Remembrance and Pantomime (16 page)

JACKSON

     That ain’t Crusoe, that is “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

(
He pronounces it “Marina”
)

HARRY

     Mariner.

JACKSON

     Marina.

HARRY

     Mariner.

JACKSON

     “The Rime of the Ancient Marina.” So I learn it in Fourth Standard.

HARRY

     It’s your country, mate.

JACKSON

     Is your language, pardner. I stand corrected. Now, you ain’t see English crazy? I could sit down right next to you and tell you I
stand
corrected.

HARRY

     Sorry. Where were we, Mr. Phillip?

JACKSON

     Tobago. Where are you? It was your cue, Mr. Trewe.

HARRY

     Where was I, then?

JACKSON

     Ahhhm … That speech you was reading … that speech …

HARRY

     Speech?

JACKSON

     “O silent sea and so on … wreathed in mist…” Shall we take it from there, then? The paper.

HARRY

     I should know it. After all, I wrote it. But prompt …

(
HARRY
gives
JACKSON
his copy of the paper, rises, walks around, looks toward the sea
)

     Creole or classical?

JACKSON

     Don’t make joke.

(
Silence. Sea-gull cries
)

HARRY

     Then Crusoe, in his desolation, looks out to the sea, for the ten thousandth time, and remembers England, his wife, his little son, and speaks to himself:

(
As Crusoe
)

     “O silent sea, O wondrous sunset that I’ve gazed on ten thousand times, who will rescue me from this complete desolation? Yes, this is paradise, I know. For I see around me the splendors of nature. The ferns, the palms like silent sentinels, the wide and silent lagoons that briefly hold my passing, solitary reflection. The volcano wreathed in mist. But what is paradise without a woman? Adam in paradise had his woman to share his loneliness … loneliness …

JACKSON

(
Prompts
)

     … but I miss the voice …

HARRY

(
Remembering
)

     “But I miss the voice …

(
Weeping, but speaking clearly
)

     of even one consoling creature, the touch … of a hand … the look of kind eyes … Where is the wife from whom I vowed … never to be sundered? How old is my little son? If he could see his father like this … dressed in goatskins and mad with memories of them?”

(
He breaks down, quietly sobbing. A long pause
)

JACKSON

     You crying or you acting?

HARRY

     Acting.

JACKSON

     I think you crying. Nobody could act that good.

HARRY

     How would you know? You an actor?

JACKSON

     Maybe not. But I cry a’ready.

HARRY

     Okay, I was crying.

JACKSON

     For what?

HARRY

(
Laughs
)

     For what? I got carried away. I’m okay now.

JACKSON

     But you laughing now.

HARRY

     It’s the same sound. You can’t tell the difference if I turn my back.

JACKSON

     Don’t make joke.

HARRY

     It’s an old actor’s trick. I’m going to cry now, all right.

(
He turns, then sobs with laughter, covering and uncovering his face with his hands.
JACKSON
stalks around, peers at him, then begins to giggle. They are now both laughing
)

JACKSON

(
Through laughter
)

     So … so … next Friday … when the tourists come … Crusoe … Crusoe go be ready for them … Goat race …

HARRY

(
Laughing
)

     Goat-roti!

JACKSON

(
Laughing
)

     Gambling.

HARRY

(
Baffled
)

     Gambling?

JACKSON

     Goat-to-pack. Every night …

HARRY

(
Laughing
)

     Before they goat-to-bed!

JACKSON

(
Laughing
)

     So he striding up the beach with his little goat-ee …

HARRY

(
Laughing
)

     E-goat-istical, again.

(
Pause
)

JACKSON

     You get the idea. So, you okay, Mr. Trewe?

HARRY

     I’m fine, Mr. Phillip. You know …

(
He wipes his eyes
)

     An angel passes through a house and leaves no imprint of his shadow on its wall. A man’s life slowly changes and he does not understand the change. Things like this have happened before, and they can happen again. You understand, Jackson? You see what it is I’m saying?

JACKSON

     You making a mole hill out of a mountain, sir. But I think I follow you. You know what all this make me decide, pardner?

HARRY

     What?

(
JACKSON
picks up the umbrella, puts on the goatskin hat
)

JACKSON

     I going back to the gift that’s my God-given calling. I benignly resign, you fire me. With inspiration. Caiso is my true work, caiso is my true life.

(
Sings
)

     
Well, a Limey name Trewe come to Tobago.

     
He was in show business but he had no show,

     
so in desperation he turn to me

     
and said: “Mr. Phillip” is the two o’ we,

     
one classical actor and one Creole,

     
let we act together with we heart and soul.

     
It go be man to man, and we go do it fine,

     
and we go give it the title of pantomime.

     
La da dee da da da

     
dee da da da da da …

(
He is singing as if in a spotlight. Music, audience applause.
HARRY
joins in
)

     Wait! Wait! Hold it!

(
Silence: walks over to
HARRY
)

     Starting from Friday, Robinson, we could talk ’bout a raise?

(
Fadeout
)

Note

Act One

BY DEREK WALCOTT

Selected Poems

The Gulf

Dream on Monkey Mountain
and Other Plays

Another Life

Sea Grapes

The Joker of Seville
and
O Babylon!:
Two Plays

The Star-Apple Kingdom

Remembrance
and
Pantomime:
Two Plays

Copyright © 1980 by Derek Walcott

All rights reserved

First printing, 1980

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eISBN 9781466880429

First eBook edition: August 2014

CAUTION
:    
Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that the plays of Derek Walcott in this book are fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States, the British Empire including the Dominion of Canada, and all other countries of the Copyright Union, and are subject to royalty. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages, are strictly reserved. Particular emphasis is laid on the question of readings, permission for which must be obtained in writing from the author’s agent. All inquiries should be addressed to the author’s representative, Bridget Aschenberg, International Creative Management, 40 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019.