Brian Friel Plays 2 (46 page)

Frank
Where does our boat come from?

Terry
A house just across there. (
to
Angela
)
You know
that
by heart.

Frank
No house. No boat. Nothing from here to Boston except a derelict church – without a roof.

Trish
I’m sure it’s very beautiful out there. But I’d be happy to settle for this. But if you all …

Silence
as
they
gaze
out
again.
Then
suddenly
Angela
leaps
on
top
of
a
bollard,
flings
her
hands
above
her
head
and
proclaims
in
the
style
of
an
American
evangelist:

Angela
There it is, friends – Oileán Draíochta, our destination! Wonderful – other – mysterious! Alleluia! So I ask you to join with me in that most beautiful song, ‘Heavenly Sunshine’. Brother George?

As
George
plays
a
brief
introduction:

Now – open your minds, your lungs, your arms, your hearts. All together, brothers and sisters – (
sings
) ‘Heavenly sunshine, heavenly sunshine –’ Can’t hear you, friends. ‘Flooding my soul with glory divine –’

Terry
now
joins
her.

Angela and Terry

Angela
And one more time! Sister Tricia, Sister Berna –?

Terry, Trish, Berna and Angela
(
sing
together
)

Angela
And one more time, Brother George –

But
instead
of
a
reprise
–
and
without
a
break
in
his
playing
–
George
goes
straight
into
‘Knees-up,
Mother
Brown’.
This
is
greeted
with
laughter,
cheers,
derision
–
voices
overlapping:

George!

Frank
Wonderful!

Trish
Good man, George!

Terry
Sing it, Angela!

Berna
I know that one!

And
they
all
–
except
George
–
dance
around
the
pier
and
sing
the
chorus
at
the
top
of
their
voices.
When
they
get
to
the
end
of
the
chorus:

Terry
One more time!

And
again
they
sing
the
chorus.
Just
before
it
ends
Frank
shouts:

Frank
Quiet, please! Shut up, will you?

They
fall
silent.

We have a problem, good brethren. I’m telling you – there is no boat.

Angela
Who’s for a quick drink?

Trish
nods
yes.

Frank
And not only is there no boat, there isn’t a house within a hundred miles of us.

Angela
(
to
Trish
)
Champagne?

Trish
nods
yes.

Trish
(
to
Frank
) Use these (
binoculars
).

Terry
Yes, there is, Frank. Just beyond the sand dunes.

Angela
(
sings
to
the
air
of
‘Abide
with
Me’
)

Frank
Nothing but bogland from here to the mountains.  And not a boat from here to the horizon.

Terry
A thatched cottage – further to your left.

Frank
Sorry.

Trish
You’re the one with the eyes, Berna.

Terry
As far as I remember it’s down at the very edge of the water.

Frank
Hold on … yes … is that not a byre?

Terry
They’re the people who do the ferrying.

Frank
Deserted, Terry. And there’s grass growing out of the thatch.

Terry
Carlin’s the name. Been there for generations.

Angela
(
holding
up
a
bottle
)
Berna?

Berna
signals
no.

Frank
Hold on … wait … Yes, you’re right! There’s smoke coming out of the chimney! God, that’s a hovel. (
He
comes
down
.)
Right, I’ll go and get Carlin. Are we all set to leave?

Terry
Think so. Aren’t we?

Frank
And he picks us up on the island tomorrow morning – when? – about seven?

Terry
That’s the plan.

Frank
Right.

Angela
(
sings
to
the
air
of
‘Abide
with
Me’
)

Frank
(
as
he
passes
behind
Angela,
privately
)
You’re making a nuisance of yourself.

Angela
sings
the
title
of
the
song
‘I
Don’t
Know
Why
I’m
Happy’.
)

What if Carlin isn’t at home?

Trish
Or refuses to ferry bowsies.

Angela
Or is dead.

Frank
Seriously. What if –?

Terry
Someone from the house will take us, Frank. They’ve been ferrying people for thousands of years.

