Brothers Wreck

by Jada Roberts

  DAVID: I’m sorry, ADELE, I… [Beat.] Ruben’s missed his last two appointments. I’ve called and called, I’ve sent letters to the house, I haven’t been able to get in touch with him for weeks.

  ADELE: What?

  DAVID: He’s breached bail conditions. I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you

  didn’t know.

  ADELE: Why didn’t you… Fuck. [Beat.] I gotta go.

  ADELE wipes her face, grabs her bag and starts to leave.

  DAVID: ADELE, wait.

  ADELE exits.

  SCENE NINE

  Light rain falls.

  Out the front of the old house, RUBEN cracks another can of Southern Comfort. He is pacing back and forth. Empty cans of Southern Comfort and Coke litter the ground, some still full.

  JARROD enters.

  JARROD: Again.

  RUBEN: What?

  JARROD: You, drinkin here.

  RUBEN: So what?

  JARROD: It’s gettin weird, man, come back home, you can drink there.

  RUBEN: Nah, I’m stayin here.

  JARROD: Why?

  RUBEN: I’m stayin.

  JARROD: I heard ya, I said why?

  RUBEN stops, pulls out his rollies and begins to roll.

  I’ll stay too then.

  RUBEN: Nah. You should go.

  JARROD: I’ll leave when you leave.

  RUBEN: You don’t have to.

  RUBEN lights his smoke, pockets the rollies.

  JARROD: I want to. Give us a smoke, ay?

  RUBEN fishes them from his pocket, gives one to JARROD. He keeps walking back and forth. Stops again, gives JARROD the lighter.

  RUBEN: I thought you quit.

  JARROD: I’m trying to. Some days are harder then others.

  RUBEN: Why bother, just smoke, Jah.

  JARROD: I have to try.

  RUBEN looks at JARROD. They laugh.

  Shut up, I’ll get it.

  RUBEN: You shut up.

  JARROD: No, you shut up. You’re the one drinkin alone in the rain.

  They smoke in silence.

  RUBEN: So what does she want now?

  JARROD: It’s not like that.

  RUBEN: What, she didn’t send you?

  JARROD: No, she didn’t.

  RUBEN: You whipped.

  JARROD: Am not.

  Beat.

  RUBEN: What do you want?

  JARROD: I just came to get you, bring you back.

  RUBEN: I don’t need gettin. I’ll find my own way back.

  JARROD: Can’t a brother just hang, without the third degree?

  Beat .

  RUBEN: Jarrod, what do ya want?

  Pause.

  JARROD: She went to see your counsellor. Came back off her head. Found some letters in your room.

  RUBEN: Fucken hell,

  JARROD: Don’t say I didn’t warn ya. [Pause.] Oi, we should take the Front Yard Challenge out, Rue, I could fix her up again. The water’s gone through the motor but we can fix it. It’s time, don’t you reckon? Run-off soon. Brothers Wreck’ll be primed for a catch. Smell of saltwater got me itchin for a barra.

  RUBEN: Be weird just the two of us.

  JARROD: Del might wanna come.

  RUBEN: I’m not fishin with dead bait.

  JARROD: Oh, come on now, she’s your sister.

  RUBEN: You know what I’m talkin about.

  JARROD: We can throw for live bait. Get another net, hit up Rapid Creek on the high, whatever. We’ll find a way.

  RUBEN: Just like that, ay?

  JARROD: Why not?

  RUBEN: Well, you can fork out the cash for it this time, I’m not payin for another one. Was brand new, 150 bucks, for fuck’s sake…

  Beat.

  JARROD: Are you? Are you serious?

  RUBEN: Leave it. I don’t wanna go.

  JARROD: So I’ll pay for the net then.

  RUBEN: I’m not goin.

  JARROD: This isn’t about the net.

  RUBEN: Just drop it, alright?

  Pause.

  JARROD: Why are you here, Ruben? Of all the places you could be getting pissed you come here.

  RUBEN: I wanted to be on my own, that’s why I come here.

  JARROD: You sure?

  RUBEN: [sarcastically] Um, yes.

  Beat.

  JARROD: If this is about Joe, let’s go, let’s go to the cemetery. I’ll come with you.

  RUBEN stops pacing.

  RUBEN: What? No, no. I don’t need to. Just go. I wanna be alone.

