Father of the Man (40 page)

HESTER

(Cont.) There you are, then—you can teach
me
the tango. And the foxtrot. And the bunny hug. And then
we’ll
go off to the discos and show all these silly young things how they ought to be dancing!

FLORA

Well, we’ll have to see. I mean, about my moving in. I don’t want to agree just on impulse.

HESTER

But you will stay here tonight?

FLORA

Yes.

HESTER

And you really find the idea quite tempting?

FLORA

Yes.

HESTER

I promise you—no more spaghetti; I won’t permit any spaghetti within a mile or so of this house.

FLORA

(Laughs) Flat!

HESTER

(Pause) Exactly. Do you know…for a moment just then…oh how ridiculous…I was almost thinking I was back at Ashford—you know, the house where I grew up. I half-dozed for a few minutes just now. I was remembering a little bit about the old days. (Pause) Flora, darling?

FLORA

Yes?

HESTER

I want you to forgive me—if ever I’ve been a less than proper mother to you. No, please don’t say anything. I know I’ve had my failings. If ever I’ve done things which…or said things which…I’m sure you know what I’m talking about but even apart from all of that…Well, from now on it’s going to be so different. I’m going to make it up to you. I’ve decided that at the very least I shall live for another three years…and without losing any of my faculties. Because, you see, Tony told me I wasn’t programmed to lose even one of them—and the fact that only this afternoon he should have made such a comment seems to me a truly remarkable sign. Practically a message. So that gives me a good thousand days in which to atone. Probably more but I’m not going to rely on it.

FLORA

Oh, Mother, please. There’s nothing you have to atone for. And you’ll probably live another
twenty
-three years.

HESTER

I love you, my darling. I love you very much. Did you know that?

FLORA

(Embarrassed) Of course I did. And I love you, too. I’m only sorry that I haven’t been more…

HESTER

More what, darling?

FLORA

More clever. More witty. More entertaining. I’m under no illusions about the way I am. I’m not surprised that Harold left me. Or that Tony did. I think I must be very boring company.

HESTER

(Takes her in her arms) No, Flora. I won’t have you talk that way! What an absurdity. Who cares about being clever? You’ve always been so sweet and attentive and…Well, tell me this: would I be asking you to come back to live with me if I found you such a bore?

FLORA

I suppose not.

HESTER

There you are, then.

FLORA

I wish I could have liked horses.

HESTER

No—no more of this nonsense. (Gives FLORA’S shoulder an abstracted pat and releases her) Tell me something.
Was
it just this afternoon that Tony said that about my faculties? Or was it the last time he was here? Time goes so fast—sometimes it’s hard to keep track.

FLORA

I…I don’t know…I…(With sudden resolution) Yes, I’m sure it was this afternoon.

HESTER

Dear Tony. He’s really such a credit to you. You should feel very proud.

FLORA

I don’t feel anything much at the moment. Proud or otherwise.

HESTER

You will. Oh, you will. All you need now is a good night’s sleep. And that you’re most definitely going to have. I shall give you one of my Valium.

FLORA

Oh, I don’t need—

HESTER

No arguments now. Mother knows best.

FLORA

I feel about eight again.

HESTER

And tomorrow, maybe, you’ll feel about eighteen and that will be even better.

FLORA

Will it? All right…yes, eighteen…if you say so.

HESTER

But, darling—about Tony. I feel sure he’s going to be sensible and do the right thing. I know he will, I just feel it in my bones. Yet even if he doesn’t we’re not going to make a fuss. University or no university. The decision now is his. We’ve said all we can. If he still chooses to…to go his own way…well, then we must simply accept it. And wish him well. And not make him feel guilty.

FLORA

He’ll simply destroy his life, that’s all. And mine. And make the whole thing seem so utterly pointless.

HESTER

What whole thing?

FLORA

Why, the whole business of having children and then planning your life around them.

HESTER

Oh but Flora, my angel, that’s an awful thing to say. I’m sure you don’t mean it. You don’t have children just in order that they’ll be successful. You can’t live
your
life through theirs—or expect to be a puppet-master who can always pull the strings. They’re more than mere extensions.

FLORA

Who’s talking about…puppet-masters?

HESTER

(To TONY) Darling, I thought you’d gone.

TONY

I’ve been talking to Mr Davis.

HESTER

And I’m sure he must have appreciated it. Dear Walter. It takes so little to make him happy. The other afternoon—Mary was out—I gave him a slice of bread-and-butter for his tea. For some reason I happened to fold it over before presenting it to him. “By Jove,” he said. “Sandwiches!” I was so moved I just had to kiss him. “That’s very nice,” he said, “whatever have I done to deserve that?” “Walter,” I told him, “you have stumbled upon the secret of contentment.”

TONY

And what did he say?

HESTER

Oh, he chuckled—you know the way he does. “In that case, Madam, don’t think you can worm it out of me by playing Mata Hari!”

TONY

(Pause) At the moment, Tennyson’s still very much on his mind. He knows quite a lot about him. All fascinating stuff.

FLORA

Especially if you haven’t heard it about a thousand times before.

TONY

(Indulgently) Oh—you! If he were telling you for the very first time you still wouldn’t be paying much attention.

FLORA

It’s today I live in, not a hundred years ago.

HESTER

A hundred years hence, as he always tells us, none of this will make a jot of difference.

FLORA

Yes, that’s just the senseless sort of thing he would say.

