The Cryptogram (5 page)

JOHN
: To keep you warm.

DONNY
: That’s right.

JOHN
: A coverlet.

DONNY
: Yes.

JOHN
: Where did it come from? The blanket.

DONNY
: Where? In England.

JOHN
: England.

DONNY
: Yes. From an Arcade.

JOHN
: Arcade …

DONNY
: With stores on either side.

JOHN
: Did you buy it together?

DONNY
: No. I bought it when he was away.

JOHN
: Away.

DONNY
: Yes. One day.

JOHN
: Away in the War.

DONNY
: That’s right. (
Pause
.)

JOHN
: Did you miss him when he was gone?

DONNY
: Yes, I did.

JOHN
: What did you think about?

DONNY
: (
Pause
.) Many things.

JOHN
: What things did you think of?

DONNY
: I don’t know.
Many
things.

JOHN
: Were you frightened for him?

DONNY
: Yes. I was.

JOHN
: Did you tell him?

DONNY
: We used to go out. To the Country, you know …

JOHN
: Is it wool …

DONNY
: When he’d come back. Walk in a
field
, or …

JOHN
: Is it wool?

DONNY
: I’m sorry?

JOHN
: Is it wool. The blanket.

DONNY
: Do you know. When you were small.
You
slept in it. All of the time. We covered you.

JOHN
: Why did you stop using it.

DONNY
: We put it away.

JOHN
: Why?

DONNY
: It was torn. (
Pause
.) And now you go to sleep.

JOHN
: Mother—Do you ever think you hear singing?

DONNY
: I don’t know what you mean.

JOHN
:
Singing
.

DONNY
: I don’t know what you mean, John.

JOHN
: At night. When you are asleep. Before you go to sleep.

DONNY
: I don’t know.

JOHN
: … and you hear …

DONNY
: … it’s time for bed, now …

JOHN
: … or you think you hear a
radio
 …

DONNY
: … a radio …

JOHN
: Playing
music
. And you think. “Yes. I know. That’s a radio.” And you listen. But then, you say: “It’s just in my head.” But you can
listen
to it. It goes on. (
Pause
.) Or
voices
.

DONNY
: You hear voices?

JOHN
: Just before you go to sleep. Do you ever do that? (
Pause
.) I hear them. Outside my room.

DONNY
: What are they saying?

JOHN
: Do you ever do that?

DONNY
: I don’t know.

DEL
: What are your voices saying?

JOHN
(
simultaneous with
“saying”): Tell me how the blanket was torn.

DONNY
: You go to sleep now, John.

JOHN
: I want to see my father.

DONNY
: Yes. But now you go to sleep.

JOHN
: It’s time to go to sleep.

DONNY
: That’s right.

JOHN
: Is that right?

DONNY
: You have a big …

JOHN
:
Tomorrow
.

DONNY
: Yes.

JOHN
: I’m going, you know, I’m going to do that thing.

DONNY
: What thing is that?

JOHN
: The Game.

DONNY
: … the Game.

JOHN
: To remember. With him.

DONNY
: The game. Yes. (
JOHN
starts upstairs
.) You take the blanket.

JOHN
: To observe.

DONNY
: Mmm …

JOHN
: … but it would have to be some thing that would surprise us.

DONNY
: That’s right.

JOHN
: When we look around.

(
He continues up the stairs. Stops to lean over the landing. Looking down at the mantelpiece
.)

So, I’ll ask my Dad. First thing. “You tell me the name of an
object
.” Or a “
collection
of things” … you know what I mean …

DEL
: … that’s right.

JOHN
: “As we approach the Cabin.”

DONNY
: Mm …

JOHN
: “To test our skills.”

DONNY
: … mm.

JOHN
: But it doesn’t have to be the Cabin.

DEL
: No …

JOHN
: It could be
anywhere
 …

DEL
: That’s right.

JOHN
: It could be anywhere at all.

DEL
: That’s right. As long as it’s some
thing
. You have determined to observe.

JOHN
: Yes. It could be right here …

DEL
: That’s absolutely right.

DONNY
(
goes to him with the blanket
) (
simultaneous with
“and”): … and take the blanket …

DEL
: Goodnight. John.

(
JOHN
picks up white envelope
.)

DONNY
(
of envelope
): What have you got?

JOHN
: Goodnight.

DONNY
: … what is that?

JOHN
: It’s a letter … It’s a note for you. (
She takes it, opens it
.) And it could be something right here, anything that, that, it would have to be something
new
 … something that would

DONNY
: … that’s right …

JOHN
: … 
surprise
us.