  JARROD: You’re not.

  RUBEN: Yeah, I can see that.

  Beat.

  JARROD: I’m not goin.

  RUBEN: I don’t need a babysitter, JARROD, please, just fuck off. We should all just, deal with this on our own.

  JARROD: Can you hear yourself?

  RUBEN: I don’t know, is there an echo here?

  JARROD: That’s more like it.

  RUBEN: Please just go, dude.

  JARROD: Nuh.

  RUBEN: I’m serious.

  JARROD: So am I. I’m not going.

  RUBEN: Why can’t you just, fuckin leave me alone?! I wanna be alone.

  JARROD: No.

  RUBEN grabs JARROD by the shirt, pushing him back.

  RUBEN: Get out of here, fuck off.

  JARROD: I’m not going.

  RUBEN: Fuckin go. What the fuck is wrong with you?

  RUBEN pushes JARROD again, unable to bring himself to hit him. JARROD grabs onto RUBEN so he can’t be pushed away.

  JARROD: I’m not. Going.

  RUBEN: Get the fuck off me, fuck off.

  JARROD: No

  RUBEN: You wanna go, do ya? You wanna go down? With me, huh? You wanna go down, huh? DO YA?! Just fuck off!

  JARROD finally lets RUBEN go. RUBEN falls against the wall.

  JARROD: What’d you say that?

  RUBEN: Leave me alone.

  JARROD: It’s not your fault.

  RUBEN: I know that.

  JARROD: It’s not your fault.

  RUBEN: I know!

  Beat.

  JARROD: Wouldn’t have made a fuckin difference to Joe, whether you bought that throw net or not. He was reachin for something, if you hadn’t of bought that net he would’ve found somethin else to do it with. You hear what I’m sayin? [Beat.] Fucken spin out, man, I don’t get you, every time you two idiots were together he was the happiest I ever seen him.

  RUBEN: Just fucken go!

  JARROD: I’m not sayin he wasn’t sick for a long time, that he didn’t deserve more help then he got. I’m not saying that none of us feel like we shoulda been better friends to him, I feel that all the fucking time. Sittin up late with him, all those nights tryin. Tryin to get through to him, talkin, always talkin, tryin to make him see something else. Trying to tell him he wasn’t alone. Sound familiar? [Beat.] I know what it’s like, Rue, you don’t think I know? Every fuckin day I hear it—what more could I have done? Did I do enough? What if I did more? I fuckin know. And sure as I’m standin here, them thoughts will run through my head every day for the rest of my fuckin life.

  RUBEN: Well, did ya, Jarrod? Did you do enough? You went to bed way early that night?! Left him with me, didn’t ya?

  Silence.

  JARROD: I think we both did everything we coulda done. [Beat.] Joey decided he didn’t wanna be here. [Beat.] Look at it anyway you fuckin like, but you stop right fuckin now, takin credit for something you never done.

  Silence.

  I’m not leaving till you’re leaving.

  Beat.

  RUBEN: Then I guess we’re fuckin leaving then.

  RUBEN exits. JARROD follows

  SCENE TEN

  Back at home, ADELE is sitting at the table with three letters that she’s opened. PETRA is sitting next to her.

  RUBEN enters, followed by JARROD.

  ADELE: What are these? [Beat.] What the hell are these?

  She throws the letters at RUBEN. She keeps one in her hand, holding it high above her he
ad. She recites words she’s memorised.

  ‘In accordance with the Prisons Correctional Services Act, please be advised that your parole has been revoked.’

  ADELE chucks the piece of paper.

  RUBEN: I know what it says, Del. You went into my room?

  ADELE: You think I wouldn’t find out? You think I wouldn’t put two and two together when you got arrested?

  RUBEN: You should mind your own business, that’s what you should fuckin do—

  ADELE: You are my business, dickhead, if something happens to you, I am. I am. I am…

  JARROD: Babe—

  ADELE: You stay the fuck out of it.

  RUBEN: I’ve seen him once a week for the last three months, alright? He’s makin me go another three and I won’t do it.

  ADELE: You got it all sorted, have ya?

  RUBEN: Del.

  ADELE: Have ya?

  RUBEN: I’m sick of fuckin talkin about it!

  ADELE: So you wanna get locked up then, is that it?

  RUBEN: No.

