by Tom Murphy
Peter (claps his hands, silently) Mama!
Arina And I still think of the Lord’s mercy – sleepless nights still: what if someone had sensed out my distracted state and shouted – out of trickery, mischief? – ‘Thirty-five thousand!’ What would I have done? Lost the place which was the beginning of all this? Or would I have called ‘Forty!’, ‘Fifty!’ and where would I have come by it? What would have happened?
Peter Sleepless nights.
Arina And that dolt thinks – and you think, maybe – that what I have done cost me nothing, means nothing?
Peter ‘You can’t have a pimple on your nose for nothing.’
Arina (to Paul) Mind you don’t bite me with that face.
Paul I heard it all before!
Peter Tsssssss!
Paul (to himself) The horse and cart.
Arina Well, here’s something you haven’t heard before: I want you now to judge between your brother Steven and me, your mother.
This is, indeed, something they haven’t heard before. And it’s most strange.
Peter Judge, Mama?
Arina Judge, rule, decide between us – that’s why I called you here. And whatever you decide will be right. Find me guilty, say that everything I did in my life was wrong, a mistake, say that property doesn’t matter, say that I shouldn’t complain ever again about anything, let alone about money being flung on a dung heap. Find against him, then his way of life is wrong, and you’ll tell me what to do with him.
Peter If you’ll allow me, Mama, to express an opinion.
Arina I just asked for it.
Peter Then, in two words: children belong entirely to their parents, parents may therefore judge their children, but children their parents? Never. That’s all.
Arina That’s all?
Peter Even if it were true that parents wronged their children, it would never be lawful for children to meet parents with the like.
Arina What’re you saying behind what you’re saying?
Peter Mama! Children must obey their parents, must follow their guidance without question and take care of them in their old age.
Arina All right, you won’t judge me – judge him then and rule in my favour.
Peter We can’t do that either, we daren’t: you are our mother.
Arina (grimly) Settle your troubles for yourself, Mama, as always.
Peter But –
Arina (flips) I’m tired! What is it all about? I don’t know why or what or who I’ve been doing it all for!
Peter . . . To make decisions, Mama, a person would first have to be in a position of authority.
Arina (to Paul) You! What do you say?
Paul Nothing.
Arina Stupid!
Paul So should it matter what I say?
Peter Without first being in a position of authority, a –
Arina I heard you the first time. It’s a bit too soon to bury me.
Paul Shoot him – He’s guilty – And it’s all settled!
Arina That’s disrespectful.
Peter Tsssssss!
Paul (at Peter) Tsssssss! (He doesn’t like his brother. To Arina.) What is disrespectful in saying nothing?
Arina Mind, be careful – both of you – I have grandchildren! (Under her breath.) (For) Christ’s sake! . . . All right: I’ll try kindness again. The Valley, that parcel of land that came from your father’s sister: I’ll give him that. If he applies himself, he’ll get some kind of keep from it, and he’s out of my sight. So there we are, the matter’s settled. (And she waits.)
Peter . . . That is more than kind.
She nods; waits.
It’s generous.
She nods; waits.
It’s very generous . . . When one thinks of the shameful way he’s treated you. Nice Valley. And you forgive and forget.
She nods.
Peter (appeals to Paul) Paul?
Paul is helping no one.
Peter But dear friend, Mama, excuse me.
Arina Yes?
Peter I wouldn’t do it.
Arina You wouldn’t do it.
Peter I wouldn’t.
Arina Why not?
Peter I don’t know.
Arina You don’t know.
Peter I don’t. Paul?
Paul (to himself , mimicking Peter) Tsssssss!
Peter I just keep thinking, my brother Steven appears to be naturally depraved – I didn’t like saying that – and what if he treats this gift the same as everything else you’ve done for him?
Arina The Valley has remained solely in your father’s name. Sooner or later your brother would have to come into his share of it.
Peter I understand that, but –
Arina Understand then, too, he will have a legal claim to a share of all the rest (of her ‘empire’ ). Before settling the Valley on him, he can be made to sign a declaration that he has a claim on nothing whatsoever else – patrimony, matrimony – that he is content with the Valley, and that that’s that, forever.
Peter But shouldn’t you have done that when you bought the house for him?
Arina Did you say that to me at the time?
Peter He’ll squander it and he’ll be back to you again.
Arina He won’t be back to me again, not for a crust of bread, a drop of water! He’s been nothing but a disgrace and an embarrassment. His life mocks me!
Peter Mama, Mama –
Arina Your lives mock me!
Peter You are so angry!
Arina I should dance a jig?
Peter So angry, beautiful Mama, and I thought you were a good girl. And what does the Gospel counsel? Possess your soul in patience. Do you suppose God doesn’t see us here now, planning this, planning that, while up there He’s made up His mind already? Up there, He’s said, ‘I think I’ll send Arina a little trial.’
Arina How d’you know that? Tell me, straight out, what you’re thinking! Don’t keep throwing dust in my eyes. Do you want me to keep him here, saddle me with him forever?
Peter If that’s what you’ve decided on! And make him sign away his claim to everything else for keeping him here.
