Читать книгу Five Plays - Samuel D. Hunter - Страница 11

Scene One

Throughout the scene there is the steady sound of bad pop music playing in the background. Somewhere onstage is a large banner that reads “Famiglia Week.”

At one table: Doris, Nick, and Kelly. At another: Cole, Tammy, and Becky. Isabelle is taking Nick’s order. The other group have finished their entrées and are about to order dessert.

The scene starts suddenly, like we’re being thrown into the middle of something that’s been going on for a while.

ISABELLE: —the “Tour of Italy,” which is lasagna and / fettuccine—

NICK: There’s meat in that?

ISABELLE: The lasagna? Yes.

NICK: / Good.

COLE: Don’t make them sing. I don’t like it when you make them sing. Didn’t like last year.

(Max enters, approaches Tammy, Becky, and Cole.)

TAMMY: / Oh Dad. Grumpy grump!

DORIS: The manicotti, gluten-free pasta please.

MAX: / Everyone finished?

(Max starts clearing dishes.)

ISABELLE: We actually don’t have gluten-free pasta right now.

DORIS: You don’t? You don’t have gluten-free pasta?

(Eddie enters.)

MAX: / Can I get you guys anything for dessert?

DORIS (To Eddie): Eddie, this girl here is saying / that you don’t—

EDDIE: We’re out of gluten-free pasta, Mom.

TAMMY: / Well we sort of have a special occasion?

NICK: Just have regular pasta.

MAX: Oh right!

BECKY: / Jesus Christ.

DORIS: My stomach will /make noise. Let me just— . . .

TAMMY: You know you can choose to be a happy person, Becky, / you can—

BECKY (To Tammy): There’s genocide happening, right now.

MAX: Um.

DORIS (Looking at the menu): / Well if you don’t have that, I just don’t see anything here that I can eat.

BECKY: Children are being killed. Women are being raped. I am not “choosing” / to be a—

EDDIE (Looking at the menu): / Well what about—? Oh, no.

MAX: Oh, / I don’t—

TAMMY: She’ll have the tiramisu. You want the tiramisu, right Becky?

BECKY: Stop calling me Becky.

NICK: You really can’t / eat the regular pasta?

KELLY (To Nick): Nick, she said she can’t have it.

MAX: / O—kay, I’ll be right back then.

(Max exits.)

NICK: I’m just saying a little bit won’t kill you.

TAMMY: / Thank you.

DORIS: Oh never mind, I’ll just have the salad.

EDDIE: Sorry, Mom.

(Eddie exits. Troy enters, crossing the stage. Tammy grabs him on his way over.)

TAMMY: Troy, why haven’t you been serving us?

KELLY: / Is there anything you recommend?

TROY: It’s not my section.

TAMMY: Did you tell them it was your dad’s birthday?

ISABELLE: / Oh I mean it’s like all really super good.

TROY: It doesn’t work like that.

TAMMY: Becky and I were thinking—

BECKY: / Oh my God stop calling me Becky.

KELLY: Oh. I guess then—chicken, then.

TROY: Tammy, let’s not start anything today, please?

(Troy exits.)

ISABELLE: Okay, I’ll get that right out to you. Can I do anything else for you in the meantime?

NICK: No thanks.

(Isabelle exits.)

TAMMY (To Becky): / Why don’t you give Grandpa the present you got for him?

DORIS: You didn’t have to make such a scene, now I won’t get enough to eat.

(Becky takes a small wrapped present out of her bag and gives it to Cole.)

NICK: Oh for God’s sake.

KELLY: Mom, I just think that Nick / was trying—

DORIS: Oh honey don’t call me that, I told you, I don’t like it.

(Cole opens the present.)

BECKY: It’s a Chia. It’s shaped like a head.

COLE: I don’t understand.

TAMMY: Now you have something to take care of!

(Becky pulls out a book, starts reading.)

KELLY (To Doris): So did Nick tell you / the good news?

TAMMY: Will you put that away please?

DORIS: / Good news? Oh my, are you . . .?

BECKY: No.

NICK: Oh God no, I’m—. / It’s a job thing, I got a promotion.

TAMMY: It’s Grandpa’s birthday.

DORIS: / Oh. Well that’s good.

BECKY: Yay.

(Eddie enters, goes to Doris, Nick, and Kelly. Max reenters with a large carafe of rosé wine, goes to Tammy.)

EDDIE: Sorry, guys, one of our deep fryers is being weird, and / our cook doesn’t—

DORIS: / We understand.

MAX (To Cole and Tammy): Would you guys like to try a sample?

TAMMY: Oh—sure!

(Max pours Tammy a taste of wine. Eddie sits with Doris, Nick, and Kelly.)

MAX: / Anything free is good, right? Heh. It’s a white zinfandel. It’s bright and flavorful. How was the food, by the way?

EDDIE: It’s just—it’s really great to have you guys here. It’s been way too long, we’re finally all in the same room / together—

COLE: / The meat in my lasagna was strange.

DORIS: How much is the discount?

BECKY: / Well you know ground beef has a ton of feces in it.

EDDIE: Oh, it’s—it’s fifty percent, it’s half off—

COLE (To Becky): / Feces?

NICK: She thinks you can / get it for free.

TAMMY: Okay, Becky.

KELLY (To Nick): Honey.

(Isabelle enters, goes to Eddie.)

DORIS: Well. / He’s the manager.

ISABELLE: Eddie, Theo is really freaking out about / the fryer in there—

EDDIE: / Okay, thanks, just a minute.

(Isabelle exits.)

BECKY: I read all about it, there’s like a ton of feces in ground beef / because the meat industry doesn’t even—

DORIS: Fifty percent is fine, Eddie, thank you.

TAMMY: / Becky for the love of God.

EDDIE: I mean I can probably get you some free appetizers if you guys want?

MAX (Referring to the wine): / Do you—want more?

EDDIE: We’ve got sauces for breadsticks, this mozzarella fondue thingy—

TAMMY: / Yes!

DORIS: Oh I’m sorry that all just sounds so disgusting.

(Isabelle rushes in, waves at Eddie. Max pours Tammy a full glass.)

ISABELLE: Eddie.

EDDIE (To Nick, Kelly, and Doris): Lemme just take care of this, and I’ll / be right back—

DORIS: Eddie, it’s fine.

NICK: Go back to work, buddy, don’t worry about it.

(Eddie exits with Isabelle. Max finishes pouring the wine and exits. Tammy notices Nick from across the room.)

TAMMY: Nicky?!

(Nick looks up.)

NICK: Oh, God. Tammy?

(Tammy gets up with her wine, approaching Nick.)

TAMMY: How are you?! It’s been forever!

NICK: Yeah, we’re just here for a couple days.

TAMMY: Is this your wife?!

KELLY: I’m Kelly.

TAMMY: She’s so cute! Nicky, she’s so cute!

DORIS: You and Nicky used to date, didn’t you?

COLE (To Becky): / What’s that you were saying about the feces in the ground beef?

DORIS: You were the one with the bangs.

TAMMY: Yes!

DORIS: They were so strange.

TAMMY: / I always admired you for leaving. I doubt Troy and I are ever gonna get outta here. What do you do now?

BECKY (Pulling out her phone): Seriously, the meat industry is horrible, they don’t even care. I saw a video on the internet about how they slaughter cows, do you want to see it?

NICK: / I’m in real estate, in Saint Paul.

COLE: Yes.

TAMMY (Louder than she intends): Holy crap! Too bad for me, I could’ve been— . . .!

(Tammy stops herself, takes a drink of wine.)

It’s so good to see you!

(Becky shows a video on her phone to Cole. Troy reenters with some dirty dishes, sees Tammy with the wine, and goes to her.)

TROY: Tammy, what are you doing?

TAMMY: It was—. It’s just a sample, he offered me a— . . .

(Short pause. Troy turns away.)

TROY (To Nick): Hi Nicky.

NICK: Hey, Troy.

(Troy exits. Awkward pause.)

TAMMY: Well it’s good to see you. She’s so pretty.

(Tammy goes back to her table.)

NICK: Anyway, it’s not that much more money, but it’s a step forward, you know.

DORIS: / Wonderful.

TAMMY (To Becky): What are you doing?

KELLY: / He’s very well-liked.

BECKY: He wants to see it.

DORIS: Well of course he is.

BECKY (Referring to the video): And after the knife goes into their throat and they flip around sometimes the cow gets stuck in the / machine and—

TAMMY (Grabbing the phone): / You’re embarrassing us.

NICK: It’s a small company but they’ve got a great reputation.

DORIS: I’m very impressed.

NICK: Okay, I’m not trying to “impress” you, / I was just talking.

KELLY: / Nick—

DORIS: Nicky please don’t read into what I’m saying, I’m truly very impressed.

(Max, Isabelle, and Troy enter, approaching Cole. Isabelle holds a slice of cake with a candle on top. They start singing. Max and Troy aren’t that into it; Isabelle is very into it, harmonizing toward the end.)

MAX, ISABELLE, AND TROY (Singing): Happy birthday / to you, happy birthday to you, etc.

COLE: What did I say? What did I just tell you?

NICK: / Anyway it’s just—a good thing for me.

TAMMY: Oh Dad. Grumpy grump!

DORIS: / Congratulations.

BECKY: Happy birthday Grandpa.

NICK (Defeated): / Thanks.

COLE: I fought in Korea. Stop singing.

(Max, Isabelle, and Troy finish singing. They all applaud.)

ISABELLE: Abbondanza!

DORIS: / It’s so cold in here. Ask Eddie why they keep it so cold?

BECKY: Mom, I’m not eating this.

TAMMY: / Becky you’re really pushing it.

NICK: Why do I need to ask him?

KELLY (To Nick): Honey.

NICK: / What?

TAMMY: Just blow out the candle.

TROY: Blow out the candle, Dad.

BECKY: Maybe he doesn’t want to blow out the fucking candle.

(Eddie pops his head in, speaking to Doris, Nick, and Kelly.)

TROY: / Becky.

EDDIE: Just give me a minute, I’m so sorry.

NICK: It’s fine.

TROY: / Okay, Dad just—. Blow it out.

DORIS: Eddie why is it so cold in here?

BECKY: / I hate this family.

EDDIE: Oh, uh—I don’t know?

TAMMY: / Why do you say these things?!

DORIS: Well maybe this is why it’s closing. It’s too cold / for people to eat—

TAMMY: / Is it too much to ask that your grandfather has a nice—?

EDDIE: Sh—Mom—

NICK: Wait what’s happening?

TROY: DAD, JUST BLOW OUT THE DAMN CANDLE ALREADY.

(Everyone turns to Cole. Cole looks at the lit candle in front of him, staring at it. There is a very, very long silence during which we only hear music playing in the background. Finally, Cole blows out the candle. Everyone claps halfheartedly.)

ISABELLE: Yay! Today you’re part of our famiglia!

(Isabelle, Max, and Troy all exit.)

NICK: How long do you have?

EDDIE: Um. We really shouldn’t—

COLE: / I’m done. I’m going to the car to do my word search.

NICK: What are you gonna do?

(Cole gets up and slowly exits. Troy enters, seeing Cole leave.)

EDDIE: / I don’t— . . . I guess I’m not totally sure yet? I’m still working on it—

TAMMY: Fine, we’re staying here and finishing our desserts. You’re seventy-seven for God’s sake, you’re acting like a child.

DORIS: / I told him there’s a new one opening up in Rexburg. He didn’t even apply.

BECKY: Maybe he thinks you’re acting like a child.

TAMMY: Becky, I swear to God—

(Troy enters.)

BECKY: / Stop calling me that.

EDDIE: I don’t want to move to Rexburg, I live here.

TROY (To Tammy): What did you say to him?

NICK: / Maybe it’d be good for you.

TAMMY: Oh my God, he’s your father.

(Troy exits, heading after Cole.)

EDDIE (To Doris): Mom and I’d never see each other.

DORIS: Well.

EDDIE: What? (Pause) Mom, what?

DORIS: I’m just saying it might be good for you, that’s all.

EDDIE: / But I mean we barely see one another as it is—

BECKY: I don’t feel good.

DORIS: / Eddie you’re so sensitive.

TAMMY: Just calm down.

