Buried Child Read online

  TILDEN: What you told her. You know.

  DODGE: What do you know about it?

  TILDEN: I know. I know all about it. We all know.

  DODGE: So what difference does it make? Everybody knows, everybody's forgot.

  TILDEN: She hasn't forgot.

  DODGE: She should've forgot.

  TILDEN: It's different for her. She couldn't forget that. How could she forget a thing like that?

  DODGE: I don't want to talk about it!

  TILDEN: Why'd you tell her it was your flesh and blood?

  DODGE: I don't want to talk about it.

  TILDEN: What do you want to talk about?

  DODGE: I don't want to talk about anything! I don't want to talk about troubles or what happened fifty years ago or thirty years ago or the racetrack or Florida or the last time I seeded the corn! I don't want to talk period. Talking just wears me thin.

  TILDEN: You don't wanna die, do you?

  DODGE: No, I don't particularly wanna die either.

  TILDEN: Well, you gotta talk or you'll die.

  DODGE: Who told you that crap?

  TILDEN: That's what I know. I found that out in New Mexico. I thought I was dying but I just lost my voice.

  DODGE: Were you with somebody? A woman? A woman'll make you think you're dying, sure as shooting.

  TILDEN: I was alone. I thought I was dead.

  DODGE: Might as well have been. What'd you come back here for?

  TILDEN: I didn't know where else to go.

  DODGE: You're a grown man. You shouldn't be needing your parents at your age. It's unnatural. There's nothing we can do for you now anyway. Couldn't you make a living down there? Couldn't you find some way to make a living? Support yourself? What'dya come back here for? You expect us to feed you forever?

  TILDEN: I didn't know where else to go.

  DODGE: I never went back to my parents. Never. Never even had the urge. I was independent. Always independent. Always found a way. Self-sufficient.

  TILDEN: I didn't know what to do. I couldn't figure anything out.

  DODGE: There's nothing to figure out. You just forge ahead. What's there to figure out? (TILDEN stands.)

  TILDEN: I was standing. It was night. I was full of the smell of New Mexico. It's different than Illinois. Totally different.

  Foreign, almost. My lungs were full of it. Like pine smoke and mesquite. That was it. It was foreign. So I left there and I came back here. (He starts to leave.)

  DODGE: Where are you going?

  TILDEN: Out back.

  DODGE: You're not supposed to go out there. You heard what she said. Don't play deaf with me!

  TILDEN: I like it out there.

  DODGE: In the rain?

  TILDEN: Especially in the rain. I like the feeling of it. Feels like it always did.

  DODGE: You're supposed to watch out for me. Get me things when I need them.

  TILDEN: What do you need?

  DODGE: I don't need anything yet! But I might. I might need something any second. Any second now. I can't be left alone for a minute! (DODGE starts to cough.)

  TILDEN: I'll be right outside. You can just yell.

  DODGE: (Between coughs.) No! It's too far! You can't go out there! It's too far! You might not even hear me! I could die here and you'd never hear me!

  TILDEN: (Moving to the pills.) Why don't you take a pill? You want a pill? (DODGE coughs more violently, throws himself back against the sofa, clutches his throat, TILDEN stands by helplessly.)

  DODGE: Water! Get me some water! (TILDEN rushes off left. DODGE reaches out for the pills, knocking some bottles to the floor, coughing in spasms. He grabs a small bottle, takes out pills, and swallows them, TILDEN rushes back on with a glass of water. DODGE takes it and drinks. His coughing subsides.)

  TILDEN: You all right now? (DODGE nods. Drinks more water. TILDEN moves in closer to him. DODGE sets the glass of water on the night table. His coughing is almost gone.) Why don't you lay down for a while? Just rest a little, (TILDEN helps DODGE lie down on the sofa. Covers him with the blanket.)

  DODGE: You're not going outside, are you?

  TILDEN: No.

  DODGE: I don't want to wake up and find you not here.

  TILDEN: I'll be here, (TILDEN tucks the blanket around DODGE.)

  DODGE: You'll stay right here?

  TILDEN: I'll stay in my chair.

  DODGE: That's not a chair. That's my old milking stool.

  TILDEN: I know.

  DODGE: Don't call it a chair.

  TILDEN: I won't, (TILDEN tries to take DODGE's baseball cap off.)

