Brian Friel Plays 1 (42 page)

marriage – that’s what it is: the concentration of delight and fear and expectation. And Judith tells me she’s been in really bubbling humour for months and months – not one day of depression. Not even one; maybe she’s grown out of it. Isn’t it marvellous? May I tell you something, Tom? We always said among ourselves, Judith and Alice and I – isn’t this true, Alice?

ALICE:
Isn’t what true?

CASIMIR:
We always said – well, no, it was never quite expressed; but we always, you know, we always suspected – amn’t I right, Alice?

ALICE:
What are you saying, Casimir?

CASIMIR:
Just that we always thought that perhaps Claire

darling was the type of girl, you know, the kind of girl – we always had the idea that our little Claire was one of those highly sensitive, highly intelligent young girls who might choose – who might elect to remain single in life. Ha-ha. That’s what we thought. Isn’t that true, Alice?

ALICE:
And we were wrong.

CASIMIR:
Indeed we were wrong! Thank goodness we were wrong! Not that she isn’t an attractive girl, a
very
attractive girl – isn’t she attractive, Tom? – don’t you find Claire attractive?

ALICE:
For God’s sake, Casimir –

CASIMIR:
What’s wrong with that? Tom finds little Claire attractive or he doesn’t find her attractive?

TOM:
She’s a very personable young lady.

CASIMIR:
Personable – that’s the word – an excellent word – personable. Of course she is. And such a sweet
nature. And her young man, I gather, is an exceptionally fine type. You’ve met him, Tom, have you?

TOM:
Just once – briefly.

CASIMIR:
I’m really looking forward to meeting him. Aren’t you, Alice? A mature man who neither smokes nor drinks and –

ALICE:
A middle-aged widower with four young children.

CASIMIR:
That’s fine – that’s fine. Claire is exceptionally good with children. Judith told me that when she was giving those piano lessons to the children in the village –

ALICE:
What lessons? What children?

CASIMIR:
All last winter she went every evening to five or six houses until – you know – poor old Claire – the old trouble – over-anxiety, that’s all it is basically, I’m sure that’s all it is – and when she had to give it up, I’m sure she missed the pin-money – I mean she must have – what was I talking about? Yes, all those children. Judith wrote and told me they were devoted to her – Judith told me that. And her young man, Jerry, runs a very successful greengrocer’s business and he has a great white lorry with an enormous plastic banana on top of the cab and he supplies wonderful fresh vegetables to all the hotels within a twenty-mile radius and he’s also an accomplished trumpet player and they play duets together. Good. Good. It all sounds just – just – just so splendid and so – so appropriate. Everything’s in hand. Everything’s under control. I’m so happy, so happy for her. Ha-ha.

(
His
head
rotates
between
ALICE
and
TOM
in
very
rapid
movements,
staring
at
them
with
his
fixed,
anguished
smile.
Silence.
Then
suddenly
the
music
changes
– a
waltz
– E flat
major
(
Posth
.)
.)

CASIMIR:
Dance with me, Alice.

ALICE:
Casimir.

CASIMIR:
(
Shouts
)
Clever, clever, Claire! Bravo! (
To
ALICE
) Please.

ALICE:
Not now.

CASIMIR:
In celebration.

ALICE:
You never could dance.

CASIMIR:
Try me – come on – come on!

ALICE:
Please. I’m –

(
He
grabs
her
hands
and
pulls
her
to
her
feet.
)

CASIMIR:
One-two-three

One-two-three –

ALICE:
For God’s sake –

CASIMIR:
One-two-three

One-two-three

ALICE:
Casimir!

CASIMIR:
(
Sings
)
Alice and Casimir

(
He
is
now
dancing
with
the
reluctant
ALICE
and
singing
so
loudly
that
he
does
not
hear
the
phone
ring.
)

TOM:
Your call, Casimir!

CASIMIR:
Over and round again

Back and forth, down again –

TOM:
Casimir!

CASIMIR:
Isn’t she terrific! And an even better ballet dancer, and she has certificates in French to prove it!

TOM:
Call to Hamburg!

CASIMIR:
What?

TOM:
Germany!

(
CASIMIR
stops
suddenly.
He
hears
the
phone
now.
The
high
spirits
vanish
instantly.
)

CASIMIR:
God – Helga – that’ll be Helga! Ha-ha.

(
He
runs
into
the
study
and
grabs
the
phone.
)

CASIMIR:
Halloh? Halloh? Helga? Bist du da, Helga? Halloh? Halloh?

(
ALICE
flops
into
a
seat.
)

TOM:
I’m sorry I can’t dance.

ALICE:
Thank God for that. Is that whiskey I saw in there?

TOM:
Can I get you some?

