Buried Child Read online

  VINCE: Don't be scared. There's nothing to be scared of. He's just old.

  SHELLY: I'm not scared!

  DODGE: You two are not my idea of the perfect couple!

  SHELLY: (Afterpause.) Oh really? Why's that?

  VINCE: Shh! Don't aggravate him.

  DODGE: There's something wrong between the two of you. Something not compatible. Like chalk and cheese.

  VINCE: Grandpa, where did Halie go? Maybe we should call her. I don't understand why you're here all by yourself. Isn't anybody looking after you?

  DODGE: What are you talking about? Do you know what you're talking about? Are you just talking for the sake of talking? Lubricating the gums?

  VINCE: I'm just trying to—

  DODGE: Halie is out with her boyfriend. The Right Reverend Dewis. He's not a breeder-man but a man of God. Next best thing, I suppose.

  VINCE: I'm trying to figure out what's going on here!

  DODGE: Good luck.

  VINCE: I expected everything to be different. I mean the same. Like it used to be.

  DODGE: Who are you to expect anything? Who are you supposed to be?

  VINCE: I'm Vince! Your grandson! You've gotta remember me.

  DODGE: Vince. My grandson. That's rich!

  VINCE: Tilden's son.

  DODGE: Tilden's son, Vince. He had two, I guess.

  VINCE: TWO? NO look, you haven't seen me for a long time.

  DODGE: When was the last time?

  VINCE: I don't remember exactly. We had a big dinner. A reunion, kind of. Turkey. You made some comment about Dad's fastball. I was a kid, I guess. It was quite a while ago.

  DODGE: You don't remember?

  VINCE: NO. Not really. I mean—we were all sitting at the table. All of us—and you and Bradley were making fun of Dad's fastball. And—

  DODGE: You don't remember. How am I supposed to remember if you don't?

  VINCE: I remember being there. I just don't remember the details.

  SHELLY: Vince, come on. This isn't going to work out. I've got a strong feeling.

  VINCE: (To SHELLY.) Just take it easy.

  SHELLY: I'm taking it easy! He doesn't even know who you are!

  VINCE: (Crossing to DODGE.) Of course he knows who I am. He's just tired or something. Grandpa, look—I don't know what's happened here, but—

  DODGE: Stay where you are! Keep your distance! (VINCE stops. Looks back at SHELLY then to DODGE.)

  SHELLY: Vince, this is really making me nervous. I mean he doesn't even want us here. He doesn't even like us.

  DODGE: She's a beautiful girl.

  VINCE: Thanks.

  DODGE: Very “fetching,” as they used to say.

  SHELLY: Oh my God.

  DODGE: (To SHELLY.) What's your name, girlie girl?

  SHELLY: Shelly.

  DODGE: Shelly. That's a man's name, isn't it?

  SHELLY: Not in this case.

  DODGE: (To VINCE.) She's a smart-ass too.

  SHELLY: Vince! Can we go?

  VINCE: Grandpa, look—look at me for a second. Try to remember my face.

  DODGE: She wants to go. She just got here and she wants to go. Itchy.

  VINCE: This is kind of strange for her. I mean, it's strange enough for me—

  DODGE: She'll get used to it. (To SHELLY.) What part of the country do you hail from, girlie?

  SHELLY: Originally?

  DODGE: That's right. Originally. At the very start.

  SHELLY: LA.

  DODGE: LA. Stupid country.

  SHELLY: I can't stand this, Vince! This is really unbelievable!

  DODGE: It's stupid! LA is stupid! So is Florida. All those Sunshine States. They're all stupid! Do you know why they're stupid?

  SHELLY: Illuminate me.

  VINCE: Shelly. Don't!

  DODGE: I'll tell you why. Because they're full of smart-asses! That's why. (SHELLY turns her back to DODGE, crosses to staircase and sits on bottom step. To VINCE.) NOW she's insulted.

  SHELLY: Vince?

  DODGE: She's insulted! Look at her! In my house she's insulted! She's over there sulking because I insulted her!

  VINCE: Grandpa—

  SHELLY: (To VINCE.) This is really terrific. This is wonderful. And you were worried about me making the right first impression!

  DODGE: (To VINCE.) She's a fireball, isn't she? Regular fireball. I had some a them in my day. Temporary stuff. Never lasted more than a week.

  VINCE: Grandpa—look—

  DODGE: Stop calling me Grandpa, will ya! It's sickening. “Grandpa.” I'm nobody's grandpa! Least of all yours.

