A waiting room. LILA sits in a chair paging
through a fashion magazine beside a table
stacked with similar magazines. SHE=s a
woman approaching fifty, out of shape,
unkempt, tired. SHE pages distractedly
through the magazine, HER eyes sometimes
lingering in one spot as if forgetting to
read. After a moment SHE lays the magazine
aside.
(Softly, with apprehension)
LILA
Eddie....?
SHE grasps the magazine, tries to read, sets
it aside again.
Eddie?
Do you remember when...?
Eddie remember last month (stops)
Remember when I said I felt
sick?
Last month, we were coming home from the beach, we were
stuck in traffic on the Parkway, Jerry wanted to go to McDonalds
and get a thick shake and I said I felt sick and Pattie said she
was sick too just like Mommy. And then it happened again on
Sunday coming out of twelve o'clock mass and you said it was the
heat and I said maybe you were right and then I walked over to
the cemetery while you and the kids got the car, Eddie?
I
threw up near that little boy's grave. The little boy who was
killed in the fire. There were all these...these.... toys awful plastic things... little things... burly space men and
colored animals and...all arranged with vases of rotting flowers
and notes, precious little boy, you are loved eternally
SHE glances around for HER purse, seizes it, rises to HER feet.
PAULINE enters suddenly, startling LILA. PAULINE is a tall
young woman, muscular, perhaps a dancer, but possessed of an
inherent grace. SHE moves with a sense of purpose.
PAULINE
Hey.
You okay?
LILA
What?
Yes.
Yes, I’m.....
PAULINE
You sure?
Yes....
LILA
(SHE sinks back into HER seat.)
I'm fine.
PAULINE gazes at HER a moment, then sits.
SHE sifts distractedly through the
magazines, chooses one.
O.S. WOMAN
Ms. Johnson?
PAULINE springs to HER feet, looks off R.
LILA also looks.
PAULINE
Yeah?
O.S. WOMAN
I just need to photocopy your insurance card.
PAULINE
Oh.
Just a....
LILA watches as PAULINE grabs HER purse,
scrabbles for HER wallet and carries it off.
LILA looks at the contents of PAULINE's
purse, spilling on HER chair, cosmetics
mostly. SHE reaches for her own purse and
draws out a compact and lipstick. Opening
the compact, SHE stares at HER reflection.
PAULINE returns and their eyes meet, a
whisper of a smile exchanged. PAULINE
reaches for a magazine, turning pages
rapidly, distracted. LILA stares dully
before HER. PAULINE chuckles loudly. LILA
darts a look at her.
PAULINE
(Holding up magazine) Okay, now I've seen everything.
LILA leans over, squinting at the page.
It's a makeover. We showed Linda how to use contour to slim a
full jaw line. How long do you think it took for them to come
up with that lame phrase? A full jaw line.
LILA
Oh...(pretending to understand) ...right.
PAULINE
Fat. A fat neck. That's what they meant. This soon to be
fifty mother of two wanted a new look so we cut her hair and put
six hundred dollars worth of makeup on her face and her fat
neck.
Well... you know.
LILA
It's a start.
PAULINE
It's bullshit is what it is.
PAULINE flips rapidly through the
magazine, tosses it aside, crosses HER
arms and re-crosses HER legs, examines
HER hands.
PAULINE
Know a good manicure place around here?
LILA is staring vacantly in front of
HER, frowning. PAULINE watches HER a
moment.
What time's your appointment?
LILA
(Turning)
What?
PAULINE
Your appointment - what time?
LILA
I don't have an appointment - he said he'd fit me in.
Yeah?
PAULINE
(LILA nods) That’s weird.
LILA
Why?
Cause.
PAULINE
They usually schedule tight.
I hope he’s nice.
You
know him?
LILA
What?
PAULINE
Doctor Welch - you know him?
LILA
(Dismayed) Know him? Why would I know him?
I have no reason....
PAULINE
Me neither‒‒last time I went to a clinic in town.
tomorrow?
Man,
LILA
Last time?
PAULINE
I'm gonna treat myself to a pedicure, manicure, massage‒‒the
whole enchilada, then I‒‒
LILA
Did you say last time?
PAULINE
Yeah. Last time. That a problem?
LILA
I'm sorry.
PAULINE
Don't be sorry. We all make mistakes.
My insurance covers it.
LILA stares at HER.
LILA
I...I don't know what I'm doing here.
No?
PAULINE
Well, I’d say you'd best run along then.
LILA
I can't.
PAULINE takes an iphone from HER purse,
becomes absorbed.
(After a moment) Do you have the time?
(Glancing at iphone screen)
PAULINE
Quarter of.
Silence.
LILA
It's always quarter of.
Silence.
Or quarter after. You notice that? Whenever someone asks you
what time it is or you happen to glance at your watch, it's
never two o'clock or eight o'clock or four o'clock, it's always
in the middle somewhere.
The odds are against it I guess.
PAULINE
Huh?
LILA
I said the odds are against it – there’s only twelve times that
might occur in any given day and...and the number of times you
glance at your watch are...
PAULINE
Yeah, right, whatever.
LILA
...incalculable. (Pause) I don’t understand. The odds are
wild. Completely...it’s almost impossible...
PAULINE lifts HER head to stare at
LILA.
PAULINE
(After a moment) Hey.
LILA
What?
How far along are you?
PAULINE
(LILA shakes HER head.)
You married?
(LILA nods.)
The guy know?
LILA
No.
A long pause.
PAULINE
They tell you that you have to have someone meet you after?
LILA nods.
You don't have anyone, do you?
Shit.
Look.
My name's Pauline.
LILA
Lila.
PAULINE
Lila? Hon, my sister's comin to meet me, we can see that you
get home okay.
LILA
Oh, no.
PAULINE
Sure.
Why not?
LILA
I couldn't.
PAULINE
Don't be silly‒‒it's no trouble.
LILA
But you'll be out before me.
PAULINE
So?
We can wait.
LILA
I don't want to put you out.
PAULINE
Honey, you won't, I'm telling you‒‒it's no big deal.
LILA
(With force) But it is! It is a big deal, it's a big deal, a
huge, huge deal!
PAULINE
Okay‒‒okay‒‒I didn't meanCjust chill, okay?
Jesus.
LILA
How old are you? Twenty five-twenty six? What do you know?
You have no children, you haven't lived that long‒‒look, just
wait.
You’ll see. Everything changes. You become a whole
different person. Twenty six, you think, God, you think here I
am, everything can only get better for me‒‒anything you want
seems possible, it’s all perfectly reasonable, twenty six,
twenty seven, you look good, you feel good, you don't need
sleep, you hardly need food, just ...air. Air. And....a man.
A man who agrees with you that you're absolutely on top,
absolutely ripe. That’s all. And once that feeling goes, you
don’t forget it. It never goes away, it's so sharp, so etched
into you, so fierce and... that ...terrible.....I don=t know....
That freedom.
Silence.