EDDIE: / Listen, maybe we could all do Christmas together this year?

BECKY: I think I need to go the bathroom.

EDDIE: / We could do it here, or we could all go to Saint Paul—

TAMMY: Are you going to make yourself throw up?

DORIS: / Maybe next year, I’m thinking of doing a cruise with Eileen this Christmas.

TAMMY: I’m not going to let you go to the bathroom if you’re going to make yourself throw up.

NICK: Yeah, we’re going to Miami. / We’re just sick of the holidays.

BECKY: Mom, I’m really sick.

TAMMY: If you’re going to make yourself throw up—

BECKY: / Mom.

DORIS: You can afford / another trip after flying all the way out here?

TAMMY: Becky sit down right now.

(Tammy takes Cole’s cake, starts eating.)

NICK: I have money, Mom. I have a decent job.

DORIS: That’s good, I’m saying that’s good. Honestly, Nicky.

(Becky throws up on the table.)

TAMMY: Oh my God, what is wrong with you?!

(Troy reenters, sees the vomit.)

DORIS: Oh that’s going to have a stench.

TAMMY: Troy, could you—?

TROY: Is she okay?

TAMMY: / Troy.

(Troy quickly exits.)

DORIS: Nicky I can’t eat with vomit in the room.

NICK: / Mom, we already ordered.

TAMMY: Get into the car.

DORIS: Eddie, shouldn’t someone be cleaning that up?

EDDIE: Oh, uh. Okay . . .

(Eddie quickly exits.)

BECKY: I told you I was sick.

(Eddie quickly exits. Isabelle enters with salad and breadsticks for Doris, Nick, and Kelly.)

TAMMY: I said get into the car.

BECKY: God I just hate everything about everything.

ISABELLE: Here you go! Entrées will be right out.

(Tammy leaves some cash and pulls Becky out of the restaurant. Troy enters with cleaning supplies and starts cleaning up the vomit. Doris gets up.)

DORIS: C’mon.

KELLY (To Doris): Oh, are we—? Are we going somewhere else?

NICK: Mom, the food is coming, we can’t / just—

DORIS: They can’t expect us to eat food when there’s vomit in the room. There’s an Applebee’s on Ridgemont.

(Nick and Kelly get up.)

NICK: Dear God, this is turning into an ordeal.

DORIS: No more histrionics. No one likes a loud person.

(Doris, Nick, and Kelly exit. There is a moment of silence with Troy cleaning up the vomit and the music playing in the background. Eddie reenters with cleaning supplies. He sees Troy cleaning the vomit, then looks to where Doris, Nick, and Kelly were sitting. The food sits untouched at an empty table.)

TROY (To Eddie): Sorry, Becky, she—. She gets sick.

(Eddie doesn’t respond. He continues to stare at the food.)

You’re the one that wanted the famiglia week.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: I just thought it would be nice.

(Troy looks at Eddie.)

TROY: Look none of the other sections saw her throw up, they’re / not—

EDDIE: It’s fine, really, I’m not—. I just can’t seem to get anything right this week.

TROY: It’s not you, Eddie, it’s just—. Look, it was a nice idea.

(Troy pats Eddie on the back, then exits with the cleaning supplies. Silence. Eddie stares at the empty table. Slowly he moves to the table, sitting down. He stares at the food in front of him as the music continues lightly in the background.

After a moment Nick enters, approaching Eddie.)

NICK: Hey, buddy.

EDDIE: Hey, you—. You guys are leaving?

NICK: I think so? Sorry, you know Mom, she’s decided we have to eat somewhere else, so—. (Short pause) You—doing okay? Kelly thought that something might be wrong, I wasn’t sure / if—

EDDIE: Nah, I’m—. I’m fine.

NICK: Okay. (Short pause) Is there any other place in town to eat other than the Applebee’s?

EDDIE: Not really.

NICK: What about that place on Alameda? Krista’s / Kitchen?

EDDIE: Kathy’s Kitchen, closed last year.

NICK: Huh.

EDDIE: Pretty much just fast food other than that now. Or the Old Country Buffet.

NICK: Oof, no thank you. (Pulling out his wallet) Here, lemme pay you for the food we / ordered—

EDDIE: Oh, you don’t have to / do that—

NICK: Seriously, I’d feel bad.

(Nick hands him some cash. Eddie takes the money.)

And listen, uh—we’re actually not gonna see you later if that’s okay. Kelly and I are gonna head to Sun Valley for a couple of nights?

EDDIE: Oh. Really?

NICK: Yeah, she’s never seen it, so.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: I was sort of hoping we could— . . . My apartment complex has a few grills in the courtyard, I thought I could pick up some meat and / we could—

NICK: Crap—sorry, buddy, we’ve just been— . . . I promised I’d show it to her this time around, and she— . . . (Pause) Look, Eddie, I’m sorry. Kelly and I were both looking forward to seeing you today, felt like we’ve barely had a chance to catch up.

EDDIE: Yeah, right?

NICK: It’s just—I don’t know, being back home . . . I feel like once I’m back in Pocatello for more than a couple days, I just get— . . . It’s just too much. And this is the only vacation time that we’re both going to have for a while, so we just—. And our room at the La Quinta is sorta—not great, the bed / has this—

EDDIE: I mean you guys are welcome to stay at my apartment? I mean it’s kinda tight but the futon’s pretty comfortable actually—

NICK: Oh nah, we—. We wouldn’t want to put you out. (Pause) But I mean it really is good seeing you, and we’ll swing by the restaurant before we head out. And seriously, don’t worry about Mom.

EDDIE: Yeah, she—. I feel like I don’t even know how to talk to her anymore.

NICK: Did you ever know how to talk to her?

EDDIE: I mean, yeah, when I was in high school, it was just / different, it—

NICK: Yeah, well. That was a long time ago.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Sure.

(Pause.)

NICK: Eddie, you—? You sure you’re okay?

(Pause. Eddie looks at Nick.)

EDDIE: No, Nicky, actually I— . . . I’m sort of—in trouble? I don’t know what to—. (Pause) They’re saying I’m gonna have to shut down the restaurant at the end of next week.

(Pause.)

NICK: Wait—next week?

EDDIE: They’ve been warning me for a while now, our profits haven’t been—. We’re just losing money at this point, and corporate’s given me chance after chance—

NICK: And you haven’t told your employees yet?

EDDIE: I mean I don’t want them to give up, or— . . . I’m still hoping I can save it somehow, or—

NICK: Eddie, you have to tell your staff, if they’re all losing their jobs, you have to— . . . (Pause) Well, what about Rexburg? Mom said there’s one opening up there?

EDDIE: Yeah—

NICK: Maybe it’s time to get out of Pocatello, buddy. Kelly and I were downtown earlier, it’s looking pretty grim compared to the last time I was here.

EDDIE: Yeah lately it’s been—. It’s been bad for everyone.

NICK: Exactly, so maybe you should just—leave. Rexburg is fine, right?

EDDIE: Sure, it’s—.

(Pause.)

NICK: Or hell, move somewhere else. Boise, or Portland, or— . . . Don’t you think you’d be happier somewhere else? I mean you have options, you went to college.

EDDIE: I majored in Pacific Northwest History.

NICK: Yeah, well, you—. (Pause) Look, you’ll land somewhere. You’re a smart guy. And I can help you with your resume if you want, I’d be / happy to—

EDDIE: Nick, I’m feeling sort of—. I’d really appreciate it if you could stick around a few more days?

(Pause.)

NICK: Eddie—

EDDIE: Can’t you just change your flight?

NICK: Buddy I really just can’t take more time off, this month especially it’s / really—

EDDIE: It’s just that—I don’t really know what to do, I don’t / really—

NICK: Kelly has work too, we can’t / just—

EDDIE: I could pay to change your plane ticket if you—

NICK (Aggressive): Eddie c’mon, just— . . .

(Max enters, begins to clear the dishes off of a table. Nick stops himself, calms down. Pause. He lowers his voice, moves closer to Eddie.)

(Soft) Eddie, it’s just—a restaurant. It’s not even yours, it’s a chain restaurant. I know you’ve been here a while, but it’s—. You just need to find somewhere else, that’s all. And for God’s sake, tell your employees. (Pause, normal volume) Look, we’ll—. We’ll see you in a couple days, and you—. You’re gonna be fine. Okay?

(Pause. Max has begun to listen.)

EDDIE: Sure. (Pause) Thanks, Nicky.

(Nick starts to exit.)

EDDIE: Bye to Kelly?

NICK: Sure.

(Nick is gone. Eddie stares at the food. Max grabs the last dish, approaches Eddie.)

MAX: You okay?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Yeah.

MAX: You sure?

(Eddie looks up at him. Isabelle enters.)

ISABELLE: Max that fucking ravioli app has been sitting under the heat lamp for ten fucking stupid minutes.

MAX: Sorry. Geez.

(Max exits. Isabelle goes to Eddie.)

ISABELLE: Should I—? You want me to cancel the food?

(Eddie looks at her.)

EDDIE: Yeah, I guess you should.

Scene Two

Later that night.

Eddie sits at one of the tables with receipts and a deposit bag, counting cash from the day. Isabelle sits with him. Eddie desperately tries to maintain his line of thought.

ISABELLE: Gemini?

EDDIE: No.

ISABELLE: Taurus?

EDDIE: No, Isabelle, I’m—

ISABELLE: Don’t tell me! I’m really good at this. Pisces.

EDDIE: No. You were at my birthday, you sang to me.

ISABELLE: Well I don’t like know what dates they correspond to, I just do it by feeling. Aries.

EDDIE: No.

(Troy enters.)

TROY: I’m not cleaning the bathrooms anymore. Eddie can’t we get people to do this stuff again?

EDDIE: We can’t afford cleaning staff right now.

TROY: Make Isabelle do it.

ISABELLE: No way. Scorpio.

EDDIE: / No.

TROY: Or Max.

(Max enters.)

MAX: What am I doing?

TROY: You’re cleaning the bathrooms from now on.

MAX: / The fuck I am.

ISABELLE: Sagittarius.

EDDIE: Isabelle—

ISABELLE: I’m right aren’t I?!

EDDIE: No.

TROY: Why do I have to do it every time I close?!

EDDIE: Okay, okay, we’ll figure out a schedule at staff lunch on Thursday.

ISABELLE: I don’t even use our bathrooms, I use the ones in the Men’s Warehouse.

TROY: Are they nice?

ISABELLE: They are so fucking nice.

MAX: Hey Eddie, table eight left half a carafe.

EDDIE: / Yeah okay.

TROY (To Isabelle): So what’s my sign?

(Max exits.)

ISABELLE: Douchebag.

TROY: Nah I think that’d be the guy who dropped you off this morning.

ISABELLE: His name is Alex and he’s younger and better looking than you, so.

TROY: You’re saying that guy is better looking than me?

ISABELLE (To Eddie): Eddie you’ve seen Alex, tell him.

(Eddie struggles to add up the receipts while talking.)

EDDIE: Oh I don’t know, I just—

ISABELLE: Oh Eddie, I meant to tell you, some of the track lighting over table twelve is broken or something.

TROY: So change the bulbs.

ISABELLE: I’m sorry, was I talking to you?

(Max reenters with a half-full carafe of wine and four glasses. He sets them down and begins to pour everyone a glass.)

TROY: Eddie, can we get rid of the Famiglia Week stuff?

EDDIE: Just—give it a few days.

TROY: I love my family, but I don’t need them at work.

ISABELLE: I wanted to kill myself today. Sometimes I’m glad that my parents are dead.

MAX: Jesus.

ISABELLE: I’m just kidding, calm down.

TROY: When I was still working at the paper mill we had a bring-your-daughter-to-work day. Becky almost lost her damn hand.

MAX: Why didn’t you guys move after the mill closed? Everyone I knew who worked there is in Boise or Oregon now.

TROY: Tammy didn’t want to make Becky switch schools. And so, I’m a fucking waiter.

(Max is about to pour Eddie a glass. Eddie waves him away.)

EDDIE: Oh, no, thanks.

MAX: C’mon buddy, long day.

EDDIE: Maybe—maybe in a bit, I’m just / trying to—

ISABELLE (To Troy): Hey what’s with your daughter?