  DODGE: What're you doing?! Leave that on me! Don't take that offa me! That's my cap! (TILDEN leaves the cap on DODGE.)

  TILDEN: I know.

  DODGE: Bradley’11 shave my head if I don't have that on. That's my cap.

  TILDEN: I know it is.

  DODGE: Don't take my cap off.

  TILDEN: I won't.

  DODGE: You stay right here now.

  TILDEN: (Sits on stool.) I will.

  DODGE: Don't go outside. There's nothing out there. Never has been. It's empty.

  TILDEN: I won't.

  DODGE: Everything's in here. Everything you need. Money's on the table. TV. Is the TV on?

  TILDEN: Yeah.

  DODGE: Turn it off! Turn the damn thing off! What's it doing on?

  TILDEN: (Turns off the TV, the light goes out.) You left it on.

  DODGE: Well, turn it off.

  TILDEN: (Sits on stool again.) It's off.

  DODGE: Leave it off.

  TILDEN: I will.

  DODGE: When I fall asleep you can turn it back on.

  TILDEN: Okay.

  DODGE: You can watch the ball game. White Sox. You like the White Sox, don't you?

  TILDEN: Yeah.

  DODGE: You can watch the White Sox. Pee Wee Reese. Pee Wee Reese. You remember Pee Wee Reese?

  TILDEN: No.

  DODGE: Was he with the White Sox?

  TILDEN: I don't know.

  DODGE: Pee Wee Reese. (Falling into sleep.) Bases loaded. Top a the sixth. Bases loaded. Runner on first and third. Big fat knuckle ball. Floater. Big as a blimp. Cracko! Ball just took off like a rocket. Just pulverized. I marked it. Marked it with my eyes. Straight between the clock and the Burma Shave ad. I was the first kid out there. First kid. I had to fight hard for that ball. I wouldn't give it up. They almost tore the ears right off of me. But I wouldn't give it up. (DODGE falls into deep sleep, TILDEN just sits staring at him for a while. Slowly he leans toward the sofa, checking to see if DODGE is well asleep. He reaches slowly under the cushion and pulls out the bottle of booze, DODGE sleeps soundly, TILDEN stands quietly, staring at DODGE as he uncaps the bottle and takes a long drink. He caps the bottle and sticks it in his hip pocket. He looks around at the husks on the floor and then back to DODGE. He moves center and gathers an armload of corn husks, then crosses back to the sofa. He stands holding the husks over DODGE and looks down at him as he gently spreads the corn husks over the whole length of DODGE's body. He stands back and looks at DODGE. Pulls out the bottle, takes another drink, returns the bottle to his hip pocket. He gathers more husks and repeats the procedure until the floor is clean of corn husks and DODGE is completely covered in them except for his head, TILDEN takes another long drink, stares at DODGE sleeping, then quietly exits left. Long pause as the sound of rain continues, DODGE sleeps on. The figure of BRADLEY appears up left, outside the screen porch door. He holds a wet newspaper over his head as a protection from the rain. He seems to be struggling with the door, then slips and almost falls to the ground, DODGE sleeps on, undisturbed.)

  BRADLEY: Sonuvabitcli! Sonuvagoddamnbitch! Always some obstacle, (BRADLEY recovers his footing and makes it through the screen door onto the porch. He throws the newspaper down, shakes the water out of his hair, and brushes the rain off his shoulders. He is a big man dressed in a gray sweatshirt, black suspenders, baggy dark blue pants, and black janitor's shoes. His left leg is wooden,
having been amputated above the knee. He moves with an exaggerated, almost mechanical limp. The squeaking sounds of leather accompany his walk, coming from the harness and hinges of the false leg. His arms and shoulders are extremely poweful and muscular due to a lifetime of dependency on the upper torso doing all the work for the legs. He is about five years younger than TILDEN. He moves laboriously to the right door and enters, closing the door behind him. He doesn't notice DODGE at first. He moves toward the staircase. Calling upstairs) Mom! (He stops and listens. Turns upstage and sees DODGE sleeping. Notices corn husks. He moves slowly toward the sofa. Stops next to the pail and looks into it. Looks at husks, DODGE stays asleep. BRADLEY talks to himself) Corn. (Pause.) Harvest's over, Pops. (He looks at DODGE’s sleeping face and shakes his head in disgust. He pulls out a pair of black electric hair clippers from his pocket. Unwinds the cord and crosses to the lamp. He jabs his wooden leg behind the knee, causing it to bend at the joint, and awkwardly kneels to plug the cord into a floor outlet. He pulls himself to his feet again by using the sofa as leverage. He moves to DODGE's head and again jabs his false leg. Goes down on one knee. He violently knocks away some of the corn husks, then jerks off DODGE's baseball cap and throws it down center, DODGE stays asleep, BRADLEY switches on the clippers. Lights start dimming. BRADLEY cuts DODGE‘s hair while he sleeps. Lights dim slowly to black with the sound of clippers and rain.)

