The Cryptogram Page 3
DEL: That’s right.
DONNY: But why does that come out now?
And I’ll tell you one other thing.
Let him be jealous. What if he was? Yes. I think he needs to spend more time with his father; and, yes, I think that he has to learn the world does not revolve around him. (Pause.)
Oh, Lord. I’ll tell you. No. You’re right. It’s guilt. It’s guilt. I’m guilty. I get to spend one weekend on my own. And I’m consumed with guilt.
DEL (of photo): Who took this picture? (Pause. DONNY looks at it.)
DONNY: I don’t know.
DEL: Eh? Who could have taken it?
DONNY: Huh. (Pause.) I don’t …
DEL: Do you see? If we’re all in it? (Pause.)
That’s why I don’t remember it.
DONNY: I … (Pause.) Isn’t that funny …?
DEL: That’s why I don’t remember it. (Pause.) I knew there was a reason. (Pause.)
DONNY: Lord, I found so much stuff up there.
DEL: … up …?
DONNY: In the attic. The stadium blanket, the
DEL: I recognized that.
DONNY: The blanket. Well I hope so.
DEL: How could he think he tore it?
DONNY: … I …
DEL: He’d seen it for years.
DONNY: … so long ago …
DEL: Isn’t it …? (Pause.)
Do you know, at the Hotel. I collect things. I’m amazed. I clean my room out. Every few months. I’m amazed. I always think I’ve kept it bare. But when I clean it out. I find this mass of things I have accumulated.
DONNY: They, what are they, mostly?
DEL: Papers. (Pause.)
DONNY: I went to the Point.
DEL: You did?
DONNY: I walked down there. Yes.
DEL: Recently?
DONNY: Yes. (Pause.)
And I remembered. When the Three of us would go. Late at night. Before the war.
DEL: I remember.
DONNY: And Robert and I. Would make love under a blanket. And I wondered. After all this time, why it never occurred to me. I don’t know. But I wondered. Did you hear us; and, if you did. If it upset you. (Pause.)
DEL: And you’ve thought about it all this time.
DONNY: That’s right.
DEL: Oh, Donny.
DONNY: Did it upset you?
DEL: Aren’t you sweet … aren’t you sweet to worry.
DONNY: Did it?
DEL: Well. I …
JOHN (waking): What did they say? What?
DONNY: Go to sleep, John.
JOHN: I was going there. But you said to bring the, bring … (Pause.) Bring them the … (Pause.)
DONNY: John:
JOHN: … huh …
DONNY: It’s alright.
JOHN: What did they talk about?
DONNY: John …
JOHN: I don’t like it. I don’t like it. No.
DONNY: John …
JOHN: I … What? No. No. I don’t want to. (Pause.) Is my father back yet?
DONNY: No. Why don’t you go and get in bed …
JOHN: When is he coming back?
DONNY: Very soon, I think.
JOHN: He is?
DONNY: Yes. Is that alright?
JOHN (of photograph): You asked if the shirt you’re wearing is his shirt.
DEL: What?
JOHN: … in the photograph.
DEL: Is that His Shirt.
JOHN: You asked that.
DEL: Yes.
JOHN: Well, does it look like his shirt?
DEL: It’s hard to tell. The picture is old …
JOHN (to DONNY): I didn’t tear the blanket?
DONNY: No.
JOHN: You’re certain.
DONNY: We’ve had it for years.
JOHN: I don’t remember it.
DONNY: Yes. You would. If you thought about it.
JOHN: What was it?
DONNY: What? Go to sleep.
JOHN: What did you use it for?
DONNY: What did I use it for?
A coverlet.
JOHN: To keep you warm.
DONNY: That’s right.
JOHN: A coverlet.
DONNY: Yes.
JOHN: Where did it come from? The blanket.
DONNY: Where? In England.
JOHN: England.
DONNY: Yes. From an Arcade.
JOHN: Arcade …
DONNY: With stores on either side.
JOHN: Did you buy it together?
DONNY: No. I bought it when he was away.
JOHN: Away.
DONNY: Yes. One day.
JOHN: Away in the War.
DONNY: That’s right. (Pause.)
JOHN: Did you miss him when he was gone?
