ASTON. Yes.
DAVIES. Must be worth a few bob, this … put it all together.
Pause.
There’s enough of it.
ASTON. There’s a good bit of it, all right.
DAVIES. You sleep here, do you?
ASTON. Yes.
DAVIES. What, in that?
ASTON. Yes.
DAVIES. Yes, well, you’d be well out of the draught there.
ASTON. You don’t get much wind.
DAVIES. You’d be well out of it. It’s different when you’re kipping out.
ASTON. Would be.
DAVIES. Nothing but wind then.
Pause.
ASTON. Yes, when the wind gets up it.…
Pause.
DAVIES. Yes.…
ASTON. Mmnn.…
Pause.
DAVIES. Gets very draughty.
ASTON. Ah.
DAVIES. I’m very sensitive to it.
ASTON. Are you?
DAVIES. Always have been.
Pause.
You got any more rooms then, have you?
ASTON. Where?
DAVIES. I mean, along the landing here … up the landing there.
ASTON. They’re out of commission.
DAVIES. Get away.
ASTON. They need a lot of doing to.
Slight pause.
DAVIES. What about downstairs?
ASTON. That’s closed up. Needs seeing to.… The floors.…
Pause.
DAVIES. I was lucky you come into that caff. I might have been done by that Scotch git. I been left for dead more than once.
Pause.
I noticed that there was someone was living in the house next door.
ASTON. What?
DAVIES. (gesturing). I noticed.…
ASTON. Yes. There’s people living all along the road.
DAVIES. Yes, I noticed die curtains pulled down there next door as we came along.
ASTON. They’re neighbours.
Pause.
DAVIES. This your house then, is it?
Pause.
ASTON. I’m in charge.
DAVIES. You the landlord, are you?
He puts a pipe in his mouth and puffs without lighting it.
Yes, I noticed them heavy curtains pulled across next door as we came along. I noticed them heavy big curtains right across the window down there. I thought there must be someone living there.
ASTON. Family of Indians live there.
DAVIES. Blacks?
ASTON. I don’t see much of them.
DAVIES. Blacks, eh? (DAVIES stands and moves about.) Well you’ve got some knick-knacks here all right, I’ll say that. I don’t like a bare room. (ASTON joins DAVIES upstage centre). I’ll tell you what, mate, you haven’t got a spare pair of shoes?
ASTON. Shoes?
ASTON moves downstage right.
DAVIES. Them bastards at the monastery let me down again.
ASTON. (going to his bed.) Where?
DAVIES. Down in Luton. Monastery down at Luton.… I got a mate at Shepherd’s Bush, you see.…
ASTON (looking under his bed). I might have a pair.
DAVIES. I got this mate at Shepherd’s Bush. In the con venience. Well, he was in the convenience. Run about the best convenience they had. (He watches ASTON.) Run about the best one. Always slipped me a bit of soap, any time I went in there. Very good soap. They have to have the best soap. I was never without a piece of soap, whenever I happened to be knocking about the Shepherd’s Bush area.
ASTON (emerging from under the bed with shoes). Pair of brown.
DAVIES. He’s gone now. Went. He was the one who put me on to this monastery. Just the other side of Luton. He’d heard they give away shoes.
ASTON. You’ve got to have a good pair of shoes.
DAVIES. Shoes? It’s life and death to me. I had to go all the way to Luton in these.
ASTON. What happened when you got there, then?
Pause.
DAVIES. I used to know a bootmaker in Acton. He was a good mate to me.
Pause.
You know what that bastard monk said to me?
Pause.
How many more Blacks you got around here then?
ASTON. What?
DAVIES. You got any more Blacks around here?
ASTON (holding out the shoes). See if these are any good.
DAVIES. You know what that bastard monk said to me? (He looks over to the shoes.) I think those’d be a bit small.
ASTON. Would they?
DAVIES. No, don’t look the right size.
ASTON. Not bad trim.
