A Visit

A living room piled high with clean laundry and magazines. A couch in the center, flanked by two chairs with side tables in between. A coffee table in the middle. A table behind the couch, running its length. A door stage right, to the driveway. A door stage left to the hallway. The windows are shuttered. It's evening.

A WOMAN in her mid fifties, though she looks like she's in her mid sixties. She's wearing sweats. Her hair is in a bun. Her cheeks are naturally rosy, enhanced by an adulthood spent drinking. She drinks her wine out of a standard kitchen glass with ice cubes. When she drinks, she closes her eyes. Every time the glass comes to her lips, she puts out her hand and hums a short, urgent note into the wine, as if to say "don't talk yet, I have something else to say, I'm just pausing."

A BOY, almost thirty. He sits in a chair close to the door and fiddles with everything he can reach while he talks.

The WOMAN paces, busying herself, moving one stack of magazines off of a table and onto the couch, moving a half pile of laundry to a table etc.

WOMAN: (crying, trying to hold it together) I'm really glad you came by. It was really good to spend time with you last week. I'm really glad you stopped by.
BOY: Me too.
WOMAN: It's just, you know, it's just... It's been a really shitty week.
BOY: Yeah.
WOMAN: (to herself, like a mantra) But you know, sometimes, you just need to lock yourself up in a room and lay around and sleep and try to get your mind off of things. (sits, on couch near BOY) I was watching this thing on 60 Minutes. I saw something on there yesterday and immediately thought of you. Mmm, (into wine glass) do you ever watch 60 Minutes? You should see this one I saw yesterday.
BOY: Not really.
WOMAN: Oh, well, I know you're busy. I'm so glad to see you. I'm glad you stopped by.
BOY: I got a promotion. Wilson quit. They bumped me up to his office.
WOMAN: Oh! That's wonderful! You've got what it takes. I've always said that. You're such a good-looking boy. And you're so smart. The way you remember things. It's just amazing.
BOY: Thanks.
WOMAN: Yeah, I just went down this week and I told the woman, Peggy, that's her name, (drinks) I told Peggy I would, even though it's just grunt work, I told her I would come in every day. I'd come in every day if she needed me to.
BOY: That's great.
WOMAN: I almost got my typing skills back to where they were when I could, back when I used to be able to type right along with someone as they were talking. So that's good. That was back when I worked in the city. Downtown.
BOY: Good.
WOMAN: (starting to cry again) You know and it's just, it's keeping yourself busy. Just keeping your mind off of things. (she sobs silently for a minute)
BOY: Ok, so, why are you crying? Why are you sad?
WOMAN: (talking through tears, slurring words) Oh, you know, it's just, it's been a year. It's been a year since she died. Since we lost her. It's been a year.
BOY: Yeah.
WOMAN: (drinks) And you know, sometimes you just lock yourself up in a room and you just turn on the TV and you try to keep your mind off of it. You know, you just need to. That's what I've been doing today, just keeping busy.
BOY: Well. Yeah, that's sad.
WOMAN: (drying up again) So. Well. How's Emily?  How is it with Emily?
BOY: Oh, you know... it's fine. We're fine.
WOMAN: That's good. You've met a lot of real nice girls, women in your life. You have a lot of good experiences. (drinks) Do you remember Marissa? Of course you do. Hah! Do you ever talk to Marissa anymore?
BOY: You mean Melissa?
WOMAN: Yes! Melissa. Aww, Melissa. Do you ever talk to her anymore?
BOY: Nope.
WOMAN: She was so sweet.
BOY: Yup.
WOMAN: Well...
BOY: Welp. I've got to head on. It was really good seeing you.
WOMAN: Oh! It was good seeing you too, sweetheart. Give me a hug.
(They stand. They hug. She squeezes, he pats.)
WOMAN: Tell Emily I said hello!
BOY: Yup. I will.
WOMAN: I love you. I'm really glad you came by. Thanks for stopping by. It's always so good to see you and hear your voice.
BOY: Love you too.
WOMAN: Now, drive safe. If you get tired, just pull over. I saw something on 60 minutes. They said just pull over.
BOY: I will.
WOMAN: Here, take this. (picking up a dress shirt) It would look so good on you.
BOY: I don't need it. Thanks.
WOMAN: Oh! Well, you never know. You might. (Throws it over his shoulder.)
BOY: (opens door) Ok, well, it was good seeing you.
WOMAN: Oh, you too. I love you. Drive safe. Call me, let me know you get there. Just call me. I love you.
BOY: Ok. I will. (leaves, leaving door open.)
WOMAN: Ok, love you. I love you.
(WOMAN stands at the open door, smiling and waving. She stands there until his car leaves the driveway and goes down the street, watching it the whole way. She closes the door, sits down on the couch and sips her wine, smiling. She picks up a magazine, turns a few pages. She can't read it. She doesn't have her reading glasses. She sighs and tosses the magazine onto the chair he was sitting in. She picks up a picture frame off of the side table and mutters something to it. She cries. She drops her shoulders and looks to heaven, as if to say "Oh, my God!" She drops the picture on the couch as she stands up with her wine glass, tries to gather herself, fails, crosses to the hallway door quietly crying, walks through, and then closes it gently behind her.)

THE END