Arina . . . All right. He’ll stay here. But-not-in-this-house. Enough cripples in this house. We’ll find a place for him in the yard. He won’t starve, he won’t get fat either.
Peter The return home of our poor prodigal Steven: thanks be to God! Allow me, Mama, to have a word with him and give him some advice. I’m happiest serving a poor person, the rich don’t need it, bless them. Do you recall what Our Saviour said about the poor?
Arina At the moment, no. (As she walks out.)
Scene Five
Night. An exterior.
A woman slowly crossing this empty space, coat/shawl around her, head bowed, subdued as a woman troubled in herself , taking a meditative walk in the dark. A shadow is following her: it has something of Victor’s shape, if we are not mistaken. The woman is Arina.
Scene Six
Steven Roll up, roll up for an imperfect enjoyment! Come on in, ladies and gentlemen and see the naked goddess of desire! Over there, my friends, take your places! . . . Now hush, and observe.
Night. Steven is about to perform and declaim a poem, ‘The Imperfect Enjoyment’ by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, for the servants who are assembling in his room in the yard. A spare place. Ulita and other maids (as available). Vera, the young maid, arrives and puts a plate of something and a mug of something on the simple table and takes her place with the others. Manservant (Kiry) is present. Anthony and Ivan come in. A nod from Ivan at some point and Anthony produces a bottle of vodka and places it somewhere for Steven. The suggestion is that Steven puts on a show, clowns for the servants, and they bring him drink.
Unlike the others who are wrapped up against the cold, Steven is scantily clad. For all his clowning, he is a sick man, and when he falls or keels over, and though he may laugh too, it isn’t meant to be part of the act.
The servants are highly entertained at everything he says and
does; Ivan is the exception, the solemn one.
Steven
Naked she lies, a goddess of desire –
He reclines on the table, perhaps –
With arms, legs, lips close clinging in embrace,
She clasps me to her breast, and sucks me to her face.
Her nimble tongue, Love’s lesser lightning, played
Within my mouth, and to my thoughts conveyed
Swift orders that I should prepare to throw
The all-dissolving Thunderbolt below –
Roll up, roll up!
But whilst her busy hand would guide that part,
In liquid raptures I dissolve all o’er,
Melt into sperm, and spend at every pore.
A touch from any part of her had done’t:
Her hand, her foot, her very look’s a . . . ?
What delights has she sent me this evening? (To the table to sniff at the plate and mug and to make faces.) And plenty of fresh provisions in the storerooms which she will not have touched till all this putrid stuff is eaten up, by which time fresh provisions are – what?! – putrid! What a lot of stuff she’s let go to waste! What a waste of life! Devilishly clever woman, but is that the way to run things?
Anthony Still, you should eat it, sir.
Steven Anthony, my brother, you are ruining youself with tea – Who is drinking with me tonight? Not Ulita: Ulita serves only one male ‘member’ of my family – and it’s not mine. Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah, that’s all you ladies think about! And what did thought do for the lady? She stuck a feather in her garden and thought she’d grow a cock! (To Vera.) Has anyone – for instance my ex-seminarian, now very civil-servant brother – given you a rub of a holy relic yet? I’ve made a lifelong study of celibates and they are very fond of good-looking women – specially if they’re big. (Your) Face, Ivan! Who died recently, apart from my daddy? ‘Inside he found the warmth all right’! ‘The crone she had a lovely daughter; a girl much younger than he oughter’. Miss?
He has two mugs and he has poured vodka into both. Now he’s offering one of the mugs to Vera. A brief nod from Ivan tells Vera she may accept the mug. Vera simply holds the mug throughout the scene – she doesn’t drink from it.
During the above, outside, the subdued-looking woman – Arina – returning, pausing only for a moment, as though absently registering the sound of Steven’s show, before going off, head bowed. The shadow follows her (Victor).
Ivan And, Steven, and that has to be the end of it.
Steven End of what d’you mean?
Anthony We can’t get any more drink for you, sir.
Steven Money? (Meaning ‘if it’s only a matter of money’.)
Ivan You haven’t had anything in money since your father passed away.
Steven Where’s this been coming from then? She hardly buys it for me.
Anthony We do.
Ivan (We) Can’t afford it any more.
Anthony Even if we could and she found out?
Steven What’re we going to do with the witch? And what’s she worth? And what’s she do with it all? Swallows it all up, I dare say. I swallow drink, she swallows money – D’you see what I mean?
Ivan (nods to the others ‘it’s time to go’) We’d better be getting along.
Steven (a plea; there’s terror in it) Ah no, don’t go, please! (He nearly falls over. Then, a bark:) Ivan, Anthony! Sit! Who’s master here?!
Ivan (sighs, sits/stays) And the temperature’s dropped: you should put on that robe.
Steven Dressing gown: Papa’s. And his slippers. (Now he recites a piece of Pushkin.)
And suddenly, behold, we’ll die.
There is no happiness, but peace and freedom.
For long an enviable fate has been my dream,
For long a . . .
