ACT I

 

Scene 1

 

(Interior of an Irish-American bar which is much more American than Irish.  There’s a picture of JFK and some Irish flags around the bar walls.  The bar is empty except for the owner, DON who stands on the phone.  It is late afternoon on Christmas Eve.)

 

                                                            DON

I’m sorry to call you at home, but no one was answering at the shop...Yeah, well ya see the sink’s clogged and the fucking faucet’s dripping when it should be gushing...I know it’s Christmas Eve, but we’re gonna be busy tonight and I...Come on, now, can’t you jump on down here and...Any earlier? I really need you tonight...Two days isn’t gonna do me much good.  There’s gotta be...I know, but...All right, all right. I guess I’ll see you then....Yeah, Happy Holidays to you, too.

 

(KNUTE enters.  He is worn and tired, but he has great spirit.  He looks older than he really is because of his drinking.)

 

KNUTE

Merry Christmas, old Donny boy.  Merry Christmas.

 

DON

It’s not Christmas yet.

 

KNUTE

All righty.

 

DON

What do you want?

 

KNUTE

It’s a bar, idn’t it.  I thought I might get myself a drink.

 

DON

You got money?

 

KNUTE

That’s a bit of an insult, questioning me like that.

 

DON

Don’t side step me, Knute.  Your memory may be bad, but mine isn’t.

 

KNUTE

I promised the last time I saw you that I’d pay you back.

 

DON

And you promised the time before that and the time before that.

 

KNUTE

 

I promised that I would pay you - and wait, I got something here. (Takes out a roll of twenties from his pocket.)  What’s this? Is that some twenties? Is that what I got?  One, two, three, that’s five twenties.  Now, how much do I owe you?

 

DON

$82.

 

KNUTE

There you go, keep it all.

 

DON

I don’t want it all.  I just want $82.

 

KNUTE

Consider it a tip.  I apologize for putting you out in the cold.

 

DON

I can’t take this money from you.

 

KNUTE

Take it, please.  It’s Christmas, the season of giving.

 

(Don takes the money and puts it in his register.)

 

DON

What do you want to drink?

 

KNUTE

Make it a Jameson’s on the rocks.

 

DON

Isn’t it a little early to be drinking Jameson’s?

 

(Pours the drink.)

 

KNUTE

It’s the Holidays. 

 

DON

(Hands Knute the drink)

Here you go.

 

KNUTE

Thank you very much, Don.

 

DON

It’s nothing.

 

KNUTE

Don’t say that.  Don’t say that it’s nothing.  I have been well beyond my window of forgivable tardiness and you found it in your heart to let me stay here for a drink.  That’s precious.  These guys - these assholes who drink in here every night - they talk shit about you. They rip you apart, but I say, “Don’s a pal.  Don’s a sweetheart.”  I never bad mouth you, Don.  I always have your back covered.  Thanks for watching over me.  I wish there were more people here sos that we could toast ya.  Ah, forget it.  To Don, “One of the best people that ever crossed paths with Knute McCallahey.”

 

DON

Take it easy, Knute.  You been drinking already?

 

(Don tries to fix the sink.  He’s looking at it and trying to unclog the drain with a mixing spoon.  He’ll use other methods which will continue throughout the play.)

 

KNUTE

No, I’m just being thankful.

 

DON

Keep your voice down.  It’s too early for ya to get loud.

 

KNUTE

                                                (Pause)

How long have we been pals?

 

DON

You’ve been drinking at this bar for...I don’t know...five years?

 

KNUTE

So we been pals for five years.

 

DON

I wouldn’t say that.

 

KNUTE

Are you saying that we’re not pals?

 

DON

I’m saying that I only know you as a drinker, not as a friend.

 

KNUTE

Haven’t I always been friendly to you?  Haven’t I always asked about your family?  And your bar? 

 

DON

You’ve been loud, drunk and in debt.

 

KNUTE

I’m not always in debt.  I’ve just had a bad run lately.  And you can’t blame me after all for wanting to come in here and spend my money.  Look at the place.  This isn’t a bar.  It’s a cathedral.  And God strike me a sinner cause I wanna pay my respects to your...persuasion.  Some times I get a little too persuaded is all.

 

DON

(Don stops trying to fix the drain)

What do you want?

 

KNUTE

I just want to enjoy myself.

 

DON

You were doing that before you came here.

 

KNUTE

Is that another insult, Don?

 

DON

You’ve never said more than two words to me in one day and here you are striking up a conversation and “Paying respect” to my bar.  Now, what do you want?

 

KNUTE

I just want to have a drink on Chris--

 

DON

Cut it clean, Knute!

 

KNUTE 

(Pause) 

Don, this has, uh...I hate to...it’s been a tough, three or four months.

 

DON

You better not be asking me for money.

 

KNUTE

Now look:  you may not know this, but I have a daughter.  And, this Christmas here’s the first Christmas since the divorce that I’ve been allowed to see her.  Wouldn’t I be a sorry sonofabitch, but I don’t have enough money to pay for my flight or my daughter’s gifts.  It costs a lot more than I thought to get to Cleveland and since I got no car, well...you’re right Don.  I’m asking you for money.

 

DON

Why on earth would you, for a second, think that I would give you a penny?

 

KNUTE

I thought since I’ve come here a lot and we know each other, not great ya know, but good enough.  Hell, I’ve seen some of the guys who you’ve loaned money to in the past, I kinda figured, ya know, why not me?

 

DON

Don’t you got friends to ask?

 

KNUTE

Yeah.

 

DON

Did you ask them?

 

KNUTE

I did.

 

DON

And what’d they say?

 

KNUTE

You know.

 

DON

Did you know these fellas, better than you do me?

 

KNUTE

I guess you could say that?

 

DON

If they said no, what made you think that I’d say yes?

 

KNUTE

Because I’ve...I’ve got no where else to go.

 

DON

Just cause I’m you’re last chance doesn’t mean I’m gonna give you money.

 

KNUTE

You got kids, don’t ya?

 

DON

Don’t ask me about my family.

 

KNUTE

I know you do, Don.  And I know that if you promised to be with them for Christmas you’d do anything to make it.

 

DON

But I’m not you.

 

KNUTE

When you make a promise like that you gotta do everything in your power to follow through with it.

 

DON

You gotta plan for shit like this.  Ya can’t come in to a bar, the day before Christmas, and ask someone who you hardly know to spot you cash through the holidays.  It’s just not how it’s done.

 

KNUTE

I know that. And I’ll tell ya, I did plan.  It’s just that all my plans fell through.

 

DON

What plans did you have?  I mean besides asking people for the money.  Did you plan on making any money?

 

KNUTE

That’s not fair.

 

DON

Did you at least try to find some damn work?

 

KNUTE

I’ve been working.

 

DON

Where’s the money?

 

KNUTE

It just hasn’t been every day.

 

DON

Why not?

 

KNUTE

Cause all the shifts are filled at Alcas.

 

DON

Shoulda got another job.

 

KNUTE

I tried.

 

DON

And?

 

KNUTE

And, it didn’t work out.

 

DON

Why?

 

KNUTE

Come on Don.  It didn’ts-just-all.

 

DON

What the fuck does that mean?  Did you get fired?  Did you come in drunk?

 

KNUTE

I never - ever - ever, drink on the job.

 

DON

Got fired then.

 

KNUTE

I didn’t fit, O.K., I didn’t fit into what they wanted. 

 

DON

Unreliable, huh?

 

KNUTE

You don’t know nothing, Don. I was working down at Alcas, two shifts a week, packaging all them knives for the holiday season.  And a buddy a mine at the Tile Plant, told me that beginning in December he’d give me a job running tiles.  Good pay too, $8.50 an hour.  That was for three shifts a week.  I figured that if I was working at both Alcas and the Tile Plant for a couple weeks, by Christmas, I’d have plenty of money. I knew this in November, so I didn’t bother picking up extra work if I had it already waiting for me in December.  But the fuckers man...I mean running them tiles is hard work.  They time you.  Did you know that? They time you for the job.  So I gotta pick up one 20 pound box of tiles run it up a set of stairs and put it in a pile.  Run back down the stairs and do the same thing.  If you can’t move 500 pounds in ten minutes, you don’t have a job.  I never broke them ten minutes.  Almost broke my back.  A couple years ago -  maybe three, four years - I coulda done it.  But now, I’m...I...I just couldn’t do it. 

 

DON

You still had time to get another job.

 

KNUTE

Says, who?  Shit, did you ever try to get work in this town around the holidays?  Didn’t think so.

 

DON

You coulda got something.

 

KNUTE

No factory’s hiring now, and I’m not going to work in a fucking grocery store. I’ve already done that.  I even tried contracting myself out, but I guess everyone’s got their own handy-man, or whatever you call ‘em. (Pause)  Don...I’m sorry, even to ask you in the first place, but...well, I’m sorry.

 

DON

It’s Christmas Eve for Christ’s sake.

 

KNUTE

I know.  I know.  (Silence) Hey, let me show you a picture of my baby!

 

(Knute takes out his wallet and searches for a picture of his daughter.)

 

DON

No, now Don’t do that.

 

(Don goes back to fiddling with the faucet.)

 

KNUTE

It’ll just take me a sec.

 

DON

It’s not gonna help you any.  Just put it back.

 

KNUTE

(Finds the picture.)

Here...isn’t she beautiful?

 

DON

I guess.

 

KNUTE

You’re not even looking. 

 

DON

I told you. I don’t wanna see her.

 

KNUTE

Just take a look.  It’s not gonna hurt ya.  It’s my baby girl...Please.

 

DON

(Don looks at the photograph and pauses.)

Why don’t I just give you the money you gave me before, and we’ll call it even.

 

KNUTE

No, I want to pay my debt.

 

DON

Take the hundred bucks and go.

 

KNUTE

I need more than a hundred.

 

DON

(Pause)

Tell me this: how come this is the first Christmas that you’re allowed to see your daughter?

 

KNUTE

It’s the first year that her mother’s given me permission.

 

DON

What’d you do wrong in the first place?

 

KNUTE

I don’t know.  You’d have to ask her mother about that.

 

DON

Don’t bullshit me.

 

KNUTE

It’s a marriage.  You gonna tell me you didn’t do anything stupid to your wife.

 

DON

I did stupid stuff with my wife - not to her.

 

KNUTE

A lot’s changed since then anyway.  She forgives me. 

 

DON

(Looking again at the picture)

What’s her name?

 

KNUTE

My ex-wife?

 

DON

No.  Your daughter.

 

KNUTE

Of course.  Siobhan.

 

DON

How old is she?

 

KNUTE

She’s gonna be fourteen or something like that.  The dates confuse me sometimes.

 

DON

Fourteen?  She looks about five in this picture.

 

KNUTE

It’s an old picture.

 

DON

She is beautiful.  When was the last time you saw her?

 

KNUTE

About, um...let me see...about nine months ago. 

 

DON

What’d she ask for?

 

KNUTE

What do you mean?

 

DON

What’s she want for Christmas?

 

KNUTE

Oh, I was thinking maybe, maybe I’d get her some paints and supplies and stuff. So, yeah, I guess that’s what I’d get her.

 

DON

Those are kinda expensive, aren’t they?

 

KNUTE

I don’t know, for sure.  I’m not much into art.  (Pause).  So what do you think?

 

DON

About what?

 

KNUTE

You think you could help me out?

 

DON

(Don gives Knute the photograph)

Come on, Knute.  It’s not fair to do this on Christmas Eve.

 

KNUTE

I promise that I’ll pay you back.

 

DON

What? In a year, two years, three years?  Fuck.

 

KNUTE

Maybe you need some help around here?

 

DON

I got all the help I need.

 

KNUTE

What about that faucet?

 

DON

What about it?

 

KNUTE

It looks like it needs a little work.

 

DON

Maybe it does.

 

KNUTE

Want me to take a look at it?

 

DON

You don’t know anything about plumbing.

 

KNUTE

I know enough.  I used to put in toilets and sinks and stuff like that.

 

DON

This thing’s all messed up.  It’s gonna take a professional.

 

KNUTE

Let me take a look at it.

(Knute walks over to the sink) 

 

DON

No.  I don’t want you to do nothing to it.  Just take a seat.

 

KNUTE

What’s it gonna hurt if I look at it?

 

DON           

You’ll end up making it worse.

 

KNUTE

I may not be good with money, but I’m good with my hands.  And unless I take a sledgehammer to that - I’m not gonna - but unless I did, that’s not getting any worse.

 

DON

I got someone coming in.

 

KNUTE

They coming in soon?  I mean it’s getting kinda late.

 

DON

Don’t worry about it.

 

KNUTE

I’m not.  I just know that you get a lot of people here on Christmas Eve.

 

DON

I’ll be all right.

 

KNUTE

I won’t even touch it.  Just tell me what’s wrong with it and maybe I’ll know what to do.

 

DON

(Silence as Don continues trying to fix the sink.)

When I turn the knob all the way over, nothing comes out.  And whatever little piss there is it won’t go down the drain.  See that?

 

KNUTE

Yeah.

 

DON

So?

 

KNUTE

It looks kinda serious.

 

DON

That’s why I need a professional.

 

KNUTE

It’s gonna cause your whole system problems if you don’t get it fixed soon.

 

DON

Why?

 

KNUTE

Your plumbing’s all connected together.  If this sink’s backed-up and not pouring water, I bet your sink in them bathrooms are doing the same.

 

DON

Bullshit.

 

KNUTE

You don’t have to believe me.  Just wait till tonight. 

 

DON

(Don continues trying to fix it)

 If...if I let you take a look at it, do you think you could fix it in an hour?

 

KNUTE

Probably not.

 

DON

I knew it.

 

KNUTE

I think I can do it in the next twenty minutes.

 

DON

I don’t have time to fool around.

 

KNUTE

How about this:  if I fix the sink in twenty minutes or less,  you’ll let me borrow five hundred from ya?

 

DON

Five hundred?  Get out of here!

 

KNUTE

That’s how much it’s gonna cost.

 

DON

I’ll give you three hundred.

 

KNUTE

The flight costs at least three hundred.

 

DON

Take a bus.

