The Unplugging Page 3
SEAMUS
benign?
BERN
yeah. Like—mild. Harmless, kind of.
SEAMUS
benign.
BERN
how old are you?
SEAMUS
old enough
BERN
what are you doing here?
SEAMUS
free country
BERN laughs again.
why do you keep laughing at me?
BERN
you say funny things
SEAMUS
I don't think I do
BERN
what are you doing here?
SEAMUS
same as you, probably. Looking for stuff. Trying to stay alive.
BERN
where'd you come from? Yeah, yeah, I know. (She motions vaguely as he did before.) But it's been seven or eight moons since the unplugging, you haven't been wandering since then. You've been somewhere, you've been part of some community. And now you are not. How come?
SEAMUS
Moons? Is that like months?
BERN
yes, my boy, that is like months, give or take. Once upon a time we kept time by the moon.
SEAMUS
it was a beautiful moon last night. Full.
BERN
almost a full moon. Today it is full. Mukwa geezis. Bear moon.
SEAMUS
Mug—wah?
BERN
Mukwa, it means bear.
SEAMUS
in what language?
BERN
in my language. So, you won't tell me where you came from, or what you are doing here. You must have just got here, I haven't seen any sign of you.
SEAMUS
yeah, just got here yesterday, was lucky to find this place up here for the night, made a fire
BERN
where? I didn't smell anything—
SEAMUS
Just up there, nice place, all glass and open
BERN
at the monk's place?
SEAMUS
there was no one there
BERN
no, he's gone
SEAMUS
he was a monk? Cool.
BERN
you didn't—wreck it, did you?
SEAMUS
what difference does it make? He's long gone. He won't miss a few chairs—
BERN
Oh no—
SEAMUS
good thing that floor is stone, or the whole place woulda gone up
BERN
what?
She strides to him, poking him as she speaks.
This is how we got into this situation in the first place, people indiscriminately taking and using and wasting without any thought to the future—
SEAMUS
ow, ow, okay stop, I'm kidding—I'm just jerking you around!
BERN stops. They are too close.
BERN
You didn't—
SEAMUS
What kind of asshole do you think I am? shit, you are strong… I'm gonna have a bruise there.
BERN
I barely touched you.
SEAMUS
look, it's coming up already
BERN
wow, you must be missing something in your diet
SEAMUS laughs.
SEAMUS
yeah, like food.
BERN reacts.
you wouldn't have any?
BERN
what?
SEAMUS
please. The monk's place is nice, but it's kinda stripped clean. Like every other place along the way here.
BERN
along the way?
Beat.
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a package that she unwraps a bit, from which she pulls out a piece of food. She hands it to him.
SEAMUS bites it. Chews.
SEAMUS
wow. Holy shit. That's—what is that? Meat?
BERN
it's moose. A kind of a jerky.
SEAMUS
oh my god. You caught a moose?
BERN
my—friend—shot a moose, yes.
SEAMUS finishes the bite.
SEAMUS
is there—more?
She pulls out another piece, holds it to him, then away.
BERN
what are you doing here?
SEAMUS
let's just say I am looking for a new situation
He reaches for the jerky. She pulls it away.
BERN
what was wrong with the old situation?
SEAMUS
please. It's so—good—I'm hungry
BERN holds the food away.
I was in a place, a group of people. They—didn't want me. I wasn't pulling my weight.
BERN gives him the meat, which he tries not to wolf down. She reaches into another pocket and offers him something.
BERN
These are full of vitamin C. Should help with the bruising.
SEAMUS
Thank you.
BERN nods.
BERN
let me see. (motions to where she poked him)
He opens his layers and she looks at his chest.
yup, that's a bruise all right. Sorry.
SEAMUS
you smell good.
BERN
(stepping away) what?
SEAMUS
sorry, don't—it's just, you smell good, like woodsmoke and pine trees and vanilla and stars—
BERN
I smell like stars?
SEAMUS
yeah, I don't know. But yeah, like stars.
BERN laughs.
there you go again.
BERN
you're a funny boy—
SEAMUS
Seamus
BERN
shaymuss.
SEAMUS
yeah, but spelled the Irish way—s-e-a-m-u-s—my folks had a thing for the old country—though they were born and bred here
BERN
the old country
SEAMUS
people are funny about roots
BERN
yeah
SEAMUS
so—um—
BERN
um?
