Innocent When You Dream: ACT TWO
ACT TWO
SCENE 1
DAN, alone in his hospital bed. The sound of wind. A young German SOLDIER in the distance, cries over and over for his "Mommy":
(VOICE) Mutti! Mutti! (Mommy! Mommy!) (DAN stirs, listens to the sound.)
VOICE (cont'd) Mutti! Mutti! (DAN gets up and reaches under his hospital bed, retrieving a rifle.)
VOICE (cont'd) (Despairing, growing weaker) Mutti. Muuuuuutti. (DAN assembles his rifle and peers off, looking for the offstage voice.)
VOICE (cont'd) (Crying) Muuuuutti. Muuuuutti. (DAN aims, then fires a single shot. Instant silence. He listens for a while, then climbs back into bed.)
Lights shift.
SCENE 2
MERV Aw, Dad. Are you OK in there? Don't you have anything you want to spell into my hand? No? How come you won't wake up? Must be the morphine, huh? Is it good stuff? (DAN just breathes.)
MERV (cont'd) Hey, uh, I wanted to tell you: You know that punch in the nose? No hard feelings. OK, that's not completely true, SOME hard feelings! But I'll live. I mean, I'll get over it! I just want you to feel like you can...go with a clear conscience. You can go. It's OK. You've been a good Dad. (pause)
MERV (cont'd) I mean, we've had our moments. More than a few. But I guess that's the thing about being a parent, huh? It's kind of amazing how much shit you can get away with. (beat)
MERV (cont'd) Do you wanna know the first time I remember feeling love? I think I was like three or four, and you were taking me to the doctor, and we were walking downtown, and it started to rain. You started walking fast, and I had to run to keep up, and then, you started running, and I'd never seen you run before, then you scooped me up, and suddenly, I was flying in my Daddy's arms. And I was wondering why I had this funny, buzzy feeling in my stomach and my chest--I still remember, it was almost unbearable. You were so big. And I was so little. (He sighs.)
MERV (cont'd) Listen. You already know the beefs I have with you, and the things that I had a hard time forgiving you for, but...Dad. Weren't you ever sorry? (DAN breathes, deep and even.)
Lights shift.
SCENE 3
1947. GRACE sits at the bar, face down. She is dressed in black. Someone pounds at the door. She doesn't respond. The door opens. DAN enters.
DAN Grace?
GRACE (Muffled; face down on the bar) We're closed. Funeral.
DAN I know. It's me, Dan. (GRACE looks up.)
GRACE What are you doing here?
DAN I'm sorry. I...I know he was...your..."tomodachi" and...
GRACE You say that like it has quotation marks around it.
DAN Uh...I'm sorry, I don't know what to say.
GRACE Then why are you here? And why weren't you at the service?
DAN I know, I should've gone, but...I couldn't.
GRACE Why not?
DAN It would've been hypocritical.
GRACE He coulda used an extra mourner or two, hypocrites or not.
DAN Jeez, even he had to have more pride than that.
GRACE Dan. Stop being a jerk. I'm too tired for this.
DAN You're right. I'm not...very good at things like this. Please. Forgive me. (beat)
GRACE Want a drink?
DAN Bourbon? Neat?
GRACE You got it. (GRACE pours them both a shot. They clink shot glasses.)
GRACE (cont'd) Kampai!
DAN We even supposed to say that any more?
GRACE Let's live dangerously. (They drink.)
DAN Wow. That's good! (She pours them another.)
GRACE Nothing but the good stuff tonight. (They drink.)
DAN So, what are you going to do now?
GRACE Me? I don't know. I'm thinking of selling the place.
DAN Yeah?
GRACE It's always been kind of a rough joint, even when my...even when my parents ran it. And now...
DAN Now it's all kurombos.
GRACE Don't say that word. Not in here! You know the only reason I have this bar today? My dad hired a colored stock boy, and after he...after they...died? That boy's parents took care of this place and TOLD me that it'd be mine when I came back. And they kept their promise. (A moment while DAN takes that in.)
DAN So why sell?
GRACE I just...don't think I can do it any more without Frank.
DAN You...you really loved him, didn't you?
