Egg Shells- Draft #3

ACT I

SCENE 1


SETTING

A man sits on a stool facing his kitchen in a small, run down New York apartment in the Bronx. His knuckles rap the surface of the counter in front of him impatiently. A coo coo clock chirps the hour. His hand tightens around a beautiful crystal egg as he looks at the clock.


TIME

Seven thirty p.m. Winter of 1995.


CHARACTERS

SUSAN A young woman in her mid twenties. Wife of Ham. Nervous and jerky in her movements like a dog who has been beaten. Plain in appearance.

HAM Thirty years old, suspicious, Ham is angry and tired. Purple circles under eyes. Drawn handsome face but tall, overbearing, and strong.



Door unlocks and Susan enters, her arms laden with
grocery bags.

HAM
(angrily)
Where have you been?


SUSAN
(setting groceries on counter and hanging coat on rickety peg)
Out.

HAM
Out where? Be specific. The things that
happen to you will be a lot worse coming
from some punk than from me if you get lost.

SUSAN
(her back always towards him)
I was shopping, Ham. For groceries. But
don’t be angry…Please.

HAM
(his words are slow and deliberate)
We’ve gone over this. You’re not to spend
money without my say so.

SUSAN
(quieter)
There was nothing to make you dinner in the
house.

HAM
(standing up from his stool, fist clenched
around the egg his voice raising)
You could’ve asked me to pick some up for
you on my way back from work. And don’t
pretend you care if I have anything to eat.

SUSAN
How was work? Did you have any buyers?

Susan drops cans of soup clumsily and begins
picking them up.

HAM
(voice raising louder still)
Why you ask how work was? Have you
been talking to Benny? He sold today. I
didn’t. DON’T try to change the subject.

SUSAN
(trying to be calm, taking a deep breath)
I haven’t seen Benny.

HAM
I didn’t ask if you’d seen Benny. I asked
if you’d talked to him.

SUSAN
(picking up groceries with shaky hands)
I haven’t talked to Benny.

HAM
(walking toward Susan, her back still toward
him)
Susan, look at me when I am saying some thing to you. That way I know you hear me.

SUSAN
(glancing over her shoulder)
Where did you get that egg? It’s pretty.

Beat.

HAM
Why do you want to know where I got this? You wanna sell it for groceries or something?

SUSAN
No. I was just wondering.

HAM
(holding the egg up to the light)
Well stop wondering. It’s from Dooney. He got it off a foreign guy for five ounces and mailed it to me. Paying up for last month.

SUSAN
(glancing at egg again)
Does tomato soup sound ok?

HAM
(throwing up arms)
Who eats tomato soup? I won’t keep this thing, Sue. It’s got no use.

Ham tosses the egg into the air catching it casually as Susan’s jaw hangs slack.

Beat.

SUSAN
Couldn’t we keep it for decoration?

HAM
People like us don’t have (sarcastically) ‘decorations’ That’s for money people. I don’t got money. You don’t make beans and I make more than you.

Beat.

SUSAN
(looking at the ground)
Money people are happy, aren’t they?

HAM
I used to be happy when you didn’t…

Ham reaches over and scratches at the peeling wall paper broodingly.

SUSAN
(looking at him for the first time)
Say it Ham. When I didn’t what?

A convulsive shiver shakes Susan.

HAM
When you didn’t run scared of me.

Susan looks toward the door shaking her head, reaching for keys.

HAM
You’d better not leave me here. I haven’t got my dinner.

SUSAN
Who eats tomato soup anyway? A dog knows the difference between when it’s been stumbled on and kicked. So do I.

Walks moves quickly toward door, leaving fast.

HAM
(to himself in outrage, glaring at crystal egg glimmering in light)
WHY?

Throwing egg on kitchen floor it shatters. He grabs a bottle from the cupboard and goes into the bedroom slamming the door.



SCENE 2

The same coo coo clock chimes eleven p.m. The door of the shabby apartment is unlocked and Susan walks in. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying. After kicking off her shoes, she stumbles into the kitchen and walks to the sink in her socks. We hear a CRUNCH.

SUSAN
OUCH!

She looks at her feet to see her socks are now turning red with her blood. She smiles to herself.

SUSAN
(picking up a piece of crystal)
An egg shell. I stepped on his egg shell.


CURTAIN