The Complete Dramatic Works (28 page)

[
Pause.
]

WILLIE:
Sucked
up?

WINNIE:
Yes love, up into the blue, like gossamer. [
Pause.
] No? [
Pause.
]
You don’t? [
Pause.
]
Ah well, natural laws, natural laws, I suppose it’s like everything else, it all
depends on the creature you happen to be. All I can say is for my part is that for
me they are not what they were when I was young and … foolish and … [
faltering,
head
down
]
… beautiful … possibly … lovely … in a way … to look at. [
Pause.
Head
up.
]
Forgive me, Willie, sorrow keeps breaking in. [
Normal
voice.
]
Ah well what a joy in any case to know you are there, as usual, and perhaps awake,
and perhaps taking all this in, some of all this, what a happy day for me … it will
have been. [
Pause.
]
So far. [
Pause.
]
What a blessing nothing grows, imagine if all this stuff were to start growing. [
Pause.
] Imagine. [
Pause.
]
Ah yes, great mercies. [
Long
pause.
]
I can say no more. [
Pause.
]
For the moment. [
Pause.
Turns
to
look
at
bag.
Back
front.
Smile.
]
No no. [
Smile
off.
Looks
at
parasol.
]
I suppose I might – [
takes
up
parasol
]
– yes, I suppose I might … hoist this thing now. [
Begins
to
unfurl
it.
Following
punctuated
by
mechanical
difficulties
overcome
.]
One keeps putting off – putting up – for fear of putting up too soon – and the day
goes by – quite by – without one’s having put up – at all. [
Parasol
now
fully
open.
Turned
to
her
right
she
twirls
it
idly
this
way
and
that
.]
Ah yes, so little to say, so little to do, and the fear so great, certain days, of
finding oneself … left, with hours still to run, before the bell for sleep, and nothing
more to say, nothing more to do, that the days go by, certain days go by, quite by,
the bell goes, and little or nothing said, little or nothing done. [
Raising
parasol.
]
That is the danger. [
Turning
front.
]
To be guarded against. [
She
gazes
front,
holding
up
parasol
with
right
hand.
Maximum
pause.
]
I used to perspire freely. [
Pause.
]
Now hardly at
all. [
Pause.
]
The heat is much greater. [
Pause.
]
The perspiration much less. [
Pause.
]
That is what I find so wonderful. [
Pause.
]
The way man adapts himself. [
Pause.
] To changing conditions. [
She
transfers
parasol
to
left
hand.
Long
pause.
]
Holding up wearies the arm. [
Pause.
]
Not if one is going along. [
Pause.
]
Only if one is at rest. [
Pause.
] That is a curious observation. [
Pause.
]
I hope you heard that, Willie, I should be grieved to think you had not heard that.
[
She
takes
parasol
in
both
hands.
Long
pause.
]
I am weary, holding it up, and I cannot put it down. [
Pause.
]
I am worse off with it up than with it down, and I cannot put it down. [
Pause.
]
Reason says, Put it down, Winnie, it is not helping you, put the thing down and get
on with something else. [
Pause.
]
I cannot. [
Pause.
]
I cannot move. [
Pause.
]
No, something must happen, in the world, take place, some change, I cannot, if I
am to move again. [
Pause.
]
Willie. [
Mildly.
]
Help. [
Pause.
]
No? [
Pause.
]
Bid me put this thing down, Willie, I would obey you instantly, as I have always
done, honoured and obeyed. [
Pause.
] Please, Willie. [
Mildly.
]
For pity’s sake. [
Pause.
]
No? [
Pause.
]
You can’t? [
Pause.
].
Well I don’t blame you, no, it would ill become me, who cannot move, to blame my
Willie because he cannot speak. [
Pause.
]
Fortunately I am in tongue again. [
Pause
.]
That is what I find so wonderful, my two lamps, when one goes out the other burns
brighter. [
Pause.
]
Oh yes, great mercies. [
Maximum
pause.
The
parasol
goes
on
fire.
Smoke,
flames
if
feasible.
She
sniffs,
looks
up,
throws
parasol
to
her
right
behind
mound,
cranes
back
to
watch
it
burning.
Pause.
]
Ah earth you old extinguisher. [
Back
front.
]
I presume this has occurred before, though I cannot recall it. [
Pause.
]
Can you, Willie? [
Turns
a
little
towards
him.
]
Can you recall this having occurred before? [
Pause.
Cranes
back
to
look
at
him.
]
Do you know what has occurred, Willie? [
Pause.
]
Have you gone off on me again? [
Pause
.]
I do not ask if you are alive to all that is going on, I merely ask if you have not
gone off on me again. [
Pause.
]
Your eyes appear to be closed, but that has no particular significance we know. [
Pause.
] Raise a finger, dear, will you please, if you are not quite
senseless. [
Pause.
]
Do that for me, Willie please, just the little finger, if you are still conscious.
[
Pause.
Joyful.
]
Oh all five, you are a darling today, now I may continue with an easy mind. [
Back
front.
]
Yes, what ever occurred that did not occur before and yet … I wonder, yes, I confess
I wonder. [
Pause.
]
With the sun blazing so much fiercer down, and hourly fiercer, is it not natural
things should go on fire never known to do so, in this way I mean, spontaneous like.
[
Pause.
]
Shall I myself not melt perhaps in the end, or burn, oh I do not mean necessarily
burst into flames, no, just little by little be charred to a black cinder, all this
– [
ample
gesture
of
arms
]
–
visible flesh. [
Pause.
] On the other hand, did I ever know a temperate time? [
Pause
.]
No. [
Pause
.]
I speak of temperate times and torrid times, they are empty words. [
Pause
.]
I speak of when I was not yet caught – in this way – and had my legs and had the
use of my legs, and could seek out a shady place, like you, when I was tired of the
sun, or a sunny place when I was tired of the shade, like you, and they are all empty
words. [
Pause.
]
It is no hotter today than yesterday, it will be no hotter tomorrow than today, how
could it, and so on back into the far past, forward into the far future. [
Pause.
]
And should one day the earth cover my breasts, then I shall never have seen my breasts,
no one ever seen my breasts. [
Pause.
]
I hope you caught something of that, Willie, I should be sorry to think you had caught
nothing of all that, it is not every day I rise to such heights. [
Pause.
]
Yes, something seems to have occurred, something has seemed to occur, and nothing
has occurred, nothing at all, you are quite right, Willie. [
Pause.
]
The sunshade will be there again tomorrow, beside me on this mound, to help me through
the day. [
Pause.
She
takes
up
mirror
.]
I take up this little glass, I shiver it on a stone – [
does
so
]
 