SEAMUS
that's your opening to say—my name is—Cathy or Stephanie or Michelle or whatever
BERN
I don't know that I want to give you my name.
SEAMUS
o-kay. Well, then I will just call you She Who Smells Like Stars. Though it's a little awkward. Better hope there's no emergency. Watch out! She Who Smells Like Stars! There's a—awwwwww!
And the bear will have you.
BERN
no bears out this time of year.
SEAMUS
even though it's bear moon? Mugwah something.
BERN
good for you, Seamus. You learned something.
SEAMUS
I can learn things. I can. It's a bit late, but—
BERN
Bernadette.
SEAMUS
Bernadette.
BERN
but my friends—my friend—calls me Bern.
SEAMUS
ah, your friend. Am I going to meet her?
BERN
how do you know it's a her?
SEAMUS
you said, your friend, she shot a moose
BERN
I don't think I did
SEAMUS
/> well, even if you didn't, don't take this the wrong way, She Who Smells Like Stars, but you don't seem like a woman who has a man
BERN nods.
do you wanna go up to the monk's house, make a fire? Then you can see for yourself that I didn't bust up the joint.
BERN pauses.
come on, Bernadette. And if you have any more of that jerky in those pockets, I'll trade you news for a piece of it.
He starts to walk off, beckoning her. After a moment she follows him.
CACHE
BERN is doing housework. ELENA bursts through the door carrying the hatchet. She gets the rifle, starts to load it.
BERN
Elena, what—?
ELENA
they've found us
BERN
who's found us? Wait, Elena—
ELENA
not now, Bernadette.
BERN grabs the rifle barrel, ELENA still holds the stock.
BERN
what—are—you—doing?
ELENA
there's a man out there. Watching us.
BERN
a man?
ELENA
they've sent someone, Bernadette. They tracked us, and they've sent someone—
BERN
why would they do that, Elena?
ELENA
to take what we have. Let go.
BERN
you're not going to shoot him
ELENA
I am going to try.
BERN
he's hardly a man, Elena. Not much more than a boy.
ELENA stops. Beat. Beat.
I met him. Yesterday. Up near the monk's place.
ELENA
you—met—him?
BERN
yeah, I was on my way back from the creek and I could feel that I was being watched. So I called him out.
ELENA
you met him yesterday? And you didn't tell me?
BERN
I'm sorry, Elena. I was trying to figure out how to—tell you.
ELENA is silent.
I was afraid. Of this. That you would take a gun to him.
ELENA
you met him yesterday.
BERN
I'm sorry. (beat) Elena, can we invite him in?
ELENA
no.
BERN
no?
ELENA
absolutely not.
BERN
I don't get a say in this?
ELENA
how about, I don't get a say in this. You go off and meet some man, you don't tell me, now you want to bring him into our house.
BERN
sorry, sorry, sorry, how many times can I say it? I'm sorry. Elena, it's cold out there, he is hungry. He's young, and kinda dumb.
ELENA
Send him back to them. Tell them no.
BERN
They banished him.
ELENA
(beat) Sure they did.
BERN
That's what he says.
ELENA
Don't believe him, Bernadette. He's a man.
BERN
oh my god
ELENA
How long did you two stand around chatting? Or was it more than chatting?
BERN
It was more like talking, Elena. Not too long. Long enough. He's staying in the monk's place.
ELENA
nooooo
BERN
no, it's okay. I checked. He is being respectful. Showed him how to make a proper fire.
ELENA
you were in the monk's place with him
BERN
He has news, Elena, lots of news. Just let him come in, have a cup of tea, something to eat. He can tell you things. He has news. Maybe about your daughter, your grandson.
ELENA
they are dead to me
BERN
they are not dead to you, Elena. Even if they are dead (She makes a physical gesture to banish the thought.) they would still not be dead to you. “They are with us, always.” (beat) Let me invite him in.
ELENA
do you like him?
BERN
oh, Elena. He's a boy, he's like a nephew.
Big beat. ELENA looks at BERN, weighing. BERN waits.
ELENA
all right. Let's see him then.
BERN goes to the door.
BERN
Seamus!
ELENA
Seamus?
SEAMUS
(offstage) Bern?
BERN
Come on in! (to ELENA) You might want to put the rifle down.
ELENA
or, I might not.
SEAMUS arrives at the door. He comes in, taking off his boots.
