The Cryptogram (4 page)

JOHN
: A game?

DEL
: A game you can play.

You and your father. Up there. Eh?

To “sharpen your skills.” (
Pause
.) To “aid your camping.”

JOHN
: Me and my father.

DEL
: Yes.

JOHN
: Does he know this game?

DEL
: I think that he may.

JOHN
: Did he teach it to you?

DEL
: No. I learned it independently.

JOHN
: Um.

DEL
: And. If he does not know it, you can teach it to
him
.

JOHN
: Good.

DEL
: Yes? You think so?

JOHN
: Well, I think so. You have to tell me the game.

DEL
: Here it is: … you write down …

JOHN
: “…  to sharpen our skills …”

DEL
: You write down your
recollections
.
Of the things you’ve seen. During the day.
Then you compare them.

JOHN
: I don’t understand.

DEL
: To see who has observed the best.

You observe things during the day. Then, at night you write them down. To test your observation. (
Pause
.) Things in the Cabin, for instance. Or the woods. And, then, you see whose recollection was more accurate. (
Pause
.) You see?

JOHN
: See who was more accurate.

DEL
: That’s correct. (
Pause
.)

JOHN
: And why is this game useful?

DEL
: If you were lost it could assist you to orient yourself.

JOHN
: Would it be things which we
decided before
to observe? Or things …

DEL
: … it could be both.

JOHN
: … both things we
decided
to observe, and things we decided, later on, we should remember.

DEL
: That’s right.

JOHN
: But something could have been the Third Misfortune, even though it had happened quite long ago. (
Pause.
)

DEL
: How could that be?

JOHN
: It could be if the “Third Misfortune” happened long ago. If, when it
happened
, no one
noticed
, or …

DEL
: “at the
time
 …”

JOHN
: Yes, or neglected to
count
it …

DEL
: … I …

JOHN
: … until we recognized it
now
 … And also, what could we pick. To observe, beside the Cabin?

DEL
: What?
Anything
. The
pond
, the …

JOHN
: … where did you get the knife?

DEL
: The knife.

JOHN
: Yes.

DEL
: I told you. Your father gave it to me.

JOHN
: He gave you his war knife.

DEL
: Yes.

JOHN
: His
pilot’s
knife …?

DEL
: Yes. (
Pause
.)

JOHN
: But we couldn’t choose the pond.

DEL
: Why not?

JOHN
: Because it’s changing. (
Pause
.) When?

DEL
: … when what?

JOHN
: Did he give it to you?

DEL
: Aha.

JOHN
: When?

DEL
: Last week. When we went camping.

JOHN
: Oh.

DEL
: Does that upset you?

JOHN
: No.

DEL
: Aha.

JOHN
: What do you mean?

DEL
: Nothing.

JOHN
: Why did you say “aha.”

DEL
: Something occurred to me.

JOHN
: What?

DEL
: Something. (
Pause
.)

JOHN
: We couldn’t choose the pond.

DEL
: The pond?

JOHN
: To observe.

DEL
: No? Why not?

JOHN
: Because it’s changing. (
DONNY
reenters with tea mugs
.)

DEL
: Well, then you choose something else.

JOHN
: What should I choose?

DEL
: Something that doesn’t change.

(
Of photo
.) Who, who, what
is
this?

DONNY
: It’s the Lake.

DEL
: No, please, I know where it is, I just don’t …

DONNY
: … what?

DEL
: … I don’t remember it.

DONNY
: … you’ve seen that photo so …

DEL
: … Well. I don’t remember it.

JOHN
: You have a strange expression on your face.
Mother:
doesn’t …

DONNY
: Calm down. John.

DEL
: … I do?

JOHN
: You’re grinning. (
To
DONNY
.) I am calm.

DEL
: … when was this taken? (
DONNY
looks at photo
.)

DONNY
: Well, the boathouse is still up …

DEL
(
to
JOHN
): It’s strange I’m grinning?

DONNY
: … so it’s …

JOHN
: It looks unlike you.

DONNY
(
of photo, to
DEL
): You don’t remember this?

DEL
: No.

DONNY
:
Truly?

DEL
: No. When was it taken?

DONNY
(
simultaneous with
“taken”): Well, alright: the boathouse is up, so, I can tell you what
year
it is: The boathouse is up, but the birch is down, so: it’s before the War …

DEL
: … it would have to be before the War …

DONNY
(
simultaneous with
“war”): Wait a moment … (
JOHN
yawns. Sits on the couch
.) Oh, John; are you getting sleepy?

JOHN
: When is Dad coming home?

DONNY
: He’ll be here when he gets here, I think.

JOHN
: … I want to tell him this game.

DEL
(
of photograph
): I remember the shirt.

DONNY
: … he’ll be home soon, John.

DEL
: … is this Robert’s shirt?

DONNY
: What?

DEL
: That I’m wearing.

DONNY
: In the photo …

DEL
: Yes …

DONNY
: … I … (
Pause
.)

DEL
: Do you see my problem? (
Pause
.)

DONNY
: Alright.

