Diane Lefer Hesitation

Transcription

1 Diane Lefer Hesitation CHARACTERS:, immature teenage girl, in love with, in her 40 s, Louise s husband in his 40 s, Louise s older (alcoholic) brother, M or F, over 21 TIME AND PLACE: The recent past. An East Texas roadhouse--actually, the kind of place that gets around the dry laws by calling itself a Club. THE SET: A table with four chairs, more or less center. A bar with one or two stools, upstage left or right.

2 Hesitation/ 1 LIGHTS UP on:,, seated at the table. The adults are drinking long neck beers. has a Coke in a glass or can, with a straw. There s a bowl of pretzels from which snacks. s back is to the dimly lit bar where is seated and the is pouring a shot. turns around to look at. She turns and looks again. She waggles her fingers tentatively in his direction but he is not looking her way. She is bubbling over with excitement. is concerned, disapproving, shaking her head or touching s arm. Hon, you should go home. Skinner ll get me home. Driving drunk? ( finds coins in her purse and tries to give these to ) You need to phone your Mama. She ll come. Skinner is-- Just about perfect, from head to toe. Look at that good broad back. And I just love his feet. You ever check his shoes? Eleven Triple E. Eleven Triple E. (amused) Now that s a foot for a man to stand on. (beat) Guess what Skinner killed today! A buck. Wrong! Guess!

3 Hesitation/ 2 Skinner shouldn t be trusted with firearms. Or with little girls. That s what happens in an unhappy marriage makes a man go to seed. Where d you hear that? My Mama. Does she know you re runnin around with a grown man? Ma am, she You re out with my brother, you can call me Louise. Mama says he used to be so clean and neat. Handsomest man in town. Would never give her a second glance. Mama would ve made him a better wife than Linda! (to ) Guess! A coyote. No! Guess! A squirrel. A coon. No! Guess!

4 Hesitation/ 3 If it s a possum, I hope you know how to cook it. No! Cause I won t. A rattlesnake. shakes her head. Why don t you just tell us, hon. I m not gonna tell on him. He got something you re not supposed to kill. A doe. Nope. A man. Are you kidding? And Luther Turner s gonna mount it. He and Skinner were best friends from boys. He s the best taxidermist there is and he won t tell. You ll see it after he fixes it up. When do you think your friend Skinner s going to join us? Hamp, you know he likes to get a head start. Honey, he s a drinker and you re a child.

5 Hesitation/ 4 Guess! It s something special. Protected. Obviously not protected enough. A bald eagle. puts a hand on s arm. Just tell us. That s a nice ring. I bought if off the TV. Don t let anyone tell you you can t get quality and price. Come on, Hamp. You re getting close. Guess! LIGHTS FADE to dim on the table and LIGHTS UP on bar. Not that it s my business, but that s a dangerous thing you re doing. Now you re talking like Linda. Send me to that Betty Ford? I m talking about the girl. She s a child. I know it. Her Mama know she s running around with you? Just friends.

6 Hesitation/ 5 Her Mama dumb enough to trust you? I don t trust me. Look, she s good for me. I got to be careful when I m around her. That s something new for you, Skinner. That girl may be my salvation. points to his glass and the pours again. You ever seen a white crow? They were sacred to the Indians. Now why do you think that is? I wouldn t know about that, though my grandmother was part Cherokee. So was everyone s. You think just because it s different? I wouldn t know. I can t figure it. Crow s a carrion eater. Being white I guess transforms it. But into what? Into something pure? Or the opposite? Evil in disguise. I suppose it s got some kind of medicine in it. I wonder it might could stand for life renewed. Still you can t help but consider it might mean death, being white as it is like a ghost. It s a mystery, that s for sure.

7 Hesitation/ 6 Makes you stop. Hesitate. Makes you think. One thing I know for certain, that little girl s been waiting on you least an hour. LIGHTS FADE on bar and LIGHTS UP on table. Guess! Guess what Skinner killed! Guess! Linda. That is not funny. BLACKOUT. (to ) It s OK. You didn t trouble me. As stands and approaches table, sits frozen, eyes wide. Ooooh! I feel his steps. Eleven Triple E. Right up through the four legs of my chair. You feel it? (beat) What s he waiting for? LIGHTS FADE except for a SPECIAL on who has stopped his approach and who slowly stands, turns and looks at him. Everyone else vanishes in the dark as and look at each other but neither makes a move to the other. We hear their amplified breathing. Then: END OF PLAY.