ALICE:
Would you, please?

(
TOM
goes
into
the
study
and
picks
up
the
drinks
tray.
)

CASIMIR:
Yes, yes, I’m holding, Mrs Moore, I’m holding.

(
To
TOM
) Terrific!

TOM:
You’re through?

CASIMIR:
Yes.

TOM:
Good.

CASIMIR:
To Letterkenny. (
Into
phone
)
Very well, thank you, Mrs Moore – they’re all very well. And how is Mr Moore keeping? Oh, good Lord, I never heard that – six years ago? Oh, good heavens, I’m very sorry – (
To
TOM
) Ha-ha.

(
TOM
carries
the
tray
outside.
)

ALICE:
Has he got through?

TOM:
I think not quite.

ALICE:
Sometimes when I ring home from London it takes me two hours.

TOM:
Hey, you’ve hurt your cheek.

ALICE:
Have I? Must have bumped into something last night. It’s not sore. Have a drink yourself.

TOM:
I will, thanks. Do you come home often?

ALICE:
You’re not going to interrogate me again, are you?

TOM:
Would you mind?

ALICE:
I don’t know any answers.

TOM:
When you were growing up, did you mix at all with the local people?

ALICE:
We’re ‘local people’.

TOM:
Sure; but you’re gentry; you’re big house.

ALICE:
Eamon’s local – Eamon’s from the village.

TOM:
But as kids did you play with other Ballybeg kids?

ALICE:
We were sent off to boarding-school when we were seven or eight.

TOM:
Casimir, too?

ALICE:
He went to the Benedictines when he was six.

TOM:
Wow. And afterwards?

ALICE:
After we left boarding-school? Judith and Claire and I went to a convent in Carcassone – a finishing school – and became … young ladies (
Raises
glass
),
didn’t we?

TOM:
Indeed. And Casimir?

ALICE:
Began law in the family tradition but always hated books. So he left home – went to England – worked at various ‘genteel’ jobs. Then he met Helga and she took him
off to Germany. I think he works part-time in a food-processing factory – I don’t want to ask him. Helga’s the real bread-winner: she’s a cashier in a bowling alley. Anything else?

TOM:
Tell me about Eamon.

(
She
rises
and
fills
her
glass
again.
)

ALICE:
Didn’t we talk about that last night?

TOM:
Briefly.

ALICE:
What did I tell you?

(
He
consults
his
notebook.
)

TOM:
‘Poised for a brilliant career in the diplomatic service when –’

ALICE:
‘Poised for a –’ I never said that!

TOM:
I’m quoting you.

ALICE:
I
must
have been drunk.

TOM:
Then the civil rights movement began in the North in ’68. The Dublin government sent him to Belfast as an observer and after a few months observing and reporting he joined the movement. Was sacked, of course. Moved to England and is now a probation officer with the Greater London Council. Right?

ALICE:
Listen – Claire’s tired at last.

TOM:
What was your father’s attitude?

ALICE:
To Eamon?

TOM:
To the civil rights campaign.

ALICE:
He opposed it. No, that’s not accurate. He was indifferent: that was across the Border – away in the North.

TOM:
Only twenty miles away.

ALICE:
Politics never interested him. Politics are vulgar.

TOM:
And Judith? What was her attitude? Was she engaged?

ALICE:
She took part in the Battle of the Bogside. Left Father and Uncle George and Claire alone here and joined the people in the streets fighting the police. That’s an attitude, isn’t it? That’s when Father had his first stroke. And seven months later she had a baby by a Dutch reporter. Does that constitute sufficient engagement?

(
They
are
interrupted
by
the
sound
of
laughter
and
horse-play
from
the
hall.
)

CLAIRE:
Give me that, Eamon!

EAMON:
Jump for it!

CLAIRE:
I’m warning you!

CASIMIR:
Shhhh – please!

EAMON:
Jump-jump-jump-jump-jump!

CLAIRE:
Eamon, I’m telling you! –

EAMON:
Doesn’t it suit me?

(
They
burst
into
the
study
–
EAMON
wearing
the
head-dress
of
Claire’s
wedding
outfit.
She
is
trying
to
recover
it.
EAMON
is
in
his
thirties.
CLAIRE
,
the
youngest
daughter,
is
in
her
twenties.
At
this
moment
she
is
in
one
of
her
high
moods:
talkative,
playful,
energetic.
On
other
occasions
she
is
solitary
and
silent
and
withdrawn.
They
are
now
in
the
study.
)

CLAIRE:
Beautiful on you. Now give it back to me at once!

CASIMIR:
Please – please.

EAMON:
Sorry.

CASIMIR:
Hamburg.

EAMON:
What?