by Jada Roberts
ADELE: Aunty? I’m sorry I walked out today when Mum was talking about the funeral. [She laughs.] I started crying and I couldn’t stop, I just wanted to stop and keep it together, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want Mum to think it was upsetting me ’cause I know she needed to tell us how she wants things to be, I just couldn’t…
PETRA: Del, it’s fine, bub, don’t / worry.
ADELE: I just couldn’t be in that room. I heard what she said, I did, I just sat outside the door, I heard it all. Pink at the funeral, no-one in black. Frangipanis and balloons, I wrote it all down.
PETRA: We knew you were still there at the door, Del. [Beat.] What’d ya think, we were laughin?
ADELE: Great.
PETRA: We had a good little chuckle, Del, I was makin hand signals, ya mum shh-ing me to stop. [Beat.] We weren’t laughin at ya, Del… [Beat.] Your mother, since you was a little girl, used to call me up every other week talkin about your little menagerie at home, nursing birds back to good health, the frogs, the lizards, the rabbit you saved from the python at Palmerston—God, I seem to recall her saying you made her feed a cockroach in a jar for days after you found him with a busted leg. [Beat.] She knows you, bub, she loves that about you. That you aren’t afraid to feel. [Beat.] Just like your Nanna June you are, cryin when she was happy, and cryin when she was sad. Only way to get through this world, Del, let it all hang out. Don’t you ever apologise for that.
JARROD is smiling. He reaches for ADELE’s hand across the table.
And what you smiling for, handsome?
JARROD: Nothin, Aunty, it’s just really good to have you here.
PETRA: Well, youse might as well get used to it. Looks like I’ll be stickin
around for a while… Youse mob can’t be runnin around here, freerange.
ADELE: Jesus, Jarrod, your hands are filthy. Can’t you wipe them first before you get grease all over the table?
JARROD: Oh, come oooon, I was gettin happy to hold your hand.
ADELE goes to wash her hands while JARROD cleans his greasy hands on his greasy shirt.
PETRA: How’s that motor comin along, boy, how long till she’s back in the water?
JARROD: She’s seaworthy as we speak, Aunty, took her for a float this arvo, she’s purring like a cat.
PETRA: That’s my boy, you told Ruben?
RUBEN enters.
RUBEN: Told Ruben what?
JARROD: The Front Yard Challenge, she sails again, bro.
RUBEN: Oh, the tinny sails, ay?
JARROD: Don’t be stupid, you know what I mean.
RUBEN: You took her out?
JARROD: Just Rapid Creek. We could take her out for a sneaky creek run before the arvo storm one morning if you’re keen?
Pause.
ADELE: How’s David doin?
RUBEN: He’s good.
ADELE: Should I give him a call?
RUBEN: You can if you want, stickybeak, he said he’s droppin by later in the week.
PETRA: I should hope so, he’s promised your mother more of them salty plums he gave us, God knows how, but she’s run out. Buggered if I know where she’s puttin them, I’m sure she had half a bag yesterday and now, they’re suddenly gone! [Beat.] You can never keep a Darwin girl from her salty plums, I’ll tell ya that right now.
RUBEN: How is Mum?
PETRA: She’s doing alright today, bub, holding on.
She stands, collects her teacup and heads for the sink.
Now who’s comin with me? We best collect a few things and chuck on some washing before we head back to the hospital—I’m getting stinkin in these clothes and it’s gettin late.
RUBEN: Aunty…
PETRA: It’s okay, lovie, I told Mum / it might be some time before you—
RUBEN: I wanna come. [Beat.] I wanna come. With you. To the hospital.
Pause.
PETRA: Okay, bub. [Beat.] Okay. [Pause.] Alright, ya stunned mullets, come on then, let’s move, ay, grab ya things, I’ll chuck the washing on, rinse your cups please. All the stinkin mugs are disappearing so check the bedrooms if you will, I’ll run the water. Make me weak, youse mob, true God in heaven, today.
ADELE and JARROD exit.
RUBEN collects the dishes he can see, takes them to the sink. PETRA comes to him, she touches his head.
Hey. [Beat.] Your mother would be so proud of you, boy. And me and your other mother, we proud as punch too.
They stand together. RUBEN stops washing and it’s quiet for a moment. Then PETRA gives him a nudge.
Ay, I didn’t say stop washing now.
PETRA grabs his head and kisses him on the cheek as he starts doing the dishes again.
THE END
Copyright Page
CURRENCY PLAYS
First published in 2014
by Currency Press Pty Ltd,
PO Box 2287, Strawberry Hills, NSW, 2012, Australia
[email protected]
www.currency.com.au
in association with Belvoir St. Theatre, Sydney
First electronic edition published in 2014 by Currency Press Pty Ltd.
Copyright: Brothers Wreck © Jada Alberts, 2014.
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ePub ISBN: 9781925004908
mobi ISBN: 9781925004915
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Cover design by Alphabet Studio.