"The Children's Hour" - Karen Wright (ACT THREE)

JC: "Please stop talking that way. ... What you've done, you've done. And that's that."

(turns) What I'VE done?

(grocery boy stares) MD: "You said all that yesterday. All right. Thanks. Goodbye."

(unable to stand the stare any longer) Stop it.

MD: "You'll be married soon. Everything will be all right then."

(vaguely) Yes.

MD: "Don't tell me you didn't get them! You did."

(wearily, to Martha) Oh, what difference does it all make now?

LM: "Poor, poor Martha. I can't realize it's true. Oh, how could she- she was so- I don't know what- I'm-'m frightened. I'm frightened."

Don't be frightened.

JC: "We can't leave each other. We're not going to leave each other. You're tired. I'm tired. I didn't know what I was asking-"

Don't be sorry. (softly) You're such a nice man.

MD: "Oh God, I wanted that for you so much!"

Don't carry on. I don't feel well.

MD: "You think so? A whole culture! My, that would be too bad. I'd be so interested in your telling me about it."

Don't.

JC: "And when we get there and find ourselves a place to live, we'll take a fishing trip for our honeymoon. It's a beautiful country, and-

Everything we wanted, everything we were going to be- all gone. And we have to sneak away to some place that hasn't anything to do with us-

MD: "I'll make some potatoes with onions, the way you used to like them."

It's a week ago Thursday. It never seemed real until the last day, although I guessed it before that, didn't you?

MD: "We've been sitting here for eight days asking each other the time."

It's been eight days since we've been out of this house.

MD: "Oh, I couldn't do that. ... And I'm going to wash my hair tonight, or maybe tomorrow night. Why don't you do that? Gives you something to do, a kind of date with something-"

It's raining. Hungry?

MD: "Maybe I'll be hungry in another ten years. It's cheaper this way."

Joe is late today. What time is it?

JC: "I have nothing to ask."

After a while, in the court, I stopped listening. After a while, it didn't seem to matter what anybody said. Then I began to watch your face. It was the only nice thing I could think of doing. You were ashamed. So was I. But you had trouble worse than that. You were sad at being ashamed. Ask it now, Joe.

MD: (tensely) "I don't believe you. I don't believe it. What kind of awful talk is that? I don't believe you. I don't believe it."

All right, all right.

MD: "Let's not talk about it. Let's eat a good dinner tonight. What about eggs for dinner?"

All right.

JC: "You say I helped you. Help me now. Help me, Karen-"

All right. Go away for a little while. Away from me and love and pity, and all the things that mess people up. Go away by yourself. And so will I. Please. Please do it that way. And after a while, I'll know and you'll know, and then we'll see- Please, Joe.

MD: "Yes, but why this one? She found the lie with the ounce of truth. I guess they always do. I've ruined your life and I've ruined my own. I swear I didn't know it, I swear I didn't mean it. Oh, I feel so God-d*amned sick and dirty- I can't stand it anymore."

All this isn't true. We don't have to remember it was ever said. Tomorrow we'll pick ourselves up and-

MD: "No, we won't"

But Joe says we've got to go out. He says that all the people who don't think it's true will begin to wonder if we keep hiding this way.

MD: "I don't think we will. Not really. I feel as if I couldn't move, and what would be the use? It seems to me I'll be sitting the rest of my life, wondering what happened. It's a bad night, tonight, but we might as well get used to it. They'll all be like this."

But it isn't a new sin they tell us we've done. Other people aren't destroyed by it.

MD: "Tell me, who is standing in the doorway?"

Looks like your aunt. But that's not possible, is it?

MD: "Get out of here."

Watch the time, Mrs. Mortar. Be sure you're on the train.

JC: "What won't work?"

The two of us together.

LM: "We've got to do something. Karen! Do something."

There is nothing to do.

MD: "You're afraid of hearing it; I'm more afraid than you."

(turns away, hands over ears) I won't listen to you.

JC: "No, I don't want to go. ... I am not going to cry about us. Now don't talk about it any more. Please, darling."

(after a second) Yes.

MD: "Come on. We'll go through the park"

(almost gets to the door) We'll go tomorrow.

MD: "Dust the chairs."

(almost in a whisper) It's awful.

MD: "You were a dear friend who was loved, that's all. Certainly, there's nothing wrong with that. It's perfectly natural that I should be fond of you. Why, we've known each other since we were seventeen and I always thought-"

(as if she was tired) Why are you saying all this?

MD: "No, of course you didn't. But who says I didn't? I never felt that way about anybody but you. I've never loved a man- (stops, softly) I never knew why before. Maybe it's that.

(carefully) You are tired and sick.

MD: "I don't want tomorrow. It's a bad word.

(crying) Go and lie down, Martha. And in a few minutes, I'll make some tea and bring it to you. You'll feel better.

MD: "You've got to know it. I can't keep it to myself any longer. I've got to tell you that I'm guilty."

(deliberately) You are guilty of nothing.

MD: "It's funny. It's all mixed up. There's something in you and you don't do anything about it because you don't know it's there. Suddenly a little girl gets bored and tells a lie- and there, that night, you see it for the first time, and you say it yourself, did she see it, did she sense it-?"