TROY: What the hell is that supposed to mean?

(Max mimes throwing up on the table. Isabelle laughs.)

Very funny, assholes.

EDDIE: GUYS. PLEASE.

(Silence. They stare at Eddie, shocked at the outburst.)

Sorry. I’m—sorry.

(Pause.)

ISABELLE: You okay?

EDDIE: I’m fine, I—. (Pause) I lost count, I just—. I got frustrated, I’m sorry.

MAX: I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you raise your voice.

EDDIE: Am I a terrible boss now?

TROY: You kidding? My last job at the Best Buy, my supervisor used to pour coffee in my backpack. You can shout once in a while, it’s fine.

ISABELLE: Oh my God I worked there three years ago.

TROY: I hated it.

ISABELLE: Yeah I know. Five percent employee discount?

(Max tries again to pour Eddie some wine.)

EDDIE: No, really, I’m fine.

MAX: C’mon, it’s a special occasion.

TROY: What, you got some new hair gel?

MAX: No, Eddie hired me six months ago today.

EDDIE: Oh. Wow, it’s really been that long?

MAX: Yep.

TROY: I’ve been here eight years, you never hear me making a big deal out of it.

MAX: Anyway, Eddie, thanks. This was the only place in town that was willing to hire me.

EDDIE: Oh I don’t believe that.

MAX: Seriously. I interviewed everywhere, the moment I said anything about drug court, they just fucking—. Anyway thanks for giving me a chance.

EDDIE: Well, we’re lucky to have you. Really.

MAX: Thanks. (Pause) So, okay—maybe this is totally stupid of me, but—I thought maybe we could all— . . .

(Max reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small bag of weed and a pipe.)

ISABELLE: Hello.

EDDIE: Wait, what / is—?

MAX: It’s just pot.

TROY: Six months working here and you want some big party?

EDDIE: Why do you / have that?

MAX: I know it’s stupid, but it helps me stay off the other stuff.

EDDIE: That doesn’t seem like a good idea to me?

MAX: No, really. They’re completely different, this stuff calms me down. Gets my mind off of it. I don’t know if I’d be clean without it. Meth is a drug that’s all about—

(Max makes gestures to illustrate the idea of “the outside world.”)

But pot’s all about—

(Max makes gestures to illustrate the idea of “the inner life.”)

Totally different.

EDDIE: Look, just—don’t bring it to work, okay?

MAX: I won’t, sorry. And I never come in to work stoned, I swear. (Pause) Does anyone—want some?

ISABELLE: Yes.

EDDIE: Guys, I don’t know if—

(Isabelle takes the pipe and bag from Max and starts loading the pipe.)

. . . okay.

TROY: No wonder you’re both so damn slow on the floor.

ISABELLE: What, you think this is any worse than wine?

MAX: Eddie, you take the first hit.

EDDIE: No, really I’m—I’m fine.

(Isabelle takes a hit. She and Max pass the pipe back and forth.)

MAX (To Eddie): I have an older brother too. Total dick. Owns some bullshit office supply company in Twin Falls.

EDDIE: Oh.

MAX: We got into a fistfight three Christmases ago. Broke his jaw in two places. I don’t spend much time around family nowadays. (Pause) Where’s he visiting from?

EDDIE: Saint Paul. He’s a real estate agent.

MAX: Dick. So is that why you—?

(Max points to the “Familigia Week” sign.)

EDDIE: I—guess. I just thought it would be nice for them. And all of you guys. (Pause) I don’t know.

MAX: You’re a good guy, Eddie.

TROY: All right, gimme that.

(Troy takes the pipe and takes a hit.)

MAX: Having a brother sucks. Two guys forced to live with one another just because they share some bullshit genetic material.

EDDIE: Yeah.

(Silence. Eddie continues to count cash.)

MAX: Does he give you a hard time for being— . . .?

(Max makes a vague gesture. Troy and Isabelle freeze. Eddie looks at him.)

EDDIE: What?

MAX: You know. (Pause) Shit. I’m sorry.

EDDIE: What?

MAX: I’m really bad at this. Please don’t be offended, I just assumed you were—. Are you?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Well I don’t exactly . . . I don’t go around announcing it or whatever.

MAX (To Troy): But I mean you knew, right?

TROY: C’mon, we’ve known each other for twenty years. None of my business anyway.

ISABELLE: Well I think it’s awesome.

EDDIE: Thank—you. But we don’t—. We don’t need to keep talking about it.

(Uncomfortable pause.)

MAX: You know I’m bi.

TROY: Oh, Jesus.

EDDIE: You are?

ISABELLE: Bullshit.

MAX: No, really. I don’t fall in love with a gender. I fall in love with a person. I’m attracted to people.

(Pause.)

EDDIE (To Max): Have you ever— . . .?

MAX: Oh, no. I mean not that I wouldn’t. I just—. It hasn’t come up. (Pause) Is your family okay with it?

EDDIE: Oh, we don’t—. I mean we’re not really a family that—talks? I mean my brother’s fine, he doesn’t care, but my mom—. I told her years ago, and she—. I don’t think it sits very well with her.

ISABELLE: Are you seeing anyone?

EDDIE: No, I—. Not really. I was seeing this one guy in Boise a few years ago, but with the distance, it—. And there’s just not much of an opportunity around here, I guess.

ISABELLE: I’m gonna work on that.

EDDIE: Please don’t?

MAX: You ever thought about moving away?

EDDIE: Maybe, I don’t know. I guess that’d be easier, but—. I just sort of feel connected to this town. It’s weird, I feel like moving away would be like abandoning it or something, like I’d be—. (Pause) Never mind, I’m babbling.

MAX: No, what?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: It’s like— . . . (Pause) My family has been here forever, my great-grandpa’s homestead is still standing outside of town. My dad used to take me and my brother out there, and he’d tell us how Great-Grandpa moved up here from Utah, built the house by himself, and it was like— . . . I used to know exactly who I was here, I recognized everything here. But lately, it— . . .

(Pause.)

I drive around Pocatello now, and I—. I get lost. So easily. Like I’ve never even been here before. (Pause) Okay now I really am babbling.

TROY: Eddie, I think that is the most I’ve heard you say, ever.

(Eddie chuckles a bit.)

EDDIE: I’m being stupid.

TROY: No, you’re not. You’re right, this town is shit nowadays. If we were smarter we’d all get the hell out of here.

(Troy downs his glass of wine.)

All right, am I done?

(Eddie hands Troy a small stack of bills. He glances through it.)

Ouch.

EDDIE: Yeah, bad day.

TROY: Fucking Famiglia Week. They were spending my money anyway.

(Eddie hands identical stacks of bills to Max and Isabelle. Isabelle quickly finishes her wine and gets up, Troy stands up as well.)

ISABELLE: I can’t come in tomorrow until four thirty. I’m taking Penelope to the vet.

EDDIE: Okay.

TROY: G’night.

ISABELLE: Bye.

EDDIE: Bye.

(Troy begins to leave, Isabelle follows.)

TROY (To Isabelle): You coming home with me tonight?

ISABELLE: You’re disgusting.

(Troy and Isabelle exit.)

MAX: You okay?

EDDIE: Yeah. (Pause) Thanks, Max.

(Pause.)

MAX: Are you sure you don’t want a hit? It’s a really mellow strain, it’s called Alaskan Thunderfuck but it’s not / like—

EDDIE: No, I—. I’m fine.

(Max puts the pipe away, gathers his things, and stands up.)

MAX: I’ll see you tomorrow?

EDDIE: Yeah.

(Max exits. Eddie watches him leave.)

Scene Three

The following day, around eleven A.M. The lights are off.

The lights snap on and Eddie enters, keys in hand. He crosses the stage, heading toward the back.

After a moment, Troy enters from another part of the restaurant, obviously having just woken up. He looks to where Eddie exited, then slowly starts to creep toward the exit. Eddie reenters, startled when he sees Troy.

EDDIE: OH—

TROY: I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

EDDIE: What are you / doing?

TROY: I’m sorry, okay, you got me. I—planned on waking up a few hours ago—

EDDIE: You slept here?

TROY: Look, I—Tammy and I got into it last night, and I left, and I—didn’t feel like shelling out for a hotel. I was gonna leave before you got here, take a shower after Tammy went off to work, and—anyway, just. Sorry. (Pause) Look, I don’t need to shower, let me just change and I’ll—

EDDIE: No, you—go home, take a shower, I’ll open, it’s okay. (Pause) Listen, if this happens again, don’t sleep here, just—. You know where I live.

TROY: C’mon.

EDDIE: Seriously. (Pause) Are you guys— . . . You doing okay?

TROY: It’s fine, it’s—whatever. Don’t get married. (Pause) Yesterday at lunch Tammy decided to have her first drink in four months, and I told her that if she started drinking again then I—. Anyway.

EDDIE: Oh.

TROY: It’ll be fine, we’ve been here before, this isn’t the first time she— . . . Hell, we’ve been together for nineteen years, we’re not going anywhere. (Pause) We’re—fine. I love her, she loves me. We just fight.

(Tammy enters with Becky in tow.)

Woah, / what’s—?

TAMMY: I need you to take Becky. Hi, Eddie.

TROY: Wait what?!

TAMMY: Just don’t—. It’s just for a few hours. She got suspended for the rest of the week. I can get off work but not until three.

TROY (To Becky): What happened?

BECKY: I was just / telling—

TAMMY: That matters?!

TROY: Can’t you just leave her at home?

TAMMY (Soft): I told you Doctor Kendall said we shouldn’t leave her alone / when—

BECKY: I can hear you.

TROY: Well what am I supposed to do with her?!

TAMMY: I don’t know, Troy! Figure it out! I had to get off of work early, you can deal with this.

TROY: Fine, whatever. I was going to go home to take a shower and change clothes, but I guess that’s not happening.

TAMMY: You didn’t shower?

TROY: Did you want me to pay for a hotel? Do you have an extra / fifty bucks?

EDDIE: Listen, Troy—go home, take a shower, change clothes. I can stay with Becky.

(Pause.)

TROY: You sure?

EDDIE: I can open by myself. It’s fine, I’ll handle it.

(Pause.)

TROY: Jesus, Eddie, I’m sorry. Thank you.

TAMMY: Thank you Eddie. (To Becky) Don’t—just—don’t—

(Tammy and Troy exit. Becky and Eddie stand for a moment, unsure of what to do. Finally Becky sits down at a table and pulls a book out of her bag, starts reading.)

EDDIE: Would you—do you want something to eat? Some / soup, or—

BECKY: No.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Breadsticks?

BECKY: No.

EDDIE: Okay, sorry, I—. I’ll be, uh.

(Pause. Eddie starts to head back to the kitchen.)

BECKY: Look I’m not trying to be rude but I just think that you’re part of the problem.

(Eddie turns to her.)

EDDIE: Oh. What problem?

BECKY: Like “the problem.”

EDDIE: Oh, okay. (Pause) I still don’t think I / understand—

BECKY: I don’t want to eat your food because places like this are killing everyone. You’re spraying pesticides on our crops and injecting our animals with antibiotics and making people fat and contributing to genocide.

EDDIE: Oh. (Pause) I brought some fruit with my lunch?

(Pause.)

BECKY: No. (Pause) Thank you.

(Silence. Eddie moves in a little closer.)

EDDIE: You know, Becky, / my—

BECKY: Don’t call me that.

EDDIE: Oh. Why shouldn’t / I—?

BECKY: I don’t want to have a name.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Really?

BECKY: No one in America deserves a name. And “Becky” is fucking stupid anyway.

EDDIE: So what should I call you?

BECKY: You don’t need to call me anything.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: When I was a kid, for a while I started telling people my name was “Randolph.”

BECKY: “Randolph”?

EDDIE: Yeah. It’s my great-grandpa’s name.

BECKY: Sounds like Adolph. Like Hitler.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Yeah, I—I guess it— . . . (Pause) You know, I’ve known your mom and dad a long time, and they—. They’re gonna work this out. (Pause) I remember going to your grandpa’s hardware store downtown when you were just a toddler, and you were there running up and down the / aisles—

BECKY: I don’t care if they get a divorce.

EDDIE: C’mon, don’t say that.

