by Jane Bowles
MRS. CONSTABLE Answer? Who said anything about answers? I don’t want any answers. It’s too late for answers. Not that I ever asked much anyway. (Angrily) I never cared for answers. You can take your answers and flush them down the toilet. I want to be able to stay here. Right here where I am, and never, never leave this garden. Why don’t you have a drink, or one of these lousy hot dogs? (She brushes a few hot dogs off the stand, onto the grass. MOLLY stoops down and picks them up) Let’s stay here, Gertrude Eastman Cuevas, please.
GERTRUDE You’re being silly, Mrs. Constable. I know you’re upset, but still you realize that I’ve sold the house and that Molly and I are going on honeymoons.
MRS. CONSTABLE (Vaguely) What about Mrs. Lopez?
GERTRUDE Well, now, I guess she has her own affairs to attend to, and Frederica. Mrs. Constable, I think a sanatorium would be the best solution for you until you are ready to face the world again.
MRS. CONSTABLE (Thickly) What world?
GERTRUDE Come now, Mrs. Constable, you know what I mean.
MRS. CONSTABLE I know you’re trying to be a bitch!
GERTRUDE Mrs. Constable … I … (She turns to MOLLY who has come to her side) Molly, go inside. At once … (MOLLY runs into the house) Mrs. Constable, you ought to be ashamed. I won’t tolerate such …
MRS. CONSTABLE You have no understanding or feeling. Mrs. Lopez is much nicer than you are. You’re very coarse. I know that even if I do hate to read. You’re coarse, coarse and selfish. Two awful things to be. But I’m stuck here anyway so what difference does it make?
GERTRUDE (Refusing to listen to any more of her rambling) Mrs. Constable, I’m surprised at you. I’m going in. I won’t put up with this. What would Vivian think …
MRS. CONSTABLE Vivian was a bird. How do you know anything about birds? Vivian understood everything I did. Vivian loved me even if she did answer back and act snippy in company. She was much too delicate to show her true feelings all over the place like you do and like I do.
GERTRUDE (Crossing to MRS. CONSTABLE) I’ve never in my life shown my feelings. I don’t know what you’re talking about!
MRS. CONSTABLE (Reeling about at the wedding table) I don’t know what I’m talking about … (She grabs a bottle of champagne and offers it to GERTRUDE) Have another drink, Miss Eastman Cuevas.
GERTRUDE (In disgust grabs the bottle from her and puts it on the table) I don’t like to drink!
MRS. CONSTABLE Then have a hot dog. (She drops it at GERTRUDE’S feet. GERTRUDE starts toward the house. MRS. CONSTABLE stops her) You and I grew up believing this kind of thing would never happen to us or to any of ours.
GERTRUDE What?
MRS. CONSTABLE We were kept far away from tragedy, weren’t we?
GERTRUDE No, Mrs. Constable. None of us have been kept from it.
MRS. CONSTABLE Yes, well, now it’s close to me, because Vivian hopped off a cliff—just like a cricket.
GERTRUDE Life is tragic, Mrs. Constable.
MRS. CONSTABLE I don’t want tragic.
GERTRUDE (Can’t put up with it any more) Why don’t you lie down on the grass and rest? It’s dry. (GERTRUDE starts toward the door of the house. MRS. CONSTABLE takes the suggestion and falls in a heap behind the stump under the balcony of the house) Take your veil off. You’ll roast! (MRS. CONSTABLE complies and GERTRUDE goes into the house. The two old hags appear from behind the wedding table and start to take some hot dogs. They are stopped by MOLLY coming out of the house. MOLLY looks for a moment at the garden and then runs into her summer house. A moment later GERTRUDE calls to the garden from the balcony) Molly? Molly, are you in the summer house?
MOLLY Yes, I am.
GERTRUDE They’re getting ready. After we’ve left if Mrs. Constable is still asleep, will you and Lionel carry her inside and put her to bed in my room? Tomorrow when you leave for the Lobster Bowl you can take her along and drop her off at her hotel. Poor thing. Be sure and clean up this mess in the morning. I have a list of things here I want you to attend to. I’ll leave it on the table downstairs. Mr. Solares and I will be leaving soon.
MOLLY No!
GERTRUDE Yes.
MOLLY Please don’t go away.
GERTRUDE Now, Molly, what kind of nonsense is this? You know we’re leaving, what’s the matter with you?
