've gotta leave anyway if I'mlgonna catch Gregory's call. 44 I-i-44-168 NELSON and MARSHA turn to leave, he to his roomy she toward the out- side door. JESSE, wresting his gaze from EMILY's door, halts MARSHA with a hand on her shoulder. Jesse Marsha, please be careful with Gregory. You've already had trouble with one alcoholic.... Marsha Look, Jess, I can handle it. He's already cut back quite a bit.... Besides, Gregory drinks only beer. My dear ex-husband was a Scotch man. It's totally different. Jesse (doubtful) Just be careful, okay? JESSE and MARSHA begin to move toward the outside door. NELSON has reached his bedroom door but pauses to face JESSE and MARSHA as they approach. He holds out his hand, palm up. Nelson Ybu owe me, Marsha. Marsha For what? Nelson Babysitting. You know, .. . Sesame Street? (hopefully) Double time? 45 I-i-45-168 Marsha (distracted) Uh, yeah. I'll pay ya later. My wallet's upstairs. NELSON drops his hand and shrugs his shoulders in defeat. He enters his room, closing the door quietly behind him. (to JESSE) I don't need to be careful, brother dear. I trust hhn. Jesse (resigned) All right.... (pause ) And why didn't you tell me that Emily Speaks French? Marsha I dunno. Just slipped my mind, I guess. What were you guys talking about anyway? Jesse That, dear little sister, is none of your business. Marsha well, geez.... Jesse And Marsha, I don't need to meet woren so badly that you have to wreck their bathrooms to get me‘within striking range. MARSHA and JESSE pause in their progress toward the door to face one another. 46 I-i-46-l68 Marsha But I wasn't gonna d_o it that way. I was just gonna core down with a bottle of wine or something after Gregory called to celebrate the end of exams with her and then loosen up a few things in her bathroom when I got the chance. Jesse And just how were you going to get a wrench in here without her noticing sorething? She really seerms pretty bright. Marsha I dunno.... I hadn't thought of that. Jesse ( sighing) As usual. MARSHA and JESSE reach the door, and JESSE turns to look thoughtfully in the direction of EMILY's bedroom. He then turns slowly, his gaze finally settling on HARMON's empty station at downstage left. MARSHA‘watches him. There's sorething. . . going on here. . . . Marsha JUst your imagination, Jess. As usual. Jesse I don't know.... JESSE shakes his head, puzzled, then places a hand on MARSHA's shoulder as he opens the door with the other. 47 I-i-47—168 Let's go. I've got to get hore to feed the cats and the chickens, but I can stop by to see the girls before I leave. MARSHA and JESSE exit through the doorway. Marsha (Offstage) Great! They'll love to see you. JESSE reaches in to close the door. After a moment, EMILY enters warily, downstage right, wearing a worn bathrobe and fluffy slippers. Her hair is still mussed. She looks around carefully and then pulls out a dining chair, placing it so that it faces downstage right. She sits down on it, but the PHONE RINGS, and she rises again quickly, abnost guiltily. She limps over to the phone, picks up the receiver and sits down on the sofa, propping her feet up on the coffee table. Emily (into the phone) Hello?... Oh. Hi, Mom.... What _ca_n I do about it? I'm pretty sure I flunked the damned thing.... I couldn't have. I was making myself sick as it was.... What you £519 is that I'll be thankful for it if it doesn't killine first.... well, then I'll just be this town's only bilingual bag lady!... Look, Mom,... there _i_s_ a chance that I'll make it, isn't there? Why do you have to be so negative?. . . Outraged, EMILY lifts her feet from the coffee table and drops them to the floor. 48 I-i-48-168 Realistic?!... You're a big help!. .. No, I don't want to go out for coffee tonight. I'm gonna crash for awhile. . . . All right, dinner tomorrow.... Six... Yeah. Bye. (near tears) Shit ! (muffled) Harmon? Harmon? Please core now. . . . Hi, babe. How's it going? EMILY holds the phone's receiver a few inches above its cradle and lets it drop. EMILY lifts herself heavily from the sofa and limps slowly over to the chair she has pulled out. She sits down with her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. ALL STAGE LIGHTS DOWN except for a FAINI', HAZY LIGHT on EMILY. Pause, then EVIILY lifts her head. She is crying. HARlvnN's LIGI-lT--slightly paler than before-~AND MUSIC UP. HARMON enters and stands with his hands on his hips and his legs apart, looking down on EMILY. Harmon 49 I—i-49-168 Emily How does it look? HARMON peers at EMILY. Harmon Not good, I'd say. What's the problem now? Emily Harmon, I just can't take anymore, and I need you to hold me and tell me that I can. Harmon Ah, babe... You know that I would if I could.... Emily No, I don't. Harmon Look. Tell me what the problerm is. Maybe I can help. Emily All right.... Marsha broke my bathtub, and Jesse can't fix it 'til Monday. Can you rub my feet so that I can sleep tonight? Harmon Who's Jesse? EMILY stares at him for a moment. Emily (woodenly) Maintenance. Marsha's big brother. Harmon How big? 50 I-i-50-168 EMILY looks startled at first but then realizes his meaning. Emily Fortyish . Harmon I was forty—one when you first wrote me. ( ruefully) An aging rock star. Emily Maturing, I'd say. Harmon You say his name is Jesse? Emily Jesse LeBlanc. Harmon French? Emily Yeah. (in wonder) Brittany, of all places. Harmon You've always wanted to go there. Emily Yes.... Harmon Maybe soreday. . . . 51 I—i-51-l68 Emily (hopefully) taameday’what? Harmon (shaking his head) Nothing.... Emily (despairing) You won't be coming, will you? Harmon What point is there? we couldn't have it better than this. Emily How do you know? Harmon It's such a risk, Emily. Emily Are you afraid of losing your muse? Harmon You make it sound as if I'mlusing you. Emily well? Harmon I can't believe that you'd believe that! Ehdly What else amII to believe? Your most successful songs are about wanting but not being able to have. Sounds famdliar; doesn't it? 52 I-i-52-168 Harmon That's just _1_t . Having isn't usually as great as wanting. Emily So you want to want me, but you don't want to have me. Harmon I don't know, babe. This is the first I've thought of it. The dream has been so great that I haven't considered trying to make it real. Emily On ne peut pas passer son temps a r’e‘ver. Harmon What ? Emily Harmon, you can't dream all the time. Finally you have to do sorething. Harmon I just don't know, Emily. Emily Harmon, I think.. . I think the reason that things are all wrong for me right now is that I'm dreaming the wrong dreams for me. I have to dream dreams that I can make _rgl, and I want you to be that kind of dream. Harmon And if I can't be? Emily Then either I leave you. .. or I go insane. If I'm not already. Harmon Well, it's said that if you think you're going mad, you're probably not. 53 I—i-53-168 Emily Harmon! Thinking I'm going mad is bad enough! Harmon What's wrong with it? Everyone's mad on at least one point, and I can be yours. Emily Harmon, I've had hints over the years from books and a few friends that the world _ca_n be a pretty wonderful place to live in, and now I think I want it. The dreams by themselves just aren't enough anymore. I _h_av_e to make them real or let them gig. Harmon The world is a lot of hard work, Emily. And sometimes it hurts like hell. Emily I want it, though. With you. Harmon I don't know, babe.... This... this is all so new. I just don't see how.... I guess I'm going to have to think about it. Emily (tremlilously) Please don't think for too long, Harmon. I don't know how much longer I can wait. Harmon (tenderly) I can't lose you, Emily. You know that, don't you? EMILY lowers her head and squeezes her eyes shut. She shakes her head in despair. 54 I-i-54—168 Emily (near tears) And I don't want to lose you, Harmon,... EMILY lifts her head to look at hflm. ...but pretty soon something's going to have to give, and it might have to be you. LIGHTS DOWN. I-ii-55-168 LIGHTS UP. The venetian blinds have been lowered, and on top of NELSON and EMILY's books and papers rests an open pizza box. NELSON sits at the table facing downstage center. In one hand he holds a slice of pizza and in the other a can of Coke from which he sips between bites of pizza. EMILY sits on the countertop facing downstage right, her feet resting in the sink. Her slippers are on the floor in front of the sink, and on the countertop opposite her is a small hand towel. Nelson well, I think this is gonna be the last one for me. Sure you don't want another one, name EMILY is silent, thinking. Mom? Emily Huh? Nelson Want another piece? You've had only one. Emily Save the rest. I'll have it for breakfast tomorrow. Nelson Mom? 55 Ye Tm Y0 56 I-ii-56-168 Emily Yeah? Nelson Can I talk to you about something? EMILY looks at him for the first time. Emily (signing) Go ahead. . . . NELSON pushes his chair back and stands up. He begins to pace, pausing at the sink when he speaks to EMILY. Nelson Mom, I want to go to San Francisco. Emily This summer? To see Aunt Mary? Nelson Well, yeah. . . . Emily How long do you want to stay? Nelson Oh, I'd say that four years'd be enough. Emily You're not going to school in California. And 1’01 th: f 0!. to Ne tc t: 57 I-ii-57-168 Nelson And just why not? Emily we can't afford it. Nelson I can work, Mom. I've been doing janitor work for Dad since I was fourteen. Emily (fiercely) YOu are got... I repeat, NOT going to go through the hell I've been through. I've saved just enough money over the years to get you through four years here without borrowing, and here is where you're going to have to go. Nelson But Mom... Emily Period. Nelson well, I'll just ask Dad. Ehdly Nelson, your father spends all of his money on cars, VCR's and trips to Las Vegas, and he's mortgaged to the hilt. He has nothing to spare. Nelson (trying another tack) But Romy... there's nothing to write about here. Emily Sure there is. There are nearly quarter of a mdllion people in this town alone. 58 I-ii—58—l68 Nelson But me, this is the Midwest. They're all dead. Emily Nelson Well, dammit, all winter long we're shut up in our little boxes, and once warrm weather finally gets here, it takes us 'til September to thaw out. By then we're all ready to be boxed up again. Nobody gets to know anybody here. Look at you and Marsha. Emily You've got a point there,... and so has she. Nelson See? Can I go? Aunt Mary can look after me, if that's what you're worried about . Emily And the first weekend you're there, she'll hustle you on up to Lake Tahoe for blackjack and strawberry daiquiris. She's been wanting to do that since the day you were born. Nelson I thought you liked Aunt Mary. Emily I love her. She was a gift to the family. Nelson What's the problem, then? Emily I just don't want you to have to worry about money. 59 I-ii-59-l68 (softening) And Nelson,... I don't want to lose you just yet. NELSON hugs EMILY. Nelson Aw, Mom.... You won't lose me. EMILY puts an arm around NELSON. Emily Yes, I will. You're staying here. NELSON abruptly pulls away from EMILY. Nelson (angry) Dad was right about you! Emily HOW‘WaS he right about me? Nelson He said you were frigid. There is a long pause while EMILY stares at NELSON. NELSON looks down at his feet and shifts them uneasily. Emily You can just tell that precious father of yours, Nelson, that there's no such thing as a frigid woman. Oily. .. incotpetent men. NELSON stares back at EMILY. 