 

KNUTE

A bus? (Pause) All right, I’ll take a bus.

 

DON

You gotta fix this in less than twenty minutes or you’re not getting a cent.

 

KNUTE

That’s plenty of time especially since most the problem’s with the draining in the back.  Nothing’s wrong with this sink here that bleach can’t fix. 

 

DON

If I hear, even a rumor, that you never made it to Cleveland or that Siobhan didn’t get her paints, you’ll never borrow a penny from a person in this town.  And you can bet your lazy Irish ass that you won’t walk into another bar in this county again, either.  Got me?

 

KNUTE

You can trust me.

 

DON

I don’t want to trust you.  I want to know if you understand what I told you.

 

KNUTE

I do, Don.  I do.

 

DON

Okay, then.  Let’s see if you can’t fix this sink.

 

KNUTE

Where’s your bleach?

 

DON

Bleach?  All right, I got some right here.

 

(He grabs the bleach.  Knute jumps behind the bar.)

 

KNUTE

All you gotta do is pour it down the drain and in a second or so it’ll clean up the mess here.  Now just get me a plunger and a wrench so I can fix what you got in the back, and, Don!

 

DON

What!

 

KNUTE

Thanks.

 

DON

Yeah, well...you’re lucky...it’s Christmas.  Now come on, let’s go get the stuff to fix this stupid sink.

 

(Through the one window we see a ragged looking woman sticking her head close to the glass to look in.  She looks all over the bar and enters.)

 

JEANIE

Donny!  Donny, are you here!  Donny, please! Donnny!!!!

(Don and Knute come running out.  Jeanie runs and hugs Don.)

 

DON

Jeanie, Jesus what are you screaming about?

 

JEANIE

You’re fine.  Tell me that you’re fine.

 

DON

Of course I’m fine.

 

JEANIE

What have you done? (To Knute. ) What has he done today? 

 

KNUTE

Nothing.

 

DON

Shut up, Knute.  Baby, I haven’t done anything today. 

 

JEANIE

Don’t do anything.

 

DON

OK.  OK.  I won’t. Knute, please go finish up in the back.

 

KNUTE

I’m not in a rush.

 

DON

Just go (Knute exits).  What are you doing out of bed?  The doctor told you to get as much rest as you could.

 

JEANIE

I just had the worse dream.  The worse dream ever.

 

DON

How many times have I told you not to pay attention to your dreams?

 

JEANIE

But this one felt so close.  It felt so real.

 

DON

That doesn’t mean anything.

 

JEANIE

Don’t talk down to me like that! This dream was real.  It was a message.

 

DON

What about that dream you had where we won a million dollars?  You wanted to move out of our house you were so sure that we were going to win.

 

JEANIE

That was different.

 

DON

How’s it any different? 

 

JEANIE

Because that’s something that I wanted to make happen.  I don’t want to make this dream come true at all.

 

DON

Well, what was your dream about?

 

JEANIE

(Pause) 

It was here, Don.  It was here in this bar.  The walls were all black.  The whole room was black...and you were trying to leave, you see, you wanted to leave the room, but you couldn’t.  There was something -- somebody who was holding you.  You didn’t want to do it, I know you didn’t want to do it, but you did it anyway.

 

DON

What did I do?

 

JEANIE

I could see in your eyes how much you love me...How much do you love me?

 

DON

I love you, that’s all I know.  I can’t say how much. 

 

JEANIE

I could see that in your eyes.  You were thinking about me when you were with her.

 

DON

With who?

 

JEANIE

I don’t know.  But you were with her. 

 

DON

I wouldn’t do a thing like that.

 

JEANIE

I know.

 

DON

It’s just a dream.

 

JEANIE

I know that, but...it’s so...feel my heart.  Can you feel how fast it’s beating?

 

DON

Yeah.

 

JEANIE

My body’s trying to tell me something.

 

DON

It’s telling you to get rest.  You know what the doctor said.

 

JEANIE

I don’t care what the doctor said.

 

DON

Did you take your pills?

 

JEANIE

Don’t worry about that.

 

DON

Did you or didn’t you?

 

JEANIE

I took the sleeping pills.

 

DON

That’s not enough.  Jesus, you come in here scaring me half to hell because you didn’t take your anxiety medicine.

 

JEANIE

That’s not why I’m feeling this way.

 

DON

Of course it is.  Can’t you tell.  You’re hysterical.  Your pulse is far too fast.  You can’t sleep. This is all the stuff that the doctor said --

 

JEANIE

Yeah, but it was so real --

 

DON

It was real because you’re under stress.

 

JEANIE

I’m under stress because of the dream.

 

DON

It is not because of the dream.  Don’t kid yourself like that.

 

JEANIE

What’s that supposed to mean?

 

DON

Ah, shoot, baby, you have been feeling like this for a long time.

 

JEANIE

No, I haven’t.

 

DON

What!

 

JEANIE

This, this is all...it’s--

 

DON

What?  It’s new?  Shit, why do you do this?

 

JEANIE

OK.  I haven’t been feeling perfect, but I’ve been OK.  That’s not why I’m here, anyway.

 

DON

It’s exactly why you’re here. Jesus, you’re sick.

 

JEANIE

It’s just a flu.

 

DON

It is not a flu.

 

JEANIE

The doctor said --

 

DON

You haven’t listened to a word of what the doctor has said. 

 

JEANIE

Please, please come home with me right now.

 

DON

Listen to me, OK.  Just listen.  Please, and I’m only telling you this because I love you and I want things to be like they used to between us, but baby, you’re ill.  You are sick with some disease, and I don’t know how to cure it.

 

JEANIE

Don’t worry about me.

 

DON

I worry.  I worry a lot.

 

JEANIE

But I’m starting to feel better.  Look at me.  Doesn’t my face look prettier.  I’m getting pretty again.

 

DON

You look great.

 

JEANIE

You don’t think so.

 

DON

Yes I do.

 

JEANIE

Then why won’t you kiss me?

 

DON

Now, that’s not the problem.

 

JEANIE

Then what is?

 

DON

Ah, come here.

 

JEANIE

No.

 

DON

Please, come over here.

 

JEANIE

No.

 

DON

Let me hold you.

 

JEANIE

Please don’t talk down to me.  Don’t do that.

 

(She walks over and hugs him.)

 

DON

Do I love you?

 

JEANIE

I don’t know.

 

DON

Do I love you?

 

JEANIE

I hope so.

 

DON

Jeanie, I love you.

 

JEANIE

I love you, too.

 

DON

And I would never do anything to hurt you.

 

JEANIE

I know you wouldn’t.

 

DON

Then don’t worry about this dream.

 

JEANIE

It was so real.

 

DON

It was just a dream.  That’s all.  Please, go home and crawl into bed.  Watch some TV.  Call some friends, do anything but leave. Do not leave the house, OK. Before you know it I’ll be home.

 

JEANIE

I’m not crazy, Don.

 

DON

I know that.

 

JEANIE

The dream was real.

 

DON

I know.

 

JEANIE

Like you said, I’m just a little sick.

 

DON

It’ll be gone soon.  You just need to take your medicine.

 

JEANIE

I will.  I’ll take the medicine like you said.

 

                                                            DON

You’ll feel a lot better then.

 

                                                (Pause)

 

                                                            JEANIE

Don,  do you think that you’ll ever feel the same about me?

 

                                                            DON

What do you mean?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Will you look at me like you used too? 

 

                                                            DON

I look at you now like I always did.

 

                                                            JEANIE

No you don’t, Don.  I wish you wouldn’t lie to me.

 

                                                            DON

I’m not.  How would you like me to look at you?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Never mind.

 

                                                            DON

No, how do you want me to look at you?  Because I can only look at what I see.

 

                                                            JEANIE

And what you see isn’t what you want?

 

                                                            DON

That’s not what I’m saying.

 

                                                            JEANIE

It’s exactly what you’re saying.

 

                                                            DON

I don’t know what you want to hear.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Just the truth.

 

                                                            DON

But I am telling you the truth. 

 

                                                            JEANIE

Then kiss me.

 

                                                            DON

I just kissed you.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Kiss me like you mean it.

 

                                                            DON

Oh, Jeanie, this is ridiculous.

 

                                                            JEANIE
Is it?

 

                                                            DON

Please don’t do this to me.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Ask for a kiss?   I think a wife can ask that.

 

                                                            DON

Baby, you act so weird some times.                                                              
                                               

(Don walks to Jeanie and embraces her.  They kiss, but it is awkward and has little passion.)

 

            JEANIE

That’s it?

 

                                                            DON

That’s all I have.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I guess it is.

 

                                                (She turns around and begins walking to the door.)

 

                                                            DON

I’m sorry.  I really am.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I’ll see you tonight. 

 

DON

I love you, Jeanie.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I love you, too, Don.

 

                                                            DON

I’ll see you later tonight.  I’m sorry.

 

JEANIE

OK.  (She’s about to open the door, but she stops at the window.)  It’s really coming down out there.

DON

Good, we’ll have snow for Christmas.  Nothing’s worse than a green Christmas.

 

 

JEANIE

I don’t think it’s going to stop, Don.

 

                                                (Pause.)

 

KNUTE

(Knute enters.)

I’m all finished up, Donny (Don turns his back on Jeanie.  She exits).  Time to pay the piper.

 

DON

(Jeanie exits.)

Jeanie would you -- ahh, shit, where’d she go?

 

KNUTE

Who?

 

DON

My wife.

 

KNUTE

Out that door.

 

DON

I know she went out that door.

 

KNUTE

Then why’d you ask me?

 

DON

Just shut up, Knute.

 

KNUTE

You could catch her if you wanted to.

 

DON

Please, don’t talk anymore, OK.

 

KNUTE

If that’s what you want.  No problem.

(Don walks over to the window and watches Jeanie walk away.)

 

DON

(Walks to cash register)

How much was I going to let you borrow?

 

KNUTE

I thought you were going to pay me.

 

DON

No.  Borrow.  How much, then?

 

KNUTE

$500 I think.

 

DON

That’s right, I said $300.

 

KNUTE

You’re right.  I forgot.

 

DON

I bet.  Here...wait, does the sink work? 

(Knute jumps behind the bar and turns on the water.)

 

KNUTE

Well, what do you know.  Look at that.

 

DON

I gotta admit, I’m a bit surprised, but you did all right.

 

KNUTE

Well, I can’t thank you enough.  You’re going to make this one great Christmas.  I’ll see ya, now.

 

DON

All right.  Get out of here.

 

KNUTE

See you next year.

(Door opens and MIKE, the policer officer enters.  He is wearing regular NYS policeman’s garb.  His face is attractive and he is Don’s age.)

 

MIKE

Donny you better make sure—(He sees Knute)  What are you doing here?

           

KNUTE

Just doing a little work.

 

MIKE

Donny, did he try take something?

 

KNUTE

No, he’s all right.

 

MIKE

All right?  Did you check your register?

 

KNUTE

Please officer --

 

MIKE

Captain!

 

KNUTE

Captain, when’d you become Captain?

 

MIKE

Last week.

 

KNUTE

Well, Captain, then you should recognize that I am an esteemed member of the community.  And all acts of disrespect will be placed in my memory banks.

 

MIKE

Shut, up and get out of here.

 

KNUTE

Merry Christmas.  Merry Christmas.

 

(Knute exits as that trails off in the distance.)

 

MIKE

What’d you hire that bum for?

 

DON

I didn’t hire him, I just let him do a little work.

 

MIKE

I’d keep my eye on him.

 

DON

He’s all right.  So what’d you come in here yelling about?

 

MIKE

Oh, um, tonight there’s supposed to be a good storm coming in.

 

DON

I didn’t hear anything on the radio.

 

MIKE

Well, I just did, and I want you to make sure there aren’t any cars in the street tonight so everything can get plowed.

 

DON

How much are they expecting?

 

MIKE

They said at least a foot, maybe two.

 

DON

Two feet, Jesus.  I might as well close up now.

 

MIKE

Not quite yet.

 

DON

Why?

 

MIKE

I was wondering if I could pick up a bottle of that scotch you got that I like so much.

 

DON

Of course.  The Glenfiddich?

 

MIKE

Whatever you call it. 

 

DON

Sure, Mike no problem (Don gets the bottle).  So who are you going to be drinking this with?

 

MIKE

Who do you think?

 

DON

If I knew I wouldn’t ask.

 

MIKE 

Bridget, Don.  Did you forget that I was married?

 

DON

I’m sorry, Mike.  Of course I didn’t forget.  That’s not it at all.

 

MIKE

Then why’d you ask?

 

DON

Ahh, let’s just forget I even asked.

 

MIKE

No.  I wanna know why you asked.

 

DON

I was just confused for a second is all.

 

MIKE

Confused?  Confused about what?

 

DON

Come on, Mike, you know why. 

 

MIKE

No I don’t.

 

DON

You gonna make me say it like this?

 

MIKE

Like what?

 

DON

Why are you doing this?

 

MIKE

Doing what?

 

DON

Jesus, Mike, I seen you at closing time leave with that college girl.  Don’t talk to me like I don’t know what you did for crying out loud. I poured the drinks ya know.  I said good night to you two as you two went into your car.

 

MIKE

She’s my niece.

 

DON

Your niece?  I know half your family I woulda.... Forget it.  If you say that she’s your niece then I believe it.

 

MIKE

We’re all settled then?

 

DON

(Pause)

It’s just a little uncommon to feel your niece’s breasts in your car.

 

MIKE

You fucking pig.  You were peeping on us.

 

DON

What do you expect?  You shoulda moved away from this building.

 

MIKE

Great.  That’s great. (Pause)  How many people know then?

 

DON

Nobody knows.

 

MIKE

Nobody?

 

DON

Not a soul.

 

MIKE

Are you sure about that?

 

DON

Who am I going to tell?

 

MIKE

Anybody that you wanted to.

 

DON

Why would I want to tell anybody in the first place?  I’ve got no reason.  Jesus, I would never ever do that.

 

MIKE

If Bridget found out that’d be...I can’t have people knowing what I do.

 

DON

No one will know.

