Complete Works, Volume IV (15 page)

ROBERT
Yes, I thought that.

JERRY
He’s over the hill.

ROBERT
Is he?

JERRY
Don’t you think so?

ROBERT
In what respect?

JERRY
His work. His books.

ROBERT
Oh his books. His art. Yes his art does seem to be falling away, doesn’t it?

JERRY
Still sells.

ROBERT
Oh, sells very well. Sells very well indeed. Very good for us. For you and me.

JERRY
Yes.

ROBERT
Someone was telling me—who was it—must have been someone in the publicity department—the other day—that when Casey went up to York to sign his latest book, in a bookshop, you know, with Barbara Spring, you know, the populace queued for hours to get his signature on his book, while one old lady and a dog queued to get Barbara Spring’s signature, on her book. I happen to think that Barbara Spring . . . is good, don’t you?

JERRY
Yes.

Pause.

ROBERT
Still, we both do very well out of Casey, don’t we?

JERRY
Very well.

Pause.

ROBERT
Have you read any good books lately?

JERRY
I’ve been reading Yeats.

ROBERT
Ah. Yeats. Yes.

Pause.

JERRY
You read Yeats on Torcello once.

ROBERT
On Torcello?

JERRY
Don’t you remember? Years ago. You went over to Torcello in the dawn, alone. And read Yeats.

ROBERT
So I did. I told you that, yes.

Pause.

Yes.

Pause.

Where are you going this summer, you and the family?

JERRY
The Lake District.

1975

SCENE THREE

Flat. 1975. Winter.

Jerry and Emma. They are sitting.

Silence.

JERRY
What do you want to do then?

Pause.

EMMA
I don’t quite know what we’re doing, any more, that’s all.

JERRY
Mmnn.

Pause.

EMMA
I mean, this flat . . .

JERRY
Yes.

EMMA
Can you actually remember when we were last here?

JERRY
In the summer, was it?

EMMA
Well, was it?

JERRY
I know it seems—

EMMA
It was the beginning of September.

JERRY
Well, that’s summer, isn’t it?

EMMA
It was actually extremely cold. It was early autumn.

JERRY
It’s pretty cold now.

EMMA
We were going to get another electric fire.

JERRY
Yes, I never got that.

EMMA
Not much point in getting it if we’re never here.

JERRY
We’re here now.

EMMA
Not really.

Silence.

JERRY
Well, things have changed. You’ve been so busy, your job, and everything.

EMMA
Well, I know. But I mean, I like it. I want to do it.

JERRY
No, it’s great. It’s marvellous for you. But you’re not—

EMMA
If you’re running a gallery you’ve got to run it, you’ve got to be there.

JERRY
But you’re not free in the afternoons. Are you?

EMMA
No.

JERRY
So how can we meet?

EMMA
But look at the times you’re out of the country. You’re never here.

JERRY
But when I am here you’re not free in the afternoons. So we can never meet.

EMMA
We can meet for lunch.

JERRY
We can meet for lunch but we can’t come all the way out here for a quick lunch. I’m too old for that.

EMMA
I didn’t suggest that.

Pause.

You see, in the past . . . we were inventive, we were determined, it was . . . it seemed impossible to meet . . . impossible . . . and yet we did. We met here, we took this flat and we met in this flat because we wanted to.

JERRY
It would not matter how much we wanted to if you’re not free in the afternoons and I’m in America.

Silence.

Nights have always been out of the question and you know it. I have a family.

EMMA
I have a family too.

JERRY
I know that perfectly well. I might remind you that your husband is my oldest friend.

EMMA
What do you mean by that?

JERRY
I don’t
mean
anything by it.

EMMA
But what are you trying to say by saying that?

JERRY
Jesus. I’m not
trying
to say anything. I’ve said precisely what I wanted to say.

EMMA
I see.

Pause.

The fact is that in the old days we used our imagination and we’d take a night and make an arrangement and go to an hotel.

JERRY
Yes. We did.

Pause.

But that was . . . in the main . . . before we got this flat.

EMMA
We haven’t spent many nights . . . in this flat.

JERRY
No.

Pause.

Not many nights anywhere, really.

Silence.

EMMA
Can you afford . . . to keep it going, month after month?

JERRY
Oh . . .

EMMA
It’s a waste. Nobody comes here. I just can’t bear to think about it, actually. Just . . . empty. All day and night. Day after day and night after night. I mean the crockery and the curtains and the bedspread and everything. And the tablecloth I brought from Venice.
(
Laughs.
) It’s ridiculous.

Pause.

It’s just . . . an empty home.