6O I-ii-60-168 Nelson Shit ! NELSON stomps to his bedroom door, opens it, enters the room and slams the door shut . Emily Yeah,... shit! There is a KNOCK on the outside door. Nelson! Get that, will you? NELSON, glowering, stomps out of his room and flings open the door. JESSE stands quietly in the doorway. Nelson (surprised) Well, hello, Jesse. Core on in. (to EMILY) Mom, Jesse's here. Emily I hear you, Nelson.... JESSE enters less easily than before. He walks slowly toward EMILY, coming to a halt before the sink. NELSON watches them curiously for a moment, then re-enters his room. Jesse Hello, Emily. 61 I-ii-61—168 Emily (blank) Hello, Jesse. Jesse Look. I came to apologize. Ehdly What for? You didn't do anything. Jesse That's just it. My sister did something, and I'm responsible. Emily I don't understand. Jesse (taking a deep breath) Well,... when Marsha was very young,... after our parents were killed... and our uncle died,... I left her alone with our aunt too much of the time.... Emily Ybu lived with your aunt? Jesse Yes. On the farm. She died just a few years ago. Aunt Lydia... didn't like people. Or at least she didn't think of them very often. I guess she rubbed off a bit on Marsha. Emily (gently) How were your parents killed, Jesse? JESSE turns and walks away from EMILY to stand at downstage left 62 I-ii-62-168 in front of EMILY's desk. He stares at the posters as he speaks. Jesse My mother and father were taking their first vacation alone together after Marsha was born, . . . and they were killed by a drunk driver. The other car jumped the median, becare airborne and care down right on top of them. Emily Oh, no! How old were you? Jesse Thirteen. Then a year later Uncle Max was helping a neighbor dig an old tree stump out of the center of his bean field when he had a heart attack. He was only 35. Emily So young. . . . Jesse Aunt Lydia considered herself liberated. Emily That ' s awful! JESSE turns to face EMILY. Jesse They didn't get along. She didn't decide until aft—er their marriage that she didn't like the French. (taking a deep breath) That's why I feel responsible for your bathroom. I left Marsha alone with Aunt Lydia all of the time because I couldn't stand to be around her, and I'm sorry. 63 I-ii-63-168 EMILY reaches for her towel and lifts her feet out of the sink. Sitting on the edge of the countertop, she begins to dry'themn She doesn't look at JESSE. Emily Don't worry about it, Jesse. I still don't hold you responsible. JESSE turns casually to look at HARMON's station by the desk. He takes a tentative step toward the space, stops, shakes his head in bewilderment and then turns to look again at EMILY's posters. Finally, he turns and walks slowly toward her. Jesse Ainsi donc, vous n'avez jamais visité la France? EMILY looks up and amiles as JESSE approaches her. Emily Non, jarais. Je n'ai jamais eu assez d'argent,... EMILY extends her right hand, palm up, and rubs her thumb against her first two or three fingers. ...et peut étre je n'en aurai jamais assez. EMILY sets aside the towel. 64 I—ii-64-168 Jesse C'est dommage. Emily (ruefully) Yes, it is too bad. And especially I've wanted to visit Brittany. Jesse I can understand that! (passionately) It's a wild, beautiful, mysterious place. One would ney§£_imagine that la Paris et la Bretagne belong to the same country. EMILY hops off the countertop to stand before JESSE. Emily (suddenly shy) WOuld you... WOuld you like a glass of wine? Jesse (smiling broadly) I would love a glass of wine. Merci. EMILY takes two glasses down from over the sink and sets them on the countertop. She opens the refrigerator, removes a bottle of wine, unscrews the cap and pours the wine into the glasses. She hands one to JESSE and takes the other for herself. Emily I hope you don't mind domestic. 65 I-ii—65-l68 Jesse I think California wines are as good as the French. Emily well,... this one comes from Paw Paw, Michigan. JESSE regards his glass thoughtfully. Jesse well, I've heard a lot of good things about Michigan wines.... Emily Um,... Brittany's supposed to be just full of ghosts, too, isn't it? Jesse Yes, indeed. The ghosts of Merlin and the fairy Vivianne,... the dead of many, many wars, . . . and no doubt the daughter of the King of Ys. JESSE takes a sip of wine and nods approvingly to EMILY. EMILY smiles in relief. Emily Who was she? EMILY and JESSE move unconsciously into the living area, headed for the sofa. EMILY is not limping as badly as before. Jesse Well, Ys was a legendary sixth century town on the coast of Brittany that was protected.fromithe sea by a breakwater. Now the king of the place had a daughter who... really liked men. She liked them a lot. She took many, many lovers, and when she tired of them, she 66 I—ii—66-168 drowned them in the Bay of Douarnenez. EMILY sits down at the far end of the sofa next to the telephone, motioning JESSE to sit at the other end. He sits closer to the center of the sofa than she had indicated and, in brief panic, she tries to crawl back into herself; but then she struggles visibly to relax. Emily Sore of that princess must have ended up in Marsha. Jesse (grinning) I've though of that. Anyway, one day the princess met a handsore young man who promised to return her love on the condition that she get for him the keys to the gate of the seawall that protected the town. Well, she was pretty turned-on by the guy, so she stole the keys to the breakwater from her father and gave them to her new lover who turned out to be none other... than the Devil himself. Et toute de suite, he opened the gate, the waters rushed in, and everyone in the town drowned. Emily Might the lady have been napping when all of this happened? Jesse (grinning) Perhaps she too had just taken an anatomy exam. Emily (wickedly) Either that,... or it was the ultimate wet dream. 67 I-ii-67-l68 EMILY opens her eyes wide in shock and worry over her words, but JESSE grins and laughs delightedly, and EMILY joins him in relief. JESSE reaches out to touch her lightly, briefly on the shoulder, and EMILY leans into his touch. She seems faintly surprised at herself. (sobering) Marsha isn't really a bad sort, though, is she? Jesse No, .. . just thoughtless soretimes. I guess we all are on occasion. Emily She's not really French, either, is she? Jesse Nope . All-American . Emily Could that be part of the problem? Jesse Oh, no! If anything, Americans are more generous with their neighbors than the French. I just didn't take better care of her. Emily (earnestly) I still don't think you're responsible for that, Jesse. People will be pretty much who they are whether they get any help or not. 68 I-ii-68-168 Jesse Which isn't to say we shouldn't help where we can.... Emily Of course not! Just please don't worry about Marsha, Jesse. a survivor. She'll do all right. Jesse You're a survivor, too, aren't you, Emily? Emily Only in the sense that I have not yet croaked. Jesse Don't underestimate a talent for staying alive. Emily I don't. (wryly) It helps, though, to have it accompanied by sanity. Jesse (puzzled) Sanity? She's EMILY looks stricken. The PHONE RINGS. Gratefully, she picks up the receiver. Emily (into the phone) Hello?... Jesse? Yes, he's here. . . . Just a minute. EMILY hands the receiver to JESSE. (to JE It's 1 (into Hello, down, up. J I IVE gt Not Se} Hard tc 69 I-ii-69-168 (to JESSE) It's Marsha. I think something's wrong. Jesse (into the phone) Hello, Marsha?. . . Hold on now, sweetheart. What's wrong?. . . Slow down, Marsha.... Look. I'll come up. Okay?... Yes. I'll be right up. Just hang on. See you.... JESSE hands the receiver back to EMILY who replaces it. JESSE rises. I've got to run upstairs. Marsha has a problemm Emily Not serious, I hope. Jesse Hard to tell, but I think it's Gregory. EMILY stands up, and JESSE heads rapidly for the door. Emily Will you be coming back? JESSE stops at the door and turns to face EMILY. Jesse (smiling) Yes, if you'd like me to. I'd like to hear what you meant by "sanity.' Emily (Luuzamfiortable) Um,... I guess I didn't really mean anything. 7O I-ii—70—l68 EMILY shrugs her shoulders and attempts a smile. JESSE just looks at her soberly for a moment. Then he smiles. Jesse All right. If you say 30.... Emily I was just talking off the top of my head. Jesse We'll talk sore more later. Emily Uh, yes. Later. Jesse A bientdt. Emily Oui. A bientdt. JESSE opens the door and exits. EMILY stares at the closed door for a moment. Oh,... geez.... Now I'm going to have to make something up. EMILY turns and hurries over to her desk. She sits down quickly in her chair facing HARMON's station. Emily Harmon, . . . where are you? Please core. 71 I—ii-71—168 (pause ) Harmon? Please! ALL STAGE LIGHTS DOWN, HARMON's MUSIC AND LIGHT UP, slightly fainter and paler than before. HAEVION enters. Thank God you're here, Harmon! Harmon What's the problem, babe? Feeling worse? Emily Harmon, I'm losing it! Harmon (puzzled) Losing what? Emily My mind! What else have I got to lose? Harmon What brought all this on? Emily Harmon, I almost.. . I almost told soteone about you tonight. Harmon So? (pause) M10 did you almost tell? Emily Just . . . sorebody. 72 I-ii-72-168 Harmon Jesse? Emily Well, . . . yeah. Jesse. Harmon He came back? Emily I told him he could. Harmon I didn't think he was supposed to be able to fix that bathtub 'til Monday. Emily He gan_'_t_. He just care back to apologize for Marsha. And then we talked about Brittany and ghosts and the daughter of the King of Ys and the Devil and the keys to the gate to the sea and then about Marsha again and then surviving and then sanity, .. . and I almost told him about you. Harmon Well, maybe you'd better. Emily NO! I don't want him to think I'm crazy! Harmon Why not? What does it matter what he thinks of you? Emily Harmon, he's good people. That's enough. 73 I-ii-73-168 Harmon Emily, be careful. . . . Remember Arnold? How cold it was? You said yourself you'd never find anything warmer in that part of the country. Remember? Emily You were raised in Brooklyn, for God's sake! Harmon My music warned me up. Emily I've felt only the cold, hard plastic of you, Harmon. I've needed the warmth of your touch, and I haven't been getting it. Harmon And you think you can get it from this Jesse character? Emily (smiling suddenly) Harmon, are you jealous? Harmon You're mine, babe, and he can't have you. EMILY stares at him for a moment. Emily I think I'm mine first, though, Harmon. (signing) Don't worry, .. . lover. He 9121 came back to apologize for Marsha. Besides, he's probably happily married. Harmon I hadn't thought of that. 74 I-ii-74—168 Emily See? Nothing to worry about. (intently) I Q need you here, though, Harmon. Every time I talk to you lately I wonder if I'm going to return to the apartment or to a locked ward. Harmon (worried) I'll... I'll see what I can do, Emily. Emily I don't... think I can stand to hear that anymore. Harmon Don't push me, Emily. . . . I want to be with you, but the obstacles. . . Emily ...are surnountable. Just give it a try, please, Harmon? Harmon All right.... But in my time. EMILY stares at HARMON for a moment and then slumps. Emily I'm sorry.... I guess I can't really ask for anything more, can I? HAHVION is silent. EMILY rises from her chair. I'll see you later,... Harmon. Harmon Yes . Later. 