been.
SHELLY : Do you remember her when her hair was bright red? Standing in front of an apple tree?
DODGE: What is this, the third degree or something?! Who're you to be askin’ me personal questions about my wife!
SHELLY : You never look at those pictures up there?
DODGE: What pictures?
SHELLY: Your whole life's up there hanging on the wall. Somebody who looks just like you. Somebody who looks just like you used to look.
DODGE: That isn't me! That never was me! This is me. Right here. This is it. The whole shootin’ match, sittin’ right here in front of you. That other stuff was a sham.
SHELLY : So the past never happened as far as you're concerned?
DODGE: The past? Jesus Christ. The past is passed. What do you know about the past?
SHELLY: Not much. I know there was a farm.
(Pause.)
DODGE: A farm?
SHELLY: There's a picture of a farm. A big farm. A bull. Wheat. Corn.
DODGE: Corn?
SHELLY: All the kids are standing out in the corn. They're all waving these big straw hats. One of them doesn't have a hat.
DODGE: Which one was that?
SHELLY: There's a baby. A baby in a woman's arms. The same woman with the red hair. She looks lost standing out there. Like she doesn't know how she got there.
DODGE: She knows! I told her a hundred times it wasn't gonna be the city! I gave her plenty a warning.
SHELLY: She's looking down at the baby like it was somebody else's. Like it didn't even belong to her.
DODGE: That's about enough outta you! You got some funny ideas, sister. Some damn funny ideas. You think just because people propagate they have to love their offspring? You never seen a bitch eat her puppies? Where are you from anyway?
SHELLY: LA. We already went through that.
DODGE: That's right, LA. I remember.
SHELLY: Stupid country.
DODGE: That's right! No wonder. Dumber than dirt.
(Pause.)
SHELLY: What's happened to this family anyway?
DODGE: You're in no position to ask! What do you care? You some kinda social worker?
SHELLY: I'm Vince's friend.
DODGE: Vince's friend! That's rich. That's real rich. “Vince”! “Mr. Vince”! “Mr. Thief” is more like it! His name doesn't mean a hoot in hell to me. Not a tinkle in the well. You know how many kids I've spawned? Not to mention grandkids and great-grandkids and great-great-grandkids after them?
SHELLY: And you don't remember any of them?
DODGE: What's to remember? Halie's the one with the family album. She's the one you should talk to. She'll set you straight on the heritage if that's what you're interested in. She's traced it all the way back to the grave.
SHELLY: What do you mean?
DODGE: What do you think I mean? How far back can you go? A long line of corpses! There's not a living soul behind me. Not a one. Who gives a damn about bones in the ground?
SHELLY: What was Tilden trying to tell me last night? (DODGE
stops short. Stares at
SHELLY.
Shakes his head. He looks off left.
DODGE
‘s tone changes drastically.)
DODGE: Tilden?
(Turns to
SHELLY,
calmly.)
Where is Tilden?
SHELLY: What was he trying to say about the baby?
(Pause.
DODGE
turns toward left.)
DODGE: What's happened to Tilden? Why isn't Tilden here?
SHELLY: Bradley chased him out.
DODGE:
(Looking at
BRADLEY
asleep.)
Bradley? Why is he on my sofa?
(Turns back to
SHELLY.) Have I been here all night? On the floor?
SHELLY: He wouldn't leave. I hid outside until he fell asleep.
DODGE: Outside? Is Tilden outside? He shouldn't be out there in the rain. He'll get himself into trouble. He doesn't know his way around here anymore. Not like he used to. He went out West and got himself into trouble. Deep trouble. We don't want any of that around here.
SHELLY: What did he do?
(Pause.)
DODGE:
(Quietly stares at
SHELLY.) Tilden? He got mixed up. That's what he did. We can't afford to leave him alone. Not now.
(Sound oj
HALIE
laughing comes from off left,
SHELLY
stands, looking in the direction of the voice, holding the cup and saucer, doesn't know whether to stay or run. Motioning
SHELLY : Do you remember her when her hair was bright red? Standing in front of an apple tree?
