Lenten Observance (A Play) Act III

A hospital ward

Easter Sunday, a year later

(A figure is lying on the bed motionless with a tube coming from their arm into a drip feed. The figure’s head is facing back stage and so cannot be seen by the audience. They are comatose)

(A nurse enters. She busies herself around the ward, shifting bedclothes, pulling back the curtains and checking his chart)

Nurse: Good afternoon young man and how are we feeling today? Ready to rise up and conquer the world are we? No good lying there asleep - won’t achieve anything. Get the mind active, loosen Lethe’s grip, and get some of that body muscle working again before its too late. Don’t want you old yet, not while you haven’t had a chance to sow some wild seed.

(She bends down to look at his face)

Nurse: Handsome chap as well. Wouldn’t mind helping you out son, if I thought it’d do you some good. I’ve a son of my own your age. Doing all the things you should be doing: getting drunk and playing the field. I bet you’ve got some pretty DNA as well -pick yourself out a nice lassie and make some gorgeous babies - wouldn’t that be great? Plenty of time for you yet but you’ve got to wake up!

(Pause)

Nurse: Talk to him they said. It might help. Talk about what, I said? Anything, just ramble, you never know what may trigger a recovery. Well I talked and talked for the last year and I’m buggered if I seen the slightest twitch of an eyelid. Poor we wean - lost his mate as well. He doesn’t even know that yet. God, to think what’s happened to that family since the accident; the wife walked out on the father and then he lost his job. The children seem to have coped better than the parents. The eldest boy’s married and his wife’s expecting. The older girl is at University and her sister’s top of her class. Hardest element in the universe, kids are.

(Julie enters)

Julie: Afternoon, nurse.

Nurse: Hello.

Julie: Anything?

Nurse: Still the same I’m afraid.

Julie: But have you looked, really looked.

Nurse: I’ve looked so hard my eyes need laser treatment.

Julie: But I told you that last evening, I’m sure I saw…

Nurse: Nothing, you only see what you want to see. It’s been a year. Try to harden yourself to this. Don’t visit so often. Get on with your own life. Everything that’s humanly possible is being done for him. You’re going to be a grandma soon aren’t you? You’ll be needed there.

Julie: I can’t desert him. I could’ve avoided this. I saw the signs.

Nurse: That’s plain silly talk. Nobody could have foreseen that accident. The other driver was to blame.

Julie: If I’d let him go a second earlier or held him back a moment more…

Nurse: Its fate that’s all. We’re just here to make up the numbers.

Julie: It was a judgement.

Nurse: But who would will all that’s happened on to good people like you?

Julie: God.

Nurse: What’s God got to do with it? Blaming him is worse than blaming your self. What happens happens. For every car accident there must be thousands of near misses. If we can’t praise God for that, we should hardly blame him if a man willingly gets drunk and drives home incapable.

Julie: So you believe in God?

Nurse: I believe in common sense.

Julie: Do you believe in forgiveness?

Nurse: Forgiveness begins at home.

Julie: But who do I say sorry to?

Nurse: If he’s listening, if that’s what you believe, just say it. He’ll hear.

Julie: It’s what I must believe, despite everything.

Nurse: Tragedy isn’t an exact science my dear. Being Catholic doesn’t entitle you to throw lucky seven every time.

(Pause)

Nurse: I’ll leave you with him then.

(Exits)

(Julie takes out a rosary and kneels down beside the bed)

Julie: Sweet boy why won’t you wake up and talk to me. Blame me for everything, I don’t care – just speak to me. Open those dear eyes and look out at the world. He can’t want you yet, He would’ve taken you as well. Your thread remains unbroken. Wake up and I’ll knit you together again; new clothes for a brand new life.

(Louise enters)

Louise: Hi Mum.

Julie: Hello sweetheart.

Louise: I’ve finished revising for the day so I thought I’d pop up.

Julie: I’ll need to shave him soon.

Louise: Let the nurse. You always cut him.

Julie: I didn’t do it on purpose.

Louise: You need to stay away more. Put some distance…

Julie: That’s what the nurse said.

Louise: But you won’t.

Julie: I can’t. The guilt draws me here like a magnet pulls wire wool.