75 I-ii—75-168 EMILY turns from hnm. (tenderly) Sleep tight, babe. EMILY just squeezes her eyes shut briefly and shakes her head as she walks away'fromlhim. ALL STAGE LIGHTS UP, HARMON's LIGHT DOWN more slowly than usual. HARMON stands watching EMILY as she walks into the kitchen area. Only when his light has faded completely, does he turn slowly and exit. EMILY crosses to the dining table, closes the pizza box and turns to put it into the refrigerator. There is a KNOCK on the outside door. Emily Nelson, get that, will you? EMILY opens the refrigerator door, slides the pizza box in and closes it. Nelson? (pause, listening) All right, stay mad. EMILY, her limp returned, goes to the door and opens it. MARSHA bursts through the doorway, wraps her arms around EMILY's neck, almost bowling her over, and buries her face in EMILY's shoulder. JESSE 76 I-ii-76-168 follows carrying a bottle of wine. Marsha (sobbing) Oh, Em! He's not coming back! EMILY puts an awkward, reluctant arm around MARSHA's shoulder, leads her into the kitchen and sits her down at the dining table facing downstage right. As she does this, she looks back at JESSE. He shrugs his shoulders and follows EMILY and MARSHA into the kitchen. He sets the wine bottle on the table. Emily (to MARSHA) Now. Tell me what the problem is. EMILY sits down at the table facing downstage center, and JESSE remains standing between and slightly behind themL Marsha He's not coming back! Emily You said that already. Get to the next part. Marsha (sniffling) I can't tell you 'til Jess leaves. 77 I-ii-77-168 Jesse She says... that only another woman would understand. EMILY looks back at JESSE. Emily Do you believe that? Jesse No, but since she does, that's what she knows. EMILY looks at JESSE for a moment and then returns to MARSHA. She puts her aimlaround her shoulder. NELSON quietly emerges from his room and stands in the doorway. Emily Do you really want Jesse to leave, Marsha? Marsha (sniffling) Yeah. Make him pour us some wine first. JESSE smiles and shakes his head. Jesse That really won't help, Marsha. Marsha Yeah, it will. JESSE shrugs his shoulders and turns toward the kitchen cabinets. He takes two wine glasses down fromlover the sink, sets them on 78 I-ii-78—168 the table, lifts the wine bottle, unscrews the cap and pours. ( mournfully) Sorry, Em. I can afford only the kind with the screw-on kind of cap. Emily That's all right.... Marsha Actually, it's kind of appropriate. EMILY looks at her hard. Then she looks back at JESSE. Emily Maybe you had better leave, Jesse. (to NELSON) And Nelson, you can go up to watch the girls. NELSON walks into the kitchen area. Nelson Ann lkxn,... I was gonna go over to Ralph's tonight. we were gonna read some Chaucer together. Emily Chaucer?! Nelson Yeah. ”The Miller's Tale" and "The NUn's Priest's Tale." They won't let us read it in school. Emily Upstairs, Nelson, and leave the Chaucer here. 79 I-ii-79-l68 Jesse Come on, Nelson. I'll go with you. JESSE and NELSON head for the outside door, NELSON stopping at the closet for his jacket. They exit. Emily Now what? MARSHA picks up her wine glass and drains it. Marsha Tha's what. Can you do that? EMILY eyes her wine glass for a moment. Emily Sure. Why not? EMILY hoists her glass, drains it and then refills both glasses. NOw. Tell me what the problem is. Marsha (remembering, breaking down again) (In Emu They were... They were in bed! MARSHA drinks half of the wine in her glass. Emily Uh huh. Who were in bed? 80 I—ii-80-l68 Marsha When the call came through, dear Gregory was drunk and in bed with sore bimbo. A British bimbo. Emily Oh, yeah? Marsha Yeah. Sore British bimbo who'd never had kids, he said. MARSHA leans over to whisper. He described her to me in minute. . . detail. Erily Well, for God's sake, why didn't you hang up? Marsha I wanted to find out what color her eyes were. Emily What color were they? Marsha He didn' know. Said it was too dark to tell. Emily And you want that bozo to core back? Marsha (pitifully) He was all I had. EMILY stares for a moment in the direction of HARMON's station by her desk. She returns to MARSHA. 81 I-ii-81-168 Emily Marsha, how long did you know dear Gregory before he moved in with you? Marsha Three weeks . Emily (astonished) Three weeks? Marsha Well, he told me he was leaving for London soon and that who knows, he could get hit by one of those big double-decker buses and never see me again. I jus' couldn't let him leave without giving him. . . Emily Marsha,... that line was first used in the Peloponnesian War in 428 B.C. by Plato's father. His mother was dumb enough to fall for it, and that's why Plato never liked v_v_or___en much. Marsha The Pel'ponnesian War had buses? EMILY turns her head in disgust and sloshes down half the wine in her glass . Men're creeps! Erily For the mos' part, Marsha dear, but maybe you jus' take too many risks. Marsha Well, maybe you don't take enough risks. 82 I—ii-82-168 Emily What the hell're you talking about? I'm here, aren't I? Marsha Yeah, but you don' see anybody. You jus' core in and out of the building with that book bag of yours an' don' go anywhere else. EMILY glances at the HARMON the Poet poster over her desk. Emily I see plenty of. . . (pause, staring hard at HARMON now) ...of people. (back to MARSHA) An' I go plenty of places. Nelson and I go to the movies a lot, and all the t3 I'm having dinner with my. . . with my. . . my _m_o_t_h_—er. Marsha It doesn' count. . . unless you gotta worry about whether or not they're gonna wanna kiss you good-night. EMILY stares at MARSHA for a moment and then slumps. Emily Yeah . EMILY folds her arms on the table in front of her and buries her head in them. MARSHA refills their glasses. EMILY raises her head to look at her. (mournfully) You're right, Marsha, ole buddy. It doesn' count if they can't touch 83 I-ii-83—168 you and hold you and make you feel really, really good and one helluva lot less lonesore . EMILY buries her head again, and MARSHA drapes an arm around her shoulders . Marsha There, there, Emmy dear. We'll jus' see if we can't find you someone. An' maybe he'll have a frien' for me. EMILY raises her head. Emily Marsha, ole buddy, lemme ask you a hyp. . . hypah. . . hyp'thetical question. Marsha Think ya can? Emily I'll use short words. Marsha Okay, shoot. Emily Now jus' suppose that all of a sudden there weren't any men anywhere. . . anymore . Marsha ( Shocked) No men?! Erily No men. Just imagine that a really, really strange virus eckscapes from one of those genetic engineering lab'ratories, . . . 84 I-ii—84-168 Marsha Yeah.... Emily ...and just imagine that it's a really, really nasty virus that attacks only human beings that carry those macho little "Y" genes, . . . Marsha (trying to follow) Uh huh. . . . Emily ...an' just imagine that it's a really, really fast son—of—a—... son- of-a-gun and wipes out all the guys in a matter of hours. Marsha Jus' like that? Emily Jus' like that. What.. . would you do? Marsha Well, first we'd have to get those suckers buried. Emily After that . Marsha Geez, Em,... I'm a card-carrying het'rosexual. No men isn't in the realm of poss'bility for me. Emily Well, I'll tell ya what I'd do. Marsha Start using the men's room? 85 I-ii—85-168 Emily I'd make one up. Marsha JUs' one? Emily S'all I need. I'd make him up and maybe... jus' maybe, if I believed hard enough, he'd get to be real. Marsha You can't d_o that! Emily Well, hell! I jus' wasted two-and-a-half billion of 'em, . . . I mos' certainly can make up jus' one of 'em that way. .. . Marsha Okay, . . . jus' supposing you could do it. How would you do it? Emily All right, Marsha,... of all the men you've ever known, seen or jus' heard of , which one turns you on the most? Marsha Well,... I'd have to say... John the Baptist. (slyly) I like a guy who loses his head once in awhile. Now who would 11% choose? EMILY eyes MARSHA coldly for a moment . Emily Firs' , let me say that you have a really, really sick mind. 86 I-ii-86-168 Marsha S'good thing I'm gonna be a doctor. Now who would you choose? Emily Well, . . . EMILY glances casually around the room, frowning in thought. Her eyes light upon the poster of HARMON the Poet over her desk, and she beans. I think I'd choose Harmon Melody. Marsha That wimp? He's only a little more macho than Barry Manilow! Emily He writes lovely songs! Marsha Yeah, lovely,... but there's no meat in 'em. Emily (half—rising) Well, he's a helluva lot better than that thump thump thump crap you listen to! Marsha Okay, okay. Siddown. I'll concede the point. EMILY sits , mollified. Emily Thank you. 87 I—ii—87—168 Marsha Well, now that you've got old Charmin' Harmon thought up, what d'you do next? Emily I elab'rate on him. I imagine how he moves, how he speaks, what he would say to me and what he would do with me. Marsha (slyly) Any of this doing of a sexual nature? Emily Well,... of course. But that's just icing. Marsha That's no fun. Emily (haughty) Well, as I understand it, Marsha, that's life. The sex jus' helps make even better sorething else that's already pretty damned good. Without that sorething else, sex is jus' breeding. Marsha All right, .. . what kind of sorething else are we talking about? Emily ( thoughtfully) Well, .. . like us cooking meals together and me not minding that he's better at it than me, . . . like him sitting through two hours of "Star Trek" because I like it, . . . and like both of us getting the flu at the sate time and throwing up all over the place but both of us still trying to take care of each other. That kind of sorething else. 88 I-ii-88-168 Marsha That's a dream, Em. You'll never get a man like that. 'Bout all you can count on is the breeding. Emily (hotly) Well, jus' 'cause we've never found men like that doesn't mean they're not out there sorewhere, and until one does core along, it's a helluva lot safer to dream one up than to take jus' anything that cores along. Marsha (weary) Okay, . . . now that you're moving ole Harmon around in your head, what d'you do next? Emily I wait for him to show up. Marsha Now jus' how's that gonna happen? Emily One of two ways. Either I get real sick and halluc'nate him, . . . Marsha Yeah. . . . Emily . ”93 under the same conditions, I make gen-u-ine tel'pathic contact with him an' let him halluc'nate himself into my life. Marsha How you gonna know which it is? Emily I'm not. But in the beginning that doesn' matter. 89 I-ii-89—168 Marsha What happens when you start to want more than just a spook? Emily (uncomfortable) I dunno. I've only just... I... I s'pose I'd jus' try to talk him into coming to see me. Marsha An' if he doesn't? Emily (morosely) Then he doesn't,... and I'm lost. MARSHA pats EMILY on the back. Marsha Don' worry, Emmy, you can always make up another one. . . . Emily Nope. I've got only enough energy to make up one. Kinda like a bee that stings once and then has to croak. Marsha Look, En, this sort of thing prob'ly isn't very healthy, anyway. Emily Yeah, prob ' ly. Marsha Ya know,... Jess said you were extr'ord'nary. Man, what an imag'nation! Emily Yeah . 