! ! ! ! ! !

THE GLIMMER

! ! ! ! ! ! by Ed Ballou

! ! ! ! ! ! Copyright 2008, Ed Ballou

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! edballoiu@icloud.com

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2020glimmer.com
CHARACTERS:

A second-generation Irish couple in their 60’s:

MIKE: stolid ex-boxer

LIL: fiery, domineering

GEORGE: young man

SCENE: The interior of one side of a small duplex. A window and a door to a bedroom
on one side - on the other side, the front door. Through a front picture flanked by smaller
windows, we can see the foggy outlines of a bridge as it arches down over the duplex
after its water crossing, lights outlining its girders. Below the picture window is an
electronic machine the size of a small refrigerator - all wires, tubes and lights - currently
dormant. The SOUNDS of car and river traffic are ever-present, and become louder
whenever the front door is opened. A foghorn moans every few minutes.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1

AT RISE: LIL is pacing in large strides, drink in hand, an empty bottle of liquor on the
table. She goes to a window, pulls back a curtain, looks out impatiently, goes to the
bottle, attempts to pour a drink - then raises the bottle and drains the last drops - goes
back to window, looks out, turns from window, stares at front door, feet apart. ENTER
MIKE, staggering a bit, paper bag in hand.

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Demanding)
Well.. did you get what you wanted?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Avoiding her gaze, going to table, gesturing
! ! ! ! ! ! with bag)
No, but this is all right...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pulls a bottle of liquor out of bag, holds it close
! ! ! ! ! ! to his eyes, checks label as if to reassure
! ! ! ! ! ! himself)
It’s better than what I didn’t want...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Opens bottle, gets a glass, face right up to it,
! ! ! ! ! ! measuring a drink, pours. LIL stands looking at
! ! ! ! ! ! him.)
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Well?
! ! ! ! ! ! (MIKE drinks, pretending not to hear. She
! ! ! ! ! ! strides over to him, stands in front of him,
! ! ! ! ! ! holding out her hand, waves it in front of his
! ! ! ! ! ! face. He fumbles in his pocket, puts change in
! ! ! ! ! ! her hand. She counts it, goes over and puts
! ! ! ! ! ! change in her purse, goes back to him, grabs
! ! ! ! ! ! bottle from him, pours herself a drink.)
What took you so long?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I was walking...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
You didn’t lose your way?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Laughs)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I was just.. walking.

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Oh, walking - we know that!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, drinks)
But you didn’t lose your way?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting at floor, drinks)
No.. no, I didn’t...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, drinks)
I saw you walking the other day...
! ! ! ! ! ! (No response)
I was driving home, and I saw an old man walking along, and I..

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I thought it was you...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
How could you know?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I said, I thought it was you...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 3
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Staring at him)
Why do you walk with your head down?
! ! ! ! ! ! (MIKE just shakes his head while squinting at
! ! ! ! ! ! the floor, drinks)
I said, why..

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
When things start falling out of the sky, I’ll look up! - I found sixty-eight cents today...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Sixty-eight cents! - you must have stumbled over them!
! ! ! ! ! ! (She laughs, they both drink)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Would you tell me the time?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking at clock)
Just past eight...
! !
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Well, so much for that stinking lousy day...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Stares at him)
You always say that! - why do you say that?
! ! ! ! ! ! (MIKE says nothing, screws up his eyes,
! ! ! ! ! ! drinks)
You have no self-confidence - none at all!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Stares at him)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Low voice)
I do have self-confidence...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Stepping toward him, loudly)
What? - what did you say?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, a little louder)
I do have some self-confidence...
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 4
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Look at me and say that you do! - look me in the eye! - in the eye! - and say it! - say that
you do!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Chin forward)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting, looks around room, draws a breath,
! ! ! ! ! ! opens his eyes wide, we see cataracts - he
! ! ! ! ! ! squints in her direction)
I do.. have some confidence.. in myself...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
You liar!
! ! ! ! ! ! (He wilts)
You lost your confidence when you lost that fight! - then you lost your job! - you should
have quit that job as soon as you found out!
! ! ! ! ! ! (No answer)
You’d have your sight today!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Small voice)
I can see.

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Oh, you can see! - shapes, shadows, blurs - me, I’m a blur, a great big blur to you! - you
can see all right!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
It’s enough.

