Eee Amy Horsey 4000 Mites 4000 Miles BY AMY HERZOG CHARACTERS LEO JOSEPH-CONNELL: 71 VERA JOSEPH: 91 AMANDA: 19, Chinese-American Bec: 71 TIME September ofa recent year—mnayhe 2007, PLACE A spacious, rent-controlled aparsment in Greenwich Village that hasn't been redecorated since approximately 1968. The key decorative element s hooks, NOTE A slash (/) indicates overlapping dialogue SCENE ONE he mide of ee nigh eo, 21, lanky, fan dey stands just inside the apertment, bis laden bike next to Bim, He isomiling brody Vea, 91 ny and fd wt whan fortnnde, ism her migbrgvon, Her eer buve not adjasted to the light, She covers bor mouth hearnse she ‘bax’ pt ber tect in. Her specs is altered for ‘by sume uion, Se i quite disoriented. A paase in which be grins and she is uncom probending. ‘LEO: You haven changed she name, On the buzzer: VERA: Wh: Leo: The biszer! Ir stil sys Joe Joseph! VERA: So: LEO: So you should changeit, Pur yor name con there, VERA: That is my name Leo: Your name isn’t Jue Joseph. VERA: ..well Luto: Just secs ike i ime, Pa) Han help vou with tha, ifyou want. I'm pretty handy VERA (Shere): You need a place to stay, is thaviee LEO: Sorry, what? VERA (Still evering ber mouth, sill served: You need a place o stay? Leo: I can't understand you when yoru—(He ches to are ber band axoy fom ber math: started, ane) Sore VERA: Will you—wait here She exits tl caveriag ber mouth, He leans the ike agains Bookcase and sabes off one ofthe parent takes ome effort ac estremely eazy. He pats is dow on the oor nobly. Verw dass bck, rst ding er Ba evntrs les disoriented, ih ert, and pasting ber beoring aid in VERA: Are you high? LE0: What? No. VERA: Wl its three o'clock in the morning ‘0 Pm just asking. ave you eaten anything inawhile? Le0: ['m cool VERA: That's not what I asked you. You've lose weight {LE0: Irs been a long road, ht good one VERA: You hiked all the way here? Leo: Pretty much, ‘VERA: Fron Minnesota? Leo: Actually we started i Brief panse VERA: ‘There are some mountains in the riddle, aren't there, whichever way you go? LEO: There are. There are ‘VERA: Ill yet you a banana, LEO: A—no! Whoa, jet fel VERA: What LEO: NO SUCH THING AS A LOCAL BANANA! VERA? You don’t have to pel, is only when you speak very low or very fist thac Fant hear you {Le0:T'm justconcemed aboutyeu, I waslean- ing on that buzzer for quicea while VERA: Yes, well, I as asleep, and I didn’t have my, whacdayacallit, hearing ain, an [vast expecting you, ‘LEO: Would you hear fire alarm? vera: What? Leo: WOULD YOU HEAR / A— VERA: hard you, liten, ities the way you're acting Udon'r understand, actualy, ‘hot your...the whole fumilyS heen very wor- fied, I guess you know that, Your mother and fither— {LE0: I'm sorry people worvies, Lam, bu thats ‘pot something can take responsbilcy for? VERA: You should have called. You should have called your mother, She’ heen..she really been... He picks up his panies, goes to rottac it LEO (Warmly, aparently sincerely: Granda Vera. [owas awesome 10 see you. ‘vera: What?—Vou're— LEO: It cool, I don‘ think either of us has to fel bad abou the f ‘at the timing isn't right for me to be here VERA: You're going to—where will you go Leo: I have stent an a camping stove and a love for the outdoors, I be all right. \veRA: You're in Manhattan! LEO: Maybe you ‘out of the way? VERA: There’ no place like that! Listen, you're being—puc that back down. Puc it ‘down (le heritates) You can leave tomoeros, ivemvea tip, somewhere won't stop you. Just—sleey here for few hours, and take a shower, and eat some break- fast Team wsh those —yousmell terrible and wouldnt he surprised if you had lice. {L£9: I don't have lice VERA: And you dom see all you don..seemall right, LEO (Sil sting) he about calling Jane, and a lase minute hel Iaeiously overpriced plane fight for which she has to take a Valium because she’ a phohie Freaky and [wakeup in the morning an she here with a Valium hangover— VERA: I'm nora reporter (Leo: Meanin VERA: Meaning I'm not a news reporter anc Ton'tcall your mother if thats what you're asking me, Bur the way you're talking about ber, it really wot fur, a lor of people don't like ying “LE: Jane and Tare ata juncture where more talking isnot better than less talking, If that’s nor something you ean understand, F'n saying just i this is gonna ink probahly best go set up camp somewhere else VERA: I don’t stand Pease VERA: Tknow wharshe fel ike sf you're noctalking to her she justhopes you're taling roe with it but T umer- 10 / someone. {Le0: Oh, that i bushi, sod you know thaeis passive-aguresive li! ‘Se wants to talk about if She! arn fin VERA (With eran edng) Well. [ad wancte say hawe sorry Tams That mast have been — LEO: Thank you Silence, Ths bas gosten co bit, and shes it VERA: You what, cate over the GW? Leo: The—? VERA: The George Washington Bridg LEO: I guess, yeah, VERA: Was it pretty? At night Leo: ..yeah, aerally. Yeah. Pra not much of a eity guy, ba. Teas all eight VERA: ['in—L mst Say Wm Surprised, and this is nota complaint, that you eame ere, nu you know her instead of your-—T've lest track whether she™ your girlfiend or not, the chubby one, isn't she up at/ whaddayacalli— LE: She’ not chubby VERA: She—well she nox sin {Le0: She’ healthy she / sting VERA: Idon'tsee what that hast do with i, LEO: She's no chub. VERA: Allright. thought if you cowed up in New York you might have gone there L£0: I stopped by Brief pause VERA: She had another fella with hes, is that ie Leo: No, Vera, she dda: have—ies just not good tim She said she needed to do some rbinking. Phinking is good. Te turns ou. Whiel I respect aatenican apaWl it heen lousy coupla months for you chen, between one ching ancl another. Paws. Would you tke a shower before you n bed? What? Yeah, Shower sounds great Yox all Yeah! Yeah. He picks up the pack and begins 0 bond offtage ‘Se tps im Where are you going? Guest room, No, that ane’ my r00m nov 1 choughtchar—I though that was yours Not since Joe was sick, We moved in therefor the, whaddayacalit, single beds and T stayed, Has it been that long since you've been here Twas here For the funeral. F guess I forgot That was long time ago. (He hesitaes) ‘You need! anything else? No,I— Granda Yes His wncereaty disalves ino big sate good night He exits SCENE TWO he nest day, late morning. Vera enters through the fran door ith laan- ‘era (Mary Louise Wilson let) and Leo (Gabriel Ebert have & midcle-e-the-night reunion. dy cart, Sbo bas some trouble maescoring it throgh the door and int the aparement. She is taking sae tbe quiet Once she bas guten the ‘ort in and closed the dos, she goes offitage to Leo's bedroom. A panse, She comer bask sansfed shat be isl astep. She tales he laumdry from te car, pine by ite, an fold. Bike jereysaad shores, Those icking pees of atbletic clothing. Tiny cyling socks. She regards them al ith some suspicion ‘The phone ring. At the fre ring iscns to see if she beard right. At the second ring, she loake anxionsly rxvard the bedroom aabere Lee is sleping and moves as quickly as she can tothe ald rotary phone. ERA: Hello. Hold on. (She shes ber xhining baring aid out) Hello, (Mild iritation erg ing on imperisusness) Yes, darling, what? U'm snot done with it, I'm nox done with ic yee. 1 nov what time itis, but asa matter of fact abe tenes, my grandson is here so P've been busy. Yes, well it was surprise, he came and sorpris ‘me, so, Well that’—listen—hello? (She ooks «atthe plans) Hello? (She shakes ber bead and bangs up) Pain in the ass Se gs bk 0 te lana aad continues tf, sll periaicallyvboking ber bead. After fo monies, Leo enters, dirhevled but clean Hie, (She coninnes rfl) Vera ‘She lok np with the startled lok of ba deaf people aren’ sure berber they Beard sume- thing, and want to ocverif they did, and ses Leo, ‘Oh! (She fmbles in Ber packets for her Dearing wid ant puts it back jn) "The phone woke you? Le0: No, Tewas Ginny across the hall. I give her the arts section when I'm done with it and Tn late today. Never mind she’ never given me a nickel frit hav wht I get for being nice. She says she's just checking into see val right but ya know she’ really scting there, stewing, resenting me, she...vell, > good deed goes unpunished, right? Did you sleep all right? Min-bin, And then she just hung up! tld her you were heve and she said, “oh I'm terribly ‘omy in this—like she was interrupting a big » ‘without even saying—why it gets to me so uch I don't know: She's jus... (Sbe dks fr the ward, doer’ find) She really a characte. Leo: Huh, meeting or something and she just ucwe have an arringement where she calls me one nightand Leal her the next and thie way ifoncof us tums up our tes tone take until we stare smelling to igure it ot ‘Which isnt really « problem for me, because L have the fumily ut she doesn't have anyone, 1s ah that