MOLLY No, I won’t let you go!
GERTRUDE Please, Molly, no mysteries. It’s very hard getting everyone started and I’m worn out. And I can’t find my pocketbook. I think I left it in the garden. I’m coming down to look. (GERTRUDE leaves the balcony to come downstairs. MOLLY comes out of the summer house and stands waiting with a small bunch of honeysuckle in her hands. GERTRUDE comes out of the house and crosses to the wedding table. She looks at MOLLY and sees her crying and goes to her) What on earth is wrong, Molly? Why are you crying? Are you nervous? You’ve been so contented all day, stuffing yourself right along with the others. What has happened now?
MOLLY I didn’t picture it.
GERTRUDE Picture what?
MOLLY What it would be like when the time came. Your leaving …
GERTRUDE Why not?
MOLLY I don’t know. I don’t know … I couldn’t picture it, I guess. I thought so long as we were here we’d go right on being here. So I just ate right along with the others like you say.
GERTRUDE Well, it sounds like nonsense to me. Don’t be a crybaby, and wipe your tears.
(GERTRUDE starts toward the table when she is stopped by MOLLY who puts the flowers in her hands.)
MOLLY Stay!
GERTRUDE Molly. Put them back. They belong on your wedding dress.
MOLLY No, they’re from the vine. I picked them for you!
GERTRUDE They’re for your wedding. They belong to your dress. Here, put them back …
MOLLY No … No … They’re for you … They’re flowers for you! (GERTRUDE does not know what to make of this strange and sudden love and moves across the garden) I love you. I love you. Don’t leave me. I love you. Don’t go away!
GERTRUDE (Shocked and white) Molly, stop. You can’t go on like this!
MOLLY I love you. You can’t go!
GERTRUDE I didn’t think you cared this much. If you really feel this way, why have you tormented me so …
MOLLY I never have. I never have.
GERTRUDE You have. You have in a thousand different ways. What about the summer house?
MOLLY Don’t leave me!
GERTRUDE And the vine?
MOLLY I love you!
GERTRUDE What about the vine, and the ocean, what about that? If you care this much why have you tormented me so about the water … when you knew how ashamed I was … Crazy, unnatural fear … Why didn’t you try to overcome it, if you love me so much? Answer that!
(MOLLY, in a frenzy of despair, starts clawing at her dress, pulling it open.)
MOLLY I will. I will. I’ll overcome it. I’m sorry. I’ll go in the water right away. I’m going now. I’m going …
(MOLLY rips off her veil and throws it on the wedding table and makes a break for the gate to the ocean. GERTRUDE in horror grabs MOLLY’S arm and drags her back into the garden.)
GERTRUDE Stop it! Come back here at once. Are you insane? Button your dress. They’ll see you … they’ll find you this way and think you’re insane …
MOLLY I was going in the water …
GERTRUDE Button your dress. Are you insane! This is what I meant. I’ve always known it was there, this violence. I’ve told you again and again that I was frightened. I wasn’t sure what I meant … I didn’t want to be sure. But I was right, there’s something heavy and dangerous inside you, like some terrible rock that’s ready to explode … And it’s been getting worse all the time. I can’t bear it any more. I’ve got to get away, out of this garden. That’s why I married. That’s why I’m going away. I’m frightened of staying here with you any more. I can’t breathe. Even on bright days the garden seems like a dark place without any air. I’m stifling!
(GERTRUDE pas
ses below the balcony on her way to the front door, MRS. LOPEZ tilts a vessel containing rice and pours it on GERTRUDE’S head.)
MRS. LOPEZ That’s for you, bride number one! Plenty more when you go in the car with Solares. Ha ha! Frederica, ándele, ¡tú también!
(FREDERICA, terribly embarrassed, tosses a little rice onto GERTRUDE and starts to giggle.)
GERTRUDE (Very agitated, ill-humoredly flicking rice from her shoulders) Oh, really! Where is Mr. Solares? Is he ready?
MRS. LOPEZ My brother is coming right away. Where is bride number two?
GERTRUDE (Looking around for MOLLY who is back in the summer house) She’s gone back into the summer house.
(She goes out.)
MRS. LOPEZ I got rice for her too! (Calling down to the servants who are still lying with their heads under the food stand) ¡Quinta! ¡Altagracia! ¡Esperanza! ¡Despiértense!
