Feeling Opposition

DM 9116 (c)Copyright, WCCC, 1991.

Setting: Lawyers office. Coupe going o!er so"e paperwor#. $he wife has %een containing her
e"otions. $he hus%an& is 'uite ai& %ac#, %ut not co&.
S$()S*): *#ay, e!erything oo#s goo&...a we nee& are a coupe of signatures an& e!erything
is ega.
+,(L: (cheerfuy going to sign) *#ay...
-.$/: (gra%s his ar") .h, Mr. Stinson, cou& we ha!e a few "inutes aone0
S$()S*): (1o#ing) Sure thing. +hi outa here, wi ya, your wife wants to see "e aone.
-.$/: )o...( "eant...
+,(L: Car, you nut2 (3oth augh, -ate &oesn4t. Stinson notices an& then gets serious.)
S$()S*): (to -ate) (s there so"ething wrong with the wor&ing or... so"ething you &on4t
un&erstan&0
+,(L: )o, it4s fine, an& ( thin# we4!e use& enough of your ti"e Car, -ate 1ust sign it.
-.$/: (to Stinson) +ease...1ust a few "inutes0
S$()S*): Sure...( un&erstan&...the finaity of the paperwor# an& a can %e a itte "ore &ifficut
than anticipate&...(to +hi) ,appens a the ti"e...%ut...
+,(L: $hat4s o#ay Car, -ate4 sign it as is...C4"on ,oney, he4s a %usy "an, an& we4!e %een o!er
a this "any ti"es2
-.$/: (to Stinson) +ease...
S$()S*): Sure, ( can gi!e you a few "ore "inutes, after a, +hi, you &i& see to it that our
phone syste" got up an& running the sa"e &ay ( "o!e& into this new %ui&ing...
+,(L: 5eah, how4s it wor#ing0
S$()S*): 6reat...there4s a itte gitch o!er at the reception &es#, %ut...
+,(L: 7eay0 Let "e ta#e a oo#. (-ate cears her throat. +hi getting the point) ,ey, (4 sen& a
repair"an out first thing Mon&ay, o#ay0
S$()S*): Sure thing an& (4" sti wor#ing on those 3us tic#ets2 (e8it)
+,(L: So, what4s up0
-.$/: ,ow can you %e so co& an& unfeeing0
+,(L: .re you ta#ing to "e0
-.$/: 5es2 Laughing, ta#ing a%out gitches in the phones an& %as#et%a. We4re a%out to "a#e
a ife9changing &ecision2 (starts to tear up)
+,(L: -ate, ( thin# you are getting a itte o!er9e"otiona a%out this...
-.$/: *!er9e"otiona0 (stifes %ac# a %ig cry) We4re ta#ing a%out our &eaths2 We:re ta#ing
a%out the future of our son.
+,(L: -ate, reay...(s"iing)
-.$/: (e"phaticay) ( &on4t want 6era& an& Mary to raise $yer2
+,(L: $hey won4t.
-.$/: (points to paper) $hey "ight2 .n& they har&y #now hi"2
+,(L: 6era& an& Mary are his aunt an& unce. (t4s ogica that they...
-.$/: $hey &on4t o!e hi"2
+,(L: 5es, they &o2
-.$/: )ot i#e we &o...not i#e ;enny -ritchen &oes2
+,(L: ;enny -ritchen...our %a%ysitter0
-.$/: 5es, she o!es hi"2
+,(L: (chuc#es) ,oney, we can4t na"e a 1< year o& %a%ysitter ega guar&ian to our = year o&
son2 $hat4s cra>y2
-.$/: ( get cra>y 1ust thin#ing of hi" seeping anywhere %ut in his itte race car %e&...an&
anyone ese putting itte green $eenage Mutant )in1a $urte 3an&ai&s on his %oo%oos, or
so"eone ese potty training hi" or...
+,(L: (with a augh) )o one ese is gonna wanna &o that2 (-ate gares at hi", now serious) )o
one ese is gonna &o it. We4re signing our wi not our &eath certificate2
-.$/: We, ( fee i#e we are...( &on4t want to sign. ( hate thin#ing a%out i!ing without
$yer ...or you...(with tears, running an& throwing her ar"s aroun& hi") *h +hi, ( &on:t want to
&ie2 ( &on:t want you to &ie2
+,(L: (growing frustration) -ate, we4re ony &oing this %ecause we4re suppose& to, it4s wise, for
you an& "e an& $yer...1ust in case. /!ery%o&y shou& ha!e a wi 1ust i#e e!eryone shou& ha!e
car insurance...you 1ust hope you ne!er ha!e to use it.
-.$/: ,ow co"forting.