DAVIES. Can’t wear shoes that don’t fit. Nothing worse. I said to this monk, here, I said, look here, mister, he opened the door, big door, he opened it, look here, mister, I said, I come all the way down here, look, I said, I showed him these, I said, you haven’t got a pair of shoes, have you, a pair of shoes, I said, enough to keep me on my way. Look at these, they’re nearly out, I said, they’re no good to me. I heard you got a stock of shoes here. Piss off, he said to me. Now look here, I said, I’m an old man, you can’t talk to me like that, I don’t care who you are. If you don’t piss off, he says, I’ll kick you all the way to the gate. Now look here, I said, now wait a minute, all I’m asking for is a pair of shoes, you don’t want to start taking liberties with me, it’s taken me three days to get here, I said to him, three days without a bite, I’m worth a bite to eat, en I? Get out round the corner to the kitchen, he says, get out round the corner, and when you’ve had your meal, piss off out of it. I went round to this kitchen, see? Meal they give me! A bird, I tell you, a little bird, a little tiny bird, he could have ate it in under two minutes. Right, they said to me, you’ve had your meal, get off out of it. Meal? I said, what do you think I am, a dog? Nothing better than a dog. What do you think I am, a wild animal? What about them shoes I come all the way here to get I heard you was giving away? I’ve a good mind to report you to your mother superior. One of them, an Irish hooligan, come at me. I cleared out. I took a short cut to Watford and picked up a pair there. Got onto the North Circular, just past Hendon, the sole come off, right where I was walking. Lucky I had my old ones wrapped up, still carrying them, otherwise I’d have been finished, man. So I’ve had to stay with these, you see, they’re gone, they’re no good, all the good’s gone out of them.
ASTON. Try these.
DAVIES takes the shoes, takes off his sandals and tries them on.
DAVIES. Not a bad pair of shoes. (He trudges round the room.) They’re strong, all right. Yes. Not a bad shape of shoe. This leather’s hardy, en’t? Very hardy. Some bloke tried to flog me some suede the other day. I wouldn’t wear them. Can’t beat leather, for wear. Suede goes off, it creases, it stains for life in five minutes. You can’t beat leather. Yes. Good shoe this.
ASTON. Good.
DAVIES waggles his feet.
DAVIES. Don’t fit though.
ASTON. Oh?
DAVIES. No. I got a very broad foot.
ASTON. Mmnn.
DAVIES. These are too pointed, you see.
ASTON. Ah.
DAVIES. They’d cripple me in a week. I mean these ones I got on, they’re no good but at least they’re comfortable. Not much cop, but I mean they don’t hurt. (He takes them off and gives them back). Thanks anyway, mister.
ASTON. I’ll see what I can look out for you.
DAVIES. Good luck. I can’t go on like this. Can’t get from one place to another. And I’ll have to be moving about, you see, try to get fixed up.
ASTON. Where you going to go?
DAVIES. Oh, I got one or two things in mind. I’m waiting for the weather to break.
Pause.
ASTON (attending to the toaster). Would … would you like to sleep here?
DAVIES. Here?
ASTON. You can sleep here if you like.
DAVIES. Here? Oh, I don’t know about that.
Pause.
How long for?
ASTON. Till you … get yourself fixed up.
DAVIES (sitting). Ay well, that.…
ASTON. Get yourself sorted out.…
DAVIES. Oh, I’ll be fixed up … pretty soon now.…
Pause.
Where would I sleep?
ASTON. Here. The other rooms would … would be no good to you.
DAVIES (rising, looking about). Here? Where?
ASTON (rising, pointing upstage right). There’s a bed behind all that.
DAVIES. Oh, I see. Well, that’s handy. Well, that’s … I tell you what, I might do that … just till I get myself sorted out. You got enough furniture here.
ASTON. I picked it up. Just keeping it here for the time being. Thought it might come in handy.
DAVIES. This gas stove work, do it?
ASTON. No.
DAVIES. What do you do for a cup of tea?
ASTON. Nothing.
DAVIES. That’s a bit rough. (DAVIES observes the planks.) You building something?
ASTON. I might build a shed out the back.
DAVIES. Carpenter, eh? (He turns to the lawn-mower.) Got a lawn.
ASTON. Have a look.
ASTON lifts the sack at the window. They look out.
DAVIES. Looks a bit thick.
ASTON. Overgrown.
DAVIES. What’s that, a pond?
ASTON. Yes.
DAVIES. What you got, fish?
