Brian Friel Plays 1 (40 page)

WILLIE:
Himself by Jaysus!

JUDITH:
Now this leg – that’s it – that’s great.

FATHER:
And that we sit in this freezing court until he comes back? Is that what you propose, Sergeant?

JUDITH:
Raise your body just a little.

FATHER:
Because I can tell you I won’t have it – I will not have it!

WILLIE:
Himself by Jaysus, guldering away!

JUDITH:
That’s more comfortable.

FATHER:
We’re all petrified in this place as it is – really petrified. And I will not endure it a second longer. Case dismissed. Court adjourned.

JUDITH:
Now over on your side and I’ll tuck you in and you’ll sleep for a while.

(
A
few
short
mumbling
sounds
from
FATHER
;
then
silence.
)

WILLIE:
D’you hear that for a voice, eh? By Jaysus, isn’t he a powerful fighting aul’ man all the time, eh?

TOM:
Would you believe it! I’ve been here four days and I’ve never seen him yet.

WILLIE:
Sure he hasn’t been down the stairs since the stroke

felled him. But before that – haul’ your tongue, man – oh be Jaysus he was a sight to behold – oh be Jaysus!

(
CASIMIR
has
entered
left
with
more
deck-chairs
which
he
sets
up
on
the
lawn.
He
now
enters
the
study.
)

CASIMIR:
Always Chopin – the great love of her life. She could play all the nocturnes and all the waltzes before she was ten. We thought we had a little Mozart on our hands. And on her sixteenth birthday she got a scholarship to go to Paris. But Father – you’ve met Father?

TOM:
Actually I –

CASIMIR
:
‘An itinerant musician? (
Wagging
finger.
)
Ho-
ho-ho-
ho-ho.’ Wasn’t that naughty of him? (
Sees
WILLIE
.) Ah!

(
There
is
a
brief,
awkward
pause
–
WILLIE
smiling,
expecting
to
be
recognized,
CASIMIR
staring
blankly.
WILLIE
finally
approaches
gauchely.
)

WILLIE
:
How are you, Casimir?

CASIMIR:
Yes? Yes? Who have we here?

WILLIE:
No, you wouldn’t remember me.

CASIMIR:
Should I? Should I? Yes, of course I should.

WILLIE:
It’s –

CASIMIR:
Don’t – don’t tell me – let me guess. I have it – it’s Deegan, the jarvey! Am I right?

WILLIE:
Jackie Deegan.

CASIMIR:
There you are!

WILLIE:
Deegan, the car-man; that’s right; he’s dead; I’m Diver.

CASIMIR:
Diver?

WILLIE:
From the back shore.

CASIMIR:
Ah.

WILLIE:
Willie Diver.

CASIMIR:
Ah.

WILLIE:
Tony Diver’s son – the Slooghter Divers. I used to be about the gate-lodge when my Uncle Johnny was in it.

(
Pause.
)
Johnny MacLoone and my Auntie Sarah. (
Pause.
) That’s going back a fair few years now. My Uncle Johnny’s dead, too – Jaysus he must be dead thirty years now. 

(
Pause.
)
I seen you this morning from the upper hill – I’ve the land all took from Judith.

TOM:
And Willie’s just rigged up this thing so that your father can be heard down here now.

CASIMIR:
What’s that?

TOM:
A baby-alarm. Won’t that be a help?

CASIMIR:
Ah yes; splendid, splendid.

TOM:
Save Judith running up and down the stairs.

CASIMIR:
Of course; indeed; wonderful; splendid; great idea.

WILLIE:
I mind one day Casimir and me – we were only cubs this size at the time – the pair of us got into a punt down at
the slip and cast off – d’you mind? – and be Jaysus didn’t the tide carry us out.

CASIMIR:
Good Lord! Were we drowned?

WILLIE:
Damn the bit of us: the wind carried us back in again. Nobody knew a damn thing about us except ourselves.

CASIMIR:
Well, wasn’t that wonderful. Ha-ha. (
Suddenly
shakes
WILLIE
’
s hand
.) Marvellous to see you again. It’s so good to  be back again. Do you know how long it’s been since I was  home last? – eleven years. Now, if you’ll pardon me – I’m  the chef for today!

WILLIE:
Surely to God, Casimir.

(
CASIMIR
is
off
again
– this
time
to
the
gazebo
where
he
finds
a
few
more
faded
seats
which
he
carries
out
to
the
lawn.
)

WILLIE:
Same aul’ Casimir.

TOM:
Is he?

WILLIE:
When he’d come home on holidays from the boarding school, sometimes he’d walk down the village street, and we’d all walk in a line behind him, acting the maggot, you know, imitating him. And by Jaysus he never thought of looking round.

TOM:
That expression – you’ve taken the land from Judith – what does it mean?

WILLIE:
She has nobody to work it so she lets it out every year.

TOM:
How many acres are there?

WILLIE:
I could hardly tell you. It’s all hill and bog.

TOM:
So you lease it?

WILLIE:
I sort of take it off her hands – you know.

