Coronado: Stories

  BOBBY Oh, you did?

  Scene 4

  GINA, WILL, and HAL in the positions we last saw them.

  HAL You don’t think I know, boy? Shit. My job is bullshit. I sit in a room every day just waiting to smell its lack. Its presence? I can smell that ’fore you even open the door.

  WILL Boss, I’m being friendly here.

  HAL I seen your friendly before. You think you’re good because you grew up not wanting. Not wanting ain’t good. It’s just not poor. You ain’t rich, but poor? That’s evidentiary, son. That’s experience. You ain’t never had experience, so you only imagine you have a soul.

  WILL I have a soul, boss.

  HAL So you claim. Where the missus at?

  GINA We’re all drunk. Whyn’t we just—

  HAL Whyn’t you just sit the fuck down?

  [HAL pulls out a pistol. GINA sits. WILL doesn’t.]

  HAL Said, “Sit.”

  WILL Not going to do that, Hal.

  HAL Sit.

  WILL No.

  GINA Sit, Will.

  WILL Speak your piece, Hal.

  HAL Yeah. I’s right about you, boy.

  GINA Jesus! You want me to measure them for you?

  HAL Will knows.

  GINA Knows fucking what?

  HAL Knows you never stop pedaling.

  GINA I’m drunk, but what’d you smoke?

  HAL You never stop pedaling. It’s the law. Even if there’s no one around to see, you never stop. ’Cause the moment you do? You ain’t worth shit. No smiles from the salesmen, no “How do?’s” from the waitresses, no welcome woof from the dog. You stop pedaling? Hand that dick over, pick you out a satin pillow.

  GINA I don’t know what you’re talking about.

  [Lights up on the DOCTOR and the PATIENT, watching.]

  HAL He does.

  PATIENT They never stop. They never fucking stop.

  DOCTOR Who?

  WILL Just making sure you don’t drink too much, boss. Hope you’ll be making that Coronado trip with me come Monday.

  PATIENT You. You. You. You fucking…

  Scene 5

  BOBBY and GWEN, exactly as they were.

  BOBBY If. I. Don’t. Make. It. Gwen.

  GWEN It’s ours, baby. Ours. Not yours. Not mine. Ours. And definitely not fucking his. I’m not just going to—

  BOBBY Yes, you are. He will never stop looking. Even when you’re positive you’ve left no tracks. Even when all logic says he wouldn’t, he couldn’t? He’ll still be looking.

  GWEN You’ve already told me this.

  BOBBY Did you fucking listen? You do not fuck around with this man. If anything happens to me, you get that diamond to him—by FedEx, by private courier, by Pony Express. I don’t care, but you get it to him, and you don’t deliver it in person, and still you run. You run till you’re out of earth.

  GWEN He’s a man, Bobby.

  BOBBY He’s a lot less than that.

  [Puts his arm around her.]

  You take naps, watch TV, read magazines. You daydream and make love and wonder what you’re gonna wear and where you might be in ten years and if you’ll ever have children. He doesn’t. He lives to get. Robs to get. Wakes up to get. It’s all he does. That makes him better at it than we’ll ever be.

  GWEN Then he’s nothing.

  BOBBY His nothing’s a whole lot stronger than our something.

  GWEN Why not run now, baby?

  BOBBY Because we are going to burn him. Because I can accept losing to the prick, but not every fucking time. We’re going to take our cut first before he can burn us. And then we’ll send him his share from a state or two away. And we will fucking disappear, baby. Vanish.

  GWEN Did I mention you set my heart aflutter and make me feel all funny inside? How sometimes, like now, I just want to shove my hand in your jeans and—

  [BOBBY jerks away from her, but she rolls on top of him.]

  BOBBY Hey. Witnesses.

  GWEN Where?

  BOBBY They could come.

  GWEN So could you, fool.

  BOBBY I’m serious, I’m serious. If it goes south, you bury it here and send him a postcard telling him how to find it. You don’t get clever. You don’t try to wrangle with him. You tell him it’s here.

  GWEN I’ll tell him it’s here.

  BOBBY By then, it won’t be our future. It’ll be our noose. I’m serious.

  GWEN I’m serious.

  BOBBY Gwen.

  GWEN Gwen.

  BOBBY I am.

  GWEN I am.

  [She covers his face and body with her own.]

  Scene 6

  HAL, WILL, and GINA.

  HAL Here’s my thing.

  WILL What’s your thing, boss?