GRACE Not like you think. But...he was my best friend. And a good partner.
DAN Everyone said you two were shacking up.
GRACE He had his room and I had mine. Look, this place is all I had. And I couldn't pay him at first, so the least I could do was give him a place to sleep.
DAN I'm just saying that people were talking.
GRACE Yeah, well so what? They'll talk about anything. I hate all those people, anyway.
DAN Aw, don't say that!
GRACE It's true. Snooty, clannish bunch. How can you stand them?
DAN They're all right.
GRACE You mean, they don't treat you like an outsider?
DAN Not the vets.
GRACE Oh, yeah.
DAN They're good men. I don't think I woulda stuck around if those guys hadn't taken me in. (GRACE doesn't say anything.)
DAN (cont'd) I don't know what I'd do without 'em. (Silence.)
DAN (cont'd) What's the matter?
GRACE Listen. I don't want to say anything bad about your best buddies, but sometimes...
DAN What?
GRACE I just don't think it was a suicide!
DAN What...what are you saying?
GRACE The police ruled it a suicide, but...he woulda told me, he woulda left a note, or something.
DAN Grace, you were the one who told the police he was depressed!
GRACE Yeah, and I'm sorry I did. They asked me, and silly me, what was I thinking? I was so upset that for a minute, I thought they actually gave a damn. They shut the book on his case so fast, my ears are ringing. They called it "a kind of hara kiri."
DAN "Hara kiri?"
GRACE Or "Hairy Kairy," as they put it. They didn't care. (Like a redneck) "Crazy Jap committed ‘hairy kairy’ like those damn kamikaze pilots."
DAN Grace...
GRACE (ibid) "'Cept he did it without a plane, har har har!"
DAN Grace, no...
GRACE Har, har, har. He was killed.
DAN Don't say that!
GRACE He was. And I'll bet it was one of your vet buddies.
DAN Don't say that, Grace...I'M a vet!
GRACE They spit on him! They called him a coward, a traitor. You called him those things yourself when you came in here that first time! You already knew who he was. How could that be? He didn't come from our camp! One of those guys told you. Probably the same person who told you I was in here. "She lives there. Shacked up with a No-No Boy!" Look, I know the 442 boys are heroes, and I know they are good, decent men. But I watched a few of them bully Frank, and saw how much they hated him, like they blamed everything rotten that happened to us on HIM.
DAN Everything we did...was to undo the things that people like him did!
GRACE "He" didn't do anything to you. You're mad at the wrong people!
DAN We took what they gave us and we STILL came through for this country. He and his friends got mad and GAVE UP!
GRACE He made a choice! He took a stand! It's a free country.
DAN Yeah? WELL, NOT FOR US, HUH!?
GRACE Yeah. You're right. Not for us. (Silence.)
DAN Grace. You're talking about good men.
GRACE Dan. Good people can do awful things.
DAN I know.
GRACE "Good people" locked us up in the desert.
DAN They didn't KILL us.
GRACE Speak for yourself. A whole LOT of people died, Dan.
DAN Don't I know that? You think you need to remind ME?
GRACE OK, Dan. OK. I know.
DAN Let the police figure it out.
GRACE Dan. I'm a Jap bar maid in a bad part of town whose Jap friend committed "hairy kairy." Remember? "A Jap is a Jap is a Jap?" They think Frank's death is a good thing. (GRACE closes her eyes.)
GRACE (cont'd) I don't know if it's me or this bar that kills people. (DAN doesn't know what to say.)
GRACE (cont'd) I have a feeling it's me. (DAN touches her arm.)
GRACE (cont'd) You better watch out! Don't get too close to Typhoid Grace! (DAN removes his hand.)
GRACE (cont'd) Hey, Dan, say something. (pause)
DAN I don't know what to say. (Silence.)
GRACE Let's talk about dead people. See any of those in Europe?
DAN I was a litter-bearer half the time I was there. I saw a LOT of dead people.
GRACE A "litter-bearer"?
DAN You know...I carried a stretcher. I carried the wounded...and the dead...
GRACE Did you ever see anyone...whose face...you couldn't get out of your mind?
DAN Oh, Grace, I don't want to talk about that...