DODGE: What is this, the third degree or something?! Who're you to be askin’ me personal questions about my wife!
SHELLY : You never look at those pictures up there?
DODGE: What pictures?
SHELLY: Your whole life's up there hanging on the wall. Somebody who looks just like you. Somebody who looks just like you used to look.
DODGE: That isn't me! That never was me! This is me. Right here. This is it. The whole shootin’ match, sittin’ right here in front of you. That other stuff was a sham.
SHELLY : So the past never happened as far as you're concerned?
DODGE: The past? Jesus Christ. The past is passed. What do you know about the past?
SHELLY: Not much. I know there was a farm.
(Pause.)
DODGE: A farm?
SHELLY: There's a picture of a farm. A big farm. A bull. Wheat. Corn.
DODGE: Corn?
SHELLY: All the kids are standing out in the corn. They're all waving these big straw hats. One of them doesn't have a hat.
DODGE: Which one was that?
SHELLY: There's a baby. A baby in a woman's arms. The same woman with the red hair. She looks lost standing out there. Like she doesn't know how she got there.
DODGE: She knows! I told her a hundred times it wasn't gonna be the city! I gave her plenty a warning.
SHELLY: She's looking down at the baby like it was somebody else's. Like it didn't even belong to her.
DODGE: That's about enough outta you! You got some funny ideas, sister. Some damn funny ideas. You think just because people propagate they have to love their offspring? You never seen a bitch eat her puppies? Where are you from anyway?
SHELLY: LA. We already went through that.
DODGE: That's right, LA. I remember.
SHELLY: Stupid country.
DODGE: That's right! No wonder. Dumber than dirt.
(Pause.)
SHELLY: What's happened to this family anyway?
DODGE: You're in no position to ask! What do you care? You some kinda social worker?
SHELLY: I'm Vince's friend.
DODGE: Vince's friend! That's rich. That's real rich. “Vince”! “Mr. Vince”! “Mr. Thief” is more like it! His name doesn't mean a hoot in hell to me. Not a tinkle in the well. You know how many kids I've spawned? Not to mention grandkids and great-grandkids and great-great-grandkids after them?
SHELLY: And you don't remember any of them?
DODGE: What's to remember? Halie's the one with the family album. She's the one you should talk to. She'll set you straight on the heritage if that's what you're interested in. She's traced it all the way back to the grave.
SHELLY: What do you mean?
DODGE: What do you think I mean? How far back can you go? A long line of corpses! There's not a living soul behind me. Not a one. Who gives a damn about bones in the ground?
SHELLY: What was Tilden trying to tell me last night? (DODGE
stops short. Stares at
SHELLY.
Shakes his head. He looks off left.
DODGE
‘s tone changes drastically.)
DODGE: Tilden?
(Turns to
SHELLY,
calmly.)
Where is Tilden?
SHELLY: What was he trying to say about the baby?
(Pause.
DODGE
turns toward left.)
DODGE: What's happened to Tilden? Why isn't Tilden here?
SHELLY: Bradley chased him out.
DODGE:
(Looking at
BRADLEY
asleep.)
Bradley? Why is he on my sofa?
(Turns back to
SHELLY.) Have I been here all night? On the floor?
SHELLY: He wouldn't leave. I hid outside until he fell asleep.
DODGE: Outside? Is Tilden outside? He shouldn't be out there in the rain. He'll get himself into trouble. He doesn't know his way around here anymore. Not like he used to. He went out West and got himself into trouble. Deep trouble. We don't want any of that around here.
SHELLY: What did he do?
(Pause.)
DODGE:
(Quietly stares at
SHELLY.) Tilden? He got mixed up. That's what he did. We can't afford to leave him alone. Not now.
(Sound oj
HALIE
laughing comes from off left,
SHELLY
stands, looking in the direction of the voice, holding the cup and saucer, doesn't know whether to stay or run. Motioning
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