DETAILS

 

CHARACTERS:

FATHER 60’s

MIRA late teens

BERN early 20’s

 

An apartment interior. Late in the evening. FATHER is playing putt with a golf ball and golf club. He checks his watch. After a moment a knock is heard at the door. FATHER stops playing and ignores the knocking. More knocking. Pause. Then FATHER starts to call out, “yes coming, yes yes” as if just wakened from a sleep. FATHER goes to door and opens.

 

                            FATHER

 

         I was asleep.

 

                            MIRA

 

         Sorry.

 

                            FATHER

 

         Don’t tell me you lost your key.

 

                            MIRA

         I didn’t.

 

                           

FATHER

 

         Then where is it?

 

                            MIRA

 

         I don’t know.

 

                            FATHER

 

         Then you’ve lost it.

 

                            MIRA

 

         No.

 

                            FATHER

 

         Did you lose your key?... Did you?

 

                            MIRA

 

         I lost my key.

 

                            FATHER

 

         So you did lose it… Why did you lie to me?

 

                            MIRA

        

         I don’t know. I’m sorry.

 

                           

 

FATHER

 

         What are you sorry for? Losing the key or lying?

 

                            MIRA

 

         I don’t know. Both.

 

(FATHER considers her answer. Pause.)

 

FATHER

The important thing is that you are back safe and sound. That’s all that matters. You hungry?

 

                   MIRA

         I’m not hungry.

 

                            FATHER

         There’s stuff in the fridge. I can warm it up.

 

(MIRA takes off her jacket and  we see that her dress is ripped at the shoulder and her arm is bruised.)

 

         MIRA

         No.

 

(Pause)

 

         FATHER  

 

         Hey. Come here. Give your dad a hug..

 

(They hug.)

 

         FATHER

 

         What did you drink?

 

                            MIRA

 

         Nothing.

 

                            FATHER

 

         Smells like gin.

 

                            MIRA

 

         I haven’t had anything to drink… I need to wash up.

 

                            FATHER

 

         Sure. You do that.

 

(MIRA exits to a bathroom which is offstage. Presently the sound of running water is heard. FATHER continues to speak to MIRA while secretly rummaging through her bag. He finds a small, half full bottle of, presumably, gin. He puts bottle back in bag and leaves bag where he found it. Pause. ENTER MIRA.)

 

         FATHER

 

          First things first. How many were there?

 

                            MIRA

 

In total, about sixty. Hard to tell exact as they were coming and going.

 

                   FATHER

 

         Any pictures? Did you take any pictures of them?

 

                            MIRA

 

         Some.

 

                            FATHER

 

This calls for the big screen. Special occasion!

 

(FATHER begins to take down the projector screen and to connect his computer to the projector. While doing this, MIRA seems

apprehensive. FATHER sees this.)

 

You understand, I didn’t do it to be malicious, but it’s nothing less than he deserves. A selfish bastard, completely out for himself… When your mother died-

 

                   MIRA

 

I know-

 

                   FATHER

 

Then you know that things could have been different

if he had behaved better, she might have pulled

through, we had no support, you know that? Don’t you?

 

                  

MIRA

 

I know.

 

                   FATHER

And in all that confusion,  there was a time I wasn’t

sure I could continue on the faculty, that I couldn’t

continue with the pressure…

 

                   MIRA

And he asked you if you could put in a word for him. I know.

 

                   FATHER

 

Bastard. He actually wanted my job at a time when I

was so low, that’s all he could think of. That was

the end of our friendship.

 

                   MIRA

 

         You never were friends.

 

                            FATHER

 

Next thing I knew, Welles has me in the office, and I get fucked over and out of a job.

 

                  

 

MIRA

 

         I know.

                           

FATHER

 

Smug little smiling bastard, with his stupid tie and faggy socks… I wish I could have been there to see the look on Kate’s face. It must have been priceless.

 

(Pause. Something is up.)

 

FATHER

         What is it?

 

                            MIRA

 

         She wasn’t there.

 

                            FATHER

         Kate wasn’t there?

 

                            MIRA

 

         She wasn’t there.

 

                            FATHER

 

You went through with the detail and she wasn’t even there? That was the whole point! You run out all distressed shouting, everyone thinks he has done something to you and she is supposed to see it and there goes his marriage AND she is not there? Jesus Christ… She wasn’t.. Are you sure she wasn’t there?

 

                   MIRA

 

         Yes.

 

                            FATHER

 

         How can you be so sure?

 

                            MIRA

 

         He said it, said-

                            FATHER

 

         What did he say! Exactly!

 

                            MIRA

 

He said, said that she was sick and we’d just have to celebrate without her.

 

                   FATHER  

         Jesus Christ... Can I at least hear the recording?

 

(Mira goes to the computer and connects her phone to the laptop and arranges files on the computer.)

 

         MIRA

         Here. Enjoy.

 

(FATHER listens. Presently muffled sounds of a man and woman talking, but it is difficult to hear what is being said. FATHER looks disappointed.)

 

        

 

FATHER

 

         Where are the images?

 

(Mira goes to the laptop and taps some keys.

Father looks at the images. A number of nondescript pictures from a large office party.)

 

         FATHER

 

         Are there any of him with you? Is this it?

 

(The following lines with a / indicate that the dialogue overlaps)

 

         MIRA

         How am I/

 

                            FATHER

         Nine pissy pictures?/

 

                            MIRA

         Supposed to get a picture /

 

                            FATHER

 

         Fuck’s sake Mira /

 

                            MIRA

 

         A fucking picture of him with me!

 

                           

FATHER

 

         Make the effort-

 

                            MIRA

 

         I did make the effort-

 

                            FATHER

 

         Well you have to make the effort again, Saturday-

 

                            MIRA

 

         Fuck off!

 

                            FATHER

 

         What did you say?

 

                            MIRA

 

         You heard me.

 

                            FATHER

 

         What did you say? I just want to be sure.

 

                            MIRA

 

         You heard.

 

                            FATHER

 

         This will cost you. You know the rules. What did you-

 

                            MIRA

 

I said fuck off! (shouting at door) Bern! Bern!

 

                            FATHER

         What?

 

                            BERN

 

         (From outside)Coming!

 

(A moment of confusion. When MIRA calls out for BERN, the door is unlocked and a young man enters the room. FATHER is visibly ill at ease, wondering what is going on.)

 

         MIRA

 

         Well, Dad Bern Bern Dad. This is-

 

(Bern is silent, serious look on face.)

 

         FATHER

 

         Hello Bernard.

 

END OF EXCERPT