GRACE Did any of them...look sad?
DAN Mostly...they looked scared. Or in pain. Or just asleep.
GRACE My mother's face...was so sad. It was...the saddest face I ever saw. I still see it sometimes. (Silence.)
DAN There was one guy...he looked...kinda funny. He looked SO surprised, like... (He demonstrates, eyes wide open and mouth like an "O.")
GRACE That's like my Dad! He looked exactly like that!
DAN Your DAD looked surprised?
GRACE Yeah. He looked like a cartoon drawing, except...
DAN Except he wasn't.
GRACE Yeah. He wasn't.
DAN I know...exactly...what you mean. (Silence.)
DAN (cont'd) Hey. Your dad looked surprised and your mom...looked sad? (She nods.)
DAN (cont'd) Did you ever think...?
GRACE No. I never thought. And I never think. (GRACE pours two more bourbons. They clink glasses and drink.)
Lights shift.
SCENE 4
JOY sits, regarding DAN’S bed.
(DOCTOR PARK enters.)
DOCTOR PARK How are you, Ms. Yamada-Hanke?
JOY Joy.
DOCTOR PARK Joy. And your father?
JOY Still in the hizzle. (DOCTOR PARK fiddles with the bag of liquid that hangs above DAN’S bed.)
JOY (cont'd) What are you doing?
DOCTOR PARK I'm increasing the flow.
JOY More liquid?
DOCTOR PARK More morphine.
JOY Oh. Thanks.
DOCTOR PARK You're welcome. You OK?
JOY I guess...I thought it would be sudden.
DOCTOR PARK I did too. But... (he shrugs) The morphine will help, though.
JOY You can do that?
DOCTOR PARK Technically, well...for the purposes of making him more comfortable, yes. He hasn't been conscious since we pulled the tube, and I don't imagine that he will regain consciousness, so all we can do is guess at his feelings. I'm guessing...he needs his drip increased.
JOY I'm thinking you're right. Thanks, Doc.
DOCTOR PARK Good. A friendly word! Maybe now, I can walk to my car without looking over my shoulder.
JOY I'm sorry about that.
DOCTOR PARK Hey. No biggie.
JOY I like a doctor who can say "No biggie."
DOCTOR PARK Thanks. I have many talents. I'm very well-rounded. (pause)
JOY Are you hitting on me at my father's death bed?
DOCTOR PARK No, YOU are hitting on ME at your father's death bed. Shameful. (He starts to leave.)
JOY Wait! Come back! I am not!
DOCTOR PARK OK, as long as you can maintain some sense of decorum.
JOY Seriously, do you have a minute?
DOCTOR PARK I've got at least ten.
JOY What made you change your mind about my Dad?
DOCTOR PARK Well...he was pretty clear on what he wanted, to say the least, so I decided I was being needlessly obstructionist.
JOY Wow. Cool. So you just...reversed fields.
DOCTOR PARK I told you I'm well-rounded. Have you thought about what YOU would do?
JOY You mean if I...?
DOCTOR PARK Yeah.
JOY What would YOU do?
DOCTOR PARK I asked you first.
JOY Um...well...I couldn't do it. Not for me.
DOCTOR PARK What if you were facing what he was facing?
JOY Ummm...I could still think?
DOCTOR PARK Yes. But you couldn't communicate.
JOY Uh...yeah, yeah, I'd have to say, keep throwing all the medical technology you can at me.
DOCTOR PARK Your body is gone.
JOY Keep feeding my brain!
DOCTOR PARK You're a severed head.
JOY As long as I still got my good looks. (pause)
DOCTOR PARK So, you're OK with what your dad...?
JOY No. But whaddya gonna do? Still, I keep wondering...I mean, he's hanging on beyond all expectation. Maybe we were all wrong. And now, we're basically starving him to death.
DOCTOR PARK That's really not true. At this point, with his heart and his lungs, he's basically going to die of congestive heart failure or his lungs are going to fill up with...well, either way, he's going to die in his sleep and that's not such a bad way to go.
JOY Thanks. I feel better. I guess.
DOCTOR PARK You don't want me to sugar-coat it, do you?
