by Brad Fraser
NORMA: I got face and hair cancer just walking past the smokers at the door.
LORENE: I see. Thank you.
OLIVIA: Lorene I think you’re having a stroke. We can’t smell.
LORENE: My mother died.
TRICIA: Your mother wasn’t dead?
Lorene.
LORENE: That was the extended care centre. She’s been a vegetable there for the last eleven years. She finally died.
FERN: It’s been so long since you even spoke of her—
LORENE: No.
OLIVIA hugs LORENE.
OLIVIA: Sweetie.
LORENE pulls away.
NORMA: Are you okay?
LORENE: Yeah.
TRICIA: I know you were never close to her.
FERN: Still it’s your mother.
LORENE: I smelled her perfume. Just before. It filled the room.
OLIVIA: Did you drive?
LORENE: Yeah.
TRICIA: I cabbed. Let me drive you home.
LORENE: Oh no that’s.
TRICIA: Shut up I’m driving come on.
LORENE: Okay. Night everyone.
The others whisper good night to LORENE and blow her kisses as she exits with TRICIA.
FERN: That’s so sad.
OLIVIA: She has a lot of unresolved issues there.
FERN: Losing a parent—even a bad one—is a profound experience. It took me years to get over my parents’ deaths and I loved them.
NORMA: Can we go now?
OLIVIA: I’m going to help Helen stack the chairs. I’ll be right out.
NORMA: The inevitable Helen.
FERN: Who?
OLIVIA: My sponsor.
FERN: Right. I have to run.
OLIVIA: Thanx again. So much.
They kiss. FERN exits.
We won’t be a minute.
NORMA: Right.
OLIVIA moves off as a light rises on TRICIA and LORENE at a bar.
LORENE: I’m smelling it again?
TRICIA: Really?
LORENE: Phantom Shalimar.
TRICIA: Does the scent trigger any other memories?
LORENE: Her pushing me away. That’s all I remember her doing really. Don’t bother me now. Later sweetie. I’m busy. That sort of thing.
TRICIA: Nice.
LORENE: Did I mention this place is a toilet?
TRICIA: That’s why I like it.
LORENE: It has a certain—desperate neediness.
TRICIA: Character.
LORENE: I think the couple over there wants to kill us.
TRICIA: Or something.
LORENE: Another?
TRICIA: What do you think?
LORENE: I don’t think we’ve hit rock bottom yet.
TRICIA: Norma’s still pretty angry with me.
LORENE: She’ll get over it.
TRICIA: Did she ever tell you about coming out to her parents?
LORENE: No.
TRICIA: She was eighteen and had spent the night at Olivia’s—just slept there—without calling. Her dad accused her of whoring around with some boy so—even though she hadn’t told Liv yet—she told him she was a lesbian.
LORENE: What happened?
TRICIA: He beat her up. Really badly.
LORENE: No.
TRICIA: Her mother told her she deserved it. She came to stay with me that night and never spoke to them again. University. Medical school. Everything. She did it herself. Both of her folks are still alive. Still in that old house on the east side. Her mother writes once in a while but Norma just ignores her.
LORENE: How could I not know that?
TRICIA: Forgiveness isn’t her best trait.
Pause.
LORENE: You ever think about being alone for the rest of your life?
TRICIA: Sure.
LORENE: It’s the worst thing I can imagine.
TRICIA: Then you have a very limited imagination.
LORENE: A lot of people think having children means they won’t die alone.
TRICIA: Doesn’t seem to have helped your mother. Or mine.
LORENE: It’s just sometimes I feel like a fat baggy old woman that no one will ever touch again and it makes me feel really really sad. Not to get laid—to wake up with someone’s skin touching yours.
TRICIA: There’ll always be men wanting to touch you Lorene.
LORENE: Hot muscular ones?
TRICIA: How rich are you?
LORENE laughs. Pause.
LORENE: You don’t get lonely?
TRICIA: Everyone does. Even Fern with Walt. Even Olivia and Norma.
LORENE: I don’t think that’s the same lonely as alone lonely.
TRICIA: It’s just as painful.
LORENE: You’re always so cool with this stuff.
TRICIA: I’m not a romantic.
LORENE: Have you ever been in love?
TRICIA: I need you so much I have to control your every move and thought in love or real in love where you just want the best for the other person?
LORENE: It was that political activist guy you nearly married right?
TRICIA: I nearly had his baby.
LORENE: What happened?
TRICIA: It wasn’t a good time for a baby and we both knew it.
LORENE: You ever regret that?
TRICIA: There’s no shortage of people in the world.
Pause.
LORENE: I’m gonna go.
TRICIA: I thought you wanted another.
LORENE: Naw. Thanx for this.
TRICIA: No problem.
LORENE: You want a ride?
TRICIA: I think I’m going to get to know the killer couple thanx.
