Frank's Home

by Richard Nelson

  HELEN: I like it.

  FRANK: Good. (He smiles, leans and pats her knee) Lloyd thinks I’m just passing through. Another job. Catherine, I think now gets it. (Short pause. Stands and looks out) It feels like a home.

  LLOYD: And Miriam?

  FRANK: What about her, Lloyd?

  LLOYD: Helen, do you think she’s going to like it out here?

  HELEN: I don’t know her well enough to—

  LLOYD: She doesn’t seem—to belong here. You can just tell with some people. California’s not the place for them. But what do I know. What do you think, Father?

  FRANK: You and Louie spent the whole day with her. How did she seem?

  SULLIVAN: She seemed fine. Just fine.

  FRANK (To Helen): She seemed fine.

  HELEN: So maybe she’ll like it. (Feeling awkward) I must go. And finish my preparations for tomorrow. I’ve taught before of course, but— To have the whole responsibility. And the—newness. It’s exciting but it’s also—

  FRANK: A little scary.

  HELEN: Yes. It is. Thank you for . . . Good night.

  (She heads off; Frank watches Lloyd watching her. William enters.)

  FRANK (To Lloyd): Like her?

  LLOYD: What???

  FRANK: Never mind. (To Sullivan) She’s short like the Japanese, so those doorknobs . . . (He smiles) I’d like to see that.

  (William is standing next to him.)

  What, William?

  (William whispers to Frank. He stands.)

  Is she in her bedroom? You have the key?

  (William hands Frank a key.)

  SULLIVAN: Is there anything I can—?

  FRANK: No, Louie, Thank you. Relax. Enjoy the view, and what’s left of the light.

  (He hurries off, William follows. Pause.)

  LLOYD: Miriam—you think something’s wrong?

  SULLIVAN: What are you asking, Lloyd?

  LLOYD: I hardly know her. You’ve known her—

  SULLIVAN: She and your father have been together a long time. I’ve known her a long time.

  LLOYD: Today was the longest I’d ever spent with her.

  SULLIVAN: And she was on her best behavior.

  (Short pause.)

  LLOYD: She seemed pleasant.

  SULLIVAN: She knows what’s coming.

  LLOYD: What’s coming?

  SULLIVAN: I think we all know, Lloyd. Don’t be cute. He’s not going to marry her. Now that he could, he won’t. He told me when I got here, but anyone could see it on his face. Don’t tell me this is a surprise.

  LLOYD: I mentioned this “thought” to my sister, she didn’t believe me.

  SULLIVAN: So she came to see for herself.

  (Lloyd nods.)

  LLOYD: My god . . . (Short pause) To be honest what I had heard about her—I expected much much . . . Just different.

  SULLIVAN: Miriam Noel can be very charming, Lloyd. Your father isn’t a complete fool when it comes to women. Sorry, your mother excluded. Her—he should have stayed with.

  LLOYD (Distracted): My god . . . (Getting up) I suppose I should go home. (Then) Need anything?

  (Sullivan shakes his head.)

  Well . . . What’s to say?

  SULLIVAN (Stopping him): Lloyd—has your father told you why I’m here?

  LLOYD: What do you mean?

  SULLIVAN: I’ve been here three days and he hasn’t once talked about any work for me. He brought me out here to work, didn’t he? Why else am I here? I can still work.

  LLOYD: Of course you can, Mister Sullivan—

  SULLIVAN: He knows that?!

  LLOYD: Yes. Of course.

  SULLIVAN (Over this): My hands don’t shake when I—

  LLOYD: I saw. We saw that. I’ll talk to him. If that’s what you’d like. Or—why don’t you just . . . (Looks at Sullivan) Good night. (He goes)

  (Sullivan takes out the flask and pours, looks off. William comes in to retrieve the chairs.)

  WILLIAM (Explaining himself): I’m—taking the chairs back inside.

  SULLIVAN: This one. Leave this one. (The one he is sitting in)

  WILLIAM: Of course, I wouldn’t . . . (He picks up two chairs)

  SULLIVAN: William?

  (William stops.)

  Why are you here?

  WILLIAM: Why am I—? To learn everything I can from Mister Wright. I wish to be an architect.

  SULLIVAN: And so you learn by bringing drinks, dragging chairs out, then back in— Do you know who I am?

  WILLIAM: Of course. Who doesn’t know who you are, Mister Sullivan?

