JOHN: I read that one. Little spoiler alert: It can actually be used for other things.

PONY (Picks up another brochure): “Great Meadows Community College: Where little acorns become”—wait, is this a typo?—“Where little acorns become big acorns.”

JOHN: I think the sports teams are called The Acorns.

PONY: It’s still not a very good motto.

JOHN: I thought we could take a class. Cooking or something.

PONY: That’d be fun. (Looking at another pamphlet) What’s “Harriman Leavey syndrome.”

JOHN: Nothing. I was working at some clinic.

PONY: You’ve been getting a lot of work.

JOHN: Not really. I’m doing a lot of estimates, though.

PONY: How’d that freezer thing go?

JOHN: What?

PONY: The grocery store.

JOHN: Oh, it was good.

PONY: We have to figure out the car situation.

JOHN: We will.

PONY (Reading): “‘This thing, and it’s fair to call it a thing, is energetic, elusive, and highly mortal,’ says Dr. Harriman Leavey, who is also an amateur cellist.” My cousin played cello. She almost went to England for it.

JOHN: Everything is mortal.

PONY: Not everything is everything.

JOHN: Then what is it, then?

PONY (Pulling a thread off her shirt): Get off of there, you. (Still looking at the pamphlet. Reading, absentmindedly) “Palliative.”

JOHN (Brief pause. Sporadically returns to fixing the lamp): Hey, I have to tell you something. This is stupid. I didn’t do that freezer job.

PONY: Oh. Why’d you say you did?

JOHN: I was embarrassed I screwed up.

PONY: You don’t ever lie.

JOHN: I know.

PONY: My dad always said, “I don’t need you to tell the truth, just don’t lie.”

JOHN: I know. You’ve told me that. So, are we all right?

PONY: I am. (Begins reading another pamphlet) Hey, there’s an apple orchard around here.

JOHN: I thought you’d like that. (He stands. He checks his pulse at the neck)

PONY: They have mini-golf. What?

JOHN: Nothing. Stood up too quick. (Makes finishing touches on the wiring job) There we go. (He plugs it in. Turns it on. It doesn’t work) Huh.

PONY: Can you believe someone threw that out?

JOHN: Yeah, yeah. (Brief pause) Don’t ask kids to flick lit matches at you, okay?

PONY: If that’s so important to you, you should’ve told me, before.

JOHN: I thought I did.

PONY (Sensing something having changed in John): What?

JOHN: I said, nothing.

(Lights down.)

Scene 4

Scene 4

Jennifer and Bob’s backyard and porch. Morning, bright sunshine. Bob is sitting at the picnic table.

JENNIFER (Enters, with coffee for Bob): Be careful. Are you ready? We’re almost late.

BOB: It’s impossible to be almost late.

JENNIFER: I’d love to hear more about that, Bob, but, come on, we’re almost late.

BOB (Checks his pockets): Have you seen my keys?

JENNIFER: I have mine.

BOB: Let me just look.