scene i: the kingdom Elm trees. Deep in the woods a house. BEN, a ranger in full gear. Walks on dead leaves. She sits on the porch. She lights a cigarette. BEN I live in the Kingdom of Ghosts. I used to live here. I used to live in this house. In that room (a light goes on in the window behind her) I used to sit on this porch. . here is a place called Piedmont. Here. Is a copse of trees. They told us. When I was younger they told us. No elms could grow here. They all got sick and died and now no elms could grow. But here they are. All around us. Elms. And I wonder. Are they really here? Am I really here? But I can’t remember any more. I can’t remember if there were trees around my house. (the light in the window flickers) a child grows up and goes to war. I have said: I know how we go to war and I have said: Now I want to learn what it means to come home. I’ve said over and over and over again I’ve said-‐ -‐ and I’ve heard the people I love the most asking how? I don’t know. Even though you come from a small town the sky still it stretches out out and over your head (it does) I can’t count how many stars (the Perseids streak) the Perseids (she says with longing) August. August and the living is. . Harder if you live in the Kingdom of Ghosts. The house wakes up. Lights in every window. A baby begins to cry In the kitchen a gas stove is lit and a pan clatters onto the range.
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2 BEN
This time we begin in the dark. The house unfolds itself and the baby cries and JONAH Holds the pot to the flame and stifles a yawn with his other hand then finds the rag that lives on his shoulder now and Uses it to wipe the baby’s face, he bounces The baby and as he does He sings a little song about the milk JONAH Baby drinks the milk that warms inside we’re safe from all the storms and Sleep lives close I don’t know where but Here we’ll pluck it from the air (he does) and test the milk (he does) and rock the baby who’ll dream and wake to greet the day, be calm my little castaway in here you’re loved and not a stray. The baby’s fussing soothes as the milk is poured into a bottle poured into his stomach JONAH is so tired. BEN peers into the window. Maybe she lights another cigarette maybe she Reaches as best she can through the glass to - Breath escapes her. BEN I think I’ve left my soul I. In little pieces everywhere I-‐ I can feel the earth part of me burning away. But I can’t go anywhere I can’t Until I get it back. JONAH Hits the spot, huh? BEN (she holds her hand to her heart) I’m in love. The timing is. Not great.
3 JONAH
(he gets a chill, the back of his neck) too early for the chill of fall-‐
BEN -‐but soft soft soft we walk inside our kingdoms-‐ JONAH -‐let’s sit outside-‐ the old door creaks the porch beneath it BEN -‐and reach and reach and reach (she does)-‐ JONAH -‐oh. The Perseids, I forgot-‐ BEN -‐we love so deeply-‐ JONAH -‐let’s watch the sky-‐ BEN -‐we can’t forget-‐ JONAH -‐(a chill again) my neck, I. . Ben? BEN Or be forgotten. JONAH thinks he knows. JONAH Ben? If you’re here then. Let me know? Do something to. To let me know-‐ The Perseids are bright and JONAH
Oh. Ben.
Sleep.
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BEN reaches out to smooth the baby’s hair and BEN JONAH
-‐oh. Samir. Asleep at last. / -‐oh. Samir. Won’t you please please sleep? BEN (crouching beside JONAH, stroking SAMIR’s hair) “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night Sailed off in a wooden shoe,— Sailed on a river of crystal light Into a sea of dew. "Where are you going, and what do you wish?" The old moon asked the three. "We have come to fish for the herring-‐fish That live in this beautiful sea; Nets of silver and gold have we," Said Wynken, Blynken, And Nod-‐” (SAMIR is nodding off) from the darkness a sound. BEN is alert. JONAH with the baby stands. JONAH (a small soft father voice) hello? From somewhere the sound of waves the whale is singing The soft fall of footsteps on leaves EMILY enters and JONAH Breathless. EMILY is holding a mask to her face. She’s wearing scrubs. Holding a small bag. JONAH Hey-‐ EMILY -‐is he sleeping?
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. it’s three am.