  (Off, from the smaller house, sounds of an argument between Frank and Miriam: shouts, screams.

  Sullivan and William pretend to ignore it. William decides not to take the chairs in right now and sets them down.)

  SULLIVAN: And has Mister Wright told you why I’m here?

  WILLIAM: I don’t understand.

  SULLIVAN: What projects he’s hoping to convince me to work on?

  WILLIAM: He hasn’t.

  SULLIVAN (Continuing): As his partner.

  WILLIAM: No, I’m sorry. What sort of projects?

  SULLIVAN: Where are you from?

  WILLIAM: Wisconsin.

  (The argument continues.)

  SULLIVAN (To say something): Lovely view at night.

  WILLIAM: It is.

  (Lloyd reappears.)

  SULLIVAN: I thought you’d left.

  LLOYD: I had to use the bathroom.

  SULLIVAN: Were you spying?

  LLOYD: I wasn’t. I wasn’t.

  (The argument off is over.)

  William, see what’s going on. See if there’s something you can do, William.

  (William hurries off.)

  I wasn’t spying. The things they were saying to each other. He hates her.

  SULLIVAN: They’ve stopped.

  LLOYD (Looking off): I don’t see anything. Someone’s coming—it’s William.

  WILLIAM (Hurrying back): Miss Noel is leaving in her car. I almost walked into her.

  LLOYD: She is a sick woman. The things she said.

  WILLIAM: I tried to get out of her way. She swung at me—

  LLOYD: Where’s Father? Is he all right?—

  WILLIAM (Over this): She’s in no condition to drive—

  LLOYD: Then maybe she’ll drive off a cliff!

  (Frank appears out of the dark.)

  FRANK: Lloyd? Are you still here?

  LLOYD: I’m just leaving, Father.

  FRANK: The three of you just standing out here in the dark?

  WILLIAM (Picking up two chairs): I was bringing in the chairs. (He goes off with the chairs)

  LLOYD: I’ll drop by tomorrow, Father. Good night.

  (He hurries off.)

  FRANK: He heard that?

  (Sullivan nods.)

  He can’t wait to telephone his sister.

  SULLIVAN: No. He can’t wait.

  (Frank looks off, then:)

  FRANK: She seriously thought we were going to get married now. (Shakes his head in disbelief) Because of the divorce? . . .

  (Sullivan nods.)

  What the hell did she think I came to California for?! What does she think I mean when I say I’m starting over again?!

  SULLIVAN: She knew. She knew. She just couldn’t believe—I don’t know.

  FRANK: I hinted. I hinted and hinted and hinted. I more than hinted, Louie. I finally just had to say: “I can’t even stand looking at you!” (Short pause) I hurt her. I’m sorry. But what could I do? “Get away from me! I don’t want you anymore!” (Pause) If we look too closely at ourselves for too long . . . It hasn’t been easy. Months ago, in a restaurant I started to cry; I don’t know why. Then I started to shake like I had a fever, but I didn’t. Then I was sitting at the drafting table, and in the blink of an eye seven hours passed. My Japanese assistant said my face looked like a skull. I then lost my voice, or rather it became this slow, raspy old man’s voice. (Turns to Sullivan) In Japan, the homes, there’s almost nothin
g to them. Just—what is needed. And they are so beautiful. You feel they are—necessary. I need to strip things away. And tonight that’s what I’ve done. What I’ve just done. And I need, Louie, to come home—or find one.

  (Sullivan holds out the flask, Frank shakes his head.)

  Why are we out here in the dark? Don’t you want to go to bed?

  SULLIVAN: You know I don’t sleep.

  FRANK: Come on, let’s sit inside then. We can be alone in there. (Looking off) The lights are still on in Hollyhock House. That skinny schoolteacher’s still up. She’s—excited, she said.

  SULLIVAN: Frank.

  FRANK: Don’t worry. I won’t. Not tonight. (Still looking off) “Hollyhock House.” What a stupid name. They don’t let me choose the names. (Turns back to Sullivan) Miriam locked herself in the bathroom. She locks herself in when— It’s not just the morphine now, it’s—I don’t know. I can’t keep up. Booze and everything else. You have no idea how I’ve been living. I needed to do this. I’d waited too long.

  (Sullivan starts to take in his chair.)

  William can do that. Could you hear any of . . .? (“the argument”) Anything—said?

  (Sullivan shakes his head no.)

  Good.

  (As they head off:)

  I start again. And god is that exciting.