– I throw it away – [
does
so
far
behind
her
]
– it will be in the bag again tomorrow, without a scratch, to help me through the
day. [
Pause.
]
No, one can do nothing. [
Pause.
] That is what I find so wonderful, the way things … [
voice
breaks,
head
down
]
… things … so wonderful. [
Long
pause,
head
down.
Finally
turns,
still
bowed,
to
bag,
brings
out
unidentifiable
odds
and
ends,
stuffs
them
back,
fumbles
deeper,
brings
out
finally
musical-box,
winds
it
up,
turns
it
on,
listens
for
a
moment
holding
it
in
both
hands,
huddled
over
it,
turns
back
front,
straightens
up
and
listens
to
tune,
holding
box
to
breast
with
both
hands.
It
plays
the
Waltz
Duet
‘I
love
you
so’
from
The
Merry
Widow.
Gradually
happy
expression.
She
sways
to
the
rhythm.
Music
stops.
Pause.
Brief
burst
of
hoarse
song
without
words
–
musical-box
tune
–
from
 
WILLIE
.
Increase
of
happy
expression.
She
lays
down
box.
]
Oh this will have been a happy day! [
She
claps
hands
]
Again, Willie, again! [
Claps.
]
Encore, Willie, please! [
Pause.
Happy
expression
off
.]
No? You won’t do that for me? [
Pause.
]
Well it is very understandable, very understandable. One cannot sing just to please
someone, however much one loves them, no, song must come from the heart, that is what
I always say, pour out from the inmost, like a thrush. [
Pause.
]
How often I have said, in evil hours, Sing now, Winnie, sing your song, there is
nothing else for it, and did not. [
Pause.
]
Could not. [
Pause.
]
No, like the thrush, or the bird of dawning, with no thought of benefit, to oneself
or anyone else. [
Pause.
] And now? [
Long
pause.
Low.
]
Strange feeling. [
Pause.
Do
.]
Strange feeling that someone is looking at me. I am clear, then dim, then gone, then
dim again, then clear again, and so on, back and forth, in and out of someone’s eye.
[
Pause.
Do.
]
Strange? [
Pause.
Do.
]
No, here all is strange. [
Pause.
Normal
voice
.]
Something says, Stop talking now, Winnie, for a minute, don’t squander all your words
for the day, stop talking and do something for a change, will you? [
She
raises
hands
and
holds
them
open
before
her
eyes.
Apostrophic
]
Do something! [
She
closes
hands.
]
What claws! [
She
turns
to
bag,
rummages
in
it,
brings
out
finally
a
nailfile,
turns
back
front
and
begins
to
file
nails.
Files
for
a
time
in
silence,
then
the
following
punctuated
by
filing
.]
There floats up – into my thoughts – a Mr Shower – a Mr and perhaps a Mrs Shower
– no – they are holding hands – his fiancée then more likely – or just some – loved
one. [
Looks
closer
at
nails.
]
Very brittle
today. [
Resumes
filing.
]
Shower – Shower – does the name mean anything – to you, Willie – evoke any reality,
I mean – for you, Willie – don’t answer if you don’t – feel up to it – you have done
more – than your bit – already – Shower – Shower. [
Inspects
filed
nails.
]
Bit more like it. [
Raises
head,
gazes
front.
]
Keep yourself nice, Winnie, that’s what I always say, come what may, keep yourself
nice. [
Pause.
Resumes
filing.
]
Yes – Shower – Shower – [
stops
filing,
raises
head,
gazes
front,
pause
]
– or Cooker, perhaps I should say Cooker. [
Turning
a
little
towards
 
WILLIE
.] Cooker, Willie, does Cooker strike a chord? [
Pause.
Turns
a
little
further.
Louder.