BECKY: Maybe they’ll get a divorce after this restaurant closes.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: What?

BECKY: I heard you talking to your family yesterday. People think I don’t listen but I listen.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Have you told your / dad?

BECKY: No. Why should I?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: It’s not for sure yet that it’s shutting down. We’ve been doing better these past couple nights and I might / be able to—

BECKY: I don’t care.

EDDIE: But, I mean—if it does end up shutting down, you guys are gonna be fine, your dad can find work somewhere else—

BECKY: Seriously, I don’t care. If he loses his job maybe they’ll finally get a divorce, it’d probably be best for both of them.

EDDIE: You don’t mean that.

(Pause. Becky closes her book.)

BECKY: Excuse me?

EDDIE: I’m just saying, you can’t actually mean what you’re saying right now.

BECKY: Do you know how many times a day people tell me I don’t mean the thing I am very clearly saying?

EDDIE: Look, I was seventeen once / too—

BECKY: And do you know how many times a day people try to tell me they know me better than I know myself because they were once my age? (Pause) Do you know why I got suspended this morning? I was in history class. We were talking about World War II, and I tried to tell everyone about Nanking. Do you know what that is?

EDDIE: No.

BECKY: Of course you don’t. It’s a city in China, it was invaded by Japan in 1937 and three hundred thousand people were killed in six weeks. And I pulled out my phone and I typed “Nanking” into Google, and I started showing people pictures. Real pictures, stuff that actually happened. And the principal said it was “graphic,” and I got suspended. For that.

(Pause.)

I go to a school where I get suspended for showing people true things from history in a history class.

(Becky goes back to her book. Silence.)

EDDIE: I shouldn’t have said that you don’t mean what you’re saying. And—it’s not fair that people fault you for thinking about things they would rather ignore.

(Becky peers up at him. Pause.)

My dad used to own this little diner here in town. When I was little he had to close it down. He put his whole life into the place, and when it was gone, he just— . . . He used to spend entire days just wandering around town, he’d come home and wouldn’t say anything to us. And things just got worse and worse until— . . . And I’d go to my mom and tell her we needed to do something, that we needed to get him help, or—. And she would tell me that I didn’t know what I was saying. And now I’m here telling you the same thing.

(Pause. Becky lowers her book, looking at Eddie.)

BECKY: What happened?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: He killed himself. When I was thirteen, with a shotgun. My brother found him.

(Pause.)

It’s sort of hard to know how to live nowadays, isn’t it?

(Pause.)

BECKY: Yeah. (Pause) Do you have like a banana?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Yeah, uh—hold on.

(Eddie exits momentarily. Becky puts her book back into her bag. Eddie reenters with his bagged lunch, pulls out a banana and hands it to Becky.)

BECKY: Do you know if it’s fair trade?

EDDIE: I—uh, I’m actually not sure.

(Becky looks at Eddie for a moment, rolling her eyes. She considers, then takes the banana.

Becky peels the banana carefully, eating small chunks of it.)

BECKY: My mom sends me to this psychiatrist, Doctor Kendall. The first time I saw him, he just sat there clicking a pen over and over and after like five minutes he tells me I have bulimia. And I’m like, no, I do not have bulimia, I don’t give a shit if I’m skinny or not. It’s just when I eat stuff, all I can think about is where it came from. Like, how the animal was slaughtered, or what third-world country produced the lettuce, how many antibiotics and chemicals have been pumped into it and I just—can’t keep it down. So this idiot doctor tells me I’m bulimic, so I need to take antidepressants.

EDDIE: Do they help?

BECKY: I don’t take them. Sometimes Mom makes me take one while she watches but I just throw it up.

EDDIE: That’s really bad for you.

BECKY: So is taking a pill to forget about what you’re actually eating.

(Eddie takes a sandwich out of the bag.)

What kind of meat is in that?

EDDIE: Are you gonna tell me how the animal got slaughtered?

BECKY: Yes.

EDDIE: It’s cheese.

BECKY: Not much better.

(They eat for a moment or two.)

Why haven’t you told anyone this place is shutting down?

EDDIE: Well, I haven’t given up, and I don’t want anyone else giving up either. I might be able to save it, the last few nights we’ve done a lot better—

BECKY: Why would you want to save this restaurant? This restaurant’s for idiots.

EDDIE: Yeah, well, it’s what we have to work with nowadays.

BECKY: The fucking wine bottles and fake grapes and shit. Only idiots would think this is like real Italy and forget they’re in the Best Western parking lot.

EDDIE: I know, I know, but—just about everything else in town has shut down. It sounds dumb, but maybe I can make this place more—permanent.

BECKY: The Applebee’s was a Denny’s like two years ago. And before that a video store. Places like this barely even exist.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Yeah.

(Becky puts the half-eaten banana down.)

BECKY: If I left right now would you be cool and tell my parents that I left when you weren’t looking or something?

EDDIE: Oh. Uh—where do you wanna go?

BECKY: I don’t know, just someplace that’s not—here.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: I, uh—. I sort of told your parents I’d watch you—

BECKY: Whatever, I don’t care what you tell them.

(Becky starts to leave.)

EDDIE: WAIT—how about—you wanna work here?

(Becky stops, turns to him.)

BECKY: What do you mean?

EDDIE: You’re suspended for a few days, right? Why don’t you work here? You can do dishes and bus tables.

BECKY: Why would I want to do that?

EDDIE: I’ll pay you eight bucks an hour.

(Pause.)

BECKY: Fifteen.

EDDIE: Ten. And no lecturing customers about genocide or where the food came from.

(Pause. Becky moves back in.)

BECKY: The last ten minutes count as work.

EDDIE: Okay, sure. And just—don’t tell anyone about the restaurant closing down, all right?

(Becky heads toward the back.)

There are aprons on the door to your right.

BECKY: I’m not wearing an apron.

(Becky exits. Eddie is silent for a moment, then takes out his keys and goes to a switch on the back wall. He inserts a key and turns it. A few more lights come on, and the Italian music begins to play in the background.

He is about to make his way into the back room when one of the speakers begins to crackle a bit. He looks up at it. It continues to make a crackling noise.

He moves a chair below the speaker, stands on it, and hits the speaker a few times. The noise stops.

He gets down and begins to exit. The speaker crackles again. Eddie looks up at it.)

Scene Four

Two days later.

Tammy and Cole sit at a table with food in front of them. Another table is covered with dirty dishes and a half-full bottle of wine. Cole eats a breadstick, Tammy watches. Italian music plays in the background.

COLE: Cardboard and salt.

TAMMY: Oh you’re ridiculous. The breadsticks are the best reason to come here, they’re delicious.

(Max enters, approaches Tammy and Cole.)

MAX: You guys doing okay?

TAMMY: We’re great. How’s Becky been the last few days? She’s been okay, she’s a good worker?

MAX: Uh, sure, she’s just been bussing tables.

TAMMY: Is she good at it?

(Pause.)

MAX: . . . Yes.

TAMMY: Good!

MAX: You want anything else, or—?

TAMMY: I’ll have another diet.

COLE: Coffee, please.

TAMMY (To Max): Decaf.

COLE: Regular.

TAMMY (To Max, soft): Decaf.

(Eddie enters, setting up a table. Max exits.)

Eddie! I know I already said it but thank you. I have no idea how you got that girl to wear an apron.

(Becky enters, wearing an apron, holding a bin for dirty dishes. She clears some plates off the empty table.)

EDDIE: She’s a great worker.

(Becky plops some dishes down into the bin. Cole gets up.)

TAMMY: Dad, where are you going?

COLE: I’m not allowed to go to the bathroom by myself?

TAMMY: Don’t get snippy, I was just asking.

(Cole makes his way out of the room.)

EDDIE (To Tammy): Enjoy the rest of your lunch.

(Eddie exits. Becky goes to Tammy’s table.)

TAMMY: Well this is nice, isn’t it! For once you’re the one waiting on me. Maybe we should try this at home.

(Becky takes Tammy’s plate of pasta.)

I’m not finished with that.

BECKY: I don’t care.

(Becky exits with the dishes.

Tammy sits for a moment in silence. The bad Italian music plays in the background.

She takes a few bites of a breadstick, then begins to look around the room. She notices a half-empty carafe of wine on another table.

She looks at it for a moment, then goes back to eating. She looks at the wine again, and then, eyeing her surroundings, moves toward the other table. She stops, grabs her half-empty coke off her table, then goes to the carafe, pouring the remainder of it into her glass of coke.

Troy enters, unseen by Tammy. She finishes pouring, then turns around, facing Troy.

She looks down at first, ashamed, then thinks better of it, and looks up at him. She defiantly raises the glass to her lips and takes a long drink. Troy stares at her, motionless.

Max enters with Tammy’s soda and Cole’s coffee. Troy and Tammy continue to stare at one another. Awkward pause.)

MAX (To Tammy): Um. Here’s—. Here’s the diet.

(Max puts the soda down on Tammy’s table.)

TAMMY (Still looking at Troy): Bring me a bottle of the rosé? Thanks.

MAX: Um. Sure.

(Max exits. Silence.)

TROY: I’m taking Becky.

TAMMY: Of course you are.

(Pause.)

TROY: I’m calling County Care, I’ll have them come and pick up Dad / and you—

TAMMY: Don’t you have some tables to wait on?

(Pause. Troy exits.

Tammy falters, struggling to collect herself. Cole reenters.)

COLE: Lydia, just take me back to the home.

(Pause. Tammy goes back to her table.)

TAMMY: I’m not Lydia.

COLE: What?

(Pause.)

TAMMY: You just called me Lydia. I’m Tammy.

COLE: I didn’t call you Lydia, I’m not an idiot.

(Becky comes out of the kitchen to clear a table, notices the carafe of wine is now empty. She looks at Tammy.

Nick and Kelly enter. Nick goes to Becky.)

NICK: Hey, could you let Eddie know his brother’s here?

BECKY: Okay. (Points to a table) You can sit there if you like.

NICK: We’re fine, thanks.

(Becky exits.)

KELLY: You okay?

NICK: Yeah, I just—. I hate being late to the airport, I don’t like worrying / about—

KELLY: We have plenty of time, what are you talking about?

(Eddie reenters.)

EDDIE: Hey! You guys made it, I’m so glad!

NICK: Hey, Eddie.

(Eddie motions to an empty table.)

EDDIE: Here, take a seat.

NICK: Oh, we—. I mean you’re busy, we don’t want to / bother you—

EDDIE: It’s like three thirty, the place is almost empty, it’s fine. And I made something special for you guys.

KELLY: I’m hungry.

NICK: Kelly—

KELLY: Well I am! I want to eat something before the flight anyway.

EDDIE: Okay, just—take a seat.

(Eddie moves to the table, pulling out a couple of chairs. Kelly sits.)

NICK: All right, we just—we don’t have much time, okay?

EDDIE: This’ll be quick?

KELLY: That’d be great.

(Eddie exits.)

We’ll be quick.

NICK: We really don’t have time for this, we’re going / to—

KELLY: Nick. This is important to him, you know that. (Pause) Look I know this isn’t fun for you, but you can’t keep / just—

NICK: You don’t really—. Kelly, you don’t understand.

(Max enters with the bottle of rosé and a wine glass and pours a glass for Tammy.)

TAMMY: Thank you.

MAX: Sure.

(Pause.)

NICK: I’m sorry, okay? I just—. I don’t want to be here.

(Pause. Max finishes pouring, exits.)

KELLY: He’s really just trying, you know?

NICK: I know he’s trying, he’s always trying.

(Doris enters, sees Nick and Kelly, and approaches their table.)

DORIS: Hello Nick, hello Kelly. I thought you had a flight this afternoon.

NICK: Hey, uh—what’s going on?

DORIS: I don’t know what you’re asking me.

NICK: Eddie told you to come here too?

DORIS: He called me last night, I think he said it was your idea.

NICK: My idea?

DORIS: Well I don’t know, he just told me to come here and I’m here, I’m just doing what I’m told!

KELLY: We get to see you before we leave, I think this is nice.

DORIS: Sure.

(Isabelle enters, brings them glasses of water.)

ISABELLE: Welcome back, guys! Eddie’s really glad to have you all back here.

DORIS: I suppose you’re still out of gluten-free pasta.

