Nights in August
by
Bobby Derie
Dramatis Personae
Winter (An older gentleman)
Lemar (A young soldier)
Alexandra (A young woman)
Scene
[The Curtain rises on a small table, set with a simple meal, two plates, two forks, two chairs side by side and one knife.]
[Winter and Lemar sit at the table, eating. They take turns using the knife, which is between them, but never pass it directly between each other.]
[Winter sets the knife down. Lemar picks it up.]
LEMAR.
How did it start?
[Winter wipes his lips with a napkin.]
WINTER.
When you left, she would come around after school, just for the company. I would read your letters out loud, or some of my poetry, and she would lay her head on my breast, and we would remember you that way. Talking for hours. The good times, when you were sixteen and she a blushing fourteen undressing you with her eyes; when you used to come by to wash the car, or beg a book from my library. You remember how you used to sit there on the wide window-ledge, catching the dying sunlight on the page, your hair a blazing halo…and she got horny. Horny and lonely. We both were.
LEMAR.
Does she know about…us?
WINTER.
Not unless you have told her. You know I’ve always been very discreet about that.
LEMAR.
No, of course not. I don’t know that it would make any difference, now. I meant what I said, in the last letter.
WINTER.
You had a bitterness upon you, then. I thought you might have shucked it.
LEMAR.
No. Not really. Not since you fucked her.
[Lemar looks down at his hand, still holding the knife, then sets it down.]
[Winter exhales, coughs a little.]
WINTER.
I never meant for it to become serious. I never meant for it at all. But she had nothing to fill her and I…well, you know I missed you too, that way. Our needs fell together. Afterwards, I thought we should discuss it, but she seemed content to…just carry on like that, for a while, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
LEMAR.
Thank you.
WINTER.
For what?
LEMAR.
For not lying to me. Not giving me some corny line of shit like you were just keeping her warm for me.
WINTER.
I lie for a living, but always to strangers. Never to friends or lovers.
LEMAR.
So I guess the question is, what do we do now?
WINTER.
Have you broken the engagement?
LEMAR.
No. Not yet. Wanted to talk with you first. Work this out.
WINTER.
Will you still marry her?
LEMAR.
If she’d have me. Would you?
WINTER.
Yes, now that she’s of age. I wouldn’t before. Wanted her to finish high school, and she has been away these last few months, working and I have seen nothing of her.
LEMAR.
What type of work?
WINTER.
Clerical, of some sort. Her letters have been very short, but she seems to be doing well. She will be back shortly, to see you home.
LEMAR.
Good. Well since we’re both willing, what do you say we put a proposal to Alex together, when she gets here? Let her choose which one she wants, and the other just bows out, graceful-like.
WINTER.
An excellent plan.
[Winter picks up the knife.]
I know we will never again be on the same intimate terms we were, those dark nights so many years ago, but I wanted to say…I am proud of you. Proud of how you have grown up, how you chose to handle this, man-to-man. Boys your age would still be all blood and thunder, or slinking dogs. It takes a man to confront another man, civilly, as you have done. And I thank you for your understanding, about what happened.
[Lemar grins.]
LEMAR.
You’re never going to apologize for sticking it in her, are you?
WINTER.
Of course not.
[Enter Alexandra.]
[Winter and Lemar both stand.]
ALEXANDRA.
Lemar! Winter! You’re both here…
WINTER.
Yes my dear, we have been catching up…and discussing our relationship.
[Alexandra moves to speak, but Lemar shushes her.]
LEMAR.
Don’t talk just yet, Alex. Just listen for a bit. I know you and Winter have had your thing while I was away. That hurt me, I don’t mind telling you that, but I understand. I missed you both terribly as well. But now that I’m back, we need to settle this among ourselves. Winter and I, we talked it out. Thing is we both love you, and we’re both willing to marry you. So what we’re asking now is for you to choose between us—and there won’t be no shame or dishonor on you to pick one or the other.
ALEXANDRA.
Are you…still friends?
WINTER.
I do not know if two men can ever truly be friends again, after such a breach. But we are at least friendly rivals for your affections, and we share the camaraderie of men who have both travelled the same territory, so to speak.
ALEXANDRA.
I thank you both, but I cannot accept either of your proposals. I came today to see Lemar again, to welcome him home, but also to tell you both…I’m pregnant.
[Winter lets the knife drop from his hand.]
I missed you both while I was away, and there was a boy at the place that I worked…and we became intimate. He is the father.
LEMAR.
Well, speaking for myself I was willing to accept you furrowed and plowed. My offer still stands, pregnant or not.
WINTER.
The young man speaks well! I of course will also stand by my proposal. Choose between us, my dear.
ALEXANDRA.
You are both too good to me, but I have already received an offer from the baby’s father, and I have accepted it. I just came here today to give you this.
[Alexandra takes off her engagement ring, and presses it into Lemar’s hand, then kisses him. Then she draws away.]
And this.
[Alexandra goes up on her toes to kiss Winter.]
Goodbye.
[Exeunt Alexandra]
LEMAR.
That hurt like hell.
WINTER.
I do not know that she will ever know how deeply she has wounded us both.
LEMAR.
It is kinda…freeing, though. I guess I felt like my future was tied to marrying her for the last two years. Like a prisoner in his cell, setting feet outside again.
WINTER.
That is love.
LEMAR.
That it might be. But there’s nothing holding me here now. Goodbye Winter.
[Exuent Lemar]
WINTER.
Goodbye.
[Winter stoops to pick up the fallen knife, and lays it back on the table, between the two plates.]
CURTAIN.
[The end.]