Louise: But only you.

Julie: Have you spoken to him?

Louise: Of course.

Julie: And he’s…

Louise: Fine. You would know if you took Sarah round to him.

Julie: She’s old enough to go herself.

Louise: I think he may have another job.

Julie: He’s been looking for so long. I’m happy for him.

Louise: Six months ago you’d have felt very different.

Julie: Time heals (pause) most things.

Louise: Has he ever been here?

Julie: Is it likely?

Louise: Perhaps. The nurses won’t say and neither will he.

Julie: You’ve already broached the subject.

Louise: Only recently. It took a lot of nerve. I didn’t know how he’d react.

Julie: He would never hurt you.

Louise: Dad never hurt any of us physically.

Julie: He was only trying to bring you up the right way. He didn’t do such a poor job did he?

Louise: On our knees.

Julie: That’s unfair. Your brother’s settled down, you’re at university and Sarah’s an A-student. Are we that dysfunctional?

Louise: We used to be six.

Julie: And will be again.

Louise: We have to be realistic mum, that die may be missing a number.

Julie: Nathan was my joy and will be again.

Louise: That’s hardly likely.

Julie: If you chose to spurn your faith that’s your prerogative.

Louise: If you are referring to my absence at mass you’re mistaken. True I found it difficult to go after the crash, we all did. Something more than just two cars collided that day. I couldn’t see how love could destroy love. I had to find my own path through the valley. I’m not there yet but I’m a lot more confident where I put my feet.

(Frank enters)

Frank: Mum, Louise.

Louise: Hi bro.

Julie: This is unexpected. I thought you were out for the day.

Frank: I was, only a remarkable thing happened to me this morning.

Louise: You made your wife breakfast in bed.

Frank: Well, if I did, it wouldn’t have been a one-off. I’m a very sensitive human being and I’m firmly in touch with my feminine side.

Julie: What happened? Is your wife okay, and the baby?

Frank: Sure. I left her propped up on the sofa watching TV, pigging out on ice cream and gherkins.

Louise: That’s gross. You wouldn’t catch me eating that.

Frank: Wait ‘till you’re carrying a selfish little sod in your tummy. He decides what you’re going to eat.

Julie: Could you spare me this, I’m a veteran. What happened then?

Frank: Oh yeah. I got up early and went downstairs to put the kettle on. I thought I’d make her a cuppa as she’d had a bit of a restless night. Anyway, I turn on the radio low so as not to wake her and the weather forecast is on.

Louise: My god that is strange!

Frank: Shut up a second. All my favourite channels are pre-programmed so I push the button for Radio Two and I get Radio Three. I push it again and the same thing happened. Of course I blamed Mary because she’s always messing with the bloody thing and I was just about to tune it manually when I heard what was playing. And you’ll never guess what it was.

Julie: Mahler.

Frank: Yes! You’re absolutely right! - Mahler - the resurrection symphony.

Louise: What’s so unusual about that it’s Easter Sunday?

Julie: Your father always listened to that piece of music at Easter.

Louise: Pure coincidence then, and not a very large one at that.

Frank: So it seems but there’s more. I asked Mary if she’d been fiddling with the channels. She denied it. Then I decided just once more to push the button and see what I'd get.

Julie: Radio Two.

Frank: Fuck me mum, have you developed psychic powers?

Louise: Pull the other one Frank. Maybe one of your mates did it. They’re always at your place. I don’t know how Mary puts up with it.

Frank: No, that won’t explain it either. We had a power cut Friday afternoon and I had to reset the radio channels myself that night. Nobody’s been in the house since.

Louise: That’s it then, you made the mistake.

Frank: I used the radio Louise, that night; the stations were all pre-set accurately.

Julie: A miracle Frank. Are you, the family atheist, going to admit to a miracle?

Frank: I think atheist is a bit strong.

Julie: So you’re a believer now then?

Frank: I only stopped going to church. I believe in some of it.

Louise: You liar. You used to drive dad mad calling it all myth and claptrap.

Frank: That was just me fishing. You know he could never resist a bite.

Julie: So the Good Shepherd calls?

