The Manor Partial Text
Copyright Holly Arsenault, 2015. All rights reserved. This text may not be reproduced or performed without explicit, written consent of the author.
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THE MANOR
Sample Pages
GIL, NONA, SUGAR, and ELEANOR are all residents of a long-term care facility. The women are all in sexual relationships with GIL. NICKI is a newly-hired male aid.
ACT I
Scene 3
Blue Balls
GIL and NONA sit in a common area, holding hands. Maybe GIL whispers something in her ear that makes her smile. SUGAR enters.
SUGAR
Hello, lovebirds!
GIL stands, kisses NONA’s hand, then kisses SUGAR.
GIL
Ladies, I am going to take my leave. Goodbye, Nona, and hello and goodbye, Sugar.
SUGAR
See ya, Gil.
He exits. SUGAR sits next to NONA. She waits for GIL to exit before she says…
SUGAR
I’m not in love with him, you know.
NONA nods.
I just didn’t want you to feel awkward. If you are.
NONA
If I am what?
SUGAR
In love. With him.
NONA
With who? That man? I don’t even know who that is.
SUGAR takes a second.
SUGAR
I mean, I like Gil. I do. And we don’t exactly have a lot of alternatives. (Nodding in the direction of two other residents, unseen) There’s Mildred and Grace. That would be easier wouldn’t it? I never tried being a dyke. You’d think I would have. A lot of the other mermaids did. But I never did. I just can’t imagine eating pussy. It would be like licking a hairy mango. I don’t know. I could give it a whirl, I guess. But I would feel terrible if I chickened out. I’d hate to give the lady blue balls. You ever tried it, Nona?
NONA
Yes.
SUGAR
How was it?
NONA
What can I say? I just need dick.
Scene 4
Tattoo, Part One
ELEANOR’S room. Middle of the night. The only light is from a nightlight in the bathroom and an emergency call button on the wall by the side of the bed. The bedside lamp flips on. She just lays there for a minute, as one does when it is the middle of night and you have to pee but you really don’t want to get out of bed. Finally, she lifts herself up. The bedrail is up. It takes her some time and effort to figure out how to get it down. She gets it down. She lays back down again, exhausted by the effort. She gets herself back up. She gets out of bed. She’s wearing a nightgown. Steadying herself on the bed, she gets to the bathroom. The bathroom light goes on. Now we don’t see her, but we hear her get herself onto the toilet and start to pee.
ELEANOR
Ahhhhh.
She starts to hum a tune. Suddenly, we hear the clattering of her toilet booster seat sliding off the toilet. We hear her body crash into something (probably the sink).
ELEANOR
God damnit!
We hear a straining breath as she reaches for the emergency call cord. She gets to it and pulls it repeatedly, until, finally, NICKI bursts into the room.
NICKI
Mrs. Monroe? Mrs. Monroe?
ELEANOR
In here!
NICKI finds her.
NICKI
What happened?
ELEANOR
Well, I fell off the toilet.
NICKI
You’re supposed to call me if you need to go in the middle of the night.
ELEANOR
How wise you are! A lecture is just what is called for in this moment.
NICKI
Sorry. Okay. Let’s get you up.
ELEANOR
I’m covered in my own—
NICKI
It’s fine.
ELEANOR
It’s horrifying. I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop it.
NICKI
We’ll get you cleaned up.
ELEANOR
Yes, hopefully.
NICKI
Okay, I’m gonna get the belt.
ELEANOR
I don’t need the belt.
NICKI
It’s the rule.
ELEANOR
I’m not that heavy.
NICKI
It’s just the rule, Mrs. Monroe.
NICKI gets his gait belt from his bag and takes it into the bathroom.
We hear him wrapping it around ELEANOR’s waist
ELEANOR
This thing is useless.
NICKI
That might be true. Okay, after I get you up, do you feel like you can walk?
ELEANOR
Of course. This floor just swallowed me up. If you can free me from its maw, I’ll be fine.
NICKI
Okay, here we go. On three. One. Two. Three.
We hear NICKI’S effort, and then ELEANOR is up.
They shuffle to the bed. One side of her nightgown is covered in urine and feces.
NICKI gets to the edge of bed and sits her down. He stops to catch his breath.
ELEANOR
Thank you.
NICKI
Yeah.
ELEANOR
Say “you’re welcome” sweetheart.
