America Finding Her Way

by Karen Sunde

what did she say? The woman. Gaia.

  Jen: Doesn't anybody else remember she said "third ballot?" And then Dad got it, on the third ballot.

  Alan: She was raving.

  Jen: I still heard it. You ought to go after her. She said Jamy would fall!

  Alan: What!

  Jen: When you told her to leave him alone, she said he would fall. I'll bet she pushed him. Go after her.

  Alan: Cops have been looking all night. (Looks at his watch, gets up) I'll check with them.

  Kate: Did you hear her say that?

  Alan: No, I didn't.

  Jen: I can't help it I'm the only one who listens.

  Kate: I remember she touched me. Then I was dizzy.

  Jen: She said it, and she did it. The whole thing is frigging weird.

  Alan: (To Kate) Do you want anything?

  Kate. No. Why don't you have breakfast?

  (Alan exits. Jen stands looking at Jamy)

  Jen: He sure looks small. (Pause) Remember that surprise party the two of us planned? We cut out decoration streamers. You came in the door, and he jumped out with the springy hat? I held everybody back so he could surprise you first, remember? (Beat) It was your tenth wedding anniversary.

  Kate: (Head back, all but asleep) Uhuh.

  Jen: Yeah, sure, we all remember. (Beat) Why's the cowboy here?

  Kate: That cowboy got a name, Jen?

  Jen: Naw, we'd just play cowboys and Indians. But that's a long time ago.

  Kate: What about animals? I got a whole crowd of animals, filled the screen. ...four-leg’d brothers?

  Jen: What?

  Kate: (Embarrassed) Your Dad said Gaia called him a two-leg’d.

  Jen: No, but look here. (From pocket, pulls out a white stone)

  Kate: (Taking it to look) The stone Jamy wanted to show us? Did you find out...

  Jen: Yup, got it analyzed. It’s just a stone.

  Kate: Maybe the question isn’t "what is it" but "what does it mean."

  Jen: Well, it’s too old to be from the excavation, and it’s limestone.

  Kate: Limestone?

  Jen: Yup. From the bottom of the sea.

  Kate: (Transfixed, looking at stone) What sea? (Overcome by exhaustion, lies back)

  Jen: (Watching her) Gramma called.

  Kate: Did she know about Jamy?

  Jen: No. I suppose anybody that heard figured they shouldn't tell her.

  Kate: Fine. It may give us a day.

  Jen: But she'd seen the paper.

  Kate: Oh god, the development kickback piece.

  Jen: Yeah. She wanted me to get a certain box out of the attic. She said it was "time" for it.

  Kate: What?

  Jen: I'm worried – if I find it – whether this is the time, the way they've been fighting.

  Kate: If she wants to hit back, I don't know what more she could do.

  Jen: Probably won't find it anyway.

  Kate: (Close to sleep) If she said it's there, it's there. Mimi never lost anything she wanted. (Pause) What did she say about it?

  Jen: Nothing. Except it's labeled "Wakanda."

  Kate: Wakanda?

  (The scrim is filling with streaked color – layers of land, or sunset)

  Jen: Yes, do you know...?

  Kate: (Falling asleep) No, just...thought I remembered something.

  Jen: (Suddenly murmurs) "It was given to all - creatures two-leg'd and four."

  Kate: What...?

  (But Kate’s asleep, and her dream of Gaia becomes visible on the scrim amid the colors, while Jen speaks to Jamy, gently, sharing with her little brother the answer “two-leg’d” reminds her of, which pleases her– )

  Jen: Land. The earth. Creatures two-leg'd and four. Four-leg'd brothers are animals. They're brothers of man – even birds, fish, insects, plants, trees – and he has to share the land with them.

  (While Jen speaks, Gaia, as an early American Indian, walks out of the sea; she extends her hand, and Jamy runs up to take it, and leads her back into the sea. As they’re disappearing– )

  Jen: Mom, do you think...could Gaia be an Indian?

  Kate: (Waking as images disappear) No! Stop.

