Motel Room. Celia is pacing, waiting. A moment later, James enters.
C: There you are! I was starting to worry.
J: I told you not to expect me any earlier. I had a meeting.
C: I know. I just....worry.
J: What about?
C: Oh, you know, everything. Don't you?
J: No, actually. I don't. Do you think I should?
C: Of course not. That's part of what I love about you. Aren't you going to kiss me?
(They embrace.)
What's wrong?
J: Nothing. What do you mean? Nothing's wrong.
C: You seem tense. Something's the matter?
J: Celia, I'm fine. Is something the matter with you?
C: No, of course not. Sorry. How long do you have?
J: I have to be home by eight-thirty. You?
C: Tonight is Richard's men's group. Nine-thirty at the earliest. I know It's not the right thing to say, but I liked men better before they started talking so much.
J: You're just an old-fashioned girl.
C: That's what I love about you: You don't say everything. And everything between us is so...
J: Temporary.
C: Intense. How are you feeling?
J: Fine.
C: You always say that.
J: Because it's true.
C: You don't have to be brave for me, you know.
J: I thought that's what you just said you liked about me.
C: Loved.
J: Loved, then. Look, Celia, I have to tell you something. Some news. I went to the doctor's today.
C: I knew it. I knew there was something. It's worse, isn't it?
J:No, it's not what you think. It's good news, I - I'm not sick, it turns out. I'm not dying!
C:What are you talking about?
J: The lab made a mistake, apparently. Some mixup with the slides or something. I'm fine! There's nothing wrong with me!
C: What do you mean, a mistake? you mean you're not sick?
J: No!
C: You're not going to die?
J: No? Well, not right now. Not that I know of, anyway.
C: But how can that be?
J:Just one of those freak confusions, I guess. But listen, it means I'm fine!
C: James, that's - well, that's great. Obviously. What - what great, great news.
(They embrace, but awkwardly.)
Well this kind of changes everything, doesn't it?
J: Does it?
C: I mean, in a good way, of course. But still.
J: I don't see why it has to.
C: Well, we can't very well go on having an affair if you're going to live, can me? Your wife is my best friend!
J: What are you saying? You only loved me because you thought i was going to die?
C: Of course not! I've loved you for years. But I only slept with you because I thought you were going to die.
J: That's perverse.
C: It is not! it's moral!
J: What?! What is this, the "terminally ill" clause of the seventh commandment?
C: You're a fine one to talk!
J: I'm the one who was dying remember?
C: You only thought you were dying.
J: Look, let's not argue. Ok? Celia?
(Pause)
C: I'm sorry. This just - I'm surprised, is all.
J: Imagine how I feel!
C: How do you feel?
J: What do you mean?
C: Someone just gave you your life back. That doesn't happen to most people. What does it feel like?
J: Well great, you know. It feels great.
C: "Great"? That's it?
J: I'm not good at talking about things. You said so yourself, remember? You said that's what you love about me.
C:Like.
J: Oh, come on, Celia. This is good news. We can worry later. We're together now. Let's celebrate.
(Pause.)
C: Do you remember how it started? Do you remember the day you told me?
J: Of course.
C: But do you remember what you said?
J: I called you from a pay phone. I remember that.
J: You said you were downtown with an hour to kill and was I free for lunch.
J: I remember, I remember Feeling like that was the one phone call you're allowed to make before they lock you up.
C: Three glasses of wine, and then you told me.
J: Yes.
C: We were sitting there. You'd just been to the doctor. You said he'd asked you to get dressed and meet him in his office.
J: God, yes I remember.
C: Six months, you said he said.
J: You remember.
C: Everything. Six months. Remember that?
J: I couldn't very well forget that, could I?
C: You bastard.
J: What? Because I thought I was going to die, and now I'm not?
C: Because you lied.
J: About what?
C: He didn't say six months! He said a year, maybe two!
J: So, I forgot exactly what he said. It was a stressful conversation! besides, what difference does it make, if it turns out I'm actually fine?
C: You would not have forgotten an thing like that, unless...
J: Unless what?
C: Unless you made it up in the first place.
J: What are you saying, that I made the whole thing up? That I was never going to die?
C: James, how could you do that? How could you lie to me about a thing like that?
J: It wasn't a lie. I honestly thought I would die without you. I had to have you.
C: That's sick, you know that? For a well man, you're incredibly sick.
J: Listen to me. I did go to the doctor's that day. We talked about my heart, how sometimes it throws in this extra beat, which was probably nothing to worry about, although sometimes perfectly healthy people do drop dead on the golf course, you never know. We'd had dinner with you and Richard the night before, do you remember? I do. I remember everything about that dinner. I remember sitting next to you and thinking if I couldn't touch you, I was going to die.I literally thought that. And then I had this conversation with the doctor the next day. And when I left his office the sun was just incredibly bright. It was bouncing off the cars in the parking lot so, so intensely that I could hardly keep my eyes open. And I thought, if there's a phone here, and if I've got change, and if shes listed, I'm going to call her. And if she answers, it's a sign.
C: Why didn't you tell me that? Why didn't you just tell me the truth?
J: Because the truth wasn't enough!
C: The truth is always enough!
J: Since when?
C: Since always.
J: Well, I'm telling you the truth now.
C: But now everything is different. Now I can't trust you.
J: Now is exactly when you can trust me. It was before, when you thought you could, that you couldn't.
C: Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it doesn't.
J: Well, what about you? you're the one who wanted a deathbed romance! How do you think that made me feel, knowing that you were only with me because you thought I wouldn't be around in another year?
C: Maybe tow.
J: You're cruel.
C: You would know.
(Pause)
Does Meredith know?
J: About us?
C:That you're not dying.
J: She never thought I was!
C:You didn't tell her?
J: Why should I tell her? it wasn't true! Good god, you didn't tell her, did you?
C: How could I tell her? "Oh, by the way, you'll never guess what James mentioned while we were at lunch the other day?
J: I thought she was your best friend.
C:Now who's being cruel?
J: I'm sorry. I am. For everything.
C: So you're really fine?
J: You sound disappointed.
C: I'm just adjusting to the news.
J: Did you really want me to die?
C: Of course not! It just... it made everything....
J: Easier?
C: More alive, somehow, more real. But of course, this is better. I mean, obviously! It just takes a little getting used to.
J: Well, the doctor did seem a little concerned about one thing...
C: Really? What was that?
J: Well, my cholesterol. It's a bit high.
C: (Disappointed.) Oh.
J: But my heart. It does throw in that extra beat now and again.
C: But you said that was nothing to worry about, right?
J: Well, ordinarily not. But, you know, with elevated cholesterol - and I do have high blood pressure.
C: So in your case, it might be a bit more serious?
J: Well, you never know. My uncle died young.
C: Heart attack?
J: Farming accident. But still! I could, you know.
C: What?
J: Die. It could happen
C: Oh, James!
(They embrace, passionately this time.)
END OF PLAY
Script of an "scripted scene" i'm doing for an acting class. Posted for educational/non-profit uses. If this post violates a copyright, of the original author, I will remove it immediately upon request.
No comments:
Post a Comment