Tea and Sympathy (11 page)

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

So what good's that going to do? I get caught there, I get thrown out
of school.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

No one ever gets caught. Sunday morning people'd hear about it . . . not
the Dean . . . I mean the fellows. Hell, Ellie tells and tells and tells
. . . Boy, you'd be made!

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

Are you kidding?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

No.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOM
(With disgust)

 

 

Ellie Martin!

 

 

 

 

AL
(After a long pause)

 

 

Look, I've said so much already, I might as well be a complete bastard
. . . You ever been with a woman?

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

What do you think?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

I don't think you have.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

So?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

You want to know something?

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

What?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Neither have I. But if you tell the guys, I'll murder you.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

All those stories you told . . .

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Okay, I'll be sorry I told you.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

Then why don't
you
go see Ellie Martin Saturday night?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Why the hell should I?

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

You mean you don't have to prove anything?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Aw, forget it. It's probably a lousy idea anyway.

 

 

(He starts out.)

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

Yeah.

 

 

 

 

AL
(Stops.)

 

 

Look, about next --

 

 

(Stops)

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

Next year? Yes?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Hap Hudson's asked me to come to his house. He's got a
single there. A lot of the fellows from the team are over
there, and . . . well . . .

 

 

(He doesn't look at TOM.)

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

Sure, sure . . . I understand.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Sorry I didn't tell you till now, after we'd made our plans. But I didn't
know. I mean, I just found out about the . . . the opening.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

I understand!

 

 

 

 

AL
(Looks up at last. He hates himself but he's done it, and it's a load
off his chest)

 

 

See ya.

 

 

(He starts to go.)

 

 

 

 

TOM
(As AL gets to door)

 

 

Al . . .

 

 

(AL stops and looks back. Taking tie from around his neck)

 

 

Here.

 

 

 

 

AL
(Looks at tie, embarrassed)

 

 

I said wear it. Keep it.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

It's yours.

 

 

 

 

AL
(Looks at the tie for a long time, then without taking it, goes through
the door)

 

 

See ya.

 

 

(TOM folds the tie neatly, dazed, then seeing what he's doing, he throws
it viciously in the direction of the bureau, and turns and stares out
the window. He puts a record on the phonograph.)

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

(Comes in to the study from the hall, carrying a pair of shoes and a
slim book. As he opens his study door, he hears the music upstairs. He
stands in the door and listens, remembering his miserable boyhood.
Then he comes in and closes the door)

 

 

Laura.

 

 

(Throws shoes on floor near footstool.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Off stage, calling)

 

 

Bill?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Yes.

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Coming in with tea things)

 

 

I didn't think you'd be back before your class. Have some tea.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I beat young Harvey at handball.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Good.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

At last. It took some doing, though. He was after my scalp because of
that D minus I gave him in his last exam.

 

 

(Gives her book)

 

 

You wanted this . . . book of poems.

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Looks at book. Her eyes shift quickly to the same book in the chair)

 

 

Why yes. How did you know?

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Trying to be very offhand about it)

 

 

The notice from the bookstore.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

That's very nice of you.

 

 

(She moves towards him to kiss him, but at this moment, in picking some
wrapping paper from the armchair, he notices the duplicate copy.)

 

 

 

 

BILL
(A little angry)

 

 

You've already got it.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Why, yes . . . I . . . well, I . . .

 

 

(BILL picking it up . . . opens it)

 

 

That is, someone gave it to me.

 

 

(BILL reads the inscription)

 

 

Tom knew I wanted it, and . . .

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

(Looks at her, a terrible look coming into his face. Then he slowly rips
the book in two and hurls it into the fireplace)

 

 

Damn!

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Bill!

 

 

(BILL goes to footstool and sits down and begins to change his shoes)

 

 

Bill, what difference does it make that he gave me the book? He knew I
wanted it too.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I don't know. It's just that every time I try to do something . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Bill, how can you say that? It isn't so.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

It is.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Bill, this thing of the book is funny.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I don't think it's very funny.

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Going behind him, and kneeling by his side)

 

 

Bill, I'm very touched that you should have remembered. Thank you.

 

 

(He turns away from her and goes on with his shoes)

 

 

Bill, don't turn away. I want to thank you.

 

 

(As she gets no response from him, she rises)

 

 

Is it such a chore to let yourself be thanked?

 

 

(She puts her hands on his shoulders, trying to embrace him)

 

 

Oh, Bill, we so rarely touch any more. I keep feeling I'm losing contact
with you. Don't you feel that?

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Looking at his watch)

 

 

Laura, I . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(She backs away from him)

 

 

I know, you've got to go. But it's just that, I don't know, we don't touch
any more. It's a silly way of putting it, but you seem to hold yourself
aloof from me. A tension seems to grow between us . . . and then when we
do . . . touch . . . it's a violent thing . . . almost a compulsive thing.

 

 

(BILL is uncomfortable at this accurate description of their relationship.
He sits troubled. She puts her arms around his neck and embraces him,
bending over him)

 

 

You don't feel it? You don't feel yourself holding away from me until
it becomes overpowering? There's no growing together any more . . . no
quiet times, just holding hands, the feeling of closeness, like it was
in Italy. Now it's long separations and then this almost brutal coming
together, and . . . Oh, Bill, you do see, you do see.

 

 

(BILL suddenly straightens up, toughens, and looks at her.
LAURA repulsed, slowly draws her arms from around his shoulders.)

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

For God's sake, Laura, what are you talking about?

 

 

(He rises and goes to his desk)

 

 

It can't always be a honeymoon.

 

 

(Upstairs in his room, TOM turns off the phonograph, and leaves the room,
going out into the hall and up the stairs.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Do you think that's what I'm talking about?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I don't know why you chose a time like this to talk about things like
. . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

. . . I don't know why, either. I just wanted to thank you for the book
. . .

 

 

(Moves away and looks in book)

 

 

What did you write in it?

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Starts to mark exam papers)

 

 

Nothing. Why? Should I write in it? I just thought you wanted the book.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Of course . . . Are you sure you won't have some tea?

 

 

(She bends over the tea things.)

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Yes.

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Straightening up, trying another tack at returning to normality)

 

 

Little Joan Harrison is coming over for tea.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

No, she isn't.

 

 

(LAURA looks inquiringly)

 

 

I just saw her father at the gym. I don't think that was a very smart
thing for you to do, Laura.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I thought Tom might take her to the dance Saturday. He's on the committee,
and he has no girl to take.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I understand he's no longer on the committee. You're a hostess,
aren't you?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Yes.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I've got the mountain-climbing business this week-end. Weather man
predicts rain.

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Almost breaks. Hides her face in her hands. Then recovers)

 

 

That's too bad.

 

 

(After a moment)

 

 

Bill?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Yes?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I think someone should go to the Dean about Tom and the hazing he's
getting.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

What could the Dean do? Announce from chapel, "You've got to stop riding
Tom. You've got to stop calling him Grace?" Is that what you'd like him
to do?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

No. I suppose not.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

You know we're losing Al next year because of Tom.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Oh, you've heard?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Yes, Hudson tells me he's moving over to his house. He'll probably be
captain of the baseball team. Last time we had a major sport captain
was eight years ago.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Yes, I'm sorry.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

However, we'll also be losing Tom.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Oh?