(The servants wake up and come crawling out from under the food stand.)
ESPERANZA (Scowling) ¡Caray!
(She takes an enormous comb out of her pocket and starts running it through her matted hair. There is a sound of a horn right after ESPERANZA begins to comb her hair.)
FREDERICA (Beside herself with excitement) It’s Lionel back with the automobile, mama! It must be time. Tell the musicians to start playing!
MRS. LOPEZ Yes, querida. ¡Música! (She kisses her daughter effusively and they both exit from the balcony into the house talking and laughing. LIONEL enters from the lane, hurries across the lawn and into the house, just as FREDERICA and MRS. LOPEZ enter through the front door onto the lawn. MRS. LOPEZ calling to the servants) Cuando salga la señora Eastman Cuevas de la casa, empezarán a cantar. (She sings a few bars herself counting the time with a swinging finger and facing the servants, who rise and line up in a row. Calling to MOLLY) Bride number two! Bride number two! Molly!
(She takes a few steps toward the summer house and throws some rice at it. The rice gets stuck in the vines instead of reaching MOLLY inside. After a few more failures, she goes around to the front of the summer house and, standing at the entrance, she hurls handful after handful at MOLLY. Enter from the house LIONEL, and MR. SOLARES. The men are carrying grips. MRS. CONSTABLE is still stretched out in a corner where she won’t interfere with the procession. Some very naive music starts back stage (sounding, if possible, like a Taxco band), as they proceed across the lawn; then the maids begin to sing. While this happens MRS. LOPEZ gradually ceases to throw her rice and then disappears in the summer house where she takes the weeping MOLLY into her arms.)
LIONEL Where’s Molly?
MRS. LOPEZ (Over the music, from inside the summer house) She don’t feel good. She’s crying in here. I cried too when I had my wedding. Many young girls do. I didn’t want to leave my house neither.
(She steps out of the summer house.)
LIONEL (Calling) I’ll be back, Molly, as soon as I load these bags.
(Enter GERTRUDE as MRS. LOPEZ comes out of the summer house. The music swells and the singing is louder. GERTRUDE walks rapidly through the garden in a shower of rice and rose petals. MOLLY comes out of the summer house and GERTRUDE stops. They confront each other for a second without speaking. GERTRUDE continues on her way. MOLLY goes back into the summer house.)
GERTRUDE (From the road, calling over the music) Goodbye, Molly!
(The wedding party files out, singing, MRS. LOPEZ bringing up the rear. She throws a final handful of rice at the summer house, but it does not reach. They exit. MOLLY is left alone on the stage. The music gradually fades.)
LIONEL (Returning and coming into the garden) Molly! (There is no answer. He walks around to the front of the summer house and looks in) Molly, I’m sorry you feel bad. (Pause) Why don’t you come out? There’s a very pretty sunset. (He reaches in and pulls her out by the hands. He puts his arm around her shoulder and leads her toward the house) We can go upstairs on the balcony and look at the sunset.
(They disappear into the house and reappear on the balcony, where they go to the balustrade and lean over it.)
MOLLY (Staring down into the garden, in a very small voice) It looks different.
LIONEL (After gazing off into the distance very thoughtfully for a minute) I’ve always liked it when something that I’ve looked at every day suddenly seems strange and unfamiliar. Maybe not always, but when I was home I used to like looking out my window after certain storms that left a special kind of light in the sky.
MOLLY (In a whisper) It looks different …
LIONEL A very brilliant light that illuminated only the most distant places, the places nearest to the horizon. Then I could see little round hills, and clumps of trees, and pastures that I didn’t remember ever seeing before, very, very close to the sky. It always gave me a lift, as if everything might change around me but in a wonderful way that I wouldn’t have guessed was possible. Do you understand what I mean?
(MOLLY shakes her head, negatively. He looks at her for a moment, a little sadly.)
MOLLY (Anguished, turning away from him) I don’t know. I don’t know. It looks so different …
Curtain
Act Two
Scene i
The Lobster Bowl, ten months later.
Just before dawn. The oyster-shell door is open and the sound of waves breaking will continue throughout this scene. MOLLY and LIONEL are playing cards at one of the tables, Russian Bank or its equivalent. They are sitting in a circle of light. The rest of the stage is in darkness. MRS. CONSTABLE is lying on a bench but can’t be seen.