90 I-ii—90-l68 Marsha Said he could feel it in here. Emily How'd he know it was me? Coulda been Nelson. Marsha Jess was born in Britt'ny. S'part France and part Sorewhere Else. Whenever I call him at the farm he doesn' jus' say "Hello," he says "Hello, Marsha." He always knows. Emily That comes from Brittany? Marsha That's what he says.... Emily Well, after all, _I_ get it from a witch and a coupla gimpy gods. . . . Marsha Anyway, we're gonna have to find you a £311: man. We're gonna have to find sorething for b_ot_h of us. (lifting her head to gaze at the ceiling) Prefer'bly sorething that's had a vasec. . .tomy. There is a brief pause while EMILY considers this . Emily Nope. (enunciating carefully) Il n'y a pas d'homes. Marsha Huh? ‘rb D Em: Je: Ho- 91 I-ii-91-l68 Emily Men. There aren't any. Not even ones that haven't been fixed. Marsha Sure there are. On this campus alone there're thou...sands. Emily Nope. They're all babies. All they want outta life are VCR's, BMW's and IRA's. The whole damned alphabet, in fact. (pause, thinking) And not o_ne_ of 'erm has ever had a k_ig throw up on them. They haven't begun to live. Marsha well,... what about all the guys around here your age? Emily They're all married or gay. The nices' ones are, anyway. (sighs) Or they died in Vietnam. I soretimes wonder. . . if my soulmate or whatever he is... was one of those statis...tics I heard on TV every night after dinner fifteen or twenny years ago. Marsha (soberly) Jess lost a good frien' that way. S'name was Paul. Emily How'd he die? Marsha Don' know. Jess never talks much 'bout Vietnam. Emily Does anyone wanna listen? 92 I-ii-92—168 Marsha (defensively) well, I was only 'leven when he came:home, and his wife... Emily His wife? Marsha Yeah. The lovely Linda. They got a divorce years ago. Emily Oh. Marsha Amyway, the lovely Linda was fed to the teeth with her family's fighting all the time--she'd had two years of it without Jess there to back her up--an' she wasn' in the mood for any emou..tional displays. She jus' wanted to get back to par...tying. Emily He's a party boy? Marsha Naw.... He jus' went along to keep Linda happy. God only knows why, though. MARSHA drains her glass. Emily He sounds too good for her. EMILY drains her glass. Marsha My sen. . .timents exackly. You're more his type than she was. 93 I—ii—93—l68 (thoughtfully) A kind of... passionate celibate. Kinda like Em'ly Dickinson or Thoreau,... (patting EMILY's hand) ...only not for as long, let us hope. MARSHA refills their glasses. Emily Uh,... Marsha.... Marsha And Linda did say that he's pretty great in bed,... Emily Marsha.... Marsha ...an' I don' think he's had any lately.... Emily Marsha! Marsha I don' think he's had a vas...ect'mw;... Emily Marsha, stop it! Marsha ...but if you really want something better'n Harmon the Spook.... Emily Marsha! 'Member Gregory? The British bimbo? 94 I-ii-94-168 Marsha (hurt) Em, that was mean. I'd almos' forgotten that bastard. Jus' like my husband he was. A filthy. . . sot! Emily I'm.sorry. Marsha You're prob'ly right, though. Emily Howzat? EMILY drinks half the wine in her glass. Marsha I shouldna been talking about good ole Jess the way I'da talked about those drunken bums. I shouldna even mentioned Jess in the same con. . .versation. Or even on the sate day. . . or week. . . or year. . . or. . . Emily That ' s enough, Marsha . Grateful for the interruption, MARSHA drinks half the wine in her glass . I'm aw'fly sorry about your pro. ..blem with Greg'ry, but maybe after this you'd bedder stay away from alc'holics, and don' . . . don't let them move in 'til at least the fourth week. Marsha You're right, Em. Abs'lutely right. 95 I-ii-95-168 MARSHA lifts her left wrist, trying to focus on her watch as she drains her glass . Emily I soretimes am. Marsha I guess I'd bedder go home. If I'm gonna be able to pay your son I'm gonna have to be home two days ago. EMILY drains her wine glass as MARSHA rises unsteadily and staggers toward the outside door. EMILY gets up and stumbles after her. MARSHA stops abruptly halfway to the door, and EMILY runs into her, staggering backward a couple of steps before righting herself. Say, Em! Emily Say, what? MARSHA puts an arm around EMILY's shoulders, squeezing her tightly. EMILY's arm goes around MARSHA's waist . Marsha Say, Em, . . . you're really a pretty good frien' . Emily An' Marsh,... you're... really a good frien...d, too. Bedder'n I'da guessed. 96 I—ii—96-168 Marsha An' jus' to show you how much I think of you, I'migonna let you come upstairs with me and use my shower before you go to bed, . . . since yours is out of order. Emily Marsha,... yours is broken, too. Marsha Oh, yeah. well,... I guess you'll jus' have to go to bed dirty. Emily I'll sleep on the sofa. Marsha Oh,... jus' one more thing... before I toddle off upstairs. EMILY and MARSHA release each other. Emily Whatzat? Marsha I promise I won' breathe a word of your idea to anyone. Emily What idea? Marsha The one 'bout dreaming up Harmon Mel'dy and Jon... John the Bap. ..tist. Emily (sheepish) Thanks, Marsh.... It is kinda stupid, isn't it? 97 I—ii-97-168 Marsha Real stupid. MARSHA lunges for the door and EMILY follows. MARSHA yanks the door open and weaves back and forth with the backlash. Emily When you get up there would you send Nelson down? Marsha You bet. You want Jess, too? Emily Marsha.... Marsha Okay, okay.... MARSHA stumbles over the thresh— hold. EMILY catches her arm. Emily Need sore help upstairs? Marsha Nbpe. I won' get hurt. My bones are like rubber, so if I fall down, I'll jus' bounce a liddle. Emily Great! See ya.... Marsha Yo. 98 I—ii-98-168 MARSHA exits, and EMILY leans out the door to watch. SOUND of BICYCLES CRASHING to the cement. Marsha (Offstage) Shit! Damned bikes, anyway! Emily You okay? Marsha (Offstage) S'okay.... I'm a doctor.... Emily Tha's right.... See ya.... EMILY closes the door. She weaves her way over to her desk, plops down into her chair facing HARMON's station and crosses her right ankle over her left knee. Harmon, get your ass out here! HARMON's LIGHT AND MUSIC UP, slightly fainter and paler than before. HARMON steps into his station. Harmon Hello, babe. Emily Well, it's about time! Where the hell are you? 99 I-ii—99—168 Harmon I'm right here, Emily. Can't you see me? Emily You're not here here. Harmon ( amsed ) You ' re drunk . Emily I'm not drunk. Drunks don't have degrees. I'm in—e—bri-a-ted. Harmon (mildly) And what were we celebrating? Emily _Wg” . were cel'brating the imm'nent death of dreams. Harmon (wary) Dreams? Emily Yeah. Good ole Marsha dreams that she can turn drunks into really great lovers, and I.... Harmon And you? Emily I... I... Che of my dreams..” Yeah! One of my dreams is to succeed in business without really frying. 100 I-ii-lOO-l68 Harmon You mean trying. Emily Frying. As in hell. That dream ain't gonna make it. Harmon So? Emily So I 3% I'm jus' gonna take risk number one and go back into French. (to herself) Yeah. That's what I'll do.... (to HARMON) Howz_a_t_ sound? Harmon Sounds great! When we get to Paris, you can do all the talking. Emily Core off it, Harmon! Harmon What? Emily You have no intenshun of coming here, an' here's where you're gonna have to core first if we're ever gonna get to Paris. (petulantly) I don' wanna go to Paris, anyway. I wanna go to Britt'ny. Harmon What's in Brittany? Emily Spooks. I'll be right at hore there. 101 I-ii-101-168 Harmon Maybe you'd better talk this out, Emily. Get it out of your system. Emily All right.. . . Now just where the hell are you? You're not really here , are you? Harmon No, I'm not. Emily And you're not all there in L.A. right now, are you? Harmon I'd say not. Emily 80 like the song says, you're "lost between two shores." Right? Harmon That sounds about right. Emily BJt you know how to get hore, don't you? Harmon Emily Then where the hell are you? I need you, Harmon. I'm losing my mind, and I need you to hold me and tell me I'm not. Harmon That's what I a telling you. 102 I-ii-102-l68 Emily But you have to tell me and touch me at the same time. Harmon, your music. . . . Harmon My music.... Emily Your music is full of light. Jus' full of it. You sing of the love of men and women, . . . parents and children, . . . artists for their creations, . . . the love of God who's all of us.... Harmon Me for you.... Emily _Ng, Harmon! Not you for me! I said your music is full of light,... but I only hear it. I don't see or feel it. I'm so awfully cold, and I need to feel your warmth on my skin. I have to bask in it, Harmon. I can't know that you love me until you can touch me with that light. HARPDN stares silently, impassively at EMILY. Can't you see it? HARMON remains silent . Aren't you going to answer me? HARMON shakes his head sadly. Harmon I've told you, Emily,... I'll do what I can.... 103 I-ii-lO3—168 Emily (breaking) Goddarmit, Harmon! I need you now! I don't want to be your dream anymore. I want to be everything. .. everything for you that I can be, and you won't let me be. Harmon Just wait , Emily. . . . Emily Damn, damn, m! EMILY stands abruptly and turns her back on HARMON. She staggers to the sofa and throws herself down on it, sobbing. HARMON, finally breaking his calm, reaches for her. Harmon Emily. . . . EMILY continues to sob. Emily! Babe, can't you hear me? EMILY continues to sob. Emily, please! I d_o love you! I just can't get away. My family.... The band.... HARlVDN struggles to leave his light. You just don't understand. I can't leave. We have to settle for this. You're crazy to want anything more! 104 I-ii-104-168 HARMON continues to struggle as EMILY's crying segues into exhausted weeping. Emily, there's no real world better than a dream! Trust me! I know! EMILY finally quiets into sleep, and HARMON finally breaks free of the light. He races to the sofa to kneel beside EMILY. He reaches to hold her, but the outside door opens suddenly. JESSE and NELSON enter. HARMON freezes. Nelson Geez! I thought we'd never get your sister off that bathroom floor. JESSE and NELSON walk into the kitchen area. HARMON rises quickly and backs away from the sofa to his station. His light is very faint now, but he stays there to watch. Jesse Yeah. I wonder what kind of shape your mom's in. JESSE turns to look around the ixxniand sees EMILY. There she is. Nelson ‘Well, at least she's not throwing up. The pizza.mmst've soaked a lot of it up. 105 I-ii-105-168 JESSE and NELSON cross to the sofa to look down at EMILY. I guess I'll have to tuck her in here. I'm not up to moving another body tonight. Jesse You go on to bed, Nelson. I'll take care of your mother. Nelson Thanks. I'mlbeat. See ya later.... NELSON turns and heads toward his bedroomL Jesse Sure. NELSON enters his room. JESSE leans over the sofa and picks up one of the crewelled pillows. very gently he lifts EMILY's head and slips the pillow beneath it. He begins to reach over EMILY for the afghan. Emily (asleep) Harmon? JESSE freezes. Is that you, Harmon? JESSE looks over suddenly at HARMON. Startled, HARMON steps back a pace. 106 I-ii—106-168 mumm,lme,isitymfl (weeping) Harmon, please answer me this time. JESSE straightens up and acknowledges HARMON's presence with a lift of his head. They stare at one another. EMILY, still asleep, tries to raise herself on her elbows. ... Please come.... JESSE turns from HARMON and reaches for the afghan. He covers EMILY with it. He then looks at HARMON again, staring at him intently. He returns to EMILY, placing his hands on her shoulders. Jesse (softly) Yes,... babe, it's me. I'm here for you now. JESSE gentles her back down onto the sofa. Emily It doesn't sound like you. Jesse It _i_s_ me, Emily. EMILY struggles to rise again. Emily I don't believe you! 107 I—ii-107-168 Jesse (distressed) Mon Dieu! Content est-ce que tu me peux pas savoir que c'est moi? EMILY stiffens, listening intently. She then sags and falls back onto the sofa. Emily You're really here. Jesse (relieved) I'mireally here. JESSE gently covers EMILY again 'with the afghan. Emily (sighing deeply) You're really hore, then. JESSE kneels beside the sofa, sitting on his heels. He slowly puts his aims around EMILY. She nestles closer to him» and he tightens his arms around her. Tenderly, he brushes a stray tear fromlher cheek and pushes a lock of hair back.fromiher'forehead. Jesse I've never been hore before this, Emily. We're both hore, .. . 