Legacy

Scene 2

Time: A little over one week later

Place: Inside the Delasoles’ family room. There’s a door to the outside is in the rear wall. The desk is sitting center stage. Papers are piled on it, on the floor, on another table stage left, and on the end of a couch, stage right. Seven cardboard boxes are scattered around the room.

Michael enters from stage left, carrying his laptop and papers.

Michael: (calling offstage) Ciao, bella! See you tonight!

Michael opens the door and startles Sharon, who was just about to knock.

Sharon: Ah! Buon giorno, Michael!

Michael: (laughs) Very good! Buon giorno, Sharon! I’ll teach you Italian yet!

Sharon: Yeah, will you be teaching it in the nursing home? Because it’ll take me about fifty years! How’d the Antiques show go yesterday?

Michael: (hesitates, slightly amused) I’ll let Tammy tell you. (Calls offstage) Tam? Sharon’s here!

Tammy: (offstage) I’ll be right down!

Michael: Go on in.

Sharon: Thanks. Have a good day! Terrorize your students!

Michael exits. Sharon goes over to look at the papers on the desk. After a moment, Tammy enters from stage left with two coffee mugs.

Tammy: Morning, Sharon. Coffee?

Sharon: Oh, yes, thanks. (They go over to sit at the table stage left.) So, come on, I’m dying here. How much did they appraise the desk for?

Tammy: Five.

Sharon: Five thousand? You’re kidding! (Tammy shakes her head) Oh, five hundred! Well, that’s good, too. (Falters at the look on Tammy’s face) Oh…oh, no. Tammy, you don’t mean…not….

Tammy: Yep. Five dollars.

Sharon: Oh, honey, I’m sorry.

Tammy: Yeah, I could have given it to that lady for 10 and still got twice what it’s worth!

Sharon: Oh, Tammy. I’m…I’m so…. (She starts giggle, and they both burst out laughing) Oh, please tell me they’re not going to air that segment!

Tammy: No, I can at least keep my dignity – as long as everyone there keeps their mouths shut!

Sharon: So are you going to take out an ad, then?

Tammy: I don’t know. I suppose. Or I could stick it upstairs in the yellow room. (Sharon opens her mouth, and then decides not to say anything. Tammy sees it anyway.) Okay, I know what you’re thinking. “But Tammy, that would make a great nursery!”

Sharon: I wasn’t going to say that. (Tammy raises her eyebrow at her.) Okay, maybe I was. But it would, you know.

Tammy: Yeah, I know. Michael’s said the same. A couple of times.

Sharon: Well, you’d be a great mother. And I can just see Michael as a proud daddy!

Tammy: Maybe. Yeah, I suppose so. All his brothers are great fathers, and Papa Delasole is about the sweetest man I’ve ever met – next to Michael, of course.

Sharon: Typical Italian family?

Tammy: To tell you the truth, I was terrified when Michael brought me to meet his family for Christmas after we were engaged. I must have seen a dozen fights that weekend – mostly over who got the last cannoli – and each one ended with everyone hugging each other. Papa Delasole treated me like one of his own daughters. I think I hurt his feelings at first, because I didn’t know how to open up to him. Or any of them, for that matter. But Michael loved me, and that was enough for them.

Sharon: Well, see? Michael has a wonderful family legacy to share with your kids.

Tammy: Yeah, but he’s married to a hung-up, repressed Barnett. The poor kids would be in therapy for years.

Sharon: Honey, I think you’re selling yourself way short.

Tammy: Think so? Just let me baby-sit your kids some afternoon, and we’ll see.

Sharon: Any time you want the job, it’s yours!

Tammy: (laughing) You’d take me up on that wouldn’t you?

Sharon: In a heartbeat!

Tammy: Well, don’t even think about it until I get these piles cleaned up. And your kids will be in college by the time that happens. Which reminds me, I’ve really got to get to this junk.

Sharon: Surely this wasn’t all stuffed in the desk, was it?

Tammy: No, no, there were boxes in the crawlspace. I already went through all the school papers Mom kept; this is Dad’s stuff. I dumped it here before the sale, and haven’t had the heart to deal with it since.

Sharon: Is Michael getting kind of…?

Tammy: Michael? No, he’s right at home in chaos. But it’s really beginning to get to me. You can hang around if you want….

Sharon: (laughs) Thanks, but I’ve got a mess of my own right next door and only 15 minutes of freedom before Sandy brings the kids back from their swim lessons. (They stand and walk to the door.) Thanks for the coffee, and I’m sorry the desk didn’t work out.

