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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780864737854 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Victoria University Press |
| Publication date: | 04/01/2005 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 80 |
| File size: | 644 KB |
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Cherish
By Ken Duncum
Victoria University Press
Copyright © 2004 Ken DuncumAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-86473-785-4
CHAPTER 1
Scene 1: Jess and Maeve's house
Evening. Post-birthday. Jess on the couch eating grapes — Tom's head in her lap, ear pressed to her belly.
Tom: So what else did they say?
Jess: I've told you.
Tom: That's all they said?
Jess gives him a look. Tom hears something.
My God. Listen to that borborygmi.
Jess: Beg pardon?
Tom: It's like a concrete mixer in there.
Tom imitates — with increasing exaggeration — her rumbling stomach, progressing to creaking doors, cats yowling and other barnyard sound effects. Jess grins, pushing him away.
Jess: I'm getting up. I'd better make a start with all this — [party mess]
Tom: Nooo!
Jess: It's too early to feel anything.
Tom, diving into her lap: Please ...
Jess: If you're going to be rude about my insides ...
Tom: It's lovely — it's lovely in there — Nosing into her. — let me back in — I want to go back — all warm, floating round on a lilo ...
Jess: That's me, is it — the lilo?
Tom: You're the most pneumatic, the most comfortable — Sincerely: — the most beautiful and perfect mother my kids could ever wish for.
Jess puts her finger to his lips and he kisses it. He turns to kiss her belly.
Right, Horace?
He lies on his back again, ear pressed to her. Jess strokes his hair. Pause.
What else did they say?
Jess: Umm ... 'I'm just going to squeeze some of this lubricant onto your tummy — it might feel a little cold.'
She shoots him an ironic glance.
Tom: I'll just look at the scan.
Tom picks up an ultrasound scan and gazes at it.
Jess: What did you say? Bor-bor —?
Tom: Ig-me. Stomach noises. It's one of William's words.
Beat. Jess stares into space.
Jess: Where do you think William'll whisk you off to this time?
Tom: Whisk me off?
Jess: Well, it was Phuket after Eliza.
Tom: I can't go anywhere. He knows that. What would the Plunket
Nurse think if she comes round and I'm in Phuket? He looks at her. You could, though.
Jess: What?
Tom: Go somewhere. After the baby.
Jess: No ...
Tom: William would give you the money. I'll ask him if you like.
Jess: No. Warning: Don't.
Beat.
Though you could tell him about the automatic payment.
Tom looks at her.
Tom: Might be hard for you. At first.
Jess doesn't want to talk about it.
Jess: It's all too far away.
Tom: Six months. It's like looking at something through the wrong end of a telescope. To her belly. Hurry up!
Maeve enters. Tom makes no effort to move from his prime position with Jess — instead relishes it. Maeve circles them through what follows.
Jess: Did they go down?
Maeve: Eventually. It was like they were both on speed. Sugared to the max.
Tom: Birthdays come but once a year.
Maeve starts to pick up, looking for something.
Jess: Leave that. I said I'd do it.
Tom: God, what an appalling sex life birthdays must have. Only being able to come once a year.
As Maeve continues —
Jess: Sit down. There's some wine left.
Maeve: I will in a minute.
Tom: Imagine if you're the 29th of February — that's once every four years — you might as well become a monk.
Maeve, to Jess: What if the school's started swimming? We'd better put Scarlett's togs in her bag in case.
Tom, to Jess: Remember that guy you met at orientation one year who was going to become a monk — said it was his last weekend before entering the seminary?
Jess, pointedly: No. I don't remember.
Tom: I like the sound of that word. Seminary. Makes me think of somewhere all white and glistening.
Jess catches Maeve's hand.
Jess: Sit down. I'll clean — you sit.
Jess looks pointedly at Tom.
Tom: I'll get you that glass of wine.
He goes off. Maeve sits beside Jess on the couch.
Jess: All right?
Maeve: Tired. She looks at Jess. So should you be.
Jess: Second trimester. Think I'll build a deck. She puts her hand on Maeve's. The kids all had a great time.
Maeve smiles at her, then slides a hand down the cushions of the couch.
Maeve: Seen jingle-ball?
Jess: Is that what the crying was about?
Maeve shakes her head, then admits reluctantly —
Maeve: Scarlett's got a scratch — under her eye.
Jess, carefully: She OK?
Maeve: They were both beside themselves. It's ridiculous — all that cake and lollies. On top of the Kindergarten farewell ...
Jess: I thought you were going to cut Eliza's nails.
Maeve: I did. She hesitates. It was a colouring pencil.
Tom comes back in with the half-full bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. As he pours one for Maeve —
Tom: You'll love this, Maeve. This guy I was talking about — the almost-monk — gave Jess the whole story. There he was — on the brink — facing a lifetime of devotion to God and no sex. So naturally Jess does the decent thing —
Jess: Are you being deliberately annoying?
Tom: Several times, if memory serves. Drained him dry enough to keep his mind on the job for at least a month.
Maeve: I really don't want to hear this.