108 I-ii—108-168 Emily (sighing) At last.... JESSE bends closer to EMILY, smiling and regarding her with wonder. He pushes back another lock of hair and drops a light kiss on her forehead. He withdraws slightly to look at her. Jesse ...si c'est moi que tu... que tu pouvais aimer.... Emily (faintly) Oui,... c'est toi. EMILY pulls him closer to her, and as he rests his temple against her forehead, he closes his eyes tightly. Jesse (with feeling)‘ Oui,... et je pense que c'est toi pour moi, Emilie.... HARMON drops his head and shakes it in frustration. He turns abruptly and exits. LIGHTS DOWN. II-i-109-168 LIGHTS UP SLOWLY. The scene is the same as the night before. EMILY is still asleep on the sofa, and JESSE sits on the edge of the loveseat watching her. EMILY stirs, tries to lift herself on her arms but drops back onto the sofa. Jesse (softly) How are you feeling? EMILY lifts herself on her arms, successfully this time, and stares at JESSE. Emily Where'd you come fromfl EMILY sits up painfully and drops her feet over the edge of the sofa. Jesse (lightly) Brittany. EMILY props her elbows on her knees and puts her head in her hands. Emily Yes, I know, but where did you core from just now? Jesse Here. How do you feel? EMILY lifts her head to look at JESSE. 109 110 II-i—110-168 Emily I think I'd feel a.whole lot better if I'd rolled off this sofa and into a vat of acid. Jesse I'mlawfully sorry about that. I shouldn't have let Marsha talk me into bringing that bottle down last night. Emily It wouldn't have mattered. I've got four liters in the refrigerator. Jesse Can I get you anything? Emily Has Nelson made any coffee yet? Jesse I made it an hour ago. I'll get you some. JESSE rises, goes into the kitchen area, takes two cups down from over the sink and pours the coffee into themu Emily When did you get here? Jesse Last night. Emily (astonished) Last night? 111 II-i-111-168 Jesse Yes. After we scraped Marsha up off the bathroom floor and fixed up her knees. Emily Then you were here all night? JESSE brings the coffee over to EMILY who takes it gratefully. She takes a sip of it. JESSE resumes his seat on the loveseat, taking a sip of his coffee. Jesse Yes, I was here all night. Emily (bewildered) But why? Jesse (with a Gallic shrug) It seemed you needed soreone here. EMILY shifts uneasily on the sofa. Emily It did? Jesse Ybu were having a bad dream. Emily Did I... say anything? 112 II-i-112-168 JESSE hesitates before answering. Jesse (reassuring) Just something about hore. I thought perhaps you were going through another remake of The Wizard of Oz. EMILY laughs and then grabs at her head with one hand. Emily One really ought not to make drunks laugh. It's a violation. Jesse Violation? Emily Yeah. The only really'immoial.things are the things a person does or says that can hurt someone else. Jesse That means that things like premarital sex and moderate drinking are in and that malicious gossip and criticism are out? Emily EXactly; And making people laugh when they're hungover. Jesse (grinning) I'mlsorry. I won't do it ever again. Emily (surprised) leer again? NELSON breezes in through the outside 113 II-i-113-168 door and slams it shut. He carries a large package . EMILY grabs her head again. Nelson Got it, Jesse! NELSON comes to a halt at the end of the loveseat. Jesse (mock severity) Nelson, don't you know that slamming doors is a violation? Nelson Huh? Emily What Jesse means, Nelson, is that slamming doors when people are hungover is positively immoral. Nelson Oh. Sorry; Eton Jesse (to NELSON) Did you get the cats and chickens fed all right? Emily Chickens? Nelson .Hey, yeah! That's really a neat place you've got there, Jesse. 114 II-i-114-168 Emily (to JESSE) Nelson fed some chickens? Nelson Yeah. And we're gonna kill one this afternoon. Emily You're gonna kill one of Jesse's chickens? EMILY looks at JESSE. Nelson Yeah. For dinner. After we get the shutters up. And then after dinner we're gonna get Muffin back here. Emily Jesse, how long have I been out? Jesse About ten hours. Why? Emily I seem to have slipped into a warp in reality. What's going on? Jesse You and Nelson are invited to have dinner with me tonight at the farm. If you don't have other plans, that is. NELSON walks around the coffee table, sets the package down on the downstage end of the sofa and sits down next to EMILY. He puts an anm around her shoulder. 115 II-i—115—168 Nelson Say yes, please, men It's a great place. You can look out windows and see trees. No buildings, just trees... and a pond... and ducks and geese. But we're not gonna kill any of them. Just a chicken. Emily But I told Grandma I'd have dinner with her. Nelson Ybu need to get outta town, Mom. Tell Grandma you're sick or something. Then we can pick up Muffin on our way back homezafter you've started to feel a little better. Emily (confused) Muffin? What are you talking about? Nelson We're getting Muffin back, Mom. Jesse's fixing it. EMILY looks at JESSE, dumbfounded. Jesse Is that all right with you, Emily? Do you mind? Emily Of course not. But how? Somebody'll see her sitting in the window. She goes right through the blinds. I can't keep hereon: of the window, and I don't want to. Jesse Ybu won't have to. YOu see, if we put up louvered shutters, she'll be able to sit on the table and look out, but nobody'll be able to see in. EMILY stares at JESSE, wonder and 116 II-i-116-168 joy dawning on her face. And I'll do all of your maintenance work for you, so you won't have to worry about anyone else seeing her. EMILY, near tears, drops her head and squeezes her eyes shut. She lifts her head again to gaze at JESSE. 1‘ Emily But I can't afford shutters. I've priced them. NELSON pats the large package beside him on the sofa. Nelson That's what this is, Nkmn Jesse and I are gonna put themlup before we leave for his place. Emily (to NELSON) But you didn't buy them, did you? Nelson Nbpe. This is on Jesse. EMILY returns her gaze to JESSE. She is stunned and moved. Emily But why, Jesse? Jesse (taking a deep breath) I... I like cats. And And (to But We'; (to I'v. YQa Oka Chi ( quickly) And I like you, Emily. 117 II-i-ll7-168 NELSON, becoming distinctly uncomfortable, stands up, moves over to the window, and raises the venetian blinds. Bright sunlight filters in. Emily And I like you, Jesse, but.... Nelson than you really ought to clean this window. Jesse (to EMILY) But what? Nelson we're getting rainbows in here. Emily (to JESSE) I've been such a bitch! Nelson Yeah! EMILY and JESSE turn to look at NELSON. Okay, okay. I'll go. Just call me when you're ready to go kill the chicken. NELSON escapes to his room. JESSE and EMILY watch him leave and then turn back to each other. 118 II-i-118—l68 Jesse Let me fix you some breakfast. JESSE rises fromtthe sofa and holds out his hand to EMILY. EMILY takes it slowly and stands up. Emily (dazed) .. All I've got is left-over pizza. I was going to do some shopping this afternoon. JESSE and EMILY walk into the kitchen. JESSE releases her hand to open the refrigerator door. Jesse Pizza will be fine. I acquired a taste for it in Vietnam. EMILY sits down at the dining table facing downstage center. JESSE opens the refrigerator and takes out the pizza box. Emily Could you get pizza in Vietnam? JESSE sets the box on top of the papers and books still on the table. Jesse Not where I was. That's why I acquired a taste for it there. EMILY glances briefly at HARMON's station by her desk. JESSE sits down at the table facing downstage right. 119 II-i—119-168 Emily What happened in Vietnam? Jesse Net what you read in the papers. lamily Marsha said you lost a good friend there. Jesse Yes. JESSE takes a piece of pizza and bites into it. This isn't bad. Could use a bit more pineapple. Emily Paul. Jesse (surprised) Yes. Paul. Have some pizza. EMILY takes a piece of pizza and bites into it. Emily Paul what? Jesse Paul Schroeder. Emily German? 120 II-i-120-l68 Jesse A little. The rest was Ethiopian. Emily Did he have a hard time of it? Jesse He might have had. JESSE looks at EMILY searchingly. Do you really want to talk about this? EMILY meets his gaze. Emily Yes. If it doesn't bother you. Jesse No, I won't mind telling you. It's just not a subject for sunny mornings. Emily Later? JESSE smiles and reaches for EMILY's hand to hold it briefly. Jesse Maybe after we bring Muffin back, if that's all right with you. Emily All right. I've got a long break coming up. Jesse (smiling) It shouldn't take that long. 121 II-i-121—168 EMILY just smiles, tilts her head flirtatiously and shrugs her shoulders. (smiling) I haven't told you yet why I don't think you're a bitch, either. Emily Uh, maybe we can save that for later, too. (smiling“weakly) Sunny mornings and all that,... you know.... Jesse Good, 'cause I'm going to have to think about it for awhile more. Emily You don't knOW”WhY you don't think I'mia bitch? Jesse (intensely) YOu're extraordinary, Emily. When a person like you gets a bit cranky, there's generally a very good reason for it. Usually'someihing she wants to keep pretty much to herself. EMILY shifts uneasily in her chair. Emily um,... Jesse Something she doesn't have to reveal because once in awhile she'll run intotsomeone who knOWS‘WithOUt asking who can help with the burden of it,... if she wants. Emily She... She.... 122 II-i—122—168 NELSON bursts from his room and strides into the kitchen. Nelson Hey! When we leaving? Jesse We've got to put the shutters up first, Nelson. Besides, your mother hasn't said yet whether she wants to go. Both JESSE and NELSON focus on EMILY. EMILY grins at JESSE. Emily She would love to go. She just doesn't want to have anything to do with killing chickens . Nelson Geez, Mom Chickens aren't mammals. Emily I just don't think I could eat sorething I've watched croak. Jesse Haven't you ever pulled carrots out of the ground? EMILY simply looks at him. Emily I'll watch from a window or sorething. Maybe. EMILY stands up. Well. If we're going to party today, I'm going to try to make it easy on you guys and see if I can't scrounge up a shower first. 