  SULLIVAN: Anything I can help with—you ask. I can still work you know.

  FRANK: Let me help you.

  SULLIVAN: I don’t need help.

  FRANK (Stops, looks off): They pushed me to the edge of the sea, Louie. To here. And so here I must make my stand. Stripped down to just the essentials. To my fighting weight.

  (They head off.)

  SULLIVAN: So let’s fight.

  FRANK: I can do great things here. Great things.

  SULLIVAN: We can.

  (As they exit into the dark:)

  FRANK: Watch your step. Lloyd did the landscaping—and he made a mess of it.

  (They are gone.)

  SCENE 2A

  The next morning.

  Another part of Olive Hill: the patio/terrace of Residence B. The residence remains unseen, off. From the direction of Hollyhock House, off, temporary home to the new school, the sounds of children playing, laughing, screaming. It is the opening day of the new school.

  Table, chairs, maybe benches. Sullivan sits reading the newspaper, as Lloyd and William enter with breakfast trays.

  LLOYD: There won’t be anything in the paper yet.

  SULLIVAN: There isn’t.

  LLOYD (Quoting an imaginary headline): “Wright’s Imperial Hotel withstands massive earthquake.”

  WILLIAM: He can’t get through—

  LLOYD: Can’t you just hear my father? That “gloat” in his voice. That self-admiration. As if things weren’t hard enough for us.

  SULLIVAN: You mean for you.

  WILLIAM: Mister Wright can’t get through to anyone in Tokyo.

  LLOYD (To Sullivan): He’s so—damn lucky! He builds an earthquake-proof hotel and then the gods give him an earthquake to prove the point.

  SULLIVAN: They have earthquakes in Japan all the time.

  WILLIAM: No one Mister Wright speaks to knows any more than he does. Except that it might be bigger than first thought.

  SULLIVAN (Pointing off): Catherine’s here. With her daughter, for the start of school? (To William, who has put a tray in front of him) I tell you every morning, William, I don’t eat breakfast. I don’t eat period. (Short pause. To Lloyd) You didn’t go to Japan with your father? He never brought you over—to work with him?

  LLOYD: No. No, he didn’t.

  SULLIVAN: William?

  WILLIAM: No.

  SULLIVAN: I wanted to go. I offered. Of course I was busy, but I could have found the time. I asked him the other day why he didn’t want me. He said he never got that letter.

  LLOYD: Oh.

  SULLIVAN: And I believe him. Why wouldn’t he want my help?

  (Short pause.)

  LLOYD: I don’t know. (To William, as Lloyd begins eating his breakfast) Is Father still taking the whole day off?

  WILLIAM: He’s asked me to organize a picnic lunch, so . . .

  SULLIVAN: Another picnic. I didn’t come here for picnics.

  WILLIAM: He wants to look at houses.

  SULLIVAN (To Lloyd): Don’t you eat breakfast at your own home.

  LLOYD (As he eats, to Sullivan): You’ve seen the photographs of Father’s hotel in Japan?

  SULLIVAN: I saw the plans. I wrote about it.

  WILLIAM: A brilliant piece—

  LLOYD: That’s right, I read that, too. A lot of—praise. Just—praise. So unlike you. And still Father didn’t give you a job.

  SULLIVAN: I didn’t write that to get a job. I don’t do that for a job. I give praise when it’s deserved.

  (Miriam appears, wearing the same clothes as the night before, though now she is quite disheveled. Short pause as they look at her.)

  I didn’t hear you drive up. (To the others) Did you?

  MIRIAM: There seem to be lots of automobiles—

  LLOYD (Explaining to the others): The school.

  MIRIAM: I didn’t mean to interrupt . . . (She makes a move toward Residence B)

  SULLIVAN: I wouldn’t. I’d wait, Miriam.

  (The others look at her, then:)

  MIRIAM: Could I go inside and get a glass of water?

  (Lloyd takes the glass of water off his tray, hands it to William to give to Miriam.)

  (Looking at the glass) What is this?

  LLOYD: You asked for a glass of water.

  MIRIAM: I asked to go inside and get a glass of water.

  WILLIAM: Here it is.

  (She hesitates, looks at the others, then takes it, sips. She starts to hand it back to William, who flinches.)

  MIRIAM: What are you doing? You think I’m going to hit you? Why would I do that?

  (He takes the glass. As he does, she suddenly hits him across the head, spilling water all over him.)

  SULLIVAN (Standing): Miriam!

