Mother! Page #5

Her breath starts to tighten. Her chest hurts. She stumbles

back into the

GUEST BEDROOM:

And trips on the tote bag again. The bump causes something

to shift. Under a sweater is a CEREMONIAL PHOTO of HIM with

a decorative frame.

Disturbed she stumbles out into the

FOYER:

Just in time to see Woman walking up the stairs.

MOTHER:

Hey!

Woman enters the

STUDY:

Where she stares at the crystal.

MOTHER:

I told you, he doesn’t like anyonebeing in here without him.

WOMAN:

It’s amazing. What is it?

Mother gets between the woman and the crystal. Woman pushes

towards it. Mother has to hold her back.

MOTHER:

(getting anxious)

We really need to leave. Please.

Mother guides her out of the study.

WOMAN:

I just want to look at it.

MOTHER:

You have to go.

35.

WOMAN:

I don’t know why you have to makesuch a big deal out of it.

Mother pulls the study door shut as the front door opens.

Man enters, in the midst of a coughing fit.

WOMAN:

Oh, they’re back.

HIM:

This way, I’ll get you some water.

Woman, concerned, rushes down to intervene.

WOMAN:

Honey? Are you all right? Your

damn smoking.

In the

PANTRY:

HIM offers Man a glass of water.

HIM:

Here.

Man nods.

WOMAN:

You all right?

HIM:

(re:
cough)

Just started.

WOMAN:

Come on, let’s go get you yourpills. Look, if I wanted a third

child...

She pulls her husband through the kitchen into their bedroom.

Mother is not happy.

HIM:

(to Mother)

That was intense. You’re not goingto believe what he just told me-

Mother ignores him. She sees him leaning on the sink.

36.

MOTHER:

That sink’s not braced yet.

HIM:

What? Is something...

She doesn’t stay to listen. Rudely, she turns and walks into

the

STAIRWELL:

He chases her down.

HIM:

Hey wait, something happened?

What? What is it?

She pulls him to a more private spot in the

DINING ROOM:

Whispering she says:

MOTHER:

He has one of those pictures of youin his luggage.

HIM:

What were you doing in theirluggage?

MOTHER:

That’s not the point. He didn’t

just “stumble” on us. He’s a crazy

fan.

HIM:

I know.

MOTHER:

Excuse me?

HIM:

That’s what he told me on our walk.

He’s dying. That’s why he came

here. He wanted to meet me before

he’s gone.

That gives her pause.

37.

MOTHER:

Why didn’t he tell us that? Why

lie?

HIM:

I don’t know. He’s a proud man. I

admire that.

Just then, right above them, they hear a crash. HIM’s face

goes slack. He runs up to the

STUDY:

Mother on his heels. Woman is in the corner guilty. Man

stands in front of her scared.

HIM:

What have you done?

MAN:

I’m so sorry. We’re both sorry.

HIM falls to his knees looking at the remains of his specialcrystal formation. Mother can tell he’s devastated.

MAN:

I was telling her the story when-

WOMAN:

It just fell out of my hands,

and...

HIM holds up his hand telling them to stop. They don’t.

MAN:

We’ll search and find another-

WOMAN:

We can pay for a new one-

HIM:

(explodes)

QUIET!

His outburst startles them. It startles Mother as well.

They quiet down immediately. HIM points to the door.

Man leads Woman out. Heads bowed they file past Mother.

HIM carefully picks up all the different shards. He collects

them into a small delicate bowl.

38.

He looks over at Mother.

HIM:

I’m sorry I screamed. I just need

a moment.

She nods ever so slightly, and heads out to the

HALF LANDING:

The couple watches from the bottom of the stairs.

MAN:

It was an accident.

MOTHER:

I think it’s best if you leave.

WOMAN:

We said we were sorry.

MAN:

(whispering)

Honey, don’t antagonize-

WOMAN:

(under her breath)

What more do you want?

Mother stares at them. The man gets it and they retreattowards the guest bedroom.

In the study, HIM finishes collecting the shards. Then, he

sticks his hands into the bowl, into the glass. Slowly, he

She tears up. She fights to take a breath. She marches down

makes two tight fists.

Glass cuts into his hands.

her.

Mother GASPS. He turns and sees

Please.

HIM:

Please!

She shuts the door. Her breath tightens. Her sternum hurts.

to the

GUEST BEDROOM:

The door is open a crack. She peeks in. Man and Woman are

making out hard.

39.

Things are heated. Mother stares. Man has his hands down

Woman’s panties and fingers her. She catches Mother’s eyes

and maybe grins. Naughty.

Mother spins away. Her chest tightens more. The house

shifts slightly, her reality on fire. She charges up to the

MASTER BATHROOM:

And drinks some yellow powdered tincture. Its glow calms

her. She heads down to the

HALF LANDING:

She knocks. No answer. Then, she hears footsteps approach.

HIM slips out of the study and shuts the door.

With his bloody fist, he SMASHES the door knob off.

Frightened, she watches him walk upstairs. The knob rolls

through the spindles and slams into the ground floor. She

follows it down to the

STAIRWELL:

She picks it up and places it onto the hallway bureau. She

stands there confused. Then, she makes a decision. She

heads down into the

BASEMENT:

She grabs the laundry bag and throws the unwelcome guests’wet clothes into it. She takes the garbage bag of clothes

back upstairs to the

STAIRWELL:

She hears it first, then sees HIM in front of his studynailing plywood over the study door.

MOTHER:

What are you doing?

He keeps hammering nails into the wall.

MOTHER:

What are you doing!?

He turns and looks down on her.

40.

HIM:

They will never get in here again.

MOTHER:

Well don’t worry, I’m kicking them

out.

He grins, a slight ambiguous grin.

HIM:

Where will they go?

Odd comment. She doesn’t understand it. He turns and

continues nailing the new wall.

Frustrated, she bangs on the door to the

GUEST BEDROOM:

Wearing just a bra, Woman stands in the doorway.

WOMAN:

Need something?

Man is in the bathroom having a coughing fit.

Beat.

MOTHER:

Are you ready?

WOMAN:

What do you mean?

MOTHER:

We want you out.

WOMAN:

We? Or you?

MOTHER:

I’ve tried very hard-

WOMAN:

(interrupting)

Yeah, well look, I have to check on

my husband.

Woman shuts the door in her face. Mother knocks on the door.

She tries the knob. It’s locked. Pissed and confused.

Then, someone is in the foyer.

41.

YOUNGER BROTHER (O.S.)

Hello? Hello, where is everybody?

Mother startles, turns. A silver-tongued ne'er-do-well, Manand Woman’s second child, the YOUNGER BROTHER pushes into the

FOYER:

Mother approaches him. She looks for HIM but he is no longer

on the half landing.

YOUNGER BROTHER:

(taken with Mother’sbeauty)

Oh, hey. Hey, who’re you?

MOTHER:

Who are you? What are you doing

here?

The stranger gets a little too close.

YOUNGER BROTHER:

(hides a smile)

What are any of us doing here,

right?

(she doesn’t bite)

Where’s my mother?

She realizes who he is.

MOTHER:

Oh. Wait here.

Mother heads towards the guest bedroom. He follows behind.

Checks out her rear.

YOUNGER BROTHER:

Hey. Nice view.

Mother doesn’t appreciate it. Just then, Woman emerges.

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