Tea and Sympathy (15 page)

 

 

The whole bunch is back. Who wants to go mountain climbing in the rain?

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Outside his study door)

 

 

Say, any of you fellows want to go across the street for something to
eat when you get changed, go ahead.

 

 

(PHIL and PAUL go up the stairs past TOM. BILL goes into his own room,
leaving door open)

 

 

Hi.

 

 

(He takes off his equipment and puts it on the floor.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Has been standing motionless where TOM has !eft her)

 

 

Hello.

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Comes to her and kisses her on the cheek)

 

 

One lousy week-end a year we get to go climbing and it rains.

 

 

(Throws the rest of his stuff down)

 

 

The fellows are damned disappointed.

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Hardly paying any attention to him)

 

 

That's too bad.

 

 

BILL
(Going up to alcove)

 

 

I think they wanted me to invite them down for a feed. But I didn't want
to. I thought we'd be alone. Okay?

 

 

(He looks across at her.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(She is listening for footsteps outside)

 

 

Sure.

 

 

(BILL goes out through alcove. LAURA stoops and picks up the raincoat
which TOM has dropped and hides it in the cabinet by the fireplace.)

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

(Appears in door momentarily wiping his hands with towel)

 

 

Boy it really rained.

 

 

(He disappears again. LAURA sadly goes to the door and slowly and gently
closes it. When she is finished, she leans against the door, listening,
hoping against hope that TOM will go upstairs. When TOM sees the door
close, he stands there for a moment, then turns his coat collar up and
goes down the hall and out. Off stage as TOM starts to go down the hall)

 

 

We never made it to the timberline. The rain started to come down. Another
hour or so and we would have got to the hut and spent the night, but the
fellows wouldn't hear of it . . .

 

 

(The door slams. LAURA turns away from the study door in despair. Still
off stage)

 

 

What was that?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Nothing . . . Nothing at all.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

(Enters and gets pipe from mantelpiece)

 

 

Good to get out, though. Makes you feel alive. Think I'll go out again
next Saturday, alone. Won't be bothered by the fellows wanting to
turn back.

 

 

(He has settled down in the chair intended for TOM. The school bells start
to ring nine. BILL reaches out his hand for LAURA. Standing by the door,
she looks at his outstretched hand, as the lights fade, and

 

 

THE CURTAIN FALLS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACT THREE

 

 

The time is late the next afternoon.

 

 

As the curtain rises, TOM is in his room. His door is shut and bolted.
He is lying on his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

RALPH
(He is at the phone)

 

 

Hello, Mary . . . Ralph . . . Yeah, I just wanted you to know I'd be
a little delayed picking you up . . . Yeah . . . everyone was taking a
shower over here, and there's only one shower for eight guys . . . No it's
not the same place as last night . . . The tea dance is at the Inn . . .

 

 

(He suddenly looks very uncomfortable)

 

 

Look, I'll tell you when I see you . . . Okay . . .

 

 

(Almost whispers it)

 

 

I love you . . .

 

 

(STEVE, RALPH's sidekick, comes running in from the outside. He's all
dressed up and he's got something to tell)

 

 

Yeah, Mary. Well, I can't say it over again . . . Didn't you hear me
the first time?

 

 

(Loud so she'll hear it)

 

 

Hi, Steve.

 

 

 

 

STEVE

 

 

Come on, get off. I got something to tell you.

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Mary -- Mary, I'll get there faster if I stop talking now. Okay? Okay.
See you a little after four.

 

 

(He hangs up)

 

 

What the hell's the matter with you?

 

 

 

 

STEVE

 

 

Have you seen Tom?

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

No.

 

 

 

 

STEVE

 

 

You know what the hell he did last night?

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

What?

 

 

 

 

STEVE

 

 

He went and saw Ellie.

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Who are you bulling?

 

 

 

 

STEVE

 

 

No, honest. Ellie told Jackson over at the kitchen. Everybody knows now.

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

What did he want to go and do a thing like that for?

 

 

 

 

STEVE

 

 

But wait a minute. You haven't heard the half of it.

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Listen, I gotta get dressed.

 

 

(Starts upstairs.)

 

 

 

 

STEVE
(On their way up the stairs)

 

 

The way Ellie tells it, he went there, all the hell dressed up like he
was going to the dance, and . . .