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
For what? - to stumble your way to the liquor store?
! ! ! ! ! ! (No answer - she pauses, staring at him)
You must have memorized the way!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Laughs)
Didn’t want to end up at the cleaners, again?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Mocking him, squinting nearsightedly, talking
! ! ! ! ! ! to an imaginary clerk)
Could I have pint of Bushmill’s? What? What?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Spinning drunkenly, squinting)
Excuse me, the cleaners?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Laughs, opens her eyes wide)
That must have been something.. something to see!
! ! ! ! ! ! (She pauses, stares at him - he drinks)
You should have told somebody - you should have complained!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 5
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL (Con’t.)
! ! ! ! ! ! (She pauses, stares at him)
Four hundred roentgens a week! A week! Eight times the safety level! Eight times! Why
did you stay there?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, staring at him)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
It was the same at Los Alamos...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
You should have left the Accelerator long before they laid you off, long before you
became useless to them!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses - he doesn’t answer)
They took your sight! - doesn’t that matter? - wasn’t that important to you? - your eyes?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, staring at him)
Your eyes!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
What did you want me to do?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Something!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I tried to fight back, I..

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Oh, you fought! - you fought! - a great fight! - you are the champ!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I filed a complaint..
! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
A complaint! - your life’s a complaint! - and who’s listening?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I tried talking to my boss, talking to my doctor..

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
It wasn’t enough, wasn’t enough! - nothing you do is ever enough! - nothing! - that’s why
we have no children! - because nothing you do is ever enough!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 6
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses - then shouting)
Well what.. did you want me to do?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Gesturing at wall)
Quiet! - want to wake her?
! ! ! ! ! ! (No answer - they both drink)
I paid the rent yesterday...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting at the floor)
Good...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
She’s quite pleasant, you know...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, drinks)
Not like her son...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
He just keeps to himself. that’s all...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
He avoids me...
! ! ! ! ! ! (MIKE says nothing, drinks, squints at the floor
! ! ! ! ! ! - a smile flickers across his face. LIL looks out
! ! ! ! ! ! a window to one side.)
His car’s still there...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looks out)
That old junk heap - it hasn’t moved for a week...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
Neither has he...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Gestures at wall)
He’s stayed inside all week...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
Last week he was gone...
! ! ! ! ! ! (A pause, they both drink)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Went North..

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Who said?
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 7
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
His pleasant mother...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Smiles to himself)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
When did you talk to her?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
This morning - at the liquor store - she’s very pleasant...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Smiles to himself)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks at him, pauses, looks at wall)
I wonder what he’s doing in there...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Glances at husband)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting at the floor)
Sitting...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
She said sometimes he lies down...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Lazy bastard.
! ! ! ! ! ! (A pause)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Maybe he want to lie down...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
What did you say?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Low voice)
I said..

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
What? - louder...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (A little louder)
I said, maybe..
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 8
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Shouting)
Louder!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Rising to a crouch, shouting in her direction)
Maybe he just wants to lie down!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Slowly sits back down, squinting at her. A
! ! ! ! ! ! pause, she stares back at him - then strides
! ! ! ! ! ! over, slaps him hard on the side of the head.
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE covers his eyes, rocks back and forth)
Ahhh!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Quiet! - you’ll wake them! - quiet!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Slaps him again)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Covering his eyes, rocking)
Ahhh! Ahhhh!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Quiet, you rabbit! - quiet, quiet!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Hits him again, nearly knocking him out of his
! ! ! ! ! ! chair)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Covering his head with his arms)
Oh, my God! - my God! - my eyes, my eyes!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Shrieking)
Help me! - help me! - help! - someone help!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Shut up! - shut up!
! ! ! ! ! ! (She clouts him again, knocking him onto the
! ! ! ! ! ! floor. A sudden heavy POUNDING at the door -
! ! ! ! ! ! they both freeze. Again, the POUNDING. LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! stares at the door, while MIKE slowly pulls
! ! ! ! ! ! himself up into his chair, sits hunched over,
! ! ! ! ! ! rocking and moaning, holding his head in his
! ! ! ! ! ! hands. LIL glares at him as she slowly walks
! ! ! ! ! ! over to the door, slowly pulls it open. A young
! ! ! ! ! ! man, GEORGE, stands in the doorway,
! ! ! ! ! ! suitcase in hand.)
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 9
! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Staring at them, pauses)
I could hear you...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Staring)
Could hear you!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Stares)
I don’t want to hear you! - don’t want to hear you! - understand?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looking at him)
We’re all right...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Come in! - come in! - we were hoping you would come! - was hoping someone would
come! - was hoping!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Raises his glass)
Drink?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Ignoring him)
Now I’ll have to talk to her! Mother! You woke her..!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
We’ll stop - we’re all right - she’s very pleasant, your mother..

