Tea and Sympathy (9 page)

The time is two days later.

 

 

As the curtain rises, AL is standing at the public telephone fastened
to the wall on the first landing. He seems to be doing more listening
than talking.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Yeah . . .

 

 

(He patiently waits through a long tirade)

 

 

Yeah, Dad. I know, Dad . . . No, I haven't done anything about it, yet
. . . Yes, Mr. Hudson says he has a room in his house for me next year
. . . But I haven't done anything about it here yet . . . Yeah, okay,
Dad . . . I know what you mean . . .

 

 

(Gets angry)

 

 

I swear to God I don't . . . I lived with him a year, and I don't . . .
All right, okay, Dad . . . No, don't you call. I'll do it. Right now.

 

 

(He hangs up. He stands and puts his hands in his pocket and tries to
think this out. It's something he doesn't like.)

 

 

 

 

RALPH
(Comes in the house door and starts up the steps)

 

 

Hey, Al?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Yeah?

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

The guys over at the Beta house want to know has it happened yet?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Has what happened?

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Has Tom made a pass at you yet?

 

 

 

 

AL
(Reaches out to swat RALPH)

 

 

For crying out loud!

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Okay, okay! You can borrow my chastity belt if you need it.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

That's not funny.

 

 

 

 

RALPH
(Shifting his meaning to hurt AL)

 

 

No, I know it's not. The guys on the ball team don't think it's funny
at all.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

What do you mean?

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

The guy they're supposed to elect captain rooming with a queer.

 

 

 

 

AL
(Looks at him for a moment, then rejects the idea)

 

 

Aw . . . knock it off, huh!

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

So you don't believe me . . . Wait and see.

 

 

(Putting on a dirty grin)

 

 

Anyway, my mother said I should save myself for the girl I marry. Hell,
how would you like to have to tell your wife, "Honey, I've been saving
myself for you, except for one night when a guy -- "

 

 

(AL roughs RALPH up with no intention of hurting him)

 

 

Okay, okay. So you don't want to be captain of the baseball team.
So who the hell cares. I don't, I'm sure.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Look. Why don't you mind your own business?

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

What the hell fun would there be in that?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Ralph, Tom's a nice kid.

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Yeah. That's why all the guys leave the shower room at the gym when he
walks in.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

When?

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Yesterday . . . Today. You didn't hear about it?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

No. What are they trying to do?

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Hell, they don't want some queer looking at them and --

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Oh, can it! Go on up and bury your horny nose in your
Art Models
magazine.

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

At least I'm normal. I like to look at pictures of naked girls, not men,
the way Tom does.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Jeeze, I'm gonna push your face in in a --

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Didn't you notice all those strong man poses he's got in his bottom
drawer?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Yes, I've noticed them. His old man wants him to be a muscle man, and
he wrote away for this course in muscle building and they send those
pictures. Any objections?

 

 

 

 

RALPH

 

 

Go on, stick up for him. Stick your neck out. You'll get it chopped off
with a baseball bat, you crazy bastard.

 

 

(Exits upstairs. AL looks at the phone, then up the way RALPH went. He is
upset. He throws himself into a few push-ups, using the bannisters. Then
still not happy with what he's doing, he walks down the stairs and knocks
on the study door.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Comes from inside the house and opens the door)

 

 

Oh, hello, Al.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Is Mr. Reynolds in?

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Why, no, he isn't. Can I do something?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

I guess I better drop down when he's in.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

All right. I don't really expect him home till after supper tonight.

 

 

 

 

AL
(Thinks for a moment)

 

 

Well . . . well, you. might tell him just so's he'll know and can make
other plans . . . I won't be rooming in this house next year. This is
the last day for changing, and I want him to know that.

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(Moves into the room to get a cigarette)

 

 

I see. Well, I know he'll be sorry to hear that, Al.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

I'm going across the street to Harmon House.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Both you and Tom going over?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

No.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Oh.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Just me.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I see. Does Tom know this?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

No. I haven't told him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

You'll have to tell him, won't you, so he'll be able to make other plans.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Yes, I suppose so.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Al, won't you sit down for a moment, please?