JOY You're right. And as long as we're not sugar-coatin' things: Is he suffering? It sounds like he's suffering.
DOCTOR PARK I imagine he's in a very deep sleep. It's possible that he's dreaming. I would hope that it's very pleasant.
JOY Do you think there is any part of him that's aware that he's still here?
DOCTOR PARK When you are dreaming, are you aware that you are asleep?
JOY I'm aware that I'm alive.
DOCTOR PARK In that case, it might be fair to say that he's aware of that fact, as well.
JOY He wanted out, ASAP. Why is he hanging on?
DOCTOR PARK The medical answer is, some guys are tougher than others.
JOY Thanks for not dazzling me with your medical terminology.
DOCTOR PARK The other answer is...who knows what's going on inside there? (beat)
JOY Oh.
DOCTOR PARK Don't beat yourself up about it. It was his choice. That much was clear. That much...is a blessing.
JOY Yeah. OK. Thanks, Dr. Park. You know, you're all right, for a doctor.
DOCTOR PARK Thanks, Ms. Hanke. You're all right, too...
JOY For a crazy murderess?
DOCTOR PARK Joy. This is not murder.
Lights shift.
SCENE 5
Night. 1947. The rooftop of a building. DAN paces back and forth along the ledge--he can't believe what he's just seen.
(FRANK bursts through a rooftop door.)
FRANK What the hell are you doing up here?
DAN I saw YOU! I saw what you were DOING!
FRANK I've seen you up here before, you're a damn PEEPING TOM!
DAN And you're a damn pervert! I've seen the kind of people who go into that bar and NOW I KNOW WHY!
FRANK No, you...you don't know what you're talking about...
DAN The hell I don't! Think I was born yesterday? I'm gonna call the damn cops! (He starts to rush past FRANK, who blocks him.)
FRANK Wait! Stop! They'll raid the bar!
DAN (Pushes FRANK) That's right! And they're gonna put a stop to certain activities.
FRANK Listen, Dan: You gotta stop this right now.
DAN I don't gotta do anything but my duty.
FRANK YOU'LL HURT GRACE! You gotta listen to me: You hate me for what I did or didn't do, that's your right. You hate me for what you think I am...well, maybe I don't blame you. But you call the cops, they'll shut Grace down. She's hanging on by a thread as it is--the cops come in, she's through.
DAN Yeah? So why you bring in that kind of customer? You're the one bringing her down!
FRANK Dan, think about it: If what you think is true, then you don't have a beef with me, because I'm not the reason you can't have her!
DAN (Pushes FRANK hard) What the hell are you trying to say?
FRANK (Stands his ground) There's something you oughta know about Grace that'll maybe help you get on with your life!
DAN What? What the hell are you talking about?
FRANK She and I...are friends...because she...understands me. (DAN grabs FRANK and twists his arm behind his back.)
DAN WHAT...THE HELL...DOES THAT MEAN?
FRANK OW! We're a lot...alike.
DAN HOW? HOW?!
FRANK ARGH! Whaddya mean "how," what are you, stupid?
(DAN twists FRANK’S arm harder.)
DAN Yeah, I guess I am. MAYBE (twists) …I'm so stupid (twists) …you'd (twists) …better say it in plain English!
FRANK (Yelling in pain) SHE DOESN'T LIKE MEN! (DAN throws FRANK hard against the ledge; FRANK hits the ledge and crumples.)
DAN You...liar. You're a liar! YOU'RE A TRAITOR AND A LIAR! YOU'RE A COWARD! YOU COULDN'T STAND UP FOR YOUR COUNTRY AND YOU COULDN'T STAND UP FOR GRACE. STAND UP. STAND UP! STAND UP!
DAN stands FRANK up. FRANK stares at DAN for a moment. Then, he slowly falls backwards and disappears over the edge. There's a moment of awful silence, then the far-away thud of a body crushing a car.
(Silence.)
DAN, stunned, moves cautiously to the ledge and looks out. He draws back in, almost sick to his stomach. Someone, far away, screams. DAN sits and covers his face in his hands. Far away, people shouting as they run to FRANK’S body far below.
Lights slowly fade to black.