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
We paid the rent yesterday - and I saw your mother this morning - at the cleaners...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Raising glass)
Drink?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
You can go, now - we’re fine - he’s fine - we’re all fine...

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looking at them)
I don’t know.. I don’t know what! - I’m going...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Stares at them)
You be quiet, now!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, staring)
I’m going...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Goes to door)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
You don’t know what’s been happening, do you...
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 10
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Nothing’s been happening, nothing - nothing!

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, facing door)
Don’t tell me, I don’t know...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Turns around)
I know what’s been happening! - I know! - I can hear you through the wall! - can hear
you!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
We’re just living out our lives...

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drops suitcase, puts hands to ears)
Shut up! - just shut up! - I can hear your lives! - can hear you!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Puts hands down, pauses, turns away)
It’s the heat...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks out the door)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Heat on the Bay is raising fog this summer...

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
These summers are killers...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks out the door - the SOUNDS of vehicle
! ! ! ! ! ! and river traffic - the foghorn SOUNDS)
Just killers...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks up at the bridge)
This is another one of those days, when you’re waiting for the world to turn...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
.. just waiting for its slow turn.. and while you’re waiting.. while you’re waiting!.. the
despair builds up..
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks up at the bridge)
.. the loneliness builds up - builds up! - and it all just.. builds up...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, the SOUNDS of car and river traffic)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
North - you went north - your mother, this morning, the cleaners.. why north?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking up at the bridge)
North...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looking up)
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 11
! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE (Con’t.)
Went north to.. find mountains! Not hills, ridges, coast ranges - went north to find
mountains, mountains, real mountains - big enough to feel! I just wanted to.. feel! To
really feel.. something!! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looks up)
Because I couldn’t feel.. anything... and I would say to myself, say to myself, “I wonder
why, wonder why.. I feel so empty inside?” And then I would say, would say to myself,
“Don’t you feel there’s something wrong? Don’t you feel living this way is somehow
wrong?”
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looking up)
Answer?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Slamming door frame)
Answer! Answer! Answer!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks up at the bridge, again)
Did I go north just to find mountains?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
No.. I went north because.. I’d become lost.. lost.. in the secret war of desperation...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks up at bridge)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
So.. you went north...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
And did you find any mountains, mountains big enough.. to feel?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looks over at him)
No, nothing, nothing...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
But it was on my way back down from the north, that I finally found something,
something big - really big! - big enough.. to feel! I had crossed right over it on my way
north, without thinking.. but it was not until coming back down - that long, long trip back
down, coming back down.. defeated to, to.. this crummy little duplex.. as I crossed back
over it, over that.. it was only then that I felt it.. felt it!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks up at bridge)
Finally really felt.. a feeling! Finally felt...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looking up at bridge)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Felt.. what, George?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking up at it)
The bridge, the bridge - this great big bridge!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looks up)
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 12
! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE (Con’t.)
At first I could barely make out a shape, looming ahead in the fog.. something huge,
threatening! I slowed to a stop.. got out of the car, looked up at the foggy metal monster
ahead.. it beckoned to me, daring me to cross! I got back in the car and slowly drove up
to it, slowly started to cross it in the fog.. and it swallowed me like a great snake, took
me inside its metal guts! - I could feel the bridge around me, great masses of twisted
metal lifting me up, defying the water, surrounding me in my metal egg - could crush
me, but chose not to, like a living entity, a great force! - I could feel the bridge surround
me - this bridge, this huge bridge, broke right through with the feeling, the feeling -
finally, that special feeling!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks way up the bridge)
A big feeling, a strong feeling - big and strong like the bridge - its steel, its shining
cables, its big stretch over the water - like a great mountain, like a father holding you up
as a child, up on his big shoulders - way up! - holding you tight - tight! - so you won’t
ever, ever..!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks up at bridge - the foghorn
! ! ! ! ! ! SOUNDS)
Won’t ever fall...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks away)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
What’s with the bag?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Coming back to reality)
The.. bag? - my suitcase...
! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Going north, again?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Lifting up suitcase, hefting it)
Stuff - it’s just my stuff - clothes, letters, my books..

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
What kind of books.. any stuff on electronics?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
No, nothing on electricity - just poetry ‘n stuff - personal stuff...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinking)
I used to read, used to like to read, books...
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 13
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
When he could read!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I can read! - I’ll show you, I’ll show you - give me a book!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
You can’t see to read!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Kid, give me a book - any book!