123 II-i-123-168 Nelson Good idea, Mom. EMILY glares at himn And I'm sure that I_could use a shower, too. Jesse Nelson, we've got to go back to my place anyway for some tools, so we can shower there. Emily And I'll ask Myong Hyun. He's offered already. Nelson He can smell you all the way next door? Emily Nelson, . . . they're from Korea. They share everything with their neighbors. JESSE stands up. Jesse well, Nelson, we'd better get a move on. (to EMILY) Can you be ready in an hour? Emily Sure. What should I wear? Jesse Whatever makes you feel good. JESSE gestures to NELSON. 124 II-i-124-168 comeron, Nelson. The sooner we get the shutters up, the sooner you can waste a chicken. NELSON and JESSE leave. EMILY remains standing by the table for a moment, looking fondly at the closed door. Then she smiles and shakes her head, bends over to pick up her slippers still on the floor in front of the sink, and walks slowly toward her bedroom door. The PHONE RINGS. EMILY autoratically reverses direction, crosses to the telephone and picks up the receiver. Emily PH" meu... I don't know. Lucky guess, I suppose.... Nope. I failed it fair and square, and.I'm|got_going to make excuses.... well,... I thought maybe I'd go back into French.... EMILY holds the receiver away from her ear fortarmmmmnu I can teach!... I don't need that much.... No, I won't come crawling to you. I'd rather die first.... (voice rising) I'm129t_waiting for you to.... (deep breath, then quickly) By the way, we're coming by tonight to pick up Muffin. We've figured out a way to.... I'mlafraid I can't. I'd made other plans that I forgot about.... (surprised) ungrateful? Where do you get that? (outraged) Intellectual snob? You're... You're.... 125 II-i-125-168 EMILY makes a visible effort to bring herself under control. (strained) Look, Mom, this has got to _s£o_p_!... You either take me just as I am or not at all. No, but just 5113 phone call a week ought to do it. Five minutes, no more. .. . Sunday night, seven o'clock. . . . Yeah. You'll say "Hi," I'll say "Hi," I'll ask how you are, you'll ask how I am, I'll not tell you a damned thing, and you'll return the favor.... No, I'm not closing the door. I'm just installing a safety chain. . . . (softly, intently) No, Mother, it's probably the _mp_s_t_ reasonable thing I've ev_e_r_‘ done. . . . That's right. And Mother?... I'm sorry.... EMILY gently replaces the receiver, leaving her hand on it for a moment. (in wonder) Now why... didn't I do that twenty years ago? EVIILY walks slowly, distractedly toward her bedroom door. STAGE LIGHTS Dom, HARMON's LIGHT AND MUSIC-downstage right, paler and fainter than before-«UP. HARMON enters downstage right. EMILY approaches him slowly, warily. Harmon Emily . Emily Harmon . 126 II-i-126-168 Harmon I'm really sorry about last night, babe. I didn't realize how upset you were. I thought you were just drunk. Emily I was both. Harmon Am I forgiven? Emily Forgiven? Yes, you're that.... Harmon But? Emily I had another dream about you last night, Harmon. Harmon (wary) Did you? Emily It wasn't quite the sate, though. Harmon How? Emily You were. . . You were changing into soreone else, I think. Harmon ( gingerly) Um, Jesse? 127 Emily Maybe... Do you know any French? Harmon (casually) Only stuff like "Je pense que c'est toi...." Erily (puzzled) That was it, but.... Harmon After five years, babe, it couldn't have been anyone else. Emily Five years . . . . Harmon I'm gonna try, Erily. Can you believe me? Emily Harmon, I'm not sure that I can anymore. Harmon Do you want to? Emily I... don't know... Harmon How about it I give you a date and a time? Say next.. .. Emily ( firmly) Tonight . II-i-127-168 128 II-i-128-l68 Harmon Tonight? Bit I can't. . .. Emily I'll be out, but I'll leave the door unlocked. I should be hore around nine. If you go to the airport right now, you can just about make it. Harmon You sound so cold-blooded, Emily. Emily (softening) I'm sorry, Harmon. I really am, . . . (earnestly) ...but soon it may be too late. Harmon It is Jesse. Emily Maybe not. . . . Harmon You've only known him since yesterday. . . . Emily Harmon, he spent the night here and didn't touch me. He could have, but he didn't. Harmon Oh, yes, he did! HARMON looks stricken . Emily What? 129 II-i-129-168 Harmon He just covered you. That's all.... EVIILY turns from HARMON to face the sofa. After staring at it for a long moment, she turns back to him. Emily '- (in wonder) _ No, Harmon.... He did more than that,... and still he didn't.... Harmon Bit first it was me. — 15 Emily Yes. First it was you, .. . Harmon See? Emily . . .but he was really here and stayed with me. You weren't and didn't. Harmon And if I can core tonight? Emily Then.... (half to herself) Jesse may not even really want me that way. Harmon He does . EMILY stares at HARMON. 130 II—i-130—168 Emily Do you? Harmon I love you, Emily. I have nothing else, really, except my music. My wife is beautiful, but she doesn't know me. She doesn't hear my music. . . . She doesn't hear _m_e_ the way you do. You live me. Emily - (softly) That I have. Harmon 1 Can you live anyone else in that way? Emily There aren't many that I could.... Harmon It has to be me, babe. Emily (gently) Have I been too hard on you, Harmon? HARMON shrugs his shoulders helplessly. Shall we make it a phone call? Hanmon (taking a deep breath) All right.... A phone call. Emily By nine. 131 II-i—131-l68 Harmon By nine. Emily No later. Harmon No later. Emily And only... only if you can say for sure when you'll come. (intently) You have to be certain. HARMON looks at EMILY for a moment, his face expressionless. Harmon All right. Emily And I can't promise.... EMILY turns to gaze at the sofa once more. She returns to HARMON. Hanmon Ybu can't promise? Emily Harmon, even if you are here, I may not be. Harmon (ruefully) That's a chance I'll have to take. 132 II-i-132—168 Emily Either way, we'll both be taking risks. I still don't know what my capacity .13 . I may not be enough for either one of you. Harmon You are. EMILY meets HARMON's eyes silently for a moment then turns away from him. Emily (shaking her head) I don't know... I just don't know. LIGHTS III/0N. II-ii—133-168 LIGHTS UP. The shutters are in place on the window, and the dining table is cleared. EMILY, NELSON and JESSE enter through the outside door, EMILY taking the lead carrying MUFFIN, a laid-back cat of murky lineage. All three humans are wearing attractive dress coats. As they enter, NELSON and JESSE take theirs off and hang them in the closet. They are both wearing slacks and sweaters. EMILY leaves her coat on. Emily (to MUFFIN) Ah, tu es la plus belle chatte du monde, et tu es chez nous finalement! Nelson Subtitles, Mom.... EMILY, NELSON and JESSE walk into the living room. Emily It's nothing, sweetheart. Nelson Just glad to have the little beast hore, huh? Emily (sighing) Yes. (to JESSE) Jesse, I don't know how to thank you for this. You can't know what it means to me. 133 134 II—ii-134-l68 Jesse (smiling) I think I can. EMILY smiles at him. Emily Yes,... I guess you can. NELSON and JESSE sit down on the loveseat and sofa, respectively. EMILY remains standing, caressing MUFFIN. Nelson (to EMILY) Take off your coat and sit down, lady. You've had quite a day. Emily I'mlgoing to take care of Muffin first. I've got her box all fixed up in my'rtrmn EVIILY walks to her bedroom door, her limp noticeably improved, opens it and sets MUFFIN down inside. She leaves the door ajar. There you go, Muffin. Bonne nuit et fais de beaux réves.... EMILY, shedding her coat and draping it over the back of one of the dining chairs, walks back into the living area. She is wearing an attractive dress. 135 II-ii-135-l68 ( to JESSE) She'll sleep now, but I expect she'll want to play about three hours after I get to sleep. EMILY sits down next to JESSE, not touching him but closer than before. Jesse I know all about it. My cats prowl at night, and when they're ready for a break, they play King of the Mountain on top of me. EMILY laughs and shares a smile with JESSE . Nelson Say, Mom, . . . when we gonna get sore chickens? Emily Haven't we had enough trouble with one cat? Nelson I just thought that since now we have someone who lives here who can kill them without puking, we ought to get sore. At least, then, we'll know they're fresh. Emily The university would undoubtedly frown on all the noise and blood. Jesse Well, Emily, you did manage to keep it to a minimum. Nelson Yeah, Romy you were great! I really feel bad about throwing up. 136 II—ii-136-168 Emily You RDOW‘What bothered.me:most about killing that chicken? Jesse What's that? Emily I wanted to go right out again after dinner and kill another one. Jesse ( laughing) Spoken like a true anachronismw Fifty years ago, housewives got to kill chickens every day. Nelson NOw they let Holly Farms have all the fun. Jesse (patting EMILY's knee) well, Emily, I usually kill one or two of them a week, but if you want to do it, the job's yours. Emily Beats having to cook them. (softly) The meal wa§_wonderful, Jesse. I don't think I've ever D§§.SUCh a beautiful evening. Nelson Yeah. (pause and then in wonder) Hey, Mom, how many times have you seen Star Trek's Journey Home? YOu knew practically every line. You too, Jesse. If only you guys hadn't insisted on translating the whole damned thing into.... ““1 IE-fl I... — VP... - a 137 II-ii-137-168 Jesse (to EMILY) I'mijust happy you could be there, Emily. I would like it to be.... There is an insistent RAPPING on the outside door. Nelson I'll get it, Mom. NELSON rises and goes to the door. Emily (to JESSE) What time is it, anyway? Jesse Around eight-thirty, I think. I'mlnot wearing a watch. NELSON opens the door. Nelson Hey, Mom! It's good old Marsha. And sorebody else. Jesse (to EMILY) I hope it's not another psychological aberration she thinks she can heal.... EMILY shrugs her shoulders. Emily Let them in, Nelson. EMILY and JESSE stand as MARSHA and JIMVIY enter. JIMVIY, a young 25, 138 II-ii-138—l68 is dressed in a dark, expensive three—piece suit. MARSHA, beneath a stylish dress coat, wears a tailored dress and pumps. She fairly bounds into the living area with JIIVMY following in morose dignity. NELSON trails them into the room. Marsha Em, Jess,... I'd like you to meet Jimmy Mason. Jimmy, this is my neighbor, Erily Gilbert, and my brother, Jesse LeBlanc. JESSE reaches for JIIVMY'S hand. JIMMY takes it and shakes it firmly. Jesse I'm happy to meet you, Jimmy. Jimny (seriously) I'm pleased to meet you, Jesse. (to EMILY) You, too, Emily. NELSON pushes his way in. Nelson And I'm Nelson. Marsha's babysitter. Heebies, mostly.... Jimmy (nodding to NELSON) Happy to meet you, Nelson. Marsha ( exuberant ly ) Jimmy and I are on our way to a business machines trade show. 139 II-ii—139-168 .lummy (significantly) Yes. And then to dinner with my employer and his wife at the Flaming Peacock. Emily (politely) Oh, really? Nelson Business machines? Marsha Yeah. Jimmy'sells office copiers, of all things. Jesse (politely) And how did you two happen to meet? Marsha The girls and I just happened to be feeding the ducks on campus this afternoon, and there Jimmy was, sitting on the bank of the river, ignoring just everything. we_showed him how to feed the ducks. Jhmmy (he of the little buggers bit me. Marsha There, there, Jimmy.... You were just depressed. They sense that. Emily Depressed? Marsha For the last week Jimmy”s been trying to sell his best copier to... 140 II-ii—140-168 Jimmy' ...to a snotty little steel fabricating company over on the south side. Jesse Interesting.... Jhmmy How's that? Jesse One doesn't usually equate steel with.... Marsha Anyway.... Emily Why didn't they like the copier? Jimmy Well, the district manager's secretary, . . . Marsha Tall, skinny redhead.... Jimmy ...tall, skinny redhead, said,... (falsetto) "This copier is simply bristling with useless appendages. It's just too difficult to make simple copies on this thing." Marsha The receptionist,... Jhmmy The receptionist,... '. D1 I." 141 II-ii-l4l—168 NELSON, beginning to be bored, wanders over to the window and peers over the shutters. Marsha Short, fat blonde.... Jimy ...short fat blonde, said, (falsetto) "This machine copies better ggly than a morgue full of mogks. It doesn't work for shit." Marsha They just didn't push the right buttons. Jimmy They just didn't push the right buttons. Some of the steel rust out in the yard must've seeped into their brains. (shaking his head) I just don't understand it. Top-of-the-line, does everything but milk the cows.... Marsha Anyway.... Nelson Say, Jimmy! Is that your BMW? Jimmw' (proudly) It most certainly is. . . . Marsha Cost him 35 grand.... 