SEAMUS
Hi. You must be Elena.
SEAMUS tries to offer his hand, considers the gun, changes his mind.
I have heard so much about you.
ELENA
really. From whom.
SEAMUS
well, from—Bernadette here. (beat) Oh hey, Bern, (reaching in his parka pocket) are these the same berries you gave me yesterday?
BERN
rose hips. Yeah.
ELENA raises her eyebrows.
SEAMUS
oh good. I thought so. I found some more today. Been sucking on them. 'Cause of what you said about vitamin C. Ooh, wanna see the bruise you gave me? (starts to undo his shirt) It's a good one.
BERN
ah, that's okay. Um, come on in. Do you want a cup of tea?
ELENA
Bernadette—
SEAMUS
oh please. (to ELENA) Thank you for having me in your home.
ELENA nods. BERN motions for him to sit, then brings him a cup of tea.
meegwitch. That's right, isn't it? Thank you?
BERN
Meegwetch. Yes.
SEAMUS sees ELENA watching him.
SEAMUS
Bern taught me that. Thank you. In your language.
ELENA
you're a quick learner, are you?
SEAMUS
pretty quick. Things that interest me. Though now there's a lot less distractions, I find that a lot of things interest me. Everything. It's like the—the unplugging—kind of wiped me clean, and I can start learning all over again. But important things this time, not just video games and Twitter, but things like what time of day it is from the sun, and what we can eat from the land, and that mukwa means bear—
ELENA
what are you here for?
SEAMUS
I told Bern—
ELENA
tell me
BERN
Elena
SEAMUS
it's okay, Bern. I know it must look weird, me showing up here. The community—it's not going so well there. (beat) There's lots of—sickness, lots of anger, lots of power stuff going on. Laird is, like, king or something. He said I had to go because I wasn't pulling my weight, but I think it was—something else.
BERN
something else?
SEAMUS
I was doing the same as everyone else. More, even, because I was strong, but Laird—nothing I did pleased him.
ELENA
And.
SEAMUS
There was a girl. New since you two—left—I think. Tessera. We were spending time together. And Laird, well, he seems to think that everything and everyone belongs to him.
BERN
droit du seigneur
SEAMUS
what?
BERN
> it's—nothing—a primitive belief—
ELENA
so she wouldn't leave with you?
SEAMUS
Tessera, she's young. She's scared. She's lost a lot—
ELENA
We've all lost a lot.
SEAMUS
yeah, well, yeah… I don't blame her. I couldn't have taken care of her. I could barely take care of myself. If I didn't find you guys—
ELENA
so you tracked us here
SEAMUS
yeah
ELENA
why?
BERN
how?
ELENA
surely there were other options along the way, other groups of people who would be happy to have a young, able-bodied, quick learner like you
SEAMUS
(shrugs) maybe. Stayed with a few on the way. Passed a few more. Nothing appealed.
ELENA
and we did? Two old women? What did you think was going to happen when you got here?
SEAMUS
I didn't think that far—I don't know. I just kept moving north. (beat) Then I stumbled on one of your camps. Saw how you got in, that you'd made a small fire, burned your garbage, left the place tidy. That there were two of you.
ELENA
you're a regular detective, are you?
SEAMUS
I started to try and think like you. Where were you going, how did you choose your stopping places… you were smart… you made me smarter.
ELENA
We made you smarter. So now you think that we should welcome you with open arms?
SEAMUS
I didn't think you would welcome me with open arms. It's why I hung around, getting the lay of the land for a bit. But I got—
ELENA
—hungry.
SEAMUS
—lonely. (beat) We need people. People. People need people.
Silence.
BERN
how did you find us?
Silence.
how did you find us, Seamus? How did you even know to keep moving north? Elena and I have been gone for three moons. You didn't just walk out on the road and sniff. I never even saw you when we were there.
He looks at ELENA.
SEAMUS
I know your daughter, Valerie. We talked. She worries about you.
ELENA
shut up
SEAMUS
she—she's pretty busted up—
ELENA
Shut up!
SEAMUS
and your grandson, Archer, he said when he saw you again he'd—
ELENA
GET OUT! GET OUT!
ELENA grabs the rifle.
BERN
ELENA, NO! (to SEAMUS) You'd better go.
SEAMUS struggles into his boots, exits.
BERN picks up the abandoned cup, examines it.
so now we banish him?
ELENA