Читать книгу Ripcord (TCG Edition) - David Lindsay-Abaire - Страница 10
ОглавлениеA double room in the Bristol Place Senior Living Facility. It’s fairly homey, as far as these places go. There are two beds, a couple of end tables, two sitting chairs, and two identical dressers. There’s a door to the room stage right that leads out into the hall. A wide set of windows line the stage left wall. It’s a very sunny day. A door upstage right leads to the bathroom.
As the lights rise, we discover Abby Binder in the chair closest to the windows, reading on an iPad. Her side of the room, stage left, has a few plants and a watering can on the windowsill, and some knickknacks. Her bed is made, while the stage right bed is not. The stage right dresser has several framed family photos atop it, while Abby’s dresser has a small stack of books.
There’s a tap at the door. Scotty, a resident aide, enters, carrying a tray with a couple of covered plates on it.
SCOTTY
Hey, Abby. You didn’t want to come down to the dining room?
ABBY
(Doesn’t look up from her iPad) Am I there?
SCOTTY
That’s all right, I brought some lunch up for you. (Places the tray near her)
ABBY
Why bother? I can’t taste anything.
SCOTTY
I know, I’m sorry.
ABBY
Going on two months now. Which may be a blessing given what they serve down there.
SCOTTY
It’s very common. Losing your sense of taste.
ABBY
No, it isn’t.
SCOTTY
I’ve seen it with a lot of our residents. It’s usually the medications. Certain combinations do funny things.
ABBY
Oh, are you a doctor now?
SCOTTY
No. The plate’s right there when you get hungry. It’s shrimp marinara.
ABBY
It doesn’t matter what it is. It all tastes like sand to me.
SCOTTY
Okay.
(He makes the unmade bed over the following:)
ABBY
How long is that woman here?
SCOTTY
What do you mean?
ABBY
It’s been three weeks. And she never stops talking. How long is this supposed to go on?
SCOTTY
This is where she lives, Abby.
ABBY
Well yes, for now, but I / meant—
SCOTTY
Not just for now. Indefinitely. This is Marilyn’s room. Same as you.
ABBY
But I thought she was being moved as soon as a bed opened up. And from what I hear, that fat woman on the first floor died last night.
SCOTTY
Mrs. Moore. Her name was Mrs. Moore.
ABBY
Well I can’t keep track of everyone’s name. You knew who I meant. She’s dead isn’t she?
SCOTTY
She passed away, yes.
ABBY
Then there’s an open bed.
SCOTTY
I think Marilyn prefers this room. She said she likes the view of the park. She’s very happy in here.
ABBY
But everyone wants the first floor. It’s closer to everything. And I’ve always had my own room, Scotty.
SCOTTY
That’s not true.
ABBY
Most of the time. That Spanish lady was here for a few months, but after / her—
SCOTTY
If there’s space, we try to accommodate you, but there’s not always space. And you don’t have a private room.
ABBY
Not officially maybe.
SCOTTY
If you and your family want to pay for a private room—
ABBY
If I have to have someone in here, why can’t it be someone quiet? What about that woman without the voice box? She seems nice.
SCOTTY
So is Marilyn. You just need to give her a / chance.
ABBY
That woman is troubled, Scotty. I think there’s something wrong with her. She’s always trying to make little bets with me.
SCOTTY
What do you mean, bets? What kind of bets?
ABBY
Just the stupidest things. Guessing games and quizzes. This morning she wanted to race me to the elevator. Last night she bet me she could balance a slipper on her head.
SCOTTY
Could she?
ABBY
I don’t know, I rolled over. You have to get her out of here.
SCOTTY
I can’t force her to leave, Abby.
ABBY
Management could. Charlie Hastings would’ve done it. He always made sure I had my own room.
SCOTTY
Well, Charlie doesn’t work here anymore.
ABBY
Which is a shame. Charlie liked me.
SCOTTY
I like you too. But, I’m not in charge of room assignments. Miss Larusso is.
ABBY
Well you’re friends with her, aren’t you? I see you in her office all the time watching those cat videos or whatever they are. They must be very funny the way you two carry on.
SCOTTY
They aren’t cat videos.
ABBY
No?
SCOTTY
Not all of them.
ABBY
Can’t you talk to her?
SCOTTY
You talk to her. Be your own advocate.
ABBY
Oh that never works. Besides, Miss Larusso doesn’t like me.
SCOTTY
Because you’re mean to her.
ABBY
Her problem is, she has no sense of humor. Charlie Hastings thought I was hilarious.
SCOTTY
Because he was drunk.
ABBY
You leave that man alone.
SCOTTY
He had a terrible drinking problem, which is why he was fired.
ABBY
All I know is, he did whatever I asked him to. If he were here, that woman would’ve been gone by now.
(Marilyn enters. She’s warm and pleasant.)
SCOTTY
There she is.
MARILYN
Here I am.
SCOTTY
How you feeling, Marilyn?