  VINCE: I can't believe you don't recognize me. I just can't believe it. It wasn't that long ago. (DODGE starts feeling around under the cushion for the bottle of whiskey, SHELLY gets up from the staircase.)

  SHELLY: (To VINCE.) Maybe you've got the wrong house. Did you ever think of that? Maybe this is the wrong address!

  VINCE: It's not the wrong address! I recognize the yard. The porch. The elm tree. The house. I was standing right here in this house. Right in this very spot.

  SHELLY: Yeah, but do you recognize the people? He says he's not your grandfather.

  VINCE: He is my grandpa! I know he's my grandpa! He's always been my grandpa. He always will be my grandpa!

  DODGE: (Diggingfor the bottle.) Where's that bottle?!

  VINCE: He's just sick or something. I don't know what's happened to him. Delirious.

  DODGE: Where's my goddamn bottle?! (DODGE gets up from the sofa and starts tearing the cushions off it and throwing them downstage, looking for the whiskey.) They've stole my bottle!

  SHELLY: Can't we just drive on to New Mexico? This is terrible, Vince! I don't want to stay here. In this house. I thought it was going to be turkey dinners and apple pie and all that kinda stuff.

  VINCE: Well, I hate to disappoint you!

  SHELLY: I'm not disappointed! I'm fuckin’ terrified! I wanna go! (DODGE yells toward left.)

  DODGE: Tilden! Tilden! They stole my bottle! (DODGE keeps ripping away at the sofa looking for his bottle. He knocks over the night stand with the bottles, VINCE and SHELLY watch as he starts ripping the stuffing out of the sofa)

  VINCE: (To SHELLY.) He's lost his mind or something. I've got to try to help him.

  SHELLY: You help him! I'm leaving! (SHELLY starts to leave. VINCE grabs her. They struggle as DODGE keeps ripping away at the sofa and yelling.)

  DODGE: Tilden! Tilden, get your ass in here! Tilden!

  SHELLY: Let go of me!

  VINCE: You're not going anywhere! I need you to stay right here!

  SHELLY: Let go of me, you sonuvabitch! I'm not your property! (Suddenly TILDEN walks on from left just as he did before. This time his arms are full of carrots, DODGE, VINCE, and SHELLY stop suddenly when they see him. They all stare at TILDEN as he crosses slowly center with the carrots and stops, DODGE sits on the sofa, exhausted.)

  DODGE: (Panting, to TILDEN) Where in the hell have you been?

  TILDEN: Out back.

  DODGE: Where's my bottle?

  TILDEN: Gone, (TILDEN and VINCE stare at each other, SHELLY backs away.)

  DODGE: (To TILDEN.) You stole my bottle!

  VINCE: (To TILDEN.) Dad? What're you doing here?

  SHELLY: Oh brother, (TILDEN just stares at VINCE.)

  DODGE: You had no right to steal my bottle! No right at all! Who do you think you are?

  VINCE: (To TILDEN.) It's Vince. I'm Vince. (TILDEN stares at VINCE, then looks at DODGE, then turns to SHELLY.)

  TILDEN: (Afterpause.) I picked these carrots. If anybody wants any carrots, I picked ‘em.

  SHELLY: (To VINCE.) NOW, wait a minute. This is your father? The one we were going to visit?

  VINCE: (To TILDEN.) Dad, what're you doing here? What's going on? (TILDEN just stares at VINCE, holding the carrots. DODGE pulls the blanket back over himself.)

  SHELLY: This is actually your father? The one in New Mexico?

  DODGE: (To TILDEN.) You're going to have to get
me another bottle! You gotta get me a bottle before Halie comes back! There's money on the table. (Points to left kitchen.)

  TILDEN: (Shaking his head.) I'm not going down there. Into town. I never do well in town, (SHELLY crosses to TILDEN, TILDEN stares at her.)

  SHELLY: (To TILDEN.) Are you Vince's father?

  TILDEN: (To SHELLY.) Vince?

  SHELLY: (Pointing to VINCE.) This is supposed to be your son! Is he your son? Do you recognize him? I'm just along for the ride here. I thought everybody knew each other! (TILDEN stares at VINCE. DODGE wraps himself up in the blanket and sits on the sofa staring at the floor.)

  TILDEN: I had a son once but we buried him. (DODGE quickly

  looks at TILDEN. SHELLY looks to VINCE.)