  WILLIAM: I’m all right.

  MIRIAM (Over this, to William): Tell him I’m out here! He’d want to know that I’m out here! Let me just talk to—

  WILLIAM (Stopping her): I can’t. I’m sorry.

  LLOYD (Nearly yells): Stay here!!

  SULLIVAN (To Lloyd, under his breath): Easy. Easy.

  (Miriam looks at all of them.)

  WILLIAM: I can’t. He doesn’t want you in there.

  MIRIAM: He’s told you that? He said that? (No response. To William) You little bastard. You have no idea what he says about you, behind your back. What he really thinks of you. How he laughs at you. (To the others about William) Frank says he’s got no talent at all—except for taking orders! (Laughing) He’d make a good waiter! Or bellhop!! (Laughing, hoping that Lloyd and Sullivan will laugh, too. They don’t. Suddenly serious) Does Frank know I have nowhere to go? I have no friends out here.

  LLOYD: Father says you have plenty of friends. That you’re doing “things” with them all the time.

  MIRIAM: I don’t mean those kinds of friends. He told you that? If that’s the reason for— I’ll stop seeing them. Is that what this—? Louis?

  SULLIVAN: I don’t know what to say, Miriam. Sorry.

  MIRIAM: It’s his children, I know. Why does he listen to them. After all these years. You think he’d know better. (Looks at Lloyd; to Sullivan) Look at him. (Disgusted) My god.

  SULLIVAN: Stop, please.

  MIRIAM: And that daughter. What rock did she climb out from under? He can’t stand her, you know. Where am I supposed to go? Has he thought of that?!

  WILLIAM: Haven’t you checked into a hotel?

  MIRIAM: No.

  WILLIAM: Mister Wright was called last night by a hotel to guarantee the cost of a room.

  (Short pause. Catherine suddenly enters from the direction of Hollyhock House and the school. She stops when she sees Miriam.)

  I’ll talk to him. Tell him you’re here
. See what he wants. (He goes)

  CATHERINE: Miss Noel? What are you doing here? (To Lloyd) I thought you said—

  LLOYD: I did.

  MIRIAM: What?? What did you say? (To Sullivan) What did he—?

  CATHERINE (Over this, pointedly to Lloyd and Sullivan): Ann’s already made friends. At the school.

  LLOYD: I’m not surprised. Good for my niece.

  (Miriam looks off toward the sound of the children.)

  CATHERINE: Is that coffee?

  MIRIAM: Is he sleeping with that schoolteacher? That girl? He couldn’t take his eyes off her last night. What does he think I am—blind? I know that type. I’ve been around that type all my life. So—let him take her to bed. I really don’t care. Get it out of his system—

  CATHERINE (Trying to pretend that Miriam isn’t there): It looks like quite a success already. She must have twenty or so students.

  LLOYD: I hear them.

  CATHERINE: Sounds like more.

  SULLIVAN: They’re children. (He is pouring from his flask into his coffee)

  MIRIAM: Let me have a drink.

  (Sullivan’s flask is empty. He hesitates, then hands her his “coffee.”)

  LLOYD: Don’t give her—

  SULLIVAN: She’s not going to do anything. Are you, Miriam?

  (She takes the coffee, and immediately throws it into Lloyd’s face.)

  CATHERINE: Oh my god!

  SULLIVAN (Same time): It’s not hot. It’s not hot!

  CATHERINE: She’s crazy. (To Lloyd) Are you all right?

  (Lloyd starts to wipe himself off. No one knows what to do. Then to say something:)

  Ann cried when I . . . I thought I’d come here—instead of just driving away. In case. I can see them from here. Until they go inside.

  (William comes out. He goes to Miriam. All watch. He takes her purse from her.)

  MIRIAM: What are you doing? Give me that! (She tries to grab her purse back. She hits him) Give me that back!

  WILLIAM (Rummaging through her purse): Are these the keys to your automobile? Are these them?! (No response. He takes them, and hands her back her purse) Mister Wright has asked me to drive you to your hotel.

  MIRIAM: No.

  WILLIAM: I’ll leave the automobile there, so you’ll still have it, and take a taxicab back. I’ll leave these (“the keys”) with the desk clerk, with instructions. Let’s go. Come. Get some sleep.

  MIRIAM: Don’t look at me like that. All of you. What an awful place.

  CATHERINE: Father doesn’t think so, does he?

  LLOYD: No. And if you come back here again—