ASTON. No. There isn’t anything in there.
Pause.
DAVIES. Where you going to put your shed?
ASTON (turning). I’ll have to clear the garden first.
DAVIES. You’d need a tractor, man.
ASTON. I’ll get it done.
DAVIES. Carpentry, eh?
ASTON (standing still). I like … working with my hands.
DAVIES picks up the statue of Buddha.
DAVIES. What’s this?
ASTON (taking and studying it). That’s a Buddha.
DAVIES. Get on.
ASTON. Yes. I quite like it. Picked it up in a … in a shop. Looked quite nice to me. Don’t know why. What do you think of these Buddhas?
DAVIES. Oh, they’re … they’re all right, en’t they?
ASTON. Yes, I was pleased when I got hold of this one. It’s very well made.
DAVIES turns and peers under the sink.
DAVIES. This the bed here, is it?
ASTON (moving to the bed). We’ll get rid of all that The ladder’ll fit under the bed. (They put the ladder under the bed.)
DAVIES (indicating the sink). What about this?
ASTON. I think that’ll fit in under here as well.
DAVIES. I’ll give you a hand. (They lift it.) It’s a ton weight, en’t?
ASTON. Under here.
DAVIES. This in use at all, then?
ASTON. No. I’ll be getting rid of it. Here.
They place the sink under the bed.
There’s a lavatory down the landing. It’s got a sink in there. We can put this stuff over there.
They begin to move the coal bucket, shopping trolley, lawn-mower and sideboard drawers to the right wall.
DAVIES (stopping). You don’t share it, do you?
ASTON. What?
DAVIES. I mean you don’t share the toilet with them Blacks, do you?
ASTON. They live next door.
DAVIES. They don’t come in?
ASTON puts a drawer against the wall.
Because, you know … I mean … fair’s fair.…
ASTON goes to the bed, blows dust and shakes a blanket.
ASTON. You see a blue case?
DAVIES. Blue case? Down here. Look. By the carpet.
ASTON goes to the case, opens it, takes out a sheet and pillow and puts them on the bed.
That’s a nice sheet.
ASTON. The blanket’ll be a bit dusty.
DAVIES. Don’t you worry about that.
ASTON stands upright, takes out his tobacco and begins to roll a cigarette. He goes to his bed and sits.
ASTON. How are you off for money?
DAVIES. Oh well … now, mister, if you want the truth . . I’m a bit short.
ASTON takes some coins from his pocket, sorts them, and holds out five shillings.
ASTON. Here’s a few bob.
DAVIES (taking the coins). Thank you, thank you, good luck. I just happen to and myself a bit short. You see, I got nothing for all that week’s work I did last week. That’s the position, that’s what it is.
Pause.
ASTON. I went into a pub the other day. Ordered a Guinness. They gave it to me in a thick mug. I sat down but I couldn’t drink it. I can’t drink Guinness from a thick mug. I only like it out of a thin glass. I had a few sips but I couldn’t finish it.
ASTON picks up a screwdriver and plug from the bed and begins to poke the plug.
DAVIES (with great feeling). If only the weather would break! Then I’d be able to get down to Sidcup!
ASTON. Sidcup?
DAVIES. The weather’s so blasted bloody awful, how can I get down to Sidcup in these shoes?
ASTON. Why do you want to get down to Sidcup?
DAVIES. I got my papers there!
Pause.
ASTON. Your what?
DAVIES. I got my papers there!
Pause.
ASTON. What are they doing at Sidcup?
DAVIES. A man I know has got them. I left them with him. You see? They prove who I am! I can’t move without them papers. They tell you who I am. You see! I’m stuck without them.
ASTON. Why’s that?
DAVIES. You see, what it is, you see, I changed my name! Years ago. I been going around under an assumed name! That’s not my real name.
ASTON. What name you been going under?
DAVIES. Jenkins. Bernard Jenkins. That’s my name. That’s the name I’m known, anyway. But it’s no good me going on with that name. I got no rights. I got an insurance card here. (He takes a card from his pocket.) Under the name of Jenkins. See? Bernard Jenkins. Look. It’s got four stamps on it. Four of them. But I can’t go along with these. That’s not my real name, they’d find out, they’d have me in the nick. Four stamps. I haven’t paid out pennies. I’ve paid out pounds. I’ve paid out pounds, not pennies. There’s been other stamps, plenty, but they haven’t put them on, the nigs, I never had enough time to go into it.