DEL
: Because I remember neither the occasion nor the photograph.

DONNY
: … Do you have his
shirt
on …

DEL
: Yes.

DONNY
: Why
would
you?

DEL
: Well, that’s what I’m saying.

DONNY
: Can you make the pattern out?

DEL
: He’s asleep.

DONNY
:
Finally
. (
Pause
.) He thought that he tore the blanket.

DEL
: I believe that this Trip has a “meaning” for him.

DONNY
: Del, he’s always had this problem.

DEL
: No, I’ve had a “clue.”

DONNY
: No, you’re ten years too late. You know, Robert always said: we disagreed about it. From the first. And his theory was “let the child cry.”

DEL
: … let him cry …

DONNY
: To teach him to …

DEL
: No, this trip …

DONNY
: Del, He Always Has a Reason …

DEL
: He’s a sensitive kid …?

DONNY
: … whatever that means.

DEL
: I think it means … Well, in
this
case he
told
me, in effect.

DONNY
: … yes?

DEL
: In
this
case it means he’s
jealous
.

DONNY
: Jealous.

DEL
: Of my trip. Last week with Robert.

DONNY
: He was jealous?

DEL
: That’s right.

DONNY
: But why does that come out
now?

And I’ll tell you one other thing.

Let
him be jealous. What if he was? Yes. I think he needs to spend more time with his father; and, yes, I think that he has to learn the world does not revolve around him. (
Pause
.)

Oh, Lord. I’ll tell you. No. You’re right. It’s guilt. It’s guilt. I’m guilty. I get to spend one weekend on my own. And I’m consumed with guilt.

DEL
(
of photo
): Who took this picture? (
Pause
.
DONNY
looks at it
.)

DONNY
: I don’t know.

DEL
: Eh? Who could have taken it?

DONNY
: Huh. (
Pause
.) I don’t …

DEL
: Do you see? If we’re all in it? (
Pause
.)
That’s why I don’t remember it.

DONNY
: I … (
Pause
.) Isn’t that funny …?

DEL
: That’s why I don’t remember it. (
Pause
.) I knew there was a reason. (
Pause
.)

DONNY
: Lord, I found so much
stuff
up there.

DEL
: … up …?

DONNY
: In the attic. The
stadium
blanket, the

DEL
: I recognized that.

DONNY
: The blanket. Well I hope so.

DEL
: How could he think he tore it?

DONNY
: … I …

DEL
: He’d seen it for years.

DONNY
: … so long ago …

DEL
: Isn’t it …? (
Pause
.)

Do you know, at the Hotel. I collect things. I’m amazed. I clean my room out. Every few months. I’m
amazed. I always think I’ve kept it
bare
. But when I clean it out. I find this mass of
things
I have accumulated.

DONNY
: They, what are they, mostly?

DEL
: Papers. (
Pause
.)

DONNY
: I went to the Point.

DEL
: You did?

DONNY
: I walked down there. Yes.

DEL
: Recently?

DONNY
: Yes. (
Pause
.)

And I remembered. When the Three of us would go. Late at night. Before the war.

DEL
: I remember.

DONNY
: And
Robert
and I. Would make love under a blanket. And I wondered. After all this time, why it never occurred to me. I don’t know. But I wondered. Did you
hear
us; and, if you did. If it upset you. (
Pause
.)

DEL
: And you’ve thought about it all this time.

DONNY
: That’s right.

DEL
: Oh, Donny.

DONNY
: Did it upset you?

DEL
: Aren’t you sweet … aren’t you sweet to worry.

DONNY
: Did it?

DEL
: Well. I …

JOHN
(
waking
): What did they say? What?

DONNY
: Go to sleep, John.

JOHN
: I was going there. But you said to bring the, bring … (
Pause
.) Bring them the … (
Pause
.)

DONNY
: John:

JOHN
: … huh …

DONNY
: It’s alright.

JOHN
: What did they talk about?

DONNY
: John …

JOHN
: I don’t like it. I don’t like it. No.

DONNY
: John …

JOHN
: I … What? No. No. I don’t want to. (
Pause
.) Is my father back yet?

DONNY
: No. Why don’t you go and get in bed …

JOHN
: When is he coming back?

DONNY
: Very soon, I think.

JOHN
: He is?

DONNY
: Yes. Is that alright?

JOHN
(
of photograph
): You asked if the shirt you’re wearing is his shirt.

DEL
: What?

JOHN
: … in the photograph.

DEL
: Is that His Shirt.

JOHN
: You asked that.

DEL
: Yes.

JOHN
: Well, does it
look
like his shirt?

DEL
: It’s hard to tell. The picture is old …

JOHN
(
to
DONNY
): I didn’t tear the blanket?

DONNY
: No.

JOHN
: You’re certain.

DONNY
: We’ve had it for years.

JOHN
: I don’t remember it.

DONNY
: Yes. You would. If you thought about it.

JOHN
: What was it?

DONNY
: What? Go to sleep.

JOHN
: What did you use it for?

DONNY
: What did I use it for?
A coverlet.