+,(L: -ate (4" so tire& of you getting a e"otiona at the east itte thing.
-.$/: What0 $he possi%e future of our son is a itte thing0
+,(L: (putting pen in her han&, wa#ing her to the paper) C4"on -ate, 1ust sign it an& (4 ta#e
you out for a ate &inner an& a itte &ancing.
-.$/: ( 1ust want to go ho"e.
+,(L: )o &inner0 )o &ancing0
-.$/: ( want to go an& ho& "y %a%y (weepy) an& te hi" ( o!e hi"...&on4t you0
+,(L: (4& rather ho& you.
-.$/: ?h2 ,a!e you no feeings at a0
+,(L: *%!iousy none you4re intereste& in....(change of approach) ( guess (4" 1ust %eing "ore
practica a%out this.
-.$/: @Mr. +ractica.@ So what ese is new2...(pause) Wou& you cry if ( &ie&0
+,(L: ("atter of fact) ( suppose (she oo#s) yes, pro%a%y (another oo#). 5es2 5es2 ( wou&
&efinitey cry if you &ie&. Loo# -ate, ( &on4t want to o!er e8ten& "y frien&ship with Car. (t4s
ate, et4s 1ust sign this one, an& if we want to, we can change it ater.
-.$/: (pause, %eginning to gi!e in) +ro"ise0
+,(L: (e8cite& %y the progress he sees) +ro"ise...an& (4" sure e!erything wi oo# %etter
to"orrow. (han&s her the pen again)
-.$/: (ighter) ( hope so. ( guess it4s a goo& thing we4re %oth not e"otiona wrec#s. We4& ne!er
get anything &one...
+,(L: 5eah.
-.$/: (starting to sign) So"eti"es that practica si&e of you &ri!es "e nuts2 (stops signing,
%rief pause, teary, throwing hersef on hi" again) 3ut (4& reay "iss it if it wasn4t aroun&.
+,(L: (trying to e8tricate hi"sef) *#ay, o#ay. (gui&ing her han& to the paper) 3efore you get
going again...(cas off) ,ey Car2 We4re rea&y2
S$()S*): (fro" offstage) (4 %e right there, 1ust finishing up the paperwor#2
+,(L: (she signs) )ow that wasn4t so %a& was it0
-.$/: (not reacting) Di& he say he was finishing the paperwor#0 Do you thin# he4s gonna
charge us0 ( thought he was your frien&2
+,(L: ,oney, he4s a awyer. ,e thri!es on paperwor#.
-.$/: 3ut we4!e %een here o!er four hours...if he charges us the...
+,(L: -ate, wi you rea80 Stay ca", get a grip2
S$()S*): (entering) *#ay...how &i& we &o0 (oo#s at wi) $wo signatures an& a haf a %o8 of
-eene8 eft. )ot %a&2
-.$/: ( appreciate you gi!ing us the e8tra ti"e. (4!e ne!er &one anything i#e this %efore.
S$()S*): )o pro%e", (4 ha!e ;oyce put the finishing touches on it in the "orning an& &rop it
off We&nes&ay, o#ay0
+,(L: Soun&s great, than#s Car.
S$()S*): (sha#ing han&s with -ate A +hi) Sure thing, +hi, -ate...( gotta run up to a cient on
the Bth foor...so if you cou& 1ust cose the &oor %ehin& you0
+,(L: Sure2
S$()S*): *h, here. (han&s en!eope to +hi) 6oo&night2 (e8its)
(+hi an& -ate oo# at each other shoc#e&.)
+,(L: ( &on4t %eie!e it2 (growing angry) ( insta a new phone syste" for hi" an& he pats "e on
the %ac# an& says, @Stop in with -ate anyti"e an& we4 put together a wi for you@...then he pats
"e on the %ac# with a %i in his han&2 (he han&s -ate the en!eope) *f a the tric#s2
-.$/: +hi, "ay%e we...
+,(L: ("a&) ,ow can so"eone %e so co& an& unfeeing...an& snea#y too2
-.$/: May%e its...(she %egins to open the en!eope)
+,(L: (caing after hi", !ery upset) What4s the "atter, Car, &on4t you e!en ha!e a heart0 3oy
&i& ( ha!e hi" pegge& wrong. ( ha!e a goo& "in& to rip out the whoe syste" an&...
-.$/: (ho&ing up two tic#ets) $a#e it to the 3us ga"e.
+,(L: (sti "a&) ,ow can you "a#e 1o#es when...(sees the", sti shouting) Were those in the
en!eope0 (she no&s, softer, hu"%e&) )o %i0
-.$/: (sha#ing her hea&) 5a #now, ( get so tire& of you getting e"otiona o!er the east itte
thing2
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