ISABELLE: Sorry!

DORIS: Honestly.

ISABELLE: Can I get you anything else to drink?

KELLY: I’d / like—

NICK: We’d just like to order I think.

(Kelly looks at him.)

ISABELLE: Oh. Actually—Eddie’s got something special for you, I just wanted to see if you wanted any wine or pop or / coffee—

NICK: We’re not—. We’re actually on our way out of town, is this gonna take a while?

ISABELLE: I don’t—think / so?

KELLY: I’m fine with water, thank you.

DORIS: Coke, half diet and half real.

ISABELLE: We only have Pepsi?

DORIS: GAH this place. I’ll just have water.

(Isabelle looks at Nick. Pause.)

NICK: Just the food, please.

ISABELLE: Okay! I’ll be right back with that.

(Isabelle exits. Tammy finishes her glass of wine, pours another.)

COLE: Lydia, enough.

TAMMY: That is not my name.

(Eddie reenters, having changed out of his tie and name tag and into a casual shirt. He joins Nick, Kelly, and Doris at the table.)

EDDIE: Hey, everybody’s here! That’s great.

KELLY: Oh—you’re joining us?

EDDIE: Yeah, it’s a slow day anyway.

(Troy enters, goes to Tammy.)

NICK: Eddie, we really don’t have time for this, we were just dropping in to say bye. I told you that.

DORIS: / What?

KELLY: Nick.

TROY (Soft): / Tammy, c’mon. I’m calling you a cab and you can—. You can just go home, okay?

(Becky enters, setting up tables.)

EDDIE: I just—we haven’t all been together in four years, I just thought we could spend a little time together before you head out.

TAMMY (Soft): / I’m doing just fine, Troy. I’m staying right here and finishing my rosé.

DORIS: Eddie I can’t stay for very long, I have all these errands before five.

TROY: Tammy.

COLE: Okay.

(Becky watches Troy and Tammy. Cole leaves the table, takes a seat away from Troy and Tammy.)

TROY (Leaning into Tammy): / You wanna do this in front of Becky, in front of my dad? You really wanna do that?

NICK: Maybe we should forget this then?

EDDIE: It’ll be quick, I promise.

KELLY: Nick is cranky because he’s been driving all day, it’s / fine—

TAMMY: / Fuck off, Troy.

NICK: I’m not cranky.

(Troy sits down where Cole had been sitting, staring at Tammy. Tammy continues to drink wine. Becky exits.)

EDDIE: I promise you’ll make your flight Nicky, this / won’t—

NICK: Call me Nick, okay?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: What?

NICK: My name’s Nick. No one calls me Nicky anymore, just call me Nick.

DORIS: Oh please let’s not / start something.

EDDIE: Oh, I—I didn’t mean to—. I’ve always called you Nicky.

NICK: Well things fucking change, / I guess.

KELLY: Nick—

DORIS: All right, I’m not sitting here if this is the tone this conversation is going to have, I’m not—.

(Tense silence. Max enters, setting up tables.)

EDDIE: Nick—I just want to be your brother. That’s it.

(Pause. Doris gets up.)

DORIS: I really just don’t have time to eat, I have too much to do—

EDDIE: Mom, please. Please, just—stay?

(Doris considers, then sits down. A silence.

Tammy finishes her glass of wine, pours another. Troy stares at her. Isabelle reenters with a large casserole dish. She puts it on the table in front of Nick.)

ISABELLE: Okay, here you go. Let me know if you guys need anything else, okay?

(Kelly looks at the food. Isabelle exits.)

KELLY: Oh, this is— . . . What is this?

(Nick looks at the plate.)

EDDIE (To Nick and Doris): You guys remember?

(Nick looks at the food. Doris looks away. Becky enters with a tub for dirty dishes, passes by Troy and Tammy.)

NICK: Yeah. I do.

EDDIE (To Kelly): Dad used to make this all the time, served it at the diner too.

KELLY: Sorry, what is it?

EDDIE: Oh, it’s—Cheese Whiz casserole? It’s just broccoli, rice, and a whole bunch of Cheese Whiz, I know that sounds a / little—

NICK: I’m not eating this.

(Pause. Isabelle reenters, goes to the ordering station and types on the computer.)

DORIS: Eddie, this—. This was a foolish thing to do.

(A tense pause.)

EDDIE: Okay, I—. Look, I’m sorry guys, I didn’t mean to—. We don’t need to talk about the bad stuff, we can just talk about nothing, anything, we can— . . . Look, we used to work, you know? I just don’t know why we can’t do this anymore, why we can’t—

(Nick suddenly barrels down on Eddie, exploding. Doris and Kelly let out a small scream, the entire restaurant shifts their focus to Nick.)

NICK: What this fuck is this, Eddie?! What the fuck are you— . . .?!

(Nick finally stops himself, having chased Eddie to the center of the restaurant. Everyone stares at him. Pause.

Nick exits to the restroom.

A silence.

Finally, Doris grabs her purse.)

DORIS: This is ridiculous, I just have too much to do today.

(Doris starts to exit. Eddie follows after her.)

EDDIE: Mom, I’m sorry—

DORIS (Impulsively): Eddie, enough. What is wrong with you?! (Going to him, softly) Please, Eddie, you have to stop doing this to me, you have to stop calling me, just leave me alone! It’s not normal for you to be so— . . .

EDDIE: What?

(Pause. Doris looks at him, about to say something. She stops herself, looking up. The entire restaurant is watching her.)

DORIS: This is so embarrassing, people can hear every word we’re saying. Go calm down your brother.

(Doris exits. Eddie watches her go.

Nick reenters, taking deep breaths.

Eddie looks at Troy, Isabelle, and Max.)

EDDIE: Could you guys— . . .?

(Troy, Isabelle, and Max exit. Troy takes Tammy’s wine bottle as he leaves. Eddie tentatively goes to Nick.)

I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying / to—

NICK: What did you think was gonna happen? Why would you— . . .? (Pause, calming) I lost my temper. I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry. But I don’t know what you’re doing here, I don’t— . . .

(Pause.)

Eddie, you’re smart enough to realize that you have a choice here. Get out of town, make your own life! Leaving all this shit behind was the best decision I ever made, believe me.

EDDIE: I don’t want to leave, Nicky, that’s what I’m / trying to say—

NICK: Well then I don’t know what to say, Eddie, if you just wanna stay in this town and end up like Dad, I don’t know what—.

(Pause.)

Look, obviously coming out here was a mistake, I knew it the second I bought the plane tickets that this was a bad idea.

(Nick moves to the exit.)

Look, we have a flight, and—I’ll call you, okay?

EDDIE: Nicky, wait.

(Nick stops. Pause. He turns to Eddie.)

I don’t have anyone? I don’t— . . .

(Pause.)

NICK: Buddy, I—.

(Pause.)

I’m not coming back here again. I—can’t.

(Pause.)

I’m sorry.

(Nick exits. Pause. Kelly goes to Eddie.)

KELLY: I’m sorry—

EDDIE: Lemme just talk / to him—

KELLY: Eddie, please, just— . . .

(Eddie stops.)

This is my fault, if I’d known he’d do this, I never would’ve made him do this trip— . . . (Pause) I forced him to come out here because I thought—maybe—he needed this.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: What do you mean?

KELLY: I don’t know, I’m not even sure what I thought this would accomplish, I—. We’ve been talking about having kids for years now, but something’s always been in his way, and I thought coming here would— . . . The only way I know how to deal with painful stuff is to talk it to death, but for Nick and your mother, they don’t— . . . Obviously they just need to—separate themselves from all of this. Obviously that’s what’s best for both of them.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: I mean so— . . . So that’s it? I don’t have a family anymore?

KELLY: Look, we all find ways to move forward. Maybe just—make your way somewhere else, like Nick? You could go anywhere you wanted—

EDDIE: This is what I keep saying—this is my home, it’s their home. Everyone here, this is all our— . . . But Nick just wants me to—give up on it, but I—

KELLY: Eddie, Nick is just trying to help. Your mom— . . . Look, I don’t pretend to understand your mother, I’ve never understood her. But seeing her keep you at arm’s length like this, she obviously just— . . . (Pause) I’m just saying, you’re trying so hard, with your family, with this place, but— . . . Maybe you’re not gonna fix all this. Maybe—it’s not worth fixing.

(Eddie looks at Kelly. Pause.)

EDDIE: I can’t believe that, I— . . . (Short pause) It’s worth it. I have to believe that.

(Pause. Kelly smiles at him.)

KELLY: Good luck.

(Kelly exits. Eddie watches her go.

Tammy begins to cry softly to herself. Cole looks at her for a second, then slowly walks over to Eddie.)

COLE: She’ll be fine. She has emotions when she’s drinking wine. The day we were married she bawled into the night.

(Cole pauses, eyeing his surroundings. Tammy continues to cry. Becky enters, looks at Tammy briefly. She goes to Eddie.)

BECKY (Referring to the dishes): You done?

(Cole continues to look around the room. Eddie quickly exits to the kitchen.)

(Calling after him) Hello? Can I take them?

(Eddie is gone. Cole, Becky, and Tammy are left onstage in silence.)

Scene Five

Late at night. The lights are off.

After a moment, Eddie enters from outside. He comes into the restaurant without turning on the lights, looking around the room. Silence.

There’s some rustling in the kitchen. Eddie lifts up his head. There’s a louder sound, and Eddie bolts up.

EDDIE: Who’s there?! (Pause) Troy?!

(No response. Another burst of sound from the kitchen.)

I getting out my cell phone right now, I’m calling the—

(Max enters from the kitchen.)

Oh, God.

MAX: Hey, man . . .

EDDIE: What are you—? It’s past midnight, what are you doing / here?

MAX: Sorry, I sort of—I made a mess in the kitchen? Sorry.

EDDIE: What do you mean?

MAX: Look I was the last one left closing and I accidentally ran into one of those big jugs of canola oil and I—

EDDIE: Oh.

MAX: I didn’t spill the whole thing, it’s just—it made a big mess. And it’s a bitch to clean up.

EDDIE: Sure.

MAX: What are you doing here so late?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: I just—. Some paperwork.

MAX: It couldn’t wait until morning?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: I guess I just didn’t feel like being in my apartment right now.

MAX: Oh. (Pause) Dude, no offense, but you really should stop inviting your family over here.

EDDIE: Yeah. Well, you don’t have to worry.

MAX: Sorry, I just. That was fucked up. Why did he freak out like that?

EDDIE: I don’t know, I just—. I made a mistake. (Pause) Do you see your family ever?

MAX: Not really. Like I said, I’m not exactly welcome around that house anymore.

EDDIE: So what do you do?

(Pause.)

MAX: What do you mean?

EDDIE: I mean, how do you—? Who do you spend time with?

MAX: Dude I never stop spending time around people. A group home doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy.

EDDIE: Oh, sure.

MAX: Believe me, if I could, I’d get as far away from everyone else as possible. Build my own cabin in the woods, all Walden and shit. Like your great-grandpa’s place, maybe I should just move in there.

EDDIE: Well, it’s—you wouldn’t want to live there now. Place is barely standing. Windows are all gone, there’s a tree that fell a few years ago, caved in part of the roof on the east side.

(Pause.)

MAX: Wait a minute, are you talking about that place on Elm? With the red door?

EDDIE: How do you know that?

MAX: Dude, that’s nuts! Me and my friends used to party there!

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Oh.

MAX: God, that’s—your family used to own that place?

EDDIE: Yeah. Not for a while now, but yeah.

MAX: That place was awesome. We could park behind those trees in the back so the cops didn’t know we were there. My friend Chris got his teeth knocked out when he fell out of one of the windows on the second floor. I know people who lost their virginity there.

EDDIE: Oh.

MAX: That’s hilarious.

EDDIE: Yeah, it’s—. (Pause) You still go there?

MAX: Oh no, not for years. (Pause) Well, listen, I’m gonna finish up in / the—

EDDIE: We could go there together sometime, maybe.

(Pause.)

MAX: What do you mean?

EDDIE: I mean just—hang out, take some food. It’s really nice, it’s—. We could do it this weekend.

(Pause.)

MAX: Yeah maybe.

(Uncomfortable silence. Max looks away.)

