| BERT and LIL are back at the bench; the balloon is still attached to the plant. | ||
| LIL: | You actually weaseled that one from a child? | |
| BERT: | He was going to let it fly. | |
| LIL: | To see how far it'll go? | |
| BERT: | Yeah. And he would watch it go way up out there. | |
| LIL: | Until he couldn't see the color any longer. | |
| BERT: | He'd remember that it was yellow. | |
| LIL: | By the time it was gone from sight he would already have forgotten. | |
| BERT: | Yeah, people forget easy. | |
| LIL: | Maybe you'd better give your balloon to a girl. | |
| BERT: | I've already tried. | |
| LIL: | A little girl would know how to treat a nice balloon. | |
| BERT: | Her old lady would tie it to her pigtails. | |
| LIL: | So it won't fly off. | |
| BERT: | And she'd float wee, wee, wee, all the way home. | |
| LIL: | And there she could look at it every morning when she wakes. | |
| BERT: | Watch it shrivel up. | |
| LIL: | Pet it. | |
| BERT: | Crunch it, torture it. Make it sound like a dozen farts gone wild. | |
| LIL: | I don't think I care for your imagery. | |
| BERT: | Until one morning she'd find it lying on the floor, all pooped out, looking like a hundred years old. | |
| LIL: | You're depressing. | |
| MARG: | (Enters. Her coat is wet and splattered with mud.) I took a rain check. An honest-to-goodness rain check. | |
| LIL: | Mrs. Poole! | |
| MARG: | He's such a busy man. All that stress. In his position one can't just up and leave - especially at lunch. Perhaps a quick sandwich but that's about it. | |
| LIL: | And you didn't even bring any sandwiches for lunch today. | |
| MARG: | I brought a few crumbs - for the birds. | |
| BERT: | Birds? Where? | |
| MARG: | In the park, stupid! | |
| BERT: | Yeah, of course, in the park. If it ever stops piddling out there, I'll try the park myself - to attract a few birds. | |
| MARG: | (Icily.) May I. (Pushes past BERT and sits down.) Thank you. (To LIL.) I almost consider this my bench. I think I'll have that hamburger now. | |
| BERT makes a motion to retrieve the food from the waste bin. | ||
| LIL: | Bert! Don't you dare! | |
| MARG: | I didn't eat breakfast this morning. Although, at my age you don't need much food... or much sleep for that matter. I usually get up at five o'clock. | |
| BERT: | My body don't function before eight. | |
| MARG: | It's all the coffee you drink, and those homemade cigarettes. | |
| BERT: | Speeds things up in a hurry, though. (To LIL.) Talk about fast - you should see some of my dreams... | |
| MARG has gotten up and gone to the garbage bin, peering inside. | ||
| LIL: | Mrs. Poole, please! I'll get you something. | |
| MARG begins to rummage in the bin. Suddenly she faints. Both LIL and BERT rush to help her, but LIL takes control. | ||
| LIL: | Just a moment. | |
| LIL stabilizes MARG, then feels her pulse. MARG comes to. She is confused, grabs hold of the bench and tries to get up. | ||
| BERT: | Whoa, Mrs. M. | |
| LIL: | Let me. (To MARG.) Hold on to me, Mrs. Poole. Hold on tight. | |
| MARG wont let go of the bench. | ||
| BERT: | You're supposed to hug Lil, not the bench. | |
| MARG: | I was hugging her a little bit. | |
| BERT: | You were hugging the bench more than her. | |
| LIL: | Come on now. | |
| BERT: | (Finally helps them.) Okay, Mrs. M, you can do it. (They help her onto the bench.) | |
| LIL: | Now rest a moment. Alberto here will watch you and I'll get you something to drink. (Turns to leave.) | |
| BERT: | Uh, I've got a kink. | |
| LIL: | Did you pull a muscle? | |
| BERT: | Must have been the way she grabbed my neck. (Sits down.) | |
| MARG: | I didn't touch you. You're just hinting at that back rub again. | |
| LIL: | Open your shirt button. (She goes behind him and begins to massage his neck.) | |
| MARG: | Any second now he's going to purr. | |
| LIL: | Better? (He moves his neck and shoulders tentatively.) That's all you're getting. | |
| BERT: | Short and sweet. | |
| LIL: | (To MARG.) I'll be right back; bring you something to eat - something warm - so you can get your strength back. (Exits.) | |
| BERT: | (After her.) Thank you, Sister Lillian. (To MARG.) She's got cold hands but she's a nice kid. | |
| MARG: | As long as you keep your hands to yourself. She's too refined for you. | |
| BERT: | I know. She likes poetry. But she says it's okay if it don't rhyme. (MARG gets up.) You better sit down, Mrs. M. | |
| MARG: | And I don't know why you keep on calling me "Mrs. M"! It always sends a shiver down my back. | |
| BERT: | I thought you liked it. | |
| MARG: | There's a movie that's called M. | |
| BERT: | Never seen that one. | |
| MARG: | It was a bit before your time. Peter Lorre is in it. He was a German actor - always played the villain, even after he came to Hollywood. | |
| BERT: | Yeah, I've heard of him. | |
| MARG: | There's this balloon man... | |
| BERT: | Oh no, not him again! | |
| MARG: | What's the matter with you? Can't you keep quiet and listen for one minute? | |
| BERT: | This balloon man - he the one that's old and queer, by any chance? | |