(desperately) What are you saying? You know it could have been any lie. She was looking for anything-

MD: "I have loved you the way they said."

(idly) Martha, we're both so tired. Please don't-

MD: (watching Karen) "We'll wait dinner for him, then. Karen! What's the matter?"

(in a dull tone) He won't be back.

MD: "Whatever happened, go back to Joe. It's too much for you this way."

(irritably) Stop talking about it. Let's pack and get out of here. Let's take the train in the morning.

MD: "There's always been something wrong. Always- as long as I can remember. But I never knew it until all this happened.

(looks up for the first time, horrified, turns to Martha) Stop that crazy talk-

LM: "We've got to get a doctor- right away."

(not turning) There isn't any use.

JC: "I have nothing to ask. Nothing. (quickly turns to her) All right. Is it-? Was it ever-?"

(quickly stops him) No. Martha and I have never touched each other. That's all right, darling. I'm not mad. I am glad you asked me.

JC: "We can't go on like this. Everything I say is made to mean something else. What are you doing to me? What's the matter with you?"

(quietly) Yes, every word has a new meaning. Child, love, lawyer, judge friend, room woman- There are not many safe words anymore. That we can't move away from. A new place, a new room, won't fix that for us. Sick, high-tragic people, That's what we'll be.

JC: "You promised me yesterday, both of you. Do you feel alright?"

(smiles, nods, leans over to kiss him. he draws away) Why did you do that?

JC: "I don't. I don't."

(softly) Ah, what happens between people. happens, and after a while it doesn't much matter how it started. But there it is. I'm here. You're there. We're in a room we've been in so many times before. Nothing seems changed. My hands look just the same, my face is just the same, even my dress is old. I'm nothing too much: I'm like everybody else, the way I always was. I can have the things that other people have. I can have you, and children, and I can take care of them, and I can go to market, and read a book, and people will talk to me- Only I can't. I can't. And I don't know why. Go home, darling.

MD: "Shopping? That's a sound idea. There aren't three stores in Lancet that would sell us anything. Hasn't he heard about the ladies' clubs and their meetings and their circulars and their visits and their--?"

(softly) Don't tell him.

JC: "Do what?"

(softly) Draw away frome me.

MD: "It seems real enough now, all right."

(suddenly) Let's get out.

MD: "I've been telling myself that since the night we heard the child say it. I lie in bed night after night praying that it isn't true. But I know about it now. It's there. I don't know how. I don't know why. But I did love you. I do love you. I resented your marriage; maybe because I wanted you; maybe I wanted you all these years; I couldn't call it by a name but maybe it's been there ever since I first knew you-"

(tensely) It's not the truth. Not a word of it. We never thought of each other that way.

MD: "Don't bring me any tea. Thank you. Good night, darling." (gunshot) LM: "What was that? Where is it? Karen! Martha! Where are you? I heard a shot. What was-? (Karen reappears, Mortar goes to Martha) What shall we do? What shall we do?"

(toneless) Nothing.

MD: "They'd find out about us. We've been in the headlines. We're very famous."

A small town, then.

JC: "I don't want to go."

Go now, darling.

MD: "It gets dark so early now. Cooking always makes me feel better. ... Where's Joe?"

Gone.

MD: "If it makes you feel better to think that there are such people, go ahead."

He says we must go into town and go shopping and act as though-

MD: "What happened? What happened, Karen?"

He thought we had been lovers.

MD: "You mean he won't be back any more tonight?"

He won't be back at all.

MD: "They are the people who believe in it, who want it, who've chosen it for themselves. That must be very different. We aren't like that. We don't love each other. We don't love each other. We've been close to each other, of course. I've loved you like a friend, the way thousands of women feel about other women.

I'm cold.

JC: "Nothing. Nothing. I don't mean anything. Why do you think I do? ... I'm not going to be a sick man, and I'm not going to let you grow sick, either."

I'm sorry, I'll be all right when we get out of here. I want a baby. I want to have a baby.

JC: "No. It isn't what I thought it was. My people- (laughs) My people aren't what I thought they were. I want no more of it. "

I've done this to you. I've taken away everything you wanted-

MD: "A job? Money!"

In a big place we could get something to do.

LM: "I can't help it. How can I help it? I'll never forgive myself for the last words I said to her. But I was good to her, Karen, and you know God will excuse me for that once. I always tried to do everything I could. (suddenly) Suicide's a sin. Karen, we can't sit here. Shouldn't we call somebody to-?"

In a little while.

JC: "Now don't lets have any off that talk because it's all done and over. ... His family is very rich, they own half the state, I think-"

I am not going to let you leave here. I am not going to let you.

MD: "You still think we should go into town?"

I don't know. I don't know about anything anymore. (after a moment) Martha, Martha.

MD: "What's happened to us? What's really happened to us?"

I don't know. I think I'll make a cup of tea and go to bed now.

MD: "The train to where?"

I don't know. Some place; any place.

MD: "What time is it?"

I don't know. What's the difference?

JC: "I'll be coming back soon." (exits)

I don't think so.

