Buried Child (5 page)

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.

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.