OAK
TREE LANE
By
Johnny Culver
917 691 6884
CHARACTERS
MOTHER –Trapped, clawing to escape
FATHER – Blind, just getting by
BOY – Young, innocent
NEIGHBOR – Kind elderly woman
The front concrete stoop of a worn Levittown
home. The yard is brown and treeless with a few shrubs
close to the house. A trash can is off
to the side of the house.
It is a spring afternoon in the early seventies.
After a short pause,
BOY approaches the door, carrying his schoolbooks and wearing a schoolbag. He
lifts the doormat, searching for a house key, but finds nothing He feels under
the windowsill but finds nothing there.
BOY
Where is that key? I put it here this morning!
Goes to the door.
Maybe it’s open. Maybe she didn’t lock-
As
he reaches for the front door knob, it swings open and MOTHER appears in the
doorway, coat and purse in hand. She is not expecting the BOY.
MOTHER
I…what are you doing
here? Why aren’t you at school? I should call your father and tell him.
BOY
Don’t call him again…I didn’t feel good. The nurse
sent me house. She said she tried to call you.
MOTHER
The telephone hasn’t rung all day. You can’t come
home now. You can’t be here.
BOY
The nurse said the line
was busy. She tried to call a lot of times.
MOTHER
You’re trying to get
out of school aren’t you? You aren’t really sick are you? The telephone didn’t
ring. You came home to watch television, didn’t you?
BOY
No! I was in the
classroom and I didn’t feel good and the teacher sent me to the nurse.
MOTHER
I don’t want you in the
house when I’m not here. I’m going out. No television for you.
BOY
Out? Where?
Mumbles
Maybe you had the telephone off the hook, like you
always do...
MOTHER
Where I’m going is none
of your god damn business! I don’t need your backtalk! I can hear everything
you say. After all the work I had to do this morning. Your
work. Your chores. Again!
She
looks out, up and down the street
Where are they? I have
to get going…
BOY
Going where? What work
did you have to do?
Looks
up at sun
It’s getting hot. I
don’t feel too good. What chores? I did everything you asked -
MOTHER
Did you clean the cat box? That damned cat box?
BOY
No. I was late. I had to get to school. I’ll do it
now.
MOTHER
Get to school so you could sneak out early? Well, I
cleaned out that cat box. And we won’t have this problem again, will we?
BOY
No.
MOTHER
That’s right. That cat
has taken a little vacation. A little trip. She’ll be back
when you change your ways. Stop being so lazy.
BOY
Where is she? Where is Toodles?
Drops
books and looks around the yard
Toodles?
Toodles?
Gets
down on hands and knees and looks in bushes
Toodles?
MOTHER
Get off your knees. Get up. Stop being such a sissy.
You aren’t going to find that damned cat. There are going be some changes
around here!
BOY
starts to cry
Oh stop it, stop crying.
A
horn is heard
There they are! Go around the side of the house if
you are going to cry. Go look in the trash can and see what your mother had to
clean up! Go!
BOY
goes around the side of the house, and looks in the trash cans, partially of
sight.
Maybe your little cat
is in the back of the house, playing in the dirt! Go and see. That sweet little
cat of yours…
BOY
disappears. Horn honks again.
I’m coming! Get off the horn.
MOTHER
opens door and pulls out suitcase. She takes purse, coat and suitcase in one
hand and slams shut front door with the other.
There. Finally!
Stepping
off porch, she looks back at house.
Goodbye Oak Tree Lane. Good bye, you hell hole
house. Crummy Levittown shack. I hope to never see you
or your-
Looks
around
-your dismal neighborhood ever again!
Horn
honks again.
Allright! For god’s sake.
Goodbye old life and hello new life!
She
runs off towards waiting car. Her wallet and an envelope drop from her purse to
the ground, unnoticed. We hear the car
speeding away. After a pause, BOY enters from the other side of the house
BOY
Toodles?
Toodles?
Notices
he is alone in front of the house.
If she locked me out again. How can she...
