Mother of Blue Stars

Scene 3

RAYMOND: All I’m saying is, I don’t know if you can wear dog tags and a Saint Christopher, at the same time.

MARY: Put it on right now!  Do this for me!  Papa, please say something.

ANDY: Son, do what your mother asks.

RAYMOND: [Begrudgingly]  All right.

[Beat]

MARY: Thank you.

ANDY: Well, son, you picked a good day to leave town.  It’s going  to snow.  

RAYMOND: Eleanor will hafta shovel the walk!

ELEANOR: Nice try, buster.  I’ll be in school.  And I’ll be sure to tell Bertha Bernarski you said hi.

RAYMOND: Tell her I said good-bye.  Forever!

MARY: Raymond, promise me one thing.  Promise you’ll be careful.  Don’t be a hero. Just do your job and stay out of trouble.

ANDY: And for Christ’s sake, keep your head down!

ELEANOR: And don’t forget to write home from time to time.

RAYMOND: I’ll try.  The Marines keep you pretty busy.

ANDY: Raymond, we hafta leave right after breakfast.  I wanna get to work on time.

RAYMOND: Okay, Pop.

ELEANOR: Did you pack something to read, to help pass the time?

RAYMOND: Like a magazine?

ELELANOR: Or a book.  I have a whole library in my room.  I can part with one or two. I’ll pick a few you might like.

RAYMOND: Only one.  And not too long, or too boring!

[ELEANOR exits]

ANDY: Well, Raymond, looks like I’m in the scrap business for myself.  Too bad.  We would’ve made a great team!  [Beat]  Enjoy your breakfast.  I gotta use the john.

RAYMOND: You mean the latrine.  That’s what it’s called in the Marines.  The latrine. It’s French.  It means toilet.

[ANDY chuckles]

MARY: Such talk in my kitchen!  It’s disgusting.  Papa, go do your business and let Raymond finish eating.  Raymond, do you need anything else?

RAYMOND: A little more coffee.

[ANDY exits]

[Beat, then the telephone rings]

RAYMOND:  The telephone?  It’s not even seven.  Who calls this early?

MARY: I’ll get it.  [Beat]  Hello? [Beat]  Yes, he’s here.  Who’s calling?  [Beat]  Sergeant Sotelo!  Where have you been? [Beat] Yes, yes, I know, we’re all busy. [Beat] Oh yes, he’s ready.  His father will have him at the station with time to spare.  You should also know we have no more sons for the Army.  Raymond was our last and you got him. [Beat] Don’t thank me!  I didn’t make a batch of cookies for a bake sale.  If I had any say, he never would have walked into your store.  Just know who you’re getting, a good boy from a good home and not some bum off the street.  In fact, all our sons are good boys. [Beat]  Including Raymond, six. [Beat] Didn’t he tell you?  All his brothers are in the service.  My window is filled with blue stars! [A few beats] Raymond never discussed anything with me, or his father. It was a complete surprise! [A few beats] Is that right?  He told you that?  That’s baloney.  He did very well in school.  No one told him to drop out. [Beat] Yes, yes I know nothing can be done.  He signed on the dotted line and that’s that.  [Beat]  I have to go now, Mr. Sotelo.  Was there anything else? [Beat] He’s eating breakfast and can’t come to the phone.  Was there a message? [Beat] Yes, yes, I’ll tell him.  Good-bye now. [Beat, then to RAYMOND] That was the Sergeant-man.  He said he didn’t know you had five brothers in the service.

RAYMOND:  So?

MARY: And you told him your school made you drop out.  Why didn’t you tell him the right things?  Your school never made you drop out, no one did!  And if he had known about your brothers he would have discouraged you from joining.

Continued Thursday.