Did you ask her for boots, a sheepskin coat for me?
Ivan’s face suggests he did, to no avail.
Steven (now laughing) Tell us, what did she say again when you asked for candles? Ah, Ivan! You tell us, Anthony.
Anthony ‘He can pace just as easily up and down in the dark.’
Which he finds hilarious. And his audience, exceeding themselves, are now finding everything he says hilarious, their hilarity driving him to excesses – though he might just as well be crying.
Steven (finds it hilarious) ‘He can pace just as’! (A bout of coughing. Then:) You have to admire her, you simply have to! That’s the chief thing. And when she calls me – she will call me! – ‘Come, beloved son! Everybody,’ she will say, ‘this is my beloved son who was dead! Everybody, this is my beloved son who was lost and is found! Come, my beloved son, back to the fold, back to my bosom, back into the house!’ And I shall kiss her hands – I shall kiss her feet, wash her feet – ‘Forgive me, Mama, for all my sins!’ – and we shall sit down to table and eat – veal. It’s perfectly true.
He staggers, recovers, then falls or keels over. The others look fearful for a moment – he could be dead. But, relief, he starts coughing. Ivan tells the others to leave as he helps Steven up.
Steven And I have a remedy – Brothers, sisters, listen! A man told me: you take a living frog, (and at) dead of night place it on (an) anthill. Morning: ants will have eaten it all up, down to one small bone. And so long as you carry that bone with you, you may ask whatever you like of any woman. Whatsoever is your fancy, Anthony? (And a warning finger at the maids.) Ladies?!
Anthony Well, we could go about doing that straightaway, sir.
Steven Ah! Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah! Thing is: you must first lay a curse on yourself. Y’see! (And he’s coughing, or doubles up.)
Ivan (dismissing the others) You shouldn’t be here at all! (To Vera.) See will he eat anything of that before you take away the plate. (He leaves.)
Anthony Goodnight, sir. (And follows the others.)
Steven (recovering) Had it not been for the putting-a-curse-on-myself part, I’d have the witch down on that floor now, crawling before me. (He registers that his company have gone.) . . . Goodnight, brothers, sisters . . . (He has now become very gentle.) It is night, isn’t it?
Vera nods.
Steven Might as well be day . . . Do you watch the clouds? All day, hanging there, the same place, grey, no change, colour or shape . . . I watch them through that window . . . Would you like me to sit beside you, Miss? (He sits beside her.) . . . Do you watch the dots in the distance, moving? Moving dots, people. Going about some business or other: I can’t think what. What might they have to defend, or want? . . . Just going for a walk maybe.
He rises and is pacing again, slowly. He has possibly forgotten Vera’s presence. He stops to look in the direction of what is meant to be the door as if vaguely considering going out.
Steven It’s time,
It’s time, my friend, time: the heart begs peace . . .
For long an enviable fate has been my dream,
For long, a weary slave, I’ve planned to flee
To a far-off home of work and chaste delights . . .
But it’s perfectly true.
Scene Seven
Vera is assisting Anna out of her things – black coat, hat, etc.
Vera Up to a few weeks ago he was laughing and joking. Then when Anthony found the slipper in the mud in the yard in the morning – What! To run away on such a night, such weather. She sent us all out searching. I thought he’s drowned in the river for sure. We searched the forest. Where could he have gone? Then, towards evening, two men came with a horse and cart, Mister Steven lying in the back. If you had seen him! Cuts, bruises – What! His face swollen blue. Nigh insensible. He’d been found in a ditch fifteen miles away. He’d walked fifteen miles that night!
Anna has grown, and so, too, has Vera. Having the place to themselves and affecting daring, Anna pours them two glasses of vodka.
Anna (a toast) Here goes!
Vera This to happen and the master not three months in his grave. (A daring toast.) Here goes! (And drinks.) When he woke up – he slept for twe
nty-four hours – she sent me to fetch him. I think she was thinking, behind her eyes, of having him back in the house. ‘You silly, silly boy, Steven! Running away from your mother? What made you do a thing like that? You caused me great anxiety.’ Doesn’t sound like her, does it? And she’d say ‘What?’ ‘What?’ She wanted him to say something, but he just sat there, staring at nothing. And you could see she wanted to lose her temper, but she’d control herself. ‘You’re bored?’ she’d say. ‘But there’s nothing for it, my dear. Work is the only thing there is. It’s the only way a person can get by. Is there another way? Tell me, for I would like to know.’ She offered him a drink! ‘Have a glass – have two, bless you!’ And I think, you know, she was hoping he might kiss her hand. She doesn’t let on but she likes that sort of thing. No. Then, and I don’t think he was talking to anyone, he said, ‘What a waste of life.’
They put away their glasses and adjust themselves: others are arriving.
Priest, Paul, Peter, Ulita, Manservant, Arina. And Steven, his ghost, following Arina.
Priest And he had been full of life the evening before, madam?
Peter Full of life, Father.
Priest Taken his supper, madam?
Peter Taken his supper, Father.
Priest Isn’t that the way, sir? We sit down suspecting nothing.