Frank: Maybe it was just the power cut. Perhaps the programmer is damaged, but…

Julie: You felt compelled to be here.

Frank (Nods): Yes.

Louise: This is spooky. The next thing you know you-know-who will come through the door with…

(Mark enters holding Sarah by the hand. He’s unkempt and sporting a severe hair cut)

Frank: Dad! It really is you.

Mark: Hello Frank, hello Louise (pause) hello Julie.

Sarah: Hello mummy

Julie: Hello darling, done much today?

Sarah: I took dad to church.

Frank: First time in ages.

Sarah: The priest asked everyone to say a prayer for Nathan and Daniel.

Frank: It being the anniversary and all that.

Julie: Is that why you’re wearing your hair short?

Mark: No, I’ve had this eh, “style” a while now.

Julie: Sackcloth and ashes?

Mark: Shall I go?

Louise: Stay. Stay and talk, even if you can’t agree.

Mark: Julie?

Julie: Have you been before?

Mark: I’ve tried. I lacked the courage.

Frank: I don’t come as many times as I should.

Julie: But you’re feeling brave today.

Mark: I’ve never stopped feeling frightened. I’m more afraid now than I’ve ever been in my life. But it’s so crazy because I haven’t any idea why I should be.

Frank: The future, maybe. Now I’m a father-to-be it begins to scare me too.

Mark: But I’ve just got a new job, things are improving in some respects.

Frank: Funny, it never bothered me before but I’m starting to look out for my child.

Mark: Don’t give him my eyes, son.

Louise: It’s just plain old age Dad - nearer the grave.

Mark: No, I can’t say that a time machine would help much either.

Julie: Sarah, do you know?

Sarah: Nathan would know.

Mark: It was Sarah that suggested we come.

Julie: She knew I’d be here.

Mark: I knew you’d be here. (Pause) I have a confession to make. For the last three months I’ve watched you visit almost every day from the shadow of that old oak tree next to the car park. So many times I stood beneath its branches watching you walk by, wanting desperately to move my foot just an inch. Just to get it started. After that I thought I’d be able to carry on across toward you. But it was like a stone. I simply didn’t have the strength to lift it. I could’ve done with…

Frank: Simon of Cirene.

Louise: Where did you get that from Christian?

Frank: It just popped in my head.

Sarah: Nathan’s speaking for you.

Julie (Rising): You could’ve called out to me.

Mark: That was harder still. Perhaps that was the real weight, not being able to find the right words.

Julie: There aren’t any. We make do with those we have and somehow between us try to work out a comprehensible dialogue. Still...you came.

Mark: It was the tree.

Frank: Which tree?

Mark: A couple of days back - thursday I think.

Sarah: Maundy Thursday.

Mark: Yes, I suppose so. I was in its shadows. It was cool there.

Louise: Yes it was a scorcher, for early April anyway.

Julie: Not at first. It was overcast when I set out for the hospital but when I got off the bus it was so warm I had to peel off my jacket.

Mark: Yes I know.

Julie: A cool stone.

Mark: Not so cool, there was hardly a breath of air. And as I stood watching you (to Julie) something hit me in the face and then fell on to the ground. It was a leaf. A young leaf.

Julie: In April.

(Long pause)

Louise: Bet you’re surprised to find me and Frank.

Sarah: No. I told dad that if we went to the hospital today we would all be together again.

Frank: Hey! You didn’t sneak into my house over the weekend and touch my radio, did you?

Sarah: Why would I want to do that?

Julie: Sarah, you said Nathan would know what scared your father.

Sarah: What frightens Dad frightened him - change. Don’t you remember telling me stories about when Nathan was a child and how any disruption to his routine used to make him angry?

Frank: But he learnt how to cope with it.

Julie: It was a small process but brick by brick he adjusted.

Louise: He was never quite easy with it though. And I was never tolerant enough with him.

Mark: But he learned tolerance. He accepted it and grew with it.

Julie (looking down at the figure in the bed): Sweet Jesus! Did he blink?

Louise: I don't know. I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

Frank: Maybe there’s hope then?

Sarah (Swinging her dolly): She's right here.

Julie: What will we do if he wakes up?

Mark: We take care of him. We take care of him.

(Curtain)