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

GERTRUDE I can’t stop her. How can I? She’ll do what she likes, but I won’t stand here watching while you drag her away. I’ll talk to her myself. I’ll ask her what she wants, what she’d really like to do. She has a right to choose.

LIONEL To choose?

GERTRUDE Between going with you and staying with me!

(LIONEL is silent. After a moment he walks away from GERTRUDE. Then to himself as if she were no longer there. )

LIONEL This morning she was holding her wedding dress up to the light.

GERTRUDE ( Proud ) She’s going to wear it to my birthday supper. It’s a party dress, after all.

LIONEL ( Not really answering ) She didn’t say anything to me. She just held her dress up to the light.

GERTRUDE Go and find her. Get her now. Bring her back … tell her I’m here.

LIONEL If you go half way up those stairs and holler …

GERTRUDE No, Mrs. Constable said she was hunting mussels on the beach.

LIONEL She’s upstairs. (LIONEL goes up to landing and calls ) Molly! Your mother’s here. She wants you. Come on down. Your mother’s back.

(MOLLY enters down stairs. LIONEL backs away and lurks in the shadows near the bar. )

GERTRUDE ( Tentative, starts forward to embrace her, but stops ) Molly, how pretty you look! How lovely … and your wedding dress.

MOLLY ( Spellbound, as if looking at something very beautiful just behind GERTRUDE) I took it out this morning for your birthday.

GERTRUDE I’m glad, darling. How are you? Are you well, Molly? Are you all right?

MOLLY Yes, I am.

GERTRUDE ( Going to table ) I have something for you. A bracelet! ( She hooks necklace around MOLLY’S neck ) And a necklace! They’re made of real silver. Oh, how sweet you look! How pretty you look in silver! Just like a little girl, just as young as you looked when we were in the ocean house together. The ocean house, Molly! I miss it so. Don’t you?

MOLLY I knew you’d come back.

( They sit down. )

GERTRUDE I knew it, too, from the beginning. They were strangers — all of them. I couldn’t bear it. Nothing, really nothing meant anything to me down there, nothing at all. And you, darling, are you happy? What do you do in this terrible ugly place?

MOLLY In the afternoon we hunt for mussels, sometimes, and at night we play cards … Lionel and me.

GERTRUDE ( Uneasily ) I spoke to Lionel just now.

MOLLY Did you?

GERTRUDE Yes, about St. Louis.

MOLLY ( Darkening ) Oh!

LIONEL ( Coming over to them from the bar ) Yes, Molly. I’m arranging things now for the trip tomorrow. My mind’s made up. If you’re not coming with me, I’m going by myself. I’m coming down in a little while and you’ve got to tell me what you’re going to do.

(LIONEL exits upstairs. )

GERTRUDE You see. With or without you he’s determined to go. Don’t look frightened, Molly. I won’t allow you to go. You’re coming with me, with your mother, where you belong. I never should have let you marry. I never should have left you. I’ll never leave you again, darling. You’re mine, the only one I have … my own blood … the only thing I’m sure of in the world. ( She clasps MOLLY greedily to her breast ) We’re going soon, but we’ve got to wait for them, Mrs. Lopez and Frederica. They’re calling for us here. You’re coming with me and you’re never going back. Tonight, when you go to bed, you can wear my gown, the one you’ve always loved with the different colored tulips stitched around the neck. ( She notices MOLLY’S strange expression and the fact that she has recoiled just a little ) What is it, dear? Don’t you like the gown with the tulips any more? You used to …

MOLLY ( As if from far away ) I like it.

GERTRUDE Tomorrow, after Lionel has gone, I’ll come back to pack you up. ( Fingering the necklace ) Did you like the paper with the dancing girl on it?

MOLLY I have your letter here.

GERTRUDE There are different ones at home — a toreador with peach satin breeches and a macaw with real feathers … ( It is obvious to her that MOLLY is not listening ) You’ve seen them, dear … Those big parrots … ( Anxiously ) Haven’t you?

MOLLY What?

GERTRUDE ( Trying to ignore MOLLY’S coldly remote behavior ) How could you bear it here in this awful public place after our life together in the ocean house?

MOLLY I used to go back and look into the garden … over the wall. Then the people moved in and I didn’t go there any more. But, after a while …

GERTRUDE ( Cutting in ) I’ll make it all up to you, darling. You’ll have everything you want.

MOLLY It was all right after a while. I didn’t mind so much. It was like being there …

GERTRUDE What, Molly? What was like being there?

MOLLY After a while I could sit in that booth, and if I wanted to I could imagine I was home in the garden … inside the summer house.

GERTRUDE That’s over, Molly. That’s over now. All over. I have a wonderful surprise for you, darling. Can you guess?

MOLLY ( Bewildered ) I don’t know. I don’t know.

GERTRUDE I ordered the platform built, and the trellis, and I know where I can get the vines. Fully grown vines, heavy with leaves … just like the ones … ( She is stopped again by MOLLY’S expression. Then, touching her face apologetically ) I know, I know. I don’t look well. I look sick. But I’m not … I’m not sick.

MOLLY No, you don’t look sick. You look … different.

GERTRUDE It’s their fault. It’s because I’m living their way. But soon I’ll be the same again, my old self.

( Enter MRS. LOPEZ and FREDERICA carrying paper bags. )

MRS. LOPEZ ¡Inez! ¡Inez! Ya llegamos …

GERTRUDE Here they are.

INEZ ( Coming downstairs with a heavy tread ) Something tells me I hear Fula Lopez, the girl I love …

MRS. LOPEZ ( Grabbing INEZ and whirling her around ) Inez … Guapa … Inez. Aquí estamos … que alegría … We are coming back from Mexico, Frederica, Fula … ( She spots GERTRUDE) and Eastman Cuevas. ( Then to MOLLY, giving her a big smacking kiss ) Molly … Hello, Molly! Inez, guapa, bring us three limonadas, please … two for Fula and one for Frederica. Look, look, Eastman Cuevas. We got gorgeous stuff. ( She pulls a chicken out of a bag she is carrying and dangles it for GERTRUDE) Look and see what a nice one we got … Feel him!

GERTRUDE No, later at home.

MRS. LOPEZ Pinch him, see how much fat he got on him.

GERTRUDE ( Automatically touching chicken for a second ) He’s very nice … ( Then swerving around abruptly and showing a stern fierce profile to the audience ) Why is he here?

MRS. LOPEZ ( Looking stupid ) Who?

GERTRUDE The chicken. Why is he here?

MRS. LOPEZ The chicken? He go home. We put him now with his rice and his peas.

GERTRUDE ( In a fury manifestly about the chicken. But her rage conceals panic about MOLLY) But what rice and peas. You know what we’re having … I ordered it myself … It was going to be a light meal … something I liked … for once … we’re having jellied consommé and little African lobster tails.

MRS. LOPEZ ( Crossing back to center tables and stopping near MRS. CONSTABLE) That’s right, jelly and Africa and this one too.

( She hoists chicken up in the air with a flourish. Enter MRS. CONSTABLE.)

MRS. CONSTABLE A chicken. I hate chickens. I’d rather have a dog.