  HAL I’m pedaled out.

  WILL You’re a lying sack of shit.

  HAL I’m plumb done. I want to reach in that belly right now and pull out a whole baby and spend my final years raising it. I do. Let you—

  [HAL fires at WILL’S feet. WILL jumps back. GINA shrieks.]

  HAL —run off together and take some of my property and a whole shitload a’ my money. And that’s fine. I just want to raise that child. Problem is, I can see your eyes, boy. And I know you can’t abide that.

  WILL I might could.

  HAL Might could be full of shit.

  WILL The thing is? Hal? You say it now and maybe you feel it but you couldn’t live it then. You’d try, I’ll grant you. But one day, that kid’s one or one and a half or four, and you’ll get bored. Nothing else to do but watch it grow? Fuck, man. And then you’ll need a goal. And you’ll come after us. Because your pride and your fucking money won’t allow you to take it.

  HAL You say. But, see, I just want to make someone safe. One person. My person, my child. That’s a long-ass goal. And I’m going to hold its chubby legs and show it how to walk and keep it from biting into the extension cords on the Christmas tree and walk it to school and—

  [GINA hits HAL in the head with the bottle. The train whistle blows. GINA hits HAL again.]

  GINA Fucking Christmas trees? You’ll keep “IT” safe? What about me?

  [WILL grabs her, pulls her back.]

  WILL Train’s closing, honey. Ticktock.

  Scene 7

  BOBBY and BOBBY’S FATHER.

  BOBBY Held it in my hand, you know.

  BOBBY’S FATHER I assumed.

  BOBBY Filled the center of my palm. The whole center of my palm.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Big, huh?

  BOBBY Big enough.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Kinda money that stone’d bring? A man could retire.

  BOBBY To what?

  BOBBY’S FATHER Mexico.

  BOBBY To what, though? Mean old man like you? What you got if you ain’t stealing something, killing somebody, making sure no one alive has a good fucking day?

  BOBBY’S FATHER It’s the idea.

  BOBBY The idea.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Man needs a goal.

  BOBBY Uh-huh.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Getting awful bored now.

  BOBBY Heavens.

  [He points the gun at BOBBY.]

  BOBBY Where’s Gwen?

  BOBBY’S FATHER This is a real fucking gun.

  BOBBY This is a real fucking question. You want your rock? Where’s Gwen?

  BOBBY’S FATHER You get taller in prison? I think you did. I’m pretty sure you grew an inch, maybe two.

  BOBBY I told her that night to just go, just get, just put as much country as she could between you and her until I got out. I told her even if I told you I had it, you’d have to cover your bets, you’d have to come looking for her.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Who’s this we’re talking about?

  BOBBY Gwen.

  BOBBY’S FATHER You don’t say.

  BOBBY I told her if you did find her to tell you I’d only said one word about where I hid it.

  BOBBY’S FATHER And what word was that, pray tell?

  BOBBY Fairgrounds.

  [BO
BBY’S FATHER smiles, taps the gun against his outer thigh.]

  BOBBY Told her if you truly believed she didn’t know anything you might—just might—show mercy for once.

  BOBBY’S FATHER And why would I do that?

  BOBBY Because I loved her.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Ain’t no such thing.

  BOBBY You say! You say!

  [BOBBY takes a few steps toward him and he raises the gun again. The sight of it makes BOBBY laugh.]

  BOBBY Go ahead. Really. Pull that fucking trigger, tough guy.

  Scene 8

  GINA and WILL drag HAL toward the train tracks, struggling with his weight. HAL comes back to consciousness but is still groggy as hell.

  HAL Don’t. Just don’t. Just listen. I—

  [WILL shoves HAL’s gun under his chin.]

  WILL Got your gun, Hal. Now shut the fuck up.

  HAL [Screaming.] I’LL BE A GREAT FATHER THIS TIME, I WILL, AND GINA, I LOVE YOU, I DO, I KNOW I’VE HAD A FEW WIVES AND A BUNCH OF COCKTAIL WAITRESSES AND SOME STRIPPERS BUT NEVER ANYTHING LIKE YOU AND I’LL BE A GREAT DAD, A GREAT DAD, AND IF YOU COULD JUST SEE MY SOUL AND HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, GINA, BABY, PLEASE, I—

  [They hurl HAL onto the train tracks. SOUND OF IMPACT. GINA grabs her head and screams at the sky.]

