The Shoe Box (2) (A CUSTOMER enters the store.) Mrs. TAYLOR Dears, you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve got another customer. Come again soon, Wendy and bring another shoe box! (WENDY and CHARLENE step outside the store.) CHARLENE Wendy, bring another shoe box! Oh, man. WENDY Charlene, why do you hate my little shoe box so much? CHARLENE Dreams is why. WENDY Everyone has dreams. I have dreams. I have a dream of one day living in a nice home, with pretty windows and curtains and. CHARLENE Stop! WENDY And nice chairs to sit in at the end of the day. CHARLENE I said shut up! WENDY 33. And nice pictures on the wall. CHARLENE That’s it. (CHARLENE snatches the shoe box and begins to tear it apart. SAMMY suddenly appears holding a balloon. He grabs the shoe box away from CHARLENE and pushes her. She lands in the mud.) CHARLENE You pushed me down in the mud, you idiot! WENDY I even saw you steal a lipstick from nice Mrs. Taylor! What has gotten in to you Charlene. CHARLENE I am saying it now, to you Wendy and you you simpleton, Sammy. I hate you all. I hate this town. I hate the people here. Every one of them. I wish you all bad luck of every kind. And Sammy, (CHARLENE picks herself up.) I will wait and one day, I will get my revenge on you. You and your simpleton ways, and you and that damned banjo. (CHARLENE exits right. JOHNNY MILLER and his mother, Mrs. MILLER enter right.) Mrs. MILLER Johnny, that’s our little Wendy and Sammy. JOHNNY Yes, Mam it is. Mrs. MILLER She has our eyes. She looks more like you than Jimmy, I think. Though, you never know how family characteristics go. JOHNNY That’s true, Mam. (To WENDY) Hey there pretty girl with the pretty hair. You look well enough, pretty Miss. WENDY Yes, well enough. JOHNNY 34. What was all that commotion a moment ago? SAMMY Charlene practically ruined Wendy’s shoe box. Just spite. WENDY Come along now Sammy. JOHNNY Hold on a second. Let’s see the damage. Yep, it is ruined. You’ll have to make another. But, I bet with those magazines there you sure can make a prettier one. WENDY Yes, that is true. I am sure that I can. Mrs. MILLER Yes, now I am sure of it, Johnny, she has your eyes. JOHNNY Not now, Mam. Mrs. MILLER It speaks for so much tragedy. Tragedy in our family. JOHNNY Quiet, Mam. I want to talk to her. WENDY I don’t know what possessed Charlene to act like that. JOHNNY Everyone has a breaking point. WENDY Now, I know how she really does hate Sammy and me. She hates us so much she could kill us. I am afraid for Sammy. What will she do to him. JOHNNY You worry about to much, Wendy. Here is some candy, give some to Sammy and that evil Charlene. WENDY Thank you Uncle Johnny. JOHNNY You remember what I told you, Wendy. We are kin. We have the same eyes. One day, I will tell you more. SAMMY 35. Come on, Wendy. WENDY OK Sammy. Bye, Uncle Johnny. JOHNNY One thing before you go Wendy. This is my mother Mrs. Miller. Your gradma Miller. Mrs. MILLER You have grown so much. So pretty. Yes, the Miller eyes. How is that mother of yours, Fancy? WENDY She is fine. She works so hard every day on Mam’s farm. Mrs. MILLER No boyfriends, then. Lord knows she had her share. JOHNNY Mam, enough. Mrs. MILLER Yes, Lord yes, enough. There was your brother Jimmy. Before that there was that half Indian trash lived down the holler. Knowller that was the name. Before him there was that Bixby boy, and there he is acoming now. (Mr. BIXBY, is the sheriff. He walks up to everyone.) SHERIFF BIXBY Well, hello Mrs. Miller. Nice day for some shopping? Mrs. MILLER Well, hello Sheriff Bixby and yes indeed, it is that. SHERIFF BIXBY Hello there Johnny. Being good, long time no see. No more breaking and entry. Assault with a deadly weapon. My, my you must be being good. Mrs. BIXBY Sherrif, my boy goes to church each Sunday. He is saved. He is a good man and leading a Christian life. SHERIFF BIXBY Mrs. Miller, I am so glad to hear that. I can sleep nights. SAMMY 36. Come on Wendy, let’s go. I don’t like this at all. WENDY You bet, Sammy. JOHNNY Wendy, sweetie, don’t let the sheriff give you any bad notions about me. I served my time for my foolish youth. Mrs. MILLER Lord, he certainly did! SAMMY Goodbye, Johnny, goodbye mam. JOHNNY Goodbye and have a care up that mountain it is getting dark. SCENE 2 37. Outside the shack. SAMMY is playing a song for WENDY. She is playing with her shoe box. She is cutting and pasting pictures from the