142 II-ii—142-168 Jhmmy (puffed up) That's right.... Nelson Why? Jimmmr Why what? Nelson Why do you need a car like that? Emily (warningly) Nelson.... Jnmmy well, for a businessman in a position as visible as mine,... Nelson Seems to _"E that trying to sell anything, top-of-the-line 95 bottom— of-the-barrel, to people like that fromla.car like that is pretty much an exercise in futility. Emily (exasperated) Nelson! Jimmy ‘ I'mlsorry, Nelson, I don't understand. Nelson What kinda car does that secretary drive? 143 II-ii—143-168 Jhmmy I dunno. Chevy Sprint, I think. Nelson Simple, cheap, dependable, 54 to 58 miles to the gallon.... Jhmmy I don't see what you're.... Nelson And the receptionist? Jhmmy I think she takes the bus. Nelson (triumphantly) Better yet! Emily Hang it pp, Nelson.... You know that the outsides are just like the insides. Ybu can't change it for other people. Jesse (to EMILY) You know this then? Emily (to JESSE, ruefully) In theory. I haven't gotten the hang of changing the insides in order to make the outsides different. Jesse It'll come.... 144 II-ii-l44-168 Marsha Anyway,... Nelson (to MARSHA) You want a babysitter, right? Marsha As a matter of fact.... Nelson Nbpe. Marsha Aw, c'mon, Nelson. . . . Please? JIIVMY reaches into his pocket and pulls out a hefty wallet. Nelson Nope, nope, nope. There's a principle involved here, Marsha, that I'm sure you don't appreciate. JIMVIY pulls a twenty dollar bill from his wallet and shoves it toward NELSON. NELSON stares at it. (hesitant) Uh, . . . uh, . . . (abruptly resolute) Nope, nope, nope! fin going to stay i_n this evening and read sore Chaucer. JIIVMY, disgusted, drops his arm. 145 II-ii-145-168 Emily Go ahead, Nelson.... You're going to need the practice. Nelson Huh? Emily well, if you're going to school in California, janitor work won't quite make up the difference between.... Nelson What? Whatwhatwhat? Emily (teasing) Don't you want to go to California? Nelson My God, yes! But.... Emily Just promise me sorething. Nelson (breathlessly) What? Ehily No Tahoe, blackjack or strawberry daiquiris until you're twentyeone. NELSON throws himself at EMILY and wraps his arms around her. EMILY, grinning, holds him tightly. Nelson You got it, Nkmu Ybu're great, just GREAT! And I won't let you down, 146 II—ii-146-168 either. I'll write the best damned stuff and get you a little house out in the country so you can kill all the chickens you want.. . . Marsha Nelson,... we really have to be going. Jimmy and I are to meet his boss at nine, and we have only fifteen minutes to get there as it is. Oh. Sure. (to MARSHA) Well, let's go.... (haughty) For my eduggt ion . Hee, hee, hee. . .! NELSON, still holding EMILY, turns to look at MARSHA. Nelson NELSON releases EMILY . NELSON grabs the twenty from JIMMY. JIIVMY looks startled. JIIVMY rolls his eyes upward, and he and MARSHA turn to walk toward the outside door. NELSON follows them but then stops and turns to look at EMILY. He grins, hunches up his shoulders and rubs his hands together gleefully. You're fantastic, Mom. I love you! NELSON blows her a kiss and then turns to catch up with MARSHA and l r_. 147 II-ii-147-168 JIMMY who are going through the doorway. EMILY and JESSE stand ‘watching themm Say, Marsha,... are the girls still playing cutthroat craps? Marsha That's so juyenile, Nelson! It's Monoply and Risk now. JESSE winces visibly. NELSON reaches in to close the door. EMILY and JESSE watch the door for a moment and then turn to face each other. EMILY, slightly nervous, takes a step backward. Emily and Jesse (in unison) well! They laugh. Jesse Go ahead.... Emily (embarrassed but grinning) I was just going to say that with this one she might have even more to worry about in the reproduction department. And if there are any bimbos involved, they'll comeafromla.bit east of England. Jesse (grinning) That must have been sore conversation you two had last night. 148 II-ii-148-168 Emily Yeah. Now it's your turn. JESSE sits down on the sofa and takes EMILY's hand to pull her down beside hhm. Jesse I was just going to ask why you did it. F— Emily Why I did what? Jesse n Why you told Nelson he could go to California. You don't want him to go, do you? Emily No,... not really. But one of the reasons was that I didn't want timito have to go through the hell of borrowing and worrying about paying it all back and the heavy class loads to keep the total debt down and getting sick all the time.... Jesse Has it been that bad, Emily? Emily well,... it has been getting better lately. Anyway, I finally said to myself, Why should I have all the fun? Let Nelson have sore of it, too. Jesse He's mature enough. It'll be good for him. Emily He'll need a bit of misery, anyway, in order to have something to write about. 149 II-ii-149-168 Jesse Have you ever thought of getting some of your story down on paper, Emily? Emily I wouldn't want anyone to read it. Some:of it's totally insane. Jesse (ruefully) Sore of mine is, too. Emily YOu were going to tell me about it? Jesse well,... THE PHONE RINGS. EMILY stares at it. Then she looks away toward HARMON's station at downstage right. The RINGING CONTINUES, and JESSE watches EMILY curiously. After several rings, EMILY takes a visibly deep breath, stands, bends over the phone and disconnects the receiver. She sits back down next to JESSE. You don't want to get that? Emily It's probably just a wrong number. A lot of underclassmen on campus have trouble seeing numbers on Saturday night. Jesse All right.... 150 II-ii-150-168 Emily Paul? Jesse Paul. JESSE lowers his head and closes his eyes briefly. Emily (softly) WOuld you rather not talk about it? JESSE raises his head and looks at EMILY. Jesse I've... never told anyone about it,... and it's not very pretty.... Emily would it help, though? Jesse Yes.... Yes, I think it would. Emily Tell me , then . JESSE looks into EVIILY's eyes for a moment. Jesse All right. JESSE stands abruptly and moves away fromlthe sofa to stand facing 151 II-ii-151—168 downstage center. His face is impassive at first, but then he begins to smile. He turns to face EMILY. EMILY leans forward on the sofa, her hands clasped in her lap. She answers JESSE's smile. Paul. . . was the kind of friend a person finds maybe once. . . JESSE nods slowly toward EMILY. ...or twice in a lifetime. I don't know how to explain it. We clicked on the first day of boot carp, and we kept on clicking until.. .. JESSE looks away briefly and then back again. He begins to pace. EVIILY's eyes remain on him throughout. Paul. . . was sorething else. In one breath he could discuss with me the American Transcendentalist Moverent and in the next tell me all about how he once filled his neighbor's mailbox with cream cheese. Emily (grinning) Why did he do that? Jesse Well, the neighbor was a nasty old man who liked to open his windows whenever he saw Paul outside so that he could scream racial Obscenities at him. Emily Why did he do that? 152 II—ii-152-168 Jesse Herorrhoids . Emily What? Jesse The old man was in agony, and he blamed it on blacks. Emily HOW’did he make that connection? Jesse well, Paul said that it was his subconscious that created the hemorrhoids for him in the first place in order to bring to his attention sore inner imbalance.... Emily Fear, perhaps? Jesse That's my'guess. Anyway, since the color black for a lot of people symbolizes the subconscious mind, the old.man just transferred the blame to the entire black race. Emily Actually, that was rather clever of him, II totally unconscious. Jesse That's what Paul thought. Emily Why did he fill the mailbox with cream cheese, them, instead of just ignoring the old man? 153 II-ii-153-168 Jesse Ahhh!... .2593 was Paul's symbolic transferral of the blame back to the old man where it belonged. You see, he didn't mind being blamed for the old man's piles, but he was damned if his brothers and sisters were going to hurt, too. Emily was Paul ever found out? Jesse Nope. His mom suspected him but never asked him about it. He wouldn't have been able to lie about it, anyway. Emily Pathological integrity? Jesse (abruptly sober) Terminal. Emily Terminal? Jesse Paul had a foot problemlthat could have kept himlout of the Army, but he managed to hide it from the doctors. They whisked him right on in. Emily He doesn't sound like the kind of person who'd want to shoot people.... Jesse He wasn't. JESSE stops pacing to stare into the air for a moment, brooding. 154 II-ii-154-168 Emily (softly) He wasn't? Jesse (looking at EMILY) No, he wasn't. JESSE resumes his pacing. Paul Schroeder was an idealist. He'd heard from sore friends in 'Nam that racismlwas rampant over there, and he wanted to help. Emily How? Jesse well, as representative of both races--black and white--he felt he could show them that if two races could live comfortably together in one body, they really ought to be able to live together peacefully in several. Or millions. Emily Did he show them? Jesse He didn't get the chance. JESSE stops pacing and stares off again. EMILY waits for him. Abruptly, JESSE whirls around to face EMILY. Jesse (anguished) Looks Emily; Do you really want to hear this? 155 II-ii-155—168 Emily (slowly) No.... But I want you to tell me, anyway. Jesse (taking a deep breath) All right.... JESSE resumes pacing. we*were on patrol. I'd just told him a raunchy story in French and translated it for him. JESSE stops to smile at EMILY. Sorry I can't repeat it. It's even worse than some:of Marsha's stuff. Emily (smiling) That's going some. JESSE resumes pacing. Jesse Exactly. Anyway, . .. we were in a pretty good mood, and... JESSE begins to drift away. Emily And? Jesse ...and.we were walking. we were both armed,... Emily Ybu were both anmed,... 