Complete Works, Volume I (14 page)

MR SANDS
. You don't mind some of that tripe!

MRS SANDS
. You take after your uncle, that's who you take after!

MR SANDS
. And who do you take after?

MRS SANDS
(
rising
). I didn't bring you into the world.

MR SANDS
. You didn't what?

MRS SANDS
. I said, I didn't bring you into the world.

MR SANDS
. Well, who did then? That's what I want to know. Who did? Who did bring me into the world?

She sits
,
muttering
.
He stands
,
muttering
.

ROSE
. You say you saw a man downstairs, in the basement?

MRS SANDS
. Yes, Mrs Hudd, you see, the thing is, Mrs
Hudd, we'd heard they'd got a room to let here, so we thought we'd come along and have a look. Because we're looking for a place, you see, somewhere quiet, and we knew this district was quiet, and we passed the house a few months ago and we thought it looked very nice, but we thought we'd call of an evening, to catch the landlord, so we came along this evening. Well, when we got here we walked in the front door and it was very dark in the hall and there wasn't anyone about. So we went down to the basement. Well, we got down there only due to Toddy having such good eyesight really. Between you and me, I didn't like the look of it much, I mean the feel, we couldn't make much out, it smelt damp to me. Anyway, we went through a kind of partition, then there was another partition, and we couldn't see where we were going, well, it seemed to me it got darker the more we went, the further we went in, I thought we must have come to the wrong house. So I stopped. And Toddy stopped. And then this voice said, this voice came – it said – well, it gave me a bit of a fright, I don't know about Tod, but someone asked if he could do anything for us. So Tod said we were looking for the landlord and this man said the landlord would be upstairs. Then Tod asked was there a room vacant. And this man, this voice really, I think he was behind the partition, said yes there was a room vacant. He was very polite, I thought, but we never saw him, I don't know why they never put a light on. Anyway, we got out then and we came up and we went to the top of the house. I don't know whether it was the top. There was a door locked on the stairs, so there might have been another floor, but we didn't see anyone, and it was dark, and we were just coming down again when you opened your door.

ROSE
. You said you were going up.

MRS SANDS
. What?

ROSE
. You said you were going up before.

MRS SANDS
. No, we were coming down.

ROSE
. You didn't say that before.

MRS SANDS
. We'd been up.

MR SANDS
. We'd been up. We were coming down.

Pause
.

ROSE
. This man, what was he like, was he old?

MRS SANDS
. We didn't see him.

ROSE
. Was he old?

Pause
.

MR SANDS
. Well, we'd better try to get hold of this landlord, if he's about.

ROSE
. You won't find any rooms vacant in this house.

MR SANDS
. Why not?

ROSE
. Mr Kidd told me. He told me.

MR SANDS
. Mr Kidd?

ROSE
. He told me he was full up.

MR SANDS
. The man in the basement said there was one. One room. Number seven he said.

Pause
.

ROSE
. That's this room.

MR SANDS
. We'd better go and get hold of the landlord.

MRS SANDS
(
rising
). Well, thank you for the warm-up, Mrs Hudd. I feel better now.

ROSE
. This room is occupied.

MR SANDS
. Come on.

MRS SANDS
. Goodnight, Mrs Hudd. I hope your husband won't be too long. Must be lonely for you, being all alone here.

MR SANDS
. Come on.

They go out
.
ROSE
watches the door close
,
starts towards it
,
and stops. She takes the chair back to the table
,
picks up the magazine
,
looks at it
,
and puts it down. She goes to the rocking-chair
,
sits
,
rocks
,
stops
,
and sits still. There is a sharp knock at the door
,
which opens. Enter
MR KIDD
.

MR KIDD
. I came straight in.

ROSE
(
rising
). Mr Kidd! I was just going to find you. I've got to speak to you.

MR KIDD
. Look here, Mrs Hudd, I've got to speak to you. I came up specially.

ROSE
. There were two people in here just now. They said this room was going vacant. What were they talking about?

MR KIDD
. As soon as I heard the van go I got ready to come and see you. I'm knocked out.

ROSE
. What was it all about? Did you see those people? How can this room be going? It's occupied. Did they get hold of you, Mr Kidd?

MR KIDD
. Get hold of me? Who?

ROSE
. I told you. Two people. They were looking for the landlord.

MR KIDD
. I'm just telling you. I've been getting ready to come and see you, as soon as I heard the van go.

ROSE
. Well then, who were they?

MR KIDD
. That's why I came up before. But he hadn't gone yet. I've been waiting for him to go the whole week-end.

ROSE
. Mr Kidd, what did they mean about this room?

MR KIDD
. What room?

ROSE
. Is this room vacant?

MR KIDD
. Vacant?

ROSE
. They were looking for the landlord.

MR KIDD
. Who were?

ROSE
. Listen, Mr Kidd, you are the landlord, aren't you? There isn't any other landlord?

MR KIDD
. What? What's that got to do with it? I don't know what you're talking about. I've got to tell you, that's all. I've got to tell you. I've had a terrible week-end. You'll have to see him. I can't take it any more. You've got to see him.

Pause.

ROSE
. Who?

MR KIDD
. The man. He's been waiting to see you. He wants to see you. I can't get rid of him. I'm not a young man, Mrs Hudd, that's apparent. It's apparent. You've got to see him.

ROSE
. See who?

MR KIDD
. The man. He's downstairs now. He's been there the whole week-end. He said that when Mr Hudd went out I was to tell him. That's why I came up before. But he hadn't gone yet. So I told him. I said he hasn't gone yet. I said, well when he goes, I said, you can go up, go up, have done with it. No, he says, you must ask her if she'll see me. So I came up again, to ask you if you'll see him.