DONNY
: … when did this get here …?

JOHN
: … you see?

DONNY
: John. Go to bed. Now. Yes.

JOHN
: Do you see?

DONNY
: Go to bed.

JOHN
: Alright. I understand. I’m going.

DEL
: Goodnight, John. (
JOHN
exits
.)

DEL
: What is it?

DONNY
: It’s a letter to me. (
Pause
.)

DEL
: A letter. (
Pause
.) What does it say?

DONNY
: My husband’s leaving me.

DEL
: He’s leaving you. (
Pause
.) Why would he want to do that …?

End of ONE

The next night
.

JOHN
,
in his bathrobe, and
DONNY
.

JOHN
: I thought that maybe there was nothing there. (
Pause
.) I thought that nothing was
there
. Then I was looking at my
book
. I thought “Maybe there’s nothing
in
my book.” It talked about the
buildings
. Maybe there’s nothing
in
the buildings. And … or on my
globe
. You know my globe? You know my globe?

DONNY
: Yes.

JOHN
: Maybe there’s nothing on the thing that it is of. We don’t know what’s there.
We
don’t know that those things are there.

DONNY
: I’ve been there. To many of them.

JOHN
: Or in
buildings
we have not been in. Or in
history
. In the
history
of things. Or
thought
. (
Pause
.) I was
lying
there, and maybe there is no such thing as
thought
. Who
says
there is? Or human beings. And we are a dream. Who knows we are here? No one knows we are. We are a dream. We are just
dreaming
. I
know
we are. Or else … or else … (
Pause
.) … and how do we
know
the things we know? We don’t know what’s real. And all we do is
say
things. (
Pause
.) Where do we
get
them from? And, or that things, go on forever. (
Pause
.) Or that we’re
born
. Or that dead people moan. Or that, or that there’s
hell
. And maybe we are there. Maybe there are people who’ve
been
there. Or, or else why should we
think
it? That’s what I don’t know. And maybe
everything
is true. Maybe it’s true that I’m
sitting
here …

DONNY
: Johnnie.

JOHN
: What …?

DONNY
: I think …

JOHN
: … don’t you think?

DONNY
: … you have to …

JOHN
: No, I don’t.

DONNY
: Please, please do, though.

JOHN
: I don’t want to, though. (
DEL
enters
.) (
Of
DEL
.) That’s what I mean. I don’t want to … didn’t you, mother. Mother …

DONNY
(
to
DEL
): Did you …

DEL
(
simultaneous with
“you”): No.

DONNY
: Did you find him?

DEL
(
to
JOHN
): How are you? (
To
DONNY
.) No.

JOHN
: I’m fine.

DONNY
: Where did you look?

DEL
: The
Windemere
, and then I stopped at Jimmy’s.

DONNY
: Did you try The Eagle?

DEL
: No. (
Unpacking his paper bag
.) How has he …

DONNY
: Why
not
? Why
not
?

DEL
: I’m sorry … why not what?

DONNY
(
simultaneous with
“what”): Why didn’t you go to the …

DEL
: … I thought you were going to call them.

DONNY
: Why should I call them, if they’ll say he wasn’t
there
? Even if he
is
there …?

DEL
(
simultaneous with
“there”): I thought you were going to call them.

DONNY
(
simultaneous with
“call”): No. I never said that.

DEL
: Well, then, I made a mistake. (
He is preparing syrup from medicine bottle
.)

DONNY
: How much was it?

DEL
: I told them to charge it to you. (
Holding spoon
.) (
To
JOHN
.) Open your mouth.

JOHN
: I don’t want to take that stuff.

DONNY
: You’re going to take it and you’re going to
sleep
.

JOHN
: No. I’m not sleepy.

DONNY
: Take the medicine. Did you
hear
me? You’re
sick
, and you’re going to
bed
.

JOHN
: I can’t
sleep
.

DEL
: … that’s why …

JOHN
: Every time I go to sleep I
see
things …

DONNY
: You must …

DEL
: That’s, that’s why you have to take the medicine, John.

JOHN
(
simultaneous with
“John”): No. I’m not tired.

DONNY
: Do you want to go to the Hospital?

JOHN
: No.

DONNY
: No? Did you hear what The Doctor said?

JOHN
: No.

DEL
: … what did he say?

DONNY
: I want you to go to bed
now
.

DEL
: You heard your mother.

JOHN
: No. No.

DONNY
: Johnnie …

JOHN
: No one understands. You think that I’m
in
something … You don’t know what I’m feeling.