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pausing)
A book.. you want a book?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Reluctantly puts down suitcase, lies it on the
! ! ! ! ! ! floor - snaps it open, pulls out a book - hands it
! ! ! ! ! ! to MIKE)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting at book)
What’s this..?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
Hart Crane..

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Maybe I heard of him!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Opens book, squints nearsightedly all over the
! ! ! ! ! ! page)
Crane, Crane.. what kind of stuff is this?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
Poetry...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting)
Oh.. poerty..

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
Poetry!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting, turning pages)
Poerty...
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 14
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE (Con’t.)
! ! ! ! ! ! (Reads some lines from “The Bridge”)
“Out of some.. subway.. scuttle.. cell or loft.. a bedlamite.. speeds to thy.. parapets..
tilting there.. momently.. shrill shirt.. ballooning.. a jest falls.. from the speechless..
caravan.”
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks up at GEORGE)
What the hell does all that mean? Poerty!
! ! ! ! ! ! (A picture falls out of the book onto the floor -
! ! ! ! ! ! he squints at it)
What was that..?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Gropes on floor)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Quickly reaching down)
It’s a picture..
! ! ! ! ! ! (Grabs it off floor - looks at it)
Of a girl.. a beautiful-lookin’ young girl..
! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Springing forward)
Give me that!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Snatches picture from LIL, holds it close)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
What? - what picture?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (To GEORGE)
Who’s that?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
Nobody.. nothing!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Takes a quick look at the picture, secretes it in
! ! ! ! ! ! his suitcase, slams lid - forgets to snap it shut)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (To LIL)
What did you see?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Looked like a picture of a .. beautiful young gypsy girl...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
A gypsy, eh?
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 15
! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
I’m going now.. and no more noise from the two of you - no more!
! ! ! ! ! ! (He picks up his suitcase - it suddenly bursts
! ! ! ! ! ! open - books, clothes, letters - and large rocks
! ! ! ! ! ! - all tumble out on the floor)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
What’s this?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Reaches down, picks up a rock)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting)
What’s what?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Holding up the rock)
A rock, a great big rock - and more rocks - he had ‘em in his suitcase, on top of his
stuff...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Rocks.. what for, rocks?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Grabbing the rock from LIL - throwing it into
! ! ! ! ! ! his suitcase, throwing in more rocks from the
! ! ! ! ! ! floor)
Nothing.. weight, just weight - nothing!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Cleans up the mess, throwing it all in his
! ! ! ! ! ! suitcase - snaps lid shut, picks up his suitcase)
I’m going now!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Why do you need more weight in a suitcase?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Weight, huh? Like all your cares, your burdens, your failures? - weighing you down, boy
- down, down? You’re finally getting some direction, boy - but it’s only down, straight
down!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
Well, just do’t forget to write...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 16
! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
Write? I did.. write! - couldn’t say it, so wrote.. this!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Takes a letter out of his pocket, thrusts it into
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE’s hands)
Read it.
! ! ! ! ! ! (MIKE holds the letter awkwardly, turning it
! ! ! ! ! ! over and over - holds it up to his eyes - squints
! ! ! ! ! ! up and down at it - finally)
I can’t..

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Shouting into his face)
Read it!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting)
I can’t, I can’t - I’m trying, but I can’t read.. your writing!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Taking the letter from her husband’s hands)
He can’t see, can’t see! - radiation! - got his eyes! - I’m the eyes for both of us - I’m the
eyes!
! ! ! ! ! ! (She starts to lipread the letter silently)

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
I was going to leave it for her - tonight! - on my way out.. then you woke her, the two of
you - with your loud life through the wall - you woke her! Now I’ll have to talk to her - and
explain! I didn’t want to explain.. now I’ll have to! Why’d you have to wake her? Tonight’s
the night - tonight, the big feeling is tonight - the big feeling is now!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Snatches letter from LIL, stabs a finger at it)
Reads this.. right here! - this part - out loud! - just this, no more - just this!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Slowly reading aloud)
“Dear Mother.. I am writing this to let you know.. that I am leaving this life... tonight, I am
hauling my suitcase up the bridge - up, up..”

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Shouting up at the bridge)
Up, way up! - and holding my suitcase, I’ll balance there, against the screaming wind,
against this screaming world, like a tightrope walker, like a circus acrobat - and finally
tell the world.. how frightened - how really, really frightened and alone I am!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 17
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Slowly continues reading letter aloud)
“I hope to be washed.. far out to sea...”
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, continues)
“Mother, you must promise me this one thing.. that, that..”