  GINA Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god…

  [WILL tucks the gun under his shirt, stares off.]

  WILL Bye, Hal.

  [The DOCTOR and the PATIENT watch as the lights dim on WILL and GINA.]

  DOCTOR You’ve confused your sins.

  PATIENT What?

  DOCTOR The hierarchy of them. You think you did something worse than murder? Leaving your child to be raised by Will? You had no choice.

  PATIENT I could have died fighting.

  DOCTOR End result would have been the same. You can’t fight a guy like Will. You can’t, Gina. The only thing that can stop a guy like Will is a guy like Will.

  PATIENT No, I—

  DOCTOR Your sin was killing Hal. You had choice there and you made the worst one. Do you even know why?

  PATIENT Because we were in love.

  DOCTOR You were in love. You could have divorced him. Was it his money?

  PATIENT Didn’t hurt.

  DOCTOR He’d have given you that. So…Why’d you kill Hal, Gina?

  Scene 9

  BOBBY’S FATHER pointing the gun at BOBBY. [Beat.]

  BOBBY’S FATHER It just come to me.

  BOBBY Yeah, what’s that?

  BOBBY’S FATHER You’ve known for, what, three years that Gwen is no more?

  BOBBY Dead.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Whatever.

  BOBBY Dead.

  BOBBY’S FATHER If you like. Dead.

  BOBBY Yeah, Daddy.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Three years. Lotta time to think.

  [BOBBY nods.]

  BOBBY’S FATHER Plan.

  [Another nod. BOBBY’S FATHER looks at his gun.]

  BOBBY’S FATHER This going to fire?

  BOBBY I’d say the odds are a might dubious.

  BOBBY’S FATHER It’s loaded. I can feel the mag weight.

  BOBBY Jack the slide.

  [BOBBY’S FATHER yanks back hard. The slide is frozen.]

  BOBBY Krazy Glue. Filled the barrel too.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Thought I felt a monkey on my head.

  [BOBBY produces a knife, expertly flips the blade free of the hasp.]

  BOBBY’S FATHER The other great love of your life. I assume you’ve lost none of your talent with it.

  BOBBY Wherever you buried her, you’re digging her out.

  BOBBY’S FATHER I got a shovel in the trunk.

  BOBBY [Shakes his head.] With your hands.

  Scene 10

  BOBBY and GWEN sit in each other’s arms at the fairgrounds.

  GWEN You think it lasts?

  BOBBY What?

  GWEN This.

  BOBBY Of course. Why not?

  GWEN You look around, you see people who’ve been together, I mean, do they look happy? How do you hold something that feels this good?

  BOBBY You just do.

  GWEN But it’s got to burn after a while. It’s got to exhaust you. Maybe you let it cool a bit, just a bit, so it lets you breathe normal again. But once you do that…

  BOBBY We don’t need to breathe normal.

  GWEN Everyone needs to breathe normal.

  BOBBY We’re not everyone.

  GWEN Yes, we are.

  BOBBY You’re scared. Tomorrow’s a scary day. But we’ll get through.

  GWEN And then what? They never show you the ebb. I mean, it all ebbs.

  BOBBY And gathers steam and comes back again.

  GWEN You think?

  BOBBY I hope.

  GWEN I hope.

  BOBBY If it’s pure…if it’s pure, well, you hold on to what’s pure about it. You never let that ebb. The other parts, okay, sure, they’ll grow weak at times, but the pure part?

  GWEN We’ll get old.

  BOBBY Fuckin’ A!

  GWEN Fat. Cellulite. Wrinkles. No one will know we were beautiful once.

  BOBBY Speak for yourself.

  GWEN Bitch.

  BOBBY I can’t wait to see each line in your face appear. To know I saw its birth.

  GWEN Where did you come from?

  BOBBY Pluto. You say I’m good. Well, I don’t know about that. I don’t. But we’re good. I know that.

  GWEN I’m going to marry you, shithead. And get fat just to test your resolve.

  BOBBY Shave your head while you’re at it, would you? I dig fat bald chicks.

  Scene 11

  DOCTOR and PATIENT sit in exact same positions as BOBBY and GWEN. PATIENT stares offstage at the sounds of the fair.

  DOCTOR This is not remotely appropriate.

  PATIENT Let’s not get into “appropriate” again. It’s tired. I’m tired. Just let me sit here for another minute.

  DOCTOR Fair enough.