  Jen: (Startled) Mom...? Were you asleep?

  Kate: Yes, I…it was a dream, with Jamy and...

  Jen: We should hook you up. What’d you see?

  (Alan’s in doorway with a coffee for Kate)

  Kate: Nothing.

  Alan: Nothing?

  Kate: No. I just...lost a minute there.

  Jen: Well, Jamy’s the same, but watch Mom. She’s crossing over. I'm off downtown.

  Alan: No Jen. Go home to bed. Somebody's got to, or we won't have a coherent member standing. Mr Klinghorn can cover the late edition. I'll get down there soon.

  Jen: Sure Dad. (She leaves)

  Kate: (Taking the coffee) Will she go home to bed?

  Alan: Maybe. (Beat) Remember worrying they'd turn out a useless generation?

  Kate: It isn't over, is it.

  Alan: What?

  Kate: The candidacy.

  Alan: Apparently not.

  Kate: What will you do?

  Alan: (Short laugh) Ask Jamy. He has "sight."

  Kate: (Concluding) You want it.

  Alan: Of course I'm flattered.

  Kate: You want it, all of it. Even in spite... Even with Jamy lying here.

  Alan: How can you say that?

  Kate: Because I know! You're excited.

  Alan: All right I am! (Beat) Even if it’s no more than a fantasy. When I picture – even for a second – that I could get into a position to actually change things...

  Kate: (Softening, sighs) Like the wage–gap?

  Alan: …if only a little, if only over terrible odds, to be able to do things that could make a difference in people’s lives, make a difference in what we believe about ourselves, what’s possible...

  Kate: To start over. You’d be redeemed.

  Alan: I think I’d finally feel…right. Fulfilled. As though I’d done what I was meant to do.

  Kate: (Means it) Then don’t let me hold you back.

  (A faint shadow is forming on the scrim)

  Alan: (Mistaking Kate’s meaning) How could you? You're nowhere near me.

  Kate: Alan, I didn’t…

  (But Alan is on his feet, watching the scrim change. Kate is instantly at the control board. The image is scattered, has movement)

  Alan: (Stunned, watching) It's Jamy that held me. He wants something.

  Mike: (In the door) It's so cold.

  (Startled to hear him, Alan and Kate glance toward Mike, who's staring at the scrim, which is now white, snowing)

  Mike: Is Jamy...?

  Kate: No, he's not cold.

  Mike: There's someone carrying someone – look!

  (A silhouette of a boy carrying a small girl is forming in the snow)

  Kate: (Excited) Amay-jabul.

  Alan: What? Why...

  Kate: (Then into the microphone) You are Jamy Alan. Jamy Alan. (The silhouette fades) He's slipping back. We can't push. (Limp) At least they were people this time.

  (All three stand staring, drained. Mike upset, deeply moved)

  Mike: (Softly) Amay-jabul?

  Alan: That's what Jamy called himself.

  Mike: He's speaking?

  Alan: Not now.

  Kate: (Still standing motionless) You think Jen's downtown?

  Alan: Yes, if I know her.

  Kate: Call. Ask her to do a computer search of your records for Amay-jabul. Assume it's a name.

  Alan: Yes. Good. (Goes to phone)

  Mike: (Putting hands on Kate's shoulders) Tell me.

  Kate: (At his touch, sighs, relaxes) There's nothing – no apparent injury. His consciousness just shut itself off. It happens. If...these cycles resemble sleep, we may
be able to wake him at the edge of an imaging period.

  Mike: You mean, a dream?

  Kate: (Collapsing, exhausted, into chair) Yes.

  Mike: Yes. (Pause. Moved, quiet, a release) Last night I...I've never felt anything so strong. Something...grabbed me by the gut and pulled. I had no choice. I could hear him calling me, crying in my brain all the time I raced after him.

  Kate: Then it isn't only mothers.

  Mike: What?

  Kate: (Lightly) I'm chasing him now – no matter where, even if I lose myself. Maybe you have to give birth again, re-create your child, whenever he's in danger. Maybe it's the price of life.