is ‘what i is, And we have a lot in common in ‘cams of the political—we both, in terms of ba, nd the pro-posce whaddayacallit, and hing progressives, we see eye to eye, but in everything else she just drives me nots. so T guess I have guile felAmy Herzog 4000 Miles Leo: You're giving her ton much power hat? LEO: Tha power. You gotta take it back Sho consider eis, Well IFyou stay longer, and I'm not saying you will, Ill show your how to, whadd- seal, Diseormect the phone in that rac, Decause Ido get a lot of ells sometimes, YYou look better, (Off bie ok) What? LEO: Good! morning, Vera VERA: Actually i after nve— He nerrapts ber sit big bar bug. Surprised, she giver i to tbe rtally rmexpected pyrial affection. The embrace gus on for alle while, She lave ber eyes oad trie to remember it. They separate. Sho smiler widely at Bim vveRA: You smell bere, too, What di you think of that bed? (LEO: Tews wreat, great ed. vera: Thats what I think! You know your uncle Ben and Mel, they want me to get a new martess, Which they de not offer to pay for. Every cme they stay here they complain, and complain, Leot I slept like # rock ver doing it, thong, anyway, or else they" have aan excuse mot to vst, You drink coftee? LEO: Yeah, I'f love some. She exits, He surveys the neat litte piles she's mide of his nf. Hl tpn psp aba of ‘ondoms eb’ seen sea and tea in his a, He load forgotten be Brough it. She reoners with ‘off and « plate with a fs brenkfest patries i, may couple ard ued ees VERA: I was glad wo see yrs carry those and surprised they weren opened. [thought you probably take it black Leo: Ido. VERA: Meo, chat how I ke it. (edits nto 1 puery) "Tell me if thats completely thawed. (le gives ber the thumby up) T got a few of those Free a month or two ago at the Senior Center, some event, they hai a buffet table ing to throw ical nf Ir waslucky seotherwise | T may quote you on that. I'l end up sod atthe end they were away, whieh I did norapprov [though freeze them hee vwould have had t go out and get you some= ‘thing-and T wasn't Fling complerely np te it, Some days Fm myself, and some days my Fhcad really isnt right, and ay balanee, Tes really clisgusting, LEO: Have you had it checked out VERA: What? Oh sur, they're all useless they just cell me mv ald anal [knew that already 1 knew you were sleeping well because you ide’ wake up when [broughe your whadays- callicoutof your room, Meaning and groan- ing—that thing must weigh 100 pounds! LEO: Nab, About 20, VERA: Is that all? LEO: Well thar’s one of four bags. weight’ about 50. Total VERA Fifty pound? LEO: More when I have food and water VERA: And you keep all that on your hil? Le0: Yup. ‘Se can’? quite belive tis but bas no alterna VERA: Doosn’t thie make ita lot harder? “He laughs, forthe fre time £0: Yeah, yup, thatSa yes VERA: And you camped at night, is that it? {Le0: Usually: Sometimes I'd meet someone and be invited to crash VERA: You ever meer anyone really pecu lia LEO: What do you mean? \VERA:T don't know like some crackpot who ‘wanted something weind from you in exchange for..a place to stay or whatever. L€0: Like? VERA: Like a sem, oF Le0: Far? \VERA: I would think on the oad lke that, by yourself, you'd meetall kinds of people Leo: I did meet al kinds of penple. None of them required sexual favors rom me, no. VERA: Ifyou werea woman it would prolably have heen different; you probably would have run into ll kinds of things like cha. Le0:T know lot of women who eravel alone, 1—whaddayacalit, something Bec has done a lot of traveling / alone ‘VERA: Reheccs—well allright, if you're built Tike ober, but T mean a smaller / woman, Lo: [find ifyon approach people with love and trust you ean count on getting the same things buck from them, Brief pause, VERA: What is that, Confucius, or. LE0: es Leo Joseph-Connel. Ie me VERA: I'm ceasing you, LEO: Oks VERA: guess ith 3 LEO: Nope VERA: Well Pas. LEO: Youknow anything abou climbing wall? VERA: A what? Leo: \ climbing gyn! VERA: Whar’ LEO: Irs a—a gym, Where you climb, They have these walls with— \VERA:Oh, with the funny; snd you'rein one of those whadayacallie— [L£0: Harnesses VERA: Right, I've seen that, Where have I seen that? [saw thatand I thought what the Ill is that Fr? (Ske ges re plow pees) You swant to go todays thae i? {LE0: was thinking abour it. Gee the old upper boy back co work. [Nine with theyll pagas, she ass his eadinsy casually, itbont losking at hi. VERA: So yeu think you mighe stay a lice sitive subject enbing gym? longer is that it? Would ic he under...what would it be under? “He aks he yell page frm bergen, and ls Leo: Yellow pages. Man. VERA: What? LEO: Do you have a computer’ VERA: No, [wel yes, Thave one, Ber and [Mel got forme, but I's not, whaeldayacalit ‘They were very happy with themselves for _geting for me but they didn’t relly shows me what to do with i Leo: Mac or PC vera: What? LEO: Well look ati later. VERA: You know a lot about computers? LEO: don like ther, But can use th \VERA: I thonghr everyone your age liked them. ‘LEO: Micab never sent an e-mail, His whole Tife, Which wasstubborn a shit, bur you have oadmire it VERA: Did he use the telephone LEO: Yeah, but he didn’t have a cell phone. I don't have one either VERA: I know you don’, I've heen hearing aboutthata lot lately (Be/pms) I guess what they sy sal this, whatsit. technolo is gone! for..from the standpoint of the people, or the—that you can get the propaganda tothe people, the Marxist—I ean’ find the words, buc in terms of Afiea, and South America, and places where—that from the standpoint ‘of being progressive and soon and so forth it can be good thing, Brief panse) You knows there area lotof had things about gexting ol bbutthe worst one isnot being able tind me wonls. I just hate not being able 0 find my words I eel like an idiot half the tiem. LEO: That i democratizing VERA: Wha LEO: Thar with the internet, information is free to everyone, it um, knowledge. Which is power: He returns » bis yollow page search VERA: When you pur it that way I think | should learn how to use che computer LEO: Mars is cool. You think so? Leo: He'll right VERA: Well think: so ton, (LEO: When I did thar sermester ae Evergreen [ took a dass on Marx, Best class I took. VERA: Whar did your mother thinks of tha LEO: Abour me studying Maex? VERA: Yeah, LEO: Uh, T chink she was lke, Show is that going co be useful to you, in the furure?” VERA: Oh, de: LEO: And I waslik, fst ofall, who knows, an second, I think i impoetane to understane where I come trom, which is whete you come from, 100, so Tn sugprised you aren't more supportive VERA (Deighred: You said that?Le0t did \VERA:And wha did she {Le0: You know; 28 long a Twas in eolee, she vvas happy, so [think she just shur up VERA: She and I don't talk about polities anymore. I always end up telling her how sappoimting she was to her father, I don't ‘mean to, somehow or other [just wind up saying it, and I only mean in terms of the politieal—not generally, but then she starts ‘exying and going on ahout how she akvays vores Democrat, as if thar...c herer we just don' ale about it {LE0: [fn that ca he true about a lor of sub jects with Jane VERA: Well, betwe Tio too, A small moment of enjoying each onber VERA: But she wasahways my fvorite because she was the lites, you know she wasonly 10 ‘when Joe and I started carrying oa together. And she's been very devoted to me, 30. LEO: Is 23rd Street pretty near here? VERA: Matter of fact you ean walk there. [ guoss I should get you Joo’ keys Le: Uim— ‘She doen’ hear ime and exits. He prepares him ssfft ask for something. She reentore with ky VERA: bester show yen which one does what, and you'll get sinyway but youl eventually Tearm LEO: Okay-—I was wondering if you vould spot mea few bucks? For elimbing? VERA: Oh. You're out of money, is that it LEO: Arche moment the flow is low: ‘VERA: How much do you need! LEO: don't know what prices are like around here... have torent al the stuff, so ike, SO? ‘VERA: Fily dlrs? {Le0: Thats what it would be in Seatee, so T guess. maybe a litle more? ‘VERA:More than 50 dels? Toc upa wall? Leo: I'm expecting an influ ina couple days «0 [could pay / you back, VERA: A what? LEO: An inflox! OF cash, into my account! VERA: From where? From your motier? Shes sill giving you money? Wel, Le0: Forget it, VERA: No, /fisten— {Le0: Forget it! [es no big deal! VERA: I'm going to show yous where I keep ‘the money, and then when you need some you an jst cake and leavea noc, allright? So F know how much you took and I won'e worry about it Allright? Leo: All ight VERA: And then maybe you ean do some shopping, and get the things around the house you like to have for breakfast and so ton and so forth, LEO: Vera, [want to be really clear chat can't stay more than a couple days you and me. T guess wrong the fest few times VERA: I understand, LEO: Ie great to rest up, but need co make it Inge co Washington before ie gets 00 cokes, VERA: You mean, om the bike? Leo: Yup. VERA: You're going to go all the way back weston that bike? Leo: Thar’ the plan. Aa ancimpeckending parse. VERA: Maybe if you called Rebecca today, she—since it was the middle ofthe night, she smny not /have— LEO: I not / about— VERA: Sesing as you ea with he LEO: I didnt, 1 lide come all this way to be with her: VERA: Well [know it wasn'¢ vo be with ae LEO: Ie was to finish something I started. Micah and I started something. 