Cory and the Architect (and Bumps…)
ARCHITECT ENTERS, JANGLING HIS CAR KEYS. ARCHITECTMy love. CORYBeloved. How is the Rolls? ARCHITECTGod Only Knows How I Love You! ARCHITECT HOLDS OUT END OF BALL OF RED STRING TO HER ARCHITECTMapping a marriage is like designing a garden. One has to get the geometry right. THEY MOVE AROUND, KEEPING THE STRING TAUT BETWEEN THEM CORYWere your clients impressed? ARCHITECTOf course. CORYDear boy. You are becoming such a success in the Outside World. ARCHITECTThanks to you, my Guardian Angel! Shall we? CORYLet’s. What are we making? ARCHITECTOur paradise. Our private Eden. Our house and garden. The sanctuary of our love. CORYAt last! A place for us! ARCHITECTOurs. We’ll go in there, you and I. CORYAnd shut out all the world? ARCHITECTAnd shut out all the world. THE GARDENER ENTERS AND RETURNS TO HIS DIGGING CORYAt last! ARCHITECTJust for you. I shall always take care of you. CORYDarling. We will be so happy! We will be so happy. When you’ve finished our Enchanted Castle! ARCHITECTCastle? BEAT CORYMy own Castle. My birthright. My true right and inheritance. ARCHITECTI only get a taste for Norman architecture later on in my career. PAUSE. HE BACKS AWAY. CORYWhere are you going? ARCHITECTI should visit Bumps. She’s so frail. I’ve been neglectful. ARCHITECT LEAVES CORY (COLDLY) Dear Bumps. (SHOUTS) I visited Bumps yesterday. BUMPS APPEARS She is getting very stout and deaf. I could see her garden had once been delightful - I’m sure I called at the wrong time of the year. She thought to advise me on the planting of my herb garden. So sweet. She left out lovage, garlic and caraway - but obviously, it’s a matter of personal oddity. SOUND OF A CAR APPROACHING. HEADLIGHTS SWING ACROSS THROUGH THE TREES. SCREECH OF TYRES ON GRAVEL. ARCHITECT ENTERS, JANGLING HIS CAR KEYS. CORY RISES. BUMPS GOES UP TO THE GARDENER TO GIVE A HAND CORY (BELOVED) My love. BUMPSMy father always called me “old chap”. ARCHITECTBeloved. BUMPSOr “my Oddity”. ARCHITECTGod Only Knows How I Love You! CORYDear boy. You are going to be such a success. But I want you to know, you must never go sacrificing your principles for profit. Your work is not Business, it is Art. ARCHITECTMy Guardian Angel! BUMPSThe head gardener used to say: GARDENERGood chap, Bumps. Knows how to dig a trench. BUMPSHad the wherewithal to be an engineer. Oh yes. Except for. Those WhereWithAlls ARCHITECTShall we? CORYLet’s. THEY MARRY, GO ON HONEYMOON AND ARE FOUND SITTING FACING OPPOSITE WAYS IN DECK CHAIRS SOUND OF THE SEA CORYWhat are you writing? ARCHITECTIt’s a sketch. CORYOf? BUMPSMy father’s a soldier. Infantry. ARCHITECTParadise. See? HE EXHIBITS PARADISE BUMPSNed reminds me. Of my brother Fred. So naturally…. CORYA Little White House. Is it to be our Little White House? ARCHITECTOurs. We’ll go in there, you and I BUMPS…I was fond of him. ARCHITECTAnd shut out all the world. BUMPSHe and I. Ned and me. We take a journey once. By train. From King’s Cross to Berwick. CORYA Little White House. Is it to be our Little White House? ARCHITECTOurs. We’ll go in there, you and I BUMPSThen across the sands to Lindisfarne. ARCHITECTAnd shut out all the world. BUMPSNed brings a raven. CORYShould you be sorry? ARCHITECTOf course I’m not sorry. I only have eyes for you. BEAT I never had a garden of my own you know. BUMPSAcquired from his dentist. CORYPoor darling. BUMPSIt’s a considerable anxiety on the journey. CORYMy poor boy. I shall plant a sea of heart’s-ease instead of a lawn. ARCHITECTWha - ? CORYJust for you. I shall always take care of you. ARCHITECTDarling CORYWe will be so happy. When you’ve built our Little White House by the sea. BUMPSHe spends the entire time of our stay at the castle making a cage for the blasted creature, while I discuss the garden with Mister Hudson…. ARCHITECTBy the sea? PAUSE CORY (GAZING OUT TO SEA) How I love the sea. BUMPSI even go for a paddle. ARCHITECT (GAZING THE OPPOSITE WAY) I hate the sea. PAUSE. THEY TURN SLOWLY TO LOOK AT EACH OTHER ARCHITECT AND CORY Darling? NED GETS UP ARCHITECTI should write to Bumps. I’ve been neglectful. BELOVED GETS UP BELOVED (COLDLY) Dear Bumps. ARCHITECTI haven’t finished the plans for her house. BELOVED And the plans for our little white house by the sea? ARCHITECT GAZES AT HER MISERABLY BUMPS DANCES BETWEEN THEM AS BETWEEN TWO MIRRORS BUMPSNot beautiful - but useful. BUMPS DISAPPEARS. CORY LIES DOWN. ARCHITECT GAZES AT HER FOR A WHILE, THEN LEAVES.