Five Plays. Samuel D. Hunter

(Pause.)

       Look, obviously coming out here was a mistake, I knew it the second I bought the plane tickets that this was a bad idea.

       (Nick moves to the exit.)

       Look, we have a flight, and—I’ll call you, okay?

      EDDIE: Nicky, wait.

       (Nick stops. Pause. He turns to Eddie.)

       I don’t have anyone? I don’t— . . .

       (Pause.)

      NICK: Buddy, I—.

       (Pause.)

       I’m not coming back here again. I—can’t.

       (Pause.)

       I’m sorry.

       (Nick exits. Pause. Kelly goes to Eddie.)

      KELLY: I’m sorry—

      EDDIE: Lemme just talk / to him—

      KELLY: Eddie, please, just— . . .

       (Eddie stops.)

       This is my fault, if I’d known he’d do this, I never would’ve made him do this trip— . . . (Pause) I forced him to come out here because I thought—maybe—he needed this.

       (Pause.)

      EDDIE: What do you mean?

      KELLY: I don’t know, I’m not even sure what I thought this would accomplish, I—. We’ve been talking about having kids for years now, but something’s always been in his way, and I thought coming here would— . . . The only way I know how to deal with painful stuff is to talk it to death, but for Nick and your mother, they don’t— . . . Obviously they just need to—separate themselves from all of this. Obviously that’s what’s best for both of them.

       (Pause.)

      EDDIE: I mean so— . . . So that’s it? I don’t have a family anymore?

      KELLY: Look, we all find ways to move forward. Maybe just—make your way somewhere else, like Nick? You could go anywhere you wanted—

      EDDIE: This is what I keep saying—this is my home, it’s their home. Everyone here, this is all our— . . . But Nick just wants me to—give up on it, but I—

      KELLY: Eddie, Nick is just trying to help. Your mom— . . . Look, I don’t pretend to understand your mother, I’ve never understood her. But seeing her keep you at arm’s length like this, she obviously just— . . . (Pause) I’m just saying, you’re trying so hard, with your family, with this place, but— . . . Maybe you’re not gonna fix all this. Maybe—it’s not worth fixing.

       (Eddie looks at Kelly. Pause.)

      EDDIE: I can’t believe that, I— . . . (Short pause) It’s worth it. I have to believe that.

       (Pause. Kelly smiles at him.)

      KELLY: Good luck.

       (Kelly exits. Eddie watches her go.

       Tammy begins to cry softly to herself. Cole looks at her for a second, then slowly walks over to Eddie.)

      COLE: She’ll be fine. She has emotions when she’s drinking wine. The day we were married she bawled into the night.

       (Cole pauses, eyeing his surroundings. Tammy continues to cry. Becky enters, looks at Tammy briefly. She goes to Eddie.)

      BECKY (Referring to the dishes): You done?

       (Cole continues to look around the room. Eddie quickly exits to the kitchen.)

       (Calling after him) Hello? Can I take them?

       (Eddie is gone. Cole, Becky, and Tammy are left onstage in silence.)

       Scene Five

       Late at night. The lights are off.

       After a moment, Eddie enters from outside. He comes into the restaurant without turning on the lights, looking around the room. Silence.

       There’s some rustling in the kitchen. Eddie lifts up his head. There’s a louder sound, and Eddie bolts up.

      EDDIE: Who’s there?! (Pause) Troy?!

       (No response. Another burst of sound from the kitchen.)

       I getting out my cell phone right now, I’m calling the—

       (Max enters from the kitchen.)

       Oh, God.

      MAX: Hey, man . . .

      EDDIE: What are you—? It’s past midnight, what are you doing / here?

      MAX: Sorry, I sort of—I made a mess in the kitchen? Sorry.

      EDDIE: What do you mean?

      MAX: Look I was the last one left closing and I accidentally ran into one of those big jugs of canola oil and I—

      EDDIE: Oh.

      MAX: I didn’t spill the whole thing, it’s just—it made a big mess. And it’s a bitch to clean up.

      EDDIE: Sure.

      MAX: What are you doing here so late?

       (Pause.)

      EDDIE: I just—. Some paperwork.

      MAX: It couldn’t wait until morning?

       (Pause.)

      EDDIE: I guess I just didn’t feel like being in my apartment right now.

      MAX: Oh. (Pause) Dude, no offense, but you really should stop inviting your family over here.

      EDDIE: Yeah. Well, you don’t have to worry.

      MAX: Sorry, I just. That was fucked up. Why did he freak out like that?

      EDDIE: I don’t know, I just—. I made a mistake. (Pause) Do you see your family ever?

      MAX: Not really. Like I said, I’m not exactly welcome around that house anymore.

      EDDIE: So what do you do?

       (Pause.)

      MAX: What do you mean?

      EDDIE: I mean, how do you—? Who do you spend time with?

      MAX: Dude I never stop spending time around people. A group home doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy.

      EDDIE: Oh, sure.

      MAX: Believe me, if I could, I’d get as far away from everyone else as possible. Build my own cabin in the woods, all Walden and shit. Like your great-grandpa’s place, maybe I should just move in there.

      EDDIE: Well, it’s—you wouldn’t want to live there now. Place is barely standing. Windows are all gone, there’s a tree that fell a few years ago, caved in part of the roof on the east side.

       (Pause.)

      MAX: Wait a minute, are you talking about that place on Elm? With the red door?

      EDDIE: How do you know that?

      MAX: Dude, that’s nuts! Me and my friends used to party there!

       (Pause.)

      EDDIE: Oh.

      MAX: God, that’s—your family used to own that place?

      EDDIE: Yeah. Not for a while now, but yeah.

      MAX: That place was awesome. We could park behind those trees in the back so the cops didn’t know we were there. My friend Chris got his teeth knocked out when he fell out of one of the windows on the second floor. I know people who lost