1 finished it, Thats it, People wane r0 snake i really ‘complicated bur its nox He gives ber abi: smile. you stayed more than a couple days 1 woulda’: know what to say ta your mother | don't know what to say to her 3s itis 80 we're in agreement. T keep the money in Joo’ stud ‘She tries to stand, doesn't quite make it ap, ils up ana stan again. Se makes ber way ont slcly, Lew stays seated. He i fending of @ mace of menses or verti. vveRA (Oj): You comin’ or what? all dis way to be SCENE THREE A fee days ater: Lan is fing dan, enting something and ead ing a book "The sound of hey in the lck ie takes longtime _for Vir get the door pen. She enters esl, amore off-balance than ual, She is wearing dark dorbing. She sees Lea, who waves and gues bck treading. VERA: Did you lock the top lock? Le0: No. VERA: Are you sure? Le0: Yup. She turns and looks ut the door, perpleved. VERA: Well I shink yoss must have and then forgotten. {L£0: haven't ouched the door tay, Vera, VERA: Maybe you did i without relly think- Sng about it. ‘LEO: Uh, okay, sure, I for no reason / and ‘without thinking — VERA: You have tn speak louder i you want me ta hear you. Le0: I didn't lock the top loek! VERA: Well... (Mhutered) allright {Le0: Does ic really macter? VERA:T made sure ddn’lock it when Te, beetuse it gersing harder for me to hold the, Wwhadayacallit, the—key, because my hand shakes, which i disgusting bur then it was locked anyway so cither you did itor I'm going crazy, which I must adic is tery possible. She sit roar the badrnom, upset. He site ap He tints of going afer ber, then les back dm sand continues reading, She reewters VERA: | don't mind if you break something, aceidents happen, but nothing dives me ra er than when somebody breaks something and des ell me ‘She exis again Leo: What did I break? Vers? He puts the boo dssn and beget fleas her Inu she reenter om ber way ta the ktcben LEO: What die {brea VERA: Never mind, jst tell me next time, all ight? Lé0: Due, U have no idea what you're eal ing above. ‘VERA: Now you'te really making me ma, Leo: Tell me what Lid! She looks at bi with distil VERA: The faucet! In your bathroom? He think kad Le0% The faucet VERA: Oh, gimme a break! LEO: You gotta help me nut here, Grandia VERA: The whaedayaealis, the LEO: The whaddayacall. VERA: Don't make fun of me! LEO: Pin not! ‘VERA: The...handle, that you urn. It com- pletely off Leo: I hough it vas slays ike that. ‘She sboots him am accsing look, Le0r did! VERA:No, it wasn’t “always like chat” [went in there to clean this morning while you were sii asleep beeause it was filthy, because you ‘obviously haven't cleaned since you've been here, and that was the frst time T ever saw ke dha LEO: Ie came right fin my hand, I swear T thought— VERA: Well, juse tell me i all 'm asking, T don't dhink that’s an unreasonable request, do your ‘She exits ine the tebe, Pease. LEO (Calling of Sorry! Loud nes come fm the kitchen. Lo devdes mot ek ven, Hee back diem ad eps rending Aiea VERA: In case you're interested, I just came from a Funeral, so chars where I’ve been all moments she seems, sili a state LE9: Okay VERA: Te wa for the ast ofthe actogenarians {Le0: The what? ‘VERA: Tere were seven of us, octogenarian, snd we had dinner oncea month fora loc af years anil we wereal lefties and there were a fot of memories ané laughs and the last one just ded, besides me.Any Hersey 4000 £0: Sorry VERA: Yea, he was rat very aggresive, he tsed to make passes ar me with his wife sting right chore. She had Alzheimersso she didn’t mind, but I did. Even so, he was the lastone andl I don feel very happy abt it ‘LEO: You want a hug From a hippie? VERA: No, mall right, She gos tk ito the kite. A moment later she reenters. Lo guetta her ana bugs het VERA: And spoke ro vour mother this mom- ing, too, And I did nor tell hee you're here, ‘even thongh you wereall she talkel aout, and she’ really, whadayacalli, in distress, and I'm not fel He separates {Le0: You can'e cake all that on, You have to Jet her find her own way VERA: Well se, chats not how [think about here go with my words. he point terribly proud of myself. things. Because T believe in a...a soe where isyou help people, i about the community bout T do what's best for me and w, because,..you know the one thing I wasn'e thinking wher Joe was dying was I better pay attention ¢0 ‘whathe says, iva polities, because [alvays you do whats best for y relied on him to, to make rhe arguments, and explain the She shakes her head, last dist with bers Le0 (Genly: Pee been 1 Leo: Ie rely interesting. [aid know this stuff, about their health care system— VERA: Oh, their health care is woaderfil And era, 10 randpasintrocluetion i ally remember hin that well? You know Idon't But 1 remember his voice, he had / that-— VERA: Yes. LEO: Yeah, 50 ve been immagining his voice reading this, and it’ ike ‘vera: Indeed LEO: The way he writes, i as aire hokey, now, because ie so—bu | ivakmost reads think ie must have heen cool, eo he sua. Uneynical. Like T think Vm and Micah was definitely totally uncynical, but you guys. That’ like a whole other evel of. definitely learning about Grandpa 1 defintely coo Pause. VERA: Your mother told me something very upsetting abun you this morning cht [have been elcbacing bringing up sith you a all De yous want to know wht ies? Leo: Nor rally VERA: She said in the beginning of thes mer, when you were home fora little while in St / Paul— LEO: Oh my Gia, she / sell VERA: That you tried ev kiss your sister: {LE0: Leannotbeive she isi fixate that! VERA: Well chat was pretty disturbing for Lily I would think, ue turbing, she was not disturhed, and rid is nor really the—T mean, we kissed, lots of people were kissing, it was like a spantane- ‘ous kissing convention, and we kissed, ancl it wasso nota big deal except for in our eotally tall / Tae VERA: Well she in therapy abot it now is all 'm saying Leo: I canmot—! Olay: Okay: Fine, She' in therapy, because we were both fucked on peyote and we kissed, one, with stall mini- 9 Ke was —we were allit was so at dis. ‘mal tongue, and nor because our parents are ‘obsessed withthe fer that they dan roe ber differen use because she adopted and never fail to mention that ra her fora single day in her life, Oreos it was the totally harmless and even T would say pleasant sinoveh that sent ber reeling into identity confusion, T mean, ies not like I fucked / her. VERA: She’ your sister! {LE0= Yeah! Anu she's awesome! And [wish she ‘would gee the fuck out oF that house! VERA: You need to leagn how to tak responsibilty, you know thae? You're right, TTveseen the way they ae about the—the fet is they didnt think they would be able have you, when they adopted her, and—thereS a ‘uilt there, and a nervousness, but—you'ee a sensitive oung man and youshould beable ws understand chat and nat he so angry abest it. Anil you shouldbe ableto unerstanulthat shes vullerable, she always has been, and kissing thor wasn’ the best iden. That all ‘That¥all {LE0: Ir’ just..