Mother of Blue Stars

Scene 4

ELEANOR: Okay, then, I’ll be quiet.  [Beat]  Ma, are we having any side dishes?

MARY: I made applesauce.

ELEANOR: Mmmmmmm.  I love homemade applesauce.  What about you, Raymond? [Beat]  Raymond?

RAYMOND: What is it!

ELEANOR: Don’t you love Ma’s homemade applesauce?

RAYMOND: I thought you weren’t going to talk.

ELEANOR: Oh, right.  I forgot.  Sorry.

RAYMOND: [Thoughtfully] You see, Sis, I have a grand strategy.

ELEANOR: Is that right?  Napoleon thought so too.

RAYMOND: Who?

ELEANOR: No one you know.  So, do you wanna hear Theory B?

RAYMOND: I wanna see you make your next move.

[RAMOND stands starts to pace back and forth]

ELEANOR: RAYMOND BANAS! NOW what are you doing?

RAYMOND: I got a charley horse.

ELEANOR: From playing chess?

RAYMOND: We’ve been sitting a long time.

ELEANOR: Poor Baby!  Anyway, my second theory is, if you’re not running away from something, like big Bertha, then maybe you’re running towards something.  The question is, towards what?

RAYMOND: That’s your other theory?  That’s what I’ve been saying the whole time.  Here, I’ll give you a hint.  I’m running towards the war, to help fight it.

ELEANOR: But why are you racing towards the war?  What’s the attraction?  You must think it’s like a big chess game, with generals moving men here and there.

RAYMOND: Hey, I never thought of it like that. That’s very good.  A big chess game.  I like it.

ELEANOR: But it’s not a game!  It’s real.  And games are supposed to be fun.  Do you think our brothers are having fun?

RAYMOND: Are you going to move or not?  And they’re having a little fun.  Remember that snapshot of Matt in Hawaii, wearing a  grass skirt?

ELEANOR: He was drunk.

RAYMOND: He was having fun!

ELEANOR: Raymond, you’re not being honest.

RAYMOND: Sis, you still don’t know from nothing, but I’ll give you credit for trying.

[Beat]

ELEANOR: Is it still my turn?

RAYMOND: Please move, sometime today.

ELEANOR: I’m not moving until you sit back down.  You’re making me nervous.

RAYMOND: [Deep sigh]  Okay, okay!  I’m sitting.  Jeeeeez.

Continued tomorrow.