EDDIE: Look, I’m not trying to—. I just thought we could hang out, have dinner or something. No big deal. (Pause) I’m making you uncomfortable.

MAX: No, you’re not it’s—

(Isabelle enters from out of the kitchen, looking disheveled.)

ISABELLE: Hey.

MAX: Hey, um. Thought you said you were going to leave through the back?

ISABELLE: It was locked, I waited forever.

(Another uncomfortable silence.)

MAX: Isabelle was just helping me clean it up, we closed together.

EDDIE: Oh.

(Pause.)

ISABELLE: Look Eddie we’re sorry, but he lives in that group home thingy and my roommate is all judgy.

MAX: Oh my God.

ISABELLE: We’re all adults! We can talk about this like adults! (To Eddie) We’ve only done it three times, and we won’t do it again. And we’ve never contaminated anything or whatever. We just do it on the floor, missionary, with most of our clothes on. And I never do any of his meth, I swear.

MAX: Why are you still talking?!

EDDIE (To Max): Wait—you’re on meth? Right now?

(Pause.)

MAX: I’m not like on it, I just—. I only do a little bit.

EDDIE: A “little bit”?

MAX: It’s not like before, I just do a tiny bit before we— . . . It’s just recreational, I’m not using like I did before. Having sex on a little bit is amazing, and I’m not like addicted anymore—

EDDIE: Are you hearing yourself? What the hell is wrong with you?

(Uncomfortable silence.)

ISABELLE: Um, okay. I’m gonna—go. (Exiting, to Eddie) Sorry? We won’t do it again?

(Isabelle exits.)

MAX: I’m gonna go, let’s—forget about all of this, okay?

EDDIE: You know, I gave you this job because you told me you were getting clean.

MAX: Jesus, were you listening to me?! I just did a little bit, it’s fucking recreational! I’m not like doing it every day! Do I look like a meth head to you?

EDDIE: Max it doesn’t matter how much you’re doing, what matters is you shouldn’t / be—

MAX: JUST BECAUSE I DON’T WANT YOU TO BLOW ME AT YOUR FUCKING GREAT-GRANDPA’S HOUSE DOESN’T MEAN YOU—

(Max catches himself. Eddie looks away, sitting back down at the table.)

Sorry. Fuck. (Pause) Look, I—. I won’t do it here anymore, okay? And Isabelle and I won’t—. We’ll just forget about this.

EDDIE (Still not looking at him): Okay.

(Pause.)

MAX: Sorry, okay? I’ll—I’ll see you tomorrow.

(Max exits. Eddie sits alone.)

Scene Six

Afternoon, between lunch and dinner.

Tammy stands near one of the empty tables. The other table is covered in dirty dishes. Troy stands, keeping his distance. Country music plays lightly in the background.

A tense silence.

TROY: We shouldn’t be doing this here.

TAMMY: So tell me what hotel you’re staying at. (No response) We can talk in the parking lot if / you’d rather—

TROY: Tammy, I’m working, so I / can’t—

TAMMY: Is Becky okay?

(Pause.)

TROY: She’s fine.

TAMMY: Did you get a decent—? You aren’t at the motor lodge, are you?

TROY: We’re fine.

(Pause.)

TAMMY (Simple, exasperated): Come back home, Troy.

(Pause.)

TROY: I told you that if you started drinking / again—

TAMMY: And you only said that so you could—win or whatever, be on higher moral ground—

TROY: Tammy I’m in the middle of my shift right now, I’ll give you a call later maybe / we can—

TAMMY: No, I can’t do this anymore, I can’t— . . .

(Tammy stops herself, looking at the floor.)

TROY: What?

TAMMY: I can’t do this anymore.

TROY: You can’t do / what?

TAMMY: This. This thing, this same argument, you threatening to run off with Becky, this whole—. How many times have we been here? If we go through this again, I don’t know what I’m going to do, I feel like I— . . .

(Eddie enters, unseen by Troy and Tammy.)

We can’t do this anymore, we—

(Tammy notices Eddie. Troy turns to him. An uncomfortable silence. Eddie exits.)

TROY: Okay, let’s—. Let’s please not do this here. And let’s both just take this down a notch. Couples go through this kind of / stuff all the—

TAMMY: No, they don’t, this isn’t— . . . (Short pause, losing herself a little) I see myself, I think about who I’ve turned into, and it’s like—I don’t even know who I am anymore, I’ve turned into this strange person, this person I don’t even like, and I—

TROY: Tammy, have you had anything to drink today?

TAMMY: No, Troy, have you?! This has nothing to do with me drinking. I realize it would be easier for you if it was about me drinking, that would be a lot simpler, but it’s not about that, it’s—.

(Pause.)

I keep telling myself that eventually I’m going to feel normal, but I never feel normal, because none of this is normal, our jobs, this town, this isn’t—

(Becky enters, they both stop talking suddenly. Becky looks at them for a second, then heads to the table covered in dishes. She starts clearing them off.)

Hi, honey.

BECKY: Hi.

(Pause.)

TAMMY: You doing / okay?

BECKY: You know if you guys are going to fight maybe you could do it in the parking lot or something.

TROY: We’re not fighting.

BECKY: You guys don’t even know how to not fight anymore.

(Becky exits, leaving some of the dishes still on the table. Pause. Tammy stares off into the distance, not looking at Troy.)

TROY: Look, we’re—. We’re at the Holiday Inn. (Pause) Let’s please not blow this out of proportion, okay? We’ve been here before. Just—. Just stay and have some food, I’ll see if I can get off early and we’ll go talk, and work things out. We always work things out.

(Isabelle enters.)

ISABELLE: Oh, hey. Troy—I thought you had table nine?

TROY: Yeah, I do. Sorry.

(Troy gets up.)

ISABELLE (To Tammy): Would you like anything, or are you just here to talk to Troy?

(Brief pause.)

TAMMY: Yeah, uh. I’ll have the soup salad breadsticks thingy. Extra breadsticks.

ISABELLE: You want the Zuppa Siciliana or the Zuppa Toscana?

TAMMY: What?

TROY: Veggies or meatballs.

TAMMY: Meatballs.

ISABELLE: Not a problem.

(Isabelle exits. Pause.)

TROY: Look, I’m sorry, okay?

(Pause. Max enters.)

MAX (To Troy): Buddy they’re really looking for you at table nine.

TROY: Okay.

(Troy exits with Max.

Becky enters to get the remaining dishes from the other table. She doesn’t look at Tammy.)

BECKY: You guys divorced yet?

TAMMY (Impulsively): You know one day you’re gonna wake up and there won’t be anyone left in your life that gives a damn about you. Let’s see how fucking smart you are then.

(Becky stops, looking at her. Tammy looks down.)

Shit.

(Becky quickly starts to exit.)

Becky, I didn’t mean that, I—

(Becky is gone. Isabelle reenters with salad and breadsticks. She puts them down in front of Tammy.)

ISABELLE: Here you go.

(Pause.)

TAMMY: It’s Isabelle, right?

ISABELLE: Yeah.

TAMMY: When you were seventeen did you and your mom hate one another?

ISABELLE: My parents died when I was twelve.

TAMMY: Oh my God I’m so sorry—

ISABELLE: It’s okay, it’s been forever. Car accident, I was in the back seat. My grandparents raised me, they were okay. They always treated me like I was a fucking princess just because my parents were dead. Oh my God I just said the F-word.

TAMMY: It’s okay.

ISABELLE: I got fired from Kmart in high school for swearing. Anyway, don’t worry about her, she’s okay. You remember being seventeen. You hate everything when you’re seventeen.

TAMMY: Actually, I was fine. I liked my life. It’s now that I hate everything.

(Tammy grabs a breadstick, starts eating.)

ISABELLE: Well she’s just getting it out of the way now, then. (Pause) Do you—want me to sit with you for a while?

TAMMY: Oh, you don’t have to—

ISABELLE: Seriously, you’re my only table. I don’t mind.

(Tammy looks at her, smiles.)

TAMMY: Well—okay, yeah.

(Isabelle sits and starts eating salad straight from the bowl.)

ISABELLE: I just think, like, we all have to go through a period in our lives where we think everything is shit. After that everything else feels a little bit better.

TAMMY: Yeah.

(Pause.)

ISABELLE: Look if you’re holding something in, let it out. It’s the middle of the afternoon, there are barely any people here. Go for it, say what you’re feeling.

(Pause.)

TAMMY: I’m just—so fucking miserable.

ISABELLE: Fuck yeah!

TAMMY: Jesus. I’m fucking miserable.

ISABELLE: You see? Now there’s nowhere to go but up!

TAMMY: I sort of wish they wouldn’t come home.

(Pause. Tammy thinks.)

ISABELLE: What?

TAMMY: Troy took Becky last night, they’re at the Holiday Inn, and I sort of wish they’d just—stay there. I mean I know that’s not realistic, but—. They’d be fine. It’s nice, there’s a pool.

ISABELLE: Oh, wow, I’m not sure I—

TAMMY: And I could just go home, be alone, and just—sleep. Get up in the morning. Go to work. Like a—normal person.

(Pause.)

ISABELLE: Oh.

(Eddie enters. Isabelle stands.)

Oh, I—. Sorry, Eddie, I was just—. I’ll get back to / the—

EDDIE: No, it’s okay. It’s Thursday, we have staff lunch, let’s just—. Let’s get everybody together and eat now. Tammy, you can eat with us.

ISABELLE: No, I’ll—really, Eddie, I—

EDDIE: Sit down, eat. You want something else?

ISABELLE: I can give you a hand in / the kitchen—

EDDIE: No, really—stay there. Give me a minute, just— . . .

(Eddie exits. Isabelle and Tammy stare at one another for a moment in silence.)

TAMMY: I was planning on going to South Dakota.

ISABELLE: Oh, cool! What?

TAMMY: My sister Ellie, she lives in South Dakota. On this organic farm, it’s so beautiful. I thought that as soon as Becky graduated and moved out of the house, I could make a clean break, move out there, and—.

(Pause.)

But that’s never going to happen. We’ve been together since high school. We don’t even know how to be adults apart from one another.

(Pause.)

But maybe—maybe I just need to accept that. I mean maybe we both just need to realize that we aren’t gonna be the people we wanted to be, we aren’t going to— . . . I mean there are plenty of unhappy people in the world, why should we be the ones who get to be happy? Maybe we’re just—unhappy people.

(Tammy looks at Isabelle. Pause.)

Does that make sense?

(Tense silence.)

ISABELLE: Yeah, I mean— . . .? (Pause) Actually, I don’t know if I’m the one to—

(Eddie reenters with Max, Troy, and Becky.)

MAX: What are we doing?

(Eddie pushes two tables together, creating one large table.)

EDDIE: It’s Thursday. We have staff lunch on Thursday.

TROY: Eddie, c’mon—not this week, okay?

EDDIE: The last table just left, we probably won’t get anyone else until four thirty, that’s an hour from now.

BECKY: I’m not hungry.

MAX: Yeah, Eddie, could we just do staff lunch next / week?

EDDIE: Hey guess what?! I’m your boss!

(Everyone looks at Eddie. Pause.)

Sorry, just—. (Pause) It’s Thursday, we have staff lunch on Thursday. So just—sit down.

(Confused, everyone awkwardly sits at the large table. Eddie quickly exits.

Pause. Troy looks at Tammy.)

TROY: Tammy, I don’t know what— . . . You wanna just talk later?

(Pause. Tammy looks at Isabelle, then at Troy.)

TAMMY: No, Troy, actually I wanna talk now, I—

ISABELLE: Oh hey Max.

(Pause. Tammy stops herself.)

MAX: Um. Hey.

ISABELLE: So what’s going on with you?

MAX: Not—much?

TROY (To Tammy): What / is it?

ISABELLE: How’s your band? Tell us about your band!

TAMMY: / Nothing, never mind.

MAX: We broke up like four weeks ago. I told you that.

ISABELLE: Oh that’s too bad how’d it happen?!

MAX: Isabelle, what are you doing?

(Eddie reenters with plates, silverware, and a large plastic vat of salad. He puts it all on the table.)

ISABELLE: Eddie you want help?

EDDIE: I’m fine.

