Jane Bowles - My Sister's Hand in Mine - The Collected Works of Jane Bowles

LIONEL What?

VIVIAN Our restaurant.

LIONEL What restaurant?

VIVIAN Our restaurant. The one we’re going to open together, right now, as soon as we can. I’ll tell you about it … But only on one condition … You have to promise you won’t put a damper on it, and tell me it’s not practical.

( Shaking him. )

LIONEL ( Bored ) All right.

VIVIAN Well, this is it. I’m going to sell all the jewelry my grandmother left me and we’re going on a trip. We’re going to some city I don’t know which but some big city that will be as far from here as we can get. Then we’ll take jobs and when we have enough money we’ll start a restaurant. We could start it on credit with just the barest amount of cash. It’s not going to be just an ordinary restaurant but an odd one where everyone sits on cushions instead of on chairs. We could dress the waiters up in those flowing Turkish bloomers and serve very expensive oriental foods, all night long. It will be called Restaurant Midnight. Can you picture it?

LIONEL ( Very bored ) Well, yes … in a way …

VIVIAN Well, I can see the whole thing … very small lamps and perfume in the air, no menus, just silent waiters … bringing in elaborate dishes one after the other … and music. We could call it “Minuit”… as it is in French … But either way we must leave soon … I can’t go on this way with my mother snooping around … I can’t be tied down … I’ve tried running off before, when I felt desperate … But things didn’t work out … maybe because I never had a real friend before … But now I have you — ( She stops, suddenly aware of MOLLY— then with a certain diffidence ) and Molly, of course, she must come too — we understand each other even if she is still waters run deep. She has to escape from her mother too …

(MOLLY starts at the word “mother.” Her face blackens. )

LIONEL Molly, you’re shivering … Why didn’t you say something? ( Looking up ) The sun’s gone behind a cloud, no wonder you’re cold … I can go back to the house and get you a jacket, unless you want to come along and go home now too. (MOLLY does not move ) I’ll go and get it. Sit nearer the rocks you’ll be out of the wind. Vivian, do you want something heavier than that?

( Points to her robe. )

VIVIAN No, thanks. I’m much too excited about Restaurant Midnight to notice anything. Besides I’m not very conscious of the physical. (LIONEL exits. MOLLY gets up and walks to the rocks leading to the cliff ) Have you ever eaten Armenian vine leaves with little pine nuts inside of them?

(MOLLY is climbing the rocks. )

MOLLY Don’t follow me …

VIVIAN Oh their wonderful flaky desserts with golden honey poured …

MOLLY Don’t follow me!

VIVIAN ( Tapering off ) … all over them …

MOLLY The day you came I was standing on the porch watching you. I heard everything you said. You put your arm around my mother, and you told her she had beautiful hair, then you saw my summer house and you told her how much you loved it. You went and sat in it and you yelled, Come out, Molly. I’m in your little house. You’ve tried in every way since you came to push me out. She hates you.

VIVIAN What?

MOLLY My mother hates you! She hates you!

VIVIAN ( After recovering from her shock starts out after her in a rage ) That’s a lie, a rotten lie … She doesn’t hate me … She’s ashamed of you … ashamed of you. ( Exits, then repeating several times off stage ) She’s ashamed of you … ashamed of you …

( Her voice is muffled by the entrance of the Mexicans and GERTRUDE. The servants head the procession, chattering like magpies and singing. MR. SOLARES and FREDERICA bring up the rear carrying a tremendous pink rubber horse with purple dots. The hindquarters are supported by FREDERICA.)

MRS. LOPEZ ( Signaling to one of the hags who puts a fancy cushion down on the bench, which she sits on, then yelling to GERTRUDE) Well, how do you like our gorgeous horse? Pretty big, eh?

MR. SOLARES It’s worth thirty-two dollars.

( They all seat themselves. )

GERTRUDE Now that you’ve asked me I’ll tell you quite frankly that I would never dream of spending my money on a thing like that.

MRS. LOPEZ ( Popping a mint into her mouth ) Pretty big, eh?

GERTRUDE ( Irritably ) Yes, yes, it’s big all right but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.

MRS. LOPEZ That right. Big, lots of money. Little not so much.

GERTRUDE ( Bitterly ) All the worse.

MRS. LOPEZ ( Merrily ) Maybe next year, bigger. You got one? (GERTRUDE, bored, does not answer ) You got one?

GERTRUDE What?

MRS. LOPEZ A rubber horse?

GERTRUDE Oh, for heaven’s sake! I told you I thought it was silly. I don’t believe in toys for grownups. I think they should buy other things, if they have money to spare.

MRS. LOPEZ ( Complacently folding her hands ) What?

GERTRUDE Well, I guess a dresser or a chair or clothing or curtains. I don’t know but certainly not a rubber horse. Clothing, of course, one can always buy because the styles change so frequently.

MR. SOLARES Miss Eastman Cuevas, how many dresses you got?

GERTRUDE ( Icily ) I have never counted them.

MRS. LOPEZ ( To her brother ) Cincuenta y nueve, dile.

MR. SOLARES She got fifty-nine back at the house.

GERTRUDE ( In spite of herself ) Fifty-nine!

MR. SOLARES I bought them all for her, since her husband died. He was a no good fellow. No ambition, no brain, no pep.

MRS. LOPEZ ( Smiling, and nodding her head to GERTRUDE sweetly ) Fifty-nine dresses. You like to have that many dresses?

( Enter MRS. CONSTABLE carrying a fishing pole and basket, although she is immaculately dressed in a white crocheted summer ensemble. She has on a large hat and black glasses. )

MRS. CONSTABLE ( Trying to smile and appear at ease ) I hope I’m not interrupting a private discussion.

MR. SOLARES Happy to see you on this beautiful day. Sit down with us. We weren’t having no discussion. Just counting up how many dresses the ladies got.

MRS. CONSTABLE ( A little shocked ) Oh! I myself was hunting for a good spot to fish and I passed so near to your house that I dropped in to call, but you weren’t there, of course. Then I remembered that you told me about a bathing spot, somewhere in this direction, so I struck out hoping to find you. Where are the children?

GERTRUDE They were here a little while ago … They’ll be back.

MRS. CONSTABLE I think I might sit down for a few minutes and wait for my bird to come back. I call Vivian my bird. Don’t you think it suits her, Mrs. Eastman Cuevas?

GERTRUDE ( Bored ) Yes.

MRS. CONSTABLE ( She sits down on a cushion ) I miss her very badly already. It’s partly because she has so much life in her. She finds so many things of interest to do and think about. ( She speaks with wonder in her voice ) I myself can’t work up very much interest. I guess that’s normal at my age. I can’t think of much to do really, not being either a moveiegoer, or a card player or a walker. Don’t you think that makes me miss her more?

GERTRUDE ( Icily ) It might.

MRS. CONSTABLE This morning after I was cleaned and dressed I sat on the porch, but I got so tired of sitting there that I went to the front desk and asked them to tell me how to fish. They did and I bought this pole. The clerk gave me a kit with some bait in it. I think it’s a worm. I’m not looking forward to opening the kit. I don’t like the old hook either. I’ll wager I don’t fish after all. ( She sighs ) So you see what my days are like.