The Field (4 page)

Maimie:
Good girl, Nellie, will you go upstairs and look after the baby?

Bird:
Throw a drop of whiskey into that, will you?
[He carefully arranges money on the counter]
Just enough!

[Enter boys from the street]

Bird:
Close the bloody door, I'm perished.

[Maimie pours whiskey, takes money and places it in cash register]

Maimie:
[To boys]
Upstairs!

Bird:
I see you got your hair done.

Maimie:
About time, wasn't it?

Bird:
It suits you.
[Surveys it from an angle]
Definitely suits you. Kind of a girly look.

Maimie:
[Touches her hair up]
D'you think so? 'Tis the latest … well, the latest around here anyway …

[Enter Leamy with a box of stout]

Leamy:
My father said you were short of stout.

Maimie:
Thanks, Leamy. What's he doin' up there?

Leamy:
Listenin' to the wireless. The baby's crying, Muddy. What'll I do with him?

Maimie:
Give him a suck out of the bottle and if he doesn't settle down, call me, Leamy.

Leamy:
All right, Muddy.

Maimie:
Aoife, take Mary upstairs. Leamy, take this fellow upstairs, there's an auction going on here this morning.

Leamy:
[To
Bird
who is now throwing rings]
Bird, you'd hook a farmer quicker than you'd hook a thirteen.

[Exit Leamy, mock-chased by
Bird
]

Maimie:
Well, did he like it?

Bird:
What?

Maimie:
Me hair.

Bird:
Who?

Maimie:
The fellow you told me about. Young Nesbitt, the solicitor's son.

Bird:
Oh, he was on about you again the other night.

Maimie:
What did he say?

Bird:
How did a good-looking woman like Maimie Flanagan get stuck in a dump like this? That's what he said … how did she get stuck in a dump like this?

Maimie:
Stuck is right! He seems like a nice young fellow. Why don't you bring him in for a drink sometime? Or does he drink?

Bird:
Does he what? He doesn't drink around here, though … too much talk. You can't blame him. You know what they're like around here?

Maimie:
You're right there! You couldn't turn in your bed but they'd know it.

Bird:
There's a lot of jealousy. It must be a holy terror to be a good-lookin' woman an' all them oul' frowsies gabbin' about you. An 'tis worse if you're not appreciated by them who should appreciate you.

Maimie:
Sure, even if I talk to any good-looking fella in the bar, himself does be mad jealous. You'd think I was goin' to run away with one of 'em.

Bird:
No one but yourself would stick it. You've got the patience of Job.

Maimie:
Oh, he can be terrible. D'you remember the time last year I went to the dance in town … that I thought he'd be spending the night in Dublin?

Bird:
You looked good that night. Mind you, I wasn't the only one who remarked it.

Maimie:
Four years since I was at a dance, and imagine … on that one nigh
t
he should get a lift home unexpectedly!

Bird:
[Gets off stool and comes to her]
What did he do?

Maimie:
Waited up till I came home. I asked a few of the boys in for a drink and he hiding all the time around in the stairway.
[The Bird whistles]
Heard every word we said. Luck o' God, 'twas all innocent. He got a great suck-in. It's a pity I didn't know he was listening I'd have stuck in something deliberately.

Bird:
A pity!

Maimie:
'Twould have been great gas if we all knelt down and said the Rosary.

Bird:
But what happened? What happened?

Maimie:
Oh, he waited till the boys were gone and there he was, sitting on the steps of the stairs as I was going up. Christ, I thought I'd drop dead … he struck me and I fell down the stairs. I pretended to be unconscious. That frightened him. You should have heard him! Oh, the lamenting would bring a laugh from a corpse.

Bird:
Good! … Good! … Go on!

Maimie:
‘Wake up, Maim. Wake up, my little darling!' he never called me darling before, not even when we were courting. He got a bit annoyed then. ‘Wake up, Maimie! Will you wake up, in the name o' God, and don't disgrace me by being dead …'

Bird:
This is marvellous! … marvellous! …

Maimie:
Wait till you hear! ‘Wake up,' said he and he started sobbing. ‘Wake up, you bloody bitch. You want to have me hanged!'
[Both laugh]
He said the Act of Contrition into my ear after that and rushed over for the doctor and the priest. I had a brandy while I was waiting.

Bird:
Ah, this is priceless! …

Maimie:
Bird, were you ever anointed?
[Bird looks askance at her]
Oh, it's a great sensation when you aren't sick … more soothing than getting your hair done … something like a massage …

[At this stage a newcomer enters and nods both to Maimie and the Bird. He is a young man in his late twenties, well-dressed and presentable. He is William Dee]

Maimie:
Good morning.

William:
Good morning.

Bird:
Good morning.

Maimie:
Nice morning, isn't it?

William:
Yes, it is. Could I have a bottle of beer, please?

Bird:
'Tis inclined to be a bit showery, but all in all, 'tisn't bad for the time of year.

William:
April is a tricky month all right. You never know where you are with it.

Bird:
Like a woman!

William:
[Considers this observation]
Yes, in some ways … Yes, it is! It's a strange month.

Bird:
Fine one minute and wet the next.
[Playing with his glass]
I hate windy weather. I'm told there's good growth though. Should please the farmers.