( hard to think of something more emblematic of our society, that hiss expressing real mutual love etween two people is considered destructive VERA: You know better than that. {LE0: I don't, Grandma, and T don't want to. Parse VERA: Rehecea found out abouts is that it? And chat why she so mad? LEO: Bee knows about i, there, and she abe kissed Lily, incidentally, whieh was really heautful, and no, she isnot mail, be than that VERA: And ['m old and closed-minded, is ‘havi? {LEO: You're old, butyou eoul chore not 10 he closed-minded He goes back bis book VERA: You didn't say anything about the bazzer. £0: The what VERA: | had the super change the name on the buzzer, since you didn’t soem tobe geting around to it, Ithasmy name now, Oniy took se 10 years, but it has my nate oo we she was minded use she's way more ope what arn [ supposeil 10 say? Pause, He oes but his bok VERA: Well. ‘Sie stand sry ta go. Sb est ino the teen SCENE 4 Light ap Be. She : nt ebb. Sbe isin ft strong and beaut and bale, rbyugh she is alo somes stung ot. She may sears pa vet over a sweater, She may wear biking boots. She may bave a Nalgene baste ‘She stands uncomfortably fora lang tone. View centers, zalking sly with ay of ea. She ser Bec ssi standing VERA: Tike s load off Bee ss. Vera zery ginger. shakily, places teen in frou of ber. Sh thinks of umerbing VERA: You take sugar? BEC (Ste dost Oh—no— Vera sees through thic ad frowning eit for sugar. Bec brops ber bead in ber bands. Silene era sennrns, sel, ith a sar bet aed few packets of over wed lo VERA: My neighbor across the hall sis etic, so [keep this stuf around. In ease you watch thae sort of thing. BEC: Thank you Bec bel bere mrs boop spoon of gar abil Vira wurabes disapproving BEC: You don'thaveto—ifyou have smnething else you need to do ‘vera: You want me w leave you alone, is hae? BEC: No, jst, have to ike— ERA: What? BEC: [don't want to bein your way! VERA: Well, you're nos, Particularly Vora sits ae all. They dan’s knox shut try to each ater VERA: Sa you're having second thous isthac it BEC: What? No, J..no. Saathersilene VERA: When I was first married. Not 10 Joe to my first husband, Arthur. It was a week bor wo we had been married and a woman showed up at our apartment with kiguae, Arthur said t9 me, “oh I forgot to tell you, before we were mactied [promised I would take her away for the weekend and I dida't ‘want tink on a promise.” (Bec horrfi, Vert Jnughing) So Tsai allright, and they went away anal Tet my key on the piano and went Jost want you to feel you homie to my parents BEC: And you divorced hin? VERA: Oh no, He exme t my parents atthe end of the weekend begying and pleading and though it was fanny chat he had heen 0 stupid 30 Event home with him, Fewasn'e the last time he cheated BEC: OF course notLea (Gabriel Ebert; left) and Bec (Zoé Winters) struggle to discuss thei relationship. When we had been married six months the went out to Hollywood with a woman. ‘oh God, what was her name. She was ri, and neurotic. Marie He and Masriel went ‘out there towricea screenplay and her father bankrolled them and Arthur never sent mea penny: And [guess they were having anaair because when he tried to end it he threatened to Kill herself, and chat was a terrible mess (One time we wore all at Café Society T guess they were back from California? And she fellowed me int cab and sid, “can't wwe he friends? I eats away at me that you're angry at me." and so forth, And I said, "listen, Muriel, there re people you like and people xyoudon', and Idon' like you, and Twancyou ‘out of thiscab.” And she cried and carried on, this woman who had been sleeping with my lbushand for two yeas. omg pause, Bee deinks ber te. “Then there was the wa Arkansas. And he came home and confessed he wasinlove with her, and said, “listen, she hick, you have nothing in common, I'm sure the ex is terrific and whatnot but why don't yout yo back there and spend s few weeks with hher and see if there’ really enough there for your to leave our iaeriage,” Ard he did. And sure enough he eame back and sad you're right, we ran out of things to talk about. And that was that. “He wasa cheater anda drunk, but Tiked him sil ehe day he ied. BEC (Blurtng tout) 'm notsure what you're caving to tell me RA: What? ‘don't know what you want me to—why are you telling me this? fe [as jst making conversation. Lwasn't ring mach help from you. jucyou're going on and on aboutthese— Tike, parables of tolerance and forgiveness— you should have left him! VERA: I did, eventually. EC: But you pac up with like—and you tll these stories like you're proud of therm VERA (Seeing tat Bee is sry upsets Okay, Histen— BEC: This woman, who you tried to push ‘out oF a eab, you should have pushed hime lout of a cab, she was coming t0 you ¢ for vunderstanding— Tsce I've struck 2 / nerve BEC: I'm not going to forgive him! /ERA: Allright, All right Bec struggling to get control, Vers totally nsare ‘wba ra do, Pm sorry T've been really And I can't believe he's fucking late, cant Price. Listen, [wasn eying to say forgive him or don't forgive him I don’ know what you should do, that’ your aff Twas rying w say that can he very...but you have to remember ‘hac ie more out of stupidity than anythi ncn sometimes do things se. 1 not, whaddayncallit. Malieious. Tes jue stupid and childish (arching fr he inafen- soe ony to sy this) Vdon't make those Kinds of allowances, based on gender? I wouldn't want anyone to make these kinds of allow- BEC: I yuess, un, ances for me, 80, A: suppose you think Pm very backward EC: No— The sound of « Key in the fac. Bec bears it immediately and prepares berself, Vera looks around suspicions to sce what sbe beark. Leo canter, bis pants covered in dirt. Boh romnen look at him. He grins. Leo: found « community garden, Vera ands up and stand RA Excuse me Sie exits into ber bedroom sly. Leo heads in fora kis, Bec dadges Bim C: I told you Ihave class atewo. ‘Am Late? C; [can't miss any more class. 0: | sad Pd come up to you. ‘And I said T dida’e want you in my apartment He grins Throught you something, He produces a small, sad, dirty pumpkin from bis boadie pocket, He approaches ber very slosty dnd extends i to bor. She tok it 3£¢: What do you want metodo with his, Leo? LEO: Love it. Nurtare st. Teach it what you know.Make a pic She vhrws it back at him. He cates it Bie tuner soerbe sme ofthe tension ir Bok or ‘foe is angrier than exe {LEO: I iss you all the time. think oF yous in callege. 1 think about whether they have lefi- hand less for yo Bec: LEO: That's good ‘SEE: Sometimes right-hand people stat the ud L ger realy pissed, ‘hey do. lefichanued desks LEO: Bastards ‘BEC: Yeah. I'm like, you're no jst hurting ime, you're hurting yourself ‘hey smile. This is Ue things Leo: You lke BEC: I don’t want to talk about college with you, Len. LEO: Why not? BEC: Because you're just gonna be, lke, dis- sinful (Leo: I'm not! Hwan hee BEC: I. don't know, everyony younger than me; mean just owe years ut it so much seams ike.s0 it’ lonely But Um taking this class on global health tha I hink is really. ret with the professor couple vines an might help her with some research next m= erin Mumbai, ifthe money works out LEO: Man, you work fast BEC: I wale! into her office and 1 was ik “C've built houses in Beundor and taught English in Mali and installed soar parc in Kathmandu and T vant to know how Fan work with you Anil she ws like, meet a female undorgraduste who doesntend every sentence in a question mark.” $0. LEO: Yon always wanted to go eo Ini, BEC: rll beso nice to travel somewhere not won is so refreshing co ‘on my parents’ dime, you kno? Le0E I eo come BEC: ..10 Mum LEO: Why nor? Panse, The nest to Fines are simatancos BEC! I want to break up. {LEO: Piso happy tase you. Wh. Oh. Okay Pans LE0: Okay He grins. ber BEC: ‘The other night when I said I neededl vant cobreak up. Sorry Fhaow the timing is shite some time to think, thot wasn't er Twas gona do i no matter what when you ie not about AWOL this summer, even though finished the bike trp, itS not, yoo gol mn relly fucking pissed about that. LEO: So you-—huls. You were planning this fora while ‘BEC: Yeah, Yes LEO: That's why you backed out-of the hike vip SEC: Unimmin.a F backed a of the hike crip because II did't hack ou of the hike wip, Twas never definitely coming om the bike rp, LEO: Ub, okay, I remember it differently but ir really doesn't matter non, so. BEC: Vou knew Twas applying for intemships, you knew that LEO: Yeah, and I knew you were buying gear and training and, Uke, telling me you loved ine and ie vas important we gor te spend this time rogether before you lei for school That'll BEC: Well when Allison backed out— LEO: Allison tore her ACL, dude, thar’ / wally — ‘BEC: Fine, butit wasnt gonna be the trip we'd planned it wasn’ gonna he the four of ws. LEO: But you admit that we had planed @ trip, you plinmed wo come with ws, that as the lan, But I guess you were already plan- ning to break up with mie, you just dr et sme in on that BEC: Fin sorry I didn’t eom trip, okay? LEO:No, it as good twas amazing, actually, to have shat sime with Micah, 99, I wouldn't ‘on the bike trade that for anything BEC: Well poo Brief panse Leo: moan, it would have heen nige to have you there when he was killed, it would have Jicen nige to not be lone Fr that. BEC: Yeah, it would have been ace if youl showed upar the funeral, {really needed you then. Do you know how hurtful thar as, and Ihumiliaing, har everyone ws fi the fuck is Leo?” and L waslike, “I don’t know The has’ even ald me.” £0: But you were already planning to real tap with me. (OP bor lk) What? Vn just, Tin eying to master this time line, Bec, tht ‘where lie consi BEC: You're laying tisall on me, ue we bad problems. We never had the kind of relaion= ship Micah and Allison had, I ehink we should just face that Leo: W BEC: They were lke sent like really i love, Finnorsaying we did’ love exch other LEO: No. yore saying Fm non a grown-up, bec: about it, what a mature, and, lke, evenly