Liberation
Notes before we begin:
(): Scenes
[]: Actions
**: Thoughts
Act I
Green Playground Come to Dinner Doubts
(Inside the Amor-Eros Manor at sundown. An old wrinkly woman with dark black hair to her high back and brown dressed in grey overalls is showing around a younger woman with long dark red hair to her waist and deep green eyes dressed in dark blue low rise jeans, a lacy cream white corset top, and brown dress sandals her new apartment. The younger woman is admiring a 18th century painting above the marble mantel.)
Old Woman: [Coming back with the apartment key in her hand.] You have made a wise decision to stay at Amor-Eros Manor. This apartment complex has been running since 1940.
Younger Woman: [Half-listening] I see.
[Old woman walks over to her new residence.]
Old Woman: Like the art?
[Younger woman nods]
Old Woman: Never really got into the arts myself.
Younger Woman: [Turns to her in shook] You're joking, right?
Old Woman: No. Too busy to. Out here in the country, you're too busy to find time to enjoy art and history.
Younger Woman: Oh, I see.
Old Woman: Here you are, [Hands the younger woman the apartment key] the key to your new home, Mrs. Uh..... I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your name.
Younger Woman: [Giggles] I'm Elina Hendrix, Mrs. Rowe....
Old Woman: [Grabs Elina's hand] Just call me Holly.
Elina: [Uneasily] All right....
[Holly grins]
Elina: *My, she looks much younger when she smiles!*
Holly: Well, I'll leave you alone now. [Heads to the door] See you at dinner.
Elina: All right.
Holly: Bye.
[Holly leaves and shuts the door behind her.]
Elina: [Uneasily] I guess....
[Elina goes upstairs to the bathroom to freshen up]
(In the bathroom. Elina is washing her face in the sink.)
Elina: *My first trip away from Richard since we got married. [Sighs] I don't know how I convinced him to let me do it. All I have ever done was stay around the house cleaning, washing, cooking, shopping, sending my work to various companies. Life is so dull! Richard barely lets me do anything without him. I barely have any friends because of him. Oh, but I do love him dearly. He's the only man for me. Maybe that's why he sent me off. He knows he could trust me not to have an affair with any other. [Sighs again] Well, I better make the most of it. This could be my last trip alone forever.*
[Elina turns off the faucet and leaves the bathroom. She begins to undress. When she is down to her black silk bra and matching knickers about to change into her long red satin skirt, she feels as if she is being watched. Elina slowly turns her head to the window. She sees a dirty-looking old man staring back at her with his eyes glued to her shapely body while he cleans the window. Elina panics and screams loud enough to wake the dead.]
[The old man nearly falls off the ledge. Elina quickly grabs the rest of her clothes and runs downstairs in a flash. She opens her front door to find a younger looking woman with long wavy blonde her to her waist and grey eyes standing in front of her. Elina stands there in a panic and trembling. The other woman eyes her in confusion.]
Woman: Is there a problem?
Elina: [While trying to clam down] There.... is.... a man.... at my..... window!!!!
[The woman quickly catches on and laughs]
Woman: Oh, him. Don't worry. It's only David, the caretaker. He's a bit of a peeping tom.
Elina: [Still shaking] Holly actually allows that?!?
Woman: Don't worry, she smacks from time to time to straighten him out.
[Elina finally pulls herself together.]
Woman: [Holds out her hand] Madison Paul. But you can call me Maddie.
Elina: Elina. [Shakes the woman's hand]
Maddie: I just came down for to meet the new residence. I live next door to you. How long are you down here for?
Elina: One month.
Maddie: [Low whistle] That's a long time.
Elina: I know.
Maddie: Well, I'll be off now. [Turns to leave] See you at dinner.
Elina: All right.
[Maddie leaves but them returns.]
Maddie: Oh and one more thing.
Elina: [Looks up.] Hm?
Maddie: Get dressed. Wouldn't be right to show up to dinner in your knickers.
Elina: Wha?
[Elina looks down at herself and sees that she is indeed still in her knickers.]
Elina: Oh right! Thanks.
Maddie: No pro. [Leaves]
[Elina watches the door and then slowly rises.]
Elina: *I think I'll like it here.*
[Elina goes back upstairs to get dressed.]
End of Sect. I
(The Amor-Eros Great Dining Hall. The long oak table is packed with residents. They are all talking and eating merrily. Elina enters in slowly dressed in a long red velvet strapless dress that shows her lovely flat stomach. She feels so small. She continues to take baby steps. But as she does so, people start to look up at her. The guys all blush at her. Elina finally makes it to the table. Maddie turns around.)
Maddie: So glad you could join us. [Pulls out a chair] Go on sit.
[Elina complies and pulls herself up]
[Maddie turns back to the others]
Maddie: [Picks up a sourdough roll and places on her plate and breaks it open] So anyway, William came home last night and found his wife in bed with their gardener. He stood there pale and sickly. The man nearly had a heart attack at the whole scene. Heather and the gardener just sat down in bed speechless and a panic attack.
Village Woman: [Puts down her drink after she takes a sip] So then what happened?