magazines that Mrs. TAYLOR has given her for her shoe box. WENDY One day, Sammy I will be a fine lady just like Mrs. Taylor. Nice clothes. She lives in a real home, too. She has a husband and children. Wouldn’t that be a good kind of life? SAMMY Wendy, I like it here. You are my family. I wouldn’t trade it in for any other in the whole world. WENDY Sammy, are you crying? I did not mean to make you sad. SAMMY No, not sad. I am happy. WENDY Should I cut out the red curtains, or the blue? SAMMY I like the blue. Blue is my favorite color. Can that be my room, Wendy? WENDY Of course, it will. SAMMY Then make everything in it blue. WENDY Goodness, Sammy. (She notices CHARLENE. She enters right.) CHARLENE My, oh, my. Are we two having fun here? WENDY Go away Charlene. Right now. CHARLENE I am not leaving. I have as much right to be here as you two bastards do. And a right to have fun as well. (She snatches up the shoe box out of WENDY’S hands.) WENDY 38. Oh, Charlene don’t ruin it. CHARLENE Dreams, dreams. It’s not real Wendy. It’s pretend. We live in a shack. With magazine pages stuffed in cracks so the winter wind won’t freeze us to death! And make no mistake, we could freeze to death. Pretty window curtains. Our windows are cracked and freeze in the winter. No comfortable place to sit, just straight back chairs. No cushins. I hate this damned shoe box. But, I don’t want it. (She hands it back, and very fast, snatches the banjo.) SAMMY My banjo. Give me back my banjo. WENDY Charlene you give Sammy back his banjo. CHARLENE Can the simpleton figure out how to get his banjo. SAMMY What do you want Charlene? CHARLENE I want you to get out of our home. Mommie has been generous enough with you. Go live with what’s left of your sorry kin. WENDY Charlene? CHARLENE If you want your banjo back, and I know you love it more than all of us put together, then say it! And I’ll give it back. Else, I am going to blast it against this rock here! (CHARLENE holds the banjo up as if to smash it against the rock.) SAMMY OK, OK, I’ll move out and live with what’s left of my no account relatives. CHARLENE Good boy. There’s hope for you after all. (She hands him the banjo. She exits right.) WENDY 39. Sammy, Sammy, are you all right? You look like you are in a daze. Oh, Sammy. Don’t you believe that Charlene one bit. Mommie loves you and would never make you leave us! (WENDY collects the banjo and her shoe box. She takes SAMMY’S hand. SAMMY is in a daze and has to be led. He clutches the banjo to himself.) SCENE 3 40. The one room shack. SAMMY is standing on a chair, holding his banjo to himself. He is in a daze. FANCY and CHARLENE stand before him, silently looking at him. FANCY What happened to Sammy, Charlene. I have never seen the likes of this before. He has been this way for over an hour. CHARLENE (Tugging at the banjo) Beats the hell out of me, Mommie. (SAMMY clutches at the banjo in his daze.) FANCY Where was you all today? CHARLENE Well, we went down to Mrs. Taylor’s Country Store. Wendy collected up her donation of magazines for her shoe boxes. Sammy came with us. Then that old Johnny Miller came over and talked to us. Especially to Wendy. FANCY Johnny Miller. What did he say to Wendy? CHARLENE Just rambled on about her shoe box. For heaven’s sake. FANCY And what else did he say. What did you hear Charlene. Tell me. Now! CHARLENE Nothing Mommie. I swear. FANCY Well, Sammy here seems to have had a shock to the system. Did that Johnny Miller hurt him? CHARLENE No, Mommie. He didn’t. FANCY Wait, oh Jesus, till I find out what happened to this boy. There will be hell to pay! Charlene, quick, my pot is boiling. Watch Sammy a minute. 41. CHARLENE Oh, hey there Sammy boy. If you don’t snap out of this daze, whatja call it, I guess you won’t have any use for the banjo after all. I’ll just take it for myself. How would that be. Yes, yes, just you stand there on that chair frozen stiff. Very nice. (CHARLENE takes the banjo out of SAMMY’S stiff hands.) Now, let’s see there Sammy. What was that chord you was going to teach Wendy. Why, she’s not here now. I want to learn it. FANCY Charlene. Give him back the banjo, right this minute. I think that I know who has upset this boy to this condition. So, tell you what. You can do his chores, till he is better! CHARLENE Mommie. I have enough to do around here. FANCY Now you have more to do, don’t you. You go fetch Wendy to supper! (CHARLENE exits