Mother of Blue Stars

Scene 4

[ANDY re-enters]

MARY [to ANDY]: Raymond never told the army-man about his brothers!

ANDY: What army-man?

MARY: Sergeant-Mister Sotelo.  Raymond never told him he had five brothers in the army.

ANDY: Howdaya know this?  Raymond spill the beans?

MARY: The sergeant-man called.  Just now.  He wanted to make sure Raymond was ready.  

ANDY: So why get your lather up?

MARY: If the sergeant-man had known the right things, he might have sent Raymond home.  And I don’t like the fib about dropping out.  All of our boys finished school.  

ANDY: Is that true, son?  You told him your school made you drop out?

[Beat]

RAYMOND: Pop, I only wanted to be a Marine!

ANDY: Answer the question!

[ELEANOR re-enters]

ELEANOR: Raymond, here, I found--

ANDY: We’re speaking with Raymond!

ELEANOR: Oh...  Sorry.

ANDY: Why did you say that, Raymond?  You were a good student.  Your teachers liked you.

RAYMOND:  I didn’t want to take any chances.  I didn’t want to find out I couldn’t go because I had to finish.  I need to go NOW! [Beat] And now I hafta use the bathroom.  I mean latrine.

ELEANOR: Again?

RAYMOND: I had two cups of coffee!

MARY: Hold on, Raymond.  It’s my turn to make an announcement.

RAYMOND:  I really gotta go.

MARY:  This won’t take long.

ANDY: Since when do you make announcements?

MARY: I spoke with Father Penik yesterday.  We talked for a long time.  I’ve decided we’re taking in the Stefanek boy.  He’s arranging everything.

ANDY: What are you talking about?

MARY: I’m talking about Tomas Stefanek coming to live with us.
The poor child has no one.  His parents are gone.  His brother is gone.  He’s a ward of the Church.  What kind of life is that?  He needs a family.

ELEANOR: [Dejectedly] This means another brother.  Why can’t we take in a girl?

Continued Tomorrow.