Father of the Man (41 page)

Authors: Stephen Benatar

BOOK: Father of the Man

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Enter MARY; smilingly oblivious.

MARY

(To HESTER) About a minute ago Mr Davis came into the kitchen asking if it was time for tea! And he didn’t even know that Mr Tony was here—not until you called out just now. Poor old fellow. He’s really very sweet. (To TONY) And he sends you his compliments and hopes you’re well; and if you should happen to have a few minutes left to spare there’s something he’d like to say to you about some poetry by Mr Tennyson.

She laughs. This interruption has given TONY a moment to cool down. He just stands there, stricken and deflated, looking about the room, as if imagining it could be for the last time.

TONY	You know I didn’t mean all that.
HESTER	I’m afraid we never seem to know for very long what you do mean or what you don’t. (To MARY) Mr Anthony is just leaving. Will you show him to the door, please.
TONY	I said I was sorry, didn’t I? What more do you want?
HESTER	(Hard) We want to know whether you’ll be staying on at college. You say you’re sorry? Well, let us see that. I’m afraid sorry is as sorry does.
FLORA	(Hard) And we want to know whether you’ll be keeping clear of that prostitute.

TONY shakes his head in disbelief, making his answer to both these questions abundantly clear.

HESTER

(To MARY) Then will you just do as I ask, please, and show my grandson out? No, that’s not right. From now on I have no grandson. Therefore, will you just do as I ask, please, and show this person out?

MARY stands at the door, helpless, unhappy, holding it open. TONY shrugs and walks towards it.

HESTER

(Cont.; to TONY) But, first…(TONY pauses) I want you to understand this completely. That unless you change your mind—on both points—on
both
points, mark you—then not only your mother but I as well will never wish to set eyes on you ever again.
Ever
! And you needn’t think to come crawling back to us as soon as you find yourself in some kind of a fix, because—Mary, do you hear this?—this gentleman is never to step foot inside this flat again, unless I’ve first given you express permission to admit him.(To TONY) And I suppose you realize what that means? Not only will you be cut off from your family but also from any kind of benefit I have no doubt you hoped to gain when any of that family died. Nowhere to call home; nowhere to spend Christmas; nowhere to be nursed when you are ill…You have until Monday to consider this.

TONY looks at FLORA. FLORA says nothing. She and her mother make a solid front.

HESTER	(Cont.) And it also means—please bear this in mind—it also means that you won’t be seeing Mr Davis. Does that carry a little more weight? Invariably he asks, “Is Mr Tony-sir coming for dinner tonight?” Every day of the week. Every day of his life. Without fail. “Is Mr Tony-sir coming for dinner tonight?”
TONY	(Hesitates; ironic) I imagine you won’t stop me from writing to him?
HESTER	(Shrugs) No, I can’t stop you from writing to him. And any letter you send him, of course, will be faithfully delivered. But any letter you write to us will be put back in the box, unopened.
FLORA	Address unknown! So you’ll never get it back. You’ll never quite know.
TONY	Fine. Well, that suits me all right. Goodbye, then.
HESTER	You have until Monday, remember. (TONY doesn’t stop in his journey to the door) And while we’re about it—remember something else. That obstinacy—and wanting to appear strong, in control, unbeatable—has always been one of the greatest forms of weakness there is. In the end it will destroy you.
TONY	(Pausing only briefly) Goodbye.
HESTER	You realize you’ll regret this?
TONY	Yes. I realize that whichever course I take I shall almost certainly regret it.

He goes. MARY closes the door behind them both. FLORA stands looking at the door. Her face suddenly crumples. HESTER goes to her, puts her arms about her, leads her to a chair; FLORA allows herself to be led. HESTER finally pours the sherry.

FLORA	I was just remembering, how he took me out to dinner on my birthday. And this lovely bracelet that he bought. (Holds up her arm to display the bracelet)
HESTER	Don’t worry. He’ll be back. For all his pathetic show of independence.

She brings FLORA a glass of sherry. Raises her own, in a toast. At first she has to make a real effort to sound positive; but then, admirably fast, begins to find it easier.

HESTER

(Cont.) Yes, happy days, my angel! Oh, Flora, that’s right: let’s drink to happy days—to over a thousand of them! Happy, happy days! Filled with treats and outings; theatres, concerts; holidays abroad! A little game called
Making up for lost time
! Yes, the lovely little game of making up for lost time…And how about this, my love, as soon as we can put it into practice? Should we invite them here to lunch one Sunday—say, the Sunday after next—and then take them into Golders Hill Park; either that or up to the Heath or over to the Zoo? (Pause) Can you still, I wonder, be given rides on the backs of animals? As a child, how I used to love going for donkey rides along the sands! In any case we’ll buy them ice-creams…or candy floss if they’d prefer it…and buckets and spades if they don’t already have them…and take them somewhere very nice for tea, possibly find a little place that overlooks the bay? (Pause) Oh, but there’s one thing I definitely do know, my precious—and please don’t look so shocked or disbelieving—one thing I shall most definitely be able to promise you. (Pause; raises her sherry glass again, as if to add extra weight to such a heartfelt declaration) I’m going to do everything that lies within my power to make you happy…so
very
happy, my darling…
all of you
…and there’s absolutely nothing in this world that’s ever going to stop me!

She sips her drink, while pleasurably contemplating the possibilities already busily suggesting themselves—and, slowly,

very slowly, the curtain falls.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover design by Gabriela Sahagun

ISBN: 978-1-4976-8229-0

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