MARILYN
I feel great, thank you. Just back from my walk.
SCOTTY
Oh, are you doing that now?
MARILYN
Every day after lunch. Twice around the park. Me and Alice and Sally. Mr. Hantz comes along sometimes. I’ve invited Abby but she doesn’t like the exercise.
ABBY
It’s not the exercise I don’t like.
MARILYN
Did you make my bed, Scotty? I’ve told you that you don’t have to do that. I’m only gonna mess it up again. I’m a restless sleeper.
ABBY
Also she snores.
MARILYN
It’s true!
ABBY
I had to get earplugs.
MARILYN
My Oliver used to boot me out of bed. Usually it’s the husband on the couch, but with us it was me. Poor man.
ABBY
My very thought.
MARILYN
(Chuckles at that) Isn’t she awful, Scotty?
SCOTTY
She is, yes. She’s awful. (As he exits) I’ll be back.
MARILYN
We missed you in the dining room. You should see it down there. They have it all done up for Halloween now. Pumpkins up on the walls, skeletons, black cats. You’d love it.
ABBY
Why would you think that?
MARILYN
They’re like classroom decorations. And Mr. Hantz said you used to be a teacher. Grade school, he said. I don’t know how he got it outta ya, you won’t tell me anything.
ABBY
(Looks to the windowsill) My plants are droopy.
MARILYN
But teacher makes sense. I can picture it. I bet you were very stern with the children.
(Abby grabs the watering can and heads into the bathroom. We hear the water running.)
I was an office manager. In my husband’s business. Did I mention he was a skydiving instructor?
ABBY
Several times.
MARILYN
We were based down at Alexandria Field. I could tell you some stories, boy. My children run the business now. They’re good kids. And they’d do anything for me.
(Abby comes out of the bathroom with the watering can filled. She waters her plants over the following:)
Did you hear that Mrs. Moore died? Poor thing. Went in her sleep. Such a nice woman.
ABBY
Such a nice room.
MARILYN
Room?
ABBY
It’s too bad she’s dead, but silver linings, right?
MARILYN
How do you mean?
ABBY
That room is prime real estate in this place. First floor—between the mailboxes and the dayroom. Less walking, more space.
MARILYN
Are you thinking of changing rooms?
ABBY
What? No, I’m not thinking of changing rooms.
MARILYN
Oh, you sound so enamored of it.
ABBY
I’m not. I only mentioned it because I thought you might want it.
MARILYN
Oh no, I’m perfectly happy where I am. There’s much more sunlight up here.
ABBY
No there isn’t.
MARILYN
(Moves to the windows) Sure there is, we don’t have that building blocking our view like they do downstairs. And I can see the park from up here. There’s your bench where you like to sit and read. It’s a lovely view.
ABBY
I guess I’ve never noticed.
MARILYN
Well that’s a waste, with you so close to the window. Maybe you’d like to swap beds?
ABBY
I would not.
MARILYN
No, I don’t blame you. It’s the nicest spot in the room.
(Abby, annoyed, goes back to her iPad, reading. Marilyn smiles, then takes a child’s painting from her dresser.)
Did I show you this? My grandson made it for me. Caleb. So sweet. Do you know what it is?
ABBY
A pap smear?
MARILYN
It’s a fire truck.
ABBY
I don’t see it.
MARILYN
He loves fire trucks. Ambulances too. Anything with a siren. He can hear one from blocks away. He gets this big grin, and flies to the window to see them pass by. They make him so happy.
ABBY
That’s creepy.
MARILYN
Creepy?
ABBY
Those sirens are blaring because people are dying.
MARILYN
(Chuckles) Now come / on.
ABBY
They are. Or their homes are going up in flames. Or there’s a car accident, or some old man has fallen down some stairs. That’s what those sirens mean. People in pain.
MARILYN
Caleb doesn’t know any of that. It’s just a fire truck to him.
ABBY
Well, when you’ve heard as many sirens as I have . . . They’re nothing to be happy about. Is he all right? In the head I mean, or is he a little . . .
MARILYN
What kind of question is that?
ABBY
Well if he’s chasing after fire trucks, you have to wonder. My son never did that. Normal boys don’t do that.
MARILYN
Of course they do. You’re just trying to get a rise out of me.
(Pause.)
So you have a son, huh? What’s his name?
ABBY
Barbara.
(A moment, then Marilyn turns her attention to Abby’s tray of food.)
MARILYN
You should eat. There’s cobbler. It’s very good.
ABBY
You know I can’t taste / anything.
MARILYN
Oh is that still going on?
ABBY
You know it is. (Looks under the lid) And I love cobbler.
MARILYN
I know, I’m sorry.
ABBY
I don’t think you are. I think you’re gloating. I think you’re angry I made fun of your grandson’s painting. (Takes a bite of the cobbler)
MARILYN
Oh, I don’t get angry.
(Beat.)
ABBY
You don’t get angry.
MARILYN
Not anymore, no. There’s really no point. It always leads to an ugly place. And I don’t care for ugly places.