| MARG: | He's blind. Now will you listen? He doesn't have a big part in the movie. But he draws this big letter "M" with chalk on the back of Peter Lorre's coat. "M" stands for "murderer" in German. | |
| BERT: | Yeah, in English too. | |
| MARG: | The murderer, you see, he is buying this little girl a balloon, but the blind balloonman knows what that man is up to. He's recognized his voice from before - | |
| BERT: | I sure like some of them old flicks. (MARG has gone to the garbage bin.) Okay, take it easy now. Lil is on her way. (He gently leads her back to her seat.) | |
| MARG: | And stop babying me! | |
| LIL: | (Enters with a paper cup.) Here, this will put the color back in your cheeks. | |
| MARG: | What is it? | |
| LIL: | T-bone steak, compliments of Mr. Lipton. (They watch MARG sip.) Mrs. Poole? (MARG just stares ahead.) Margaret? | |
| BERT: | Mrs. M... | |
| MARG: | Bert, what was it you used to call me - when Ralph was still... when you were over at the house, devouring my homemade pecan pie with a tall glass of milk that I had to refill at least two or three times. | |
| BERT: | I... I don't remember. | |
| MARG: | No, I don't suppose you would. | |
| BERT: | I kinda got used to it - calling you Mrs. M. But if you don't want me to... | |
| MARG: | It's okay. It's not as if everybody calls me that. | |
| BERT: | Yeah, I'm kinda unique, ain't I, Mrs. M? | |
| MARG: | Well, your sewage disposal demonstration today certainly was one of a kind. | |
| BERT: | (To LIL.) Sounds like she's back to normal. | |
| LIL: | Margaret. (MARG now looks at her.) I have something for you - for your birthday. I didn't have a chance to wrap it - would be kind of awkward anyway. But it's all fixed up now. (She takes the string with the bicycle key, holds it out to MARG who just stares at her. She then puts it around the older woman's neck.) I'm sorry it doesn't have a wider saddle. | |
| MARG: | No, I couldn't. | |
| LIL: | Of course you can. It's just an old bicycle somebody tried to get rid of. I have another one - at home. It's actually much newer. I wished I could give you that one, but the handlebars... This one's much more comfortable. | |
| MARG: | No, really, I - | |
| LIL: | And if you need lessons, we can go out there right now; find a spot on the parking lot. It's stopped raining. | |
| MARG: | I think I can manage. It's been a while since I've been on a bicycle, but you know what they say - | |
| LIL: | Well, then it's settled. | |
| MARG: | Lillian, I... I don't know. | |
| LIL: | It's all right, Margaret. (MARG hesitates.) Come on, let's go outside. It's by the south entrance. | |
| LIL helps MARG with her gear. They exit. BERT looks after them, dumbfounded. He unties the balloon from the plant and exits after them. Lights up on LIL showing MARG how to use the hand brakes and gears and helping stow the older woman's belongings on the bicycle. MARG takes a handkerchief and almost caressingly wipes the saddle with it. Enter BERT. | ||
| BERT: | (Holds out the balloon.) Happy birthday, Mrs. M. | |
| MARG: | (Takes it. To LIL.) I'll take it to my granddaughter, now that I have my own transportation. (She ties the balloon to the bike.) | |
| BERT: | Grand -? (LIL gestures to BERT to be quiet.) | |
| MARG: | It will be such a surprise. | |
| MARG mounts the bike and rides it, wobbly at first, then taking delight as she becomes more steady. | ||
| BERT: | (Uneasy.) Easy, Mrs. M! | |
| LIL: | That's it, Margaret! You're doing great. Now try the hand brake - the other side - not too hard! Good! | |
| BERT: | Phew. You're looking good! Just take it easy! | |
| LIL: | Okay, Margaret, try the gear shift, like I showed you! That's it! | |
| MARG: | Thank you, Lil! I'll take good care of it! (Exits.) | |
| BERT: | Yeah, Mrs. M, go drag that Mercedes! (To LIL.) Now there's a scary sight. | |
| LIL: | She'll be fine. | |
| BERT: | Easy for you to say, but I'm gonna have a heart attack at 35. | |
| LIL: | I've got my first aid kit right here. | |
| BERT: | Yeah, stick a band-aid over my heart. (Beat.) Don't look like she's coming back soon. | |
| LIL: | No need to. She's on her own now. | |
| BERT: | But what about your bike? | |
| LIL: | It's hers now. | |
| BERT: | Just like that? I don't get it. | |
| LIL: | What is there to get? | |
| BERT: | What you gonna do without wheels? | |
| LIL: | I can walk. | |
| BERT: | Everywhere? | |
| LIL: | Take the bus. Fly. A lot of new possibilities are opening up as we speak. | |
| BERT: | I just can't figure you. | |
| LIL: | Is it giving you a headache? (She leaves.) | |
| BERT: | Hey! (Catches up.) There's a little fountain I know - with a nice bench. | |
| LIL: | Full of pigeon poop. | |
| BERT: | It'll be washed off by now. | |
| LIL: | You know - maybe I should get myself a Harley. | |
| They exit. Lights change. MARG enters on the bicycle. | ||
| MARG: | (Triumphantly.) Once you've learned how to do it... (She stops.) Once you've done it... Anything. (Unties the balloon.) You never forget. (After a moment's hesitation she lets the balloon fly, watching it disappear.) | |
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