  PATIENT How do they do it? All those nobodies out there. Never Weres. Pass through this world, never achieve a single significant thing.

  DOCTOR Maybe their definition of “significant” is different.

  PATIENT What? Got a raise? Made VP of the Media Affairs Department for Bo’s Discount Furniture? Bought that power mower?

  DOCTOR Raised a child. Loved a parent. Died in her arms.

  PATIENT Hallmark bullshit. Lifetime Movie of the Week. The Noise we all tune in to so we won’t see that we don’t really matter. We left no mark. Those who are remembered offered a sacrifice.

  DOCTOR Everyone makes sacrifices in a relationship. It’s part of—

  PATIENT A sacrifice made unto something. An offering thrown on a pyre so the gods know you’re worthy.

  DOCTOR Of immortality? Happiness?

  PATIENT What adult believes in happiness?

  DOCTOR Then what?

  PATIENT Completion. The illusion that you exist for a purpose. You commit to, to true love—of a person, your art, your company, your country, your truth? When you feel that, you have to sacrifice something to it or else, else it’s just infatuation.

  DOCTOR [Points offstage at the fair.] That’s why you killed a human being? So you wouldn’t be them?

  PATIENT Yes. So I’d never, ever be them. And from then on, I had a secret that defined me as bigger than that. Better. More serious.

  DOCTOR And now?

  PATIENT Fuck you.

  DOCTOR And now?

  PATIENT Fuck you!

  DOCTOR AND NOW?

  PATIENT I want to undo it. I want to go back. I want my child. He’s…he’s eleven now. And he’s out there somewhere. With him. With him.

  Scene 12

  BOBBY’S FATHER has dug about four feet into the grave. BOBBY squats above him, watching.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Come on. Let me use the shovel.

  BOBBY Tell me about my mother.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Let me use the shovel. I got no nails left, I got—

&nbs
p; BOBBY Tell me about her.

  BOBBY’S FATHER [Eyeing the knife.]

  Fuck you. You won’t use that. You don’t have the—

  [BOBBY stabs him in the shoulder.]

  BOBBY’S FATHER Jesus!

  [BOBBY stabs him in the shoulder again.]

  BOBBY’S FATHER All right! All right!

  BOBBY Tell me something about my mother and I might—might—give you the shovel for a bit.

  BOBBY’S FATHER You can’t do this to me!

  BOBBY All evidence to the contrary.

  BOBBY’S FATHER I raised you.

  BOBBY A bit too well, I’d say. Have you ever loved anyone? Anything? I mean, tell me you had a dog as a kid. I’ll buy it. A favorite uncle.

  BOBBY’S FATHER I loved you.

  BOBBY I was chattel. Big difference. Keep digging. I’m just wondering if I cut you open, if I’d find a heart. Or an engine.

  BOBBY’S FATHER Same engine that runs in you.

  BOBBY Did you ever love anyone?

  BOBBY’S FATHER I loved your mother.

  BOBBY What was her name?

  BOBBY’S FATHER Nope. That’s mine, boy.

  BOBBY How’d you meet?

  BOBBY’S FATHER Give me some water.

  [BOBBY thinks about it, finally passes him a bottle.]

  BOBBY’S FATHER I was a pencil pusher once. Believe that? Regional manager for a grain outfit. Covered sales for a five-state region. Had me a shitty car. Apartment wasn’t bad, kinda nondescript, I guess you’d say. Little patio looked out on a little pool and a bunch of other patios. Thought one day I’d maybe run the show when the old man retired. He was grooming me. Then I met your mother.

  BOBBY What happened?

  BOBBY’S FATHER What didn’t? The world shook. Never looked the same after that. One day, we came out of the building at the same time, started talking while we walked to our cars. She had on this blue blouse…

  [He swigs some water, leans back against the grave. Beat.]

  BOBBY That’s it? The blue blouse? That’s your fucking story?

  BOBBY’S FATHER You can’t explain love. When it seizes you, what it does. You end up sounding like an idiot. She wore a blue blouse, we talked, I felt like God gave birth to me that day. How about that shovel?

  BOBBY Is she dead?

  BOBBY’S FATHER She is to me.

  [BOBBY lowers his head for a moment. When he raises it, he wipes at some tears.]

  BOBBY’S FATHER Now you know.

  BOBBY Now I know. Climb out. Go get the shovel.

  [BOBBY’S FATHER climbs out, starts walking toward the car with BOBBY a few steps behind, knife at the ready.]