Jeffrey Fancy
PERSONS IN THE PLAY:
RUSS, a young student home from college
RICK, a young recent college graduate looking for a job
TIME: The present
SCENE: A table with two chairs in a small restaurant with big picture windows that overlook San Francisco Bay. It is evening and foggy outside. RUSS and RICK are seated across from each other having Irish Coffee in white mugs. They are looking out the window at a homeless man slowly stumbling on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.
RUSS: See that old man? I ran in to him earlier today.
RICK: Tell me about it. What did he say? Or what did you say?
RUSS: He asked me for a dollar for a cup of coffee. I gave him a dollar and told him I had some time to hear his story. [takes a sip of his coffee]
We sat down on a bench. He said his name is August West, and that he loves his Pearly Baker more than wine, more than his maker.
RICK: Interesting. What else did he say.
RUSS: Everyone said he’d come to no good, and he believed them. He also said half of his life was spent doing time for someone else’s crime. And the other half of his life found him stumbling around drunk on Burgundy wine. Then he got a faraway look in his eye and looked out toward Alcatraz. He said slowly that he’ll get back on his feet again someday, the good Lord willing, if He says he may. He said he knows the life he’s living is no good. [pauses]
RICK: Then what did he say?
RUSS: He said he will get a new start and live the life he should. Then he said Pearly’s been true to him, true to his dying day. [pauses, sips his coffee]
I said to him, I’m sure she’s been true to you.
RICK: [sips his coffee] Then what happened.
RUSS: Well, I got up and wandered. Wandered downtown, nowhere to go but just hang around thinking about what he said. You know, I’ve got a girl. Named Bonnie Lee, and I know that girl’s been true to me. I know she’s been, I’m sure she’s been true to me.