HESTER

(To TONY) Your mother’s still a bit upset. (Brightly) Well, how about a glass of sherry, everyone? I think that’s the remedy we all require. (To TONY) Though I hope you’re remembering to keep an eye on the time? We don’t want you late for your appointment.

TONY

(Glances at watch) No, I’m all right for another few minutes.

HESTER

Sherry, then?

TONY

Yes, please.

FLORA

It’s a couple of
hours
hence—that’s what worries me.

HESTER

Yes, darling; but you must do what you can not to let it.

FLORA

Besides, it isn’t even true. A hundred years hence it will make a vast amount of difference. If Tony gets a good job and a good income and mixes with nice people, then he’ll marry a better class of girl and have a better class of child. That child, as well, will mix with better types. In a hundred years’ time, therefore, his great-grandchildren could either be a credit to their country or just a drain on its resources. Why, with
this
girl he may not even have children; perhaps she won’t want any more. Of
course
it makes a difference!

TONY

(To HESTER; attempting lightness) See what a snob you’ve nurtured in your bosom!

FLORA

Yes, I may be a snob; but at least I’m honest about it. I do like nice things and I do like nice people. And anybody who says they don’t is only a hypocrite.

TONY

Don’t look at me. I also like nice things and nice people.

FLORA

So how many of them do you think you’re going to meet along the Mile End Road?

TONY

Yard for yard? Oh, about the same number, I suppose, that I’d meet around the corner, in West End Lane.

FLORA

Well, I’m sorry, but I beg to differ.

TONY

Then, Mum, that’s your prerogative and no one plans to take it from you.

HESTER

(To TONY) Darling, in view of your mother’s slightly distressed condition, you couldn’t perhaps give us a tiny hint, could you? About the choice you’re going to make regarding university?

TONY

Yes, that’s why I came back. But feeling as she does about the Mile End Road I can’t see that either choice would help to make her happy. I could become as educated as all get-out and still be leaving her dissatisfied.

HESTER

(Standing behind FLORA and making urgent gestures for TONY to see; yet managing to keep her tone quite light) Now, Tony, sweetheart. A little understanding, if you please.

TONY

(Impervious to the gestures; voice still full of repressed anger) Understanding of what?

HESTER

(Patiently) Understanding of the fact that others have their needs—not just yourself.

FLORA

Understanding of the fact that I don’t give a damn about your education! That I don’t want you going to live with some trollop in the East End whose boyfriend killed himself with drugs and whose children will turn out to be exactly like him! That I don’t want you mixing in bad company because…oh, yes, Tony, you may think I don’t know you but I promise you I do! I know how easily you can be influenced by whoever you happen to be around at the time! Live with riffraff…you turn into riffraff!

TONY

Then I’d better get out of here pretty quick, hadn’t I?

FLORA

Understanding of the fact that I won’t have you living with any woman. Not any woman—do you hear?—not even Carol Klingman. You’re nineteen, you’re a child. Some nineteen-year-olds, perhaps…But you—you’ve always been extremely immature, even at the best of times. A woman of twenty-four would make mincemeat of you, just twist you round her little finger—especially her type of woman. And you do realize, of course, that she’s only after the money she thinks you’ve got—not you, maybe, but your family? I suppose you do at least realize that? Because there’s no other reason—no other reason at all—why a woman of her age would ever want to go to bed with a boy like you. Did you think you were a man? No. You’re a meal ticket and she’s a prostitute!

HESTER

Flora, Flora, stop this, do you hear? You don’t know what you’re saying. You too, Tony, stop it! Show her that you aren’t so young—that you’re quite man enough to make allowances. In fact, darling, I think you ought to go. I’ll get her to bed; she’s going to spend the night here. Why don’t you just slip away quietly? Then you can come back tomorrow or the next day—whenever it’s convenient.

TONY

I shan’t need to. I can give you my decision now.

HESTER

I meant simply, come back to find out how she is. And to give her a chance to say she’s sorry. To make your peace with one another.

TONY

Do you realize, when I came in here I was all prepared to do as she wanted—to do as you both wanted? To accept your terms. Sitting there in my usual armchair, talking to Mr Davis, listening to him reminisce just as I’ve done for roughly the past dozen years…I don’t know…I began to think…just listening to him talk about Tennyson…But now—

HESTER

I don’t want to hear about
but now
! In the first place you’re not in the right frame of mind and in the second (Indicating his mother) at present I have more important matters to attend to.

TONY

I shall be leaving college and I don’t want any of your money. Nor my father’s.

HESTER

I told you that I don’t want to hear! We’re just not listening to you at the moment.

FLORA

(To TONY) And I suppose you
are
going to live with her and destroy yourself? Just like that other man did?

TONY

Yes, quite probably. And I’ll be sleeping with her every night, as well. Every night—do you hear? You’ll recognize me by the bags beneath my eyes.

HESTER

I’m not hearing you. I can’t hear you. (Trying to push TONY to the door; failing; opening it and standing at it herself; calling) Mary! Mary! Please come and show Mr Anthony out. He’s just leaving. Please come and show him to the door.

FLORA

(To TONY) You’re disgusting. You—are—disgusting! And I shan’t recognize you by the bags beneath your eyes, because I shan’t be seeing you again. Whenever you come here I shan’t be home, and you certainly needn’t think that I’ll ever visit you in the Mile End Road—or at your potato crisp factory—because I wish to make it plain right now: I shan’t.