JERRY
It’s not a home.

Pause.

I know . . . I know what you wanted . . . but it could never . . . actually be a home. You have a home. I have a home. With curtains, et cetera. And children. Two children in two homes. There are no children here, so it’s not the same kind of home.

EMMA
It was never intended to be the same kind of home. Was it?

Pause.

You didn’t ever see it as a home, in any sense, did you?

JERRY
No, I saw it as a flat . . . you know.

EMMA
For fucking.

JERRY
No, for loving.

EMMA
Well, there’s not much of that left, is there?

Silence.

JERRY
I don’t think we don’t love each other.

Pause.

EMMA
Ah well.

Pause.

What will you do about all the . . . furniture?

JERRY
What?

EMMA
The contents.

Silence.

JERRY
You know we can do something very simple, if we want to do it.

EMMA
You mean sell it to Mrs Banks for a small sum and . . . and she can let it as a furnished flat?

JERRY
That’s right. Wasn’t the bed here?

EMMA
What?

JERRY
Wasn’t it?

EMMA
We bought the bed. We bought everything. We bought the bed together.

JERRY
Ah. Yes.

Emma stands.

EMMA
You’ll make all the arrangements, then? With Mrs Banks?

Pause.

I don’t want anything. Nowhere I can put it, you see. I have a home, with tablecloths and all the rest of it.

JERRY
I’ll go into it, with Mrs Banks. There’ll be a few quid, you know, so . . .

EMMA
No, I don’t want any
cash,
thank you very much.

Silence. She puts coat on.

I’m going now.

He turns, looks at her.

Oh here’s my key.

Takes out keyring, tries to take key from ring.

Oh Christ.

Struggles to take key from ring.

Throws him the ring.

You take it off.

He catches it, looks at her.

Can you just do it please? I’m picking up Charlotte from school. I’m taking her shopping.

He takes key off.

Do you realise this is an afternoon? It’s the Gallery’s afternoon off. That’s why I’m here. We close every Thursday afternoon. Can I have my keyring?

He gives it to her.

Thanks. Listen. I think we’ve made absolutely the right decision.

She goes.

He stands.

1974

SCENE FOUR

Robert and Emma’s House. Living room. 1974.

Autumn.

Robert pouring a drink for Jerry. He goes to the door.

ROBERT
Emma! Jerry’s here!

EMMA
(
off
) Who?

ROBERT
Jerry.

EMMA
I’ll be down.

Robert gives the drink to Jerry.

JERRY
Cheers.

ROBERT
Cheers. She’s just putting Ned to bed. I should think he’ll be off in a minute.

JERRY
Off where?

ROBERT
Dreamland.

JERRY
Ah. Yes, how is your sleep these days?

ROBERT
What?

JERRY
Do you still have bad nights? With Ned, I mean?

ROBERT
Oh, I see. Well, no. No, it’s getting better. But you know what they say?

JERRY
What?

ROBERT
They say boys are worse than girls.

JERRY
Worse?

ROBERT
Babies. They say boy babies cry more than girl babies.

JERRY
Do they?

ROBERT
You didn’t find that to be the case?

JERRY
Uh . . . yes, I think we did. Did you?

ROBERT
Yes. What do you make of it? Why do you think that is?

JERRY
Well, I suppose . . . boys are more anxious.

ROBERT
Boy babies?

JERRY
Yes.

ROBERT
What the hell are they anxious about . . . at their age? Do you think?

JERRY
Well . . . facing the world, I suppose, leaving the womb, all that.

ROBERT
But what about girl babies? They leave the womb too.

JERRY
That’s true. It’s also true that nobody talks much about girl babies leaving the womb. Do they?

ROBERT
I am prepared to do so.

JERRY
I see. Well, what have you got to say?

ROBERT
I was asking you a question.

JERRY
What was it?

ROBERT
Why do you assert that boy babies find leaving the womb more of a problem than girl babies?

JERRY
Have I made such an assertion?

ROBERT
You went on to make a further assertion, to the effect that boy babies are more anxious about facing the world than girl babies.

JERRY
Do you yourself believe that to be the case?

ROBERT
I do, yes.

JERRY
Why do you think it is?

ROBERT
I have no answer.

Pause.

JERRY
Do you think it might have something to do with the difference between the sexes?

Pause.

ROBERT
Good God, you’re right. That must be it.

Emma comes in.

EMMA
Hullo. Surprise.

JERRY
I was having tea with Casey.

EMMA
Where?

JERRY
Just around the corner.

EMMA
I thought he lived in . . . Hampstead or somewhere.