by Ben Musgrave
Pause.
Let him come, Derek.
If this is what he must do, let him do it.
I’m not afraid of him.
I know what I am.
You can’t hurt me any more.
Pause.
I’m feeling strong.
There’s no shame in me.
PETER
No?
LYDIA
She’s coming for me.
PETER
Fairytales.
LYDIA
Any minute now, she’ll come.
Pause.
The sound of a car approaching. PETER goes to look.
VINCENT
It’s an old Morris!
And now the headlights swing into view, moving across them, illuminating them.
It’s an old Morris Minor Traveller, with a wooden frame.
DEREK
A Morris Minor Traveller!
The car stops. The door opens. The headlights remain, casting an extraordinary light on them all.
The OLD LADY enters.
They stare at her.
PETER
Who the fuck are you?
OLD LADY
You know who I am.
Pause.
It’s over now, Peter.
Put down your blade.
Pause.
It’s over.
Pause.
PETER
No, it’s not.
Pause. The OLD LADY pulls out a gun.
OLD LADY
I was with him
At the end… Peter.
He forgave you.
He understood.
There was no fear in him.
He wanted to talk to you.
He’d tried to call so many times.
And try to explain to you who he really was.
PETER
I was away.
OLD LADY
He didn’t betray you – he was always himself.
Beat. PETER winds himself up with this.
I saw him die, Peter.
PETER
Where was it?
OLD LADY
At home.
PETER
I chucked him out of home!
OLD LADY
Nonetheless.
PETER winds himself up about this.
PETER charges at the OLD LADY, but she shoots in the air. A warning shot.
PETER stops.
Let us be, Peter.
The things that happened happened.
We’ve had enough, now.
Pause.
It’s time.
All of us.
PETER
(Of LYDIA.) Where are you taking her?
OLD LADY
I’m taking her home.
(To PETER.) Maybe it’s time for you, too.
Pause.
It’s over now. Go back home.
Get out of the district.
If we see you again here we’ll shoot you.
You’ll be dead in a rockpool, do you understand?
The sea will take you.
Go back home.
Pause. PETER nods. He stumbles off.
The OLD LADY turns to VINCENT.
(To VINCENT.) Time for you, too.
When you wake up tomorrow you can start again.
We’re going to need you, in the time to come.
Derek’s going to need you.
Pause. VINCENT goes. Pause.
LYDIA
Where are we going?
OLD LADY
I’ve got a house.
In Cumbria.
LYDIA
What’s it like?
OLD LADY
It’s full of light.
Pause.
Are you packed?
Pause.
LYDIA
Yes.
Beat.
OLD LADY
Is your bag inside?
LYDIA
Yes.
OLD LADY
Then I’ll go and get it.
LYDIA
But what about Derek?
Pause.
OLD LADY
Derek knows what he has to do.
LYDIA
He should come with us.
Pause.
OLD LADY
Derek’s not coming
LYDIA
Why?
OLD LADY
Derek must stay here.
LYDIA
Why?
OLD LADY
Derek belongs here.
LYDIA
Because ‘we are who we are and he is who he is’?
OLD LADY
Yes.
LYDIA
I don’t accept that.
OLD LADY
You need to be amongst your own.
LYDIA
Why can’t he come?
OLD LADY
You’re young.
LYDIA
Yes. And I have a future.
OLD LADY
Yes.
LYDIA
I’m young. I have a future.
I just want him in the car.
OLD LADY
Why?
LYDIA
We’re going swimming.
Take him, as far as he wants to go.
The OLD LADY smiles. She considers.
A long pause.
OLD LADY
(To DEREK.) Do you want to come?
DEREK
Yes.
OLD LADY
You don’t say it lightly?
DEREK
No.
Pause.
OLD LADY
I’ll go and get the bags.
Pause. The OLD LADY exits. The two of them.
LYDIA
In Cumbria, there are waterfalls
And pools
And hills.
Pause.
I made you a CD.
Pause.
He smiles. She gets it out. Gives it to him.
It was going to be as a goodbye, but
We can play it in the car.
DEREK
What’s on it?
LYDIA
Nineties.
Pause. He takes the CD.
DEREK
You wrote it all out!
LYDIA
Yeah.
Pause. DEREK looks at the track list.
DEREK
(Of the OLD LADY.) I’m not sure this’ll be her kind of thing.
They laugh. The OLD LADY re-emerges.
OLD LADY
Are you ready?
LYDIA
Yes.
Pause.
Where are we going?
The OLD LADY takes the bags in the direction of her car. She turns to look back at them.
OLD LADY
We’re going home.
LYDIA turns and follows her off.
Pause. DEREK watches as they get in the car.
He turns to look at his land. Then he too goes to the car.
The ignition. A door slams. The car reverses and the headlights sweep over the cottage. An intensity of bright light. The car drives off.
BEN MUSGRAVE
Theatre includes: Across the Dark Water (The Point, Eastleigh, UK tour); Politrix (Hackney Showrooms); Stunted Trees and Broken Bridges, Breathing Country (nominated for Brian Way Award; Y Touring Theatre, UK tour); His Teeth, Pancras Boys Club (Only Connect); Boars and Dragonflies (Miniaturists/Arcola); Exams are Getting Easier (Birmingham Repertory Theatre); Pretend You Have Big Buildings (Royal Exchange Theatre; winner, Bruntwood Prize).
Television includes: Beginner’s Call; The Local Man (under option, Lime Pictures).
Radio includes: The British Club.
A Nick Hern Book
Crushed Shells and Mud first published as a paperback original in Great Britain in 2015 by Nick Hern Books Limited, The Glasshouse, 49a Goldhawk Road, London W12 8QP, in association with Strickland Productions Ltd
This ebook first published in 2015
Ben Musgrave has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work
Cover image: Alex Rafael Rose
Designed and typeset by Nick Hern Books, London
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 84842 531 6 (print edition)
ISBN 978 1 78001 665 8 (ebook edition)
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