Maddie: [Butters her roll] Well then, he grabbed the gardener by the neck dragged him outside to the front and pounded him flat. Turns out, this affair had been going for eight whole years and the boy was sixteen when Heather first slept with him. She's near her forties and sleeping with a child! [Puts down the knife] William must have been blind not to suspect a thing. Shows how dull a marriage can get.
[Elina freezes nervously as she was cutting her steak.]
Man: [Twirls his spaghetti on his fork] Mr. and Mrs. Henderson's son came back from the Navy today. He's a changed man. The boy is as gay as a circus in July.
Maddie: [Picking up her spoon to eat some soup.] Aw, that's not bad. We've had gay and lesbian tenants to live here in the past. Why, homosexuality is as old as time itself.
Man: [Twirls more his spaghetti on his fork] But you should see his boyfriend! I tell you, the Navy seems to let anybody in nowadays. The guy makes Marilyn Mason look normal. The boyfriend is paler than the snow. Long black matted hair to his back. Lips and nails as dark as coal. Just the mere sight of him gave the boy's father heart attack. [Pours himself more cider] Plus the fact that they were holding hands and necking right in front of his parents at the dinner table! That's not the worst of it. Both of them are so thin! [Twirls another forkful of his spaghetti on his fork] Their uniforms looked like they were eating them alive. If they were my sons, I would have to tie them to my wrist to keep them from blowing away in the wind. I wondered if they fed them in the navy.
[Elina tries to swallow her potatoes but nearly chokes on it.]
[The small group turns to her]
Maddie: You alright Elina?
Elina: [Looks up and swallows the potato] Yeah, it just went down the wrong way.
2nd Woman: [Starting on her sausage] You sure deary?
Elina: Yes! I'll be fine. [Drinks her water]
2nd Woman: All right. [Returns to her sausage]
1st Woman: [With her lobster on her fork] So anyway, Sarah's daughter, Anita is finally getting married.
Maddie: [Finishing her cabbage] Splendid! To who?
1st Woman: [Butters her lobster] The Henderson boy.
[Everyone pauses]
3rd Woman: [Drops her spoon] The Henderson boy?!?
1st Woman: [Finishes the lobster] That's what said.
2nd Man: [Stops cutting his steak] That delinquent?!?
1st Woman: [Butters her rice] The exact same one. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. They eloped last night!
[Gasps all around]
1st Woman: [Finishes a forkful of rice] They plan to never come back home too.
2nd Man: [Breaking open his lobster] I hear that boy has scores of bastard child all over the country.
Maddie: [Cut a piece of her pork] The boy just doesn't know how to keep his pants up around a pretty girl.
1st Man: [Salting his steak] If that was my son, I'd whip his ass every single hour!
1st Woman: [Pouring herself more sherry] Wonder how long it will long?
Maddie: [Finishing her ale] Anita's a strong and smart girl. She'll whip him into shape.
2nd Man: Apparently not. [Finishing his meal.] If she decides to elope with that leech!
3rd Woman: Yeah that's true.
[Elina finally puts down her fork and shoves away her plate]
Elina: Suddenly, I'm not so hungry. I'll go by to my flat.
Maddie: All right.
[Elina gets up from the table, shoves in her chairs, and leaves the great dining room. All of the other guests watch her.]
2nd Woman: I wonder what's wrong with her?
Maddie: Don't know.
End of Sect. II
(Elina's bedroom in her flat. Elina flops down onto her in a whirlwind of dismay. She thinks she might be sick with disgust.)
Elina: *Oh my God! How could they all talk about their neighbors like that?!? My neighbors back in London talked gossip from time to time but never like that! My holiday was a bad idea!*
[Elina's black and purple mobile rings wildly. Elina picks up the phone and answers it.]
Elina: Hello?
Man on the Line: Hello baby girl!
Elina: Richard?
Richard: Yes, it's me!
Elina: [Perks up] I'm so glad to talk to you!
Richard: How's your trip dearest?
Elina: [Is down again] Not so good.
Richard: [Catches her tone] What's wrong my little kitty?
[Elina pauses and takes in a deep breath]
Elina: It's the locals. They gossip and keep secrets about themselves and each other. They are oversexed and back-stabbing crazy. It's all one just huge soap opera. I can't take it!
[Richard just laughs a little bit.]
Elina: What's so funny?!?
Richard: That's how it is sometimes, love. Every city, town, and village has its rumors and gossips.
Elina: It's not as bad in London!
Richard: It is. You just don't hear it as much. Come on now, you'll rise above it love.
Elina: [Pitifully] You sure?
Richard: I grantee it!
Elina: Okay.
Richard: You just rise above and enjoy your month off, dearest.
Elina: I'll try to.
Richard: Good. I love you baby.
Elina: I love you too Rich.
Richard: Good night Elina.
Elina: Night.
[The couple hangs up. Elina lies back onto her bed.]
Richard: *Words echoing in Elina's head* You just rise above and enjoy your month off, dearest.
Elina: *I will try to! I will try to.*
[Elina gets up and heads to the bedroom to change into her nightgown. Once she is done, Elina closes her window, turns out the light, and goes to bed.]
End of Section III
End of Act I
