OUR DAUGHTERS LIKE PILLARS (excerpt) by Kirsten Greenidge

Excerpt from the middle of the First Act of Our Daughters, Like Pillars by Kirsten Greenidge

In the yard, the trees rustle.

The telephone rings.

LAVINIA begins snapping beans.

She works swiftly, quietly, but with a heaviness.

Rustling.

LAVINIA stops.

Rustling.

LAVINIA looks further into the yard.

The rustling stops.

LAVINIA takes a step towards where we have seen MISSY go.

Rustle.

Rustle.

LAVINIA takes a step further.

In the patio door we see ZELDA.

She waits.

She watches LAVINIA.

Behind her appears OCTAVIA.

OCTAVIA urges ZELDA to continue out the door.

ZELDA mimes “wait”.

OCTAVIA mimes “go”.

PAUL (from seemingly nowhere):

Dinner sure smells good—

LAVNINA yells in surprise.

ZELDA opens the door.

Click. Sliiiiide.

ZELDA: Hey. Hey, hey, hey.

OCTAVIA: Zelda.

The rustling has stopped.

OCTAVIA: Sure does, sure does smell real good, Vinnie. Zelda, doesn’t dinner—

Another rustle.

LAVINIA stops. Holds up a finger.

LAVINIA Shhh.

ZELDA: What.

OCTAVIA: We thought—. Zel and I, would love to help.

ZELDA: Sure would. Paul. Um. Too.

Rustle.

LAVINIA holds her finger up higher.

LAVINIA Sh. Sh. Sh.

OCTAVIA: Vinnie.

LAVINIA shakes it off.

LAVINIA: Never mind. I came out here because it’s so peaceful.

She holds up a bean.

I came out here to take it all in. I am really feeling so settled.

OCTAVIA: That’s nice, isn’t that—

Rustle.

LAVINIA looks in the direction of the trees and brush.

LAVINIA: But I just thought I. Heard.

ALL look at LAVINIA.

LAVINIA looks at “ALL”.

OCTAVIA: Bigfoot.

LAVINIA: Really, Octavia.

OCTAVIA: Tell me I’m wrong.

PAUL: If he’s anywhere, he’s here.

PAUL looks out and over the yard, a bit as if he is an action movie.

ZELDA: Jesus.

OCTAVIA: Yes, yes.

PAUL: I am so right on this babe.

ZELDA: Uhhhhh.

PAUL: Bigfoot, man.

LAVINIA: It. Was not. Big. Foot.

ZELDA smirks.

ZELDA: Look at her. Look at Vinnie.

LAVINIA: Look at what?

ZELDA: She believes.

OCTAVIA: Look at her. Look at her.

ZELDA: She believes, you two.

LAVINIA: Look at what?

OCTAVIA: Look at her. Look at her.

LAVINIA: This is ridiculous. You are ridicu—

The sound of a branch breaking, off.

ALL scream.

OCTAVIA: Who’s ridiculous? Who’s ridiculous?

LAVINIA: Stop it. Now, really.

OCTAVIA (In a whisper): Biiiig foooot.

ZELDA: Don’t say that.

PAUL: Big foot. Phshhh. Could be a lonely man in a furry rental suit. What really gives me the jeebies is that loch ness.

All look at PAUL.

PAUL: Loch Ness Monster?

ZELDA: We heard you, Paul.

PAUL: But that is not a dude in a rental suit. What dude can keep holding his breath that long? There is not one dude that can chill in the water that long. Loch ness is the realness. No way I’m swimming alone out there. No way.

Beat.

No one moves.

OCTAVIA finally smiles at PAUL.

OCTAVIA: Thank you, Paul.

ZELDA looks at LAVINIA.

ZELDA: …Let me see those beans, Vin.

ZELDA goes to the bowl of beans, begins sorting them, but not snapping them.

LAVINIA waits, then paces the porch.

OCTAVIA sits.

As she sits:

OCTAVIA: Togetherness. Vinnie. You are right. You are so right. Coming up here. It’s perfect.

ZELDA and LAVINIA work.

PAUL stands awkwardly.

OCTAVIA: Really, I think to myself. I think: this is a way for us to all, an opportunity for us all, to be closer.

LAVINIA notices ZELDA’s work.

OCTAVIA: Reconnect.

LAVINIA: Reconnect.