  DODGE: You shut up about that! You don't know anything about that!

  VINCE: Dad, I thought you were in Bernalillo. We were going to drive down there and see you.

  TILDEN: Long way to drive. Terrible distance.

  VINCE: What's happened, Dad? Has something happened? I thought everything was all right. What's happened to Halie? What're you doing back here?

  TILDEN: She left. Church or something. It's always church. God or Jesus. Or both.

  SHELLY: (To TILDEN.) Do you want me to take those carrots for you?

  VINCE: Shelly— (TILDEN stares at her. She moves in close to him. Holds out her arms, TILDEN stares at her arms, then slowly dumps the carrots into her arms, SHELLY stands there holding the carrots.)

  TILDEN: (To SHELLY.) YOU like carrots?

  SHELLY: Sure. I like all kinds of vegetables. I'm a vegetarian.

  DODGE: (To TILDEN.) Hitler was a vegetarian. You gotta get me a bottle before Halie comes back! (DODGE hits the sofa with his fist, VINCE crosses up to DODGE and tries to console him. SHELLY and TILDEN stay facing each other.)

  TILDEN: (To SHELLY.) Backyard's full of carrots. Corn. Potatoes.

  SHELLY: You're Vince's father, right? His real father. I'm just asking.

  TILDEN: All kinds of vegetables. You like vegetables?

  SHELLY: (Laughs.) Yeah. I love vegetables.

  TILDEN: We could cook these carrots, ya know. You could cut ‘em up and we could cook ‘em. You and me.

  SHELLY: All right. Sure. Whatever works.

  VINCE: Shelly, what're you doing?

  TILDEN: I'll get you a pail and a knife.

  SHELLY: Okay.

  VINCE: Shelly!

  TILDEN: I'll be right back. Don't go.

  VINCE: Dad, wait a second, (TILDEN exits off left.) What the hell is going on here? What's happened to everybody? (SHELLY stands center, arms full of carrots, VINCE stands next to DODGE, SHELLY looks toward VINCE then down at the carrots.)

  DODGE: (To VINCE.) You could get me a bottle. (Pointing off left.) There's money on the table.

  VINCE: Grandpa, why don't you lay down for a while?

  DODGE: I don't wanna lay down for a while! Every time I lay down something happens! (Whips off his cap, points at his head.) Look what happens! That's what happens! (Pulls his cap back on.) You go lay down and see what happens to you! See how you like it! They'll steal your bottle! They'll cut your hair! They'll murder your children! That's what'll happen. They'll eat you alive.

  VINCE: Just relax for a while. Maybe things will come back to you. (Pause.)

  DODGE: You could get me a bottle, ya know. There's nothing stopping you from getting me a bottle.

  SHELLY: Why don't you get him a bottle, Vince? Maybe it would help everybody identify each other.

  DODGE: (Pointing to SHELLY.) There, see? She thinks you should get me a bottle. She's a smart cookie. Suddenly, she got smart, (VINCE crosses to SHELLY.)

  VINCE: Shelly, what're you doing with those carrots?

  SHELLY: I'm waiting for your father.

  DODGE: She thinks you should get me a bottle!

  VINCE: Shelly, put the carrots down, will ya! We gotta deal with the situation here! I'm gonna need your help. I don't know what's going on here but I need some help to try to figure this out.

  SHELLY: I'm helping.

  VINCE: You're only adding to the problem! You're making things worse! Put the carrots down! (VINCE tries to knock the carrots out of her arms. She turns away from him, protecting the carrots.)

  SHELLY: Get away from me! Stop it! (VINCE stands back from her. She turns to him still holding the carrots)

  VINCE: (To SHELLY.) Why are you doing this? Are you trying to make fun of me? This is my family, you know!

  SHELLY: You coulda fooled me! I'd just as soon not be here myself. I'd just as soon be a thousand miles from here. I'd rather be anywhere but here. You're the one who wants to stay. So I'll stay. I'll stay and I'll cut the carrots. And I'll cook the carrots. And I'll do whatever I have to do to survive. Just to make it through this thing.

  VINCE: Put the carrots down, Shelly. The carrots aren't going to help. The carrots have nothing to do with the situation here, (TILDEN enters from left with the pail, the milking stool, and a knife. He sets the stool and pail center for SHELLY, SHELLY looks at VINCE, then sits down on the stool, sets the carrots on the floor, and takes the knife from TILDEN. She looks at Vince again, then picks up a carrot, cuts the ends off, scrapes it, and drops it in the pail. She repeats this, VINCE glares at her. She smiles.)