JONAH
EMILY Right. Of course. JONAH Are you ok? EMILY (a noise that means no but how to say it. of the mask) do I need to? JONAH No. I mean. No. it’s fine. Em I haven’t, we haven’t, it’s been /a year and suddenly you show up with everything happening do you have any idea-‐ EMILY /look at you you’re a dad you’re like a real. Father and. Is this? covered in spit and you-‐ JONAH -‐what are you doing here? EMILY You warm the milk yourself now and-‐ JONAH -‐emily-‐ EMILY -‐I had no idea. I heard you were living out here but I had no idea. JONAH Bud still had the title. EMILY He’s-‐ JONAH -‐he has a trailer near the water he’s home he drinks all day and When a gator swims by
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He tips his cap. He’s fine. He’s been training for something like this his whole life. EMILY All those years of living over that garage and using snaps and he still had-‐ JONAH -‐it was a wreck when we came out here I mean technically it belongs to Ben? I guess but. Emily? You didn’t come out here after a year to ask me about the deed to this house. EMILY No. I didn’t I guess. JONAH What’s wrong? Did you come from the hospital (he backs up) I’m sorry-‐ EMILY -‐this is destroying me. We can’t think of one another’s bodies as instruments of death. JONAH It’s just. Reflex. BEN reaches out. She brushes EMILY’s hair. The chills again and EMILY Can I stay here? Just for a little while and I know. I said. I said all those /awful-‐ JONAH /-‐yes. I mean. Of course you can. Yes. EMILY Oh. Just like that? What about-‐ JONAH
-‐oh just like that. I’m not worried about. Maybe I should be but-‐
EMILY -‐I’m not either. It feels like. I feel. Like someone’s watching out for us. BEN But don’t be stupid about it. JONAH Me too. EMILY Jonah-‐ The waves crash And JONAH he can’t get enough of EMILY and BEN She’s just so in love and JONAH You want to hold the baby? EMILY More than anything. Gentle until something in BEN cracks BEN I want to hold the baby. For a moment the stars the sky the woods They go to darkness then again The waves Less gently With more insistence BEN I want to hold the baby. SAMIR begins to cry EMILY Oh! I’m so sorry-‐ JONAH
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-‐it’s ok he’s just used to me-‐
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EMILY
-‐here-‐ BEN -‐it’s not fair-‐ something enters with the darkness like fish like snow and it’s everywhere BEN watches it Until it’s gone. BEN -‐I don’t belong here any more. JONAH The couch pulls out. There’s dinner if the fridge if you’re-‐ EMILY -‐no, it’s ok I just-‐ JONAH -‐just? Soothing sounds the baby falls asleep again and EMILY Jonah it’s been awful. JONAH -‐brendan? EMILY Everything. The hospital. It’s a mess. Brendan and I are both working all the time and fighting when we’re not. Everyone is so tired and afraid and I’m so tired and afraid Jonah-‐ JONAH -‐i know-‐ EMILY -‐I need a break from everything-‐ JONAH
-‐does that happen here?
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EMILY
I don’t know. BEN (she understands) Jonah. JONAH Emily? EMILY
It’s only It hasn’t even been a year since we. Since we lost our-‐ But. And you and. JONAH Samir. EMILY Samir. He’s still so small. It’s like he hasn’t grown or aged at all. JONAH can’t stay still but still with the baby gentle but angry and BEN Electric BEN It’s like I haven’t grown or aged at all. EMILY -‐I don’t know if it’s working. At home. I just. I needed to see you-‐ JONAH -‐did something happen-‐ EMILY -‐just tonight. Ok? Just a break. And then tomorrow we can-‐ BEN /-‐Emily. JONAH /-‐the couch pulls out.
10 EMILY
Jonah? Yeah? I wish Ben were here-‐ /-‐I am-‐ /-‐I know. She’s good in a crisis. /She’s so good with babies-‐ . It’s so quiet. Out here. Yeah.
JONAH EMILY BEN JONAH EMILY
JONAH EMILY
What kind of trees are-‐ JONAH -‐elms. BEN They’re real. JONAH They’re young. I planted a bunch but. I wanted there to be trees for. I think it’s important to grow up with. With trees. EMILY You planted these? JONAH Yes. End of sample.