TOM:
And you till it?

WILLIE:
I footer about. I’m no farmer.

TOM:
But it’s profitable land?

WILLIE:
Profitable? (
Laughs.
) If you’ve a pair of wellingtons, we’ll walk it some day.

(
He
goes
off
towards
the
hall
.
CASIMIR
is
arranging
the
seats
into
a
wide
arc.
The
music
suddenly
stops.
)

CLAIRE:
Casimir!

(
CASIMIR
stops
working.
)

CASIMIR:
Hello-hello.

CLAIRE:
Where are you?

CASIMIR:
On the tennis-court – just beside the net.

CLAIRE:
Can you hear me?

CASIMIR:
Clearly.

CLAIRE:
I’ve a test for you: what’s the name of this?

(
CASIMIR
is
suddenly
excited,
suddenly
delighted.
He
rushes
to
the
step.
)

CASIMIR:
A test! She’s testing me! A game we played all the time when we were children!

CLAIRE:
Casimir!

(
He
runs
back
to
the
centre
of
the
lawn.
)

CASIMIR:
Go ahead! I’m ready! I’m
waiting!

(
He
stands
poised,
waiting.
His
eyes
are
shut
tight.
His
fists
clenched
on
his
chest.
To
himself
as
he
waits
in
suspense
:)

CASIMIR:
Ha-ha. Good Lord – good Lord – good Lord – good Lord – good Lord –

(
The
music
begins:
Waltz
in
G
flat
major,
Op.
70,
No.
1.
)

CASIMIR:
Oh-oh-oh-it’s-it’s-it’s
–
(
To himself
)
–
the
McCormack Waltz! (
Clapping
his
hands
in
relief
and
delight
and
now
shouting
)
The McCormack Waltz! Right, Claire? Full marks? Amn’t I right?

CLAIRE:
Can’t hear you.

CASIMIR:
You can hear me very well. That’s it. I know. I
know.

(
He
runs
into
the
study.
)

CASIMIR:
Got it! The McCormack Waltz! It’s the G flat major actually but we call it the McCormack because one night John McCormack, Count John McCormack, you know who I’m talking about? – the tenor? – of course you do! – well, Father had something to do with McCormack getting the papal knighthood – some French cardinal Father knew in the Vatican – and because of that Father and McCormack became great friends.

(
TOM
begins
writing
in
his
notebook.
)

TOM:
Casimir, this is precisely the material I – may I jot down? –

(
But
CASIMIR
is
now
back
at
the
door
and
clapping
his
hands.
)

CASIMIR:
Bravo, Claire darling! Bravo, bravo, bravo!

(
Now
he
is
back
into
the
centre
of
the
room
again.
)

CASIMIR:
Anyhow McCormack was staying here one night and
Mother was in one of her down periods and my goodness when she was like that – oh, my goodness, poor Mother, for weeks on end
how unhappy she’d be.

TOM:
She was forty-seven when she died?

CASIMIR:
Forty-six.

TOM:
Had she been ill for long? Was it sudden?

(
Pause.
)

CASIMIR:
Anyhow, this night Claire played that waltz, the G flat major, and McCormack asked Mother to dance and she refused but he insisted, he insisted, and finally he got her to the middle of the floor and he put his arm around her and then she began to laugh and he danced her up and down the hall and then in here and then out to the tennis-court and you could hear their laughing over the whole house and finally the pair of them collapsed in the gazebo out there. Yes – marvellous! The McCormack Waltz!

TOM:
Approximately what year was –

CASIMIR:
A great big heavy man – oh, yes, I remember
McCormack
– I remember his enormous jowls trembling – but Mother said he danced like Nijinsky. (
Suddenly
aware.
) I’m disturbing your studies, amn’t I?

TOM:
Actually you’re –

CASIMIR:
Of course I am. Give me five minutes to make a call and then I’ll leave you absolutely in peace. 

(
As
he
goes
to
the
phone
– an
old
style
phone,
with
a
handle
at
the
side
– below
the
fireplace,
he
picks
up
a
cassette
player
from
the
mantelpiece.
)

CASIMIR:
Do you know what I did last night even before I unpacked? I made two secret tapes of her to bring back to Helga and the children, just to prove to them how splendid a pianist she really is.

TOM:
Have they never been to Ireland?

(
Momentary
pause.
)

CASIMIR:
And I’m going to play them this afternoon while we’re having the picnic. And I’ve another little surprise up my sleeve too;
after
we’ve eaten, I’ve got a tape that Anna sent me last Christmas!

TOM:
Very nice.

CASIMIR:
A really tremendous person, Anna. Actually her name in religion is Sister John Henry and she chose that name because John Henry Newman – you know? – the cardinal? – Cardinal Newman? – of course you do – well, he married Grandfather and Grandmother O’Donnell – in this very room as a matter of fact – special dispensation from Rome. But of course we think of her as Anna. And the tape she sent me has a message for every member of the family. And it’ll be so appropriate now that we’re all gathered together again.