right.) SAMMY In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines. (He begins to play IN THE PINES on the banjo.) (CHARLENE and WENDY enter right. WENDY Oh, Sammy, you are all right. FANCY Sammy, our Sammy. CHARLENE Well, what do you know. He’s back from the dead. WENDY I swear I want to know what that Johnny Miller was doing talking to these kids. (MAM walks over to FANCY) MAM 42. Fancy, child, what are you so agitated fur? FANCY I’m not agitated Mam? Just wondered what on earth Johnny Miller could be so interested in these kids for. MAM Well, maybe he is interested in Wendy. FANCY (Checking bread in the oven) Why would Johnny Miller be interested in my little Wendy? MAM Well now, let’s see if I can recollect properly. That Jimmy, that you loved so well, was shot in August and you gave birth to Wendy in May. FANCY Jimmy is Wendy’s daddy. And old woman, you can’t say no different. MAM Plain arithmetic says different, and Wendy has Johhy Miller’s eyes. Plain to see for the whole world. And even a good for nothing like Johnny Miller can see it. FANCY I say it again, Mam. Jimmy was Wendy’s daddy. MAM If he wasn’t, it makes you one sorry whore! (MAM walks over to the children.) FANCY (To herself) Fancy O’Brien you are a good mother to those girls. I vow that no low account bastard like Johnny Miller, who got me pregnant with my little Wilma, and then, thinking better of marriage, like he promised, deserted me, is ever going to disgrace me and rob me of my girl’s respect! I won’t allow him near them, ever! I’ll kill him first! Jimmy was a good enough father for them, not his shameful brother, Johnny. What on earth was I thinking to sleep with the likes of him? Loneliness, oh my Lord, loneliness.. (SAMMY is revived a little. He plays AMAZING GRACE on his banjo.) FANCY Little Sammy, you look much better. Are you all ready to come eat? 43. SAMMY, WENDY and CHARLENE (Together) Yes, we’re starved! Fancy Then come on! SCENE 4 44. Mrs. TAYLOR’S COUNTRY STORE. Mrs. TAYLOR waits on several CUSTOMERS. JOHNNY comes into the store. He is drunk. Mrs. TAYLOR Yes, Mrs. Leeds, how may I help you today. MRS. LEEDS Mrs. Taylor, do you have any blue thread? I ran out today. Mrs. TAYLOR Most surely, Mrs. Leeds. I’ll be a moment. MRS. LEEDS (Noticing JOHNNY) Johnny Miller, my, my. I thought you was in prison. When did you get out. JOHNNY Mrs. Leeds, I don’t want to talk about that. Mrs. LEEDS Well, aren’t you happy. You aren’t incarcerated anymore. Is that the word, incarcerated. JOHNNY Yes, that’s the right word for what they did to me. MRS. LEEDS And you always claimed that it was your brother Jimmy that pulled off those robberies. You know, you both look so much alike. But, they arrested you. You had a big trial and the judge sentenced you to prison for ten years, isn’t that right? JOHNNY Yes, that’s all right. Mrs. LEEDS Now, what I want to know is…. (Mrs. TAYLOR comes out with the blue thread. MRS. TAYLOR Yes, here it is for you Mrs. Leeds. Mrs. LEEDS (pays for the thread) 45. You know Mrs. Taylor, I am glad to shop here. You have such a nice store. And I am glad that we are all secure with Sheriff Bixby to protect us. (She looks meaningfully at JOHNNY.) Mrs. TAYLOR Thank you so much, Mrs. Leeds. Come back soon. (Mrs. LEEDS exits.) Mrs. TAYLOR Why, hello there Johnny Miller. How are you today? JOHNNY A whole lot better now that I have something nice and cool to lay my eyes on. Mrs. TAYLOR Meaning me, I suppose? JOHNNY Most certainly Mrs. Taylor. Mrs. TAYLOR Johnny Miller, I swear you have a way about you. You could charm the birds off the trees. JOHNNY And then eat them like a cat. Mrs. MILLER Just a few rough edges, that’s all you’ve got. JOHNNY Are you suggesting that I need a good polishing? Mrs. MILLER Well, it wouldn’t do you any harm? JOHNNY Is that what it would take for you to like me better? Mrs. MILLER I like you now. (SHERIFF BIXBY enters.) Mrs. TAYLOR Hey there Sheriff. SHERIFF BIXBY 46. Hey there Mrs. Taylor. Just passing by and noticed you and Johnny here in the window. You looked mighty cozy. Mrs. MILLER Johnny is in town doing some shopping. JOHNNY Yes, indeed. I am looking for some blue ribbon. SHERIFF BIXBY Blue ribbon? What would you want with blue ribbon? JOHNNY Someone I know, who has blue, blue eyes. A lot like mine. SHERIFF BIXBY Is that so? JOHNNY That is so. She is very pretty. (Mrs. TAYLOR looks somewhat jealous.) JOHNNY Mrs. Taylor, if you would. I