  Act Two

  Scene: same set as Act One. Night. Sound of rain, DODGE is still asleep on the sofa. His hair is cut extremely short and in places the scalp is cut and bleeding. His cap is still center stage. All the corn and husks, pail and milking stool have been cleared away. The lights come up to the sound of a young girl laughing offstage left, DODGE remains asleep, SHELLY and VINCE appear up left outside the screen porch door sharing the shelter of VINCE‘s overcoat above their heads, SHELLY is about nineteen, black hair, very beautiful. She wears tight jeans, high heels, a purple T-shirt, and a short rabbit fur coat. Her makeup is exaggerated and her hair has been curled, VINCE is TILDEN‘s son, about twenty-two. He wears a plaid shirt, jeans, dark glasses, and cowboy boots, and carries a black saxophone case. They shake the rain off themselves as they enter the porch through the screen door.

  SHELLY: (Laughing, gesturing to the house.) This is it? I don't believe this is it!

  VINCE: This is it.

  SHELLY: This is the house?

  VINCE: This is the house.

  SHELLY: I don't believe it!

  VINCE: How come? It's just a house.

  SHELLY: It's like a Norman Rockwell cover or something.

  VINCE: What's a matter with that? It's American.

  SHELLY: American? Where's the milkman and the little dog? What's the little dog's name? Spot. Spot and Jane. Dick and Jane and Spot. See Spot run.

  VINCE: Come on! Knock it off. It's my heritage. (She laughs more hysterically, out of control.) Have some respect, would ya!

  SHELLY: (Trying to control herself.) I'm sorry.

  VINCE: I don't want to go in there with you acting like an idiot.

  SHELLY: Yes, sir!

  VINCE: Well, I don't. I haven't had any contact with them for years. I just don't want them to think I've suddenly arrived out of the middle of nowhere completely deranged.

  SHELLY: What do you want them to think then? (Pause.)

  VINCE: Nothing. Let's just go in. (He crosses the porch toward right interior door, SHELLY follows him. He opens the right door slowly. VINCE sticks his head in, doesn't notice DODGE sleeping. Calls out toward staircase.) Grandma! (SHELLY breaks into laughter, unseen behind VINCE. VINCE pulls his head back outside and pulls the door shut. We hear their voices again without seeing them)

  SHELLY: (Stops laughing.) I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Vince. I really am. I really am sorry. I won't do it again. I couldn't help it.

  VINCE: It's not all that humorous.

  SHELLY: I know it's not. I'm sorry.

  VINCE: I mean this is a tense situation for me! I haven't seen them for over six years. I don't know what to expect.

  SHELLY: I know. I won't do it again. Scout's honor. Just don't say “Grandma,” okay? (She giggles, stops.) I mean if you say “Grandma,” I don't know if I can control myself.

  VINCE: Well, try!

  SHELLY: Okay. Sorry. (He opens the door again, VINCE sticks his head in, then enters, SHELLY follows behind him. VINCE crosses to the staircase, sets down the saxophone case and overcoat, looks up the staircase, SHELLY notices DODGE‘s baseball cap. Crosses to it. Picks it up and puts it on her head, VINCE goes up the stairs and disappears at the top. SHELLY watches him, then turns and sees DODGE on the sofa. She takes off the baseball cap)

  VINCE: (From upstairs.) Grandma! (From upstairs.) Grandma! (SHELLY crosses over to DODGE slowly and stands next to him. She stands at his head, reaches out slowly, and touches one of the cuts. The second she touches his head, DODGE jerks up to a sitting position on the sofa, eyes open, SHELLY gasps, DODGE looks at her, sees his cap in her hands, and quickly puts his hand to his bare head. He glares at SHELLY, then whips the cap out of her hands and puts it on. SHELLY backs away from him. DODGE stares at her)

  SHELLY: I'm uh—with Vince. (DODGE just glares at her.) He's upstairs, (DODGE looks at the staircase then back at SHELLY. Calling upstairs.) Vince!