LORENE: I hope you packed your meat cleaver.
TRICIA: And some wrist restraints. Call me if you need to talk.
LORENE: I’m fine. I’m just—verklempt.
TRICIA: I’ll come with you.
LORENE: No. I’m okay. Thanx.
TRICIA: Really?
LORENE: Yeah. I just feel like—being alone.
TRICIA: Sure.
They kiss and hug. LORENE exits. Lights rise on OLIVIA setting the table with containers of food. NORMA is polishing glasses.
NORMA: How many of these dishes are vegetarian?
OLIVIA: Some.
NORMA: Don’t think I don’t know.
OLIVIA: Know what?
NORMA: That you’re not eating meat.
OLIVIA: I eat seafood.
NORMA: Is Helen a vegetarian?
OLIVIA: Helen eats anything. And she’s straight. You know that.
NORMA: Why didn’t you invite her tonight?
OLIVIA: She’s spending the evening with her children. She has a life.
NORMA: And yet you spend so much time together.
OLIVIA: You don’t have to be jealous.
NORMA: So you’re not?
OLIVIA: What?
NORMA: Feeling attracted to her?
OLIVIA: Helen? No. Not Helen.
NORMA: Someone else?
OLIVIA: What?
NORMA: Men?
OLIVIA: What?
NORMA: Are you feeling attracted to any of them?
OLIVIA: You mean like guys at meetings?
NORMA: Yes.
OLIVIA goes to NORMA and kisses her.
OLIVIA: You want to get married?
NORMA: What?
OLIVIA: Will that make you feel more secure?
NORMA: I don’t want you to marry me because you think it’s what I want.
OLIVIA: Whatever it takes to put an end to your moping and jealousy.
NORMA: Excuse me?
OLIVIA: It’s just—your attitude.
NORMA: I’m sorry. I’m really trying not to be a selfish bitch. I’m so proud of you. But it’s just different you know—different.
OLIVIA kisses NORMA. FERN enters.
FERN: Hiya.
NORMA: Fern?
OLIVIA: I can’t believe you got here before Tricia. You okay?
FERN: Yeah don’t ask. I
s this Thai?
NORMA: Delivery.
FERN: Wow. How are you doing?
OLIVIA: Some days I wake up and it’s not so great but some days I wake up and it’s amazing but I hardly ever wake up wishing I was dead anymore.
FERN: That’s—good.
NORMA: However she is smoking nearly a package of cigarettes a day.
OLIVIA: Don’t rat me out to company dear.
LORENE enters.
LORENE: Hey all.
NORMA: Welcome.
LORENE: Where’s Tricia?
OLIVIA: I don’t know but I left six messages so she’d know it was important.
LORENE: Has anyone spoken to her recently?
FERN: She’s been very hard to get hold of.
OLIVIA: Trish gets busy with something and she disappears.
FERN: Do you think she’s upset because she didn’t win that award?
LORENE: She was fine with it.
FERN: What are we drinking?
NORMA: We have a stunning array of sparkling waters as well as sugar and chemical loaded soft drinks that are almost guaranteed to prove carcinogenic or give you a stroke.
FERN: Excellent.
OLIVIA: I bought some vodka coolers.
FERN: What?
LORENE: You went into a liquor store?
OLIVIA: Sure.
NORMA: You know that’s not allowed.
OLIVIA: It didn’t bother me a bit. Just because I can’t drink anymore doesn’t mean you girls can’t. They’re in the fridge. Help yourself.
FERN: I wouldn’t feel right.
LORENE: Anyway I’ve come to kind of enjoy these booze pot substance-free get-togethers.
FERN: Me too.
LORENE: Anything with sugar is good for me.
TRICIA enters.
TRICIA: Sorry I’m late.
OLIVIA: Are you—?
TRICIA: What?
OLIVIA: Alright?
TRICIA: I have to sit down.
NORMA: You okay?
TRICIA: Be a pooch and get me a diet whatever would you?
FERN: Tricia you look.
TRICIA: I’m fine.
OLIVIA: Have a cooler.
TRICIA: No thanx. What’s the big occasion?
OLIVIA: Well we haven’t gotten together since Lorene buried her mom. So I wanted us all to get together tonight to say that even though we’re not your family we’re here for you.
Pause.
LORENE: Wow. Thank you. Really.
TRICIA: Very lovely gesture.
NORMA: Birthdays aren’t the only excuse to get together.
FERN: So what’s on the menu?
NORMA: Tamarind shrimp pad Thai cashew chicken—
OLIVIA: And a buncha other shit. Help yourselves.
FERN: I’m starving.
NORMA: Me too.
LORENE: Ooh look at the shrimp.
TRICIA takes a pill bottle out of her bag and takes two.
FERN: What are you taking?
TRICIA: Percocets.
LORENE: You’re in pain?
