Memory of Two Mondays

 

 A Memory of Two Mondays  A Play in One Act

 

Characters Bert  Raymond  Agnes Patricia Gus  Jim Kenneth Larry Frank  Jerry  William Tom Mechanic Mr Eagle

The shipping room of a large auto-parts war warehouse. ehouse. This is but the bac back  k  of a large loft in an industrial industrial section section of New Y York. ork. The front of the loft, where we cannot see, is filled with office machinery, records, the telephone switchboard, and the counter where customers may come who do not order  by letter or phone. The two basic structures are the long packing table which curves upstage at the left, and the factory-type windows which reach from floor to ceiling  and are encrusted with the hard dirt of years. years. These windows are the background and seem to surround the entire stage.  At the back, near the center, is a door to the toilet; to ilet; on it are hooks for  clothing. The back wall is bare but for a large spindle on which orders are impaled every morning and taken off and filled by the workers workers all day long. At center there is an ancient desk and chair. Downstage right is a small bench. Boxes, Boxes, a roll of packing paper on the table table,, and general  untidiness.. This place is rarely swept. untidiness The right and left walls are composed of corridor openings openings,, a louver-like effect, leading out into the alleys which are lined with bins reaching to the ceiling. Downstage center there is a large cast-iron floor scale with weights and balance exposed. The nature of the work is simple. simple. The men ttake ake orders orders off the hook, go out into the bin-lined alleys, fill the orders, bring the merchandise back to the table, where Kenneth packs and addresses addresse s ever everything. ything. The desk is Gus and/or Tom K Kelly elly figure postage or express rates on, used to eatbyon, to lean on, or to hide things to in. It is just home base, generally.

 A warning  warni ng : The place must seem dirty and unmanageably chaotic, but  since it is seen in this play with two separate visions it is also romantic. It  is a little world, a home to which, unbelievably perhaps, these people like to come every Monday morning, despite what they say. say.  It is a hot Monday Monda y morn morning ing in summer, just before nine. The stage is empty for a moment; then Bert enters. He is eighteen. His trousers are worn at the knees but not unrespectable; he has rolled-up sleeves and is tieless. He carries a thick book, a large lunch in a brown  paper bag, ba g, and a New York Times. Times. He stores the lunch behind the  packing table, clears a place on the table, t able, sits and opens th thee paper, reads.

 

A Memory of T Two wo Mondays

56 A Mem Memor oryy o off Two Mo Mond nda ays Tom

There’s some stuff for Sullivan’s there. Okay.  He (  pokes through throu gh the packages. packa ges. picks some.  ))

Frank

Kenneth

Gus died.

Kenneth

 Jim

Ya, last night.

Frank you know. (   He goes on picking packages out. )  ) Is thisWhat all fordoWest Bronx,Hm. T Tom? om? Tom

I guess so for now.

Frank ( ttoo Kenneth ) Kenneth

Bert seems about to say good-by good-by to each of them, but they are engross engrossed  ed  and he doesn’t quite want to start a scene with them; but now  Jim is  putting his goods g oods on the ta table, ble, so Bert  goes  goes over to t o him. Bert  I’m leaving leaving,, Jim, so – uh – 

No kiddin’!

Frank

Oh, leavin’? Heh! Well, that’s –

Tom (  from  from his place at the desk, offering of fering an order to Jim ) Jim? See if these transmissions came in yet, will ya? This guy’s guy’s been ordering them all month.  Jim Sure, Tom.  Jim goes out past Bert   , studying his order order.. Bert  glances  glances at Kenneth , who is busy wrapping. He goes to Tom , who is working at the desk.

Died.

Yes, Jim was with him. Last night.

Bert

Well, so long, Tommy Tommy..

Frank  Jesus.  Pause. (  He stares, shakes his head. head   ) .) I’ll take

Tom ( turning  turning   )

Brooklyn when I get back, Tommy. (  He goes out, loaded loa ded with  packages. Bert is buttoning his overcoat. Agnes comes out of the toilet.  ))

Bert

Bert

Oh, you’re

Well. You’re leaving.

Bert ( expectantly expectantly )  )

Yeah.

Patricia enters. Patricia

Yeah, I’m leavin’ right now.

Bert

Yeah. I – uh – I wanted to –

Raymond enters.

Yeah.

 Agnes

Oh, you goin’, heh?

Tom Well, keep up the will power, y’know. That’s what do does es it.

Agnes?

 Agnes ( seeing seeing the coat on, the book in his hand  ) leaving, Bert! Bert

57

Agnes? Your switchboard’s ringing.

Raymond ( handing handing Tom an order   ) Tommy, ommy, make this a special, will you? The guy’s truck broke down in Peekskill. Send it out special today. today. Tom

Right.

Raymond turns to go out, sees Bert   , who seems to expect e xpect some moment from him.

 Jerry enters with goods.  Agnes Okay! ( Patricia Patricia goes out.  )) Well, good luck. I hope you pass everything. everything. Bert Thanks, Aggie. ( She She walks across and out, wiping a hair  across her forehead. Willy enters with goods as Jerry goes out.  Jim enters with goods. )  )

Raymond Oh! ’By, Bert. Bert So long, long, Raymond, I – ( Raymond Raymond is already on his way, and he is gone. Jim enters with goods. Bert  goes  goes over to t o Kenneth and  touches his back. Kenneth turns to him. Jim goes out as  Willy enters with goods – Jerry too, and this work goes on without halt.  )) Well, good-by, Kenny.