 

MIKE

If Bridget came and asked you, would you tell her?

 

DON

No, no.  Are you forgetting who I am?  What’s wrong with you?

 

MIKE

Wrong.  I’m...I guess I’m just a little nervous.

 

DON

Why?

 

MIKE

‘Cause I’m cheating on my wife.

 

DON

I know, but...but I understand.

 

MIKE

What?

 

DON

I can understand why you did it.

 

MIKE

No you don’t.

 

                                                            DON

I could see, maybe, if I was in your shoes, not my shoes, but your shoes, and the circumstances were right, I think I might do it.

 

                                                            MIKE

Why?  You think there’s something wrong with Bridget?

 

                                                            DON

No, no.  That’s not it all.  All I’m saying is that I understand.

 

MIKE

Yeah, well I know you, Don and I know you wouldn’t do it.

 

DON

I would indeed. 

 

MIKE

No you wouldn’t.

 

DON

That is, if I could. I would.

 

MIKE

But you can’t.

 

DON

But I would, if I could.

 

MIKE

It don’t matter ‘cause you can’t.

 

DON

But I would...maybe.  I don’t know

 

MIKE

Well, if you would do it, why won’t ya then?

 

DON

Don’t be crazy.  I couldn’t do that to Jeanie. 

 

MIKE

Why?

 

DON

I’d feel horrible. The guilt would be too much.

 

MIKE

You pussy.  I knew you couldn’t do it.

 

DON

I guess it’s just not something that I could do. I really do love my wife.

 

MIKE

 

So do I?

                                                            DON

You do?

 

                                                            MIKE

Of course.  This thing’s got nothing to do with how much I love my wife.

 

                                                            DON

It doesn’t?

 

                                                            MIKE

It’s just my…my…my urges.  It’s not my heart.

 

                                                            DON

Why don’t you tell me about that college girl.

 

MIKE

I don’t like talking about it.

 

DON

Why not?

 

MIKE

It makes me feel guilty.

 

DON

It’s just me.  There’s no reason to feel guilty.

 

MIKE

I don’t care. I still don’t like talking about it.

 

DON

(Pause.)

How’s she in your hands?

 

MIKE

What’d I say, Don?

 

DON

Do your fingers touch when you hold the small of her back?

 

MIKE

Don, Jesus.  (Pause.)  Yes.

 

DON

Yes, what?

 

MIKE

Yes, they touch. 

 

DON

And her skin?

 

MIKE

What?

 

DON

Is it smooth?

 

MIKE

(Pause.)

Smooth as silk and soft as cotton.

 

DON

How does she kiss?

 

MIKE

Like an angel.

 

DON

An angel.  And the rest.  (Pause.)  Please, Mike.  What else?

 

MIKE

Her body is so small.  So tiny and lovely that it feels as if it was made for my body.

 

DON

How?

 

MIKE

When I’m with her.

 

DON

When you’re in her?

 

MIKE

When I’m in her it’s like she locks with the rest of my body.  As if she were a missing piece of me.

 

DON

A missing piece.  Wow.  A missing piece.

 

MIKE

Yeah, but now that missing piece is causing me to go to church three times a week.

 

DON

But you said that she was like an angel.

 

MIKE

Yeah, but bad things come in beautiful packages sometimes.

 

DON

So what are you going to do?

 

MIKE

There’s nothing else to do.  I’ve got to break it off.

 

DON

I guess you do.

 

                                                            MIKE

Why are you asking me all this stuff?  I thought you were happy with Jeanie.

 

                                                            DON

I am…but sometimes…I wonder…a beautiful young body…not for a long time…just a moment.

 

                                                            MIKE

No problem.  I got that college girl’s number right here.  She’s got plenty of roommates.

 

DON

Jesus, no. What am I saying?  Why would a young girl want anything to do with me?  Look at me.  I’m an old man.

 

                                                            MIKE

You’re not an old man.

 

                                                            DON

You bet I am.

 

                                                            MIKE

You’re older.  You’re not old.  Besides, you have money, security and you’re a great guy.

 

                                                            DON

You auctioning me off or something? I don’t know about all that.  But it would be something else though, you know.  Just a moment in time.

                                                (Pause)

 

                                                            MIKE

There must have been a time when you were tempted…just a little.  It happens to everyone.

 

                                                            DON

No, not really.

 

                                                            MIKE

Come, on.  There had to be.

 

                                                            DON

Maybe.

 

                                                            MIKE

What do you mean, maybe.  It’s yes, or no.

 

                                                            DON

It’s hard for me to say.

 

                                                            MIKE

What’s so hard about it?

 

                                                            DON
There was this one time.

 

MIKE

OK.

 

DON

And I don’t know if this girl was flirting with me or if she was just being real nice.  I couldn’t tell.  And I didn’t really want to find out.

 

                                                            MIKE

What happened?

 

                                                            DON

It was a couple years back…and you see, this girl came in real late, I was just about to close up and man was she beauiful.  No, that’s not the right word.  She was fricking sexy.  I mean, Jesus, when she walked in I had that feeling, you know, my whole body was just right with her. 

 

                                                            MIKE

You had wood?

 

                                                            DON

Classy, Mike. 

 

MIKE

You did or you didn’t.

 

DON

You’d a too, if you’d seen her.  Man, her hair was long and blonde and her boobs were so beautifully built.  Her cleavage was showing. You never see that around here.  And she was wearing this black mini-skirt with white stockings and black high heels.  I mean, shit.  You could see her legs from Florida to Maine.  They were so long, so godamn sexy.  When she sat down our eyes just locked.  It was like we could have gone and humped without saying a word.

 

                                                            MIKE

What happened?

 

                                                            DON

We started talking and, I think she was flirting you know, but it was so weird, she was so damn straight forward I figured that she was kidding.

 

                                                            MIKE

What’d she say?

 

                                                            DON

Nobody’s in the bar and I’m pouring her a night cap and she grabs my forearm and she says, “You have the best looking forearms that I’ve ever seen.”

 

                                                            MIKE

Are you an idiot?  Of course she was flirting with you.  What’d you do?

 

                                                            DON

I almost shit my pants is what I did.  I didn’t do nothing.

 

                                                            MIKE

What do you mean?

 

                                                            DON

I froze.  I poured her her drink and I walked to the kitchen and I just waited until she left.

 

                                                            MIKE

What do you mean you waited.  What the hell were you thinking?

 

                                                            DON

I was thinking about my wife and my family.

 

                                                            MIKE

I can’t believe it.  You’re Gandhi.  Do you know that?  You’re fricking Gandhi.

 

                                                            DON

But, now, when I look back.  I wonder if she was a gift from above. I mean now…Ahh...Jeanie, you know.  I mean...when I’m with her the last thing that I’m thinking about is sex.  It’s just not something that I want to do with her.  Don’t get me wrong, everything’s working just fine and dandy down there, no medicine for Donny, no sir, but jiminy, I think about every other girl in the world except Jeanie, when I’m with her.  I don’t like that I do that.  I don’t like it for her, because I feel bad, and I don’t like it for me.  I’d just like not to have to think at all.

 

MIKE

When was the last time you two, you know?

 

DON

Slept together?

 

MIKE

Not just sleep, Don.  Not just sleep.

 

DON

You’re not talking about like, hand jobs and stuff like --

 

MIKE

No, just sex.

 

DON

You’re not going to tell anybody are you?

 

MIKE

Don, are you kidding me?

 

DON

It’s been almost, ummm, two years or something like that.

 

MIKE

Two years.  Jesus.  How can you go that long?

 

DON

You get used to it after a while.  I mean, when I think about all she’s done for me, especially when I was sick, shit, sex really doesn’t matter.

 

MIKE

Who you trying to kid?

 

DON

Nobody.

 

MIKE

I guess but geez.  Two years.  My God.

 

DON

Hey, don’t make a big stink about it, would ya?

 

MIKE

I’m sorry.  But two years.

 

DON

Don’t you have somebody to arrest?

 

MIKE

I didn’t mean it like that, but Don this is something to think about.

 

DON

I’ve been thinking and that’s all I’ve been doing.

 

MIKE

Well, how much do I owe you for the bottle?

 

DON

25 bucks.

 

MIKE

Hey, can I see a pen?

 

DON

I don’t take checks.

 

MIKE

I’m paying in cash, just give me a pen.

 

DON

Here ya go.  Now don’t tell anybody what I told ya.

 

MIKE

Don, look.  (Mike’s writing numbers on a sheet of paper)  I would never do that to you.  And I gotta admit, I’m a little surprised about what I heard. And I’m sorry about how I sounded. The only thing that I can do is give you this.

 (He hands him the sheet of paper.)

 

DON

What is it?

 

MIKE

It’s the number of the girl I’ve been seeing...Johnna.

 

DON

No,  I told you.

 

MIKE

Don’t be so quick now, Don.  I’m just giving you her number.  If you’re intersted in meeting some of her roommates give her a call.

 

DON

I can’t do it.

 

MIKE

Just hold on to the number.  The worse that happens is that you don’t call her.  The best is that you meet up with some of her roommates and remember what life used to be like.

 

DON

I don’t know.

 

MIKE

(Mike pays the $25 in cash.)

Sometimes, you just gotta take care of yourself.  I’ll be seeing ya.

 

DON

Why don’t you stop by after your shift?

 

MIKE

I might, but I’ll be surprised if you’ll be open then.

 

DON

I’m always open until 2.

 

MIKE

Well, the snow’s coming down awful hard.

 

DON

Oh, yeah.  I guess I’ll see how the weather is then.

 

MIKE

See ya.

 

DON

See ya, Mike.

 

(Mike leaves the bar.  Don stands looking at the number.  He puts it down.  He, then picks it up.  Turns to the phone.  Picks up the paper.  Walks to the phone.  He dials a number he pulls out a lighter and lights the paper placing it in an ash tray.) 

 

DON

Hi, honey.  Did you get home OK?  How are you doing? I just want you to know that everything’s O.K. here...I won’t be too late tonight.  Mike says it’s supposed to come down bad so maybe I’ll see ya early.  No, that’s all I wanted to say.    OK, honey.  I’ll see ya tonight.

 

(Hangs up the phone.)

 

(Enter Staley.  A petite, attractive, young female.  She is carrying two big worn out suitcases and has a purse around her neck.  She walks enough in the door way for the door to close.)

 

STALEY

Hello?

 

DON

Yes.

 

STALEY

Can I stay here?

 

DON

What do you mean?

 

                                                            STALEY

I just got dropped off by the bus and I was wondering if I could stay here for a while.

 

DON

What’s wrong with the coffee shop at the bus station?

 

STALEY

There was some weird guy there who wouldn’t stop staring at me. 

 

DON

This is a bar, you know.

 

STALEY

I can see that.

 

DON

You gotta be 18 to be in my bar.

 

STALEY

No problem. I just turned 18.

 

DON

Do you have any I.D.?

 

STALEY

No,  I never got my driver’s license.

 

DON

You don’t drive?

 

STALEY

Never had to.  I always walked.

 

DON

You promise that you’re 18?

 

STALEY

I promise. (Pause.) So can I stay?

 

DON

I don’t usually let the bus people come in and stay.  They tend not to buy anything - crowds the place. How long do you plan on staying?

 

STALEY

Oh, I don’t know.  It shouldn’t be that long.

 

DON

Who you waiting for?

 

STALEY

My dad.

 

DON

Why don’t you give him a call?

 

STALEY

It’s not that easy.

 

DON

Why?

 

STALEY 

I don’t really know where he lives.

 

DON

It’s not that big of a town. What’s his name?

 

STALEY

That’s kind of another problem.

 

DON

Why?

           

STALEY

I don’t know his name either.

 

DON

What?  You don’t know your own father’s name? 

 

STALEY

No.  I don’t.

 

DON

Well...what’s your last name?

 

STALEY

It wouldn’t make any difference. I got my mom’s last name. 

 

DON

Why don’t you just call your mom and make her tell you his name.

 

STALEY

She can’t.

 

DON

What do you mean? She just sent you off with no name or address of your - are you running away from home? 

 

STALEY

No, no, no.

 

DON

‘Cause I don’t want to get involved with something like that.

 

STALEY

Look:  I’m just trying to find my dad, OK.  I don’t want anything special from you.  I just want to sit down and think.  I just gotta think and maybe make some calls.

 

DON

It sounds like you’ve got a lot going on here young lady and I’m sorry but I don’t think I can help you much.

 

STALEY

I’m not looking for your help, OK.

 

DON

Now, you have to understand, I have a business to run.

 

STALEY

I know you do.  And it looks like you’re doing a great job of it right now.

 

DON

Now you just better watch what you say.

 

STALEY

Can’t you just let me stay for a little bit. No one’s in here anyway.  How much space can I be taking up?

 

DON

Yeah, well, we get busy.

 

STALEY

If you do, I’ll go.

 

                                                            DON

Yeah, right.

 

                                                            STALEY

I will.  I swear.

 

DON

You’ll just get up and go when I say-

 

STALEY

I’ll be gone.  Don’t worry.  I’ll be gone.  I just need enough time to figure out what the hell I’m going to do.

 

                                                            DON

All right, you can stay.

 

                                                (Staley sits down on a bar stool. Pause)

 

DON

Why don’t you call your mother so tell her where you are and she can come help you out.

 

STALEY

I already told you.  I can’t call my mother.

 

DON

Now, you’re just being stubborn about that. (He pulls the phone over toward her.)  Here’s the phone, now just call her and ask her what you need to know.

 

STALEY

Look, um, what’s your name?

 

DON

Don.  It’s my bar.  It’s my name.

 

STALEY

Don, as much as you may not care or you may not believe me, my mom...she just...two days ago...she died.  So, I can’t find out anymore about my dad than I already know, which isn’t much to begin with.  Please just let me alone for a second.

 

                                                (Pause)

 

DON

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything that was...I didn’t know.

 

STALEY

I know.

 

DON

Sorry. (silence.)  No brothers or sisters, huh?

 

STALEY

Not that I know of.

 

DON

What about uncles or aunts or anything like that?

 

STALEY

Nothing.  Nobody. Nothing.  Do you think I’d be here with you if I could be with someone else?

