The Humans (2 page)

There are six basic fears, with some combination of

which every human suffers at one time or another . . .

The fear of
poverty

The fear of
criticism

The fear of
ill health

The fear of
loss of love of someone

The fear of
old age

The fear of
death

—
NAPOLEON HILL
,
THINK AND GROW RICH

The subject of the “uncanny” . . . belongs to all that is terrible—to all that arouses dread and creeping horror . . . The German word [for “uncanny”],
unheimlich
, is obviously the opposite of
heimlich
. . . meaning “familiar,” “native,” “belonging to the home”; and we are tempted to conclude that what is “uncanny” is frightening precisely because it is
not
known and familiar . . . [But] among its different shades of meaning the word
heimlich
exhibits one which is identical with its opposite,
unheimlich
. . . on the one hand, it means that which is familiar and congenial, and on the other, that which is concealed and kept out of sight.

—
SIGMUND FREUD
,
THE UNCANNY

The mask. Look at the mask!

Sand, crocodile, and fear above New York.

—
FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA
,
DANCE OF DEATH

A turn-of-the-century ground-floor/basement duplex tenement apartment in New York City's Chinatown. It's just big enough to not feel small. It's just small enough to not feel big.

The two floors are connected via a spiral staircase. Each floor has its own entrance.

The apartment's pre-war features have been coated in layers of faded off-white paint, rendering the space curiously monotone. The rooms are worn, the floors are warped, but clean and well kept.

The layout doesn't adhere to any sensible scheme; the result of a mid-century renovation in which two autonomous apartments were combined.

UPSTAIRS
:
two rooms divided by an open entryway. The room with the staircase also has the apartment's lone, large deep-set window with bars. The window gets no direct sunlight. An urban recliner is the only piece of furniture upstairs. The other room has a door that leads to the duplex's sole bathroom.

DOWNSTAIRS
:
two windowless rooms divided by an even larger open entryway—with a different floorplan than upstairs. A small
kitchen alley is wedged awkwardly behind the spiral staircase. The other room is dominated by a modest folding table. The table is set with six paper plates and napkins with turkeys on them. Plastic silverware. Scattered moving boxes. Not much else.

The apartment is a touch ghostly, but not in a forced manner; empty pre-war basement apartments are effortlessly uncanny.

At lights:

Erik is upstairs, alone, some plastic bags in his hands. Beside him is an empty wheelchair. He takes in the space. The main door is open. Beat.

A sickening
thud
sounds from above the ceiling. Erik looks up.

ERIK

[What the hell was that?]

He recovers.

Gradually his attention shifts away from the noise; he continues to explore the space when—

Another sickening
thud
sounds from above, startling him. He looks up.

ERIK

[God, what the hell is that?]

A toilet flush.

Aimee and Brigid enter through the main door carrying a few plastic bags.

AIMEE

This is the last of the goodies . . .

BRIGID

     
(To Erik)

I told you guys not to bring anything.

Deirdre and Momo exit the bathroom; Momo is shaky on her feet.

Erik helps her into her wheelchair.

DEIRDRE

Mission accomplished . . .

AIMEE

Definitely bigger than your last place.

ERIK

Is there some kinda construction going on upstairs?

BRIGID

Oh, no that's our neighbor, we think she drops stuff? Or stomps around?—we don't know . . .

DOWNSTAIRS
:
Richard emerges from the kitchen alley.

RICHARD

     
(Calling up)

Everyone okay up there?

BRIGID

We're fine, babe, just keep an eye on the oven, we'll be down in a minute.

RICHARD

You got it.

ERIK

Have you complained to her about the noise?

BRIGID

No, Dad, she's a seventy-year-old Chinese woman, / I'm not gonna—

DEIRDRE

Well, Brigid, I'm sixty-one—older people can still process information, we're / still able to—

BRIGID

I'm saying she means well, she's older so I don't wanna disturb her if I don't have to / . . . hey, here, I'll take your coats . . .

MOMO

     
(Mumbled)

You can never come back . . . you can never come back / . . . you can never come back . . . cannevery you come back . . .

DEIRDRE

All right . . . you're all right, Mom . . .

Momo's mumbling is not directed to anyone—her primary focus is down, toward the floor, lost; she is passive and disconnected.

BRIGID

What's she saying?

ERIK

Mom, hey Mom, this is Brigid's new apartment . . .

BRIGID

How are you, Momo?

DEIRDRE

We're gonna have Thanksgiving at your granddaughter's new place, / that sound good?

MOMO

     
(Mumbled)

. . . you can never come back . . . you can never come back . . .

BRIGID

Momo, you can absolutely come back, any time you want.

Deirdre moves into the room with the recliner.

ERIK

This is a decent layout, Bridge . . . / good space . . .

DEIRDRE

Really nice . . .