(Eddie quickly exits. The speaker begins to crackle as before. Troy looks at it.)

TROY: When did that start?

MAX: Couple days ago, you haven’t noticed?

TROY: Why aren’t we paying to fix these things?

MAX: ’Cause the only customers we have right now are ourselves?

(Pause. A silence in the conversation. Max looks at Becky, nods.)

’Sup.

BECKY: Jesus Christ.

(Eddie enters with a tray of breadsticks.)

TROY: Eddie, we don’t need breadsticks, we have the whole dinner / rush—

EDDIE: We’re fine.

(Eddie quickly exits again.)

BECKY: Are we still getting paid right now?

TROY: Yes, hon, we—

(Tammy starts to get up. Isabelle is increasingly uncomfortable.)

TAMMY: I think— / I think I’m gonna go.

ISABELLE: Hey Max let’s go help Eddie in the kitchen.

TROY: / Tammy, please just—.

MAX: What’s with you?

TROY: Just stay?

(Tammy slowly sits back down. Eddie reenters with a large pot full of soup, carrying it with his bare hands.)

EDDIE: Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow—

(Eddie plops the soup onto the table.)

Okay. Here we go!

MAX: I’m not hungry.

ISABELLE: Yeah, Eddie, I really don’t want anything—

BECKY: Me neither.

EDDIE: Guys, let’s just—. Let’s just eat something?

(Eddie starts quickly filling bowls with soup.)

It’s been a long week, right? We’re all tired, we’re miserable, but right now? We can all just—have lunch together, / I think we can all manage that.

TROY: Eddie—

MAX: Buddy, calm down—

(Eddie accidentally sloshes some of the soup onto Becky.)

EDDIE: Oh God, I’m sorry Becky—

BECKY: Is there meat in this?

(Short pause.)

EDDIE: Shit—

BECKY: There’s meat in this!

TAMMY: / Becky, it’s okay—

TROY: Honey—

EDDIE: I’m sorry Becky—

BECKY: It’s all over me—

TROY: / Okay calm down—

ISABELLE: Eddie I think I should probably watch the front in case / someone comes—

TAMMY (To Becky): Honey, it’s okay, / just take a deep breath—

EDDIE: I locked up, don’t worry about it.

MAX: You what?

EDDIE: / It’s fine—

BECKY: I’m gonna be sick.

TROY: Becky, you’re fine. / Just tell yourself not to throw up and you won’t throw up.

ISABELLE: Eddie you can’t just close the restaurant—

EDDIE: Why not? / It’s my restaurant!

(Eddie continues to serve soup.)

TAMMY: Becky, let’s just go home, okay?

TROY: No, you—. Tammy I never said that I was going to let you take Becky back / home—

TAMMY: Troy, for God’s sake, can / we just skip this part?!

ISABELLE: Eddie, no one wants any lunch, / just stop!

BECKY: I need to go to the bathroom.

(The speaker crackles louder. Max gets up.)

MAX: This is nuts. I’m opening the front.

EDDIE (To Max): No. Stay here.

TAMMY: I’ll take Becky home and / she can take a shower—

TROY (To Tammy): You are not taking her home—

ISABELLE: / We can’t just close in the middle of the day!

BECKY: JESUS WILL YOU TWO STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I’M NOT HERE?

(Becky takes off her apron, throwing it on the ground.)

TROY: / Great. Here we go.

TAMMY (To Becky): Honey, let’s just go—

EDDIE: I didn’t mean to—I’m sorry—

BECKY: FUCK YOU PEOPLE, FUCK THIS RESTAURANT.

TROY (Fierce): SHUT UP Becky.

TAMMY: / Troy, stop—

BECKY (To Troy): I’M GLAD THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSING.

(Short pause. Everyone stops.)

TROY: What?

BECKY: Eddie said this place is closing, so pretty soon you’re gonna lose your pathetic / little job—

EDDIE: Okay—

BECKY: —and hopefully you and Mom will finally get divorced and / I can—

ISABELLE: Wait, hold on—

(The speaker crackles louder.)

TROY (To Eddie): What is she talking about?

EDDIE: / I just—

MAX: Why would you tell / her that, Eddie?

TROY: Eddie, what—? You didn’t tell her that, did you?

BECKY: Yes, he told me— . . .!

(Becky storms off to the bathroom.)

ISABELLE: Wait, / wait, wait—

MAX: Eddie, what the fuck is going on?!

(Eddie suddenly attacks the crackling speaker, ripping it out of the wall with his bare hands and smashing it onto the ground. The music cuts off. Everyone looks at him. Silence. Eddie takes deep breaths.)

EDDIE: I did everything I could, I— . . .

(Pause.)

MAX: Oh my God. When—when is it closing?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: The end of next week.

MAX: / WHAT?!

ISABELLE: Oh my God.

TROY: When the fuck were you going to tell us this?!

MAX: Eddie, this is the only place in town that’ll hire me, / the drug court says I have to hold down a job!

EDDIE: I wanted to tell you guys—

TROY: So why didn’t you?!

EDDIE: I thought maybe I could keep us afloat for a while, I’ve been putting some money from my savings into the cash drop at the end of the night—

TROY: You’ve been putting your / own money in the cash drop?

ISABELLE: God, this was the one place I could stand to work in this town.

EDDIE: I just thought if we all rallied and showed corporate that we could do better, maybe we / could’ve—

ISABELLE: Oh just stop it, Eddie. God I’m fucked.

MAX: You’re fucked?

(Max slams the table. The tray of breadsticks falls to the ground. Silence. Tammy stands.)

TAMMY (To Troy): I’m gonna check on Becky.

TROY: It’s okay, you can go home, I can—. Just let her calm down a little.

(Pause.)

TAMMY: Okay.

(Pause. Tammy moves toward the exit.)

TROY: Tammy.

(Tammy stops, looks at Troy. Pause.)

We’ll see you at home.

(Pause.)

TAMMY: Yeah. Okay.

(Tammy exits.)

ISABELLE: I’m going home too.

EDDIE: Guys—please.

(Silence. Troy sits at one of the tables.)

MAX: Isabelle you wanna ride?

ISABELLE: No.

MAX: Whatever.

(Max exits. Isabelle looks at Eddie.)

ISABELLE: You know, when you hired me I told you that the Applebee’s would pay me thirty cents more an hour. And people drink more there so the tips are a lot better. Now I’m gonna have to go back to the Conoco that my cousin Mandy manages. She calls me “Izzy,” I fucking hate her.

EDDIE: I’m really sorry. I should have told you, I— . . .

(Pause.)

ISABELLE: Look—I know it’s not your fault. And don’t pay attention to Max, he’s a fucking moron, he listens to Dave Matthews. (Pause) I always thought you put too much effort into this job, anyway.

EDDIE: Well not enough, I guess.

ISABELLE: You think this place is closing down because you didn’t try hard enough? Eddie, the only reason to work at places like this is you don’t need to care. You just go to work, try to have fun, and go to the lake on the weekends. And if it closes, there’s plenty more places to work down the highway. (Pause) Anyway. Just mail me my last paycheck, okay? I’m gonna steal some silverware on my way out just so you know.

(Isabelle exits. Troy and Eddie are left alone together. Troy looks at him.)

EDDIE: What about you, you gonna beat me up?

TROY: No, I’m not gonna— . . . Jesus, Eddie, why didn’t you just tell me?

EDDIE: I just— . . . I thought maybe I could save it.

TROY: Eddie, places like this don’t get “saved.” (Pause) Dammit, were you really putting your own money into the register?

EDDIE: I thought if I could prove that we were making / money—

TROY: That’s crazy, Eddie, that’s—. (Pause) I guess the McDonalds is always hiring. God, how did I get here?

(Troy gets up, exiting briefly. He reenters with a carafe of wine and two glasses.)

You want some?

EDDIE: No, I—I’m fine. Should you check on Becky?

TROY: She’s okay, just need to let her run out of steam.

(Troy pours himself a large glass of wine, drinks.)

EDDIE: Do you know what you’re gonna do?

(Silence.)

TROY: There’s a lumber yard outside Seattle, my cousin Jen is always saying she can get me a foreman job. It’d pay three times what I’m making here. Eight years ago when the paper mill closed, she offered me the same job. Tammy would’ve been totally willing to move, Becky would have been fine with it, she doesn’t— . . . I didn’t even tell them about it. (Pause) When I was little kid I thought all I wanted was to get out of Pocatello. I had the opportunity and I couldn’t even do it. Felt like I was going to have a panic attack just thinking about moving out of here. And I still don’t know why.

EDDIE: It’s your home.

TROY: More like my coffin. (Takes a long swig of wine) What about you? What are you gonna do?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: I don’t— . . .

(Eddie trails off. Pause.)

TROY: Look, I’m sorry for blowing up, we’re not—. It’s not about you, we all know that.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Yeah.

(Isabelle reenters quickly.)

ISABELLE: Troy, you really need to come to the front—

TROY: What?

(Cole enters from behind Isabelle, looking a little gaunt, tired. He stares at Troy for a moment.)

Dad, God. What are you—? What are you doing?

COLE: Hm.

(Cole goes to the speaker on the ground, picks it up, and places it on the table. He moves to the decorative wine bottles, starts arranging them.)

ISABELLE: He was out in the parking lot, I didn’t know / what to—

COLE: Go get him, would you?

TROY: What?

COLE: I’m not going to ask twice. I’m tired of doing shelves myself. I don’t pay people to smoke on the sidewalk.

TROY: Shit.

EDDIE: Should I call someone?

TROY: No, he’s just—. He does this sometimes, wanders off, he’s okay. (To Isabelle) Thanks, Isabelle, you can— . . .

(Isabelle exits. Troy goes to Cole.)

Dad, c’mon. (Touching his arm) We’re going home, just—

(Cole pushes him off.)

COLE: Get off, would you?

(Becky enters.)

BECKY: What’s going on?

TROY: It’s fine, Grandpa’s fine.

(Cole knocks over a potted plant. It spills dirt all over the floor.)

COLE: You see what you did?! You’re distracting me!

TROY: OKAY DAD? LOOK AT ME. LOOK AT ME.

(Cole finally looks at him.)

You’re not at the store, the store closed twelve years ago. Remember? Look at me.

(Cole looks around. Silence.)

COLE: I don’t— . . . (Long pause) Glass of water, please.

(Cole sits at a table.)

TROY (To Eddie): Just keep him in here, okay? (To Cole) Dad, I’m going to get you some water and make a call, okay? Just—stay here.

(Troy exits. Cole grabs a breadstick and starts eating it. Cole looks at Eddie.)

EDDIE: I’m, uh—. I’m Eddie, I work with your son. I work with Troy.

COLE: Damn paper mill makes the whole town smell like dung. When I was a kid we could actually breathe. (To Becky) Tammy, this bread is awful. Would you bring me something else?

(Becky, not exactly knowing what to do, goes to the table and pushes the vat of salad toward Cole. Cole grabs a fork and starts munching on the salad. Becky sits, joining him at the table. Eddie watches.)

Where did Troy run off to?

(Pause.)

BECKY: He’ll be back in a second.

COLE: He doesn’t sit still for ten seconds, that one. You’re good for him. You’re his ballast.

(Silence as Cole eats.)

BECKY: Grandpa how did you get here?

COLE: How’s that?

BECKY: County Care is like six miles away, how did you get here?

COLE: I don’t know what you’re asking me. Get me some water, please?

(Becky hands him an untouched glass of water from the table. Cole drinks.)

BECKY: Did you walk all the way here?

COLE: Nothing wrong with it, it’s good for you. People drive too much in this town.

BECKY: I told Dad not to put you in that County Care place. That place is terrible. I told him it’d just make you worse. But of course, he doesn’t listen to me, he’s such an idiot.

(Eddie sits at the table across from them, watching.)

COLE: Well, he’s not the brightest. I always tell him, if you don’t want to take over the store, be a plumber. There’s a simple logic to it. You should have waited longer before having a child with him. I don’t mean to sound harsh.

(Pause. Cole continues to eat.)

BECKY: No, it’s okay.

COLE: Still in his twenties and he thinks he knows everything. His sister is the same way, she rushes into everything. Marries that idiot straight out of school. He’s not good for her, you know, I think he smokes marijuana.