 

DON

Guess not...well, shit...

 

STALEY

Yeah...shit.

 

DON

(Silence.)

Can I get you something to drink?

 

STALEY

No...that’s OK.

 

DON

Are you sure?

 

STALEY

I don’t really have any money.

 

DON

Don’t worry.  Don’t worry about it.  What can I get you?

 

STALEY

A coke, I guess.

 

DON

Sure, sure.  Well, shoot why don’t you sit down over here.  It’s a lot more comfortable (Don walks around the bar and picks up her stuff.)  It’s the best place to sit in my bar, that’s what I think at least.

 

(She gets up and follows him over to the seat.)

 

STALEY

Thanks.

 

DON

Yeah, sure...What makes you so sure that your dad’s here in Wellsville?  That’s kind of a long shot, isn’t it?

 

STALEY

Well, this one Christmas the mailman came to our house to deliver a package to me.  I was too small to see, but I could hear my mom and him talking.  A second later my mom tells the guy to send the package back.  She said didn’t want nothing from where the package was coming from. Then last year the same thing happened, but this time me and my mom we got in a huge fight about it.  She said she was doing it for my good and all that.  I asked her it was from my dad and she told me not to think about it.  That it didn’t matter where it came from.  The next day I asked the mailman where it came from and he said: Wellsville, NY.  It always kind of stuck in my brain.  Wellsville.  

 

DON

You sure it was your dad?  It could have come from anyone.

 

STALEY

I’m real sure. The way my mom reacted…her face, you should have seen the veins pop out of her forehead, I mean, it had to be.

 

DON

What are you going to do if he’s not here?

 

STALEY

He’s here.  I know he’s here.

 

DON

Okay.  But if he isn’t?

 

STALEY

He’s here. And I’ll find him.

 

                                                (Pause)

 

DON

What do you know about your dad?

 

STALEY

Not much.  I mean, he liked to drink.  That’s what made my mom so mad.  But you never know if that’s true.  My mom would talk about all sorts of people in town and hardly any of the stuff she said about them was true.  That’s ‘cause she wasn’t feeling good, but I’m kinda hoping that she did the same with my dad.

 

DON

What’d he do for money?

 

STALEY

He used to have a good job.

 

DON

In town?

 

STALEY

Not that I know of.  But once he worked as a banker or stockbroker person or something like that.  He wore suits a lot.

 

DON

There aren’t a lot of banks here.  We could call around if you want.

 

STALEY

I guess, but don’t you gotta wait until after Christmas to call the banks?  I’d really like to find him tonight if I could.

 

DON

Sure, sure…I can’t imagine wanting to wait a minute longer than you had to.

 

STALEY

You bet.

 

DON

Do you got anything of his?

 

STALEY

All I really got is this old picture of him.

 

DON

Whattaya been holding on to it for so long?  Let me see it.

 

STALEY

It’s pretty old.

                                                (She starts to look in her purse.)

 

DON

Doesn’t matter. 

 

STALEY

(She pulls out the picture and hands it to down.)

Here you go.  Like I said, it’s pretty old.

 

DON

Let me see here.

 

(Don looks at it for a couple seconds.  He squints.  Pulls the picture in close.  Pulls it away.)

 

STALEY

So?

 

DON

I can’t really tell.  This could be a couple people.

 

STALEY

If you know who it might be that could be good enough.  You don’t have to know for sure.  Just tell me where they live and I’ll go.

 

DON

It might not be the best thing if you just show up at someone’s house who I said might be your dad and you tell them that you’re their daughter.  That might not go over too well, especially if they already have a family.

 

STALEY

I guess they wouldn’t like that much.

 

DON

No, they wouldn’t. 

 

STALEY

So what do you think?

 

DON

I don’t know.  This picture is pretty old.

 

STALEY

What should I do?

 

DON

I don’t know. (Pause) You know what I could do for you.  I don’t know if this will help you out or not but I could call a police officer friend of mine.  He knows everyone in this town.  And if the guy is a drinker like your mom said, well, he’ll have to be in a bar.  Do you want me to do that?

 

STALEY

Would you really do that for me? 

 

DON

Of course.  It’d be no problem.

 

STALEY

That’d be really nice.

 

DON

No problem.

 

STALEY

Thank you very much.

 

DON

Yeah, well, let me call my friend.

 

STALEY

OK.

 

DON

(Don goes to the phone.  He dials the police number.)

Hi, is Mike in?  He is huh?  Is there anyway that you could send him down to Don’s?  The bar...Yes, this is Don.  No, it’s not an emergency.  I just want to talk to Mike.  Oh, hi Irene.  Wow, it’s been a while since we’ve talked.  Oh, I’m doing fine.  Jeanie?  Oh, she’s fine too.  She’s not so bad now.  It’s mostly passed.  No she hasn’t worked for a while. No, no, no.  The bar’s not doing that well.  I wish though.  That’d be nice.  The kids?  I don’t see them that much anymore.  Once they finished school it’s all pretty much been...they have their own lives. Yeah, yup, uh huh, I know.  I always liked your kids.  Yeah, uh, huh, OK....Great...Uh, huh...Well, I do gotta get going, but if you could do me a favor and tell Mike to come on down to the bar I’d really appreciate it.  OK, OK, Yup, I know about the storm.  Sure, sure.  OK.  Bye-bye. (Don hangs up the phone).  He’s doing something now, but he’ll be here in a little.

 

STALEY

Thank you so much.

 

DON

No, no, you’ve been through far too much to even think about saying thank you to anyone.

 

STALEY

That’s so sweet of you to say that.

 

DON

Yeah, um.  (Pause.)  Do you want some more soda?

 

STALEY

Please. (Pause) So, how long have you owned this place?

 

                                                            DON

No problem. (Don pours the coke from the spout.)  Jeez, almost twenty years now.

 

                                                            STALEY

You must really like Wellsville.

 

                                                            DON

It’s all right.  I mean, it’s a small place.  There’s not much to do.  But when you get to be an old guy like me you don’t look for too much to do.

 

                                                            STALEY

Small towns aren’t so bad.

 

 

DON

I have something to ask you.

 

STALEY

What?

 

DON

It’s none of my business, so if you don’t answer it won’t bother me, but how did your mom die?

 

STALEY

Umm, well...it’s kinda hard to say.

 

DON

Look, don’t tell me.  I shouldn’t have asked.  I’m sorry.

 

STALEY

It’s OK.  I’m going to have to say it sometime.

 

DON

Only if you want to.

 

STALEY

(Pause)

It was a suicide. She, um, hung herself.

 

DON

That’s horrible.  I’m so sorry.

 

STALEY

I guess it was all too much, huh?

 

DON

It must have been.

 

STALEY

It’s just fucked up, you know? 

 

DON

It is.

 

STALEY

But fuck it, right?  Shit like that happens all the time to people.  There’s nothing I can do about it.  Fuck it, right?

 

DON

I wouldn’t say that. 

 

STALEY

You wouldn’t?

 

DON

No, hell no.

 

STALEY

What would you say?

 

DON

I don’t know.  Nothing like that’s ever happened to me.

 

STALEY

I hope it never does.

(Pause.)

 

DON

Do you have any friends?

 

STALEY

Of course I have friends.  I have a lot of friends.  Why’d you ask that?

 

DON

I was just, it’s...well, it’s a lot of work, doing what you’re doing here, it’s a lot of work.

 

STALEY

I’ll do it.

 

DON

If you do need help, I should be able to do something for you.

 

STALEY

That’d be nice.

 

DON

(Silence.)

Do you want anything to eat?  I could make you a burger or get some wings for you?  I know it’s not much, but...do you want something?

 

STALEY

I’ll eat anything, but like I told you, I don’t have a lot of money.

 

DON

Look:  don’t worry about it now.  What do you want?

 

STALEY

Wings would be nice.

 

DON

I’ll throw some wings in the fryer and I’ll be out in a sec-.

 

STALEY

Sure.

 

DON

OK

(Don exits to the back kitchen to get the chicken wings ready).

 

(Staley just sits in the chair.  She looks through her things.  She pulls out a necklace.  She holds it in her hands.  She let’s it run through her fingers.  She places it in her lap.  She looks at it.  She looks blankly into the crowd and she begins crying.  The tears come slowly.  Quickly she is crying ferocioulsy holding onto the necklace.  Faintly you can hear her say, no.  She mumbles this a couple times). 

 

(Out of the kitchen comes Don.  He’s oblivious to Staley’s crying at first).

 

DON

 I forgot to ask.  Do you want hot, medium or mild?  My hot’s not that hot, but it’s hotter than- OH, I’m sorry. (He stands there like a deer in headlights. He wants to go back to the kitchen, but he can’t.  He wants to hold the girl, but he can’t.  He stands a couple seconds and speaks in a very gentle voice) Medium.  I can make medium.  Everyone seems to like medium, OK?

 

STALEY

No.

 

DON

Mild, then?

 

STALEY

No.

(He starts to leave back to the kitchen.)

 

STALEY

No.

 

DON

(She lifts up her head and he sees the tears pouring down her face.) 

I’m sorry. (He hugs her awkwardly. She begins to cry much harder. This lasts for a minute or two.)  Is there anything I can do?

 

STALEY

You’ve done so much. It’s just so...I don’t get it, you know.  It wasn’t like my mom was that way.  She wasn’t.  She didn’t walk around like she was going to kill herself all of the time…I mean, I don’t think she was. Who’s to say, right?  Maybe she hid it.  I’ve heard of that, but why would she hide it from me?  I was there all the time.  It was her and me.  It was us together.  Why couldn’t she tell me that she wanted to kill herself.  I’d have done anything to stop her.  Anything. I would have, you know.  I would have.

 

DON

Of course you would have.

 

STALEY

She told me.  She did tell me that she was feeling bad.  That the demons were back, you know.  The demons. What does that mean?  I mean, I know now, but I didn’t before.  How was I supposed to know that that’s what it meant. How was I?

 

DON

You couldn’t have known.  No one could know.

 

STALEY

It’s bullshit is what it is.  It’s bullshit.  She moved around all the time and I went with her.  Everywhere she went I went.  Of course I’m her daughter, but I didn’t want to go to all those places.  I didn’t want to live in West Virginia or Pennsylvania or Ohio.  I don’t know where I wanted to go, but I just wanted to stay.  I wanted to stay put in one place.  Meet one group of friends.  Go to one school. But she had to move all the time and what am I left with?  What do I have? (Silence.) Huh?  What do I have?

 

DON

I don’t know what to say.

 

STALEY

Of course you don’t.  What can you say?  What is there to say?  I don’t know, it’s just so...it’s just all...I don’t know. (Silence.) One thing that I don’t get.  I mean, I just don’t get it.  It’s not the suicide so much, I mean I don’t get that for nothing, but it happened. It’s what it is.  But I don’t get that she’s not going to be here.  I mean, I know it.  I know she’s not going to be living and talking and doing all that stuff, but I still don’t get that she’s not going to be here, you know.  Gone forever. What does that mean?  I guess I sound pretty stupid.

 

DON

No, no you don’t at all.  I mean that’s...what you’re saying makes sense to me.  I don’t know if you ever do get it.  I guess once someone that you love dies you think about that question all the time.  I know I do.

 

STALEY

Yeah?

 

DON

Oh, yeah.

 

STALEY

Did you have someone die on ya?

 

DON

Yes,

 

STALEY

Who?

 

DON

My brother.

 

STALEY

How’d it happen?

 

DON

It was a shooting accident. 

 

STALEY

I’m sorry.

 

DON

It’s OK.  That was a long time ago.  But I still think about him. I can always see his face.  I always think about him and sometimes I even talk to him, but he’s just not there. It never seems to make much sense but somehow, somehow it stops getting in the way of things.

 

STALEY

The guy at the funeral home said that it was going to get better in time.  I sure hope so.

 

DON

I don’t know if it gets better.  Maybe for some people.  I think most people just find a place to put it instead of it finding them.

 

STALEY

What do you mean, it finding them?

 

DON

Um...well, you’ll see in time.

 

(The door kicks open and it’s Mike the police officer.  Snow comes flying in.  He’s kicking the snow off his feet while saying the following.)

 

MIKE

Holy, Jesus it’s bad out there.  What are you still doing open I thought you were gonna- Hello?  How’s everyone doing?

 

STALEY

I’m fine.

 

MIKE

So what’s going on here, Don?

 

DON

Well, um this...I’m sorry, I never asked you your name?

 

STALEY

Staley.

 

DON

                                                (Don introduces them to one another.)

Staley, Mike.  Mike, Staley

 

STALEY

Nice to meet you, Mike.

 

DON

Staley is looking for her father and -

 

STALEY

I can tell him.

 

DON

Sure, of course, go right ahead.

 

STALEY

My mother just passed away and I’m looking for my father. My mom never told me his name or nothing much about him, except that he liked to drink in bars, which I’m not totally sure is true, but it’s my best guess. I know that doesn’t mean much, but that’s all I know.  I also have this old picture of him.  I don’t know how much good it is, but Don here says that you should be able to help me out.

 

MIKE

Let me see the picture.

(She digs for the picture.)

 

STALEY

Here. (She hands it to him.)  Do you know who he is?

                       

MIKE

Nope.  Can’t say off the bat, which is pretty strange since you say he’s been here for a while.  Are you sure he’s still here?

 

STALEY

He’s gotta be.

 

MIKE

Well, do you got a picture that’s, well, more recent?

 

STALEY

No. That’s it.

 

MIKE

So, what’d you want me to do?

 

STALEY

I was hoping that you could check out the bars and see if you could find him?

 

MIKE

I can tell you now that there aren’t many people out tonight.

 

STALEY

If you look, you’ll find him.

 

MIKE

Well, why don’t you just come with me and then we can look together.  I think you’d know him when you see him better than I might.

 

STALEY

That sounds like a good idea.

 

DON

I don’t know about that.

 

MIKE

Why?

 

DON

I just put some wings on the fryer.

 

STALEY

I’ll eat ‘em cold.  I don’t care.

 

DON

The weather.  I mean, look at it out there. You don’t want to go out there do you?

