Mother of Blue Stars

Episode 4

MARY: Was he calling from the recruiting store?

RAYMOND: Store? No, Ma, it not a store, it’s an office.  And I don’t know where he was.

MARY: I should have answered!  Darn!  If only I had answered! I would have demanded he come over.  Raymond, you didn’t put up a fight or anything.  You just rolled over like a trained dog.  You didn’t even sound disappointed.

RAYMOND: That’s because I wasn’t.    

MARY: So what about all these pirogues?  Go find your father.  Tell him supper’s ready.

[ ANDY enters]

RAYMOND: Hey, Pop! We were just talking about you.

ANDY: The pipes busted at Nick’s!  Can you believe it?  The entire basement got flooded.  Nicky ran around like a chicken without a head, looking for the shut-off.  Turned out, it was in a closet behind the bar.  It took twenty minutes to find the damned thing.  What a commotion!  Now he has to shut down until the water gets pumped out.  

RAYMOND: That’s too bad.

ANDY: It’s a tragedy!

MARY: Papa, dinner’s ready.  Go wash up.

ANDY: Don’t tell me to wash up!  I’m not a little boy.  

MARY: Settle down.  There’s no need to start that.

ANDY: Start what?

MARY: Acting like a king.

ANDY: It’s my house, isn’t it?  A man’s house is his castle.

MARY: Papa, the Sergeant-man is not coming over.

ANDY: Who?

RAYMOND: Sergeant Sotelo.

[A few beats]

ANDY: Oh, right, Sergeant Sotelo.  That was tonight?

MARY: Don’t you remember?

ANDY: I have a lot to remember! So he’s not coming over?  I can’t believe he doesn’t like Slovak food.

RAYMOND: No, Pop, it had nothing to do with food.  He had plans.

ANDY: Oh. Well, then, good for him!  It’s a free country.  He can do what he wants.  If he’s going to Nick’s he’d better wear his high boots! [ANDY chuckles then begins to sniff around] Say, Raymond, you stink of gasoline.

RAYMOND: I need to change.

MARY: Change in the cellar.  Hurry so we can eat.

Continued tomorrow.