DEL
: What are you feeling? (
Pause
.) Are you afraid to go to bed?

JOHN
: Yes.

DONNY
: Why?

DEL
: What are you afraid of in there?

JOHN
: I don’t know.

DONNY
: I … I … I know it
frightens
you …

JOHN
: I don’t want to go to sleep.

DEL
: Alright, alright, I’m going to
promise
you … look at me. John. I’m going to
promise
you if you take this and … you take this and go upstairs then you won’t be afraid. I promise. (
Pause
.) I promise you. (
Pause
.)

JOHN
: I sweat through the sheets …

DEL
: We’ll change …

JOHN
: … the
bed
is wet.

DEL
: We’ll change, we’ll change the sheets, you don’t have to worry.

DONNY
: You go lie down in my bed.

DEL
: … you lie down in your mother’s bed. (
Pause
.) You go lie down there.

JOHN
: I’m going to sweat them.

DEL
: That’s alright. Do you hear what I’m telling you …? (
Pause
.)

JOHN
: Maybe I’ll just … maybe I’ll just go there … maybe I’ll just go there and lie down.

DONNY
: Yes. You go and lie down now. You take this, now. (
DEL
gives
JOHN
his medicine
.)

JOHN
: Do you know why I took it, cause I’m tired.

DEL
: I’m sure you are.

JOHN
: … cause I’ve been
up
all day …

DEL
: I know you have. And I know how that feels.

JOHN
: I … I …

DONNY
: … you go to bed now.

DEL
: John? “My blessings on this house …,” the Wizard said.

JOHN
: When is my father coming for me …?

DONNY
: Shhhh.

JOHN
: … No. I don’t understand.

DONNY
: Shh. It’s alright.

JOHN
: What’s happening to me …?

DONNY
(
embracing him
): It’s alright. Hush. You go to bed. It’s alright. John. Shh. You’ve only got a fever. Shhh …

DEL
: … you’re fine …

DONNY
: You go upstairs now. Shhh. You go upstairs now, John … (
She starts him upstairs. Comes down
.)

DEL
: … I looked every place I thought that he would
be
 …

DONNY
: I’m sorry.

DEL
: But I couldn’t find him. (
Pause
.) Do you want a drink?

DONNY
: No. (
Pause
.)

DEL
: I’m sorry that I couldn’t find him. (
Pause
.) Would you like me to go out again?

DONNY
: No. (
Pause
.)

DEL
: Would you like to play Casino?

DONNY
: No.

DEL
: No, you’re right, that’s stupid. Oh God, oh God, that’s
stupid
. (
Pause
.) Would you like to play Gin?

DONNY
: Del …

DEL
: Yeah. Do you see what I mean when I talk about myself? (
Pause
.) But would you like to?

DONNY
: Let’s have a drink.

DEL
: Well. I know I know I’m limited.

(
DEL
goes to the liquor cabinet, examines bottles
.)

There’s only a new one.

DONNY
: That’s alright, open it. Enough. Enough for one day. I don’t care. (
Pause
.) I don’t care anymore. I swear to God.

(
DEL
takes out bottle, takes out his knife, opens it
.)

DEL
(
of bottle
): I think that this is good for you. (
Pause
.) You know why …? Because it’s a ceremony. To, to
delimit
umm

DONNY
: A ceremony.

DEL
: Of … of what? Of, of
inebriation
, certainly, of, of of well, of
togetherness
 … I don’t know. (
He goes to the kitchen, comes out with two glasses and the bottle
.) (
Pours two glasses
.)

DONNY
: Thank you.

DEL
: Uh … Days May Come and Days May Go … (
Pause
.) Well,
that’s
true enough.

DONNY
: Isn’t it?

DEL
: I think so. (
Pause
.) Days May Come and Go.

DONNY
: And May we Always be as …

DEL
: Yes.

DONNY
: As …

DEL
: Unified …

DONNY
: Well, let’s pick something more moving than that.

DEL
: Alright … be . be . be . be-
nighted
? No, that’s not the word I want to use … be-
trothed
…? No.

DONNY
: Close …

DEL
: Yes.

DONNY
: Close to each other.

DEL
: As we happen to be right now. (
Pause
.)

DONNY
: Fine.

DEL
: (
Pause
.) And … May the Spirit of Friendship … (
Pause
.) oh, the hell with it. I mean, can’t people just have a drink … for the love of God? (
They drink
.) Bec, because I swear, because I think there’s just too much.