  ADELE: So what are you doing? [Beat.] What the fuck are you doing then?! They will lock you up, Rue, they will lock you up and no-one can help you once you’re in there—do you get that? Do you understand that, egghead? And what do I do when you’re in there? What the fuck do I do? Did you even think about what happens to the rest of us while you’re in there? Big fuckin protector of the family. And what about Mum? Ay? ‘Sorry, Mum, I know you’re really sick and all, but Ruben’s having trouble coming anywhere near the hospital. PLUS. He’s in lockup.’ Is that what I tell her? [Beat.] Fuckin answer me, Ruben, is that what I / tell her?

  RUBEN: I can’t watch anyone else die!

  Silence.

  ADELE: Yeah, well. Neither can I.

  Pause.

  PETRA: Sit down please, Ruben.

  RUBEN: Nah, fuck this.

  PETRA: I said sit the fuck down!

  RUBEN: Why?! I don’t need this, I don’t need another fuckin lecture ’bout how to live my life. If youse don’t like what I’m doin then youse can fuck off! This is bullshit— [To ADELE] I don’t go behind your back snooping for shit! [Beat.] I’m fuckin outta here.

  RUBEN exits. He heads to his room to pack a bag.

  JARROD, ADELE and PETRA are left in the room, waiting.

  ADELE paces.

  ADELE: [yelling to RUBEN offstage] She’s asking for you, Mum is! [Beat.] She knows what’s goin on, fuck knows why she keeps askin but she’s asking for you! We’re running out of lies!

  PETRA: It’s okay, bub.

  ADELE: He’s got nowhere to go.

  PETRA: He’s angry, he’ll calm down.

  RUBEN re-enters carrying a duffle bag filled with clothes spilling out of it.

  Sit down please, son.

  RUBEN: I’m not your fuckin son.

  JARROD: [to RUBEN] Oi!

  PETRA approaches RUBEN, puts her hand on his chest.

  PETRA: [calmly] Hey, I know you’re upset, but what did I say about the way you speak to me? Look at me, son. [Beat.] Come on. You look at me.

  RUBEN looks at her.

  What do you see? What do you see? [Beat.] I am my sister. And she is me. Me and your mother we got the one blood. You sabi? You understand, Rue? [Beat.] I asked you before, please, sit down. You wanna go after that, you can go.

  RUBEN begrudgingly sits. PETRA takes a seat beside him.

  Now there’s a warrant for your arrest, bub, so first things first, let’s give your counsellor a call and make you an appointment. Then we can call the police and—

  RUBEN: What? No, I just said, I’m not going back to / see that maggot, he’s a dog—

  ADELE: He’s been through the / same thing we have!

  RUBEN: I’m not going back to / him!

  PETRA: If one of the neighbours calls the police ’cause we’re all fuckin yellin at each other! You’re the first one they’re gonna lock up, Rue, is that what you want? [Beat.] Right, so get on the phone and call David, somebody.

  ADELE gets her phone out and finds the piece of paper with David’s number on it.

  RUBEN: I’m not talkin to him.

  PETRA: Then who you gonna talk to? Me? Your sister? Jarrod? They been tryin to talk to you for months, and what? Instead you end up with a gut full of piss out front of a house full of ghosts. I don’t want you going to jail… let’s just give him a call / and—

  RUBEN: I’m out.

  PETRA: Ruben!

  As RUBEN gets up to grab his bag of packed clothes, JARROD follows, quickly grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, pushing him up against the nearest wall.

  JARROD: You’re not the only one who lost him.

  Beat.

  RUBEN: Get off me.

  JARROD lets RUBEN go.

  RUBEN exits.

  SCENE ELEVEN

  Rain falls steadily outside the old house that Jarrod, ADELE, Ruben and Joe lived in.

  RUBEN is breaking in through a window. He takes louvres out, one at a time. The room is completely empty, no curtains on the windows, the air is damp and musty. Occasionally headlights pass by, lighting the room, otherwise it’s quite dark.

  Before climbing through the window RUBEN drops in a sixpack of rum and a fresh pack of smokes. As he climbs through, one of his arms gets caught on some metal. It starts bleeding immediately. He falls into the room bleeding and swearing.

  RUBEN: Fuck. Fuck. Muthafucka!

  Completely overcome with frustration he peels cans of rum from the sixer and smashes them against the wall one after the other, swearing, until he only has a few left.

