The Boys

Gordon Graham

• Publisher: Currency Press
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781921429149
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

A powerful picture of a family without moral, material, aesthetic or imaginative resources, each of them victims of a cycle of deprivation from which they can see relief only through money and physical power.%##CHAR13##%%##CHAR13##%The vicious murder of a woman is the culmination of the frustrated expression of anger by three men, who are, nonetheless, loved and cared for by their own women. This is a disturbing piece of writing which suggests that society is failing both the victims and perpetrators of crime.

ACT ONE

SCENE ONE

Lights up on the living room. It is very early morning, Tuesday. MICHELLE stands at the window, looking out anxiously. SANDRA is seated on the cane lounge with her feet up, and a blanket around her shoulders.

MICHELLE: I have to know.

SANDRA: I understand how you feel, love, but it’s not the first time the boys have stayed out.

MICHELLE: But the way they were carrying on yesterday. You couldn’t help thinking. Something was bound to happen.

SANDRA: Just like always, eh? The men go off and do what they’re going to do, and expect you to wait for them, as if that’s all you’ve got to do.

MICHELLE: Been waiting long enough, haven’t I?

There is a stirring at the back of the house. SANDRA gets up and goes to the doorway leading to the rear. She calls.

SANDRA: Stevie! You get back to bed this minute! You’ve caused enough trouble already, and I’m not having you prowling around the house in that state. You get back to bed and sleep it off, whatever it is. [She watches for a moment.] Whatever it is. [She moves back into the living room.] What can he have been doing to himself? That mad look in his eye, and coming in through the bathroom window like that, as if he didn’t know quite where he was. Almost like he was high on something.

MICHELLE: Maybe he is.

SANDRA: Out of his head, he is. Senseless.

MICHELLE: Do you think he needs a doctor?

SANDRA: Over my dead body. This is a family problem, and I’m not having any outsiders sticking their noses in.

MICHELLE: No, no, you’re right. I’m just so anxious, that’s all. About Brett. I mean the three of them have always done everything together, so, you know, whatever happened to Stevie…

From inside the house there comes another stirring sound. SANDRA goes to the doorway. She reacts with alarm as NOLA enters. NOLA is wearing a nightie, and has a blanket around her shoulders. She is visibly pregnant.

SANDRA: Oh, Nola, love, what’s wrong?

NOLA: [sobbing] It’s not right. I didn’t do anything to him.

SANDRA: Jesus, what’s he done now?

NOLA: He kicked me. Nearly got the baby.

SANDRA: What’s going on in his head?

NOLA: He stands there, looking down at me, and he says, ‘You deserve it, you bitch, you can count yourself lucky you’re as useless as you are’. Shit, what did he mean by that?

SANDRA: How could he call you a bitch?

NOLA: It was like I’d done something wrong.

MICHELLE: You were just in the line of fire.

NOLA: Was that scary. I mean with his clothes the way they were. All ripped about and covered in muck. And all the raving he was doing, hating everybody under the sun. Especially me.

SANDRA approaches the entrance to the rear of the house, and calls out.

SANDRA: For God’s sake Stevie, I could throttle you. [She turns back towards the others.] Oh, what’s the use? [To NOLA] You better get to bed, love. You need your sleep more than any of us.

NOLA: No, don’t want to. Not in there.

SANDRA: Yeah, you better have my bed. Wasn’t going to go back to it anyway.

MICHELLE: You sure, Sandra? The way you said you were feeling yesterday?

SANDRA: No, I’ll be alright. Much better now. Go on, Nola love.

NOLA: Thanks.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I’ll come and tuck you in, okay?

NOLA and MICHELLE begin to move away.

NOLA: Was there anything wrong in wanting someone that much? When you’ve had to wait so long? When you’ve started to think that no-one will ever turn up?

SANDRA: Yeah, I know, it’s so hard on your own.

NOLA: You keep waiting and waiting, and you can’t help thinking, well maybe he’s the one. Maybe he’ll do.

NOLA and MICHELLE leave. SANDRA lies back.

SANDRA: Oh, these nights, that just go on and on, and nothing makes sense at all. [Pause.] I suppose you don’t dare try make sense of it, because of the things you’ve seen, the things you suspect they’re really capable of. You don’t dare try and add it all up, specially not in the black of night. Same as you don’t dare talk about it.

There is a loud knocking on the front door. Taken by surprise, SANDRA sits up and listens for a moment. The knocking is repeated. JACKIE’s voice is heard from outside.

JACKIE: Will somebody open this door?

SANDRA: [surprised] Oh.

SANDRA gets up slowly and moves towards the door, now moving with some difficulty. The knocking is repeated louder. SANDRA opens the door, and JACKIE steps in abruptly. She is dressed in the uniform of a rent-a-car girl.

JACKIE: Is Glenn here?

SANDRA: He’s not with you?

MICHELLE enters, concerned.

MICHELLE: Brett? [She looks at JACKIE, disappointed.] Oh, it’s her.

JACKIE: [to MICHELLE] Have you seen him?

MICHELLE: Who?

JACKIE: [angry] Glenn, of course!

MICHELLE: Alright, I’m not a bloody mind-reader!

JACKIE: The idiot hasn’t come home.

MICHELLE: Yeah, he probably couldn’t take any more.

JACKIE: Is he here or not?

MICHELLE: No! Is that clear enough?

JACKIE: What about the others? Are they here?

MICHELLE: Why should you care about them now? You never have before.

JACKIE: Because they’ll know where Glenn is!

SANDRA: I’m sure when Glenn feels like coming home to you he will. In the meantime I’m not going to go meddling in his life.

JACKIE backs away, exasperated.

JACKIE: I know something’s been going on. I know what those three are like.

MICHELLE: Listen to Miss High and Mighty.

JACKIE: It makes me sick, what goes on around here.

MICHELLE: Well, stuff you. If you don’t like it, go away.

JACKIE: Don’t worry, I will.

MICHELLE: Great, see you around.

JACKIE: The only reason I came back to this place was because I thought I might give Glenn one last chance. Though after yesterday I can’t imagine why.

MICHELLE: No?

JACKIE: They treated us like dirt yesterday. I don’t know how the rest of you just go on taking it.

MICHELLE: Yeah, well, we all got our different ways of dealing with things. You’re not as special as you think.

SANDRA: Yes, it’s about time you learned that. You might get on with people better. You’re dealing with a family here.

JACKIE: Don’t worry, I’m going. This could be the last time you ever see me.

MICHELL...