Sex and the Other Woman Page #4

L-I'm sorry.

Niles...

what are you doing

with Father's ring?

It was supposed

to have been buried.

Yes, Mother.

But-

Tell me, Niles, please.

What are you doing with the ring?

- It's mine.

- [GASPS] Yours?

How can it be yours?

Holland gave it to me.

H-He did, Mother. Honest.

When?

When did Holland

give you the ring?

- In March.

- March?

When in March?

After our birthdays.

After your... birthdays?

Where, Niles?

In the name of heaven, where was Holland

when he gave you the ring?

We were in the front parlor.

Did he give you this too?

Yes, I gave it to him.

Now give it back, Mother.

[HOLLAND GRUNTING]

[SCREAMING]

[GROANING]

[NILES]

Ada! Ada!

Ada!

[NILES]

Mother-she fell!

[HOLLAND]

What's the matter, little brother?

Leave me alone.

Mother's gonna be all right.

You'll see.

She can't walk anymore.

She can't even talk.

She's paralyzed.

- Who says?

- Everybody.

You heard the doctor.

What does he know?

She'll get better.

Wait and see.

It was just an accident.

Niles?

Niles!

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Are you all right, child?

Yes.

I do not think so.

Tell me.

Tell Ada, please.

I get scared sometimes.

What frightens you?

I don't know.

Sometimes we are frightened of things

we do not know.

But when

we speak of them...

we see there is nothing there

to be afraid of.

He's there.

Who?

Holland.

Holland scares me.

Niles.

This is Holland's harmonica,

is it not?

Yes. He said he lost it.

Do you know

where I found it?

No.

At Mrs. Rowe's house.

Do you know

how Mrs. Rowe died?

She had a heart attack.

D-Did Holland go to

visit her that day?

He went over, like you said,

and a- and apologized.

And?

And he said Mrs. Rowe

gave him cookies and lemonade.

It was an accident. Honest.

He didn't mean to.

It was just a game.

Go on.

He was mad at her

'cause she told on him.

So he played a trick on her

with a rat to scare her.

I told him.

I told him don't.

- He doesn't mean to be bad, but sometimes-

- Stop it!

It's true. It's true.

He's bad, but he doesn't mean to be.

- Honest.

- Enough now.

I shall not hear anymore.

Come.

[CAR HORN HONKS]

[HONKING CONTINUES]

- Now, child, tell me what you see.

- No, no!

- Look there and tell me.

- No!

[SOBBING]

No. No.

Very well.

Very well then.

Play the game with me.

Please, child.

Play the game.

I don't want to

play the game. Please!

You must.

Concentrate.

There.

Now tell me,

what is it like?

Cold.

What else?

Dark.

Dark? How?

Dark...

l-like the apple cellar.

It's a prison.

I can't get out.

It's locked.

I want to get out, but I can't.

Tell me what you see.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

I see a box.

Black.

Handles.

The box is wood.

Mahogany. It's-

- It's a-

- Go on!

It's a...

coffin.

Go on. Further.

I see a face.

Whose face?

- I don't want to!

- You shall. You must!

Holland! Holland!

Holland, help me, please!

Say the truth! Now!

Out loud, so we

shall both hear it.

[ADA]

Holland is dead!

Remember?

On his birthday.

He is dead, Niles!

Remember?

Remember?

[CAT YOWLING]

[NO AUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

Holland!

Holland! Holland!

Holland! Holland!

Oh. Oh.

[KISSES]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[LIQUID SPLASHES]

Are you all right, child?

Da.

Da.

Oh, child, I am so sorry.

But you had to

see the truth.

It was only a game.

We were playing a game,

you and I...

like all the other games

we play.

Only the time has come

for all the games to stop.

It is wrong, you see?

Dangerous.

Oh, my dushechka.

I could not bear to see you so unhappy,

to watch you all alone...

so I pretended with you.

I pretended Holland was alive...

because you wanted it so.

I thought in time

such fantasies would pass...

and you would come

to see the real world.

Have I seen

the real world yet?

Da, dushechka.

I know it now.

Your world is very real...

for you.

Only I could not see.

[SNIFFS]

Perhaps I could,

but I would not see.

It was wrong of me

to want you to play the game.

The wrong was mine

because I taught you.

Oh, God,

I have done this thing. I-

Oh.

[SNIFFS]

I did not know

how far it had gone.

It was only

because I loved you.

Do you still love me?

Child.

I have not loved

your mother...

more than

I have loved you.

There is nothing in my life...

I have loved

more than you- nothing.

But everything

is different now.

It is different now.

Nothing can ever

be the same.

Not for any of us.

Everything has gone too far.

It must stop now.

Are you going to

send me away?

Away?

[SNIFFS]

Why?

Where would you go?

Away.

No, dushechka.

You shall never be sent away.

We'll be together always?

Always.

Always!

But no more games. Da?

Da.

Sleep now.

Sleep.

[SNIFFING]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[WOOD CREAKS]

[WHISPERING]

Come on, little brother.

It's all right.

Don't be scared.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

[CLOCK CHIMES]

Remember?

Go ahead. Open it.

Oh, that's sad.

Isn't that sad, little brother?

Talk to him, little brother.

[WHISPERING]

Holland.

Think. Concentrate.

Think hard.

Play the game

the way she taught you.

You're good at the game.

Go ahead and do it.

[KISSES]

He has something for you.

Holland.

Hello, little brother.

Hello.

Are you all right?

Yes.

And I have something for you.

You do?

Take it.

Take it.

- It's stuck.

- Take it.

I can't. It won't come.

Your finger's all swollen.

I know, I know.

Take it.

I'd better not.

Ada would get mad.

She said to bury it.

Ada says the ring is cursed.

"Ada says. Ada says."

Take it.

Holland, it won't come off.

It won't.

Hey, wait.

I've got an idea.

Come closer.

In the garden by the gate-

[WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

You're good at the game.

Go ahead and do it.

Concentrate.

No!

Yes. Do it, little brother.

It's easy. Do it, Niles.

Come on. Do it.

Do it now.

Now.

[SNIP]

[CLOCK TICKING]

[CRICKETS CHIRPING]

[WHISPERING]

Holland.

Holland.

Hi.

What are you looking

so worried for, little brother?

I thought maybe

you wouldn't come.

Of course I came.

What do you think?

Ada says we can't

play the game anymore.

No more game? Why?

Ada says it's wrong.

"Ada says."

What's wrong with playing

the game, for cripe's sake?

She says it's dangerous.

[LAUGHS]

Dangerous.

Yeah. And I'm

getting scared, Holland.

What are you scared of?

I don't know.

But Ada's right.

Something awful

could happen.

We can still play the game.

She doesn't have to know.

We could play it in secret.

- She'll know.

- How?

Ada knows everything.

She can tell what you're

thinking about if she wants.

If she finds out,

it's gonna make her unhappy.

I don't want to

make her cry again.

You didn't see her upstairs.

She was crying.

I'm scared for her too,

Holland.

Look, little brother.

Getting scared isn't

gonna do any good.

Besides, if you get scared...

you're not gonna be able

to play the game at all.

And I won't be around then.

Don't say that, Holland.

We can be together.

We can always be together.

But don't say that.

Cripes!

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