  DODGE: She could get me a bottle. She's the type a girl that could get me a bottle. Easy. She'd go down there. Slink up to the counter. They'd probably give her two bottles for the price of one. She could do that. She has that air about her. (SHELLY laughs. Keeps cutting carrots, VINCE crosses up to DODGE, looks at him. TILDEN watches SHELLY‘s HANDS. LONG PAUSE.)

  VINCE: (To DODGE.) I haven't changed that much. I mean physically. Physically I'm just about the same. Same size. Same weight. Everything's the same, (DODGE keeps staring at SHELLY while VINCE talks to him.)

  DODGE: She's a beautiful girl. Exceptional, (VINCE moves in front of DODGE to block his view of SHELLY, DODGE keeps eraning his head around to see her as VINCE demonstrates tricks from his past)

  VINCE: Look. Look at this. Do you remember this? I used to bend my thumb behind my knuckles. You remember? I used to do it at the dinner table. Way back when. You told me, one day it would get stuck like this and I'd never be able to throw a baseball, (VINCE bends a thumb behind his knuckles for DODGE and holds it out to him. DODGE takes a short glance, then looks back at SHELLY, VINCE shifts position and shows him something else.) What about this? (VINCE curls his lips back and starts drumming on his teeth with his fingernails, making little tapping sounds, DODGE watches a while, TILDEN turns toward the sound, VINCE keeps it up. He sees TILDEN taking notice and crosses to TILDEN as he drums on his teeth. DODGE turns the TV on and watches it.) You remember this, Dad? Rooty-tooty? “St. James Infirmary”? “When the Saints Go Marching In”? (VINCE keeps on drumming for TILDEN, TILDEN watches a while, fascinated, then turns back to SHELLY, VINCE keeps up the drumming on his teeth, crosses back to DODGE doing it. SHELLY keeps working on the carrots, talking

  tO TILDEN.)

  SHELLY: (To TILDEN.) He drives me crazy with that sometimes.

  VINCE: (To DODGE.) I know! Here's one you'll remember. You used to kick me out of the house for this one. (VINCE pulls his shirt out of his belt and holds it tucked under his chin with his stomach exposed. He grabs the flesh on either side of his belly button and pushes it in and out to make it look like a mouth

  talking. He watches his belly button and makes a deep-sounding cartoon voice to synchronize with the movement. He demonstrates it to DODGE, then crosses down to TILDEN doing it. Both DODGE and TILDEN take short, uninterested glances, then ignore him. Deep cartoon voice.) “Hello. How are you? I'm fine. Thank you very much. It's so good to see you looking well this fine Sunday morning.” It's the same old me. Same old dependable me. Never change. Never alter one iota. (VINCE stops. Tucks his shirt back in.)

  SHELLY: Vince, don't be pathetic, will ya! They're not gonna play. Can't you see that? (SHELLY keeps cutting carrots, VINCE slowly moves toward
TILDEN, TILDEN keeps watching SHELLY.)

  VINCE: (To SHELLY.) I don't get it. I really don't get it. Maybe it's me. Maybe I forgot something.

  DODGE: (From the sofa.) You forgot to get me a bottle! That's what you forgot. Anybody in this house could get me a bottle. Anybody! But nobody will. Nobody understands the urgency! Peelin’ carrots is more important. Playin’ piano on your teeth! Well, I hope you all remember this when you get up in years. When you find yourself immobilized. Dependent on the whims of others, (VINCE moves up toward DODGE. Pause as VINCE looks at him. SHELLY continues cutting carrots. Pause, VINCE moves around, stroking his hair, staring at DODGE and TILDEN, VINCE and SHELLY exchange glances, DODGE watches TV.)

  VINCE: Boy! This is amazing. This is truly amazing. (Keeps moving around.) What is this anyway? Am I being punished here or what? Is that it? Some kind of banishment? Some kind of wicked warped exile? Just tell me. I can take it. Lay it on me. What was it? Did I betray some secret ancient family taboo, way back when? Did I cross the line somehow when I wasn't looking? What exactly was it?

  SHELLY: Vince, what are you doing that for? They don't care about any of that. They just don't recognize you, that's all. They don't have a clue.

  VINCE: How could they not recognize me?! How in the hell could they not recognize me?! I'm their son! I'm their flesh and blood. Anybody can see we're related.