Mother of Blue Stars

ACT II

Episode 1

Banas Kitchen

Characters:

Raymond Banas, 18, Andy and Mary’s youngest son

Mary Banas, 52, wife and homemaker

Eleanor Banas, 16, Andy and Mary’s youngest child.

Andy Banas, 55, unskilled factory worker

Father Penik, late 50s/early 60s, Catholic Priest

[RAYMOND enters]

RAYMOND:  Hi, Ma. I’m thirsty!

MARY: Don’t touch the root beer!  It’s for tonight.

RAYMOND: Then what’s to drink?

MARY: Have some powdered milk.  Did you see the man, Sergeant what’s-his-name?

RAYMOND: I went after school.  He wasn’t there.

MARY: He wasn’t!  Where was he?

RAYMOND: They said he stepped out.

MARY: Where to?

RAYMOND: I didn’t ask.

MARY: Did he come back?

RAYMOND: I don’t know.

MARY: Does he know about supper tonight?

RAYMOND: I left a note on his desk.

MARY: A note?  How did you manage that?

RAYMOND: They gave me paper and pencil and I wrote a note.  It was their idea.

MARY: [Concerned] What did it say?  I hope he could read your handwriting.

RAYMOND: It said if he were free this evening he should come over for supper at eighteen-hundred hours.

MARY: Eighteen-hundred dollars!

RAYMOND: No, eighteen-hundred hours.  It’s military time. Eighteen-hundred hours means six o’clock at night.

MARY: Then why not say six o’clock?  

RAYMOND: Because it might get mixed-up with six o’clock in the morning, which is o-six-hundred.  Do ya understand?  In war time when you’re moving men and machines, you gotta keep your times straight.  It’s IMPORTANT.

Continued tomorrow.