Brian Friel Plays 2 Read Online Free PDF

The pair of us should be on the stage, Aggie!
    They return to their tasks. Agnes goes to the cupboard for wool. On her way hack to her seat she looks out the window that looks on to the garden.
    Agnes What’s that son of yours at out there?
    Chris God knows. As long as he’s quiet.
    Agnes He’s making something. Looks like a kite. ( She taps on the window, calls ‘Michael! ’ and blows a kiss to the imaginary child. )Oh, that was the wrong thing to do! He’s going to have your hair, Chris.
    Chris Mine’s like a whin-bush. Will you wash it for me tonight, Maggie?
    Maggie Are we all for a big dance somewhere?
    Chris After I’ve put Michael to bed. What about then?
    Maggie I’m your man.
    Agnes ( at window )Pity there aren’t some boys about to play with.
    Maggie Now you’re talking. Couldn’t we all do with that?
    Agnes ( leaving window )Maggie!
    Maggie Wouldn’t it be just great if we had a – ( Breaks off .)Shhh.
    Chris What is it?
    Maggie Thought I heard Father Jack at the back door. I hope Kate remembers his quinine.
    Agnes She’ll remember. Kate forgets nothing.
    Pause.
    Rose There’s going to be pictures in the hall next Saturday, Aggie. I think maybe I’ll go.
    Agnes ( guarded )Yes?
    Rose I might be meeting somebody there.
    Agnes Who’s that?
    Rose I’m not saying.
    Chris Do we know him?
    Rose I’m not saying.
    Agnes You’ll enjoy that, Rosie. You loved the last picture we saw.
    Rose And he wants to bring me up to the back hills next Sunday – up to Lough Anna. His father has a boat there. And I’m thinking maybe I’ll bring a bottle of milk with me. And I’ve enough money saved to buy a packet of chocolate biscuits.
    Chris Danny Bradley is a scut, Rose.
    Rose I never said it was Danny Bradley!
    Chris He’s a married man with three young children.
    Rose And that’s just where you’re wrong, missy – so there! ( to Agnes )She left him six months ago, Aggie, and went to England.
    Maggie Rose, love, we just want –
    Rose ( to Chris )And who are you to talk, Christina Mundy! Don’t you dare lecture me!
    Maggie Everybody in the town knows that Danny Bradley is –
    Rose ( to Maggie )And you’re jealous, too! That’s what’s wrong with the whole of you – you’re jealous of me! ( to  Agnes )He calls me his Rosebud. He waited for me outside the chapel gate last Christmas morning and he gave me this. ( She opens the front of her apron. A charm and a medal are pinned to her jumper .)‘That’s for my Rosebud,’ he said.
    Agnes Is it a fish, Rosie?
    Rose Isn’t it lovely? It’s made of pure silver. And it brings you good luck.
    Agnes It is lovely.
    Rose I wear it all the time – beside my miraculous medal. ( Pause .)I love him, Aggie.
    Agnes I know.
    Chris ( softly )Bastard.
    Rose closes the front of her apron. She is on the point of tears. Silence. Now Maggie lifts her hen-bucket and using it as a dancing partner she does a very fast and very exaggerated tango across the kitchen floor as she sings in her parodic style the words from ‘The Isle of Capri’:
    Maggie
    ‘Summer time was nearly over;
    Blue Italian skies above.
    I said, “Mister, I’m a rover.
    Can’t you spare a sweet word of love?”’
    And without pausing for breath she begins calling her hens as she exits by the back door:
    Tchook-tchook-tchook-tchook-tchook-tchook-tchook-tchookeeeeeee …
    Michael enters and stands stage left. Rose takes the lid off the range and throws turf into the fire.
    Chris For God’s sake, I have an iron in there!
    Rose How was I to know that?
    Chris Don’t you see me ironing? ( fishing with tongs ) Now you’ve lost it. Get out of my road, will you!
    Agnes Rosie, love, would you give me a hand with this ( of wool )? If we don’t work a bit faster we’ll never get two dozen pairs finished this week.
    The convention must now be established that the ( imaginary ) Boy Michael is working at the kite materials lying on the ground. No dialogue with the Boy Michael must ever be addressed directly