 

STALEY

Not really, but I think that I will know my dad if I see him. It’s probably the easiest thing to do.

 

DON

Now, Mike, what if you show everyone in every bar the picture.  Who’s going to deny a picture of themselves?  I wouldn’t. You wouldn’t.  So if you just go around and one of the guys says that it’s him just grab him and bring him here.  Plus, if your dad does see you there’s a good chance that he’s going to deny it. 

 

STALEY

Why would he do that?

 

DON

It’s the way people are.  Eighteen or however many long years you’ve been apart, people act strange when their past comes and gets them on Christmas Eve.  It’s not about you at all.  It’s about your dad.

 

STALEY

I guess he might get freaked out if I see him right there at the bar.

 

DON

Look: if you want to go...go.  By all means go.  I don’t want to hold you back.  You’ve come all the way here for crying out loud.  But it might be better if you stay.

 

STALEY

(Pause.)

I guess I could stay here.  Mike, if you can’t find anybody will you call so I can go back out with you?

 

MIKE

Do whatever you want to do.

 

STALEY

Are you sure you don’t mind doing this for me?

 

MIKE

Come on.  What else am I gonna do tonight.  It’s too cold to break the law.

 

STALEY

Thanks and please, please, don’t lose the picture.  It’s the only one I own.

 

MIKE

I won’t.

 

DON

Why don’t you keep us posted.  Call us every now and then to let us know what you got.

 

MIKE

I’ll call you when I go to the last bar.  But it ain’t gonna take too long.  I can tell you that.

 

DON

Okay, well, we’ll be waiting to hear from ya.

 

MIKE

See, ya.

 

STALEY

Please find him.

 

MIKE

I’ll do my best.

(He opens the door and snow comes flying in.  The door slams.)

 

STALEY

So what do we do now?

 

DON

I guess we wait.

 

STALEY

Yeah (pause). Do you think Mike’ll find him?

 

DON

If he’s out there, Mike’ll find him.

 

STALEY

I hope.

 

DON

Don’t worry, he will.

 

STALEY

What if...I mean, I haven’t even thought about this, but what if Mike doesn’t find my dad?  What’s going to happen then?

 

DON

I don’t know.

 

STALEY

I don’t have any money.  I don’t have anything, except what’s in those bags.

 

DON

Don’t worry about it.  Things will work out okay.

 

STALEY

I am worrying, I am most definitely going to worry.  You don’t know what it’s like to have nothing.

 

DON

You don’t have nothing.  You’ve got more than you think.

 

STALEY

If you’re talking about the clothes in my bag don’t get too excited.  It’s all pretty old and plain. 

 

DON

If worse comes to worse, I’ll help you out some way.

 

STALEY

You’ve done plenty enough for me.

 

DON

You can stay at my house if you have to.

 

STALEY

I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.

 

DON 

You don’t have to if you don’t want to.  It’s just a suggestion.  It’s an emergency plan more like it.

 

STALEY

First, I don’t know you.  And second,  what would your wife say?

 

DON

How do you know I’m married?

 

STALEY

Isn’t that your wedding ring?

 

                                                            DON

Yes…of course. 

 

STALEY

Well, what would your wife think if you brought home some girl like me?

 

DON

You’re not a girl, you’re a young lady.

 

STALEY

Oh, I don’t know about that.

 

DON

You are.  You’re a young lady.

 

STALEY

If that’s what you say.

 

DON

Jeanie, that’s my wife, Jeanie, she’d be okay.  It’s not that we’re doing anything. It’s not like anything is going on.

 

STALEY

No, of course not.

 

DON

Right. Look at you.  Look at me. Nothing is happening.  You may need a place to stay and if you do I’ll provide a nice place for you to rest for a couple nights.  That’s just a good thing to do.

 

STALEY

I think it’s a great thing to do.

 

DON

You do?

 

STALEY

I’d really like it a lot.  I mean, if I have to.

 

DON

Yeah, only if you absolutely have no choice.  You can’t sleep out in the snow.

 

STALEY

Yeah, I don’t want that.

 

DON

Well, now you know.

 

STALEY

Know what?

 

DON

What you’ll do if you Mike doesn’t find your father.

 

STALEY

Yeah, thanks.  Thanks a lot.

 

DON

It’s nothing.  What else could I do?

 

STALEY

You could do a lot of things.

 

DON

Nah, nah.

 

STALEY

Yeah, yeah.  I’ve seen it.  Trust me.  You’re doing something great for me and I want you to know it.

 

DON

It’s really no problem.

 

STALEY

Oh, wow, that is so weird, I can’t believe that just happened.

 

DON

What?

 

STALEY

My hands they just got all tingley.  It’s been a long time since that’s happened.  Weird?

 

DON

What’s that mean?

 

STALEY

Your hands don’t get all tingley when you’re really excited?

 

DON

No.

 

STALEY

Well, mine do.  But rarely, very rarely.

 

DON

What are you so excited about?

 

STALEY

Not having to worry.  You.  I guess.  You made me not have to worry.

 

DON

I did, I guess I did.

 

STALEY

You know if you weren’t so...I mean, if it wasn’t such a queer thing to ask for, I’d ask you for a hug.

 

DON

Nah.

 

STALEY

I didn’t.  I wouldn’t.  But...never mind.

 

DON

No, no, no.   (They look at each other.) But it might not be that bad of an idea.

 

STALEY

Do you think so?

 

DON

I am, I know I’m not, well, you never know what a guy like me might say to, to, it’s just a hug.

 

STALEY

But you already said, no.

 

DON

But you never asked.

 

STALEY

So if I did, you might say, yes.

 

DON

I might.

 

STALEY

Well, will you come over here and give me a hug for being so nice?

 

DON

If you stand up I will.

 

(Staley stands up and Don walks over to her a bit awkwardly. They kind of stumble slowly putting their arms around each other.  They begin to hug.)

 

STALEY

Thank you so much for all your help.

 

DON

It’s, I, you’re...can you feel that?

 

STALEY

What?

 

DON

My heart beating.  It sounds so loud.

 

STALEY

That’s because it is.

 

(As their hug becomes more intimate we see Don’s wife Jeanie look through the window like she did earlier in the play.  She stands and watches as the two hug, closer and closer together. )

 

DON

Did you hear something?

 

STALEY

No.  It must be your heart.

 

DON

I’m married.

 

STALEY

I know.

 

DON

She’s sick.

 

STALEY

Who?

 

DON

My wife.

 

STALEY

Yeah?

 

DON

Yeah.

 

STALEY

Do you want to go somewhere else?

 

DON

Do you want to?

 

STALEY

No.

 

DON

I won’t then.

 

                                                (They look into each other’s eyes.)

 

                                                            STALEY

You know…I think I better go to the coffee shop in the bus station.

 

                                                            DON

No.

 

                                                            STALEY

You sure.

 

                                                            DON

Yes, I am.

 

(They continue to hug as their heads get nestled in one anothers necks.  Jeanie quickly runs away.  Lights fade to black.)

 

 

                                                            ACT II

                                                           

(Same setting as Act I.  Some time has passed.)

 

STALEY

You sure do make great wings.

 

DON

Well, they’re wings.  What special can you say about them?

 

                                                            STALEY

Do you know what would make these wings even more awesome?

 

                                                            DON

What?

 

                                                            STALEY

A beer.

 

                                                            DON

A beer. What, are you crazy?  You’re not old enough.

 

                                                            STALEY

Oh, come on.  Does it really matter?

 

                                                            DON

Yeah, if someone sees that you’re drinking I’ll lose my license.

 

                                                            STALEY

Who’s gonna come in here on a night like tonight.  Look around.

 

                                                            DON

I don’t know.

 

                                                            STALEY

It’s up to you.

 

                                                            DON

You’re 18, you’re barely old enough to…I mean…to do a lot of things.

 

                                                            STALEY

I’ve drank plenty of times.  I can handle my liquor.  I only want one beer anyway.

 

                                                            DON

One beer?

 

                                                            STALEY

Look: if you don’t want to…

 

                                                            DON

I guess it can’t hurt anything.  You won’t tell anyone, will you?

 

                                                            STALEY

Of course not.

 

                                                            DON

I’ll give you one beer.

 

(Don reaches over the bar and grabs two glasses of beer and pours beer from a tap into them.)

 

            STALEY

What are you getting two for?

 

                                                            DON

It’s all right if I have a beer, isn’t it?

 

                                                            STALEY

I’m sorry.  Of course.

 

                                                (He sits where he was before.)

 

                                                            DON

I guess the wings do taste better with the beer.

 

STALEY

I’m so hungry now I guess it really wouldn’t matter what I ate I’d like it anyway. Look at you.

 

DON

What?

 

STALEY

That’s so cute.

 

DON

What?

 

STALEY

Don’t move (she grabs a napkin and walks over to him.  He has food hanging off of his mouth.)   You’re such a mess.  You’re like a little baby.

                                               

                                                (The phone rings.  Don looks at Staley.)

 

                                                            STALEY

Aren’t you going to get it?

 

                                                            DON

Yeah. (Don walks over to the phone and picks it up.) Hello…Hello?…Is anybody there?

 

                                                (He hangs up the phone.)

 

                                                            STALEY

Who was that?

 

                                                            DON

I don’t know.

 

                                                (He walks back toward Staley.)

 

                                                            STALEY

I can’t believe it.  You still have food on your face.

 

(She starts to wipe it off.  Her hand stays around his lips for an extra couple seconds.  Don suddenly moves his head.)

 

DON

No, no.

 

STALEY

What?

 

DON

Just, please don’t.

 

STALEY

But I was just...

 

DON

Shoot. 

 

STALEY

What?

 

DON

Jeanie…Oh, man.

 

                                                            STALEY

Your wife?

 

                                                            DON

Yeah, she used to that a lot.

 

STALEY

What?

 

DON

 Wipe food off my face.

 

                                                            STALEY

You don’t seem like your that messy of an eater?

 

                                                            DON

I’m not.  See, when we first got married…I had this…I don’t…What am I doing?

                                                            STALEY

What’s wrong?

 

                                                            DON

I can’t believe I’m talking about this.

 

                                                            STALEY

I don’t get it.  What happened?

 

                                                            DON

 

I had this disease or sickness...I think it’s called Gillian Grey or Brent.  I can’t remember for sure.  Jeez, that’s over twenty years ago.  Anyway, this sickness made me go numb.  I couldn’t feel my hands at first and then it went to my arms and down and down.  And for a while I couldn’t feel my legs or hardly nothing. I couldn’t barely move, so she’d do everything for me.  She washed me and clothed me, she fed me and when I made a mess she cleaned me up.  What a saint.

 

STALEY

Wow, she must really love you.

 

(Don stands up and walks to the window.)

 

DON

My God,  Jeanie.  What is she doing right now?

 

STALEY

I don’t know.

 

DON

What am I doing right now?

 

STALEY

Nothing.  You’re doing absolutely nothing.

 

DON

But I am.

 

STALEY

We’re cleaning up.

 

DON

No. It’s Christmas Eve and I’m sitting here doing 18-year-old things, which is fine if you’re 18.  It’s what you do when you’re 18, but me.  Kids, a wife, a family.  A family man.  I have a woman who loves me.  She loves me. That’s a responsibility. What the fuck am I doing?  

 

DON

What I do.  What I say.  It has it’s...it has a...reaction.  My actions have a reaction.

 

STALEY

You say that and I...I don’t know what to say.  I didn’t mean anything by doing what - are you upset?

 

DON

I’m very...um...I need to...confused.  I’m confused.  I better call Jeanie.

 

STALEY

Do whatever you think’s right.

 

DON

(Don goes to the phone.  Picks it up and calls Jeanie.  He let’s it ring.) 

 

Come on.  Come on.  Pick up the phone.  Come on...Shit...Come on...Damn...Jeanie, hi, this is Don.  I guess you’re sleeping.  Um...I just wanted to call to let you know that I’ll be coming home soon.  The snow’s kept everyone home tonight.  It’s Christmas Eve, I guess they should be home with their families.  (He turns away from Staley).  Honey, I...I love you and I miss you  and please call me when you get this message. Please.

 

(Don hangs up.) 

 

STALEY

I’m not trying to break something up here.

 

DON

What did you do that I didn’t...you know, want to do?

 

STALEY

I don’t know.

 

DON

Nothing, okay.  Nothing.

 

STALEY

I feel so bad now.

 

DON

I hope this doesn’t hurt your feelings.

 

STALEY

No, what’s there to get upset about?  I didn’t want this stuff...I’m here to find my dad.  And it’s not like we really did anything anyway.  We just...it wasn’t much.

 

DON

It may not have been much to you, but I’m married.

 

STALEY

I know.  That is a big deal.

 

DON

It really didn’t feel like anything to you?

 

STALEY

Kissing?  It was just kissing.

 

DON

I don’t know about that.

 

STALEY

But it was.

 

DON

You didn’t feel...it didn’t feel like anything special?

 

STALEY

It was very nice.  And it felt really good.  But it wasn’t...I mean it wasn’t...never mind.

 

DON

Fool, fool, fool.

 

STALEY

You shouldn’t feel so bad. 

 

DON

But I do.

 

STALEY

I should feel bad.

 

DON

No.

 

STALEY

I knew.  I knew you were married.

 

DON

So did I.

 

STALEY

Yes you did.  Of course you did.

 

DON

Of course

 

(Silence.)

 

STALEY

I hope that police officer calls soon.

 

DON

Yeah, I need to go home.

 

STALEY

Why don’t you just go.

 

DON

I can’t, I have to stay here.

 

STALEY

Why?

 

DON

I can’t just leave you here alone.  There’s a lot of stuff here.  No.  When Mike get’s back, I’m gone for the night. But not before. I don’t want to go home and come back to lock up.  Not in this weather.

 

STALEY

It’s up to you.

(The phone rings. Don goes to the phone  He picks it up.)

 

DON

 Hello…Mike.

 

STALEY

What’s he saying?  What’s he saying.