BECKY: They got divorced when I was a kid, Grandpa.

(Cole looks at Becky for a second, becoming a little more lucid. He looks around a bit.)

COLE: Hm.

BECKY: Your store is closed. Dad took it over when I was a kid for like a couple years but he sold it and now it’s a Payless Shoes.

COLE: I know that, I’m not an idiot. (Pause) Becky. Have some.

(Cole serves Becky a little bit of salad.)

BECKY: I don’t—I don’t want to eat.

COLE: You’re skin and bones.

BECKY: I don’t know where it came from.

COLE: What do you mean?

BECKY: It might be full of pesticides and antibiotics. Or it might be made of lettuce grown in some country where people get paid five cents an hour, or tomatoes picked by starving nine-year-olds.

COLE: Hm. That sounds needlessly complicated.

(Becky chuckles despite herself. She picks up a fork, starts picking at the salad a bit. A few moments pass.)

I suppose Troy must be calling County Care to pick me up.

BECKY: Probably. Are you better now? Do you know where you are?

COLE: I’ve pieced it together.

BECKY: That must be annoying.

COLE: Eh. Lucidity is overrated, remember that.

(Cole continues to eat. Becky looks at him.)

BECKY: I should come and visit you more often.

COLE: It’s not the most welcoming place, I don’t blame you.

BECKY: Do you hate it?

(Pause.)

COLE: Never really thought much about it, it’s just—where I am at the moment.

BECKY: But does that—? Does that make you sad?

COLE: I guess at a certain point you stop worrying about that, you just take things as they come.

(Pause.)

BECKY: I wish I was like that. I hate it here. As soon as I turn eighteen, I’m moving out of this town.

COLE: Oh. You think it’s going to be better someplace else?

BECKY: I mean, I don’t know? It’ll be different, at least.

COLE: Towns aren’t much different nowadays, Becky.

(Silence.)

BECKY: Grandpa I just like hate everything about life.

(Cole looks up at her, stops eating. Pause.

Troy reenters with a glass of water.)

TROY: Okay, Dad—we’re gonna take you home, okay? Some people from where you live are coming / to—

COLE: Don’t—. You don’t need to talk to me like I’m a child, Troy, I’m—.

(Troy puts the water on the table.)

TROY: They’ll be here in a minute, let’s just wait outside.

(Cole gets up. He begins to exit with Troy, then stops and turns back to Becky. He goes to her.)

COLE: For the intelligent person, the world is full of idiots. I know that’s not very helpful.

(Cole kisses the top of Becky’s head, then exits with Troy. Becky and Eddie are left alone. Pause.)

EDDIE: You—okay?

(Pause.)

BECKY: Yeah. (Pause) Yeah, I’m fine. (Pause) I think I’m gonna walk home tonight. Can I go out the back? Will the alarm go off?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: No, you’re okay.

BECKY: Cool.

(Becky pauses, then heads toward the back.)

EDDIE: Do you— . . .? You really hate everything about life?

(Becky stops, turns to him.)

BECKY: I don’t know, I just—. (Pause) I guess I just haven’t figured out how to be a happy person without being stupid and naive.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: I know the feeling.

(Silence.)

BECKY: Look, thanks for the job, okay? That was cool of you.

(Becky approaches Eddie, her arm outstretched. Awkward pause.)

EDDIE: What—what are you doing?

BECKY: Shake my hand.

EDDIE: What?

BECKY: Let’s just shake hands.

EDDIE: Why?

BECKY: Because this is awkward and I don’t know what else to do. Jesus.

(They shake hands. Pause.)

Good luck okay?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Okay.

(Becky smiles at him a bit, then exits.)

Scene Seven

Much later, the middle of the night.

The room is untouched from before, looking more desolate and decimated than ever. It is mostly dark.

DORIS (From off): Eddie?!

(After a moment, Doris enters. She is wearing a coat over her pajamas, obviously having been woken up out of bed.

She enters the space, sees the food, the torn up wall, the broken speaker. She reaches into her purse and takes out a small can of pepper spray.)

Eddie, are you here?!

(Eddie enters from the kitchen.)

EDDIE: Hi, / Mom—

DORIS: OH—Eddie, for God’s sake, I almost sprayed this pepper spray right into your face! I really almost just did that!

EDDIE: Sorry, I didn’t mean / to—

DORIS: What’s happened, what’s the emergency?! I’m at my wit’s end with you this week, Eddie—what happened in here?! Why is there food everywhere? Have you been drinking?

EDDIE: No, no, / I just—

DORIS: I’ve never been more embarrassed than I was yesterday, you provoking your brother, and everyone looking at us, are we supposed to be here after hours? You realize they could take money out of your paycheck for these damages, and you—. What is the big emergency?!

(Eddie exits into the kitchen, Doris continues to talk, calling after him.)

Really, Eddie, I don’t have the patience for this, I couldn’t even find my glasses so I drove all the way here not knowing if I was going to kill someone, and I’m not even legally supposed to drive if I’m not wearing my—

(Eddie enters from the kitchen with a large tray holding a wide array of pasta dishes, all pristinely presented.)

What / is—?

EDDIE: Gluten-free manicotti. Gluten-free fettucine Alfredo. Gluten-free cheese ravioli, gluten-free spaghetti with meatballs . . . And some other stuff. I went to the 24-hour mart for the pasta. (Pause) Sit down, Mom.

(Pause.)

DORIS: Wait, you want me to—? This is the emergency?

EDDIE: Sit down.

DORIS: I’m not hungry, Eddie, I— . . . (Pause) This is so strange, I don’t even know what to / say—

EDDIE: Mom. Please. I spent five hours making all this.

(Doris looks at the food, unsure of what to do. Silence.)

Can we just sit and—be together? We used to be able to do this, when I was in high school, we used to be able to just sit and talk—

DORIS: That was almost twenty years ago, Eddie! You’re an adult!

EDDIE: What does being an adult have to do / with—?

DORIS: It was an awful time, and we got through it! (Quick pause) Do you just want an apology? Fine, then, Eddie, I am so sorry you had an awful childhood. I’m sorry that Dad was the way he was. / It was a terrible time for all of us.

EDDIE: I don’t want an apology—

DORIS: But you don’t need to act out like this, calling me in the middle of the night! People today are so obsessed their feelings and emotions and talking, talking, talking, people have forgotten how to deal with problems on their own!

EDDIE: I don’t want to talk about problems. I just want to get through all this crap so we can sit down and eat fucking lasagna together!

DORIS: DON’T USE THAT WORD.

EDDIE: SIT. DOWN.

(Pause. Doris doesn’t move.)

Please.

(Doris pauses, then pulls the chair a good distance away from the table and sits. Eddie looks at her.)

What would you like?

DORIS: I told you I’m not hungry.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Okay.

(Eddie serves himself some lasagna.)

DORIS: This is why you brought me here in the middle of the night?

EDDIE: Yeah, Mom, it is. Because I like you, because I miss what we used to have, I miss just being able to talk to you—

DORIS: Well maybe it wasn’t—

(Doris stops herself. Quick pause.)

EDDIE: What?

DORIS: Never mind.

EDDIE: No, seriously, just say it!

DORIS: I said never mind!

EDDIE: Mom, let’s please just get it out in the open so we can move on, I just / want to—

DORIS: Maybe it wasn’t good for you, what about that?! I don’t know why you have to do this, Nicky has always been so independent, but you have this different way, so sensitive, and—.

(Short pause.)

You have to understand, after Dad—. I had no idea how you and your brother were going to move forward. I thought you would just—collapse in on yourselves. But then you both went to college, you both seemed normal. I thought you had both made it through unscathed. Obviously you hadn’t.

(Pause.)

You think it was easy for me, after Dad died? Nicky away at college, I was working at the Blockbuster and the Albertson’s, seeing those people every day who knew me, who used to eat at the diner—my God, what they must have thought of me. It was always a relief to come home and have dinner with you every night, and we didn’t have to talk about Dad or our feelings or—any of it. We could just act like normal human beings. And then you came home that night, and you tell me that you’re— . . .

(Pause.)

I realized, it just—wasn’t normal for a grown man to spend that much time around his mother.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: Wait—you think it’s your fault?

DORIS: Well I don’t know, you came out of nowhere and told me this thing, I don’t—. I just thought that what with your father gone, and you and I being so close, it wasn’t too surprising that you— . . . I was terrified for you. Your life had been difficult enough already, and then living with that in this town . . . And thinking that I had somehow contributed to it, I just—. I thought that putting some distance between us would be good for you. I didn’t want to, I—. Oh I hate talking like this, it’s so embarrassing.

(Pause.)

You just seem so troubled. I don’t like thinking it’s my fault.

(Doris looks away from Eddie. Pause.)

EDDIE: It’s not your fault, Mom, it’s no one’s fault, it’s just . . . (Pause) I never knew you felt that way.

DORIS: Well. You’ve always just seemed so unhappy.

(Pause.)

EDDIE: I am unhappy, Mom. But it doesn’t have anything to do with—.

(Silence.)

You remember Great-Grandpa’s old place?

(Pause. Doris looks at him.)

DORIS: Well, of course I remember it—

EDDIE: I still go there sometimes. And I sit there for a while, and I think about Great-Grandpa. Coming up here from Utah, homesteading, farming the land for the first time, and it’s so— . . . For a second or two, I feel like I’m—here. Here.

(Pause.)

But then I have to leave because it’s not our land anymore, and I get back in my car and I drive back to my apartment complex, and all I can think is—there’s the Starbucks. The Walmart. The Burger King. The Wendy’s. The Staples. The Kmart. The Best Buy. The McDonalds. The Safeway. The Home Depot. The Olive Garden.

(Silence.)

I don’t know where I live anymore, Mom.

(Long silence. Doris looks at him. Finally:)

DORIS: Is the Alfredo lumpy?

(Pause.)

EDDIE: No, I—I just made it.

(Doris slowly moves her chair to the table. Eddie serves her some fettuccine Alfredo. Doris and Eddie begin to eat together.)

DORIS: You know Dorothy and Hugh’s son, Donald? He’s—like you. Maybe you should meet him.

EDDIE: He is?

DORIS: Yes. I think so. Maybe he just seems it, he’s always wearing these pants.

EDDIE: Oh. I haven’t seen him for years.

DORIS: Well. Maybe you should— . . . (Pause) I ran into them a couple days ago. Dorothy and Hugh, I mean.

EDDIE: Oh yeah?

DORIS: Yes. (Pause) They just went to Egypt or something, it’s—. (Pause) The places they travel to. They showed me pictures. It looks so hot.

EDDIE: Sure.

(Pause.)

DORIS: Their daughter. You remember her?

EDDIE: I think so.

DORIS: What’s her name?

EDDIE: Um. Ellen?

DORIS: No that’s not it. Anyway, she’s doing well. She lives in Montana, I guess she got married last year.

EDDIE: Oh.

(Eddie begins break down a bit, but continues eating.)

DORIS: It sounds like the whole family is doing very well. You know who else moved to Montana, that boy Greg from your class.

EDDIE: What—what was his last name?

DORIS: Oh I knew you’d ask me that, I’m not sure. I think he was in your class. Blonde, sort of skinny?

EDDIE: I’m not sure.

DORIS: I think you’d recognize him. Can you pass me that water?

(Eddie passes her a pitcher of water. She fills her glass.)

He married another girl from your class, but I don’t remember her name at all. Anyway they moved to Billings, I think it was. They’re both accountants, I guess. Do you want some?

EDDIE: No, thanks.

(Eddie is desperately holding back tears at this point. Doris notices but doesn’t say anything.)

DORIS: His parents go to our church now, they’re very nice. They helped me with the bakesale last week.

EDDIE: Oh.

DORIS: It was nice of them. I swear we didn’t sell more than two brownies, though, felt sort of like a waste of time. Waste of food, at the least. We ended up giving it to the Meals on Wheels people, I have no idea if they’re going to be able to use it. But, you know, it’s—. It was nice to . . .

(Eddie is now silently crying. He looks down at his plate. Doris stops eating, looks at him. Silence.)

I’m here, Eddie. All right?

(Pause.)

I’m here.

(Eddie looks up at her. Black.)

END OF PLAY