balanced — LEO: Oh, well, if len / though so BEC: Don’t he an asshok roeun, they just had this serenity that we— Leo: [ acially shought it was the other way round, that we were the ones with the real dleal because | thoughe about you basically all che time when you weren't shere and T don't even know what that not-upsin lave, mv saying—even my mont stil talks yom know what 1 talked shout you like some kind of puthetie lovesik idiot whe about Ally seal. BEC: That's because he didn't have to Brief pans {Le0: I think you have some very weind very ieatized picture oftheir relationship, becuse irmighe interes yout 0 know that he chested co her, actualy. BEC: Okay [LEO: Like several times. With sone extremely questionable specimens, BEC: It's nor cheating when i tionship and its really none of my business an Ton think iS coo! a all eo tale about brn thar ay {LEO: I just think iSieresting chat your idea fa perfect rolaionship involves your boy Feiend getting aif from the 15-year-old iol ‘whase unele eins the campground. ‘BEC: My idea of the perfect relationship involves feeling like T don't have to justify myslf all the fcking ime to someone who aims that they lave me but is constantly Aisappoineed in me. am so tired of disap Micah never thowght pointing you, Lew. And luck you fr telling me thar about Micah Tid nor want to know tha. Vera bas entered it a aundey et \VERA: Excuse me.I as going othe basement todo some laundry, I wondered if you have anything that neds to be washed LEO: No, “VERA: Are you sure? I haven'e washed your sheets since you've / been here LEO: Not ‘Thanks Vora exit steely, sith dignity BEC: You know Micah’s parents are hack rogether, eight? LEO: ha? BEC: know LEO: Oh, ne, ‘BEC: | actully trie vo tale to yhem about it, Tas like, you know H love you both, but 's this really a good idea? For you guys, and for Ethan? Ir was so weird, I felt like such an adult {LEO: What id they say? BEC: He eried, and told me how prov! he is of me, and hos hneky Micah a to have sme in his life, and she got super huffy snl passive-aggressive and they both assured me that it whae Micah would have wantel Which seems 10 me bath patently filse snd completely irrelevant {Le0: They're gonna destroy that poor kd BE: And he's such a / sweet kid “LEO: He's goo kid, He / realy is ‘BEC: Ie shit show, I give up Pans [BEC: | yotta gerback uptown. {Le0: Hola, Lwantw read you something.BEC: Leo, Pm already late LEO: I's shore He ests, shen returns ith a Bok of Runt poetry. He take a fe moment to fd re page LEO: “There isa field.” Thar’ the tte BEC: Leo {LEO: You have to promise to listen with an ‘open heart ec: I— Le0: Please ‘She brvatbes, tries inpatienly but exrnestly co listen with an open heart £0 ending! Our beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there isa field (Ue szallaes, This ie bard fr bin) Ul meet you there. ‘When the soul lies down in that ‘The world ise full 1 tlk about. Pas. Se sesbe is almost coerce, ps hand tm ion. He teste opportunity grab ber and bss ber She psbes bin way. BEC: Ihave to go. LEO: Let me touch you. BEC: No. LEO: You're forgetting how our bodies are together, [No P'm not. (She geutly disentangle end maces ey) When Ir not furious at you I'm really worried about you. I don't want you to Thecome someone who makes me sad every time I think about you, Le0: Olay, Bec, I go college. BEC: Fock you LLé0: One ofus has turned our back on every thing the four of us used to believe and it isn't me. Vera reenter frm the bul, thous the eave but sarrying deorgent. Be gathers ber suff gi, arf, while Lew lous atthe groaned LEO: Hey. He extends the pumpkin toxurd Bec, smiling idinisally. Bes ignore ion and sales past Vora ‘nt the door without speaking A silence. VERA: Well. Are youall right? 3: Yeah, T'm good. VERA: She lost weight. (Paws) She could lose / some mare— LEO (Quietly Shu up. VERA: What? {LEO (eh is grin, dad eas me sicko hear you talk about her body so just fucking stop, okay? Did yoo hear that? Sie is stemmed. He exis ino te bedroom SCENE FIVE ‘Sever deystarr; around dusk Leo and Vern si, raring oe pase, Somes cic, bog swe don’ kao right acay what iis. A idence feren'tyou ona sailboat fora while? \Le0: Yeah. Yeah, In Mexieo. Pane VERA: And he was there? What'-his-name, (Pass) Micah LEO: Yeah. He was there Pause) And Ally was there too, fora while bu she got hepatitis and Ina to be evaesed back to St. Paul. VERA: Hepatitis? What were you eating? {LE0: Fish, mostly Rice. ‘VERA: You caught che fish? ‘LEO: Yeah, witha, like. Harpoon kinda thing, ‘You shoor them with this spear thing VERA: Aren’s they fast? Le0: Yeah, sit hard wo hie them? Le0: Yeah. They're fast. Micah was good at it. Pause) And the spear has 2 flotation device so after they're speared they rise the surface Parse ‘VERA: What does? LEO: Wha? ‘VERA: I forget what we were talking about Panse, Pons. ‘LE0: Me too. More staring ‘vera: You know your father never did any- thing For me in bed. Pras ‘LEO: her? My Saher? VERA: Yeah Joe. LLE0: Joe was my grandfather. VERA: Oh, Right Leo giggles. Vell he never did anything for mein bei. Neither of my husbands did. Thete was ‘only one man who ever did anything for mein Ded and it wasn’t one ofthe ones I married, LEO: WWho was ‘VERA: My lips are sealed {LE0:1 won’ rel ‘vera: Nope, Taking it with me tothe grave. Pa Lé0: I've heen incredibly horny sinee Micah died Passe VERA: Pas. LEO: Bee has kind of a weird pussy. But I Tike i. Did you hear me? VERA: Yes, but Idon’t want eo discuss it. Pause Lao picks up a bt ana Tighter thar we Daven’ nsied from the table Leo: Vou want some move? \VERA: No thank you I did like the way it made my throat. Whaddayacallit. (He fights and pulls) And T don’ think ic really doing anything for me, besides LEO (olin rhe ke in bie ngs): Were my parents ever in love? (He exes) ‘VERA: Which onesare your parents? Ob ight, (She thinks) U never relly understood your father. He's not very, Whaddayacallit. (She shinks) Forthcoming Leo: Ciome forth? They bch ug. VERA: You know; your mother wos always nervous, About...tupid things. She always ‘thought she had offended someone, and then ‘when she thinks that she tarts acting peculiar and she does offend people. What was the ‘questo Leo: Were my parents ever in love? VERA: I think at first he made her stop wor- ying, and now he makes her worry more. But that just what T chink, and that and a dollar 50 will got me on the subway. Passe 1L£0: Biggest regret? VERA: Mayhe I would have liked to have one ‘of my own children. I didn't know I wanced ‘one until T mattied Joe and his kids were around and then T thought, that would have ‘been nice, o have one from the very beginning instead of coming in late like that. Pra {L€0: Thank you for elebrating the autumnal cquino with m She nods He doesn't. SCENE SIX In bles, the snd ofa hey the ck, Saud eiSpeasiuenznei ai The door opens and lighe spi into the apart ‘men fm the hall. Te gigling ges ler Len centers with a drunk Amanda lesnéng on bin He turns ona light. Amanda is yoang-looking. for 19a pretty and fashion forzard Chinese- ‘Anerisen woman, She alternately giggles and says ShbbIOAE” Leo: Irs okay, she deaf. AMANDA: Really? That’ so sad! LEO: You wane a drink? AMANDA: Yeah, what do you have? {LEO (With te liquor caine: Un..-Campari? AMANDA: This view is amaaaaansazing! {LE0: Uh, something that the label is tao old toread. AMANDA: I can't believe you live here. Do you just wake op every morning and think T ‘ean’ helieve Hive here? LEO: Nor really: AMANDA: What does she pay? LO: dunno, Iehinkeshe sid like around 1200, Arran reas Leo: Shhh! AMANDA (Whispering Are you serine? Do you know low much my apartment cost? LE0: I don’. AMANDA: Eighteen hundred! Ie about the size ofthis roc Hoow long has she been here?Amy Herron 4000 wiles LEO: I don’ knoe AMANDA (Bask zit ae ve right LEO: Uh AMANDA: Dil she watch the rowers fll LEO: Ihave no idea AMANDA: You don't ask her nearly enough questions. If she was my grandina Ta knows everything, Pm like obsessel with family is- ror Ifyou want eo knoe the names fal my This is south, _great-zeandmother§ siblings in Chural Rina TI... (be racks ap) Rua China, Pm drunk, Are you drunk? Leo pours re Cammporis LEO: I wasn drinkin AMANDA: date rape me? LEO (Norv Uh, AMANDA: I'm just kidding, totally sleep with you. I mean probably Hike you. You're likea mountain man. Likea real live mountain rman. OF the mountains. You live outside of society’ ike She cay thik of bet inh sands ber a Campari [LEO: f lon’ really knows asa tis, bt it matehes your Band-Aid AMANDA: Oh, yeah! (She fifi ply finger, seceaing a brighrpinkorange Band-Aid) Did jou wera? Are you gonna like be wntence, He ll yor how got this? Le0: No, AMANDA: I totally shut my finger in a cab dleor! If showed you you wouldn'tbelive it, it ike nine