1
THE STICK
The Cast.
Rusty, owner of the stick, middle aged, retiring, difficult with human
contact
Charlie, friend to Rusty, elderly, shows empathy towards Rusty and
glimpses of the understanding of his problems
Thomas, mate to Charlie, a neutral character, lacking empathy; somewhat
shallow minded.
Synopsis, the importance to Rusty of his stick.
Staged in a park.
Thomas: …..Yes, a great film Charlie, the best part was when Fran
booted him in the bollocks. Gawd did he scream.
Charlie: I don’t know…. I thought that was unnecessary. He was just
testing the waters. I’m not sure that he would have taken it any further.
Thomas: Yes, but what if he was going to. I like a feisty one. Jane’s a bit
timid. Don’t know what I saw in her all those years ago. Bloke needs a bit
of biff don’t you reckon. Now if Fran was in my locker we could go a
round or two; come out all a-lather.
Charlie: Look Tom old son, you’ve always been a bit rough on Jane. I
must say I’m surprised she’s stuck it out with you for so long. I often see
a look of yearning in her face. Reckon she could suck some chap up one
day, and then your regrets would be too late.
Thomas: Yair, but what about…..Ah shit! I’ll have to take you up on that
another time; you’ve got it all wrong.
Here comes the retard with his stick. I can hear him running it along the
rungs of the fence. Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack …Christ that
noise irritates. Why’s he so bloody well attached to it? If he was a
Siamese twin the stick would be the other half. He’s always hanging
around you as if you owned him….. bloody simpleton.
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Charlie: Come on; give him some understanding. Didn’t you have a pet
or something when you were growing up? These guys need their security.
It’s his Linus blanket.
Thomas: Yeah, I did but I passed it on to my little sister when I was still
at High School. He’s in his forties. I wonder how many fences he’s run it
along driving the neighbours insane….He was in my street just last week
annoying us all. He stopped near my house. Jane was picking some
flowers. When he saw me he ran off…. You know, I reckon one day he’ll
whack once too often.
Charlie, yair, I know you two haven’t got the smoothest of relationships.
I’ve seen you pushing him around with your belittling comments. You
know he’s not all there. You should cut these people some slack. Some of
them can’t read and write like you and me. Take a different angle one day
and see what comes of it.
Enter Rusty from upstage right, stick in hand, sees Thomas and gives a
glare and threatening gesture.
Charlie: Gday Rusty, how’s your day been?
Rusty: Hello Ch..Char…Charlie. Not bad.
Thomas: See ya, gotta run. Catch you next time eh? Remember Charlie;
once too often…. Hang on to that stick mate. (snickers as he exits upstage
right)
Rusty: G g good to see you Charlie, hoped you’d b b be here. d d Don’t
think he likes me much.
Charlie: Oh he’s OK: not too good around some people. I think your
stick bothers him. Got some more yarns to tell me? No more new notches
I hope. Got one or two new stories to tell eh; and throw in a couple of our
old favourites? And I know you love to tell me how it all started. I never
get bored listening.
Rusty: Yair, you’re a good m m mate Charlie. I don’t go telling no one,
but you’re me m m mate. D D Doctor tried to take it from me once, but I
whacked him good and ran. I was too quick for him.
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Charlie: Let’s sit down and chew the fat. I’ve got some coffee and your
favourite biscuits. Want some?
Rusty: Thanks,
Charlie: The stick. On you go, let’s here it.
Rusty: (long pause) You know I stutter a bit and I know me fence
running gets on people’s nerves, but it c c calms me down. It’s a bit like a
continuing story without an end. Do you know what I mean? I count the
number of uprights in each street.
Click, click, click, click, click, click and with each click a p p picture
pops into me head, things me and the stick have seen in our travels.
Charlie: Rusty, tell me again, how did you get the stick?
Rusty: Well, b b before me breakdown I was helping look after the tennis
courts. This here stick measures the height of the net at the centre. It was
part of me job. All n n neat and tidy, can’t have a net one centimetre
wrong. Well one day this big shot tennis player said I had the
measurement wrong. Big lump of a bloke. He came over and started into
me. I p p put the stick up; thought he was going to t t take a swipe.
Anyway, He grabbed it and whacked me all over me head and face. See
this mark. After all these years, its still there. I had b b blood coming out
from everywhere and c c c couldn’t see too good. He chucked the stick
away when a few of the players pulled him off. I grabbed the stick. They
say I was in a bad way. I spent some time in hospital; got mended…. s
sort of, but I always had the stick with me.
