Dead Souls And Mrs Morrys. (3)
End of Scene One. Act Two. Scene Two. An hour later. The room is lit only over the table where Rose and Constance sit facing each other. The rest of the room is dark. Rose: So you want to try to contact Reggie again, Miss Lye? Constance: Oh, yes, I must try to contact my Reggie again, Mrs Morrys. I’ve not slept properly since I was here last. Rose: I’ll see what I can do, Miss Lye. I can’t promise anything. These spirits don’t have to come if they are not inclined to do so. Some can be awkward buggers. I had one once who would not come and speak to his wife. Said he was too busy. Constance: I’m sure my Reggie will come. He wasn’t the type to refuse me anything. Good sort he was. Salt of the earth. Rose: Well, I’ll try. Can’t say fairer than that can I? Constance: It would pick me up no end if he were to speak to me again. (Pause.)We sort of left things in mid air. What with him dying and all that. (Pause. Lambert appears upper stage light opens on him gradually as he walks downstage to the table. Rose spots him, but says nothing.)Oh, Mrs Morrys where’s my Reggie? Rose: Don’t fret yourself, Miss Lye; I’ll try to get into the spirit of things. (Rose closes her eyes and gives the impression of going into a trance. Lambert stands behind Constance and looks at Rose.) Is there anybody there? Lambert: Only me, Rose. Rose: Is that you, Reggie? Lambert: No, it’s me, Lambert. Rose: I know that, Reggie. Lambert: Oh, right, of course, sorry. (Waves at Rose who doesn’t see him because her eyes are closed.)Reggie here. Rose: Reggie, your fiancé is here. Constance: My Reggie? Lambert: So what. What am I to do about it? Rose: Have you anything to say to her? Lambert: Sure, go back to the living. Constance: Reggie? Are you here, Reggie? I miss you Reggie. Rose: Your fiancée wants to ask you some questions, Reggie. Lambert: What is this? Am I to carry on with this charade? Rose: He’s very close, Miss Lye. Constance: Oh, Reggie, Reggie why did you have to die? Lambert: One look at you dame and it inevitable that it could only end in one way. Rose: Reggie, be constructive. Constance: Why, Reggie? You know I love you. Lambert: Rose, tell her to get herself another guy. Her Reggie’s not here. Tell her go get a life. Rose: Reggie, behave! Constance: What’s he saying? Lambert: Get a life, Miss Lye. Go get yourself another. Rose: I want you to be constructive. I want you to see thing from Miss Lye’s perspective. Not go on about you and what you think is best. Constance: What does Reggie think is best, Mrs Morrys? Rose: He says you should find another. Find another man in your life and forget him. Constance: What man in my life? I don’t have a man in my life. Only Reggie and he’s dead. Lambert: What is it with this dame? Does she want to waste her life on a dead guy? Rose: Reggie is adamant you should forget about him. Constance: Forget about whom? Rose: Reggie. (Opens her eyes and stares at Lambert.) Lambert: Hi, Rose. What bright eyes you have. Constance: Forget about my Reggie? I can’t. He’s my life. Rose: What about my eyes? Constance: What’s he saying, Mrs Morrys? Lambert: You’ve lovely eyes, Rose. Never noticed them before. Rose: Have I really? (Smiles.)Morris has never told me that. Constance: Told you what? What’s Reggie saying? Rose: That I’ve lovely eyes. Constance: What about my eyes, Reggie? What do you think of my eyes? Lambert: Why doesn’t Miss Lye go for a walk and breathe the fresh air. She’s still the nose to do it. Rose: Go for a walk, Reggie says. Constance: Walk? Walk? Lambert: Sure, Miss Lye, go for a long walk and find a guy who has a limited eyesight and stupid enough to find you beautiful. Rose: That’s not nice. Constance: What’s the matter with Reggie? He never used to be like this. Rose: The afterlife does things to people. Lambert: Sure does. Makes you realise how short life is. Until you’re dead, that is, then it opens up to an endless plain of possibilities. Constance: Oh, Reggie. I need you. I can’t live without you. Lambert: Well, you can’t live with him. Rose: Best relax a few moments, Miss Lye. Constance: I don’t want to relax. I want my Reggie to speak to me. Lambert: What a dame. If her Reggie were here he’d soon go again that’s for sure. Rose: Reggie says you must find another and forget about him. Constance: I don’t want to forget about him. Lambert: What about that Lyndon guy? He’d make her a good fiancée wouldn’t he? Rose: Lyndon? Lambert: Lyndon Smyth. The mummy’s boy? Rose Oh, him. Constance: Lyndon? Who is Lyndon? Rose: You don’t know him. Lambert: He’d be just right for her. She could mummy him. Rose: Lyndon Smyth. Yes, it’s a possibility. Constance: What’s a possibility? Lambert: You’ll have to get them together somehow. Rose: That’s possible I suppose. Constance: What’s possible, Mrs Morrys? I need to know what Reggie’s saying. (Rises up from the chair and stares at the crystal ball.)Reggie? Are you there? Rose: Please put down my crystal ball, Miss Lye, it’s been in my family for generations. Constance: Hello, Reggie. (Shakes the crystal ball.)Speak to me! Rose :( Stands up and takes the crystal ball back from Constance and puts it on the table.)He’s not in there. He’s here in this room. (Lambert stands beside Rose.)Quite near in fact. Constance: Where? (Pushes back her chair and flings her arms about her.)Am I warm? Rose: Miss Lye, this is not the behaviour I’m used to from grieving relatives. Constance: I want my Reggie! (Stamps her foot.)I want him now! Rose: Hush. (Puts her finger to her lips.)You’ll frighten him away at this rate Miss Lye. Constance: I want my Reggie. Lambert: Tell her about Lyndon Smyth. Rose: Reggie says you are fated to be with Lyndon Smyth. Constance: Lyndon who? Rose: Smyth. Constance: What does he mean I’m fated to be with this Lyndon Smyth? I don’t know any Lyndon Smyths. Never met one in my life. Lambert: Go on, Rose. Push it. Tell her more. Rose: It’s your fate to be with Mr Smyth. Constance: How do you know? Rose: Reggie says so. Constance: How’s he know who I’m supposed to be fated to be with? Rose: It’s written in your stars. Constance: Stars? Stars? What stars? Lambert: I feel sorry for Lyndon Smyth, now. Rose: It’s your horoscope. Written in the stars. Reggie has seen it. Constance: Seen it? Where? Rose: He sees many things where he is. Lambert: That’s true. Oh, so true. If only you knew. Constance: Where is he? Rose: In the spirit world.(Lambert walks away and goes upstage and disappears.) Constance: I thought you said he was here? Rose: He is at the moment, but usually he’s in the spirit world. Constance: Oh, my Reggie, trying to pass me on to someone else. Doesn’t he love me any more? Rose: Loves you as much as ever, but wants you to find a life with this Smyth fellow. Constance: Smyth fellow? Rose: Lyndon. Nice man. Single. Motherless. Constance: How do you know? Rose: Because he was here the other day. Constance: Was he? What was he doing here? Rose: Trying to contact his dead mother. Constance: How sad. Rose: Yes. Constance: Did he? Rose: Did he what? Constance: Contact his mother. Rose: Not successfully. He’s coming back to try again. Later today. Constance: Really? Rose: Yes. (Sits down.)Would you like to meet him? Constance: I don’t know. (Sits down.)Is he young? Rose: Yes. Thirty-two. Constance: Thirty-two? That’s quite young. Is he handsome? Rose: Very much so. I’d like him myself if I were younger and not married to Mr Morrys. Constance: Is he rich? Rose: Seems to be quite well off. Constance: Could it be love at first sight? Rose: If it’s fated to be so. Constance: Reggie says it is fated so it must be. Oh, my Reggie. How thoughtful he is. Oh, Reggie. (Sighs. Sobs.)Who am I to interfere with my fate? Let me meet him, Mrs Morrys. Rose: I shall arrange it, Miss Lye. Don’t you worry. (Looks at Lambert who shrugs his shoulders.)Reggie’s gone now. He’s says goodbye. Constance: Goodbye, Reggie. (Sighs and sobs softly.) Rose: I’ll show you to my lounge. You can wait there for a while. (Rose and Constance rise and walk upstage and leave by the door. Room fades to darkness.) End of Scene two. Act Two. Scene Three. Half an hour later. The table is lit up where Rose and Lyndon are sitting opposite each other. Lower stage right a spotlight is on Camelia standing by the window.) Rose: We will try to contact your mother, Mr Smyth if you will tell me her Christian name. Lyndon: Alyce. Her name was Alyce. Rose: Right. (Pause. Closes her eyes and gives the appearance of going into a trance.)I am calling on the name of Alyce Smyth. Her son, Lyndon is here. He wishes to speak with her. Camelia: If the woman has any sense, she’ll not show. Why can’t they leave their dead alone. Always trying to contact them, they are. I’ve been to many a séance. The dead souls wearily go along to pacify their bereaved ones. But all they want is to get on with their death. To do thing without the worry of cost or time or such. Rose: is there anybody there? Camelia: I’m over here Rose. By the window. Rose :( Opens her eyes for a few moments then closes them.)Is that you Mrs Smyth? Lyndon: Mother? Is that you Mother? (Sits up and looks around the room.) Camelia: Lambert told me about Miss Lye and Mother’s boy here. They deserve each other. Rose: Yes, he’s here, Mrs Smyth. Lyndon: Mother? It’s me, Lyndon. Lyndon your son. Camelia: How many Lyndon’s did she know? Rose: Yes, of course, I’ll tell him. Lyndon: Tel me what, Mrs Morrys, tell me what? Camelia: Tell the man to grow up and get on with his life. Rose: She says you must get on with your life. Lyndon: Get on with my life? What does she mean? Rose: She wants you to marry. Lyndon: Marry? Marry? My mother wants me to marry? Rose: Yes. A nice girl. Camelia: Poor Miss Lye. What a fate that is. Lyndon: I don’t know any nice girls. Rose: Your mother says she’s seen your future. Lyndon: My future? Mother? What have you seen that has persuaded you to tell me to marry? You never wanted me to marry while you were alive. Why now? Camelia: The old biddy wanted him to herself while she was alive, now she’s dead she’s too busy living it up amongst the dead souls to worry about him. Tell him about Miss Lye, Rose. Put the poor man out of his misery. Rose: Your mother says it’s time for you to marry now. She says she’s seen the woman you must marry. Lyndon: Seen her? Is she dead then? Rose: No, seen her here in this life. Lyndon: Who? Where? Rose: A woman called Constance Lye. Lyndon: Lye? Constance Lye? I don’t know any Constance Lyes. How can I marry a woman I don’t know? Rose: Your mother says she the one for you. Lyndon: Really, Mother? The one for me? You always said that I was not the marrying sort. That I was doomed to be a bachelor. What’s changed? Rose:(Opens her eyes suddenly and stares at Lyndon.)Your mother says she was mistaken. You are the marrying kind. Lyndon: I am? Camelia: Not very confident is he. It’s a wonder he ever went to the bathroom by himself. Rose: Yes. Constance Lye. She’s the one she says. Lyndon: How am I going to find this Constance Lye? Rose: I know her. Lyndon: You do? Rose: Yes. She was here earlier. Lyndon: Was she? What was she doing here? Rose: Trying to contact her late fiancé. Lyndon: Late fiancé? How sad. Rose; Yes, very sad. Lyndon: And did she contact him? Rose: Yes. He told her to find someone else. Lyndon: How kind of him. Rose; Yes. Lyndon: How would I find this Miss Lye? Rose: I can arrange that if you want to meet her. Lyndon: Could you? But, how do I know she’ll want me after her fiancé died? She might not want anyone else after that. Rose: She told me she’d want to meet another man. Lyndon: Did she? Rose: Yes. Camelia: You’re a poor medium, Rose, but a damned good liar. Rose: Thank you. Lyndon: Thank you? Rose: Mother says I’m doing well. Lyndon: Did she? Rose: Yes. Says I’m a good medium. Camelia: I rest my case. Lyndon: Mother has changed. She never ever praised anyone while she was alive. Everyone was in the wrong except her. Well, then of course. Not now. Not now, Mother. Rose: Would you like to meet this Miss Lye? Lyndon: I don’t know if I’m ready yet for marriage. What if she doesn’t like me? Rose: Your mother says she will. Lyndon: Will she? Rose: Yes. Very much so. Be over the moon about you. Lyndon: Really? Rose: Yes. Lyndon: I’m shy. Rose: She likes shy men. Lyndon: I’ve never…You know never… Rose: Nor has she. Total virgin. Camelia: There's a thought. Lyndon: Oh, I don’t know. Mother? Are you still there, Mother? Rose: She says she’s still here. Lyndon: Should I really marry this Miss Lye, Mother? Rose: Yes, she says. Lyndon: Really? Rose: Yes. Lyndon: Even if I have to…You know…I’m very shy. Rose: Your mother says you’ll cope. Lyndon: What about your tombstone? Rose: My what? Lyndon: Not yours, Mothers. Rose: Mother’s what? Lyndon: Tombstone. Rose: What about it? Lyndon: What am I to put on it? Camelia: What about: Goodbye for now? Rose: I’ll ask her. Lyndon: Hard to know what to put. Camelia: Or what about: I’ll be seeing you? Rose: Just put rest in peace she says. Lyndon: Is that all? Rose: Yes. Just that. Plain and simple. Lyndon: Well if that’s what she wants. Rose: That’s what she says. Lyndon: Rest in peace? Rose: Rest in peace. Lyndon: Nothing more? Rose: Nothing more. Lyndon: Just that? Rose: Just that. Lyndon: And I’m to marry? Rose: Yes. You’re to marry. Lyndon: God. Mother dead and I’m to marry. And just rest in peace on her tombstone. Camelia: Strange isn’t it? The way some minds work. Rest in peace. Raving it up more like. Having a good time and enjoying it. Rose: Would she be? Camelia: Possibly. Some do. Nothing sinful you understand. Just enjoying the things that one should. Without the worry of time and expense. Rose: Oh, what a thing to wonder at. Life after death. Lyndon: Mother? Are you still here Mother? Rose: No. She’s gone away. Had important things to do. Sends her love. Lyndon: Sends her love? Rose: Yes. Lyndon: Oh, my God. Mother actually said the word: Love. Rose: Yes. Strange things happen in the spirit world. Lyndon: And where is this Miss Lye? Camelia: That’s it, Rose, put the boy out of his misery. (Camelia walks off upstage and disappears.) Rose: I’ll arrange for you to meet. Lyndon: What now? Rose: Yes, if you want to meet her. Lyndon: What’s she like? Rose: You’ll love her. Lyndon: Will I? Rose: Oh, yes. Lyndon: What about…You know? Rose: It will be all right. Lyndon: Are you sure? Rose: Yes, all will be all right on the night. Lyndon: Well. Here goes. (He rises up and stares around the room.)Nothing to lose. Rose: Nothing except…You know what. (Rises and takes Lyndon by the hand up stage.) Lyndon: Oh, Mother, what ever shall I do? Rose: All will be fine, Mr Smyth. All will be well. (They both leave by the door. Silence.) End of Scene Three. Act Two. Scene Four. A week later. Late morning. The room is bright and Rose is sitting at the table alone. Rose: Is there anybody there? (Pause.)Is there anybody out there? (Pause.) Anyone? Any soul alive or dead? (Pause. Sighs.)Nothing. Not a word. Not a whisper. Not a bang not a thing or anything for a week now. (Pause. Sighs.)Where have all the spirits gone? Hello. Is there anyone listening? Anyone want to listen? Anyone care to listen? (Pause.)Hello. Camelia? Lambert? (Pause. Camelia and Lambert enter upstage and wander slowly downstage towards Rose.)Hello, Mrs Smyth? Reggie? Anyone? (Pause. Closes her eyes.)Napoleon? Florence Nightingale? Lambert: Hello, Rose. Camelia: Hello, Rose. Rose :( Opens her eyes and sees camellia and Lambert standing opposite her.)Where is everybody? Not a word from a single spirit all week. Have I been sent to Coventry? Camelia: You’ve been sent nowhere, Rose. You’re just not convincing enough for a medium. The dead souls aren’t sure of you. They think you’re a fraud. Rose: A fraud? Me? Lambert: Yes, you, Rose. For years, you’ve been faking things. The dead souls know. They don’t trust you. Rose: I’ve changed. I can really contact the dead, now. Lambert: Only us. Camelia: No one else has been near you. Rose: But don’t you count? Camelia: We came of our own account. To see the house. To remind ourselves of our Wartime romance. Lambert: And you just happen to see us and hear us. It doesn’t count, Rose. It just isn’t what being a medium’s about. You’ve got it all wrong. It’s not a business. It’s not a skill. It’s gift, which you have for years abused and exploited. Rose: You mean I’m being ignored by the spirit world? Camelia: Sort of. They just don’t think you’re genuine. Lambert: They don’t trust you, Rose. That’s the bottom line. Rose: But I can hear and see you two. Why not others? Camelia: Spirits don’t have to contact you or relate to you. They can just give you a wide berth. Lambert: Keep out of your sight. Rose: Oh, no, surely not. I want to be genuine. I want to help people contact their loved ones who have passed over. I want to be the real thing, not a fraud. Lambert: You are going to have to prove that to the spirit world, not us. Rose: How? Camelia: They’ll be watching you. Listening to you. Judging you. In their time, they might decide you’re genuine and contact you. Until then, Rose, you’ll have to make a living out of something else. Lambert: No more pretending you can contact the dead. Camelia: No more pretending you can read people’s palms or tealeaves. Lambert: No more reading people’s bumps. Camelia: No more tarot cards or trances. Lambert: No more faking séances. Camelia: No more talking to pretend spirits with your husband’s help. Lambert: Understand, Rose? Rose :( Rose looks at them both and nods.)What am I to do? I have no other skills. Lambert: A landlady? This is a big house. You can be a landlady. Camelia: Yes. You’re near the sea. A guesthouse would be just right. Lambert: And we could be your resident ghosts. Rose: Ghosts? Lambert: Dead souls. Rose: I suppose it might work. Camelia: Of course it will. You have the house and the money to start you up. Lambert: And we’re on hand to give advice and such. Rose: You’ll be here? Camelia: Now and again. Lambert: Sure, Rose, just give us a call. We’ll help where we can. Rose: It might work. I can see it might work. Camelia: Just give it a try, Rose. You’ve nothing to lose. Lambert: And how did Lyndon and Constance get on? Rose: Very well. Like a house on fire. They’ve been out together everyday this last week. I saw them last night on the pier hand in hand and kissing. Camelia: Yuk. Lambert: There you are. All’s well that ends well, so they say. Rose: Yes. All’s well that ends well. But you will be here won’t you? Camelia: We’ll be around. Looking the old place up. Thinking about our youth and romance. Lambert: Remembering our days here in this house in 1944. Rose: Has it changed? Camelia: Not much. Mostly it’s the same. This room is where we danced and listened to music. Lambert: And your bedroom was where we made love. Camelia: Lambert! Rose: How romantic. To think you were here back then. Lambert: Yes. The last time we saw each other alive was here in this room. Camelia: Yes. It was here we stood and kissed each other goodbye. Lambert: Yes. It was. Right here. Rose: You’re always welcome to come anytime. This is your home too as far as I’m concerned. Lambert: Thanks, Rose. Camelia: Yes, thanks, Rose. We’ll remember that. Lambert: And put a good word in for you in the spirit world. Camelia: Give you a good reference to the dead souls. Rose: Thank you. Thank you, both. Camelia: And call us if you need us. Lambert: We’ll come and help. Just say the word. Rose: I will. (Pause. Watches as Camelia and Lambert move upstage slowly and disappear.) Goodbye, Lambert. Goodbye, Camelia. (She sits looking around the room. Slowly the room fades to darkness. Silence.) End of Act two and Scene Four.
Copyright © 2005 Terry Collett |