would like some blue ribbon. Mrs. TAYLOR Coming right up. Just be a minute. SHERIFF BIXBY I smell a foul odor about you Johnny. JOHNNY An odor? SHERIFF BIXBY The kind of odor that tells me beware. You are up to no good. I don’t think prison taught you a thing. I think that you'll be up to your old tricks again soon. And then I'll have to shoot you just like I did last time. And I will shoot to kill this time. JOHNNY Well, that’s good to know Sheriff. SHERIFF BIXBY And I have a good aim. JOHNNY 47. As I recall. SHERIFF BIXBY And then, you won’t cause your mother any more grief in this world. Mrs. TAYLOR Here you go Johnny. Be fifty cents. JOHNNY Thank you Mrs. Taylor. Be seeing you soon. Mrs. TAYLOR Soon. Bye now. (JOHNNY exits.) SHERIFF BIXBY That boy, better watch his step. Curtain ACT THREE 48. SCENE 1 Inside the shack. Everyone is in bed. The shack is dark. The only light is a lamp hung from a hook on the wall. Suddenly, there is knocking at the door. JOHNNY (Off stage) Hey you all. Open up. Uncle Johnny has blue ribbons for Wilma. WENDY Uncle Johnny? You bought me some blue ribbons? FANCY Don’t call him your Uncle Johnny! JOHNNY Yes, I did little Wendy. You can tie them up in your pretty hair. Or, you can use them in your shoe box, to decorate it. WENDY Blue ribbons! Did you buy them from Mrs. Taylor’s store. She has the prettiest blue ribbons on earth! JOHNNY Yes, I did and she does! Now let me in. It’s cold as hell out here. CHARLENE Mommie. Don’t you let that no account bastard inside our door! SAMMY He’s not bad. He is kinda.. CHARLENE Shut up you simpleton! MAM No, Fancy, you can’t let him in. He’s drunk, I can smell him through the door! FANCY You stink of alcohol so bad, Johnny Miller, we can smell you through the door. Off with you! JOHNNY 49. Well, that may be! But, I have these store bought blue ribbons for that little Wendy and I want to talk to her about something that should have been told to her long ago. FANCY Shit lightning! There is no way that you are going to tell my little Wilma anything! You have no right. You are just drunk and you need to go home and sleep it off, Johnny Miller. I am warning you. MAM Johnny, lord, go home now. WENDY I want my blue ribbons, for my shoe box! JOHNNY Little Wendy, they are yours. I bought them for you and then we are going to have a talk. I have wasted enough time getting around to telling you this. (JOHNNY bangs on the door. He kicks the door open a few inches. FANCY runs and gets the gun. MAM and CHARLENE hold the door shut. WENDY and SAMMY hold each other.) FANCY I am warning you Johnny Miller, one last time. Go home. Or I will shoot you dead. (JOHNNY, drunken and disheveled, knocks the door open. We see him for one second. FANCY fires the gun. She shoots JOHNNY dead. The blue ribbons cascade to the floor. WENDY rushes to his side. He gives her the ribbons.) JOHNNY They is for your shoe box pretty Wendy. (He dies.) Wendy Oh, Uncle Johnny. SCENE 2 50. It is dawn. Lying now in the middle of the shack is JOHNNY’S dead body. MAM, FANCY and CHARLENE stand over him. WENDY comforts SAMMY. He is dazed and unresponsive. WENDY Sammy, oh Sammy, snap out of it, please. You’ve been this way the longest time! CHARLENE Is the idiot still dazed. WENDY He is in shock, I believe. MAM Well, Fancy, you’d better decide what to do with him. A shot fired in the night echoes all over these mountains. Sheriff Bixby will be here before you know it. He’ll take you to jail, for murdering this low life bastard Miller. CHARLENE Oh, Mommie. They will take you away to jail. And then who will take care of me. Old Mam here is ancient. She can’t feed me. FANCY Always worried about your stomach, eh, Charlene? CHARLENE Do something quick, Mommie, I don’t want you to go to jail. FANCY I have always worked my fingers to the bone for my family. You and Pap worked me to death on the farm, and I never had a man to help with the chores, and no one on this earth ever worried about me. Not ever. Nor brought me blue ribbons for my hair. And now, I have got to harden my heart so that I can be here for my girls, who will need me when they grow. I have to harden my heart and bury it out in the frosty fields. (Police sirens and lights flash outside the window.) CHARLENE What are you going to do, Mommie? (FANCY takes the banjo from SAMMY and gives him the gun. He holds it close. SHERIFF BIXBY bursts in with a gun.) 51.
Copyright © 2002 Teresa Ann Salyer |