DONNY: Yes, I did.
JOHN: What did you think about?
DONNY: (Pause.) Many things.
JOHN: What things did you think of?
DONNY: I don’t know. Many things.
JOHN: Were you frightened for him?
DONNY: Yes. I was.
JOHN: Did you tell him?
DONNY: We used to go out. To the Country, you know …
JOHN: Is it wool …
DONNY: When he’d come back. Walk in a field, or …
JOHN: Is it wool?
DONNY: I’m sorry?
JOHN: Is it wool. The blanket.
DONNY: Do you know. When you were small. You slept in it. All of the time. We covered you.
JOHN: Why did you stop using it.
DONNY: We put it away.
JOHN: Why?
DONNY: It was torn. (Pause.) And now you go to sleep.
JOHN: Mother—Do you ever think you hear singing?
DONNY: I don’t know what you mean.
JOHN: Singing.
DONNY: I don’t know what you mean, John.
JOHN: At night. When you are asleep. Before you go to sleep.
DONNY: I don’t know.
JOHN: … and you hear …
DONNY: … it’s time for bed, now …
JOHN: … or you think you hear a radio …
DONNY: … a radio …
JOHN: Playing music. And you think. “Yes. I know. That’s a radio.” And you listen. But then, you say: “It’s just in my head.” But you can listen to it. It goes on. (Pause.) Or voices.
DONNY: You hear voices?
JOHN: Just before you go to sleep. Do you ever do that? (Pause.) I hear them. Outside my room.
DONNY: What are they saying?
JOHN: Do you ever do that?
DONNY: I don’t know.
DEL: What are your voices saying?
JOHN (simultaneous with “saying”): Tell me how the blanket was torn.
DONNY: You go to sleep now, John.
JOHN: I want to see my father.
DONNY: Yes. But now you go to sleep.
JOHN: It’s time to go to sleep.
DONNY: That’s right.
JOHN: Is that right?
DONNY: You have a big …
JOHN: Tomorrow.
DONNY: Yes.
JOHN: I’m going, you know, I’m going to do that thing.
DONNY: What thing is that?
JOHN: The Game.
DONNY: … the Game.
JOHN: To remember. With him.
DONNY: The game. Yes. (JOHN starts upstairs.) You take the blanket.
JOHN: To observe.
DONNY: Mmm …
JOHN: … but it would have to be some thing that would surprise us.
DONNY: That’s right.
JOHN: When we look around.
(He continues up the stairs. Stops to lean over the landing. Looking down at the mantelpiece.)
So, I’ll ask my Dad. First thing. “You tell me the name of an object.” Or a “collection of things” … you know what I mean …
DEL: … that’s right.
JOHN: “As we approach the Cabin.”
DONNY: Mm …
JOHN: “To test ou
r skills.”
DONNY: … mm.
JOHN: But it doesn’t have to be the Cabin.
DEL: No …
JOHN: It could be anywhere …
DEL: That’s right.
JOHN: It could be anywhere at all.
DEL: That’s right. As long as it’s some thing. You have determined to observe.
JOHN: Yes. It could be right here …
DEL: That’s absolutely right.
DONNY (goes to him with the blanket) (simultaneous with “and”): … and take the blanket …
DEL: Goodnight. John.
(JOHN picks up white envelope.)
DONNY (of envelope): What have you got?
JOHN: Goodnight.
DONNY: … what is that?
JOHN: It’s a letter … It’s a note for you. (She takes it, opens it.) And it could be something right here, anything that, that, it would have to be something new … something that would
DONNY: … that’s right …
JOHN: … surprise us.
DONNY: … when did this get here …?
JOHN: … you see?
DONNY: John. Go to bed. Now. Yes.
JOHN: Do you see?
DONNY: Go to bed.
JOHN: Alright. I understand. I’m going.
DEL: Goodnight, John. (JOHN exits.)
DEL: What is it?
DONNY: It’s a letter to me. (Pause.)
DEL: A letter. (Pause.) What does it say?
DONNY: My husband’s leaving me.
DEL: He’s leaving you. (Pause.) Why would he want to do that …?
End of ONE
TWO
The next night.
JOHN, in his bathrobe, and DONNY.