OCTAVIA looks at LAVINIA.

OCTAVIA: Yes. Yes, like—

LAVINIA goes to the bowl of beans.

OCTAVIA: Like, stay up all night like when were little kids. Share our, share what we—

LAVINIA begins to redo ZELDA’s work.

OCTAVIA: Share our, share things we—

ZELDA, OCTAVIA, and PAUL notice LAVINIA redoing ZELDA’s work.

ZELDA halts.

ZELDA: Uhhhh, what are you, what you are doing?

LAVINIA: Mm?

ZELDA:

What are you--?

OCTAVIA: When I eat green beans I can really eat them either way—

ZELDA: You are snapping my beans.

LAVINIA: Yes, that is the task. To snap the beans.

ZELDA: The trend now. The custom—

LAVINIA: Tuh.

ZELDA: Is to leave them—

LAVINIA: This is the way we—

ZELDA: Fine, you do them.

LAVINIA: No, no, no, you do them any way you—

ZELDA: I did. I did them any way I wanted and you came up right after me and—

OCTAVIA: I really enjoy them either way.

ZELDA: You lose half the vegetable ripping it to shreds and tossing it away like that.

LAVINIA: This is the way I do it. This is the way mumma did it.

ZELDA: No. no. Ask her. Go in and ask her. Mumma would not waste half a green bean by chucking it in the garbage. Ask her.

LAVINIA: Compost. There is a compost.

ZELDA: Did you pay extra for that? Is that an included amenity I should enjoy?

OCTAVIA: Zel.

ZELDA: Should I take my dessert in there before I retire for the evening in my closet?

PAUL: I’m cool to knock-out wheverevs, just so you know. It’s all good—

LAVINIA (To ZELDA): What? What you are you talking about?

ZELDA: Our room is a closet.

LAVINIA: I believe the term is quarter-den.

OCTAVIA: Vinnie.

ZELDA: Really, I have my own house, if I need.

OCTAVIA: Which you do not.

LAVINIA: We have been over this. Morris and I planned—

ZELDA: Well Paul and I have also planned.

LAVINIA and OCTAVIA look at PAUL.

PAUL gulps.

LAVINIA: Honestly, Zelda, that thing is. If you think about it, that thing is offensive on the grandest of scales.

ZELDA: Offensive.

OCTAVIA: The important thing is we are all together.

LAVINIA: Offensive.

ZELDA: Paul and I do. We have plans. Up the shore. Then maybe West. Route 66, like the song.

LAVINIA: “Route 66. Like the song.”

LAVINIA looks at PAUL.

ZELDA: Maybe this is just a pit stop.

LAVINIA: What kind of life is, life is…well I just do not.

ZELDA: So quarter den, one eighth den, no den: it’s all fine to me. To us. Right babe?

PAUL smiles at LAVINIA.

ALL watch for a response from LAVINIA. But LAVINIA returns to her work.

Then.

LAVINIA: “It’s all good”. It‘s all. A little. Rootless. People need other people. What do you think about that, Paul?

PAUL looks to ZELDA.

LAVINIA: Together. That is what is important. About the week, about being here. The way I think about it, feel about it, is we do so much better together, all people do. Yes? It’s when we are apart that things deteriorate.

ZELDA: Deteriorate.

LAVINIA: Mmmm.

ZELDA: Uh-huh.

LAVINIA: Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Together is. Well. The way I Ithink about it, we all do better, much better, when all of us, the entire family is all together. We hold each other up.

ZELDA: Uhhhhhhhhh—

ZELDA holds up a finger, about to counter point…

LAVINIA: We do.

OCTAVIA: See. See, see. There is so much to say, to share. I bought wine. Let’s pour it—

LAVINIA: Wine?

OCTAVIA: Just a little.

ZELDA: “Together”. You won’t even do these beans the way I say.

LAVINIA: No wine.

OCTAVIA: I won’t tell if you don’t.

LAVINIA: No wine. Do we have to watch you like a hawk? And together. Yes.

ZELDA: Lavinia.

LAVINIA: The beans are mumma’s way, not mine. I am not making anything up here, it is the way things are done.

OCTAVIA: Which. Which do you prefer, Paul, you’re the guest.

LAVINIA: Honestly, all of you, what would you all do without me?

ZELDA: Breathe.