William:
A very difficult thing to do.

Bird:
You aren't far wrong there.
[Sarcastically]
Still, they had a hard winter and they deserve a bit of comfort, the creatures!

Maimie:
[Placing drink on the counter]
Now, there you are!

[William places money on the counter]

Bird:
Good luck!
[Finishing drink ostentatiously]

William:
Would you care for a drink, sir?

Bird:
Yes, indeed … a large whiskey, Maimie, please.

[Maimie fills the Bird's glass and takes the price of it from William's change]

Maimie:
You're a stranger to these parts.

William:
My wife was born around here. So I'm not a stranger … not a complete stranger, that is.

Maimie:
Where was your wife born?

William:
About six miles away … a place called Tubber.

Maimie:
What was her name?

William:
Connolly.

Bird:
[Thoughtfully]
Connolly! … Connolly!

Maimie:
I can't seem to place her.

Bird:
Neither can I.

William:
Well, that would be pretty hard for you. There's nobody of that name in Tubber now. The whole family moved to England twenty years ago.

Maimie:
And are you from around here?

William:
No. I'm a Galway man. I live in England. Living there twelve years. Me, if I had my way, that's where I'd like to stay.

Maimie:
Is your wife with you?

William:
No … she's in England. She may be joining me soon. It all depends.

Maimie:
You're on holiday?

William:
No … business. That's why I'm here. I came to see your husband. If he's around I'd like a few words with him.

Maimie:
He's finishing his breakfast. I'll slip up and get him if you like. It's no trouble.

William:
No, there's no hurry. Will you have a drink? I should have asked you in the first place.

Maimie:
I don't know that I should!

Bird:
Go on, for God's sake! You'll only be young once.
[To William]
This is our local beauty queen.

Maimie:
Don't mind him! …'Twill have to be quick.

Bird:
We won't tell … cross our hearts!

Maimie:
I'll have a drop of brandy, so.

[William places money on counter]

Bird:
A gay soul, this one, as game as any.

Maimie:
Here's cheers!

Bird:
Good luck!

Maimie:
[Tosses back her drink quickly]
Now you'll have to have one on me.

William:
Not for me, thanks. Too early!

[Bird swallows his drink quickly and proffers his glass]

Bird:
I won't say no, Maimie.

Maimie:
It has to be a small one this time. We don't want him drunk, do we, Mister …?

William:
The name is Dee … William Dee.

Maimie:
Mr Dee, are you sure you won't have one?

William:
No, if you don't mind. Some other time, maybe. I'll be here for a few days
[Sits on a chair at table]
and it's possible I'll be here permanently.

[Maimie fills Bird's drink and hands it to him. Takes William's money, gets change and gives it to him]

William:
Your husband is Michael Flanagan, the auctioneer, isn't he?

Maimie:
That's right! I'll slip up and get him.
[Suggestively to Dee]
Drop in again, some time, any time … Bird.

Bird:
Maimie!

[Exit Maimie]

William:
Seems like a nice woman.

Bird:
You needn't say this to anyone … but she's a regular flier, that one. Thirty, thirty.

William:
[Somewhat coldly]
She struck me as being a nice friendly woman.

Bird:
Ah, I was only having a bit of a joke. You're right about her, though. She's lovely.

[Mick appears at stairway]

Mick:
Good morning, gentlemen!
[To William]
The wife tells me you were wanting to see me.

William:
I'm sorry if I disturbed you. There's no particular hurry.

Mick:
That's all right. I was only listening to the late news … What can I do for you?

William:
Well, first of all, let me introduce myself. My name is William Dee.

Mick:
I'm Mick Flanagan.
[He shakes hands with William]
How do you do?

William:
I have a letter here from Mr Nesbitt, the solicitor, about the sale of a field.
[Looks at watch]
The auction was supposed to take place at eleven o'clock today. Maybe, there's been a mistake …

Mick:
No, there's no mistake. This is the day of the auction, all right. But who told you? How did you get in touch with oul' Nesbitt?

William:
It's the wife, you see. Since our last baby her nerves haven't been too good and she wants to come back to Ireland. Mr Nesbitt was one of the many solicitors I wrote to, to be on the lookout for just such a field. Last week I had a letter from him so I took a chance and came over. Sláinte!

[Mick picks up William's empty glass and goes and fills half-pint]

Mick:
You may have come on a fool's errand.

[Mick gives the beck to the Bird who finishes his drink and exits quickly]

William:
I don't understand.

Mick:
There's only four acres … you couldn't possibly make a living there.

William:
I'm not worried about that. My site in England is much less.

Mick:
Don't get me wrong now, my friend. I'm only advising you for your own good.

William:
I've a business of my own in England and I do fairly well. I supply concrete blocks to builders. This field is the right size for me. It's on a river with first-class gravel.

Mick:
Who told you? About the gravel, I mean?

William:
I had an engineer from the town look it over.

Mick:
An engineer! That must have been the fellow with the wooden box. Said he was catching eel fry … You'd want a fortune to start a business like that!

William:
It's not as difficult as it sounds. I cover an acre or so with concrete, move in my machinery and I'm in business.

Mick:
[Putting free drink before William]
It's only fair to tell you there's a boycott on outside bidders.

William:
Nesbitt said nothing about a boycott.