Jess: Tom —
Tom: But this is the point! Then he turned out to be from Teachers College — majoring in Phys Ed! I mean, what an outrageous abuse of trust! No wonder you decided to stick with women. He leans in mischievously. Except — didn't you have him again a month later?
Jess: I liked the way he could isolate his muscle groups.
Annoyed, Maeve jumps up. Jess catches her hand.
Maeve!
William, off: Hello! Only me!
Jess: For God's sake — it was years ago!
Tom: Everyone has to experiment with heterosexuality!
William enters.
William: I beg your pardon?
Tom: Finally — he arrives.
William: To find you experimenting with heterosexuality?
Tom: Well, you've been ages.
William: Everyone's entitled to their day in court. Though someone should tell them they can't all have the same day.
Tom: Perhaps you should.
They kiss.
William: Where's the birthday girl?
Tom: Where do you think?
William: I'll just pop up —
William heads for the stairs.
Maeve: I've just — [put them down] But William's gone.
Maeve: If he gets them up again ...
Tom: You know what he's like. William's not a big kid at heart, he's a big kid all over. You should see the new sound system — I'm not even going to tell you what it cost. But can I get him to finish the baby's room?
Unnoticed, talk of the baby's room strikes a chill through Jess.
Maeve: Are you sure that side of the house —?
Tom: We're going to do that whole cloud thing on the walls. It'll be like flying.
Maeve: It just seems so far away from your room.
Tom: William snores! I don't want that waking up Horace every five minutes. Mind you — He gestures to Jess's stomach. — with the racket going on in there, it'd probably be a relief.
Jess: Don't call him that. It that.
Tom: Horace?
Jess: You start it as a joke — then it sticks.
Tom: All righty then — lend me your names book.
Jess: It's Maeve's.
Maeve: On the shelf in the kitchen, I think.
She goes to look.
Tom: I'll slip it into William's briefcase — he'll read it thinking it's a class action with a long list of appellants.
Jess doesn't respond.
Tom: As far as he knows — I was there for the scan, OK?
Jess, distracted: Mmmm.
Tom: You didn't mind, did you? It's just that Jamie was only in town for the day ...
Jess: It's fine.
Maeve comes back in with the book.
Maeve: I hear giggling.
William comes down. They look at him accusingly.
William: They were awake!
He's holding a little kindergarten-craft bird made from egg carton and coloured feathers.
Scarlett's birthday and she gives me a present — the darling.
Maeve sits beside Jess and opens the book. As they share a moment, flicking through marked names in the well-thumbed pages, William spots the handicam and picks it up.
Did you get it all? Every balloon, every kiddy-vomit and expression of crazed excitement?
Tom: I did — [but] William, reacting to his tone: What?
Tom: I forgot the thingy.
William: What thingy?
Tom: The lens thingy.
William: The cap? It won't let you film with that on!
Tom: Seemed to. It was whirring away. Then — right at the end I looked — and I'd had it on the whole time.
William, bewailing as he rewinds, viewing to check: That's impossible! That's why I got it. It's foolproof. Even you couldn't — He sees the party footage. — Oho. Very funny.
Maeve, reading to Jess: 'Horace. Light of the sun. Keeper of the hours —' Jess, reading over her shoulder: 'Worthy to be beheld.'
William, viewing: Look at Miss Scarlett with her presents — like Queen of the May! Aside: She's absolutely agog with excitement about school. Though a teensy upset at having to turn up for her first day with a disfigured face.
Tom: What?
Maeve: It's a scratch! That's all!
Jess: I'd better check her. She gets up. To Tom as she goes: AP ...
Tom: Oh — better take this up.
He pulls the jingle-ball — a child's toy made of plush with a bell inside — from his pocket and tosses it to Jess.
Maeve, exasperated: Is that where it was?
Jess exits.
What sort of word is 'disfigured'?
William, engrossed in the video display: Oh — here's the cake!
Tom: Keep your eye on that Brendan kid with the pointy head ...
William, witnessing comic disaster: Oh ... oh ... oh no ...! Noticing something: What's that you're giving them, Tom? You know that stuff is full of food colouring. They'll be hyperactive — up all night!
Tom: Give some to you if it keeps you up all night.
William, lowering the handicam: You haven't got a clue — honestly.
Tom: There's plenty of Maeve's carrot sticks left — have one and shut up.
Tom feeds William a carrot stick.
Oh — there's some kind of problem with the money. The automatic payment.
William, to Maeve: That bloody bank! Back to Tom: How did the games go? Little Liza keep up?
Tom: Slightly sticky when she wouldn't pass the parcel.
William: Wonderful! Is that on here?
Tom: Every tension-packed second.
William: Excellent carrot, Maeve. Mine went all woody. What are you putting on them?
Maeve: The cat comes over from next door.
Tom snorts.
William: Charming. Still want those cuttings from my daphne? Then behave yourself.
Maeve has poured the last of the wine for William. She hands him the glass as he's reaching for his chequebook.
William: I'll write you a cheque ...
Maeve, uncomfortable: No. No, it's fine.
William: I'll get straight onto the bank Tomorrow. Savage someone. He puts the chequebook away. Well — my day was murderous. How about everyone else's?