NICKI
Sorry. You’re welcome.
ELEANOR smiles.
NICKI
Okay. Now. Your nightgown.
ELEANOR
Yes.
NICKI
Do you want me to get Joanne in here to come and clean you up?
ELEANOR
My dear, you don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be here. Must we inflict this calamity on another poor soul?
NICKI
You seem good tonight, Mrs. Monroe.
ELEANOR
Irony.
NICKI
I just thought you might want a woman.
ELEANOR
Aren’t you a homosexual?
NICKI
Uh. Yes.
ELEANOR
Okay, then. Just get it off me please.
She raises up her arms like a child waiting to be undressed. He gently lifts her nightgown off.
She’s has on underwear, but no bra. He grabs a towel from the bathroom and drapes it around her shoulders, covering her breasts. She sits, very still, and looks out while he cleans the side of her torso with a washcloth. He puts the soiled nightgown on the floor, intending to take it with him to the laundry when he goes.
NICKI
Where are your—
ELEANOR points to the bottom drawer of her Mission dresser, another relic of her past life.
NICKI goes to the dresser, opens the drawer, takes out a clean nightgown, and puts it on her, gently. Except when she elevates herself to get the nightgown down, she doesn’t really move her body or her eyes until it’s done.
ELEANOR
Thank you.
NICKI
You’re welcome.
NICKI turns to go, gathering up the old nightgown.
Is there anything else you need before I g—
ELEANOR
You’ve got it on you.
NICKI
What?
ELEANOR
My… It’s on you. On your sleeve.
NICKI checks his sleeve. It has a little bit of feces on it.
NICKI
Oh, no big deal.
ELEANOR
Take it off.
NICKI
No, it’s fine. I’ll just change it when I get back to th—
ELEANOR
Take it off! Please!
NICKI
Mrs. Monroe, it’s okay, I have another—
ELEANOR
I don’t want them to see it! I don’t want them to know! They’ll be angry! Please take it off! Take it off!
NICKI
Okay. Okay, okay. It’s okay, Mrs. Monroe. It’s okay. Look, I'm taking it off.
NICKI takes off the shirt. He wears a tank top underneath.
He balls the shirt up with the nightgown.
Okay?
ELEANOR
Thank you.
NICKI
Okay. Let me help you.
NICKI helps ELEANOR lie down in the bed. As he’s doing that,
she notices something on the inside of his forearm and points to it.
ELEANOR
What’s that?
NICKI
Nothing.
ELEANOR
Is that a tattoo?
NICKI
Kind of.
ELEANOR
Were you in the army?
NICKI
No.
ELEANOR
Well, how did you get it?
NICKI
I, uh…I did it myself, actually.
ELEANOR
Yourself?
NICKI
Yeah. It’s called stick and poke? You just take a needle and some ink.
ELEANOR
Did it hurt?
NICKI
Uh…yeah.
ELEANOR
Why did you do that?
NICKI
Um. I just had this thing I really really wanted to remember.
ELEANOR
And you thought you would forget?
NICKI
Yeah.
ELEANOR
So you tattooed it onto your arm.
NICKI
Yeah.
ELEANOR
I see.
Pause. She takes his arm and holds the tattoo up close to her eye.
And what is it?
NICKI
Uh…it’s a carrot?
ELEANOR
Oh. Oh, yes, I see.
Pause
You thought you would forget a carrot?
NICKI
Um. Nope.
ELEANOR
I’m sorry.
NICKI
That’s okay.
Pause
Are you okay now, Mrs. Monroe? Can I go?
ELEANOR
I probably should have one of my…things.
NICKI
Your what?
ELEANOR mimes taking a pill and swallowing it with water.
NICKI
Your sleeping pill?
ELEANOR
Yes. Pill. Pill. That’s right.
NICKI
Okay.
NICKI goes to the bathroom and comes back with a glass of water and a pill.
He gives them to ELEANOR. She takes the pill.
ELEANOR
Thank you for all your help.
NICKI
You’re welcome.
ELEANOR lies down in bed. NICKI puts the rail back up,
then turns out the bathroom light and the bedside lamp, and starts to go.
ELEANOR
The carrot was about a person?
NICKI
(Without turning) Yes.
ELEANOR
Your mother?
NICKI
Yes.
There is a pause while NICKI waits to see if she will say anything else.
She doesn’t. She has fallen asleep. He goes.