Play 30: Baling

by Joseph Frost

a play written for The 31 Plays in 31 Days Project

Draft August 30, 2012

Attic Scripts 4550 Normandy Dr Jackson, MS 39206 atticscripts@hotmail.com

A set of furniture, ragged and filthy. It is not set up in a discernible placement, but pieces sit on the side or propped up on one end - stacked in an unstable way. Laying over some of the furniture is BEHAN, a young scraggly guy. BEHAN A thousand years, no man should be treated this way. (beat) They cant keep us here. (beat) You hear me. A noise from within the pile. Speak up. BEHAN (CONTD) A foot appears. Out climbs MULLEN. GQ. MULLEN Waste o time, upsettin yerself. Thats what Im on. that way. Not me. BEHAN Youve already given up. I cant go He makes Behan look

MULLEN Well, yer here, arent yeh? BEHAN Youre the one who told on me. Whod I tell? MULLEN BEHAN (sarcastic) (slaps Mullens head) MULLEN

Yer ma. Eedjit.

I dont told a soul.

BEHAN Then howre we here, then? You tink I told on meself?

2. MULLEN Or Guiss. BEHAN MULLEN BEHAN Just recap it. He didnt have it, so

Coulda been Hammer. Tell me whacha did. Me? Why me?

Dunno.

Maybe.

I wanna know.

MULLEN I went to Brewers round nine thirty. I went round Annies. Annie. BEHAN Like shes got it.

MULLEN I dint go dere fer daht. You sweet on her? Shes sweet on me. BEHAN MULLEN Im keeping me options open.

BEHAN Jackpot, son. Take yer winnins to the booth and cash in afore you lose yer shirt. MULLEN But den I went round to Hobsons. Hobson. That prick. BEHAN

MULLEN Oi. I knocked the door, and I heard him say to someone to hide it. I did. Honest. BEHAN Hobsons a bigger eedjit than you. Hes got nothin.

MULLEN So when he comes the door, I barge the room. You barged him? I did. BEHAN MULLEN

3. BEHAN

Proud o yer.

MULLEN Gave me shoulder a knock. Betcha did. BEHAN

MULLEN But yous never guess what was I saw inside. Nothin. Exactly. That prick. I know hes got it. his face. So you did what? I went round his. To his. I did. BEHAN MULLEN BEHAN MULLEN I heard him. BEHAN MULLEN

Youd be the same you saw

BEHAN This time o night? MULLEN I knew it was wrong straight away. BEHAN MULLEN BEHAN MULLEN Hes screaming so loud.

The look on his face. I could tell. But you told him, then. I couldnt get a word.

BEHAN So Arch and Big Mikey brought you here. They did. MULLEN

4. BEHAN And gave you a roughin. Im fine. So he doesnt know. Couldnt get a word. MULLEN BEHAN MULLEN Behan digs a cell phone out of his pocket. Whatre ya doin there? Im textin. I see that. Caroline. No. Just sent. Dont do that. Who? MULLEN (CONTD) BEHAN MULLEN BEHAN MULLEN BEHAN MULLEN Take it back. BEHAN

s already gone.

MULLEN Whyd you have to get Caroline in this? She loves you, yeah? Of course she does. Shes going to help us. (beat) tll be fine. BEHAN MULLEN BEHAN Shes going to help you.

And me.

5. MULLEN BEHAN

Says you. She knows what to do.

MULLEN You promised she wouldnt have to do this no more. BEHAN That was before you went round the world and ended up with nothing. MULLEN Dont make it like I got her in this. Who would it be? BEHAN Behans phone beeps. Caroline? Shes on it. MULLEN BEHAN Behan puts phone in his pocket. Behan... Ts fine. MULLEN BEHAN He reads.

(beat) Cant believe you went round to his. I did that once. Couple years back. I was finished with a guy who owed a fair penny, but it was one of my first collections, so I wasnt... I wasnt as efficient as need be. So I go up to his, back when he was on Elm. The big place. Well, he used to live across from Harry Peal back then... Harry Peal. MULLEN The detective?

BEHAN Hes on a beat back then, but the same guy, yeh. Anyways, so I go up to his, and Im covered. My hands, on my shirt, I think somes on my shoes, this guys blood on me. I didnt know bout Marthas place. To get cleaned up, yeh. MULLEN

6. BEHAN So Im there on his stoop when he opens the door. And Ive not seen a face like that ever in my life, nor none since. Hes just like, Sweet Mary Jesus and God! (laughs) And so loud that the stoop light comes on at Peals across the way. And he sees that light come on and before I even spit out what happened, he shoves me down the stairs and is gone back in the house by the time Im on the grass. Now, Id tweaked my knee in football at school, so I land on it funny and Im just laying there on the grass as Peal makes his way across. But He comes back out the house just as Peal gets to me and acts like he dont know me. Oi. MULLEN Throw you under the bus.

BEHAN Thats what I taught, but no. Hes right in with Peal on how I mustve had a knock down the stoop. So Im all yeh, yeh, das it. and Peal buys the lot and carts me to hospital. MULLEN But now he lives up the hill. BEHAN Thats right. Now he does. (beat) Mullen. Yeh. Yeh. You have it on you. What? You have it. MULLEN BEHAN MULLEN

BEHAN I know you do. Dont say nothin. (beat) I know that you know theres only two things can happen here. Oh yeh? Neithers good for you. MULLEN BEHAN

MULLEN What makes you think I have it? Behan just looks at him.

7. Mullen backs away. BEHAN That wasnt Caroline on the text. MULLEN I kinda wish it was, now. BEHAN He has to have it, Mullen. You know thats right. I dont know that. Mullen. MULLEN BEHAN Behan pulls out a gun. A moment. I dont have it. Lies. I dont. I disagree. Im not--Right pocket. MULLEN BEHAN MULLEN BEHAN MULLEN BEHAN Mullen reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad of yellow notebook paper. Mullen tosses the paper at Behan. MULLEN Ts a nice moon tonight. Yeh? BEHAN

8. MULLEN The kinda moon that makes people crazy. (beat) I made mine last night. Head start. Yeh. BEHAN MULLEN

Make bad decisions.

(beat) I been collectin fer him since Is twelve. I remember. BEHAN

MULLEN This is the business were in. It is. BEHAN

MULLEN You said yerself a mans gotta knock some heads er hell be under heel til hes dead. I said that? You did. BEHAN

MULLEN And it made a lot of sense. A moment.

Made sense to me.

BEHAN Youll have to do me a favor, Mullen. What? MULLEN

BEHAN Dont tell anyone I said that. Behan turns the gun on himself. He shoots. He drops to the ground. Behan! MULLEN Mullen dives to Behan on the ground. Behan grabs Mullen roughly.

9. BEHAN You wanna get out from under heel? Wha... yeh. MULLEN Behan hands Mullen the gun. Then knock some heads. I dont-BEHAN MULLEN

BEHAN You want the chance? This is it. (beat) Do it.

It starts here.

Mullen rises, holds gun out over Behan. Thank you. Yeh. MULLEN BEHAN Mullen pulls the trigger. Behan is dead. Mullen drops the gun. A moment. Lights down.