Sabbath.
DODGE: Well, they don't! Not here anyway. The boondocks.
HALIE'S VOICE: Good. I'm amazed they still have that kind of legislation. Some semblance of morality. That's amazing.
DODGE: Yeah, it's amazing.
HALIE'S VOICE: What?
DODGE:
(Louder.)
It
is
amazing!
HALIE'S VOICE: It is. It truly is. I would've thought these days they'd be racing on Christmas even. A big flashing Christmas tree right down at the finish line.
DODGE:
(Shakes his head.)
No. Not yet.
HALIE'S VOICE: They used to race on New Year's! I remember that.
DODGE: They never raced on New Year's!
HALIE'S VOICE: Sometimes they did.
DODGE: They never did!
HALIE'S VOICE: Before we were married they did!
DODGE: “Before we were married.” (DODGE
waves his hand in disgust at the staircase. Leans back in sofa. Stares at TV)
HALIE'S VOICE: I went once. With a man. On New Year's.
DODGE:
(Mimicking her.)
Oh, a “man.”
HALIE'S VOICE: What?
DODGE: Nothing!
HALIE'S VOICE: A wonderful man. A breeder.
DODGE: A what?
HALIE'S VOICE: A breeder! A horse breeder! Thoroughbreds.
DODGE: Oh, thoroughbreds. Wonderful. You betcha. A breeder-man.
HALIE'S VOICE: That's right. He knew everything there was to know.
DODGE: I bet he taught you a thing or two, huh? Gave you a good turn around the old stable!
HALIE'S VOICE: Knew everything there was to know about horses. We won bookoos of money that day.
DODGE: What?
HALIE'S VOICE: Money! We won every race I think.
DODGE: Bookoos?
HALIE'S VOICE: Every single race.
DODGE: Bookoos of money?
HALIE'S VOICE: It was one of those kind of days.
DODGE: New Year's!
HALIE'S VOICE: Yes! It might've been Florida. Or California! One of those two.
DODGE: Can I take my pick?
HALIE'S VOICE: It was Florida!
DODGE: Aha!
HALIE'S VOICE: Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! The sun was just gleaming. Flamingos. Bougainvilleas. Palm trees.
DODGE:
(To
HIMSELF, MIMICKING HER.) Flamingos. Bougainvilleas.
HALIE'S VOICE: Everything was dancing with life! Colors. There were all kinds of people from everywhere. Everyone was dressed to the nines. Not like today. Not like they dress today. People had a sense of style.
DODGE: When was this anyway?
HALIE'S VOICE: This was long before I knew you.
DODGE: Must've been.
HALIE'S VOICE: Long before. I was escorted.
DODGE : To Florida?
HALIE'S VOICE: Yes. Or it might've been California. I’m not sure which.
DODGE: All that way you were escorted?
HALIE'S VOICE: Yes.
DODGE: And he never laid a finger on you, I suppose? This gentleman breeder-man.
(Long silence.)
Halie? Are we still in the land of the living?
(No answer. Long pause.)
HALIE'S VOICE: Are you going out today?
DODGE:
(Gesturing toward rain.)
In this?
HALIE'S VOICE: I'm just asking a simple question.
DODGE: I rarely go out in the bright sunshine, why would I go out in this?
HALIE'S VOICE: I'm just asking because I'm not doing any shopping today. And if you need anything you should ask Tilden.
DODGE: Tilden's not here!
HALIE'S VOICE: He's in the kitchen, (DODGE
looks toward left, then back toward the TV).
DODGE: All right.
HALIE'S VOICE: What?
DODGE:
(Louder.)
All right! I'll ask Tilden!
HALIE'S VOICE: Don't scream. It'll only get your coughing started.
DODGE: Scream? Men don't scream.
HALIE'S VOICE: Just tell Tilden what you want and he'll get it.
(Pause.)
Bradley should be over later.
DODGE: Bradley?
HALIE'S VOICE: Yes. To cut your hair.
DODGE: My hair? I don't need my hair cut! I haven't hardly got any hair left!
HALIE'S VOICE: It won't hurt!
DODGE: I don't need it!
HALIE'S VOICE: It's been more than two weeks, Dodge.
DODGE: I don't need it! And I never did need it!
HALIE'S VOICE: I have to meet Father Dewis for lunch.
DODGE : You tell Bradley that if he shows up here with those clippers, I'll separate him from his manhood!
HALIE'S VOICE: I won't be very late. No later than four at the very latest.
DODGE : You tell him! Last time he left me near bald! And I wasn't even awake!
