Tea and Sympathy (6 page)

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I know.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Just as she said, all you're supposed to do is every once in a while
give the boys a little tea and sympathy. Do you remember?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Yes, I remember. It's just that . . .

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

What?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

This age -- seventeen, eighteen -- it's so . . .

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I know.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

John was this age when I married him.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Look, Laura . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I know. You don't like me to talk about John, but . . .

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

It's not that. It's . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

He was just this age, eighteen or so, when I married him. We both were.
And I know now how this age can suffer. It's a heartbreaking time . . .
no longer a boy . . . not yet a man . . . Bill? Bill?

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Looks at her awkwardly a moment, then starts to move off)

 

 

I'd better clean up if I'm going to get to the Dean's for supper.
You don't mind, do you?

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Very quietly)

 

 

I got things in for dinner here. But they'll keep.

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Awkwardly)

 

 

I'm sorry, Laura. But you understand, don't you? About this business?

 

 

(LAURA shakes her head, "No." BILL stands over her, a little put out that
she has not understood his reasoning. He starts to say something several
times, then stops. Finally he notices the Five-and-Dime engagement ring
around her neck. He touches it)

 

 

You're not going to wear this thing to the dining hall, are you?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Why not?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

It was just a gag. It means something to you, but to them . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Bearing in, but gently)

 

 

Does it mean anything to you, Bill?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Well, it did, but . . .

 

 

(He stops with a gesture, unwilling to go into it all.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I think you're ashamed of the night you gave it to me. That you ever
let me see you needed help. That night in Italy, in some vague way you
cried out . . .

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

What is the matter with you today? Me crying out for help.

 

 

(He heads for the other room. A knock on study door is heard.)

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

It's probably Tom.

 

 

(LAURA goes to door.)

 

 

 

 

HERB
(This is HERBERT LEE, TOM'S father. He is a middle-sized man, fancying
himself a man of the world and an extrovert. He is dressed as a
conservative Boston businessman, but with still a touch of the collegiate
in his attire -- button-down shirt, etc.)

 

 

Mrs. Reynolds?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Yes?

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Stopped by the voice, turns)

 

 

Herb! Come in.

 

 

 

 

HERB
(Coming in)

 

 

Hiya, Bill. How are you, fella?

 

 

 

 

BILL
(Taking his hand)

 

 

I'm fine, Herb.

 

 

 

 

HERB
(Poking his finger into BILL'S chest)

 

 

Great to see you.

 

 

(Looks around to LAURA)

 

 

Oh, uh . . .

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I don't think you've met Laura, Herb. This is Laura. Laura, this is Herb
Lee, Tom's father.

 

 

 

 

HERB
(Hearty and friendly, meant to put people at their ease)

 

 

Hello, Laura.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I've heard so much about you.

 

 

 

 

HERB
(After looking at her for a moment)

 

 

I like her, Bill. I like her very much.

 

 

(LAURA blushes, and is a little taken aback by this.
To LAURA)

 

 

What I'd like to know is how did you manage to do it?

 

 

(Cuffing BILL)

 

 

I'll bet you make her life miserable . . . You look good, Bill.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

You don't look so bad yourself.

 

 

(He takes in a notch in his belt.)

 

 

HERB

 

 

No,
you're
in shape. I never had anything to keep in shape, but you
. . . You should have seen this boy, Laura.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I've seen pictures.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Only exercise I get these days is bending the elbow.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

May I get you something? A drink?

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

No, thanks. I haven't got much time.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

You drive out from Boston, Herb?

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

No, train. You know, Bill, I think that's the same old train you and I
used to ride in when we came here.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Probably is.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

If I don't catch the six-fifty-four, I'll have to stay all night, and
I'd rather not.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

We'd be glad to put you up.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

No. You're putting me up in a couple of weeks at the reunion. That's
imposing enough.

 

 

(There is an awkward pause. Both men sit down)

 

 

I . . . uh . . . was over at the Dean's this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Oh, he called you?

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Why, no. I was u'p discussing Alumni Fund matters with him . . .
and . . . Do you know about it?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

You mean about Tom?

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Yes.

 

 

(Looks at LAURA.)

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Laura knows too.

 

 

(He reaches for her to come to him, and he puts his arm around her waist.)

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Well, after we discussed the Fund, he told me about that. Thought I ought
to hear about it from him. Pretty casual about it, I thought.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Well, that's Fitz.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

What I want to know is, what was a guy like Harris doing at the school?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I tried to tell them.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Was there anyone around like that in our day, Bill?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

No. You're right.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

I tried to find the guy. I wanted to punch his face for him. But he's
cleared out. Is Tom around?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

He's in his room.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

How'd he get mixed up with a guy like that?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I don't know, Herb . . .

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

I know. I shouldn't ask you. I know. Of course I don't believe Tom was
really involved with this fellow. If I believed that, I'd . . . well,
I don't know what I'd do. You don't believe it, do you, Bill?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Why . . .

 

 

(Looks at LAURA.)

 

 

 

 

HERB
(Cutting in)

 

 

Of course you don't. But what's the matter? What's happened, Bill?
Why isn't my boy a regular fellow? He's had every chance to be since
he was knee-high to a grasshopper -- boys' camps every summer, boarding
schools. What do you think, Laura?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I'm afraid I'm not the one to ask, Mr. Lee.

 

 

(She breaks away from BILL.)

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

He's always been with men and boys. Why doesn't some of it rub off?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

You see, I feel he's a "regular fellow" . . . whatever that is.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

You do?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

If it's sports that matter, he's an excellent tennis player.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

But Laura, he doesn't even play tennis like a regular fellow. No hard
drives and cannon-ball serves. He's a cut artist. He can put more damn
twists on that ball.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

He wins. He's the school champion. And isn't he the champion of your
club back home?

 

 

(TOM comes down the stairs and enters his bedroom with the costume skirt
and towel.)

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

I'm glad you mentioned that . . . because that's just what I mean. Do you
know, Laura, his winning that championship brought me one of my greatest
humiliations? I hadn't been able to watch the match. I was supposed to
be in from a round of golf in time, but we got held up on every hole . . .
And when I got back to the locker room, I heard a couple of men talking
about Tom's match in the next locker section. And what they said, cut
me to the quick, Laura. One of them said, "It's a damn shame Tom Lee
won the match. He's a good player, all right, but John Batty is such a
regular guy." John Batty was his opponent. Now what pleasure was there
for me in that?

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

I know what you mean.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

I want to be proud of him. My God, that's why I had him in the first place.
That's why I took him from his mother when we split up, but . . . Look,
this is a terrible thing to say, but you know the scholarships the
University Club sponsors for needy kids . . .

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

Sure.

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Well, I contribute pretty heavily to it, and I happened to latch on to one
of the kids we help -- an orphan. I sort of talk to him like a father,
go up to see him at his school once in a while, and that kid listens to
me . . . and you know what, he's shaping up better than my own son.

 

 

(There is an awkward pause. Upstairs TOM has put a record on the
phonograph. It starts playing now.)

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

You saw the Dean, Herb?

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

Yes.

 

 

 

 

BILL

 

 

And?

 

 

 

 

HERB

 

 

He told me the circumstances. Told me he was confident that Tom was
innocently involved. He actually apologized for the whole thing. He did
say that some of the faculty had suggested -- though he didn't go along
with this -- that Tom would be more comfortable if I took him out of
school. But I'm not going to. He's had nothing but comfort all his life,
and look what's happened. My associates ask me what he wants to be,
and I tell them he hasn't made up his mind. Because I'll be damned if
I'll tell them he wants to be a singer of folk songs.