As Jess comes back in —
Tom: Jess's day was 'sound'.
William: Safe and sound? Sound of wind and limb?
Maeve is looking at Jess.
Jess, to Maeve: She's fine.
Tom: Extremely highly sound. Wasn't it, Jess?
Jess: Ultra sound.
William: Oh, my God ... the scan! To Tom. Why didn't you tell me it was today?
Tom: I told you.
William: He never tells me anything.
Tom: I told you!
William: Well, don't keep me in suspense — is it a he, a she, a them?
Tom: You're going to have to hold on to your suspenders a while longer. They couldn't be sure of the gender yet.
Maeve darts a surprised glance at Jess, which Jess avoids.
But — He produces the ultrasound scan with a flourish, — he's got my head!
William takes the scan and examines it.
William: Ah yes — swollen — and full of amniotic fluid.
William joins Jess and Maeve. The four parents assemble for a moment round the scan, gazing at it. William kisses Jess on the forehead.
Clever girl.
Jess touches the scan with her fingertips. Tom breaks the circle by swiping the picture to gloat over it.
Tom: I don't care what sex he is. As long as he's healthy, whole, ten fingers, ten toes — and prodigiously well hung.
William: As if. We all know you're only good for girls. He winks at Jess and Maeve. What else did they say?
Jess, taking the scan from Tom: Don't you start. Tom's been asking non-stop.
Uh-oh. Jess realises she's let the cat out of the bag as William looks at Tom.
William: You weren't there?
Tom, caught out: Something came up.
William: You've been ticking off the days.
Tom: Forgot I had a deadline. That proposal for Learning Media. But I'll be there for the next one. To Jess, trying to divert attention. I will so be there that you probably won't need to go. He sticks out his stomach. They can just scan me and my hysterical sympathetic pregnancy!
William feels humiliated in front of Maeve and Jess.
William, smiling thinly: Let's get you home before your waters burst.
Tom: Well, Mummy and Mummy — time for Daddy and Daddy to go.
William kisses Jess and Maeve.
William, covering: Five years! Frightening! I'll call Tomorrow for a full report on Scarlett's first day in our world-beating education system. He shoots a look at Tom. Come on, breeder.
William goes.
Tom, kissing Jess: Thank you so much for blowing my cover. Remind me to kill you.
He grabs the scan but Jess holds onto it.
Jess: Tom —
Tom: I want to gaze at it.
Jess: I thought I'd use it to start a book — like Maeve and I did for Scarlett and Eliza.
Tom: Honey, I've already started it.
Tom slips the scan from Jess's fingers, and kisses Maeve.
Ciao bella. Am I picking up Liza-with-a-z from kindy Tomorrow afternoon?
Maeve: I'm working there Tomorrow so — [you don't need to]
Tom: I'll see you there — and we can all go up to the school together. So exciting!
He follows William. Jess stands, lost. Maeve watches her.
Jess, covering: I suppose there's dishes for Africa. Toss you for them.
Maeve: You're not tossing me anywhere.
Jess: Wanna bet?
Jess grabs Maeve, trying to lift her up. They struggle, laughing, turn it into their version of rock 'n' roll dancing. Maeve picks her moment.
Maeve: You didn't tell Tom about the scan?
Jess doesn't reply.
Why?
Jess, breaking away: I feel like I should be doing something ...
Maeve: What about the next one? When Tom's right there beside you and they say 'Of course we told you last time it's a boy'?
Jess looks stricken, fear overtaking her — fear she's been holding back.
Hey ...
Maeve comes to her, leans her forehead against Jess's.
Jess: Cloud-pattern walls. Like being in mid-air. What's comforting about that?
Maeve: We knew there'd be a few strange days.
Jess: All that blue and white. It's cold!
Beat.
Maeve: It's real now. That's all. Not just an idea.
Jess shakes her head.
Forget the dishes. Into bed with a cup of tea.
Maeve heads for the door.
Jess: Could you do it, Maeve?
Maeve stops.
Could you do it if you were me?
Pause. Maeve feels the ground opening underneath her.
Maeve: Don't ask me that.
Jess: I tried to tell Tom. I knew how he'd be — grinning, lighting up like he does — running round texting everyone. 'It's a boy.'
Beat.
I wasn't expecting the scan to be ... It was so much clearer than any of Scarlett's. He moved. I saw his heart beating.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Cherish by Ken Duncum. Copyright © 2004 Ken Duncum. Excerpted by permission of Victoria University Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Half-title,Title Page,
First Performance,
Characters,
Acknowledgements,
Act One,
Scene 1: Jess and Maeve's house,
Scene 2: Jess's studio,
Scene 3: Café,
Scene 4: Jess and Maeve's house,
Scene 5: Jess's Studio,
Scene 6: William and Tom's house,
Scene 7: Jess and Maeve's house,
Act Two,
Scene 8: Maeve and Jess's flat,
Scene 9: William and Tom's house,
Scene 10: William's Office,
Scene 11: Maeve and Jess's flat,
Scene 12: Maeve and Jess's flat,
Scene 13: Café,
Scene 14: Maeve's flat,
By the Same Author,
Copyright,