SCENE EIGHT

Early Autumn of 1981 at

BETTE's apartment. PAUL is
visiting. Cozy candle light
illuminates the scene. BETTE
looks radiant and more
beautiful than ever. They're
drinking wine while a jazz
record plays in the
background.

BETTE
I love it when you spend the night with me.

PAUL
I try.

BETTE
I know you do. Thank you.

PAUL
You're welcome.

BETTE
What should we do tonight?

PAUL
You don't like what we're doing?

BETTE
I feel like going out dancing.

PAUL
I'm not in the mood for going out.

BETTE
There's this new bar that opened up in the Bowery. It's
called Fat Chances. I think you might like it.

PAUL
Fat chances? That's a funny name. Are you trying to tell me
something?

BETTE
No, silly. It's just a nice place. Very low-key crowd. What
do you say?

PAUL
Perhaps next week.

BETTE
I'll be in New Haven next week.
 2.

PAUL
Oh, that's right. I had forgotten about it.

BETTE
That's all right. What do you want to do then?

PAUL
Let's watch a movie.
(He grabs a TV guide.)
Let's see what's good tonight.

BETTE
Turn on the light, so you can see.

PAUL
(Scanning through the
magazine.)
No. I can see okay.

BETTE
No westerns please. I know you love those.

PAUL
All right, no westerns then...Well, they're showing Mame on
CBS.

BETTE
I hate that movie. Have you seen it?

PAUL
No. How about Barbarella?

BETTE
Next.

PAUL
Trog?

BETTE
Are you serious?

PAUL
Joan Crawford's in it. Isn't she your favorite?

BETTE
That's a horrible movie. She didn't even like it.

PAUL
Is it that bad?

BETTE
Yes.
 3.

PAUL
The story of an ice-age troglodyte...Sounds interesting. Are
you sure you don't want to see it?

Put it this way, I'd rather call my father and tell him I
miss him than watch that stupid movie.

PAUL
That's hilarious.

BETTE
I'm serious.

PAUL
Well, there's not much else except westerns.

BETTE takes the magazine from him

and looks at it.

BETTE
I guess we can do Mame. It is kind of funny actually if you
like bad acting.

PAUL
You know what I noticed?

BETTE
What?

PAUL
That was the first time you mentioned your father, jokingly
I mean.

BETTE
I was just making a point.

PAUL
It wouldn't be a bad idea to reach out to him.

BETTE
Are you crazy?

PAUL
I'm serious.

BETTE
I don't want to see him again.

PAUL
Why not?
 4.

BETTE
He wasn't very nice to me.

PAUL
Maybe he's changed or he's sorry.

BETTE
I don't care to find out anyways.

PAUL
I'd give anything for a chance to have my father with me
again.

BETTE
He must have been a great father.

PAUL
Yes, he was.

BETTE
I wish all my memories of my father would have been wiped
out, but...Anyways, let's watch Mame.

A beat.

PAUL
How did you lose some of your memory?

BETTE
We've gone through this already. It just happened.

PAUL
But something must have caused it.

BETTE
I prefer not to talk about it.

PAUL
Always the same. Can't you just tell me?

BETTE
Why?

PAUL
Your life is such a mystery to me.

BETTE
So is yours.

PAUL
I've told you everything about me, but you haven't.
 5.

BETTE
I know.

PAUL
So tell me...How did you lose your memory?

BETTE reluctantly shows him her

arms.

PAUL
What are you doing?

BETTE
I'm showing you the scars.

PAUL
So it was the accident?

BETTE
No. I was never in an accident.

PAUL
You told me you were.

BETTE
I lied.

PAUL
Why?

BETTE
Do you really want to know?

PAUL
Yes.

BETTE
My father didn't like me because I didn't act like the rest
of the boys. He was embarrassed of me and kept badgering me
about my mannerisms...Then one day my stepmother found out
something...

(SLOW FADE.)

(END OF SCENE.)
 6.

SCENE NINE

Mid-Spring of 1966. LITTLE

GEORGE and BOBBY are laughing
on the sofa while JUANITA is
sweeping the living room as
she quietly sings the song
"Rosario de besos."

BOBBY
And later the Joker throws Batman and Robin down a
smokestack and then he fills it up with gas so they
suffocate. And that's how the episode ended. I gotta watch
the second part tonight.

LITTLE GEORGE
I wish I could watch it.

BOBBY
It's okay. I'll tell you what happens. I'm good at telling
stories.