JOHN: I thought that maybe there was nothing there. (Pause.) I thought that nothing was there. Then I was looking at my book. I thought “Maybe there’s nothing in my book.” It talked about the buildings. Maybe there’s nothing in the buildings. And … or on my globe. You know my globe? You know my globe?
DONNY: Yes.
JOHN: Maybe there’s nothing on the thing that it is of. We don’t know what’s there. We don’t know that those things are there.
DONNY: I’ve been there. To many of them.
JOHN: Or in buildings we have not been in. Or in history. In the history of things. Or thought. (Pause.) I was lying there, and maybe there is no such thing as thought. Who says there is? Or human beings. And we are a dream. Who knows we are here? No one knows we are. We are a dream. We are just dreaming. I know we are. Or else … or else … (Pause.) … and how do we know the things we know? We don’t know what’s real. And all we do is say things. (Pause.) Where do we get them from? And, or that things, go on forever. (Pause.) Or that we’re born. Or that dead people moan. Or that, or that there’s hell. And maybe we are there. Maybe there are people who’ve been there. Or, or else why should we think it? That’s what I don’t know. And maybe everything is true. Maybe it’s true that I’m sitting here …
DONNY: Johnnie.
JOHN: What …?
DONNY: I think …
JOHN: … don’t you think?
DONNY: … you have to …
JOHN: No, I don’t.
DONNY: Please, please do, though.
JOHN: I don’t want to, though. (DEL enters.) (Of DEL.) That’s what I mean. I don’t want to … didn’t you, mother. Mother …
DONNY (to DEL): Did you …
DEL (simultaneous with “you”): No.
DONNY: Did you find him?
DEL (to JOHN): How are you? (To DONNY.) No.
JOHN: I’m fine.
DONNY: Where did you look?
DEL: The Windemere, and then I stopped at Jimmy’s.
DONNY: Did you try The Eagle?
DEL: No. (Unpacking his paper bag.) How has he …
DONNY: Why not? Why not?
DEL: I’m sorry … why not what?
DONNY (simultaneous with “what”): Why didn’t you go to the …
DEL: … I thought you were going to call them.
DONNY: Why should I call them, if they’ll say he wasn’t there? Even if he is there …?
DEL (simultaneous with “there”): I thought you were going to call them.
DONNY (simultaneous with “call”): No. I never said that.
DEL: Well, then, I made a mistake. (He is preparing syrup from medicine bottle.)
DONNY: How much was it?
DEL: I told them to charge it to you. (Holding spoon.) (To JOHN.) Open your mouth.
JOHN: I don’t want to take that stuff.
DONNY: You’re going to take it and you’re going to sleep.
JOHN: No. I’m not sleepy.
DONNY: Take the medicine. Did you hear me? You’re sick, and you’re going to bed.
JOHN: I can’t sleep.
DEL: … that’s why …
JOHN: Every time I go to sleep I see things …
DONNY: You must …
DEL: That’s, that’s why you have to take the medicine, John.
JOHN (simultaneous with “John”): No. I’m not tired.
DONNY: Do you want to go to the Hospital?
JOHN: No.
DONNY: No? Did you hear what The Doctor said?
JOHN: No.
DEL: … what did he say?
DONNY: I want you to go to bed now.
DEL: You heard your mother.
JOHN: No. No.
DONNY: Johnnie …
JOHN: No one understands. You think that I’m in something … You don’t know what I’m feeling.
DEL: What are you feeling? (Pause.) Are you afraid to go to bed?
JOHN: Yes.
DONNY: Why?
DEL: What are you afraid of in there?
JOHN: I don’t know.
DONNY: I … I … I know it frightens you …
JOHN: I don’t want to go to sleep.
DEL: Alright, alright, I’m going to promise you … look at me. John. I’m going to promise you if you take this and … you take this and go upstairs then you won’t be afraid. I promise. (Pause.) I promise you. (Pause.)
JOHN: I sweat through the sheets …
DEL: We’ll change …
JOHN: … the bed is wet.
DEL: We’ll change, we’ll change the sheets, you don’t have to worry.
DONNY: You go lie down in my bed.
DEL: … you lie down in your mother’s bed. (Pause.) You go lie down there.
