Scene One
(Stanley behind the counter, walks away and draws up the shades on the three windows and looks about his cantina, he grabs a broom and begins to sweep the floor, piling dust in the center. The door opens and Flo and Luca walk inside together, they stand near the door.)
Stanley: We’re not open.
Luca: We saw you pull up the shades.
Stanley: I’m letting in the daylight
Luca: The door was unlocked.
Stanley: I can lock it again.
(Stanley continues to sweep as they talk.)
Flo: Could we sit down?
Stanley: Not before I open.
Flo: When will that be? Soon?
Stanley: After I sweep.
(Luca crosses the floor and sits in a chair beneath a window. Stanley continues to sweep. Flo waits by the door. Luca pats the table he sits at, Flo looks at him and then at Stanley, unsure.)
Flo: I don’t feel very good. Could I sit down?
Stanley: Are you sick?
(Flo looks at Luca then back at Stanley)
Flo: I might be. There’s an opinion that I am. I would like to sit down.
(Stanley finishes sweeping and bends down, sweeping everything into a dustpan and then walking to the counter, dumping it into an unseen container.)
Stanley: Go ahead, I’m open.
(Flo joins Luca at the table, Stanley pours each of them waters and brings them to them, he leans over their table to look up at the clocktower, then straightens himself to speak.)
Stanley: You’re very early.
Luca: We have places to be.
Stanley: That so?
Luca: She’s seeing a doctor.
Stanley (to Flo): Are you sick?
Flo: There’s an opinion I am.
Luca: Her father said we should go to the clinic just past here.
Flo: But we’re early.
Luca: It was stuffy in the house, I couldn’t breathe. Don’t you feel better walking?
Flo: I feel better here. It’s cold though
Stanley: I know that doctor.
Luca (to Stanley): Have you been sick?
Stanley: He’s my brother.
Luca: Small world.
Flo: Can I get something to drink?
Stanley: You have water.
Flo: Something warm then, tea.
Luca: Do you have Gin?
Flo: Its early for something that strong.
Stanley: It’ll make you tired.
Flo: You shouldn’t drink.
Luca: I’ll take a gin. As much as you can get in the glass. One for her too.
Stanley: She asked for tea.
Luca: If its strong enough it will keep her warm.
(Stanley, pauses, looks at Flo, who doesn’t look back at him. He goes to the counter and makes the drinks, Luca drinks all of his water in one go and takes a mouthful of ice.)
Flo: That noise is disgusting.
(Luca watches her as he finishes chewing and Stanley comes with the drinks)
Luca: I’m going to need another.
Stanley: Its bad for your heart.
Luca: She’s the one who’s sick.
Flo: We’re leaving soon.
Luca: We have plenty of time
Stanley: He won’t mind.
Luca: Who?
Flo: The doctor.
Stanley: My brother.
Luca: I see
(Luca quickly drinks Flo’s gin and takes a mouth full of ice.)
Flo: Its good we came in.
Luca: It’s good that I found you.
Flo: I didn’t go far.
Luca: We could have missed your appointment, how would that have looked?
Stanley: He wouldn’t mind.
Flo: I could have gone by myself. I know the way.
Luca: Husbands take care of their wives.
Flo: We aren’t married.
Luca: We will be.
(Pause. Stanley watches Flo)
Stanley: It’s cold. I’ll get you that tea.
Luca (Looking up at the clock): I think its time to leave.
Stanley: It would only take a moment.
Flo: I didn’t get to drink.
Luca: I’m not sure I have enough.
Stanley: I’m very kind to my customers.
(Luca stands, and lays a few bills on the table. Stanley waits at the counter watching. Luca gestures for Flo to stand, she does. Luca and Flo walk to the door.)
Stanley: I’ll be open later. If she feels up to it.
Luca: I don’t know. Its very cold.
Stanley: It gets warmer.
Flo: It would be nice. The house is stuffy.
Luca: We’ll see.
(They walk out and Stanley goes to the table, counts the money and stuffs it into his pocket. He clears the glasses and drops them behind the counter. )
Scene Two
(Flo sits by herself in the cantina, there is a bandage on her arm. Stanley enters and doesn’t notice her. He takes off a jacket and hat and lays it on the counter. She watches him for a beat)
Flo: It’s cold in here.
(Stanley stops and turns, beat)
Flo: Tea would be nice.
Stanley: We’re not open.
Flo: I can wait.
(Stanley watches her for a pause. He gets a broom and comes back. He notices the bandage.)
Stanley: Are you sick?
Flo: No one’s saying. They took a lot of blood. So much I had to lie down for an hour.
Stanley: That so?
Flo: It was too hot in there. Too many lights and bodies, makes me sweat.
Stanley: I’ve never liked doctors.
(Pause, Stanley sets the broom back where it was and goes to make the tea. The door opens forcefully and Luca steps inside, looking wildly around and goes to her about to sit down)
Stanley: Don’t sit there
Luca: Where?
Stanley: Where you’re hovering, don’t sit down.
Luca: I was getting up.
Stanley: What?
Luca: I was getting up, not sitting down.
(beat, Luca is breathing heavy)
Luca: You ran away.
Flo: I didn’t go far.
Luca: I was supposed to take you there.
Flo: I can walk.
Luca: Not alone.
(Stanley comes over to where Flo sits and hands her the tea. Then quickly walks back to the counter, throwing his coat and hat behind it.)
Flo: What time is it?
Stanley: Look at the clocktower (He gestures)
Luca: Its six thirty,
Stanley: Don’t sit there.
Luca: I was just getting up.
Flo: Is it really so late?
Stanley: Look at the clocktower, tell me.
Flo: It says five thirty
Stanley: Then that’s the time.
Luca: I think its off.
Stanley: Its not off it’s a clocktower, it’s the biggest. Its bigger than your watch.
Flo: I guess I can still wait then.
Stanley: You want a drink?
Luca: Don’t give her anything strong
Stanley: (to Luca) Do you want something to drink?
Luca: I don’t, but she might. Just don’t give her anything strong.
Flo: Tea, I think, maybe with some honey, lemon, something.
Stanley: You should sit down.
Luca: Don’t put anything strong in her tea.
Flo: Thanks.
Stanley: Let her sit down, come over by the bar.
Luca: Can I get a water?
Stanley: You weren’t thirsty.
Luca: I am now, can I get some water, or gin, if you have it, gin with a lot of ice.
Flo: Not too much. We have to leave soon.
Luca: We have an hour.
Flo: Its less than that now. We have forty minutes.
Luca: I’ll be fine, it will still take them a while to check you in. Last time took twenty minutes. You remember last time?
Stanley: We don’t have gin.
Luca: Brandy? Do you have Brandy?
Flo: You don’t have to drink.
Luca: Or maybe just a tea.
Stanley: We have Brandy.
Flo: You don’t have to.
Luca: I’ll have some of that then. A lot of ice.
(Pause)
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