BARBARA enters the house. The boys

stop the conversation.

BARBARA
(She approaches them
with feigned
cheerfulness.)
Hello Bobby. So nice to see you. How's your mother doing?

BOBBY
She's doing fine Ms. Solis.

BARBARA
I heard about the party at the Wellington’s house. Were you
there Bobby?

BOBBY
I was.

BARBARA
Was it fun?

BOBBY
It was okay.

BARBARA
I also heard that it got a little out of hand.

LITTLE GEORGE
Who told you about the party?
 7.

BARBARA
Nothing can be kept a secret for long in Indiantown,
especially bad things.

BOBBY
I have to go. My mom's waiting for me. I'll see you later.
Bye.

BOBBY heads towards the exit.

BARBARA
Tell your mother I said hello.

BOBBY
Okay.

BOBBY exits.

BARBARA
(To Juanita.)
Is my husband around?

JUANITA
He’s in his room.

BARBARA
Would you go get him please?
(BARBARA sits down
and faces LITTLE
GEORGE. JUANITA
exits.)
I know everything that happened at that party. Every detail.

LITTLE GEORGE
I don’t care.

BARBARA
We'll see if you don't care.

LITTLE GEORGE
How's your son doing?

BARBARA
Why do you ask?

LITTLE GEORGE
I'm just asking.

BARBARA
He's doing great as a matter of fact. I spoke with him
today.
 8.

LITTLE GEORGE
That's a lie. That's not what I heard.

BARBARA
I don't care about what you hear, and don't try to change
the subject. It won't work.

LITTLE GEORGE
But I hear that he's in deep trouble.

BARBARA
That's none of your business.

LITTLE GEORGE
You are not afraid?

BARBARA
Of what?

LITTLE GEORGE
That the police may find out where he's hiding...He's in
Pensacola. Isn't he?

BARBARA
(Suddenly upset.)
He's not in Pensacola.

LITTLE GEORGE
Yes, he is. I heard you on the phone...Nothing can be kept a
secret for long in Indiantown. Especially bad things.

BARBARA
Leave my son alone.

LITTLE GEORGE
You leave me alone first.

BARBARA
You don't scare me boy.

LITTLE GEORGE
Suppose someone calls the police.

BARBARA
You're going to be sorry.

The PASTOR enters. There is a

momentary silence.

PASTOR
How was the meeting?
 9.

BARBARA
It was okay. We're working on the children’s fundraiser.
There's a lot of work ahead.

PASTOR
What’s the matter? You look upset.

BARBARA
I don't even know how to start.

PASTOR
What do you mean?

BARBARA
I have something to tell you.

LITTLE GEORGE
Is it about Brian?

BARBARA
This is not about Brian. It's about you.

LITTLE GEORGE
But the police are after him. You didn't tell my father?
Daddy did you know?

BARBARA
(To the PASTOR.)
That's not what I was going to tell you.

PASTOR
Is that true?

BARBARA
What is true?

PASTOR
About your son.

BARBARA
Yes, but it's not what it seems. I'll explain to you later.
Now I must tell you something about your Little George.

LITTLE GEORGE
Don't listen to her, father.

BARBARA
(To LITTLE GEORGE.)
He will listen.

PASTOR
Just say it.
 10.

BARBARA
Everything was going fine at the meeting, but of course,
after the meal, everyone gathers and talks. You know how
that is...That’s when that old crow Millicent Preston
approached me. She went on about some party that was thrown
at the Wellington’s house a few weeks ago while they went to
Bermuda. We were away that weekend too when we attended the
retreat with the Ministry. Remember?

PASTOR
Get to the point.

BARBARA
Your son also attended the party.

JUANITA enters, but stands

discreetly in the background.
LITTLE GEORGE stares at his father,
whose eyes meet his.

PASTOR
You did?

LITTLE GEORGE
Yes.

PASTOR
What did I tell you about that?

LITTLE GEORGE
Everybody from my class was invited. I was just there for a
little while. I came back early. I swear I did.

JUANITA approaches them.

JUANITA
He did sir. I made sure that he was back by ten.

PASTOR
Stay out of this.

BARBARA
And that's not all. Apparently, there was some argument
going on, which turned into a big fight. That's why your son
had that bruise on his face the other day.
(To LITTLE GEORGE.)
Tell your father what the fight was about.

LITTLE GEORGE
It wasn't anything important.

PASTOR
What was it about?