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Snatching letter from her)
That’s personal stuff, just between her and me! - all the stuff I couldn’t say, didn’t want to
say.. to her face! And now, you woke her - woke her up!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, staring at her)
And now I’ll have to say it.. say it!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Turns away, looks up at the bridge, carefully
! ! ! ! ! ! folding the letter, putting it back into his pocket)
I want to drop off this bridge.. yeah, I want to drop off this bridge so badly...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, squints at him)
Do it then...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Don’t tell the boy what to do.. the boy has problems - don’t tell him what to do!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I’d do it - I’d jump!!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
You? - you’d jump? - you need self-confidence to climb up that bridge - you, you have
no self-confidence - and you couldn’t see that bridge to climb it, big as it is and blind as
you are - you’d probably climb up a traffic light and jump off - break your crown, and I’d
have to fix you up again, as always - put you back together again - you blind Humpty
Dumpty!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
You’re right.. he’s just a boy...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks, squinting off)
When I was a boy.. when I was a boy, we was a poor family, raggedy Goodwill clothes
and all, other kids lookin’ down at us - got to be good with my dukes! - never had
nothin’! - but once, I got a little radio for Christmas - in a kit, a Heathkit - you know, a
crystal, copper wire, metal slide for a tuner.. I didn’t need no instructions, just put it
together myself - and it worked! I pulled in a station all the way from Baja, Mexico! -
thought that was great! - got me likin’ electronics! Started fixin’ things in the house,
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 18
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE (Con’t.)
the toaster, the vacuum cleaner - used to watch the fights on TV, but the picture wasn’t
so bright, so took the tubes outta’ our seven-inch black and white - took ‘em down to the
Rexall drugs, you could test ‘em there - bought some new tubes, made the picture
brighter! - started fixin’ our neighbors TV’s - three dollars a set and I’d fix it! Made a little
spendin’ money, got older and got an old ‘53 Plymouth - could see to drive in those
days! But where to? - so started drivin’ to the rings, like I seen on TV - see the fights for
real! Weren’t many jobs, so finally got up my nerve and climbed into the ring - a nobody
from Richmond, California! Did pretty good as an amateur, thought I’d turn pro, make a
dollar.. got a manager, got on the fight cards, did okay, won some, lost some - could eat,
anyway - so I kept fightin’! Went south on the Greyhound for a big fight, rented a room
in some west coast beach town in Florida. A real simple time. I’d run on the beach, train
for the fight, just me ‘n the gulls ‘n the waves.. after I’d run a coupla’ miles’, skippin’ ‘n
bobbin’ ‘n weavin’ - I’d sit down on an old sea wall ‘n take breather.. look at the sun
settlin’ down in the water, ‘n think about what was to come - the big fight, other fights I
might have in life.. thought about what my life might become, if it ever became
anything.. started feelin’ down about it all, watchin’ that sun hiss down in the Gulf... and
sometimes I could see something, far out in the Gulf, where the sun had just set.. a
golden light, winking at me, some sort of glimmer, trying to tell me something,
something.. but what it was saying, I could just never get... day of the fight, I took
another Greyhound over to Tampa, for my big shot at the title! Oh.. all right, not at the
title, at a title contender - thought I could lick him, then fight the champ! What a fight! -
had him down a coupla’ times, but each time he got back up.. then he knocked me
down with a left hook - right on the mat! But something began talkin’ to me, tellin’ me
something, something.. so I climbed up on my knees, shook my head like a dog, got up
on my feet and up with my dukes - and knocked the sucker out with my big punch! At
least, that’s what I dreamed I did.. until I woke up on the mat, lookin’ up at the ceiling fan
spinnin’ ‘round.. and seein’ the contender dancin’ ‘round over me, hands in the air - I
couldn’t believe it! - he had knocked me out - it was he who had won!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
That’s when you lost your self-confidence.. when you lost your big fight!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I just couldn’t get up, up off the mat - just didn’t listen to the.. whatever...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, squinting)
I was hurt pretty bad, cuts around my eyes, sore ribs - my head feelin’ like a dropped
melon! - feelin’ like I was stuck in a strange dream and couldn’t wake up.. that’s when
she climbs into the ring - an angel of mercy with a hanky! - starts dabbin’ at my cuts,
tellin’ me it’s all right, everything’s all right, none of it mattered - turned out to be my
manager’s sister from Oakland, come down to Tampa to see another one of his fighters
on the same card - she hadn’t come to see me! - but there she was, dabbin’ away,
comfortin’ me - and I’m noddin’, sayin’, “Yeah, yeah, I’m all right, thanks, thanks - but
now, just leave me alone, alone..” - and then I shuffled out to the street, caught the bus
back to my room, lonely and beat - walked on the beach one last time.. it was all over,
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 19
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE (Con’t.)
my big dream, and I was soon gonna take that long trip back on a Greyhound.. a
loser... I walked along, sat on that old sea wall again, watched the sun go down..
watched it all go down.. and then I saw the glimmer, again.. the glimmer, that golden
glimmer.. tryin’ to tell me.. what?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
I found him, back in Richmond, and put him back together, again - took weeks! - I
patched him up all right.. but the time, I’m thinking of the other fighter I had gone to see
win - a real heavyweight! - he lost, too, that day, but this poor loser needed me more, so
I married Mike here, instead - big mistake! - we had no money - I had to take a job as a
clerk, told Mike he had to find something, something to do! - since he didn’t have the will
to fight no more, got knocked down one last time and couldn’t get up off the mat,
couldn’t get up - told him I couldn’t carry us both on my clerk’s pay - get something
going - get anything!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
I was down and without a job in Richmond.. took a walk by the Bay, watched the sun go
down, again.. and saw the glimmer, again - that golden glimmer.. and somethin’ in me -
inside my head - began talkin’ to me, tellin’ me somethin’, somethin’.. I shook my head
and then started thinkin’ again! - about electronics, electronics.. started talkin’ ‘round
and ‘round - finally talked someone into hirin’ me at a big lab.. they trained me to make
things - things they wanted, these scientists - electronic gizmos that could hustle their
radiation along.. I knew what they wanted, with their big ideas about their big radiation! -
just explain it to me once and I could make it! - they like that, paid me for it - because
they couldn’t make anything with their weak hands, could only think about things with
their big heads - that was why our thing worked so well - we needed each other, I knew
that! What I didn’t know was that I was gettin’ hit, again - not with fists, but with radiation
- lots of radiation! - new blows hittin’ my body - I didn’t even know I was gettin’ hit! -
invisible punches, round after round - the fight went on for years! - I took the silent rays,
everything radiation threw at me - and stayed on my feet! - radiation couldn’t knock me
down - I was the champ! The champ!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, drinks, squints off)
But one hot night I’m dreamin’ I’m fightin’, fightin’ someone - or something - fightin‘ hard!
- and get knocked down! - on the mat, again.. suddenly the bell rings and the round is
over! - and I wake up.. lookin‘ up at the ceiling fan - not from the mat, but from my own
bed, again - blurry, all blurry - the fan’s spinnin‘ blurry! - and the fan stays blurry day and
night, night and day - same old story, I got beat - got hit in the eyes by the radiation
champ - and after that I couldn’t see so good no more...

! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 20
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Couldn’t patch him up, again - couldn’t see the fight and couldn’t see the cuts - couldn’t
see where to put the hanky! - it was a secret fight he was waging all those years, and
neither of us knew he had lost, again - until we both heard the final bell, and wound up
in a corner, again, defeated...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Radiation. Knocked me out. Knocked out my eyes and knocked out my job.. and now
here we are, on my small pension, crouchin’ under a bridge - might as well be a couple
of hobos, eatin’ beans from a can, waitin’ to hop a freight, any freight - maybe the last
big freight train!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
I may be ready.. jump, boy, jump!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
No more stinkin’ lousy days!

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Yours are the ones which stink..
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Yours stink, too, all your days - stink! Do it, boy - I’d do it, I want to..

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
You liar!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
And after you’ve done it, shot past our window, and splash and it’s done, and you cross
over to the other side, to the wonderful spirit world, full of poetry and light and Hart
Crane.. write and tell me what it’s like, boy - do the days stink there, too? - write and tell
me, boy - don’t forget to write...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks, squinting at GEORGE)
It’s that girl, isn’t it? - all over that girl - she dumped you..

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
Shut up - shut up!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
It’s that girl..

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
He said shut up, so shut up!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 21
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
She’s not worth the jump, boy - no girl is - why don’t you just stay off the bridge, son -
stay on dry ground, not underwater - take care of your mom - get a job! If I had a son,
I’d tell him, “Get a job, you’re not staying here!”
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, drinks)
Where’s your dad?

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
He left..

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Sends you money to live on..

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
No money..

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
His mother gives him money, still suckling..

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
He doesn’t work, my dad..