colors [sight not have a pinky Fingernail ever again’ LEO: Thats good, i's tke your signature, Like our original thi AMANDA: Fut Un already like total freak, T reat look se me {L£0: I sn think you're a Trea. AMANDA (Disappoinred): You don't LEO (Backrracing AMANDA: I'm just teasing you, Um just kid- ding. You're adorable, yon’ re s0 euce LEO: wanna see under ie AMANDA: Under what? My Band-Aid? Leo: Yeah, Tvanna see the colors AMANDA: En! Gross! No! T mean, not yet She drinks some ofthe Campari AMANDA: Wow hiss mast LD: Sorry, [ean AMANDA: No, ina I flirtatious panse, He tens iw for the ko, She ducks coquensbly she winds "AMANDA: So whats yor deal, mountain man? Le0: My |AMAND/ only fie and gory back 0 Utell you my: deal frst, that’s mat Parsons, duh. I sorr of have boyfriend but mostly nor right now: E gree up in San Franeises,, my parenes run like a dim sum empire, so Tv kinda rich and 1 Alon’ really lke ro apologize for it. Um, my sister is five years older and she already has ‘ovo kids which think isso geoss. Like Lean't ‘even stand the in her house because of the sunell. And 'm gonna bean international att star, that much i lear, though Ido know ‘exactly what medium yet. Your tun L€0: Um, I'm from St, Po. And here, ly way of Seat. Brief pose AMANDA: Wows, you're really like, mil ing this man of few words, comantie seruffy beard hing. Leo: | jost really want co kiss you, Amelia "AMANDA: Am / anda. LEO: Amanda! Sorry! I knew I was gonna do that AMANDA: Yeah, that just sot you back bike, at Feast 20 minutes LEO: Amanda Amanda Amanda Amand Amanda ‘AMANDA: You shoul do thac inside your head instead of out ln. Le0: Sorry AMANDA: Your name is Len, which scans Lion. What’ yourastological sign? LEO: Nor Leo. Virgo. "AMANDA: Mine's Libra. (She ier scales) Balanes. {LEO: You're really beaut, Ansa, AMANDA: Thats good, keep practicing my name, soon you won't even have eo think about it. LLe0: I'm sorry Pn really not an asshole. AMANDA: Who's Amelia, Ex-yilfiend? LEO: No, Lon ake this the wrong way, but reall night I yas aad anna cal you Lily? Which iy sister name? You sore reminel me of hes AMANDA (joke: Is she Chinese? Le0: Yeah AMANDA: Seriously? LEO: Yeah, she's adopeed. AMANDA: And she’ an amazing dresser? No, thar’ joke. But seriously, i sine? LEO: No, she's much more, like Republie than you AMANDA: Ooh, LEO: Bus it’s just, something in the... (He _gestnres gue seed bis fet) dn. AMANDA: That sheet, mount that really sweet. Where is she? [LE0: St. Pal, With my parents. She was in college, bu chen she took a semester off and now it like her third year off, and sheS not row Pit T chink Tid that bess Banana fan. chink really sure what she¥ doing. I'm kinda wor- ried about her AMANDA: Whats she goo at? LEO: She has the most amzing voive in the ‘world, She sounds like a songbird, [know sn were in the that a Fucking cliché, but i ‘wove and you heard her singing, you would seriously think it was like the most talented Dir you ha ever hear AMANDA: You miss her, Leo: Yeah AMANDA: Why are you here? {LEO: Well, my grandma's relly, and she doesn't really have anyboily, so. [thought ic would be cool eo come spend! some dime with her AMANDA: That iss set! {LE0: I don’ really see ie that way, a, like, a favor? She’ just a ike really good friend who I happen to he related to, AMANDA: You might be coo good! 19 be true new friend, You might be He maces scl wzard ber She dodees hin anal _gor to the Books AMANDA: I don't know why Pm feeling kind of shy, its uncharacteristie, Pm usually pry ste: (With t bok) Is your grandmother like LEO: Card carrying AMANDA (ti med Leo: Yeah, Why? AMANDA: Oh my Gil, Oh ny God, Pin sory Tike, bee, Camis Leo: What? Why? “AMANDA: Duh! I'm hin ny Family ef Leo: Oh. |AMANDA: Why do you think your ster was pu up for adoption? Because the eo Tike Fucked China up the ass! LEO: Um, I'm not sure if thats— AMANDA: Oh it is, ‘That is drvally what happened LEO: Okay...sorry? AMANDA: Are joie communist 0° Un... "AMANDA: You hail to think about chat, He wie to kis ber agin, AMANDA: Dude! Tm norsare [can get ton in 4 communistSapartment, I'm realy no Seriously?! we! Why do you “LEO: 4 lot of people were communists hack then—it was like, it was like...recyeling, ot whatever, “AMANDA: What? LEO: Like it was cool, it was something you did tbe, you know, responsible. To society Pm nota communist I swear, Pv no [AMANDA (Seriously: My: Family didn't do s0 well over there, okay? [know F'n like this Funny weird gil in platorm shoes, Jat Lact ally am not joking tall and would et really "upset if | cold you what happened Lang pass [LEO: My est friend dia this summer. (She Joost bin) We were biking aerossthe country together and he died. hats why Ci her, Because I don't know where else 10 be. Amana A long pase. Sle grabs his face, They is por Siowazely. Vora entry, dnorented. Ske decent Juve br ret ins her lips rl eve ber gas They don'e bear her and cantinue, with bands‘Amanda (Greta Lee, left and Leo (Gabriel Ebert) recover from a sudden interruption. moving all cer each ae: She ses wba going on, stares lightly, and then realizes bat be looking at, Sle turns to go, but Amana moment of palling scay and opening ber eyes sees her and screams. They separate (Oh my God! Holding up a band) Excuse me. Sbe exits (Oh any Gad! That scare the shit out ‘of me! She looked like a ghost! She Jooked lke a ice white haired old lady ghost! Here, come to my room, Hold on, that really freaked me ou! Okey, okay. She goer to sit om the coc. He renatiely sits nbs er back, Its coo), She doesn't care. T don’: want ta get old and lose all my teeth, thu shit sso faced. Shhh He contin 1 ra ber back, Se begin tres He movesin a litle ese What was yo Brief pause Micah. How did he di Hr stop rubbing ber back Sorry: No, you're righ, the old lady kinda Killed dhe mood. friend name’ Long pane God, is tomorrow Tuesday? Pin not sure T actually have class really early Totally forgot shat, I know it sounds like 3 lame excuse, but t's actually true, [fine NDA: Are you gonna have blue balls or 1 feel kinds ba. NDA I could give yon my number. .? He deen’ respond MANOA: Ohinhbinkay Ts, I probahly- wouldn't use i? So. She stands, Sh’ wor sure what ead ose jst walle othe door, She bas trauble with the lock He goo tthe dsr aad nnlocks it. Sh ‘i, angry, ashamed. Pim glad I didn let you see under ry Band-Aid She este. SCENE 7 The middleof be might. Leo is siting in darkness Vera enters in ber nightgezom and turns on a light, Sesing Le, she twens it aff He actually dark a oppored to “sage dark” so that se cam ‘nly ce eer boucte against the winders. She goes an its mea in A silence. So we were in Kansas, because—even though that was way-ont of the way we wanted tw hit the center of the country, preferably around the Fourth of July for maximum ear- neseness slash unacknowled ged irony factor The timing worked out so it was July 3rd and we were approaching Gypsum, our small town America of choiew, one bar, one dines, 17 churches or whatever, And we were going west to east, so, wind at our backs. The wind ‘comes out ofthe south in the suramer, bat more like the southwest, so in 8 way going West to east Was a pussy move On OUF parts, brut we kind of wanted to do the opposite of the histrical—like American is east co west, so we were going the opposite way; also we lived out west, so. It was more honest £0 start there Western Kansas is like asst, che cliche you're basicaly just riding the wind and if you pedal even a lice bic ina low gear you. hit 15 mph no problem, Fifteen mph isa slow speed its pretty good. So i morning and the sun's pretty lov; between the low sun and the fat Fide and the good sind it the peefees time totake shadow pictures, That means you take 1 picture of your own shadow while you're ‘ear, but om bike its pretty good, riding, totally a stple of the cross connery bike trip, gotta have the shadow picture, ane with our huge packs and panniers we were gonna have expecially dope shedow pictures Micah thinksheS realy he thinks he has talent, so he’ doing alot of bullshit with shucter speed and what have you and we're both aking sha pictures and we hear truck coming bebiind ts, or Thea it, Tassume Micah does, I ehink od phorographe,‘Amy Herzog 4000 Miles he does because we bath bug the shomldler a lice hit, sil taking our shadows shots, and the truck gers louder and closer and passes uusand Tsee king ‘erates of sereaming chickens packed rogether and there are feathers ying out of the truck hed like some kind af T don’t know what kind ‘of metaphor, and [seream up to Micah who did mention wasin front af me, look at chat feking slave poultry! And he looks hack at ime, he has is lefthanel on his handllchar and Jhisright hand sil on his bullshit professional camera and he looks back at me and hes Ihughing and he sats