ROSE
. Who is he?

MR KIDD
. How do I know who he is? All I know is he won't say a word, he won't indulge in any conversation, just – has he gone? that and nothing else. He wouldn't even play a game of chess. All right, I said, the other night, while we're waiting I'll play you a game of chess. You play chess, don't you? I tell you, Mrs Hudd, I don't know if he even heard what I was saying. He just lies there. It's not good for me. He just lies there, that's all, waiting.

ROSE
. He lies there, in the basement?

MR KIDD
. Shall I tell him it's all right, Mrs Hudd?

ROSE
. But it's damp down there.

MR KIDD
. Shall I tell him it's all right?

ROSE
. That what's all right?

MR KIDD
. That you’ll see him.

ROSE
. See him? I beg your pardon, Mr Kidd. I don't know him. Why should I see him?

MR KIDD
. You won't see him?

ROSE
. Do you expect me to see someone I don't know? With my husband not here too?

MR KIDD
. But he knows you, Mrs Hudd, he knows you.

ROSE
. How could he, Mr Kidd, when I don't know him?

MR KIDD
. You must know him.

ROSE
. But I don't know anybody. We're quiet here. We've just moved into this district.

MR KIDD
. But he doesn't come from this district. Perhaps you knew him in another district.

ROSE
. Mr Kidd, do you think I go around knowing men in one district after another? What do you think I am?

MR KIDD
. I don't know what I think.

He sits
.

I think I'm going off my squiff.

ROSE
. You need rest. An old man like you. What you need is rest.

MR KIDD
. He hasn't given me any rest. Just lying there. In the black dark. Hour after hour. Why don't you leave me be, both of you? Mrs Hudd, have a bit of pity. Please see him. Why don't you see him?

ROSE
. I don't know him.

MR KIDD
. You can never tell. You might know him.

ROSE
. I don't know him.

MR KIDD
(
rising
). I don't know what’ll happen if you don't see him.

ROSE
. I've told you I don't know this man!

MR KIDD
. I know what he’ll do. I know what he'll do. If you don't see him now, there'll be nothing else for it, he'll come up on his own bat, when your husband's here, that's what he'll do. He’ll come up when Mr Hudd's here, when your husband's here.

ROSE
. He'd never do that.

MR KIDD
. He would do that. That's exactly what he'll do. You don't think he's going to go away without seeing you, after he's come all this way, do you? You don't think that, do you?

ROSE
. All this way?

MR KIDD
. You don't think he's going to do that, do you?

Pause
.

ROSE
. He wouldn't do that.

MR KIDD
. Oh yes. I know it.

Pause
.

ROSE
. What's the time?

MR KIDD
. I don't know.

Pause
.

ROSE
. Fetch him. Quick. Quick!

MR KIDD
goes out. She sits in the rocking-chair. After a few moments the door opens. Enter a blind Negro. He closes the door behind him, walks further, and feels with a stick till he reaches the armchair. He stops.

RILEY
. Mrs Hudd?

ROSE
. You just touched a chair. Why don't you sit in it?

He sits
.

RILEY
. Thank you.

ROSE
. Don't thank me for anything. I don't want you up here. I don't know who you are. And the sooner you get out the better.

Pause
.

(
Rising
.) Well, come on. Enough's enough. You can take a liberty too far, you know. What do you want? You force your way up here. You disturb my evening. You come in and sit down here. What do you want?

He looks about the room
.

What are you looking at? You're blind, aren't you? So what are you looking at? What do you think you've got here, a little girl? I can keep up with you. I'm one ahead of people like you. Tell me what you want and get out.

RILEY
. My name is Riley.

ROSE
. I don't care if it's – What? That's not your name. That's not your name. You've got a grown-up woman in this room, do you hear? Or are you deaf too? You're not deaf too, are
you? You're all deaf and dumb and blind, the lot of you. A bunch of cripples.

Pause
.

RILEY.
This is a large room.

ROSE
. Never mind about the room. What do you know about this room? You know nothing about it. And you won't be staying in it long either. My luck. I get these creeps come in, smelling up my room. What do you want?

RILEY.
I want to see you.

ROSE
. Well you can't see me, can you? You're a blind man. An old, poor blind man. Aren't you? Can't see a dickeybird.

Pause
.

They say I know you. That's an insult, for a start. Because I can tell you, I wouldn't know you to spit on, not from a mile off.

Pause
.

Oh, these customers. They come in here and stink the place out. After a handout. I know all about it. And as for you saying you know me, what liberty is that? Telling my landlord too. Upsetting my landlord. What do you think you're up to? We're settled down here, cosy, quiet, and our landlord thinks the world of us, we're his favourite tenants, and you come in and drive him up the wall, and drag my name into it! What did you mean by dragging my name into it, and my husband's name? How did you know what our name was?

Pause
.

You've led him a dance, have you, this week-end? You've got him going, have you? A poor, weak old man, who lets a respectable house. Finished. Done for. You push your way in and shove him about. And you drag my name into it.

Pause
.

Come on, then. You say you wanted to see me. Well, I'm here. Spit it out or out you go. What do you want?

RILEY.
I have a message for you.

ROSE
. You've got what? How could you have a message for me, Mister Riley, when I don't know you and nobody knows I'm here and I don't know anybody anyway. You think I'm an easy touch, don't you? Well, why don't you give it up as a bad job? Get off out of it. I've had enough of this. You're not only a nut, you're a blind nut and you can get out the way you came.