(Beat.)
How’s the cobbler?
ABBY
Tastes like paste.
MARILYN
It’s peach. I remember you mentioning it was your mother’s specialty, so I put in a special request.
ABBY
(Shoves it aside) Well it’s much too late for peaches. It’s a summer fruit.
(Marilyn takes out her sudoku puzzle book and sits on her bed.)
MARILYN
Have you tried these? Sudoku? I do them every day to keep my brain limber. Sudoku. They’re from Japan.
ABBY
Yes, I know.
MARILYN
Would you like to try one?
ABBY
No thank you.
(Marilyn looks disappointed. She works on her sudoku. After a couple beats . . .)
What do you mean, you put in a special request?
MARILYN
I talked to Miss Larusso. I said, is there any way to get some peach cobbler on the menu. And she said, I bet we could arrange that, let me talk to the kitchen.
ABBY
You just asked her and she said, no problem.
MARILYN
She’s very nice to me.
(Scotty reenters with their medication.)
ABBY
Did you hear that, Scotty? Miss Larusso is very nice to Marilyn.
SCOTTY
Well Marilyn is very nice to Miss Larusso. Funny how that works. (Gives Marilyn her pills in a paper cup)
MARILYN
(Referring to her cup of pills) Say, Bartender, can you make mine a double?
SCOTTY
Oh, I think you’ve had enough, ma’am. I’m afraid I’m gonna have to cut you off.
(They have a little laugh.)
MARILYN
(To Abby) We do that every day.
ABBY
Yes, I know.
(Marilyn swallows her pills down, then hands the cup back to Scotty. He moves over to Abby, and hands her her pills.)
SCOTTY
Here you go.
ABBY
(To Scotty) Talk to Larusso for me. Please. Just put in the request.
MARILYN
What request?
ABBY
Chicken and dumplings. If you can ask for cobbler, I can ask for dumplings. (Downs her pills)
MARILYN
Did Scotty show you his card? He’s an actor, you know.
ABBY
You’re an actor?
SCOTTY
Well, not professional.
ABBY
(Smiles) No?
MARILYN
Give her a card, Scotty.
ABBY
Yes, Scotty, give me a card.
SCOTTY
Sure. Here ya go. (Gives her a postcard)
MARILYN
He was handing them out at lunch. It’s a postcard for the play he’s in.
SCOTTY
It’s not a play.
MARILYN
Oh, I misunderstood. I thought it was a play.
ABBY
(Reading from the card) “Beelzebub’s Den.”
SCOTTY
It’s a haunted house.
MARILYN
Well that’s even better than a play.
SCOTTY
Some friends of mine rent out a warehouse in Pottsville every year, and decorate it, and we get into makeup and costumes. It’s pretty scary.
ABBY
Weird thing to invite residents to.
SCOTTY
I thought it’d be fun for everyone to see what I do outside of this place.
ABBY
Does Miss Larusso know you want to give us all heart attacks?
SCOTTY
No one’s gonna have a heart attack.
ABBY
It says on the card, “Heart-stopping horror!” Heart. Stopping.
MARILYN
I’d like to go.
ABBY
Yes, I think that’s a wonderful idea. You should go.
MARILYN
I’m gonna!
SCOTTY
Excellent! Thanks, Marilyn. That puts me at thirty-nine!
ABBY
Thirty-nine what?
SCOTTY
Tickets. Me and my buddies need to sell forty each to break even on the cost of that warehouse.
MARILYN
Oh, you have to come, Abby. You’d make it forty!
ABBY
No, I don’t think so.
MARILYN
He needs to sell tickets! And we should support Scotty and his dreams.
SCOTTY
It’s not exactly a dream, it’s just—
MARILYN
All the nice things he does for everyone around here?
ABBY
What nice things?
MARILYN
Making our beds, bringing our pills . . .
ABBY
That’s his job. He’s not changing your sheets because he’s nice, he’s doing it because that’s what he gets paid to do.
MARILYN
It’s a twelve-dollar ticket. Throw the kid a bone.
ABBY
I will not.
(Beat.)
SCOTTY
And you wonder why people won’t do you any favors.
ABBY
What favors? Larusso?
SCOTTY
You want me to talk to her for you, and yet—
ABBY
Now wait a minute. Are you saying you’d be more inclined to put in a good word if I went to your spook house?
SCOTTY
All I’m saying is, it would’ve been a nice gesture. That’s all.
ABBY
I didn’t realize you were a scratch-my-back kinda guy, Scotty.
SCOTTY
Well you don’t really know me, do you.
MARILYN
You know, I’m happy to talk to Larusso if you really want dumplings so badly.
ABBY
No, I want Scotty to do it. He knows the kind I like.
(Beat.)
SCOTTY
I do. And if you’re a little nicer I can try to get them for you.
ABBY
Fine. I’ll see the damn show.
SCOTTY
Yes! Forty!
(Blackout.)