BRIGID

It's good, right?—I can set up my music workspace downstairs so I won't drive Rich crazy.

DEIRDRE

This is a fancy chair . . . Erik, check out this fancy chair . . .

ERIK

I thought all your furniture was on the moving truck.

BRIGID

It is—Richard's parents gave us that—a couch, too . . . we're not sure if the living area'll be up here or—this might become the bedroom . . .

AIMEE

     
(Noticing the staircase)

I can't believe you have a downstairs . . .

ERIK

Why would they give something this nice away?

DEIRDRE

     
(Referring to the recliner)

You might want something even bigger up here . . .

BRIGID

This isn't Scranton, I don't need an oversized recliner in every room.

MOMO

     
(Mumbled)

. . . you can never come back . . . you can never come back . . .

Deirdre's a little stung. Erik is drawn to the window, studies the surroundings.

BRIGID

You can come back any time, Momo.

DEIRDRE

It's her latest phrase-of-the-day . . . the doctor says it's normal, the repeating . . .

BRIGID

And is she . . . how's she been?

Eriks stops staring out the window.

Momo's focus remains primarily fixed toward the floor.

ERIK

Uh . . . she's still got her good days, you know? . . . yesterday she was pretty with it for most of the morning, but now she's [all over the place] . . . I dunno where she goes . . .

DEIRDRE

I tried to do her hair, I want her to look good, / you know?

DEIRDRE

No, no way, do you know how much that costs?

BRIGID

Yeah, well you'll burn out if you're / not careful—

DEIRDRE

Hey, hey don't worry about us—having her at home with us is, until it becomes too much, it's a blessing, you know . . . right Erik? . . . Erik . . .

Erik has been staring out the window again—something outside caught his attention.

AIMEE

Dad—
/ come back to earth . . .

AIMEE

     
(Trying to find the light switch in the bathroom)

Hey is the light switch . . . ?

BRIGID

No, it's on the outside . . .

Another
thud
sounds above the ceiling.

ERIK

You want me to call the super about the noise?—

BRIGID

No, no this is New York, people are loud, why are you so—

DEIRDRE

Hey, he had a rough night, he hasn't been sleeping, / he's been—Erik, you haven't . . .

AIMEE

     
(Offstage, from the bathroom)

There's no toilet paper!

BRIGID

Okay, hang on . . .

Brigid searches for toilet paper in one of the boxes/shopping bags. Deirdre follows her.

ERIK

Hey you get cell reception in here?

BRIGID

Up here we do, if—is it a Verizon phone?

ERIK

Uh, Sprint.

BRIGID

Then you have to lean up against the window.

ERIK

In here? I wanna check the score of the game.

BRIGID

Yeah . . . but now, yeah, now lean in . . .

Erik sits in the window ledge trying to get reception. Brigid looks for toilet paper.

DEIRDRE

The sheets were covered in sweat last night . . . I dunno if he's having nightmares or what—

BRIGID

Has he tried . . . Rich sometimes takes a sleeping pill, I can ask him what kind of / medicine—

DEIRDRE

Oh right like your dad'd ever try any sorta—no, no I bet . . . he'll sleep better after seeing you guys today, it'll be good for him . . .

BRIGID

Okay . . . well, good . . .

Brigid cracks the bathroom door open, hands Aimee the toilet paper, then shuts the door.

DEIRDRE

. . . yeah . . .

AIMEE

     
(Offstage)

Thank you.

BRIGID

. . . and . . . how's Aimee? . . .

DEIRDRE

[I dunno] . . . she's still heartbroken, you know? . . .

BRIGID

[Yeah,] it's gonna be weird for
us
, not having Carol around . . .

DEIRDRE

Well I'm telling you if they got married it—

     
(Brigid sighs)

—hey, it's why I don't like you and Rich moving in together / before making a real commitment—

BRIGID

I know, I've heard your reasons, / but we put this to rest, yeah? . . .

DEIRDRE

—marriage can help you weather a storm, that's all—yeah, hey / I'm sorry if I'm [being pushy]—

MOMO

Sorn it allinners . . .

BRIGID

     
(Noticing Momo's runny nose)

Mom—Momo's nose . . .

DEIRDRE

Oh God . . .

     
(Lovingly wiping Momo's nose)

. . . there we go, Mom, there we go . . .

ERIK

The Lions are up seven.

BRIGID

Sorry you're not sleeping, Big Guy . . .

ERIK

I'm fine.

BRIGID

. . . do you want to put your feet up and take a quick nap before dinner?—

ERIK

     
(Amused by her worry)

No way, are you kidding me?, / no . . .

BRIGID

I'm serious!

ERIK

. . . no, I'm good . . .

BRIGID

Rich hasn't been sleeping much either, he's been having weird dreams about—he thinks they're related to the stress of the move . . .

DEIRDRE

Oh man . . .