  Fuck. Fuck you. Fuck you!

  He falls to the floor, exhausted and wrecked. He uses his shirt to stop the bleeding. As tears rush down his face, he wipes them away.

  I wanted to learn how to throw, remember? I woulda been happy to just keep chuckin the bastard till I knocked the fish out, but I knew I could learn. I wanted to do something good. I wanted us to be the best fishermen the harbour had ever seen, I wanted to live like my grandfathers lived, I wanted to know what it felt like to be proud of myself. So I bought the net. I bought the net. [Beat.] We drank in the driveway till four, it was about four I think, I fell asleep in the chair. I woke up ’cause, ’cause you changed the music. I yelled at you to turn it down. I think it was four. [Beat.] I came inside, I felt sick. I had to sleep. I, I crashed on the couch. [Beat.] I was gone, out of it, till you shook me. You shook me awake. ‘Ruben, wake up, man, come look at this.’ [Beat.] I was heavy, I couldn’t, I couldn’t. [Beat.] ‘Fuck off, Joe, I’ve had enough, let me sleep.’ [Beat.] ‘Let me sleep,’ I said.

  Pause.

  You let me sleep. [Beat.] I woke. I thought I heard mice, scampering, scratching, frantic. [Beat.] Then it stopped.

  Pause.

  I lay awake, wondering what it was. By the time I got outside it was too late. You’d stopped moving. I saw the net, the sinkers scraping, all wrapped around, your feet just touching the bottom of the pipe. It wasn’t mice, it was you. [Beat.] Lift him up! Lift him up! Lift him up! [Beat.] Too late. [Beat.] You’re gone. [Beat.] I should’ve got up. You asked me to get up. Fuck! Why didn’t I get up?!

  Pause.

  No matter what, you always had time for me. No matter what, you were always there for me. [Beat.] I won’t ever be the same, Joe. I…

  Pause.

  I sat there. I couldn’t move. [He can’t help but cry.] I tried to tell Del, I did, when she woke up I tried to say something before she saw you, nothing came out. I was stuck, and they found you and I couldn’t move, I couldn’t move, I don’t know what happened, I couldn’t move. I’m so sorry, I should’ve got up, I should’ve helped get you down, I was stuck. I couldn’t move! That whole time I couldn’t move, I tried, I did, that whole day I prayed that I’d move, please let me fucking move!

  Suddenly torchlight is seen through the windows, sweeping the room, searching for something.

  The door opens. ADELE, JARROD, PETRA and DAVID enter.

  RUBEN stands, conf
ronts them. He’s completely unsure of where he is and what is happening.

  Where the fuck have you cop cunts been? Fucking useless pigs! / You’ll rot in hell for this, you dogs!

  ADELE: Hey hey, / hey hey, woah, Ruben!

  RUBEN: You cunts / can’t get anything fuckin right, can ya?

  PETRA: Ruben, hey / hey, HEY!

  JARROD: Oi, Ruben!

  RUBEN launches himself at them. ADELE and PETRA scramble backwards. JARROD and DAVID quickly move forward and try to restrain him. RUBEN lands a punch on DAVID’s jaw, DAVID doesn’t miss a beat.

  RUBEN: Where the fuck have you been? We can’t cut him down! Joey’s been out there all day! Where have you been? Don’t leave him out there, cut him down now! He’s been there all fuckin day! THE WHOLE DAY HE’S BEEN THERE! Where the fuck have you been?! / Cut him down, cut him down, please cut him down! Please!

  DAVID: Ruben. Ruben. Ruben. Ruben, it’s me David, it’s David, Ruben.

  Look at me, Ruben, it’s me David. / Ruben, Ruben, Ruben, it’s okay, mate, everything’s okay.

  JARROD and DAVID manage to get RUBEN to the ground. He is completely broken.

  RUBEN: Cut him down, cut him down, cut him down, cut him down, / cut him down, cut him down, cut him down please, cut him down…

  JARROD: It’s okay, Rubes, it’s okay. It’s okay he’s down, brother, we got him down.

  Lights out.

  SCENE TWELVE

  Music plays.

  ADELE, JARROD and PETRA are sitting at the kitchen table. They have cups of tea.

  ADELE: I’m exhausted.

  PETRA: Wish I could tell you it gets easier, bub.

  Pause.