MOLLY You just put a king on top of another king.
LIONEL I was looking for an ace.
MOLLY (Smilingly) It’s right here, silly, under your nose.
LIONEL It’s almost morning.
MOLLY (Wistful) Can’t we play one more game after this?
LIONEL All right.
(They play for a while in silence, then LIONEL stops again.)
MOLLY What is it?
LIONEL Nothing.
MOLLY I don’t think you want to play at all. You’re thinking about something else.
LIONEL I had a letter from my brother … again.
MOLLY (Tense) The one who’s still in St. Louis?
LIONEL That’s right, the popular one, the one who’d like us to come back there.
MOLLY He’s big and tall.
LIONEL Yes, he’s big and tall, like most boys in this country. I’ve been thinking a lot about St. Louis, Molly …
MOLLY Inez says we’ve got bigger men here than they have in Europe.
LIONEL Well, Swedes are big and so are Yugoslavians …
MOLLY But the French people are little.
LIONEL Well, yes, but they’re not as little as all that. They’re not midgets. And they’re not the way people used to picture them years ago, silly and carefree and saying Oo … la … la … all the time.
MOLLY They’re not saying Oo … la … la?
LIONEL I don’t know really, I’ve never been there. (Dreaming, neglecting his cards) Molly, when you close your eyes and picture the world do you see it dark? (MOLLY doesn’t answer right away) Do you, Molly? Do you see the world dark behind your eyes?
MOLLY I … I don’t know … I see parts of it dark.
LIONEL Like what?
MOLLY Like woods … like pine-tree woods.
LIONEL I see it dark, but beautiful like the ocean is right now. And like I saw it once when I was a child … just before a total eclipse. Did you ever see a total eclipse?
MOLLY I never saw any kind of eclipse.
LIONEL I saw one with my brother. There was a shadow over the whole earth. I was afraid then, but it stayed in my memory like something that was beautiful. It made me afraid but I knew it was beautiful.
MOLLY It’s my game.
(They start shuffling.)
LIONEL (Tentative) Did you ever worry about running far away from sad things when you were young, and then later getting older and not being able to find your way back to them ever again, even wh
en you wanted to?
MOLLY You would never want to find your way back to sad things.
LIONEL But you might have lost wonderful things too, mixed in with the sad ones. Suppose in a few years I wanted to remember the way the world looked that day, the day of the eclipse when I saw the shadow.
MOLLY (Stops dealing her cards out very slowly, steeped in a dream) She had a shadow.
LIONEL And suppose I couldn’t remember it. What Molly?
MOLLY She had a shadow.
LIONEL Who?
MOLLY My mother.
LIONEL Oh …
(He deals his cards out more rapidly, becoming deeply absorbed in his game.)
MOLLY It used to come and pass over her whole life and make it dark. It didn’t come very often, but when it did she used to go downstairs and drink fizzy water. Once I went down I was twelve years old. I waited until she was asleep and I sneaked down into the kitchen very quietly. Then I switched the light on and I opened the ice chest and I took out a bottle of fizzy water just like she did. Then I went over to the table and I sat down.
LIONEL (Without looking up from his cards) And then …
MOLLY I drank a little water, but I couldn’t drink any more. The water was so icy cold. I was going to drink a whole bottleful like she did, but nothing … really nothing turned out like I thought it would. (LIONEL mixes all his cards up together in a sudden gesture. MOLLY comes out of her dream) Why are you messing up the cards? We haven’t begun our game … (LIONEL doesn’t answer) What’s the matter?
LIONEL Nothing.
MOLLY But you’ve messed up the cards.
LIONEL I was trying to tell you something … It meant a lot to me … I wanted you to listen.
MOLLY I was listening.
LIONEL You told me about fizzy water … and your mother. (MOLLY automatically passing her hand over her own cards and messing them up) I wanted you to listen. I don’t want you to half hear me any more. I used to like it but …
MOLLY (Pathetic, bewildered) I listen to you. We had a nice time yesterday … when … when we were digging for clams.
LIONEL (Looking back at her unable to be angry, now with compassion) Yes, Molly, we did. We had a very good time … yesterday. I like digging for clams … (They hold, looking at each other for a moment) I’m going upstairs. I’m tired. I’m going to bed.