JOHN: I’m going to sweat them.
DEL: That’s alright. Do you hear what I’m telling you …? (Pause.)
JOHN: Maybe I’ll just … maybe I’ll just go there … maybe I’ll just go there and lie down.
DONNY: Yes. You go and lie down now. You take this, now. (DEL gives JOHN his medicine.)
JOHN: Do you know why I took it, cause I’m tired.
DEL: I’m sure you are.
JOHN: … cause I’ve been up all day …
DEL: I know you have. And I know how that feels.
JOHN: I … I …
DONNY: … you go to bed now.
DEL: John? “My blessings on this house …,” the Wizard said.
JOHN: When is my father coming for me …?
DONNY: Shhhh.
JOHN: … No. I don’t understand.
DONNY: Shh. It’s alright.
JOHN: What’s happening to me …?
DONNY (embracing him): It’s alright. Hush. You go to bed. It’s alright. John. Shh. You’ve only got a fever. Shhh …
DEL: … you’re fine …
DONNY: You go upstairs now. Shhh. You go upstairs now, John … (She starts him upstairs. Comes down.)
DEL: … I looked every place I thought that he would be …
DONNY: I’m sorry.
DEL: But I couldn’t find him. (Pause.) Do you want a drink?
DONNY: No. (Pause.)
DEL: I’m sorry that I couldn’t find him. (Pause.) Would you like me to go out again?
DONNY: No. (Pause.)
DEL: Would you
like to play Casino?
DONNY: No.
DEL: No, you’re right, that’s stupid. Oh God, oh God, that’s stupid. (Pause.) Would you like to play Gin?
DONNY: Del …
DEL: Yeah. Do you see what I mean when I talk about myself? (Pause.) But would you like to?
DONNY: Let’s have a drink.
DEL: Well. I know I know I’m limited.
(DEL goes to the liquor cabinet, examines bottles.)
There’s only a new one.
DONNY: That’s alright, open it. Enough. Enough for one day. I don’t care. (Pause.) I don’t care anymore. I swear to God.
(DEL takes out bottle, takes out his knife, opens it.)
DEL (of bottle): I think that this is good for you. (Pause.) You know why …? Because it’s a ceremony. To, to delimit umm
DONNY: A ceremony.
DEL: Of … of what? Of, of inebriation, certainly, of, of of well, of togetherness … I don’t know. (He goes to the kitchen, comes out with two glasses and the bottle.) (Pours two glasses.)
DONNY: Thank you.
DEL: Uh … Days May Come and Days May Go … (Pause.) Well, that’s true enough.
DONNY: Isn’t it?
DEL: I think so. (Pause.) Days May Come and Go.
DONNY: And May we Always be as …
DEL: Yes.
DONNY: As …
DEL: Unified …
DONNY: Well, let’s pick something more moving than that.
DEL: Alright … be . be . be . be-nighted? No, that’s not the word I want to use … be-trothed …? No.
DONNY: Close …
DEL: Yes.
DONNY: Close to each other.
DEL: As we happen to be right now. (Pause.)
DONNY: Fine.
DEL: (Pause.) And … May the Spirit of Friendship … (Pause.) oh, the hell with it. I mean, can’t people just have a drink … for the love of God? (They drink.) Bec, because I swear, because I think there’s just too much.
In trial … in adversity … (Pause) and you can’t, you can’t go always look …
DONNY: Go Looking for answers …
DEL: No.
DONNY: … you’re absolutely right …
DEL: In introspection. (Pause.)
You know, at times of trial …
DONNY: hmm …
DEL: Do you hear what I’m telling you?
DONNY: Yes.
DEL: … and they come for us all.
DONNY: … Oh, Lord.
DEL: Yes. They do. Then many times the answer comes. In reaching out. Or, do you know what? In getting drunk.
DONNY: … in drinking.
DEL: Be. Because, you know? Then you forget. (Pause.) And I don’t give a damn. (Pause.) In this shithole. (Pause.) Well. I’m not going to dwell upon it. (Pause.) You drink, and then, when you remember again—this is the good part—when you remember again … (Pause.) It’s later on. And time has dulled your, your … you know, for whatever portion of time that, that you forgot. (Pause.)