  Mike: You told me the price was patience.

  Kate: What?

  Mike: That children forced you to learn patience, like it or not.

  Kate: When did I say that?

  Mike: When Jen was seven weeks old.

  Kate: Oh.

  Mike: You didn't tell me how they expose your under-belly.

  Kate: (Putting him off, exhausted) Mike...

  Mike: Because once you've given life, and have the care of it, you know...at any moment you could lose it.

  (With a half-cry, Kate weeps. Mike holds her; strong feeling between them. Alan returns, watches. Mike sees Alan, does not break from Kate)

  Mike: But Jamy's your way back to life.

  Kate: I didn't stop living, Mike.

  Mike: You did. You have.

  Kate: I just went someplace I could count on.

  Mike: A screen, where there's no right or wrong?

  Kate: Because I don’t…

  Mike: ...because you couldn't take fighting for this country and losing.

  Kate: I just don't care anymore. I raise my children, that’s it.

  Mike: Then why does Jamy care if people are freezing?

  Kate: I don't know.

  Mike: Because he's seen it? Because he knows one? Funny about children. How you can't control them. Jamy's a litmus test – he's soaked up all you deny, distilled it in his soul, and now he’s forcing you to care – because it is his life.

  (Kate stares at Mike. Alan moves in; puts his hand on Mike)

  Alan: I went to the edge where Jamy fell, Mike, and I can't figure it – how could you get up again?

  Mike: You know I’m at home in the dump.

  Alan: I can imagine sliding down, but it's a sheer drop. How did you climb out? And with Jamy?

  Mike: I don't remember doing it. I knew I had to get down to him, and I knew I had to bring him up. I remember lifting him in my arms. But that's all I remember. (Pause) He did speak?

  Kate: Just once on the way in. He said he was Amay-jabul.

  Mike: Sometimes they get amnesia, don't they?

  Kate: They forget things, yes, but...

  Mike: I knew a guy played a whole football game, got knocked down in the third, and next day they said he'd been unconscious the last quarter. Took a shower, went home, ate a steak – unconscious. Next day we were afraid they'd subtract the score he made.

  Kate: It can happen. (Pause) Jen told us about the nomination.

  Mike: Yeah. Guess we'll do pretty well. Long as we make Alan stay home. (Beat) He's all right, though, Jamy? You did lots of tests?

  Kate: Yes.

  Mike: He's just...not waking up? (Beat) Do you know what he'd been doing? I mean, with that old woman?

  Alan: No. They haven't found her.

  Mike: What about friends? Did...does he have many?

  Kate: What's wrong, Mike?

  Mike: Well, there's something I... Last night, when I got there, to the banquet, I announced your absence, the accident, so forth. And everything went ahead. But then at the end, on my way out, someone... I wouldn't bring it up, but it could help, it could matter to...

  Alan: For god's sake, Mike.

  Mike: It's drugs. This person pushed a note into my hand. It says Jamy...was getting drugs at the Project.

  (Kate stares, sits frozen)

  Alan: Who was it? Who would say that?

  Mike: I don't know. My attention went to the note. When I looked up, the entrance was jammed. I just don't know.

  Alan: Why? It's so cruel. Ugly.

  Mike: The "why" is easy. It's bribe bait. There's a number to call. They want money.

  Alan: (Glancing at Kate, who's unreachable) So it starts. What's the threat?

  Mike: Publication.

  Alan: Publication?

  Mike: It says they'll spread it to the other papers that Jamy...

  Alan: Let them.

  Kate: (Low) ...that Jamy Alan Marshall, son of candidate Alan Jacob Marsh...

  Alan: Kate.

  Kate: (Harsh) Pay it.

  Alan: Honey, don't...

  Kate: Pay it! I want out. Let them have it. Let them leave us alone, leave Jamy alone. I want out!

  Alan: I can't. And it wouldn't end.

  Mike: He's right, Kate. And it isn't the point.

  Kate: And what is? That a payoff would be bad for