ASTON. They should have stamped your card.
DAVIES. It would have done no good! I’d have got nothing anyway. That’s not my real name. If I take that card along I go in the nick.
ASTON. What’s your real name, then?
DAVIES. Davies. Mac Davies. That was before I changed my name.
Pause.
ASTON. It looks as though you want to sort all that out.
DAVIES. If only I could get down to Sidcup! I’ve been waiting for the weather to break. He’s got my papers, this man I left them with, it’s got it all down there, I could prove everything.
ASTON. How long’s he had them?
DAVIES. What?
ASTON. How long’s he had them?
DAVIES. Oh, must be … it was in the war … must be … about near on fifteen year ago.
He suddenly becomes aware of the bucket and looks up.
ASTON. Any time you want to … get into bed, just get in. Don’t worry about me.
DAVIES (taking off his overcoat). Eh, well, I think I will. I’m a bit … a bit done in. (He steps out of his trousers, and holds them out). Shall I put these on here?
ASTON. Yes.
DAVIES puts the coat and trousers on the clothes horse.
DAVIES. I see you got a bucket up here.
ASTON. Leak.
DAVIES looks Up.
DAVIES. Well, I’ll try your bed then. You getting in?
ASTON. I’m mending this plug.
DAVIES looks at him and then at the gas stove.
DAVIES. You … you can’t move this, eh?
ASTON. Bit heavy.
DAVIES. Yes.
&n
bsp; DAVIES gets into bed. He tests his weight and length.
Not bad. Not bad. A fair bed. I think I’ll sleep in this.
ASTON. I’ll have to fix a proper shade on that bulb. The light’s a bit glaring.
DAVIES. Don’t you worry about that, mister, don’t you worry about that. (He turns and puts the cover up).
ASTON sits, poking his plug.
The LIGHTS FADE OUT. Darkness.
LIGHTS UP. Morning.
ASTON is fastening his trousers, standing by the bed. He straightens his bed. He turns, goes to the centre of the room and looks at DAVIES. He turns, puts his jacket on, turns, goes towards DAVIES and looks down on him. He coughs. DAVIES sits up abruptly.
DAVIES. What? What’s this? What’s this?
ASTON. It’s all right.
DAVIES (staring). What’s this?
ASTON. It’s all right.
DAVIES looks about.
DAVIES. Oh, yes.
ASTON goes to his bed, picks up the plug and shakes it.
ASTON. Sleep well?
DAVIES. Yes. Dead out. Must have been dead out.
ASTON goes downstage right, collects the toaster and examines it.
ASTON. You … er.…
DAVIES. Eh?
ASTON. Were you dreaming or something?
DAVIES. Dreaming?
ASTON. Yes.
DAVIES. I don’t dream. I’ve never dreamed.
ASTON. No, nor have I.
DAVIES. Nor me.
Pause.
Why you ask me that, then?
ASTON. You were making noises.
DAVIES. Who was?
ASTON. You were.
DAVIES gets out of bed. He wears long underpants.
DAVIES. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute, what do you mean? What kind of noises?
ASTON. You were making groans. You were jabbering.
DAVIES. Jabbering? Me?
ASTON. Yes.
DAVIES. I don’t jabber, man. Nobody ever told me that before.
Pause.
What would I be jabbering about?
ASTON. I don’t know.
DAVIES. I mean, where’s the sense in it?
Pause.
Nobody ever told me that before.
Pause.
You got hold of the wrong bloke, mate.
ASTON (crossing to the bed with the toaster). No. You woke me up. I thought you might have been dreaming.
DAVIES. I wasn’t dreaming. I never had a dream in my life.
Pause.
ASTON. Maybe it was the bed.
DAVIES. Nothing wrong with this bed.
ASTON. Might be a bit unfamiliar.
DAVIES. There’s nothing unfamiliar about me with beds. I slept in beds. I don’t make noises just because I sleep in a bed. I slept in plenty of beds.
Harold Pinter Plays 2 Page 2