 

 

(AL hesitates, but comes in and sits down. Offers AL a cigarette)

 

 

Cigarette?

 

 

 

 

(Reaches for one automatically, then stops)

 

 

No, thanks. I'm in training.

 

 

(He slips a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket to his trousers
pocket.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

That's right. I'm going to watch you play Saturday afternoon.

 

 

(AL smiles at her)

 

 

You're not looking forward to telling Tom, are you, Al?

 

 

(AL shakes his head, "No")

 

 

I suppose I can guess why you're not rooming with him next year.

 

 

(AL shrugs his shoulders)

 

 

I wonder if you know how much it has meant for him to room with you this
year. It's done a lot for him too. It's given him a confidence to know
he was rooming with one of the big men of the school.

 

 

 

 

AL
(Embarrassed)

 

 

Oh . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

You wouldn't understand what it means to be befriended. You're one of
the strong people. I'm surprised, Al.

 

 

 

 

AL
(Blurting it out)

 

 

My father's called me three times. How he ever found out about Harris
and Tom, I don't know. But he did. And some guy called him and asked him,
"Isn't that the boy your son is rooming with?" . . . and he wants me to
change for next year.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

What did you tell your father?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

I told him Tom wasn't so bad, and . . . I'd better wait and see
Mr. Reynolds.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Al, you've lived with Tom. You know him better than anyone else knows him.
If you do this, it's as good as finishing him so far as this school is
concerned, and maybe farther.

 

 

AL
(Almost whispering it)

 

 

Well, he does act sort of queer, Mrs. Reynolds. He . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

YOu never said this before. You never paid any attention before.
What do you mean, "queer?"

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Well, like the fellows say, he sort of walks lightly, if you know what
I mean. Sometimes the way he moves . . . the things he talks about . . .
long hair music all the time.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

All right. He wants to be a singer. So he talks about it.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

He's never had a girl up for any of the dances.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Al, there are good explanations for all these things you're saying.
They're silly . . . and prejudiced . . . and arguments all dug up
to suit a point of view. They're all after the fact.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

I'd better speak to Mr. Reynolds.

 

 

(He starts for the door.)

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Al, look at me.

 

 

(She holds his eyes for a long time, wondering whether to say what she
wants to say.)

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Yes?

 

 

 

 

LAURA
(She decides to do it)

 

 

Al, what if I were to start the rumor tomorrow that you were . . .
well, queer, as you put it.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

No one would believe it.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Why not?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Well, because . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

Because you're big and brawny and an athlete. What they call a top guy
and a hard hitter?

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Well, yes.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

You've got some things to learn, Al. I've been around a little, and I've
met men, just like you -- same setup -- who weren't men, some of them
married and with children.

 

 

 

 

AL

 

 

Mrs. Reynolds, you wouldn't do a thing like that.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

No, Al, I probably wouldn't. But I could, and I almost
would
to show
you how easy it is to smear a person, and once I got them believing it,
you'd be surprised how quickly your . . . manly virtues would be changed
into suspicious characteristics.

 

 

 

 

AL
(Has been standing with his hands on his hips. LAURA looks pointedly
at this stance. AL thrusts his hands down to his side, and then behind
his back)

 

 

Mrs. Reynolds, I got a chance to be captain of the baseball team next
year.

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

I know. And I have no right to ask you to give up that chance. But I wish
somehow or other you could figure out a way . . . so it wouldn't hurt Tom.

 

 

(TOM comes in the hall and goes up the stairs. He's pretty broken up,
and mad. After a few moments he appears in his room, shuts the door,
and sits on the bed, trying to figure something out.)

 

 

 

 

AL
(As TOM enters house)

 

 

Well . . .

 

 

 

 

LAURA

 

 

That's Tom now.