MD: (angrily) "Then what have you done? It's all wrong. It's crazy. I don't understand what you've done. You "guess" that he believed you. There's no guessing about it. Why didn't you--?"

I don't want to ever talk about it, Martha.

JC: "We'll wait a year. We won't have enough money now."

I don't want to wait a year. You always said you wanted children right away. Why have you changed?

MD: "He didn't believe you?"

I guess he believed me.

JC: "What will you do?"

I'll wait. I'll be all right.

JC: "You know I believe you."

Maybe you do. But I'd never know whether you did. And your saying it again won't do it. And it doesn't even matter anymore whether you do believe me. All that I know is that I'd be frightened you didn't. But that's the way it would be. We'd be hounded by it. You don't get over things by just saying you do. I don't believe you could touch my arm without my wondering why you didn't kiss me, and I don't think you could kiss me without my wondering if you really wanted to. And I'd hate myself for all that. And then I'd hate you, too. I don't want ruin. I don't like it. (softly) Ah, Joe. You know all that.

LM: "I don't think it was nice to try to bring me back that way. I just don't think it was. But we'll talk about that another day. For goodness' sakes, let's not go on this way. Words, words, words. My trunk's at the station."

Mrs. Mortar, things have changed here.

JC: "My God, what's happened to me? I'm sorry, darling, I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you- I didn't ever believe-"

No, of course you didn't, really. But after a while, you weren't sure. Maybe there was a little truth- That's the way these things go. That's the way they are meant to go. You've been a good, loyal friend. Don't be ashamed of what you felt. You're a fine man.

MD: "A patient? Will he be back in time for dinner?"

No.

MD: "There mustn't be anything between you and Joe. Never, never."

Nothing's wrong. (footsteps in the hall. her face lights up.) There's joe now.

MD: "It'll be a good day. And a happy one for me. Maybe the happiest one of my life. What's the matter?"

Nothing, Martha.

MD: "What is it?"

Nothing.

JC: "No. No, we won't darling. We must learn how to live and love again. We knew how to do it. It's only this bad time that has to be got over- We must go slow and take care, and it will pass quick-"

People don't set a date for things to go right or wrong. It won't work.

JC: (pause) "There's nothing for me to know. A few weeks won't make any difference-"

Please.

MD: "None. I was hoping it was time for my bath."

Take it early today.

JC: "Stop talking like that. You'll believe it soon."

Tell me. (turns to him) Tell me what you want to know.

MD: "I'd like to be hungry again. Remember how much we used to eat at college? All that wonderful mess every evening-"

That was ten years ago. (smiles) We've gotten older. You must try to eat dinner tonight.

JC: "We'll give her some money and get rid of her. Stop it now. She isn't worth all that. Get finished with her for good. What did you do today?"

We stayed here. We started to go out but-

MD: "They'd know more about us, I guess."

We'll find a place to go.

MD: "Where to?"

We'll take a walk.

MD: "I don't know. It's as if we're in a nightmare. The kind you get when you feel as if you're way below the world and are struggling up and up sweating, sweating to come out in your own bed, your own room, coming up and up, and out- (after a second) Only now I don't come out."

We've got to get out of this place. We've got to get out quick.

MD: "Well, we'll have to get off these chairs sooner or later. In a couple months they'll need dusting."

What'll we do when we get off?

MD: "But maybe I love you that way. The way they said I loved you. I don't know- Listen to me.

What?

MD: "What is it Karen?"

Why did it happen, and what happened? What are we doing here like this?

MD: "Where'll we walk?"

Why shouldn't we take a walk? We won't see anybody, and suppose we do, what of it? We'll just-

JC: "You'll like Jake and he'll like you. ... Then I came back here and never saw him again-"

Yes, it was right for you to come back. You're a part of this place and a good part. You'll be coming back someday.

MD: "Because I love you."

Yes, of course. I love you, too.

JC: "I don't know what you're talking about."

Yes, you do. We've both known for a long time. Say it now, Joe. Ask it now.

LM: "Oh it's awful! Poor Martha. I don't know what we can do- You think she's dea-"

Yes.

MD: "Didn't you tell him? For God's sake, didn't you tell him it wasn't true?"

Yes.

MD: "It's cold in here."

Yes.

JC: "I've asked, you've answered. That's all. Let's go ahead now and-"

You believe me?

JC: "I didn't draw away from you. What kind of talk is that? I was putting out a cigarette. (he holds his hand out to her, she ignores it) We sit around here much longer, we'll all be bats. And so we're not going to sit around here. I sold my place this morning to Foster."

You can't do that. You can't-

JC: "We're getting married this week. I'll give both of you two days to pack and close the place. On Thursday we'll be on a train-"

You can't leave here. I won't have you do this. You must go to Foster right away- you can't leave here-

JC: "You're coming with us. ... Good for doctors, to get out where it's hard, and to learn something."

You don't want to go.

MD: "No." (phone rings, no one answers)

You must eat something tonight.

JC: "What's been done to you."

You said it yesterday, too. What do you mean when you say "What you've done?" Tell me, darling. Tell me what you mean.