156 II-ii-156-168 Jesse ...but neither one of us couldn've shot anyone then, so we were probably pretty useless. But we tried to look as if we could. we had to be quiet, but we were laughing inside about it. . . . Emily Ybu were laughing.... Jesse (tense) It was dark, moldy, damp. Water dripping everywhere. . . . You could smell it, everything rotting. .. . And we were walking, and it was dark, but we could _f_e_e_]_._ each other in the dark. . . . He was maybe. . . maybe ten yards away, but he felt like another me, he was so close. . . . And then.... EVIILY moves to the edge of the sofa. Emily And then.... JESSE stops and stares away. He turns abruptly to face EMILY. Jesse (explodes) It was a sniper that got himu Emilyi A goddamned, dirty, cowardly, Imother-fuckin', son-of-a-bitchin' SNIPER! Emily Oh, God! Jesse I didn't stop to think. I dropped,... crawled to him,... pulled him onto my lap.... All... all of him that was... left.... 'til? 157 II-ii-157-168 JESSE sinks slowly to his knees at downstage center facing left and looks at EMILY in anguish. EWILY rises and hurries to him. She stands before him facing right, but JESSE reaches for her, and she takes his hands, allowing him to pull her down to a kneeling position close in front of him. They gaze into each other's eyes. (voice breaking) God! You should have seen him, Erily! His head,. .. that soft, curly, dusky head of his, . .. with its beautiful, loving mind, the head of the only real friend I'd ever _ha_d_! My God, . . . it was blown half away! First he was there, . . . alive, . . . thinking, . . . feeling. . . . He was still laughing inside about the joke and our pretending to be killers.... I know. I could feel it in him, and then he was gone. That son-of-a-bitchin' sniper'd shattered him! He wasn't ar_1_ywhere anymore! JESSE begins to sob into his hands. Convulsively, EMILY takes him into her arms and pulls him to her. He buries his head in her shoulder and wraps his arms tightly around her waist. Then, almost against his will, he pulls away just far enough to look into her eyes again. His face is contorted with grief. God, you should have seen him, Emily! (shaking his head) Damn! HARMON enters downstage right and 158 II-ii-158-168 assumes his station. His light is very pale, just barely visible, and his attitude is one of consternation. EMILY, her arms still around JESSE, shifts slightly to her left as she senses HARMON's presence. Her eyes meet his briefly, but she immediately returns to JESSE. Emily (whispering ) I think I can see him, Jesse.... JESSE peers for a long morent into EMILY's eyes. He shakes his head. Jesse You can't. EMILY holds his gaze. You can't.... Not really.... Maybe... maybe you can.... EMILY nods slowly, sadly. God, but you can! JESSE pulls EMILY back into his arms, holding her close just briefly and then holding her away only far enough for him to look into her eyes . Bit then, Emily, I saw him—-really saw him--I saw him after, too. 159 II—ii—159-168 HARMON is becoming more disturbed. He strains to leave his circle of light but cannot. Emily (puzzled, but almost knowing) You saw him after? How? Jesse (deep breath and then in wonder) He was a light. A soft light. At first... at first it was like Brittany's forest mists. . . . Soft, . . . glowing, . . . full and warm. . . . His blood. . . his blood was soaking me.... It was warm, thick, sticky, . .. smelled tangy. . . . I was sweating and cold. . . . His blood was cooling. . . . Made my skin feel tight. And it was dark, . . . very dark.. .. But his body was glowing. It shone faintly at first.... Then it got stronger. . . . And I could feel. . . there was sorething In it. . . . It wasn't 11% light.... It was more... Sorething much, inc—h more.. . . Then the light began to Egg from his body.... He rose, floated.... Slowly, very slowly.... And then he was above and before me, just hovering there. . . before my eyes. . . . Right. . . before my eyes. . . . The jungle was black, . . . damp, . . . moldy, . . . but there was his light. At first... at first there was no shape to it,... and I thought maybe I was really seeing things. . .. Bit then. .. he formed into a soft, . . . very soft. . . glowing ball, . . . a luminous. . .sphere of light. . . . He was _afl light. . . . And there weren't any edges to him like skin has edges. . . . His surface blended, . . . mixed with the air around him. . . . It was like... it seemed as if he didn't have to be held 3 anymore,... limited, confined... like we have to be,... as if he could be free, free to be Mere... everyt_ni_r§.... And I knew then that he _w_a_s_ everywhere, . . . everything. . . . And I could feel him then, too, . . . really feel him. . . . His body was getting heavier, . . . and I realized then that I was crying, and I couldn't stop.... I just couldn't.... I didn't m to stop.... I was trapped beneath his body, and it hurt.... It hurt like hell.... But I felt him, 392.... Him 99.9. his body.... His empty body.... It was a _s£l_l, Emily! Just his 160 II—ii-160-168 shell. . . . And he was shocked, . . . sad, lonely, worried for me. . . . But he wasn't dead! He wasn't really dead, Emily! Emily ( full) You still knew him, then! Jesse Yes, . . . I still knew him. I still really _kn_ew_ him. . . . He wasn't really gone. . . . And he wasn't only sad. . . . He was glad, . . . happy, . . . everything! Like a pinwheel, . . . shooting off everything he could feel,... like sparks,... and all at once.... It filled me up... for a minute,... maybe more. I was both of us.... Just for a moment I was both him and me.... Emily Did he stay, Jesse? Jesse Fer awhile.... I don't know how long. He stayed,... and we said "Au revoir. " Emily Not adieu . Jesse Au revoir. (laughs hoarsely) That much I'd had time to teach him. That and... (slowly) That and "Merci, mon ami...." JESSE drops his head briefly and then lifts it heavily to look at EMILY again. um 5‘55 1 161 II-ii—161—168 Bit I couldn't touch him anymore... We weren't the sare.... I was trapped“... caught,... and he was free,... and I couldn't touch him.... EVIILY looks at HARMON. He strains toward her, and she shakes her head slightly, sadly. She turns back to JESSE. Emily You couldn't touch him. . . . Did he core again? Jesse Soretimes. . . . He care back sometimes. Late at night. I wasn't sleeping much. None of us were. . . . Our buddies were getting killed. . . and we were killing... in... in revenge. He care back and we talked.... It was all inside of us, though.... I couldn't touch him.... I couldn't even gag him anymore. .. And then he had to go and finally didn't core anymore. He couldn't core. . . . He had sorewhere else he had to be, and I had to let him 90.... Emily But he was alive. . . . You had that. . . . Jesse Bit I couldn't touch him.... EMILY looks quickly at HARMON who is shaking his head in frustration and despair. Emily And that's really the worst of it, . . . not being able to touch. . . . JESSE stares for a long, silent moment into EMILY's eyes. 162 Jesse You know this, too, don't you, Emily? Emily I know it, Jesse. Eammit, I know it! EMILY's eyes meet HARMON's. He drops his head and shakes it sadly. JESSE pulls EMILY closer. Jesse And we shouldn't have to know it.... Emily No.... Jesse And we don't have to.... Emily No, we don't.... Jesse (fiercely) And we won't have to.... II—ii—162—168 Over JESSE's shoulder EMILY looks at HARMON, and she drops her head. She then leans back in JESSE's arms to look at him and places her left hand on his cheek. She draws it down slowly, gently, across his jawline and lightly touches his throat before placing her hand again on his shoulder. Then smiling at JESSE, EMILY rises, turns and 163 II-ii-163-168 walks slowly toward HARMON. She stops further fromlhimlthan she has ever been. She glances back at JESSE who has closed his eyes and dropped his head in an attitude of patient waiting. EMILY returns to HARMON. Harmon ( quickly) I'mlsorry, Emily. I didn't call. I'll try, though. I'll really.... Emily I didn't answer it, Harmon. HARMON stares at her. Harmon wrong number? Emily After I pulled the plug on it, I almost knew it wasn't you. Hanmon were you disappointed? Emily (gently) I'misorry,... no. HARMON sags a little and then inclines his head toward JESSE. Hannau Your friend has really needed you. 164 II-ii-l64—168 Emily I've needed him. Harmon It could have been me. Emily Have you ever hurt like that? Hanna) (slowly) M)... Emily Then it couldn't have been you. I have to be filled up. Harmon (incredulous) With that kind of pain? . Emily (fiercely) Yes! The joy comes with it. It can't be any other way. EMILY glances at JESSE. Harmon No other way? EMILY returns to HARMON, shaking her head. Emily Harmon, don't you see? You and I accepted the joy, the dream from each other, but we couldn't handle each other's pain. 165 II-ii—165-168 Harmon I gave you only words, didn't I? Nothing real. Emily That was more than I could offer you. The hurt I found in your music, the music healed, and there was nothing left for me. You're still up there for me. Untouched. Harmon Then I always will be. If the one human being who can read my music can't touch me, then no one can. Emily There are others, Harmon, but your bodyguards keep them away from you . Harmon I can't change it. Erily Do you want to? Harmon I have to keep writing and performing. Emily Surely you don't need the money.... Harmon I need the audiences. Emily You d_o make many, many people very happy with your songs. Maybe that's it. 166 II-ii—166-168 Harmon What ' s that? Emily Perhaps you're meant to touch only the many, not individuals. Not me. Harmon That has value. . . . Erily It's as important as being able to touch just one. Maybe someday you'll shift into reaching ones, but for now. . . . Harmon It'll be too late for you, though. EilLY looks back at JESSE and leans slightly toward him. JESSE slowly lifts his head to look at her worriedly, hopefully. EMILY smiles at him and then returns to HARMON. Emily (taking a deep breath) Yes, Harmon, it will be too late. Harmon I'll miss you, Emily. Emily I'll miss you, Harmon. You got me through a rough time with my marriage and with the first year of school, but.. . . Harmon Bit it becare not enough, didn't it? 1:13 3:2 167 II-ii-167—168 Emily Yes. JESSE rises to his knees and reaches for EMILY. HARMON inclines his head toward him. EMILY turns around and, taking a step toward JESSE, smiles at him. He returns the smile . Harmon You will call for me sometimes, won't you? EMILY looks at HARMON and slowly shakes her head. Emily I will think of you, though, . . . ( smiling) ...often. Au revoir, Harmon. EVIILY turns and walks slowly toward JESSE. JESSE takes her hands and pulls her down in front of him. HARMON, watching them impassively for a moment, then turns heavily and exits downstage right. HARMON's LIGHT corpletely DOWN. EMILY and JESSE look at one another, smiling, for a long morent. EVIILY then gently places an open hand on his cheek, and he places a hand lightly on her waist. 168 II—ii-168-168 Emily (softly) No, we won't have to, Jesse.... Not anymore.... There is a long pause as they continue to gaze at one another. Jesse Et je pense que je pouvais t'anmer, Emilie.... EMILY takes a deep, tremulous breath and smiles. Emily And I think... that I could love you, Jesse.... JESSE pulls EMILY close to hum. Jesse (sighing) Grace 5 Dieu.... EMILY tightens her arms around hflm. Emily Oui.... Grace 5 Dieu.... EMILY and JESSE begin to kiss, slowly at first and then more hungrily, JESSE extending his legs and then drawing EMILY into his lap. LIGHTS slowly DOWN. "1111111111111115