Goes to door. It is locked.
Hey! Let me in! Let me in!
Bangs
on door with fists
Let me in!
Bangs
on the door, kicks it. Rings
doorbell over and over.
I’ll be good! I’ll do my chores!
Starts
to cry and slumps down in front of door.
I want Toodles!
There
is a pause and the NEIGHBOR walks quickly towards the porch. She kneels in
front of the BOY
NEIGHBOR
What’s wrong, what
happened? Why are you crying?
BOY
Toodles...Mother….locked out-
NEIGHBOR
Your mother locked
Toodles out? Nonsense. Toodles is safe in my garage.
Once you are better, you can have the cat back. Your mother said the poor thing
was making you sick. Very ill.
BOY
Looks
up at neighbor
You have Toodles? No, Mother locked me out of the
house.
Bangs
on door
See, she won’t even answer me! It’s so hot out here.
NEIGHBOR
Feels
BOY’s forehead
My, you are sick. Of
course your mother can’t answer the door. Can’t open the
door. She is gone. Left a few minutes ago. In big car. She told me this morning she was going on a
trip. I have a key to your front door, back at my house. I’ll get you inside.
You’ll feel better. I’ll look out for you and your father until your mother
gets back. What a nice man he is…
Stands
You stay right here.
Look, sit in the bushes where it’s cool. I’ll be back with the key to the front
door.
Moves
BOY into bushes
BOY
Standing
NO! Take me with you. I want to see Toodles!
NEIGHBOR
Pushes BOY back into bushes.
You stay here, and keep cool. Toodles is fine where
he is. In my nice clean garage…
Heads
off
What kind of a cat
makes a boy sick like that? Poor boy most likely got sick from being in that ditty
house. What kind of woman keeps such a
dirty house…
She
is off
The
BOY waits until the NEIGHBOR is out of sight, then darts from the bushes into
the small yard. He trips over his mother’s wallet, and envelope, stops, turns
and picks it up and glances inside.
BOY
Wow!
Look at all this money! Where did she-how did she-?
He
notices someone approaching and runs back into the bushes. After a moment, FATHER
appears. He is dresses in a suit and hat, and carries a briefcase in one hand.
On the other hand is a white cane. He taps his way up the walk. As he
approaches the porch, his cane hits the school books belonging to the BOY. He
bends down and touches the books.
FATHER
Loudly
Someone seems to have
dropped their schoolbooks. Maybe in a rush to get home from
school and watch television? Is it true what his mother says? What she
tells me every day when she calls me at work?
Listens for the television. To himself.
I guess not. Then who-
The
BOY rustles in the bushes
Toodles?
Is that you? Did you drop your schoolbooks? Rushing to hide in the bushes? A cat in the bushes?
The
boy comes out of the bushes.
BOY
Comes
out of bushes without schoolbag
Father, it’s not Toodles, it’s me.
He
goes to FATHER and leads him to the porch. The father sits on the stoop.
Why are you here? Why aren’t you at work?
FATHER
I think the question is
why are you in the bushes, and not at school?
BOY
I was sick and they
sent me home, but Mother left and our neighbor went to get a key. To let me in the house.
Starts
to cry
And Toodles is gone!
FATHER
Pulling
BOY close
Don’t cry, I’m sure your mother will be right back. If I had a key,
I’d let you in. Your Mother never goes anywhere for long, unfortunately-
Feels
wallet and envelope in BOYS hand
Your mother’s wallet?
Where did you get this? Where is your Mother? Did you take it? Today is not a
good day for this-
BOY
She left, a few minutes,
in a big car. She must have dropped this. This envelope and
her wallet. There’s money
inside. Where did all the money come
from?
FATHER
That woman…I have an
idea where it all came from. Sit down; I have to tell you something.
Hands
boy his hat
Put on my hat, to keep the sun away from you.
BOY
puts on hat
BOY
What do you have to tell me?
FATHER
Wiping
his brow with rag
Your father lost his job. I am out of work. Don’t worry, I have enough savings to last quite a while.