Charlie: Gee Rusty a bit rough that. A long time ago?
Rusty: Yair, I was young, apprenticed, early twenties. I was h h happy
there, they looked after me good.
Charlie: A long time. (takes stick after Rusty half heartedly resists losing
it) You know Rusty, I bet this stick would have a story or two to tell.
Look you can see where your hand has been all these years. And all those
nicks in the shaft; notches like the gun slingers in those American
westerns. One for each kill eh.
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Rusty: (tries to retrieve stick, but seems sort of glad that Charlie wants to
know more about the stick) Yair, well I see things, don’t I. They think I’m
a b b bit simple… but I see things.
Charlie: You told me the Doc had you pretty good. Did he mess you up?
Rusty: He thought I would get better quick when he tried to take me stick
away. (shows glee) I reckon he’s still rubbing his arm when he tried to
catch me.
I whacked him good. Think I heard a crack. See that’s him there, that
notch.
Charlie: But you can’t go round belting people Rusty. We’ve talked
about this many many times.
Rusty: B b but, me Mum said not to let people b b bully me. Stand up fer
meself she said. She Knew I was not like the others, but you’re me m m
mate aren’t you Charlie. She got me the job with the tennis club. I think
the b b bloke what ran it had his eye on her. (Charlie looks decidedly
uncomfortable at this news)
Charlie: Jeez Rusty I don’t know. All these notches mean the number of
people you’ve had trouble with; One for each one eh? I’ve told you
Rusty, I don’t want to see any new notches.
Rusty: Well m m mate . They keep picking on me. Just yesterday a
couple of those guys who hang around the girl’s school tried to d d dump
me. But yer see, I kept me mate behind me back and when they laid into
me I b b brought him out and w w whacked them good. I reckon one of
them won’t be walking proper for awhile, and the other bloke; well the
girls should be safe from him for a l l long time.
Charlie: I heard about that. The radio said the cops were looking for you,
but the gang didn’t want to give them your description. You need to keep
away from them. I reckon they’re going to get their own revenge. Did
you make a notch for them?
Rusty: this new one here, see.
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Charlie: (showing concern) Here’s another one. It looks new too. What’s
it for?
Rusty: Happened last week. I wanted to tell you about it but you weren’t
here. You see a lot of them dogs don’t like their fences being hit. This big
b b buggar. The gate was undone. It didn’t take much to send him off.
Charlie: off?
Rusty: well…. off upstairs see…… I think I hit him a b b bit hard.
Charlie: Christ Rusty. You just can’t keep belting anything that moves.
Maybe I should keep the stick for you for a few days.
Rusty: (lunges at Charlie to retrieve the stick, they struggle then Rusty
backs off) M m mate, give it here. You’re me mate, you’ve gotta
understand. There all out to get me.
Charlie: Not so. What about Tina. She helps you with the shopping and
things. You’ve got a good notch spot for her, eh?
Rusty: Yair, she’s alright. I nearly w w whacked her too when she
pushed me away, but she t t talked pretty. See, there’s me m m Mum, and
me sister, and this one’s for t t Tina. I keep them here see, away from the
others. And this one over here’s for d d Dianne…..She was a beauty
wasn’t she Charlie, the b b best. I really m m miss her you know; but
remember how you helped me. You’re me mate aren’t you Charlie.
(Charlie looks at the other side of the stick where these notches are
separate to the main ones)
Charlie: (strong concern) There’s a new one here, just under the one for
Diane. What’s this one for Rusty?
Rusty: (defensively) Can’t tell you.
Charlie: of course you can, remember I’m your mate, you must tell me.
those ambulance and police sirens seem to be coming from over there.
Another agro event no doubt…. Nothing to do with the sirens is it? I see
you came from that way this morning. Best tell me quick eh.
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Rusty: (gets up urgently grabs sick and runs off upstage left looking
behind him with apprehension. Charlie starts after him stops and with
genuine concern says………Bloody hell!
Thomas: (enters upstage right with blood on his hands very disturbed).
Charlie, where’s the bastard. I told you to stop protecting him. He’s done
it again; all these years after he did Dianne in, he’s done Jane in. He’s cut
his last notch. There’s nothing you can do now to stop the law. I don’t
know how you manipulated it last time, but you won’t get him off this
time buddy. I told you that stick would wack once too often. I don’t know
what’s driven you to shelter him all these years.
Charlie: flesh and blood mate, flesh and blood.
The End. July, 2014
This is an original piece by William Davies 61 2 48411530