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Oh, doesn’t work, doesn’t work! - I know him! - I know your daddy! - one of the new
men! Work’s boring - I’m not cut out for the old nine-to-five, the old rat race - I’ll just stay
home with mommy, or the wife will work - anyway, I can’t work, I’m a new kind of man -
we don’t work, we can’t work, we won’t work - that’s what you’re becoming, boy - a new
man, just like your daddy, a small leech on the big leg of society - you think the rest of
us will carry you on our legs, on our taxes and hard work - well, I became the
breadwinner in this family, but one day couldn’t see so good no more - got forced to
retire, tossed out - right in the old dumpster! Now I can’t carry you on my leg anymore,
you and all the new men - there’s no more room on my leg for you and your daddy and
all the new men, no room at all - I haven’t got eyes anymore, got tossed out with the
trash - and now, you and your daddy and all the new men - you leeches! - you’ll have to
jump - jump off my leg, and jump off that bridge while you’re at it - jump! - you can all
jump!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Don’t listen to him! - he can’t see straight and can’t think straight, ever since they
burned his eyes out with their radiation - burned his brain out, too!

! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 22
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Electronics! - that’s how it started - loved those wires and tubes, fixin’ things - and then
people began to pay me! - just a short hop into big rooms filled with big machines and
big radiation - lots and lots of radiation! - Los Alamos, the Accelerator, all that big
radiation...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squints over at GEORGE)
I can teach you electronics, boy, like I would have taught my own son, the son that -
thanks to Mr. Radiation - I could never have...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks, gestures at machine)
See that gadget over there? I invented it! That’s why they let me take it home - it’s mine!
They got the patent and the money, but I got the gadget! Doesn’t matter what it does.. it
works! And I made it - was the only one who could make it - not those guys with the big
heads - they could dream it, but they couldn’t build it - that’s why they turned to me -
Mike! I made their ideas work! That’s why they needed me! Mike!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squints at GEORGE)
And I can teach you to make gadgets, too, boy - electronics! Learn it! Or jump. Learn or
jump - there’s a motto - learn or jump!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squints at GEORGE, drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, reaches down, snaps suitcase shut,
! ! ! ! ! ! picks it up as he stands up)
It’s time...
! ! ! ! ! ! (He heads for the front door)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting at him)
And don’t forget, boy.. after you’ve done it - jumped! - and that great big splash, and
maybe you’re still alive, and you’re sinking down to the far deep, the far dark, cold and
wet and sinking - and the cute little fish are just starting to nibble at your nose, lick your
lips and tug at your hair, and your young girl’s picture has melted into a soggy mess that
sinks to the bottom ahead of you and drapes over a creepy-crawly, like a wedding dress
that will never be worn by none but a crab - don’t forget, you could have been like me,
boy, with a wife that stinks and a life that stinks.. but it’s better than what I didn’t want,
son.. a life of loneliness and defeat, bitterness and rags...

! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looks at machine, looks at MIKE)
I’m gone...
! ! ! ! ! ! (EXITS with his suitcase. MIKE drinks, looks
! ! ! ! ! ! down at the book he’s still holding)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
He forgot his poerty...
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 23
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Going to window, looking up at the bridge)
How long will it take him?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting up at bridge)
Not long.. he’s young and he’s strong - he’ll find a catwalk and climb up, high up this big
‘ol bridge, straight up and quick as he can...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
He coulda’ been like a.. like a son...!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
I’m sorry...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
For what?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
You know...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
I just want to hear you say it...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
I’m sorry our son.. couldn’t be...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
I wanted a son.. you know that, Lil...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
Or a daughter.. you wanted a daughter...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
A son would have been fine...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Radiation..
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
It’s okay, Mike...
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 24
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
This boy here, climbing up this bridge.. he’s got no real dad...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
He’s got a mother...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
But no dad, no direction...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)
I coulda’.. given this boy some direction, a new direction...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks, squints up at bridge)
I never shoulda’ told him to climb up this bridge.. it’s just that I knew, thought I knew,
he’d made his mind up a long time ago... now what’s he doing?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking up at bridge)
He’s found a catwalk, pretty far up it...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
He’ll jump, that boy, if he’s a mind to..
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking up)
Now he’s stopped.. just standing there, leanin‘ into the wind, lookin‘ down, shirt flappin‘
in the wind... Mike, I just don’t know what to say..!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting up at bridge)
Don’t forget to write, stupid...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Drinks)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Fog’s lifted for the minute...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Her face is lit up by the sunlight)
I can see the sun on his afce.. it’s like a little boy’s face...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking up)
.. a little boy clutching a big lunchpail and peering out, way out.. at something only he
can see near the setting sun...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting off)
At the glimmer...