TRICIA: Almost constantly.
NORMA: It’s stenosis isn’t it?
TRICIA: The cartilage between my discs is breaking down and I’m developing bone spurs that block the nerve endings to my lower body.
LORENE: This is sounding serious.
NORMA: Symptoms are stiffness and pain—
TRICIA: Pain and more pain—
LORENE: How long has this been going on?
TRICIA: The last couple years—it started with a tingling in my lower back—then it started waking me up at night. If I sat in the same position for more than ten minutes it started. Walking got harder.
LORENE: Is there a surgery or something?
TRICIA: Maybe but they could hit my spinal cord and cripple me for life.
OLIVIA: Tricia.
TRICIA: I just don’t have the energy to hide it anymore.
FERN: You should’ve said something.
TRICIA: The only power I’ve ever had is to walk away if I have to—leave—take off under my own steam no matter where I am or who I’m with. The idea of that being taken away.
OLIVIA: Horrifying.
TRICIA: Middle age is an endless parade of what the fuck.
Pause.
LORENE: We’re here.
TRICIA: There are times when it’s not so bad.
FERN: Anything you need—we’ll do it.
TRICIA: And other times I can’t even walk a block.
OLIVIA: Just call.
TRICIA: Someone make me a small plate.
LORENE: What would you like?
TRICIA: A mouthful of everything.
FERN: Thai. I feel so exotic.
NORMA: Or something.
LORENE: You don’t approve?
NORMA: I like to cook.
OLIVIA: This is so much healthier.
NORMA: Healthier?
OLIVIA: Nothing’s made with butter.
NORMA: You smoke cigarettes.
OLIVIA: Everyone’s allowed one vice.
NORMA: It’s not a vice. It’s a filthy disgusting addiction that hooks and kills as many if not more people than alcohol and it makes me sick.
OLIVIA: I didn’t realize it bothered you so much.
NORMA: Remember how I used to banish Tricia from the house when she smoked and now I’ve got you climbing into bed reeking of tobacco—
OLIVIA: Which is so much worse than when I used to crawl into bed reeking of alcohol?
NORMA: Sorry. I forgot I’m not supposed to rock the boat. Anything Olivia does is fine as long as it’s not drinking. I apologize.
Pause.
LORENE: I think I will have one of those coolers.
TRICIA: Get me one too.
FERN: With the drugs?
TRICIA: Oh yeah.
LORENE gets coolers as they speak.
LORENE: On the good news side of things I’ve made the first move in re-establishing contact with Diana and Sammy.
FERN: Seriously?
LORENE: I just dropped their fathers a line suggesting that if the kids have any questions they want answered or whatever I’m open to that. And if not I’m fine with that too.
TRICIA: Why?
LORENE: I want them to know that my absence in their life wasn’t because of them.
NORMA: Have you heard anything?
LORENE: No thank god. I was so terrified they might actually take me up on it. Ha!
They all laugh. Pause.
FERN: Olivia the food is excellent.
OLIVIA: Tissue—more?
TRICIA: I’m fine.
TRICIA takes another pill out of her purse and washes it down with the cooler.
LORENE: What’s that now?
TRICIA: Stool softener. To offset the painkillers which bung me up like you wouldn’t believe.
LORENE: Charming.
TRICIA: It’s like Valley of the Dolls with rectal fissures.
NORMA: Can you still write?
TRICIA: For about an hour a day. If I’m high enough.
LORENE: You have to let us know when you need help.
OLIVIA: I think we should come up with some kind of schedule.
TRICIA: What?
OLIVIA: To take care of you. Someone to vacuum on Monday take you to the store on Wednesday do your banking on Friday—
FERN: Is that what you’d like?
TRICIA: I’d sooner die. Look I told you about this—
OLIVIA: (cutting her off) Because you need help. I get it—
TRICIA: No. Stop. Okay. I wanted you to be aware of what’s happening but I don’t need anyone taking over my life—
OLIVIA: Don’t be afraid to admit you’re powerless over the pain.
TRICIA downs the last of her cooler.
TRICIA: I won’t. Now can I trouble someone for a ride home?
NORMA: Already?
TRICIA: Yeah.
LORENE: I go right by your place.
FERN: You sure because I can.
TRICIA: Yeah. It’s the drugs. Sorry.
LORENE abandons the partially finished cooler.
LORENE: Let’s go then.
NORMA: Do you need help getting to the car?
TRICIA: I’m fine with short distances.
FERN: I guess I’ll go too.
LORENE: Norma Livy this was so thoughtful. Thank you.
NORMA: Our pleasure.
Hugs and kisses all around.
OLIVIA: Tissue don’t hesitate to call us.
TRICIA: I won’t.
NORMA: Good night.
TRICIA, LORENE and FERN exit. Pause as OLIVIA begins to clear plates. NORMA helps her.