t0 say something but the track bed separates fram the eab and ies backward and takes him off the road. Silence, save fo city sounds LEO: Before the ambulance came this PR lay from Tyson came, I dich realize I was sil holding my camera, She was like, "Tm sorry sir ba | have to conisete your camera,” She Tyson truck al off has to yell efor me to hear her overall these ‘aimee! and freaked out birds. I as ike, “my hese friend is under three thousand chickens” ‘She was ike, “T understand you're upset, but ‘his will beeiset for both of usifyou jus give sme your exmera av." Twas lke, 1 coulda get him, he’ buried under there, where is the fucking ” And she was lke, “T'm going wo ask your one mare time—" snd [threw ty camera on the ground Silence LEO: So what I don't have is these pietures from Wyoming, we did these stapid corny timer shots at the top of the Continental Divide, in front of the sgn that sys the aie tude and al that shir, there was sil snow up ‘there in June, He eau fish in Yellowstone, with his bare hands, he stood really sill and reached in and... hada picture of him holding ‘up chs ish longer than his heal and neck, Oh ie, and we dipped our back res inthe Ps thar’ another corny thing you da, heen then you're supposed to dip your front tres in the Adgntic when you get there. Which I hase not done yet, incidentally, dem’: know why. And I gora ile video of hitm dipping his Ink tire and pretending to fll off this rock into the sea because he was 2 fucking clown, ‘you know, he was a gifted physical eamestian, he could have done that for rea And then there areal she pitures of him I don't remember taking, and maybe losing those is worse than losing the ones Ido, Silence. LEO: Ie took then about 45 minutes to get bien out, nd the fony thing was he hada't sustained any trauma ta his head or anything but he had been face down in the rmud with hundreds of pounds of weight on him and he had suffocated Silene LEO: So the pare that everyone's pied at sme about is that after I flled out all the paperwork at the police station and called his mom and my mom I got hack on my bike anel kept riding, omg rience. VERA: I'm not wearing my hearing ai, So T could only hear parts of what you said. Bur I didn’t wane to interrupt. He ties di Vera’ lp. fm the conc with bis bead in SCENE 8 Vora itm the phe, sitting ith pon and paper in band, VERA: Are you sure that ie? I don’ chink that sounds ight. I sad I don’ think thae sounds right 4 lang pans, in bib Vera becomes gradeatly nae taken aback, VERA: Is chat what said? Idi’ say don't appreciate your looking it up for me, [de appreciate that. I just sid I don’ eink that sounds right, And ita eause I've heen giving 1 fora long time, so T would think I ould recognize the aukdress, (Brif pause) Well it doesnt! IFit doesn’t sound right, 'm nor sup- posed to say so? Just to he polite? (Brief pes) How should | know? Maybe you picked up the wrong piece of paper, or its from an ol, whaadayacalli, Driefpaie) No, Idon't know wha itis, iT did I wouldn't have elle yen, ‘now chats eal a stupid question. She moves the phone axay from ber ear; and perhaps we can bear Ginny yelling, ang ‘n't distinguish bat ae’ saying VERA: O for erying ot loud, jase tll it to ‘meagain, I'l say that’ wonderful thar sounds ceacty right, an I really owe you, Ginn, for taking iso minutes ou of your busy lite to sive me the wromg Goddarnn address. (Shee poised to ite) Hello? Ginny? Parions, Vere goe tthe pone and bangs ap. She rinks about i fia momens, shen picks up sand iaks Ginny’ namber—it's 0 rotary phone, emennbor 9 i takes a Tong time, She waits Maybe xe can bear Ginny's phone ringing die- any ars the bal, and her answering masbine picking up. Vera speaks cite ter, oo lari. VERA: Hello, Ginny, I now you're there and you're not picking up because you're like a ‘hil. Anyway, [ranted t le yo know that ‘hore’ need tall me Frm now ar ees with my grandson here I'm really very well taken care oF and I don't need anyone else checking in. And since is obsiously so dif ficult for you to be in touch with me [think thats best: She bange np. She is immediately emorsfi She brings ber band to her mouth. Lev enters He tonhes bor bod on hi way inte the kitchen Vira poks up she phone again, thinks, thon heme up. Len reenter with arange jice, Leo: Ginny? Shenod athena pats br bearing lac in 40: Don't you ever just go over there and Iinock on the door? You know she’ like 20 fee a: VERA: Forsome eason weve never done that Some ida she has aboue privacy or She wil off ‘LEO: You okay? VERA: My files are such a mess Te he sine oF he yese small do ll my donations and Tean' find the ist of charities I give to and I cant ind my checkbook, so. That's the kind of morning fm having {Le0: I ean help you lock iFyou sill haven't found iewhen Hw back VERA: Where are you going? 10; Cling wal, garden, interview ‘VERA: Interview? For what LE0:Forajob Brief nae. ‘VERA: Wal [eink hae prey teri You're thinking abour geting a part-time job, is chart? LEO: Full-time, Very fullsime. VERA: I never thought id see the day! LEO: Hey, Thave no aversion to work, its just gore he the righ jo. VERA: Where isi? LE: Rockies. VERA: What? Mounsains VERA (Hiding ber diappinement): Oh LEO: Theyre king for counselor, they have this progeam where they deopa hunch of ih kids in the mountains, they have to get frm one point another, rich kids have no idea har the fucks what, they need eles, s0. sactually a preety evo! program, Idd itn high school. Gotta say T eink fied, I think [have a good sho. VERA: So when wonld that start? Le0: Not ill next snr VERA (Relicced): Oh. ‘LEO: Bur I'd go out early spend the winter ‘on the slopes, there’ always work for people Tike me. VERA: So when would you lve {L£0: I don’t kro. Soon, VERA: I see. (Pans) You know, you really haven’ given the city a chance, you haven't done any of the museums, or the theate— LEO: Grandma, come on, VERA: I'm not trying to convince you af anything, 'm just making an observatinn, [vs a grearplace to lie and yor haven't had the experience of it, not really LEO: I'm like a caged bird here, Vers, ie nothing against your ety; but for me it ke VERA: Ohh thats just a lot of wvhacdayaeal- Fit—new-age baloney and you should listen ‘oyourselfonee ina while because you sound stupid, you really do,A silence, Leo exits into bis bedroom. Afiew a ‘moment, be renters with bis backpack LEO: So FI he bac ina few hours and then iF you still ned help looking foe your, uh, ‘Vera: Yow didn’t take it, did you? Leo: What? VERA: My checkbook L angry you tll me now LEO (Simiting: I didn take it Pons. VERA: Ica Joseph-Connell- {Ge0: I dnt take 49 1 did take ie did’e take itTdida’e take it. Yesterday youllost your keys, there were three days you couldn't ind your heating aid, there was she priceless morning your teeth went missing, you think T took those to0? T didn't ake your fucking. checkbook. God, Pause: YVERA:T hope you're relling the truth, Treally do. Your records ofhow much money you've taken haven'eesaety been... wasnt going 0 say anything, but, Pause LEO: Well lets hope this interview goes well, because its clear you don’: trust me and it would be better for both of us ifT gor out others. VERA: Maybe that’s true Leo: Maybe. VERA IE you're going to the garden before ‘the—you should bring a change of elothes hecause you always get filthy there. LLe0r I thought of that. VERA: Yo did, Wel. She genes ffabeontly, Heesits, The noire ofthe ar elosing stares ber en, lhe s loess SCENE 9 Loo om Skype, bt lae in the afternoon. Hesite in font of am open laptop in a corner of the apartment Leo: Can you hear me? Lily? Can yon—oh, hey. Ff ves onc, roy, siing) Team see that big smile I can’t hear you Ob, hole He hit the valome key several times. We bear Lily voice very funny tbrough the monitor: LILY (Of) can just eal me— Leo: Hey! There /itis— LILY (Off: Hey! LEO: Hey, ss, yeah A pate, Hess ynuinely. Lily lrghs through the monitor. LILy (OB): Where's Grandia? LEO: She’ out chopping. Ly (Of): What kind of computer does she have? Leo: Ie a... (le ats) Tes a MacBook, its pretty new, actualy. She sill had that plastic cavering on the sercen. Laughter from Lily through the compar LEO: She so seared ofit, she probably thought if she took i off the whole thing would fll apart. (More laughter) P've been trying to get her touseitso she'll have mor...because ve ‘beon here three weeks now and Iknow there are some daysif I wasn't here she woulda see anyone. Whar an [talking about how are you how are you how /are you. LiLy (Offe'm okay — tLe0: I'm sorry Thaven't been in touch— Lity (Of) Yeah, Mom's really: Leo: Can we not talk about Mom? LILY (Off ..okay. A silence, He ifs the sompater and angles ‘aon the roe, aici her ae te parame {Le0: You remember this place? Lay (Off .