 

DON

Hold on.  Okay, so, what’s up?...Yeah, all over, huh?  Nothing...Did you show everyone the picture?  Everyone?  Yeah well...what?  What?  No way.  That sonofabitch. Right across the street! I can’t believe it.  He promised me he was going to Cleveland.  That bastard. Yeah, bring him here.  I can’t wait to see him. Yeah, I’ll see ya (hangs up the phone).  That sonofabitch.  I really can’t believe that bastard would do that.  What a dope.  What a stupid dope I am.

 

STALEY

Did he find my dad?

 

DON

I’m sorry.  No, he said that he looked and no one there said nothing.

 

STALEY

When’s he gonna be here?

 

DON

In about two seconds.  He’s right across the street.  I can’t wait ‘til he brings that bastard here.  You won’t believe this guy.

 

STALEY

I can’t believe my dad’s not around.

 

DON

He asks me for money and I give it to him.  I knew I was gonna get taken, but I gave it to him anyway.  It’s my fault for being so stupid.

 

STALEY

What are you talking about?

 

DON

The guy Mike’s bringing in. Knute McCallehey. He comes into my bar and asks me for money, so he can visit his kid. I give it to him and he doesn’t even have the common sense to leave the block.  He goes across the street to The Gin Mill and drinks away the money I gave him. 

 

STALEY

Did you really mean what you said about me staying at your house?

 

DON

Did I?

 

STALEY

Yeah, did you?

 

DON

Oh, well...I think it probably would be a good idea if I asked my wife first.

 

STALEY

I knew it.  I knew you were going to say that.  Why?  Why?  Because of our little -

 

DON

Shhh, Mike’s going to be here.

 

STALEY

I don’t care.

 

DON

We’ll figure something out. Okay.  I promise. You won’t be sleeping out in the snow.  I’ll help pay for a hotel if I have to, okay?  Okay?

 

STALEY

I guess.

 

DON

Just don’t say nothing.  It’s over, right?  It’s all over.  And Mike’ll be here and you can go looking for your pops with him.  The hunt has just started, right?  Don’t get down so fast.  If he’s here in Wellsville, you’ll find him.

 

STALEY

Okay.  Okay.

 

(The door goes swinging open and it’s Mike holding Knute by the shirt collar.)

 

DON

Well, well, well if it ain’t Knute.

 

KNUTE

Ah, Don, now I can explain everything.  I swear to you I can.

 

DON

Oh, yeah.

 

KNUTE

I was going to go.  The weather kept me here.  I swear to God.

 

DON

Why didn’t you bring the money back?

 

KNUTE

I’m still going to go.  I promise.  When the weather clears up I’m on the first bus back to Cleveland.  You don’t believe me I know, but I promise.  I’m not lying to ya.

 

DON

How much have you spent tonight?

 

KNUTE

Nothing.

 

DON

How much?

 

KNUTE

Like twenty dollars or something.

 

DON

Let me see.

 

KNUTE

You don’t believe me?

 

DON

Let me see the money, Knute.

 

KNUTE

 

(Knute unravels the money from his pocket.)

 

Ah, Jesus.  Here it is. I got like $250 left, okay.

 

DON

You said you only spent 20 bucks.

 

KNUTE

That was at the Gin Mill.  I had a couple somewhere else.  What’s the big deal?

 

DON

The big deal?  I’ll tell you, you worthless sonofabitch.  You rope me in with some garbage story about your daughter and I end up giving you $300 for nothing.  You robbed me.

 

KNUTE

You gave it to me.

 

DON

You robbed me, dammit.

 

KNUTE

I promise that I’m going to Cleveland tomorrow.  I swear it.

 

DON

You don’t have a family.  You don’t have nothing.  You’re a worthless drunk. You’re a loser.  A loser.  Give me the money.  Give me it.

 

KNUTE

Here, Jesus, it’s just money.

 

DON

I ain’t rich, but money isn’t what I’m pissed about.  You took advantage of me.  You stared at me right in the eyes and you lied to me.

 

KNUTE

I never lied to you.

 

DON

You’re doing it again.  I can’t believe you.

 

KNUTE

No, now, no.  Maybe not totally honest.  Maybe I wasn’t totally honest, but I never out right lied.  I plan on going to Cleveland with that money.  And I got a family so don’t you tell me I don’t.  I do dammit.  I do.

 

                                                (Don counts the money.)

 

DON

You’re done.  You’re done here.  That’s it.  You have no name anywhere.  No one’ll serve you a drink again.  You’re done.

 

KNUTE

This is bullshit.

 

DON

You rat.  You lied again.  There’s only two hundred here.

 

KNUTE

No, no. There’s two-fifty.

 

DON

Now,  you’re calling me a liar.  You.  Fucking, you are calling me a liar?  Piece of shit.

 

KNUTE

The other fifty’s gotta be there.

 

DON

Shut up.  Just shut up. (He starts to count it again)  Can you believe him, Mike.  Can you?

 

MIKE

I told you this was going to happen, didn’t I?  I told you not to trust him.  What do you expect?

 

DON

Yeah, yeah, a sucker, a sucker.  I hate getting taken for a sucker.  (He finishes counting) Two hundred anyway you count it.  Anyway.  Fuck.

 

(Silence.)

 

MIKE

What do you want to do with him?

 

DON

What is there to do?

 

MIKE

I could keep him locked up over night.

 

KNUTE

Now come on.

 

MIKE

Shut up! What do you say, Don?

 

DON

I don’t know.  Let me think for just a second here.

 

KNUTE

You can’t lock me up for this.  I didn’t steal nothing.  He let me borrow it.  I could still-

 

DON

Just shut up, okay.  Be quiet and let me think.

 

(Silence)

 

STALEY

Mike?

 

MIKE

Yeah.

 

STALEY

You didn’t find anyone?

 

MIKE

No, I’m sorry. 

 

STALEY

You looked everywhere?

 

MIKE

I promise, I looked all around.

 

STALEY

You showed everyone the picture?

 

MIKE

Yeah, I did.  Nobody said nothing.

 

STALEY

When this is all over here, do you think we can go out looking again?

 

MIKE

Yeah, sure.

 

DON

I’m sorry about all this yelling.  It’s just this guy.

 

KNUTE

My name’s Knute.  I’m not just some guy.

 

DON

It’s all...I’m sorry, about all this stuff.

 

STALEY

Mike, do you think I could have that picture back?

 

MIKE

What?

 

STALEY

The picture of my dad?  It’s all I got.

 

MIKE

Yeah, sure.

 

(He pulls it out of his pocket and begins to hand it to Staley.  Knute and Mike are situated in such a position so that Staley can see the picture.  Mike takes a momentary look at the picture and gives it to Staley.  Staley takes the purse off around her neck and places it on the bar.)

 

KNUTE

What the fuck is that?

 

MIKE

What’d we say about you talking, Knute?

 

KNUTE

That picture.  How the hell’d you get that picture.

 

STALEY

Why?  Do you know this guy.

 

KNUTE

Give me it.  Let me see it.

 

STALEY

Here.

(She hands him the picture.)

 

KNUTE

What in the world is this?

 

STALEY

Do you know him or not?

 

KNUTE

You bet your ass I do.

 

STALEY

Who is it?

 

KNUTE

Why?

 

DON

Just tell her, Knute!

 

KNUTE

All right.  I mean, I don’t know how you got this fricking thing, but it’s a picture of yours truly.

 

STALEY

What?

 

KNUTE

It’s a picture of me.

 

DON

It can’t be.  No way.  It can’t be.

 

KNUTE

You can bet your ass it is.

 

DON

No, Knute.  This picture doesn’t look anything like you.

 

STALEY

What’s your name?

 

KNUTE

Knute McCallehey.

 

STALEY

Knute McCallehey?

 

KNUTE

Yeah.

 

STALEY

Do you got a daughter?

 

KNUTE

Yeah, I do.

 

STALEY

How old is she?

 

KNUTE

Fourteen or 15.  I’m not totally sure.

 

STALEY

How about, 17.

 

KNUTE

What?

 

STALEY

Is this really a picture of you?

 

KNUTE

Yeah, I’m certain.

 

STALEY

You’re not lying?

 

KNUTE

No.

 

STALEY

Well, then, I might be your daughter.

 

KNUTE

Really...Siobhan...is that really you?

 

STALEY

Siobhan?  That’s my nickname?

 

KNUTE

That’s not your nickname, that’s your name.

 

STALEY

No, my name’s Staley.

 

KNUTE

That’s not what we named you.

 

STALEY

What’s my mom’s name?

 

KNUTE

Molly. Molly McCallehey, that’s what it was at least.

 

STALEY

Molly…Oh, my God.  You really are my dad?

 

KNUTE

Siobhan...I don’t know what to say.

 

STALEY

Well how about, hi, dad.

 

(They hug awkwardly.)

 

DON

Wait just a second here.  You said you were 18.

 

STALEY

You wouldn’t have let me in if I said I was 17.  I’m sorry.  I lied.

 

DON

Okay, okay, you lied, but this guy, now he’s a liar.  I wouldn’t believe a word he said.

 

STALEY

He’s not lying.

 

DON

You don’t really think that he’s your father?

 

STALEY

I don’t think it. I know it.

 

KNUTE

I know that this looks real bad, Don.  But I really did plan on seeing my daughter.

 

DON

Right now you’re just pulling this shit out of your ass, you crook.

 

MIKE

Let me see that picture.

 

KNUTE

What did you want me to say?  If I told you I  hadn’t seen her since she was a baby you wouldn’t have given me the money. 

 

MIKE

Don, if you take away the 20 years of drinking and shave him and throw on a nice suit, well, I mean, I don’t much trust Knute, but I’d put my money on him this time.

 

KNUTE

Every year, either Christmas or your birthday, I’d send you something.  Maybe it wasn’t much, but I’d send it.  And it’d always come back.  Some times I’d send the same thing back to you the next year hoping that you’d answer the door.  I really was gonna see you, baby.  I was gonna.  I promise baby, I was going to visit you.  I swear to God.  But your mom.  She doesn’t want me around.  I don’t care what your mother says anymore.  I know that she hates me and, and I can’t blame her that she does, but I’m going to visit you from now on.  Every year I’m going to see you.

 

STALEY

You don’t gotta worry about mom anymore.

 

KNUTE

Why?

 

DON

I can’t believe that you believe him.

 

STALEY

Mom died.

 

KNUTE

She…she did?  I’m sorry.

 

STALEY

No, you’re not.

 

KNUTE

How can you say that?  I loved your mother.

 

STALEY

You never did anything for her.

 

KNUTE

Now that’s not fair. You weren’t around.  You didn’t see what happened.

 

STALEY

I wasn’t around? You weren’t around.

 

KNUTE

In the beginning.  Before you were born. After you were born.  She was just...she just had something.  I could never...she would go for days without talking...without saying anything...It would happen so much.  It just would just fucking happen so much.  I had to go.  What was I to do?

 

STALEY

Stay around.

 

KNUTE

I tried.  I promise.  I tried.

 

STALEY

What?  Sending me gifts?  That’s sticking around.  I mean, you knew where we lived.  You knew, but you never tried to find us.  All these years and you never once tried.

 

KNUTE

She didn’t want me there.  She made it crystal clear.

 

STALEY

But I did.  I did.

(Silence.)

 

KNUTE

I’m sorry about that.  I haven’t been the best father.

 

STALEY

You haven’t been a father.  You haven’t been anything.

 

KNUTE

I understand if you hate me.

 

STALEY

I don’t know if I should hate you, hug you or kill you.  I come two states over to find my dad.  I have a picture of you that makes you look like you got some money...like you’re somebody that can help me.  And all I get is...is..you?  What the hell happened to you?  Here, in my hand, you look like somebody who could give somebody something.  But you look like...like a drunk.

 

KNUTE

That’s not fair.

 

STALEY

Why?  Why isn’t it fair?

 

KNUTE

You’re too young to know, to have seen, anything.  Life isn’t that easy.  It’s not.

 

STALEY

You don’t have to tell me.

 

KNUTE

There are things that happen that make you you.  There are genes that shape you. 

 

STALEY

That’s not an excuse for being a nothing.  For sucking everything out of everyone.  That’s not an excuse.

 

KNUTE

I didn’t say it was.

 

STALEY

Then what are you saying?

 

KNUTE

It’s an explanation.

 

STALEY

Right...right.  Great...my dad’s a fucking bum, and I ain’t got nobody.

 

KNUTE

Don’t say that.  I have been less than perfect.  I have been worse than bad, but I can get better.  I can be more.

 

STALEY

I’m supposed to believe that?

 

KNUTE

If I say it.  I mean it.

 

STALEY

What? You’re going to take care of me now?  Is that what you’re saying?

 

KNUTE

We can see.  I’ll work hard.  I can do something.  Things are pretty rough now, but they’ll get better soon.

 

STALEY

What are you going to do?

 

KNUTE

I don’t know for sure.  I’ll have to see what’s out there.

 

STALEY

Didn’t you used to have a good job?

 

KNUTE

Once I had a job that paid pretty good money.

 

STALEY

You were a stockbroker or something.

 

KNUTE

No.  No.  I wish.  I was a bank teller.  I counted money.  It paid good at the time.

 

STALEY

Bank teller? You couldn’t have been.  Look at this picture.  You look so rich.

 

KNUTE

That was the uniforms they made us wear. 

 

STALEY

You don’t have any money left from then, huh?

 

KNUTE

No.

 

STALEY

You never made much, did ya?

 

KNUTE

Never.

 

STALEY

What do you have?

 

KNUTE

I have a little apartment and some furniture and a TV and stuff.  Not much I guess.

 

STALEY

That’s not enough for us together?

 

KNUTE

It’s barely enough for me.  But you came all the way here and I’m not just gonna leave ya.  I’m not gonna give you nothing.

 

STALEY

But you don’t have anything to give.  It’s as simple as a sunset.  I’ve got nothing and you never had nothing.

 

KNUTE

Yeah, but-

 

STALEY

But, what?  What are you going to do?

 

KNUTE

I can try.  I can maybe get a job or something.  I can really try.

 

STALEY

It’s not worth it.

 

KNUTE

No, I’m gonna do it.  I’m going to get a job and get a better place, so we both can live in it, and that will be that.

