RYAN:
Whatcha doing here? (Pause.) Who are you?
WADE: Your ma around?
(Pause.)
She helped me out last week.
RYAN:
I bet.
(RYAN smirks at the bouquet of tiger lilies WADE brought and gets a drink of milk.)
WADE:
What’s she up to?
RYAN: Bible reading. The whole thing.
WADE: You don’t say.
RYAN: She’s a slower reader.
(WADE checks his boots, licks his finger and wipes a spot on them. RYAN drinks milk from the carton.)
WADE: Gonna call her?
(RYAN keeps drinking. A flash of anger crosses WADE’s face.)
Come on, now. We’re neighbors. You’re Ryan. I know a mess about you already, and you act like you never seen me.
RYAN:
Have I?
WADE: You walk my daughter to school. Think I didn’t notice?
(RYAN shrugs and puts the milk away.)
Not much of a noticer, are you? Tell you what I saw coming up to your house just now. Trees, hedges, grown up by the window. So little light in the living room you got to keep a lamp on at noon. Bees nest in the gutter. Grass halfway past your shin. Rake against the side of the garage. Know what I think? I think a man used to live here. And doesn’t anymore. Right? Am I right?
(WADE grabs the milk from the fridge and yanks RYAN toward the cabinet.)
Get a glass.
RYAN: Huh?
WADE: You heard me
Now pour the milk in the glass. More. That’s it. Now drink the milk like a civilized person. Go on!
(He tips the bottom of the glass up and pushes it against RYAN’S face, forcing him to drink.)
That’s it. That’s it. Oh no, you’re not done. Did I say you’re done?
(RYAN pulls away and coughs milk into the sink, strugglng to breathe.)
Who do you think you are, treating strangers like that!?
RYAN: Maa!?
WADE: You treat your mother that way?
RYAN: Maa!
(A door slams offstage. Angry muttering. RYAN stares at WADE.)
WADE: Stay away from my daughter till you learn some manners. Got that?
(As CLAIRE enters, WADE turns and smiles.)
There you are! I sure appreciate your help the other night . .
(He gives her the flowers. She smiles.)