-yeah. Brief pause. ‘LEO: You remember singing at Grandpa's ‘memorial serviec? LiLy (Off .vaguey ‘LEO: Aunt Beth brought that shitty Casio snd accompanied you, badly. (aly doughs) You sing “The Water is Wide.” In English and in French, Lity (Of) Lean’ believe /you remember that Leo: [was proud of you. You brought some talented fucking enetie cade with you into this family. A parse, Maybe se cam bear Lily igh {Le0: I was thinking you should maybe come ‘outhere for awhile. Stay with Grandma, They _gotta have like che / best voice teachers in the ‘world here— Livy (Of): Wait, you're curing out. Leo, L can’t hear yo. Can you bear me? {LE0: Can you hear me? Lil, can you sill noe Thear me? Veoh, Tan heat yow. LiLy (Of): there you are, ‘Leo: You ean hear me again? LiLy (Of): Now Lean, yeah. ‘LE0: Sorry, Pm jacking a neighbor's wifi, I'm ‘only geting like / one bar Ts okay. Pause. He smiles at ber presumably getting big sat sie ack LL£0:S0 I hey, I wanted to ask, wan, ane you. In therapy? [mean its cool, obviously its cool if you ae. Tost, Ionderad if uh, and this is probably really stapid If, and obviously not just one thing, but if like, iehad wo do with ‘When I washhome, earlier this ssmmer, and we had that party, and we were fucked up...2 iby (Of): Um... don't know 4 if Leo: No, yeah, I get that. E mean, 1 guess ‘that’s why yoo go to therapy, right, so you do’ ave to tlkcabout hese things with your immediate Bucifit was that—thing, (let me jst say this) wool like to apologize, and say | 100 percent feel ike a dick if that was weird orawsevard or ‘made you feel les like my actu sster, which ‘obviously you are. Beeause I think you're lke the greatest sister Known to human history anu 1 woul ike to noe have Fucked atleast thavone thing up okay? LiP Ly (Of)..plese come home, 10: Yeah, Ls. have wo ge some thought so whether that would be the best hing for everyone. And I don’ just mean me, Mom, and you, and..evryone Br Tl hink about it Te would be good to see you Yeu, Fm gonna hang up now, sony. Heche ap, etka ret and egos control. he pone rings. Se it i aly ealing fact, be ake ito, grins and picks up {Le0: Yeah, hey, sorry out that. Helio? (He Jaton) Hello? Who is this? Um sory, La can'tundersand what you're saying Passe. Dissonfed. be hangs up. He ges the daptp and begin 10 bead tard Vera reams 19 pt it bok, He is stpped by the sound of a sickening ru (and mye someting reakng?) jn be direction of Ginny'saparomen He stands sil lsenin. Isle. He continnst Vera's un wth lap. Afra moment, be retarns ithont telat. Hesiteo thecone nen A long wile pases He listers, but tere m0 amore sod. Herma deise, sands and sos ¢» Ginny’ dao. He cs SCENE 10 Mid-afternoon, a fw day later. Leo is wearing a suit shat isto big and fram an era long past—Jee Vora enters fom ber bedroom, alm dresved mp VERA: Five minutes? Leo: \VERA‘T just have co make peepee. ‘She saben to eit, ba ses somes. She comes wer to Lea tof iste, He lets ber VERA: [found my checkook. You don’t nved 1 say anything, I was wrong about that, and Fmsony, Leo: do awe you some money. I dide't write ‘down where yousaid hut know how much is. Til pay you luck. VERA: Maybe you will, maybe you won't But [appreciate your saying so. (She finite bis te) Tish T could say you Took just ike him, bhur you relly don’. You look more like your facher’ side of the family. £0: Sorry YVERA: But you Took good. (She des Broo syaczent) You clean up real nice! LEO: I fel like a elown. VERA: You look a litle bit ikea clown, but you look good. ‘She iv abo ex {LE0: Grandia ‘VERA: Hm? [Lf0: You can se your bra, through tharshirt \VERA:T know. This the bra I wear wit this shir, heeause it goes. ‘Seis into the batbrvem. Te buszer seus4000 Mites Leo and Vera (Gabriel Ebert, ltt. and Mary Louise wilson) share an unexpected lauah fe lok of then ob tele Fuck eps bis jacket back om, He tauses bis wen Tek open. lecved jersey. She is carrying ber bel Hey: Nive si Thanks. Nive jersey Pranks bur you're obviously bus Yeah. Yeah, Fam kin oF bus Olay, so. Sorry. Never mi Uh. I would say we could go tomorto bur Pm heading owt Back to St. Paul for couple days fee up co the family. Then to Ce What’ in Colorade Gora job Yeah, think ek gonna he eval Clarify ing. Mountain air ancl all sha, ‘hats great, F'n really happy for you. Thanks. Yeah, Ifyou could wait maybe 2 couple hours—? Thave class, Right. Class Tes just I tho £0: Ah thar nighe you showed up at xy dorm, and No, its been kinda ersay around here, ny grandina needed me alot. Hern died. Thacs where we're— Vm sa sorry Not your fal Tana Well. You probably won't have time, but, 1 uple maps. Depend ou want to doit. Fknove open oxean is ideal ere I think you're gonna have cw settle for ba Think a long ase say it cous T'm actually one ofthe cases Pm taking itSan anthropology dassabout rita? Like in sexietisll over the worl, and how i on lke 2 psychologieal and even new Tek it. sll we're not that far into the cass yet because they work lon’ knon, think if can fit tin, you should do it, She ba bi The snd of ite flabing. Vera ctr, ptting pearls oer her bead, She see Be Oh, Hi Hello, Vera lnaks to Lea, who dees’ exp You ready Just about wit. Vera is thoroughly mytifi You're coming, is thacie No. Iwas just... Pm sorry about your You knows Leo was the one who bro her tothe hospital, He ook eare of eveything, hestayed with her uns hey brought her into the, whaddayacallit, He was really.cbe was very much # man. Oh Pin sorry, you di like ie when E put it chat wa No, I'm actually glad you, Which des not make me very hap bot) Oh don'c ook a me ike that, 1 be right, P've always been allright know, [wasting you.‘BEC: I wasn’, please dont chink th ‘VERA: All ight, always manage toupsetyou, lee’ forget said anything. ‘BEC: You didn’t upset me, T mean ib not ‘you, I'm just irretrievably sad right now, and iknow ies gonna pass, I know that, but its very convincing, while it lasts, you know? Te jst Feels very very real VERA: Well itis cea. That why. But you're sight. Fl pass Leoreenters, unas of hat be ie iarerruging LEO: Okay! (Off ther Hook) What Pense i BEC: Bye, Leo. Brief pause. LE0: Bye. ‘They hg deeply. Vora avert: her eyes ‘BEC: Bye Vera, VERA: Take care of yourself Bec exit. A long pace. VERA: What’ this about a speoch {Le0:T wasn'rsure if they were gonna open it ‘up to people in the audience. Bur justin ease You said she doesn’thave a lot of people. VERA: But did you ever meet her? T mean, befire—? LEO: No. You're right, its probably nor a good idea, VERA: [think ita lovely idea, I'm just sur- prised. Do you want ta practice? We have a Fesw minores LEO: Uh... (Fe looks atthe paper) Nah ‘VERA: You should alrays practice before pub- Tie speaking. Joe would've told you that LEO: Okay, um... fel weird. Urn Ginny wasmy grandmothersctoss/thehall— VERA: Loudly, please Brief pause. {LEO: Ginny was my grandmother's across the hall neighbor, and they used to cal cach other ‘every night to checkin. Which know gave my ‘mom and my uncles fot of solace tac there ‘was someone my grandma talked to every day: But don't want ro make i sound like ‘that was Ginny's only purpose in ie, because actualy a google search revealed a varied and fascinating past; Ginny was an actress. Tong timeago,and she understudied for a play on Broadway called Mary Had a Little. (1p Vora) ‘You didn’t tell me chat. (Véra nods) After that she started working for the William Morris Agency, asa secretary. So I guess she decided ifshe wasn't making tasan actor she wanted tw help other actors make it, whieh [think is a pretty productive way of dealing with that kind of disappointment. Ako she was married to a man who was killed in the Korean Wat, And after that I think she didn’t get married again...? (He laoks 10 Vara, who neds) So. T don’t know, but I et that was really terrible, and [know she was a peace activist, ike my ‘grandma so T guess she came at thar from a pretty personal angle. That all I could find fn the intemet but she was BI-years-old so there was a lot of ather sft, t00. (Peas) 1 guess that nor such a good ending. VERA: It needs maybe one more... wha ayacali. LEO: Yeah, ‘They think, for Rind of along tie. ‘VERA: I hard, because the truth she was pain in the 2s. Pau) I guess you could say. yout could say something aboutall her plants. Leo: Oh yeah, Iso, in her apartment, there was like a/ forest. VERA: She would get a, whaddayscallit that green slimy thing from California, with a stone / in it— LEO: An avocado? VERA: She would geran avocado atthe super marker, and put the stone in some water with those, uh, toothpicks, and next hing you know iba tree. What is thatexpresson? (She thinks) (Green thumb. (She i relieved to have thought of ths) She wasa pain in the as, but God, she ‘was ikea magician, That woman could make anything grow: Le listens, and thon writes. Lights fide END OF PLAY