Buried Child (9 page)

Scene: same set. Morning. Bright sun. No sound of rain. Everything has been cleared up again. No sign of carrots. No pail. No stool.
VINCE
saxophone case and overcoat are still at the foot of the staircase,
BRADLEY
is asleep on the sofa under
DODGE
's
blanket, his head toward stage left,
BRADLEY
‘s wooden leg is leaning against the sofa right by his head. The shoe is left on. The harness hangs down.
DODGE
is sitting on the floor, propped up against the TV set facing stage left, wearing his baseball cap.
SHELLY
‘s rabbit fur coat covers his chest and shoulders. He stares toward stage left. He seems weaker and more disoriented. The lights rise slowly to the sound of birds. The two men remain for a while in silence,
BRADLEY
sleeps very soundly.
DODGE
hardly moves,
SHELLY
appears from stage left with a big smile, slowly crossing toward
DODGE
balancing a steaming cup of broth in a saucer,
DODGE
just stares at her as she gets close to him.

SHELLY:
(As she crosses.)
This is going to make all the difference in the world, Grandpa. You don't mind me calling you Grandpa, do you? I mean I know you minded when Vince called you that but you don't even know him.

DODGE:
I'm nobody's Grandpa. He skipped town with my money you know. I'm gonna hold you as collateral.

SHELLY:
He'll be back. Don't you worry. He always comes back.

DODGE:
The faithful type.

SHELLY: NO.
Determined.
(She kneels down next to
DODGE
and puts the cup and saucer in his lap.)

DODGE:
It's morning already! When did it get to be morning? Not only didn't I get my bottle but he's got my two bucks! I'm surrounded by thieves.

SHELLY:
Try to drink this, okay? Don't spill it.

DODGE:
What is it?

SHELLY:
Beef bouillon. It'll warm you up.

DODGE:
Bouillon! I don't want any goddamn bouillon! Get that stuff away from me!

SHELLY:
I just got through making it.

DODGE:
I don't care if you just spent all week making it! I ain't drinking it!

SHELLY:
Well, what am I supposed to do with it? I'm trying to help you out. Besides, it's good for you.

DODGE:
Get it away from me!
(SHELLY
stands up with the cup and saucer.)
What do you know what's good for me anyway?
(She looks at
DODGE,
then turns away from him, crosses to the staircase, sits on the bottom step, and drinks the bouillon,
DODGE
stares at her.)
You know what'd be good for me?

SHELLY:
What?

DODGE:
A little back rub. A little contact.

SHELLY:
Oh no. I've had enough contact for a while. Thanks anyway.
(She keeps sipping the bouillon, stays sitting. Pause as
DODGE
stares at her.)

DODGE:
Why not? You got nothing better to do. That fella's not gonna be back here. You're not expecting him to show up again, are you?

SHELLY:
Sure. He'll show up. He left his horn here.

DODGE:
His horn?
(Laughs.)
You're his horn?

SHELLY:
Very funny.

DODGE:
He's run off with my money! That's what he did. He's not coming back here.

SHELLY:
He'll be back. This is where he's from. He knows that. He's convinced. And so am I.

DODGE:
You're a funny chicken, you know that?

SHELLY:
Funny?

DODGE:
Full of hope. Faith. Faith and hope. You're all alike, you hopers. If it's not God then it's a man. If it's not a man then it's a woman. If it's not a woman then it's politics or bee pollen or the future of some kind. Some kind of future.

SHELLY:
Bee pollen?

DODGE:
Yeah, bee pollen.
(Pause.)

SHELLY:
(Looking toward the porch.)
I'm glad it stopped raining.
(DODGE
looks toward the porch then back to
SHELLY.)

DODGE:
That's what I mean. See, you're glad it stopped raining. Now you think everything's gonna be different. Just ‘cause the sun comes out.

SHELLY:
It's already different. Last night I was scared.

DODGE:
Scared a what?

SHELLY:
Just scared.

DODGE:
Yeah, well we've all got an instinct for disaster. We can smell it coming.

SHELLY:
It was your son. Bradley. He scared me.

DODGE:
Bradley?
(Looks at
BRADLEY.)
He's a pushover. ‘Specially now. All ya gotta do is take his leg and throw it out
the back door. Helpless. Totally helpless,
(SHELLY
turns and stares at
BRADLEY
’s wooden leg, then looks at
DODGE.
She sips bouillon.)

SHELLY:
You'd do that?

DODGE:
Me? I've hardly got the strength to breathe.

SHELLY:
But you'd actually do it if you could?

DODGE:
Don't be so easily shocked, girlie. There's nothing a man can't do. You dream it up and he can do it. Anything. It boggles the imagination.

SHELLY:
You've tried, I guess.

DODGE:
Don't sit there sippin’ your bouillon and judging me! This is my house!

SHELLY:
I forgot.

DODGE
: You forgot? Whose house did you think it was?

SHELLY:
Mine,
(DODGE
just stares at her. Long pause. She sips from the cup.)
I know it's not mine but I had that feeling.

DODGE:
What feeling?

SHELLY:
The feeling that nobody lives here but me. I mean everybody's gone. You're here, but it doesn't seem like you're supposed to be.
(Pointing to
BRADLEY.)
Doesn't seem
like he's supposed to be here either. I don't know what it is. It's the house or something. Something familiar. Like I know my way around here. Did you ever get that feeling?
(DODGE
stares at her in silence. Pause.)

DODGE
: No. NO, I never did. I get lost in the hallway sometimes,
(SHELLY
gets up. Moves around the space holding the cup.)

SHELLY:
Last night I went to sleep up there in that room.

DODGE:
What room?