SCENE 6
In black, we hear labored breathing. It's slower, more painful than before, with whistles and rattles. Lights slowly fade up over the following:
JOY Daddy? Does it hurt? Does it hurt, Daddy? Please...it's OK...don't worry anymore...just let go. You can let go. It's OK. We'll be OK. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Really. I know it doesn't look good, but hey, we made it this far, we're going to make it to the end in one piece, I promise.
(Wheezes and rattles.)
JOY (cont'd) Daddy, please: just let go. Maybe Mom's waiting for you! I mean, I know you're an agnostic, but you never know, right? Maybe if you believe in something, that's where your mind takes you as it lets go. Do you think? Maybe if you believe in pearly gates and wings and harps...well, forget that. Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? (MERV enters.)
MERV Joy?
JOY Merv, where the hell have you been?
MERV I brought someone.
(To DAN) Dad, I brought someone! (He exits.)
MERV (cont'd) (O.S.) Come on in, it's OK. (He re-enters, suppporting the arm of an 80-year-old Nisei woman.)
MERV (cont'd) Grace? This is my sister, Joy.
GRACE So nice to meet you. (She graciously extends her hand to a stunned JOY, who shakes it.)
JOY So nice to meet you, Mrs...?
GRACE Miss. Or Ms. Ms. Hamamoto. But you can call me Grace. (She sees DAN.)
GRACE (cont'd) Oh! Oh, is this...? Dan. Oh, Dan. Hi, Dan. (GRACE takes his hand and strokes it.)
GRACE (cont'd) Dan, it's an old, old friend. It's me, Grace. Hello. (DAN’S breathing gets noticeably more quiet.)
GRACE (cont'd) Oh, you have such nice kids! I'll bet that means you've had a nice life, huh? Did you get everything you wanted? Seems like it to me! (JOY and MERV back away.)
GRACE (cont'd) My life has been good, too. Long! Boy, who knew that we would live so long, huh? You know that old joke? If I'd've known I was going to live so long, I would've taken better care of myself! Heh, heh! I'll bet you know that one, I can tell!
(She taps him conspiratorially, and whispers) I understand that you were at the old folks' home for a while. Well, can't win 'em all. (She pats him sympathetically.)
GRACE (cont'd) Did you know, I moved to San Francisco after I sold the bar? I got a little place there with my friend. Oh, you woulda liked her. She was nice! She reminded me a little bit of you. She could recite poetry! Hey, remember that poem you said to me that day? I never forgot it. (Thinks) Say, did you ever go to a place called Agate Beach in Oregon? Somewhere west of Portland. Off of 99, I think. Yeah. That was nice. Foggy, though. You know, I bought a car right after I sold the bar, and I drove down the Coast. I left that night! After all, I didn't have a place to live any more. And I was so sad! So sad. And I only got as far as Oregon when I started to cry and with the fog, I couldn't see. And all the motels were full, 'cause of the weather. But there was this nice hotel in Agate Beach, and they had a room, and that's where I met Helen. In the lobby. And that...that was the nicest weekend I ever had. Oh! It was so nice! I still think about it sometimes. (His breathing abruptly changes; perhaps he hiccups.)
GRACE (cont'd) Oh! Are you OK? Should I get your kids? (Almost imperceptibly, eyes still closed, he shakes his head.)
GRACE (cont'd) You sure now? (Again, almost imperceptibly, DAN nods.)
GRACE (cont'd) OK, if you say so. Hey. (GRACE hits DAN lightly on the shoulder.)
GRACE (cont'd) Merv said that he thought you'd like to see me one last time. "What for?" I asked him. But he didn't know. "Just a feeling," he said. So? What is it? (DAN just breathes.)
GRACE (cont'd) Are you feeling guilty about things? I used to feel guilty all the time, but then I learned not to feel guilty. Shikata ga nai, neh? I used to think that was such Japanese, uhhh...baloney. (GRACE laughs.) But...it can make life so much easier, huh? Don't feel bad, OK? You said bad things? So did we all. You did bad things? Me, too. It's all over now. Finished. Hey! Remember that time you told me how you were a litter-bearer in the war? (pause)
(DAN nods, slowly.)