HALIE'S VOICE:
DODGE: Well, they don't! Not here anyway. The boondocks.
HALIE'S VOICE: Good. I'm amazed they still have that kind of legislation. Some semblance of morality. That's amazing.
DODGE: Yeah, it's amazing.
HALIE'S VOICE: What?
DODGE:
(Louder.)
It
is
amazing!
HALIE'S VOICE: It is. It truly is. I would've thought these days they'd be racing on Christmas even. A big flashing Christmas tree right down at the finish line.
DODGE:
(Shakes his head.)
No. Not yet.
HALIE'S VOICE: They used to race on New Year's! I remember that.
DODGE: They never raced on New Year's!
HALIE'S VOICE: Sometimes they did.
DODGE: They never did!
HALIE'S VOICE: Before we were married they did!
DODGE: “Before we were married.” (DODGE
waves his hand in disgust at the staircase. Leans back in sofa. Stares at TV)
HALIE'S VOICE: I went once. With a man. On New Year's.
DODGE:
(Mimicking her.)
Oh, a “man.”
HALIE'S VOICE: What?
DODGE: Nothing!
HALIE'S VOICE: A wonderful man. A breeder.
DODGE: A what?
HALIE'S VOICE: A breeder! A horse breeder! Thoroughbreds.
DODGE: Oh, thoroughbreds. Wonderful. You betcha. A breeder-man.
HALIE'S VOICE: That's right. He knew everything there was to know.
DODGE: I bet he taught you a thing or two, huh? Gave you a good turn around the old stable!
HALIE'S VOICE: Knew everything there was to know about horses. We won bookoos of money that day.
DODGE: What?
HALIE'S VOICE: Money! We won every race I think.
DODGE: Bookoos?
HALIE'S VOICE: Every single race.
DODGE: Bookoos of money?
HALIE'S VOICE: It was one of those kind of days.
DODGE: New Year's!
HALIE'S VOICE: Yes! It might've been Florida. Or California! One of those two.
DODGE: Can I take my pick?
HALIE'S VOICE: It was Florida!
DODGE: Aha!
HALIE'S VOICE: Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! The sun was just gleaming. Flamingos. Bougainvilleas. Palm trees.
DODGE:
(To
HIMSELF, MIMICKING HER.) Flamingos. Bougainvilleas.
HALIE'S VOICE: Everything was dancing with life! Colors. There were all kinds of people from everywhere. Everyone was dressed to the nines. Not like today. Not like they dress today. People had a sense of style.
DODGE: When was this anyway?
HALIE'S VOICE: This was long before I knew you.
DODGE: Must've been.
HALIE'S VOICE: Long before. I was escorted.
DODGE : To Florida?
HALIE'S VOICE: Yes. Or it might've been California. I’m not sure which.
DODGE: All that way you were escorted?
HALIE'S VOICE: Yes.
DODGE: And he never laid a finger on you, I suppose? This gentleman breeder-man.
(Long silence.)
Halie? Are we still in the land of the living?
(No answer. Long pause.)
HALIE'S VOICE: Are you going out today?
DODGE:
(Gesturing toward rain.)
In this?
HALIE'S VOICE: I'm just asking a simple question.
DODGE: I rarely go out in the bright sunshine, why would I go out in this?
HALIE'S VOICE: I'm just asking because I'm not doing any shopping today. And if you need anything you should ask Tilden.
DODGE: Tilden's not here!
HALIE'S VOICE: He's in the kitchen, (DODGE
looks toward left, then back toward the TV).
DODGE: All right.
HALIE'S VOICE: What?
DODGE:
(Louder.)
All right! I'll ask Tilden!
HALIE'S VOICE: Don't scream. It'll only get your coughing started.
DODGE: Scream? Men don't scream.
HALIE'S VOICE: Just tell Tilden what you want and he'll get it.
(Pause.)
Bradley should be over later.
DODGE: Bradley?
HALIE'S VOICE: Yes. To cut your hair.
DODGE: My hair? I don't need my hair cut! I haven't hardly got any hair left!
HALIE'S VOICE: It won't hurt!
DODGE: I don't need it!
HALIE'S VOICE: It's been more than two weeks, Dodge.
DODGE: I don't need it! And I never did need it!
HALIE'S VOICE: I have to meet Father Dewis for lunch.
DODGE : You tell Bradley that if he shows up here with those clippers, I'll separate him from his manhood!
HALIE'S VOICE: I won't be very late. No later than four at the very latest.
DODGE : You tell him! Last time he left me near bald! And I wasn't even awake!
HALIE'S VOICE:
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