SHELLY:
That room up there with all the pictures. All the crosses on the wall.

DODGE:
Halie's room?

SHELLY:
Yeah. Whoever “Halie” is.

DODGE:
She's my wife.

SHELLY
: So you remember her?

DODGE:
Whadya mean? ‘Course I remember her. She's only been gone a day—half a day. However long it's been.

SHELLY
: Do you remember her when her hair was bright red? Standing in front of an apple tree?

DODGE:
What is this, the third degree or something?! Who're you to be askin’ me personal questions about my wife!

SHELLY
: You never look at those pictures up there?

DODGE:
What pictures?

SHELLY:
Your whole life's up there hanging on the wall. Somebody who looks just like you. Somebody who looks just like you used to look.

DODGE:
That isn't me! That never was me! This is me. Right here. This is it. The whole shootin’ match, sittin’ right here in front of you. That other stuff was a sham.

SHELLY
: So the past never happened as far as you're concerned?

DODGE:
The past? Jesus Christ. The past is passed. What do you know about the past?

SHELLY:
Not much. I know there was a farm.
(Pause.)

DODGE:
A farm?

SHELLY:
There's a picture of a farm. A big farm. A bull. Wheat. Corn.

DODGE:
Corn?

SHELLY:
All the kids are standing out in the corn. They're all waving these big straw hats. One of them doesn't have a hat.

DODGE:
Which one was that?

SHELLY:
There's a baby. A baby in a woman's arms. The same woman with the red hair. She looks lost standing out there. Like she doesn't know how she got there.

DODGE:
She knows! I told her a hundred times it wasn't gonna be the city! I gave her plenty a warning.

SHELLY:
She's looking down at the baby like it was somebody else's. Like it didn't even belong to her.

DODGE:
That's about enough outta you! You got some funny ideas, sister. Some damn funny ideas. You think just because people propagate they have to love their offspring? You never seen a bitch eat her puppies? Where are you from anyway?

SHELLY:
LA. We already went through that.

DODGE:
That's right, LA. I remember.

SHELLY:
Stupid country.

DODGE:
That's right! No wonder. Dumber than dirt.
(Pause.)

SHELLY:
What's happened to this family anyway?

DODGE:
You're in no position to ask! What do you care? You some kinda social worker?

SHELLY:
I'm Vince's friend.

DODGE:
Vince's friend! That's rich. That's real rich. “Vince”! “Mr. Vince”! “Mr. Thief” is more like it! His name doesn't mean a hoot in hell to me. Not a tinkle in the well. You know how many kids I've spawned? Not to mention grandkids and great-grandkids and great-great-grandkids after them?

SHELLY:
And you don't remember any of them?

DODGE:
What's to remember? Halie's the one with the family album. She's the one you should talk to. She'll set you straight on the heritage if that's what you're interested in. She's traced it all the way back to the grave.

SHELLY:
What do you mean?

DODGE:
What do you think I mean? How far back can you go? A long line of corpses! There's not a living soul behind me. Not a one. Who gives a damn about bones in the ground?

SHELLY:
What was Tilden trying to tell me last night?
(DODGE
stops short. Stares at
SHELLY.
Shakes his head. He looks off left.
DODGE
‘s tone changes drastically.)

DODGE:
Tilden?
(Turns to
SHELLY,
calmly.)
Where is Tilden?

SHELLY:
What was he trying to say about the baby?
(Pause.
DODGE
turns toward left.)

DODGE:
What's happened to Tilden? Why isn't Tilden here?

SHELLY:
Bradley chased him out.

DODGE:
(Looking at
BRADLEY
asleep.)
Bradley? Why is he on my sofa?
(Turns back to
SHELLY.)
Have I been here all night? On the floor?

SHELLY:
He wouldn't leave. I hid outside until he fell asleep.

DODGE:
Outside? Is Tilden outside? He shouldn't be out there in the rain. He'll get himself into trouble. He doesn't know his way around here anymore. Not like he used to. He went out West and got himself into trouble. Deep trouble. We don't want any of that around here.

SHELLY:
What did he do?
(Pause.)

DODGE:
(Quietly stares at
SHELLY.)
Tilden? He got mixed up. That's what he did. We can't afford to leave him alone. Not now.
(Sound oj
HALIE
laughing comes from off left,
SHELLY
stands, looking in the direction of the voice, holding the cup and saucer, doesn't know whether to stay or run. Motioning to
SHELLY.)
Sit down! Sit back down!
(SHELLY
sits. Sound of
HALIE
‘s laughter again. To
SHELLY
in a heavy whisper, pulling the coat up around him.)
Don't leave me alone now! Promise me? Don't go off and leave me alone. I need somebody here with me. Tilden's gone now and I need someone. Don't leave me! Promise!

SHELLY:
(Sitting.)
I won't,
(HALIE
appears outside the screen porch door, up left, with
FATHER DEWIS
.
She is wearing a bright yellow
dress, no hat, and white gloves, and her arms are full of yellow roses.
FATHER DEWIS
is dressed in a traditional black suit, white clerical collar, and shirt. He is a very distinguished gray-haired man in his sixties. They are both slightly drunk and feeling giddy. As they enter the porch through the screen door,
DODGE
pulls the rabbit fur coat over his head and hides,
SHELLY
stands again,
DODGE
drops the coat and whispers intently to
SHELLY.
Neither
HALIE
nor
FATHER DEWIS
is aware of the people inside the house)

DODGE:
(
To
SHELLY
in a strong whisper.)
You promised!
(SHELLY
sits on the stairs again,
DODGE
pulls the coat back over his head.
HALIE
and
FATHER DEWIS
talk on the porch as they cross toward the right interior door.)