  VINCE: Just a second!

  SHELLY: You better get down here!

  VINCE: Just a minute! I'm looking at the pictures, (DODGE keeps staring at her.)

  SHELLY: (To DODGE.) We just got here. We drove out from New York. Pouring rain on the freeway so we thought we'd stop by. I mean Vince was planning on stopping anyway. He wanted to see you. He said he hadn't seen you in a long time. Pay you a little visit. (Pause, DODGE just keeps staring at her.) We were going all the way through to New Mexico. To see his father. I guess his father lives out there. In a trailer or something. (Louder.) We thought we'd stop by and see you on the way. Kill two birds with one stone, you know? (She laughs, DODGE stares; she stops laughing.) I mean Vince has this thing about his family now. I guess it's a new thing with him. I kind of find it hard to relate to. But he feels it's important. You know. I mean he wants to get to know you again. After all this time. Reunite. I don't have much faith in it myself. Reuniting. (Pause, DODGE just stares at her. She moves nervously to the staircase and yells up to VINCE.) Vince, will you come down here please?! (VINCE comes halfway down the stairs.)

  VINCE: I guess they went out for a while, (SHELLY points to the sofa and DODGE, VINCE turns and sees DODGE. He comes all the way down the staircase and crosses to DODGE, SHELLY stays behind, near the staircase, keeping her distance.) Grandpa? (DODGE looks up at him, not recognizing him.)

  DODGE: Did you bring the whiskey? (VINCE looks back at SHELLY then back to DODGE.)

  VINCE: Grandpa, it's me. Vince. I'm Vince. Tilden's son. You remember? (DODGE stares at him.)

  DODGE: You didn't do what you told me. You didn't stay here with me.

  VINCE: Grandpa, I haven't been here until just now. I just got here.

  DODGE: You left. Abandoned me. You went outside like we told you not to do. You went out there in back. In the rain, (VINCE looks back at SHELLY. She moves slowly toward the sofa.)

  SHELLY: Is he okay?

  VINCE: I don't know. (Takes off his shades.) Look, Grandpa, don't you remember me? Vince. Your grandson. I know it's been a while. My hair's longer, maybe, (DODGE stares at him, then takes off his baseball cap.)

  DODGE: (Points to his head.) See what happens when you leave me alone? See that? That's what happens, (VINCE looks at DODGE‘s head, then reaches out to touch it. DODGE slaps VINCE‘s hand away with the cap and puts it back on his head)

  VINCE: What's going on, Grandpa? Where's Halie?

  DODGE: Don't worry about her. She won't be back for days. She's absconded. She says she'll be back but she won't be. (He starts laughing.) There's life in the old girl yet! (Stops laughing.)

  VINCE: How did you do that to your head?

  DODGE: I didn't do it
! Don't be ridiculous! Whadya think I am, an animal?

  VINCE: Well, who did then? (Pause, DODGE stares at VINCE.)

  DODGE: Who do you think did it? Who do you think? (SHELLY moves toward VINCE.)

  SHELLY: Vince, maybe we oughta go. I don't like this. I mean this isn't my idea of a good time.

  VINCE: (To SHELLY.) Just a second. (To DODGE.) Grandpa, look, I just got here. I just now got here. I haven't been here for six years. I don't know anything that's happened. (Pause, DODGE stares at him.)

  DODGE: You don't know anything?

  VINCE: NO.

  DODGE: Well, that's good. That's good. It's much better not to know anything. Much, much better.

  VINCE: Isn't there anybody here with you? (DODGE turns slowly and looks off to left.)

  DODGE: Tilden's here.

  VINCE: NO, Grandpa, Tilden's in New Mexico. That's where I was going. I'm going out there to see him. We just stopped off here because it was on the way. (DODGE turns slowly back to VINCE.)

  DODGE: Well, you're gonna be disappointed, (VINCE backs away and joins SHELLY, DODGE stares at them.)

  SHELLY: Vince, why don't we spend the night in a motel and come back in the morning? We could have breakfast. A shower. Maybe everything would be different.