BOY
Why? Did I do something?
FATHER
No, it’s not your fault.
They grew tired of your mother calling me every day, yelling at me, taking me
away from my work. And now your mother tries to take all of my money away from
me! Take it and run away? I don’t like her very much right now.
BOY
After
a pause
I don’t like her
either.
FATHER
Well, at least she’s gone now. We won’t have to hear
her any more-
MOTHER
appears in yard. She motions for the boy to keep quiet
I can get another job,
we’ll move away, away from here. From this house and those
memories of your mother, terrible memories. Until then, I can go back to
selling soap, door to door. We can take care of each other-
MOTHER
Terrible memories?
I’ll tell you about terrible memories! A
terrible marriage! And you teo can’t even take care
of yourselves, let alone each other!
looks around for wallet and envelope
FATHER
Stands
No! I didn’t mean that. I-
MOTHER
What did you mean? That
you didn’t spend days away from home, leaving me alone with…
Points
to BOY
…him?
That you embarrassed me in front of the neighbors.
Asking them if they could drive you somewhere? Selling soap
door to door. I couldn’t show my face. Everyone on Oak Tree Lane was
laughing at me. What a terrible wife I was! I am! Trapped at
home. Trapped in that-
Points
to house
-dump
of a house. This crummy tract house neighborhood-
FATHER
You sure had enough
bottles to keep you company. You liked what was in those bottles more that you
liked me, or us.
Boy
stands. A horn is heard
Your new friends are
waiting for you. Go, go join them. You’re not welcome here. We’ll get along…
MOTHER
Jingles
housekeys
Get along? With no keys?
Calls
off
I will be right there! Wait!
FATHER
Holds out wallet and envelope.
Did you forget something?
Boy
rises and stands in front of FATHER
Did you forget my
money? My savings? Without this, I have nothing, no
future! I saved my entire life, worked my entire life and now you try to take
it! Steal from a blind man!
MOTHER
I deserve that money; after all you put me through.
I don’t know how much is in there, but it’s all I need, will need-
Steps
closer
FATHER
Was losing my sight my
fault? Did I ask to be sightless? Did I ask to never see your face again? To never see my little boy? To have to work like a pauper,
just to keep you happy, to keep you supplied with bottles? Full
of drink?
MOTHER
Give me the money and
I’ll go away. I’ll never come back. Let me go. I never want to see this place ever
again.
The
BOY grabs the wallet and envelope from father, and goes to MOTHER
BOY
Take it. Take it and
go. I don’t like you. We don’t like you. Go away.
FATHER
No! Wait!
MOTHER
Taking
wallet and envelope, and tosses house keys to porch
Take the keys to that dirty house, fool. That
kid is as stupid as you are. Goodbye. Good luck, you fools.
You’ll need it.
She
runs off
FATHER
Sitting
on porch
Well, now what. What do
we do now, son? No money, no job.
BOY
Picks up keys.
But no more mother!
Goes
to FATHER and hands him keys
You have your keys, Father. Now we can go inside.
FATHER
Thank you.
BOY
I opened the envelope,
when I was in the bushes, Father. I saw all the money in the envelope.
Goes
to bushes and crawls in quickly then out with schoolbag.
I took money out of the
envelope, Father. Don’t be mad at me.
Hands
wad of bills to FATHER
This is for us. Mother got
just what she deserved.
NEIGHBOR
Appearing
with keys
Oh! I see your father is here. Your wife left, you
know. Sped away in a big car. Don’t worry; I have keys
to your house. I can help you get
inside.
FATHER
She left for good. I hope she left for good.
puts envelope in suit pocket
BOY
Picks
up books
I want to go inside. Out of the
sun.
NEIGHBOR
Let me open the door for you.
Goes
to front door and open it with keys
Left for good? Well,
Let me get started cleaning up in here.
FATHER
and BOY go inside
A nice man like you
deserves a good clean house. So does a nice boy .I’ll take care of you both.
She
goes in house and closes the door.
CURTAIN