Frank
I’m sure they have. All I’m asking is: supposing there is nobody free now to –

Terry
(
sharply,
impatiently
)
Tell him the new owner of the island sent you for him! (
He
stops
short;
tries
to
laugh.
)
I didn’t mean to … (
‘let
that
out’
is
unsaid
)

Pause.

Trish
Well, aren’t you a close one, Terry Martin!

Terry
I’m sorry. I –

Trish
You kept that a big secret.

Frank
You’ve actually bought Oileán Draíochta?

Terry
Four months ago. Sight unseen. Ridiculous, isn’t it?

Angela
So it’s your island we’re going to?

Terry
Stupid, I know. Heard by accident it was on the market, (
to
Angela
)
Miles from anywhere – good for nothing, isn’t it?

Angela
spreads
her
hands.

Angela
Challenge for a sherpa.

Terry
I know it’s ridiculous. I know it sounds –

Frank
This is no mystery tour he’s taking us on – he’s taking us home! Wonderful, Terry!

Trish
And I wish you luck with it. Congratulations, (
to
Berna
)
So you own your own island, Mrs Martin. Very posh.

Berna
It’s news to me.

Terry
I was going to tell you all out there tonight – tomorrow morning – whenever. Anyhow … (
to
Frank
) Will you get Carlin for us?

Frank
I’m away. Well done. Terrific!

Frank
goes
off.
Terry
feels
that
some
further
explanation
is
necessary.

Terry
Haven’t seen it for over forty years … and I was always curious to have another look at it … obsessed in a kind of way … and the fact that it came on the market …

Trish
Good. Great.

They
drift
apart
and
attend
to
their
belongings.
Terry
goes
to
Trish.

All I can say is – you have money to burn.

Terry
Not true at all, I’m afraid.

Trish
Berna seems in better form.

Terry
Do you think so?

Trish
Plenty of chat out of her in the minibus.

Terry
She’s really most content when she’s in the nursing home.

Trish
(
very
softly
)
Mother was right, you know: if you didn’t spoil her so much.

Terry
Trish! (
to
George
)
Met an old friend of yours in London last week – Michael Robinson.

Trish
You never did! (
to
George
)
He met Michael Robinson in London, George. (
to
Terry
)
And how was he?

Terry
Great … fine … well, not so good. Bumped into him in a pub. Didn’t recognize him – not that I ever knew him well. Actually I thought he was a down-and-out touching me.

Trish
Michael?

Terry
I know – awful. Asking very warmly for you (
George
)
.
Talked for over an hour about you and him at college together … doing your degree … and the duets you used to play –

Trish
Sonatas.

Terry
That’s it – sonatas.

Trish
Beethoven sonatas.

Terry
Talked for over an hour. Couldn’t shut him up. Eventually I gave him some money and just … walked away.

George
moves
away
and
sits
on
a
bollard.

Trish
That’s all they did for three whole years at college – play piano and violin sonatas – day and night. The Aeolians – that’s what they called themselves.

Terry
He said you talked about going professional.

George
Maybe …

Trish
They were the stars of the college. Oh such stars they were. Michael was going to be Ireland’s first great concert violinist. He could have been, too. And there was absolutely no doubt that George was the new Rachmaninov – no doubt at all about that. And together they were so brilliant, especially in the Beethoven sonatas. Oh, I can’t tell you how brilliant they were … Michael Robinson … oh my goodness …

Pause.
Berna
hums
the
line
‘O
Mother,
I
could
weep
for
mirth’
and
stops
suddenly.

Terry
(
to
Angela
)
I know you think it’s crass.

Angela
What’s that?

Terry
Bookie Buys Island Sight Unseen.

Angela
But an island remembered, however vaguely.

Terry
I did it on impulse. In memory of my father, maybe.

Angela
A new venue for rock concerts, wrestling matches?

Terry
Why not? Bullfights, revivalist meetings. I was afraid you mightn’t come this morning.

Angela
Terry Martin Productions! Dionysian Nights On Oileán Draíochta!

Terry
If you hadn’t come I’d have called it off.

Angela
Celebrate The Passions That Refuse To Be Domesticated!

Terry
I would have –

Angela
Nature Over Culture! Instinct Over Management!