!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 25
! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
What?!! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting off)
The glimmer.. that golden glimmer.. I think I just now got it, Lil.. what the glimmer was
tellin’ me, all these years.. the glimmer’s been sayin’, “Up off the mat, boy - up off the
mat!”
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squints up at bridge)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking up at bridge)
Maybe we should call somebody...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
He’ll just jump, again, if he’s a mind to...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking up)
He’s holding onto something small - it’s fluttering in the wind...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Maybe his young girl’s picture.. maybe his life...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking up)
He let it go.. it’s spinnin‘ away.. now he’s totterin’, totterin‘ - totterin’! - clutchin‘ his bag -
holding the bridge with a hand!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Her face darkens, straining to see)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
What do you see? - where’s the boy? - can’t you see, Lil?

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Fog is dropped back thick - can’t see him no more! - Mike, maybe we should call the
police, or tell his ma! But I just don’t know what to say..!

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting up at bridge, shouts up)
Up off the mat, boy - up off the mat!
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, puts down his glass, squints at book
! ! ! ! ! ! of poetry. LIL turns away, wipes her eye. MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! stumbles his way to one of the side windows,
! ! ! ! ! ! throws it open - the SOUNDS of the river and
! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 26
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE (Con’t.)
! ! ! ! ! ! the traffic grow louder and more distinct - the
! ! ! ! ! ! bridge is seen through the thick swirling fog,
! ! ! ! ! ! bridge lights dimmed and twinkling. MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! squints up, a pause. A sudden plummeting
! ! ! ! ! ! shape pierces the fog, a pause, a faint splash.
! ! ! ! ! ! The foghorn SOUNDS. MIKE turns from the
! ! ! ! ! ! window, squints at LIL.)
I’m sorry, Lil, sorry for it all...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looking back at him)
Too late for the boy, Mike..?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, squints at book)
Too late, Lil...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
And for us, Mike?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
I don’t know, Lil...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squinting off)
If I could just see that glimmer, again, that glimmer.. but I can’t, I just can’t...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, goes to him, takes his hand in hers)
I can see, Mike.. I’m your eyes...

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
My eyes.. you are my eyes, Lil...
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squints up at the bridge, squints at her)
Tomorrow.. maybe.. we should take a walk by the Bay, like we used to.. watch that ‘ol
sun go down, again... might even see the glimmer, that golden glimmer... might even
listen to it, Lil.. the two of us...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, holding his hand)
That boy was a good boy...
! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 27
! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squints at the book of poetry he’s
! ! ! ! ! ! holding)
He had.. promise...

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
Mike.. what are we going to tell his ma?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)
The truth.. that your only son, your little man, has drowned himself.. and we didn’t stop
him.. and now he’s lying quietly and cold, at the bottom of this Bay, swaying back and
forth with the seaweed.. and you’re the one who’s alone, his mother, all alone without a
son.. and the wife and I, we’re sorry, really very sorry, for what we did to you.. and we
should pay for it - we’ll pay, Lil...
! ! ! ! ! ! (He lets go of LIL’S hand, turns away, a pause -
! ! ! ! ! ! a soft KNOCK at the front door)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
That’s her.. wants to know, her boy, her only child, her precious.. have we seen him
anywhere?
! ! ! ! ! ! (Another soft KNOCK)

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
Answer it, Lil...
! ! ! ! ! ! (LIL pauses, wipes her eyes, goes to the door,
! ! ! ! ! ! slowly opens it - ENTER GEORGE - he walks
! ! ! ! ! ! in, pauses in front of MIKE and LIL as if to
! ! ! ! ! ! speak, then continues past them to the
! ! ! ! ! ! machine, stands and stares at it, reaches out
! ! ! ! ! ! and touches it, finds a switch on the side, flips
! ! ! ! ! ! it - the machine clicks to life, glowing with a
! ! ! ! ! ! pulsing machine life, humming to itself)

! ! ! ! ! ! LIL
Where’s his bag?

! ! ! ! ! ! MIKE
He chucked it.. into the drink.. and everything in it, the girl, the past - cut loose from it
all..
! ! ! ! ! ! (Squints at book he’s still holding)
Except for the poerty...
! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 30
! ! ! ! ! ! GEORGE
! ! ! ! ! ! (Stares at the machine, pauses, listening to its
! ! ! ! ! ! electronic humming - turns and faces MIKE)

Teach.. me...
! ! ! ! ! ! (A slow FADE to black)

! ! ! ! ! ! CURTAIN
! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! ! !