Tammy: Well, it’s not like I was overwhelmed with offers anyway. Listen, I’ll stop by later, okay?

Sharon: Okay! (They hug and she exits through the door.)

Tammy sighs, heads to the desk, and starts leafing through the papers on top of it.

Tammy: Bills, bills, receipts – why in the world would you keep utility bills from ten years ago? (Stops and inspects one of the papers) I don’t believe it! Gas was that cheap? (Puts it back and digs to the bottom) Okay. Looks like these are all household finances. They can go. I’ve got enough of my own.

(Goes around the back of the couch and gets an empty cardboard box. Comes back to the desk and sweeps the papers into the box)

You! Back in your box! (Looks at the other stacks of papers) Oh, the recycling guys are gonna love us this week!

(Goes over to another pile and starts digging through it)

Okay. Sales records from the year 1987. Memos from your boss. Letters of commendation. Blah, blah, blah. (Dumps the stack in the box) You know, this may be easier than I thought. (Starts digging through another stack) More sales records. More bills. More – what’s this? (Reading) “Carol suggested today that we should buy a new stereo. I told her to go ahead – I’ve made more bonuses than ever this year.” I don’t believe it! You kept a diary? (Starts pawing through the pile) How much did you write? And why did I just dump everything together like this? Bills, receipts, business expenses – nothing else here! (Starts looking through other piles) Nothing. I don’t get it. (Stares at the diary page) Think, Tammy. Think. (Studies the page) Wait a minute. This wasn’t just a loose paper. This was ripped out of something. A notebook, maybe. Did he used to write in notebooks? I can’t remember. (Stares at the desk) Let’s see. You’re sitting at this desk, writing. I come in and ask you something. You’re too busy to…wait. Wait. Yes, There was one time I came in and you were writing in a notebook. You closed it and stuck it in a drawer and came out of your den with me to help me with something. I think it was the only time you ever did that. Okay, but there aren’t any notebooks in this mess. Let me see….

(Goes over to the boxes and starts opening them)

No, that wouldn’t be it. (Opens another box) No, more sales stuff. (Another box) Aha! Notebooks! (Takes one out and opens it) This is it! Let’s see. “August 3, 1970. I found an old diary that Dad kept. I never knew he’d done that.” Huh! Imagine that! “I guess it was easier for him to write down the stuff he could never tell Mom and me. Like I can’t talk to Carol, even though we’ve only been married a little over a year. So I thought maybe I’d try his method.”

(Closes the notebook and puts it back, taking out another one)

Okay, so what do we have here? Oh, this is more like it! “February 26, 1972. Wow. A son was born today. I was out of town on business. Carol seemed upset about that. But you can’t tell when a baby will come.” (Skips several pages) “March 10, 1972. Will my life ever be the same again? Having a baby in the house changes things a lot. I’m used to sleeping at night…well, I was used to it. Good thing my boss understands about my dragging around the office.” (Skips to near the end) “February 26, 2973. It’s Doug’s birthday today. One year old. He got ice cream all over his face – frosting, too. I managed to squeeze the party in between appointments.” Yeah. Figures.

(Puts the notebook back and takes another one)

Let’s see. (Inhales sharply) Oh, my. “August 2, 1975. A baby girl. Tammy. I was there. Carol thought I should show more emotion, more joy. But it’s just not that easy for me. I’m rather laid back. Dad brought Jim and me up to be men – not some gushy, emotional person.” (Sighs) Oh, Granddad did a good job on you, didn’t he?

(Takes out several notebooks and goes over to sit on the desk. Skips several pages)

“December 26, 1975. You would think having two children would only double the chaos at home – but no, it triples – or worse.” There you go. Reason 1,672 not to have kids. (Picks up and opens another notebook) “July 10, 1983. Doug is turning into quite a ball player. He pitches well and got the winning hit. It makes a dad proud. I can already see him playing for the Cardinals – maybe.” Ha! That was a long shot! (Picks up and opens another notebook) “December 7, 1984. Tammy was in the school play. She’s a good little actress, and she sings so beautifully. Her part called for her to act real snotty toward her parents until the end. She definitely knows how to do that.” Hey! (Picks up and opens another notebook) “August 2, 1988. Tammy just turned 13. A teenager, and she acts like it. Well, she has for a long time. When I ask how her day went, she just says, ‘Fine’. If I ask about anything else, she says I’m getting too nosy. How do you talk to a girl? If I say anything about what I’m doing she sits there looking very bored and finds any excuse to get away as quickly as she can. I’d really like us to get to know each other. But I just don’t know how….

Lights fade