so i travel now, same pay and everything, a little better actually, but i consult for our regional branches, even nationally sometimes…and it keeps me going, deb and i are fine. joe’s getting huge, he really is, i’d show you a picture but i don’t have any on me…but i find i really like the driving these days, you know? gives me a lot of time to just… well, drive, just drive and think, i usually don’t even get a room; i got this place (GESTURES) because i’m here a few days but normally, i’d have everything in the trunk and just do it that way…it’s funny how things end up, isn’t it? (BEAT) i can’t tell deb, it’d kill her. kill us, as a family, i mean, that’s obvious, right? can’t tell anyone in the church, or the police, of course…so i chose you. i saw you, tonight as i was walking through the lobby, and i just chose you. so there it is…i’m finished.
pause.
you probably need to…yeah, it’s late. take care of yourself, and thanks again, seriously, you’ve been very…you have any kids? no? well, when you do, you be good to them, okay? there’s nothing like ’em in the world…believe me. (BEAT) why don’t you go ahead and shut the light off there on your way out, if you would…i’m just gonna sit here a bit. i’ll be fine. you go ahead, really, it’s almost time for the last call, so you should…i’ll be…fine, i will. (AFTER A MOMENT) goodnight…
he smiles weakly once and takes a last sip from his glass as the lights snap off.
silence, darkness.
a gaggle of saints
silence, darkness.
a young, attractive couple sitting apart from one another, they are dressed in the popular evening fashion of the day.
JOHN
so, okay, so there was this big bash…
SUE
a party…
JOHN
party, bash, whatever, in the city. that’s what we came down for. the thing, this get-together. ‘s why we did it in the first place…
SUE
‘s our old youth group. i got a flyer in the mail…
JOHN
couple churches together, i think, mixed, and meeting in the city. ballroom over at the plaza…
SUE
which really sounded nice, you know…
JOHN
‘s expensive.
SUE
i mean, elegant..…
JOHN
but that’s cool, manhattan, always have a good time there, right?
SUE
people from high school were going…,
JOHN
‘cause we’re juniors up at b.c., so, like, there’s still lots of guys we know…
SUE
seniors now, mostly…
JOHN
all these seniors, guys like that, who we’re still in touch with. friends, you know…
SUE
this was just after mid-terms…
JOHN