 

STALEY

I don’t think so.

 

KNUTE

What else are you going to do?

 

STALEY

I don’t know for sure.  I’ll figure something out.

 

KNUTE

Why don’t you stay with me.  At least stay with me for a couple nights.  What’s wrong with that? 

 

STALEY

I don’t know.  I don’t even know you.

 

KNUTE

What’s there to know?

 

STALEY

Exactly.

 

KNUTE

Ah, now, come on, now.  That’s not fair.  This is the perfect time.  The perfect thing to do.  If you stay with me then we can talk about...you know...your life, because there’s really not much to talk about with my life.

 

STALEY

I guess it wouldn’t be the worse thing to do.

 

KNUTE

I’ll sleep on the floor and you can sleep on the bed and...I don’t have cable, just what the TV picks up by itself.  I hope that’s OK.

 

STALEY

I just want to get some sleep.

 

KNUTE

What d’ya say we go, then? If it’s all right with these boys.

 

DON

Do you really want to spend the night at his house?  You don’t even know what it looks like.

 

STALEY

I think that it’ll be all right.

 

DON

Are you sure?

 

STALEY

Yeah, I’m sure.

 

KNUTE

What do you say, guys?  You gonna let me go?

 

DON

What do you think, Mike?

 

MIKE

Don’t have much of a choice, do we?

 

DON

Can’t say that we do.  All right.  You get out of here.  And don’t ever expect on coming back.  I mean it. 

 

KNUTE

Is there a time when you might forget about the whole thing?

 

DON

There’s no way that I’ll ever forget this day.

 

KNUTE

I can’t blame ya.

 

DON

You better not.  And, Knute.  You best take care of that young woman.  She’s an angel.

 

KNUTE

I can see that.

 

DON

I don’t think that you do.

 

KNUTE

Well, let’s get you out of here.  Is that your stuff over there?

 

STALEY

Yup.

 

KNUTE

All right then.  I’m just down the street so it’s not a bad walk even in this weather.

 

STALEY

Okay.  Then, I guess I’ll be going.

 

DON

Is he really your father?

 

STALEY

He is.  I mean, he’s a part of me, or I’m a part of him, but that’s only blood.

 

DON

All right, then, good luck.

 

STALEY

Yeah…I’ll see you around, I guess. Thanks for all your help.

 

(Knute picks up the bags and turns around and leaves the bar.  Staley follows behind.  She exits.)

 

            DON

See ya.

 

MIKE

Now, if that isn’t some fucked up shit I don’t know what is.

 

DON

Shut, up, Mike.

 

MIKE

You gotta admit, that it ain’t right.

 

DON

It is what it is.

 

MIKE

What it is, is fucked up.

 

DON

Enough.

 

MIKE

Jeez, Don.  What’s the big deal?

 

DON

I just hate to see a girl like that finding out that that’s her father.

 

MIKE

I’d hate that to happen to anyone.  Imagine if you found out that Knute was your pops? Boy, that would be something.

 

DON

It would be.

(Silence.)

 

MIKE

I could arrest, you.  Do you know that?

 

DON

What for?

 

MIKE

Come on, Don.  You know what for.

 

DON

We didn’t even do anything.

 

MIKE

What?

 

DON

Nothing happened.

 

MIKE

What are you talking about?

 

DON

What are you talking about?

 

MIKE

She was only 17.  There were two glasses of beer on the bar.

 

DON

Come on, Mike.

 

                                                            MIKE

Come on, what?

 

                                                            DON
You’re not going to give me a hard time about that, are you?

 

                                                            MIKE

If you tell me that it’s her beer I’m going to give you a hard time.

 

                                                            DON

It wasn’t, then.

 

                                                            MIKE

Really?

 

                                                            DON

I felt like pouring two beers for myself, OK?

 

                                                            MIKE

Seventeen.  That could have been a very big mistake.

 

                                                            DON

Nothing happened, all right.

 

MIKE

What ‘didn’t happen,’ between you two?

 

DON

Nothing, Mike. 

 

MIKE

Come on. What happened?

 

DON

Nothing.  Would you just drop it.  Would you just leave it alone.

 

MIKE

I’m having a hard time believing you.

 

DON

Would you, shut up.  I didn’t do anything, dammit. 

 

MIKE

Feeling guilty?

 

DON

I don’t have anything to feel guilty about. Oh, Jesus, would you look at that.  She left her purse here.

 

                                                (Mike walks over to the window.)

 

                                                            MIKE

Just leave it here.  She’ll come back and get it.  Seventeen, Don.  That is real young.

 

DON

Please…just be quiet.

 

MIKE

Okay, okay, I’ll just look at the snow.  Man, look at it come down.

 

                                                            DON

You can barely see more than 10 feet in front of ya.

                                   

(Don walks over to the window.  They both look out the window.)

 

                                                            MIKE

It hasn’t snowed like this since the blizzard of ’78.

 

                                                            DON

It was the blizzard of ’77

 

                                                            MIKE

Bullshit, it was ’78.

 

                                                            DON

                                                (A car drives by and it’s lights light up the window.)

No, ’77.  The bar was-

 

                                                            MIKE

What the hell is that?

 

                                                            DON

What?

 

                                                            MIKE

Look right there?

 

                                                            DON

What?

 

                                                            MIKE

There’s something in the window.  Did you see it when the car went by.

 

                                                            DON

Where?

 

                                                            MIKE

Right there.  Right in the window.

 

                                                            DON

I don’t see anything.

 

                                                            MIKE

Hold on.  Let me go turn on my car headlights.

                                               

(Mike runs outside and turns on his car lights. He comes back in.)

 

                                                            MIKE

Look: the ice melted and then it froze again.  Can’t you see it?

 

                                                            DON

I don’t really…oh, yeah.  There it is.  What is it?

 

                                                            MIKE

It looks like some hands and maybe…I don’t know, a mouth or something.  Was someone looking in the window?

 

                                                            DON

Who the hell would be looking in here?

 

                                                            MIKE

I don’t know. It’s your bar.

 

                                                            DON

It’s probably nothing.

 

                                                            MIKE

I guess…it’s just that it’s so cold…I mean, who would be just sitting outside looking in?

 

                                                            DON

I don’t know…somebody.  It doesn’t matter.

 

                                                            MIKE

Someone was staring in through this window long enough to melt the ice.  What was going on here that would make someone look in at the window?

 

                                                            DON

Nothing.

 

                                                            MIKE

You didn’t…I mean with that young woman?

 

                                                            DON

If I did?

 

                                                            MIKE

It’s non of my business…it just that it looks like I’m not the only one who’s been peeped on.  Look at that face. (He steps back a couple feet.)  Could it be someone you know?

 

                                                            DON

It could be anyone.  It could be you.  It could be me.  It could be Jeanie.

 

                                                            MIKE

Could it have been Jeanie?

 

                                                            DON

Do you think Jeanie would have stood in the window that long?  It’s freezing.

 

                                                            MIKE

Did you hear anything?

 

                                                            DON

I thought I might have heard something, but it wasn’t…I don’t think…Oh, shit.  I’m calling Jeanie. (Don picks up the phone and calls Jeanie.  It rings and rings and there’s no answer.) Mike, her dream.  She saw it.  I can’t believe it.  How stupid can I be?

 

                                                            MIKE

What dream?  What are you talking about?

 

                                                            DON

She saw us, Mike.  It was in her dream and she saw us.  We gotta go.

 

                                                            MIKE

Where.

 

                                                            DON

My house, dammit.  Let’s go.

 

                                                (Don runs to the door.)

 

                                                            MIKE

Don’t you need a jacket?

 

                                                            DON

Let’s go, now!

(Don leaves.  Mike follows right behind him.There’s a moment or two of silence.  The door opens.  It’s Staley.)

 

                                                            STALEY

Hello?  Is anyone here?  Don…That’s weird. 

 

                                                (She walks over to the bar to pick up her purse.)

 

                                                            STALEY

Is anyone here?  I’m taking my purse now.  I forgot it before.

 

(She picks up her purse.  She looks at the beer tap.  She looks around.)

           

            STALEY

I’m going to drink a beer now!  Did you hear that.  I’m getting drunk and crazy now! (Silence) I guess no one is here.

                                   

                                                (She looks at the beer tap again.)

 

                                                            STALEY

Might as well get drunk and crazy if they’re gonna let me.

 

(She reaches over the bar and grabs herself a glass.  She pours a beer.  She sits down.  Suddenly, in the window we see Jeanie again.  She peers in through the window.  Exits the window and enters through the door.  Staley fumbles when she sees Jeanie and she pours her beer in the tap’s well.  Jeanie looks much more attrative than she did before. Explain later.)

 

            STALEY

I was just about to leave. 

 

                                                            JEANIE

You don’t have to go anywhere.

 

                                                            STALEY

I just left my purse here, so…I really didn’t -

 

                                                            JEANIE

Did you see, Don?

 

                                                            STALEY

Don?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Yes.

 

                                                            STALEY

No, I haven’t.  I mean, he wasn’t here when I came in.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Have I met you before?

 

                                                            STALEY

No, I don’t think so.

 

                                                            JEANIE

How do I know you?

 

                                                            STALEY

Maybe you know my dad.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Who’s that?

 

                                                            STALEY

Knute McCallehey?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Knute…Knute, no I can’t say that I do.  Have you always lived here?

 

                                                            STALEY

No, no.  I just moved here…today.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Welcome to Wellsville.

 

                                                            STALEY

Thanks.

 

                                                            JEANIE

There’s not a lot going on here, though.

 

                                                            STALEY

I don’t mind.  I kind of like small towns.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Yeah, but they can be tough, you know?

 

                                                            STALEY

What do you mean?

 

                                                            JEANIE

The town.  The people. They talk a lot about…you know, gossip.  It’s not such a good place to be when you’re not feeling your best.

 

                                                            STALEY

I can imagine.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I don’t know if you can.

 

                                                            STALEY

I can and I do. 

 

JEANIE

You’re too young to really know.

 

                                                            STALEY

No, I…we…me and my mom.  We travelled around a lot, just for that reason.  She was sick and she would do somethings sometimes that would freak out the town.

                                                           

JEANIE

Yeah, like what?

 

                                                            STALEY

She once wrote, in soap on our front windows, something like, “You all think I’m crazy.  You’re the ones that are crazy,” or something like that.  I guess it wasn’t the best way for her to make her point.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Probably not.

 

                                                            STALEY

She wasn’t crazy, though.  She was just sick.  Like she a had tumor, but you couldn’t see it. 

                                                (Pause.)

 

                                                            JEANIE

Who are you?

 

                                                            STALEY

Nobody.  I’m just a girl who left her purse in a bar.

 

                                                            JEANIE

You’re more than that.

           

                                                            STALEY

I don’t think so.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I’ve been thinking about you a lot.

 

                                                            STALEY

What?  What do you mean? 

 

                                                            JEANIE

I saw you.

 

                                                            STALEY

Saw me?  Where?

 

                                                            JEANIE

From the window, I saw you here.

 

                                                            STALEY

Here?

 

                                                            JEANIE
Yes, with Don.

 

                                                            STALEY

You did?

 

                                                            JEANIE
I’m Don’s wife.

 

                                                            STALEY

I think I better go.

 

                                                            JEANIE

No, don’t.  I’m not going to do anything.  Don’t worry.

 

                                                            STALEY

My dad’s waiting for me.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Please, don’t go.  I just want to talk to you.

 

                                                            STALEY

I’m sorry.

 

                                                            JEANIE

You should be.

 

                                                            STALEY

Don, really loves you.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I wonder.

 

                                                            STALEY

He does love you.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I can’t blame him for wanting to be with a young beautiful girl like yourself.

 

                                                            STALEY

I’m really sorry.  I was just so sad and he helped me out so much and-

 

                                                            JEANIE

What’s it like being young?

 

                                                            STALEY

I don’t know.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Tell me.

 

                                                            STALEY

What do you want me to say?

 

                                                            JEANIE

What makes you so attarctive?

 

                                                            STALEY

I don’t really think that I’m that attractive.

 

                                                            JEANIE

You don’t?

 

                                                            STALEY

No, I don’t.  Look:  I’m so sorry about being with your husband.  But we didn’t really do anything.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I just don’t know why you came into my life?

 

                                                            STALEY

I’m sorry that I did.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I saw it, you know.

 

                                                            STALEY

In the window, I know.

 

                                                            JEANIE

No, before that.  In a dream.  I saw you with him.

 

                                                            STALEY

You did?

 

                                                            JEANIE

I saw it twice.  I wouldn’t want to see it again.  (Pause)  For the longest time I figured I was crazy.  You know, everyone walks around never really talking about what’s bothering them, they go to work, they do their stuff and they move on.  And I haven’t really been that kind of a person for a long time.  I have been one problem after another.  Things just haven’t been…balanced, you know.  And today when I had that dream, I was so scared.  It’s Don. It’s my love for 25 years.  That’s a long time. I thought the dream was proof that I was crazy.  There you were with Don just like in the dream.  Who dreams the future?  Who?  (Pause)  Who does?  I did.  For just a second.  I saw a flash into the future.  It did come true.  Now, that’s special.  You can’t just throw that away.

                                                           

STALEY

No, you can’t.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Everyone has talents.  I’m sure that you do, Don can talk to everybody and makes great drinks, but I don’t really know how to do anything anymore.  I used to though.  I used to work at Alcas doing accounting and I’d read and sometimes write, but that seems so far from me now.

 

                                                            STALEY

I bet you’ve been doing a lot.  You just don’t know it.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Don’t say that because you don’t know me.  You don’t.  And if you did you’d know that there’s no way to describe me except as Don’s wife.  That’s really all I am or have been or… whatever.  Just “Don’s wife.”  I don’t like it and I don’t want it. I want to get out of my shit.  I want to end the mess that I’m in.  And the dream, the vision, showed me that I have something special.  That I’m not crazy.

                       

                                                (Pause.)

 

                                                            STALEY

Do you mind if I go now?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Not yet.

 

                                                            STALEY

Please.

 

                                                            JEANIE

You didn’t answer my question.