 

 

(They disappear up the stairs. BILL after a moment, comes in the hall,
and goes quickly up the stairs. He goes right into AL and TOM'S main
room without knocking. We then hear him try the handle of TOM's bedroom
door. TOM looks at the door defiantly and sullenly.)

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Knocks sharply)

 

 

Tom!

 

 

(Rattles door some more)

 

 

Tom, this is Mr. Reynolds. Let me in.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

I don't want to see anyone.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

You've got to see me. Come on. Open up! I've got to talk to the Dean at
four, and I want to speak to you first.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

There's nothing to say.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I can break the door down. Then your father would have to pay for a new
door. Do you want that? Are you afraid to see me?

 

 

(TOM after a moment, goes to the door and pulls back the bolt. BILL
comes in quickly)

 

 

Well.

 

 

(TOM goes back and sits on the bed. Doesn't look at BILL)

 

 

Now I've got to have the full story. All the details so that when I see
the Dean . . .

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

You've got the full story. What the hell do you want?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

We don't seem to have the full story.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

When the school cops brought me in last night they told you I was with
Ellie Martin.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

That's just it. It seems you weren't with her.

 

 

 

 

TOM
(After a moment)

 

 

What do you mean?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

You weren't with her. You couldn't be with her. Do you understand what
I mean?

 

 

 

 

TOM
(Trying to brave it out)

 

 

Who says so?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

She says so. And she ought to know.

 

 

(TOM turns away)

 

 

She says that you couldn't . . . and that you jumped up and grabbed a
knife in her kitchen and tried to kill yourself . . . and she had to
fight with you and that's what attracted the school cops.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

What difference does it make?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I just wanted the record to be straight. You'll undoubtedly be expelled,
no matter what . . . but I wanted the record straight.

 

 

 

 

TOM
(Turning on him)

 

 

You couldn't have stood it, could you, if I'd proved you wrong?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Where do you get off talking like that to a master?

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

You'd made up your mind long ago, and it would have killed you if I'd
proved you wrong.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Talking like that isn't going to help you any.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

Nothing's going to help. I'm gonna be kicked out, and then you're gonna
be happy.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I'm not going to be happy. I'm going to be very sorry . . . sorry for
your father.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

All right, now you know. Go on, spread the news. How can you wait?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I won't tell anyone . . . but the Dean, of course.

 

 

 

 

TOM

 

 

And my father . . .

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Perhaps . . .

 

 

 

 

TOM
(After a long pause)

 

 

And Mrs. Reynolds.

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Looks at TOM)

 

 

Yes. I think she ought to know.

 

 

(He turns and leaves the room. Goes through the sitting room and up the
stairs, calling "Ralph." TOM closes the door and locks it, goes and sits
down in the chair.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

(As BILL goes upstairs to RALPH, she comes into the master's study.
She is wearing a wool suit. She goes to the cupboard and brings out
TOM's raincoat. She moves with it to the door. There is a knock.
She opens the door)

 

 

Oh, hello, Mr. Lee.

 

 

 

 

HERB
(Coming in, he seems for some reason rather pleased)

 

 

Hello, Laura.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Bill isn't in just now, though I'm expecting him any moment.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

My train was twenty minutes late. I was afraid I'd missed him. We have
an appointment with the Dean in a few minutes . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Is coolly polite)

 

 

Oh, I see.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Have I done something to displease you, Laura? You seem a little . . .

 

 

(HERB shrugs and makes a gesture with his hands meaning cool.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I'm sorry. Forgive me. Won't you sit down?

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

I remember that you were displeased at my leaving Tom in school a week
ago. Well, you see I was right in a sense. Though, perhaps being a lady
you wouldn't understand.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I'm not sure that I do.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Well, now, look here. If I had taken Tom out of school after that scandal
with Mr. . . . uh . . . what was his name?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Mr. Harris.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Yes. If I'd taken Tom out then, he would have been marked for the rest
of his life.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

You know that Tom will be expelled, of course.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Yes, but the circumstances are so much more normal.

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(After looking at him a moment)

 

 

I think, Mr. Lee, I'm not quite sure, but I think, in a sense, you're
proud of Tom.