GRACE (cont'd) Time to stop carrying the dead, huh? (pause)
(DAN sighs, audibly, then nods, more definitively this time. He exhales, long and slow.)
GRACE (cont'd) (She nudges him, and whispers) Oh, and one more thing: You were right. That day we met? It wasn't just the wind. I told someone...how I felt. I told them that I liked them...and they hit me! Hard! Can you believe that? And I knew they liked me too, or I never would've said anything, but then they hit me! Oh well. Sometimes you hurt the one you love, huh? (DAN takes a deep breath, and finally opens his eyes, looks at her, and nods. They gaze at each other--a miracle.)
GRACE (cont'd) It was the worst day. But it was also a good day. And I never forgot it. (DAN begins to stiffen, like a board.)
GRACE (cont'd) (Calls) Merv? Joy?
They come in closer and see that DAN is rigid. Not in pain, more in readiness. His eyes focus on something beyond the ceiling. He points upward, seeing something, eyes wide open. They rush to him and put their hands on him, as does GRACE.
MERV and JOY Dad? Dad? DAD?
DAN suddenly makes a long, unearthly, high-pitched keening sound, like the cry of a bird, a falcon. As he makes the sound, the lights go to black.
In the darkness, we hear the opening strains of Tom Waits' “Innocent When You Dream.” Lights come up to half as JOY and MERV unhook DAN from the machines, and he gets up off the bed, which gets wheeled away as JOY and MERV move back to watch the scene unfold. GRACE watches everything, and her eyes meet DAN’S as the hospital transforms into GRACE’S bar the night of FRANK’S funeral. We pick up a moment before the end of that earlier scene: everything is exactly the same, except DAN and GRACE remain in their older incarnations.
DAN Hey. Your dad looked surprised and your mom looked...sad? (GRACE nods.)
DAN (cont'd) Did you ever think...?
GRACE No. I never think. (GRACE pours two more bourbons. They clink glasses and drink.)
GRACE (cont'd) Now. Dan. My good friend, Dan.
DAN We're friends?
GRACE Didn't you tell me so that day in Camp?
DAN Right. Right! (DAN puts his face in his hands and his shoulders shake.)
GRACE Dan. Are you crying?
DAN No. (He looks up.) I'm laughing.
GRACE Why? (DAN shrugs, shakes his head.)
DAN Life. This. I don't know.
GRACE You're such an oddball! (GRACE touches DAN’S hand. He notices. He puts another hand on hers and holds it.)
GRACE (cont'd) (Suddenly uncomfortable.) Listen, Dan...it's time to go.
DAN Oh! Yeah! OK. Grace. Uhhhh...Can I tell you something?
GRACE OK.
DAN The whole reason I came here tonight: I just wanted to tell you that... (DAN covers his face again and weeps.)
DAN (cont'd) I'm sorry! (GRACE stares at him.)
From the sidelines:
MERV Dad, it's OK.
GRACE For what?
From the sidelines:
JOY It's OK, Dad.
GRACE For WHAT, Dan? (After a while, DAN uncovers his face, embarrassed, wipes his nose.)
DAN For not...understanding. (GRACE looks at DAN. He looks at her.)
GRACE Hey, Dan, if not understanding was a crime, I guess we'd all be guilty, huh?
DAN Whaddya mean? (GRACE pats him on the shoulder.)
GRACE It's been a real tough few years. And I don't understand any of it, do you? (pause)
MERV (As if from far away:) I...I think I understand, Dad!
JOY (As if from far away:) It's OK, Dad! It's OK! (Distracted, DAN looks in their direction, confused.)
DAN (To Grace) It HAS been kinda rough, hasn't it?
GRACE But it'll get better. It always does.
MERV Thank you, Dad...
JOY We love you, Daddy. Forever.
DAN (To GRACE) Yeah? I guess it will, huh. Besides...shikata ga nai, neh?
GRACE (Laughs) That's right, Dan. What can you do? (MERV and JOY come to the table and watch. DAN and GRACE clink glasses and drink.)
DAN Yeah. What can you do? (DAN laughs. GRACE smiles.)
Lights slowly fade to black.
—END—
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