 

                                                            STALEY

What?

 

                                                            JEANIE

What’s it like to be young?

 

                                                            STALEY

Like I said, I don’t really know what to say.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Does it feel good, to you?  Do you feel more beautiful? Aren’t you afraid of getting old like me?

 

                                                            STALEY

No, I’m not afraid.  I hope that I will…someday…be as old as you.  It’s something that I haven’t expected.

 

                                                            JEANIE

What?

 

                                                            STALEY

Living, to 30…to 40.  I just expected less time.

 

                                                            JEANIE

But you are living in a wonderful window right now.  Don’t tell me you don’t feel happy because you’re not old?

 

                                                            STALEY

I don’t.  I don’t feel much different, I don’t think, than you.  I have seen some shit come my way.  I have lost more than I can expect to gain.  I didn’t expect this shit to happen to me at 17, so I only figure that if there is a God he’ll make my path a lot smoother from here on out.  You might wish you were my age, but it’s behind you. Now, I’d love to put this time behind me.

 

                                                            JEANIE

The beauty of 17 dies so quickly.

 

                                                            STALEY

No…you’re beautiful. 

 

                                                            JEANIE

What I did once have has faded.

 

                                                            STALEY

No, it hasn’t.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Please, I don’t want to argue what I know to be true.  I am far from beautiful.

 

                                                            STALEY

No, you’re not.  You are here…you are, you have done something with what you were given.

 

                                                            JEANIE

What the hell does that mean?

 

                                                            STALEY

Look at yourself over here.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Why, so I can see my bags and wrinkles.

 

                                                            STALEY

Those bags and wrinkles are great.  I would trade what’s on the outside for my feelings on the inside.

 

                                                            JEANIE

You would?

 

                                                            STALEY

A husband, children.  You have done more than expected.  If I could…if I did that, then I’d be happy.  But that too, is really…I mean…I have a lot of things to do before that.  And here I am in Wellsville.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Having Christmas at Don’s.

 

                                                            STALEY

Yeah, Christmas at Don’s. (Pause)  I hope I didn’t cause anything…make anything happen that wasn’t going to happen anyway.

                                                           

JEANIE

I don’t know if you can say that.

 

                                                            STALEY

I guess not.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Who’s to know young lady…you did what you did.

 

                                                            STALEY

What I did was not that…I mean…we…

 

                                                            JEANIE

Seventeen, hu?  That’s pretty hard to compete with.

 

                                                            STALEY

I don’t want to compete.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I don’t either.

           

                                                            STALEY

I hope you forgive Don.  I think he slipped.  He was very shaken.

 

                                                            JEANIE

It’s just guilt.

 

                                                            STALEY

But I don’t think he meant it.

 

                                                            JEANIE
He did mean it.  I mean, he did it.

 

                                                            STALEY

I just know that he really does love you.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I know he does, but what kind of love is it?

 

                                                            STALEY

What do you mean?

 

                                                            JEANIE

You can love somebody, but not be attracted to them, and ultimately that ends whatever you have.  You have to be attracted.

 

                                                            STALEY

I guess it depends on what attracts you.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I guess I know what Don likes. 

 

                                                            STALEY

No, I mean, where you look…what you want.

 

                                                            JEANIE

We’re still humans.  We still find younger more beautiful.  I can’t fight that.

 

                                                            STALEY

We also make mistakes.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Did you?

 

                                                            STALEY

I did.  Had I met you.  Had I known you, I wouldn’t have done anything…not that it was anything anyway.  I really am sorry. 

 

                                                            JEANIE

This is all quite…bizarre.  More bizarre than most my thoughts.

 

                                                            STALEY

Please, please, forgive Don.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I’ll see.

 

                                                (Pause)

 

                                                            STALEY

Do you mind if I go now?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Don’t forget your purse.

 

                                                            STALEY

I won’t.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Do me a favor, would ya?

 

                                                            STALEY

What’s that?

 

                                                            JEANIE

I would appreciate, at least for a while, that you didn’t come around.

 

                                                            STALEY

I won’t.

                                                           

JEANIE

It might not be a bad idea if it was for a pretty long while. 

 

                                                            STALEY

I don’t plan on being with your husband ever again if that’s what you mean. 

 

                                                            JEANIE
Those things usually don’t take any planning.  That’s why I don’t want you around.

 

                                                            STALEY

That’s OK.  You won’t see me.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I don’t want you to look at me like I’m this mean old crotchety bitch.  I’m not.  Me and Don just got some things to take care of.

 

                                                            STALEY

I know.  We all have things to take care of.

 

                                                (Staley heads to the door.)

 

                                                            JEANIE

Good luck, young lady.

 

                                                            STALEY

Thanks and don’t think twice about that stuff.

 

                                                            JEANIE

What stuff?

 

                                                            STALEY

You are beautiful.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Enough of that.

 

                                                            STALEY

No, you could have…well…killed me, I mean, been real mean.  You weren’t.  That’s beauty.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Or maybe it’s just being a mom.

 

                                                            STALEY

I think they’re the same.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Maybe they are.

 

                                                            STALEY

I know they are.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Thanks.

 

(Staley leaves with purse in hand. Don enters.  Mike follows right behind.)

 

                                                            DON

Jeanie, Jeanie my God you’re here.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Where else would I be?

 

                                                            DON
We’ve been looking all over for you.  And when I got to the house and saw that your pills were gone I-

 

                                                            JEANIE

Don, don’t talk about those!

 

                                                            DON

It’s Mike, it’s Mike.  Who cares?

 

                                                            JEANIE

I do.

 

                                                            DON

You’re here is all that matters.  I was so scared.  I thought…I thought.

 

                                                            JEANIE

What’d you think?

 

                                                            DON

Someone came into the bar today and she was talking about her mom and an accident – I was just worried.  I was afraid.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Why would I do something like that?

 

                                                            DON

You were such a mess before and now you…you look different, anyway, I was scared shitless.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Was it really me or was it you?

 

                                                            DON

What do you mean?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Was it something I did or was it something you did?

 

                                                            DON

I don’t get it.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Don, why bother?

 

                                                            DON

With what?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Please…I saw it.

           

                                                            DON

 

Saw what?

 

                                                            JEANIE

You and…that young woman.  Here, just like I saw before.

 

                                                            DON

Jeanie, don’t talk about that now.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Why it’s just Mike, right?  You don’t care do you, Mike?

 

                                                           

                                                            MIKE

About what?

 

                                                            JEANIE

That Don was with a young woman earlier.

 

MIKE

I’m going to go home now.  I’m glad you’re safe.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Thanks, Mike.

 

                                                (Mike leaves.)

 

                                                            DON

What’d you see?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Does it matter?

 

                                                            DON

No, it doesn’t.  I’m so sorry.  I’m so, so sorry.  I didn’t mean to hurt you.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I don’t know, Don.

 

                                                            DON

I didn’t mean it, I swear.

 

                                                            JEANIE

It was a very shitty thing to do.

 

                                                            DON

I know.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Especially for someone who did so much for you.

 

                                                            DON

I know.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I never gave up on you.

 

                                                            DON

You didn’t…You’re right.

 

                                                            JEANIE

For all the shit, when I fed you and bathed you and helped you put your clothes on and gave you all your medicine.  You fought it, Don.  You came back and when it was time to help me, you looked the other way. 

 

                                                            DON

I did.  I did.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I know you did, dammit.  I just needed help.

 

                                                            DON

I’ve tried, Jeanie.  You can’t ignore that.

 

                                                            JEANIE

But this is where it ends up.

 

                                                            DON

I didn’t want this.

 

                                                            JEANIE

But you made it.  You made it happen. You had a choice and your choice was clear.

 

                                                            DON

It was a moment.  It passed.  Now I’m here and I want you.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Do you?

 

                                                            DON

Yes, of course.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Hu…I don’t know.

 

DON

I do.  I want you so bad and don’t know what I would do if I lost you – especially over this because I didn’t mean it.

 

                                                            JEANIE

That is so stupid.  How can you say that?

 

                                                            DON

I didn’t mean it.  It just happened.

 

                                                            JEANIE

So, you have no control of your actions?

 

                                                            DON

Of course I do.  I just…slipped.  I made a big mistake. (Silence) I really want you.  I really want you to be with me.

 

JEANIE

I don’t know.

 

                                                            DON

I’ve tried.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Tried at what?

 

                                                            DON

This isn’t easy, you know.  Being with you.  Helping you.  What you have isn’t something that you can see.  It’s not something that you can easily control.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Don’t you think I know that?

 

                                                            DON

I didn’t know where to go…I lost my…for you…I lost –

                                                           

JEANIE

The attraction has been gone for a while.

 

                                                            DON

I’m sorry.

 

                                                            JEANIE

It’s hard to look good when you don’t feel good.  What’s the point?

 

                                                            DON

I know.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I don’t know if you do.  You always tell me what to do, but you don’t know what it’s like.  Take this pill, take that pill, you don’t know.

 

                                                            DON

It’s what the doctor said.

 

                                                            JEANIE

The doctor is not always right.  The pills throw you off.  They cloud you.  They don’t clarify, they muddle and I have muddled for a long damn time, Don.  A long time.  I want it to stop and go away.  That’s why you couldn’t find the pills.  I threw them out.  I want my old self back.

 

                                                            DON

I know and I want to help you come back.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I don’t know about that.

 

                                                            DON

What don’t you know?

 

                                                            JEANIE

You’ve hurt me.  I mean…I’ve been so confused so long and then this happens.  You haven’t looked at me evenly in a while. Do you know that? You’ve been looking down at me ever since I got sick and now this is the first time in long time you’ve looked at me even.

                                                            DON

I haven’t been looking down at you.

 

                                                            JEANIE

You treat me like I got more control over this than I really do.  I don’t.  It comes and it goes and it’s been here for a long fucking time and you have not been much help.

 

                                                            DON

What am I supposed to do?  Jeanie, what can I do?  You don’t tell me these things all the time.  You tell me over and over how bad you are…how ugly and useless you are.  You just sit and sleep and you do nothing.

 

                                                            JEANIE

That’s what I feel like.  That’s what I’m thinking.

 

                                                            DON

I know.  I’m sorry. I know.

                                   

                                                            JEANIE

Do you?

                       

                                                            DON

More now, than before, but yes, I do.  And I have tried, I have wanted to be with you…I want to want you.  I have wanted to want you for a long time…but I haven’t…and I’m sorry about that.  I really am.  I just don’t know what happened.

 

                                                (Pause)

 

                                                            JEANIE

I’m sorry, too.

 

                                                            DON

Don’t apologize.  You have nothing to apologize about.

 

                                                            JEANIE

But you’re right.  I have not been…desirable in a long time.

 

                                                            DON

You’ve been sick.

           

                                                            JEANIE

I’ve been very sick.

 

                                                            DON

There’s nothing you could have done about it.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I know that.  But there’s a part, a big part, of me that feels like I can make myself feel better, if I just worked harder.

 

                                                            DON

But you have been working hard.

 

                                                            JEANIE
Maybe I could have done more, listened more to what the doctor said.  I don’t know, I could be like this forever.

 

                                                            DON

But I think you’re better now.  You certainly look better.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I did put on some of my nice clothes and a little makeup.

 

                                                            DON

You look really…beautiful.

                                               

                                                            JEANIE

No, I don’t.

 

                                                            DON

Yes, you do.  Why’d you get so dressed up?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Because when I left you tonight I wanted you to remember how pretty I used to be.

 

                                                            DON

You’re still pretty now.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Do you really think so?

 

                                                            DON

Yes, I do.  I am so sorry for what I did.   I will never, ever, ever do that again.

 

                                                            JEANIE

This not something easily forgotten. The picture will be there for a while.

 

                                                            DON

I know.  I don’t blame you.  (Pause)  Maybe you can start, though.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Start what?

 

                                                            DON

Forgiving me.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Maybe.

 

                                                            DON

Maybe you’ll let me kiss you?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Not now.

 

                                                            DON

Please, I want to kiss you so badly.

                                                (Pause)

 

                                                            JEANIE

Do you really?  Or are you just feeling guilty?

 

                                                            DON

I really do want to kiss you.  I just want to hold you so bad ‘cause I don’t want to lose you…And I am feeling guilty, Jesus, I can’t deny that.  I fuck, fuck, fucked up.  I have no excuse.  I forgot.

 

                                                            JEANIE

What’d you forget?

 

                                                            DON

For one second I forgot how much I love you.

                                                (Pause)

 

                                                            JEANIE

It’s been almost two years.

 

                                                            DON

Two very long years. (Pause)  I’m so sorry.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Are you?

 

                                                            DON

So Incredibly sorry.  I understand if you don’t want to…you know

 

                                                            JEANIE

Forgive you.  You’re my husband.  I just don’t know what to do.  We’ll see in time.

 

                                                (Pause)

 

                                                            JEANIE

I’m going to go home.

 

                                                            DON

Can I come?

 

                                                            JEANIE

No.  Not tonight.  You can come by tomorrow.  Tonight I want to be alone.

 

                                                            DON

I don’t want you to be alone.

 

                                                            JEANIE

But I do.  And I will.

 

                                                DON

Please don’t go yet.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Why?

 

                                                            DON

Can I hold you?

 

                                                            JEANIE

Why?

 

                                                            DON

Because it feels good.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Jeez, Don.

 

                                                (She moves over to Don.  Don hugs her.)

 

                                                            DON

I’m so sorry.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I know.

 

                                                            DON

I love you.  I thought I lost you.

 

                                                            JEANIE

I know.

 

                                                            DON

I wish I could trade today in like a t-shirt or a broken toaster that never worked. Like I could walk into God’s shop with a receipt marked 12-24 and say, “I want this day back.”

           

                                                            JEANIE

But you can’t.

 

                                                            DON

But if I could, if I would…And I would have gone home with you the first time you came in and I would have held in your in bed until you felt better…until we kissed…until we made love.

 

                                                            JEANIE

Maybe you can do that some day.

 

                                                            DON

I hope that I’ll have the chance.

 

                                                            JEANIE

We’ll see, Don.  We’ll see.

 

 

                                                            THE END