Triptych and Iphigenia by Edna O’Brien Read Free Book Online Page A

there, in some cottage, a big fire, the smell of peat, his sea nymph outside the window, or just come inside, into the warmth … all the thrill of courtship.
    Mistress rises and wraps herself inside her shawl, as protection.
    Wife holds up a candle to usher her away.
    A noise offstage of slamming door.
    Daughter enters, disheveled, wearing a fur coat.
    DAUGHTER    Dear, darling, Mummy.
    WIFE    (
fending her off
) These overnight rave parties have to stop … finito.
    DAUGHTER    Get your widows’ weeds out, to look good for a funeral.
    WIFE    She’s crazy.
    DAUGHTER    Crazy yes … crazy, crazy, crazy. My father’s missing at sea.
    MISTRESS    (
aghast
) No. No.
    DAUGHTER    He went out in a blizzard in a little row boat. He’s missing five hours.
    WIFE    How you love to scare me … Daddy’s gone a-hunting. Daddy’s gone a-missing.
    DAUGHTER    They rang you but you were too busy clawing at her.
    MISTRESS    Are they thinking missing … or is he washed ashore in some inlet.
    WIFE    (
abrupt
) Whose talking missing … nobody. Moreover he’s a brilliant sailor.
    DAUGHTER    The fishermen warned them.
    WIFE    (
cutting in
) Them?
    DAUGHTER    There’s a girl with him.
    MISTRESS    Five hours. Five hours.
    A scene of confusion follows, each doing something to defer the dreaded news.
    Mistress relights the candle, holds it, murmuring to it, a prayer.
    Daughter speaks to her cell phone … imploring it to ring.
    WIFE    He’s not dead Brandy … I would know … feel my pulse (
impatient
).
Feel
it.
    DAUGHTER    You drove him to this.
    WIFE    He wanted to go … a little dalliance.
    DAUGHTER    (
to phone
) Don’t die Daddy … don’t, don’t die.
    WIFE    Cut it out Brandy.
    DAUGHTER    I heard you the night before he left … shouting, screaming. What did you threaten him with—a bloodbath … you me and him or her? You would have done anything to split them up.
    WIFE    Hold your tongue … these people have made you morbid.
    DAUGHTER    These people live there and they know … they know the worst.
    MISTRESS    (
to daughter
) Who called you … a doctor?
    DAUGHTER    A priest. A brother of the girl … he said he would have stopped but he was saying mass … she was in love with the sea … the sea was calling to her and Daddy … she heard voices.
    MISTRESS    She’s snared him.
    WIFE    She’s sick. I must talk to this priest.
    DAUGHTER    You can’t … he’s gone down to the sea shore … they’re saying rosaries.
    WIFE    Why aren’t they out in lifeboats finding him?
    DAUGHTER    They were … they gave up.
    Auburn Girl singing offstage, her voice clear, enchanted and ghostly.
    Wife speaks over the song to shut it out.
    AUBURN GIRL    (
offstage
)
    My dead love came in
    He came in so sweetly
    His feet made no din
    And this he did say
    O it will not be long love
    Till our wedding day
    WIFE    (
tenderly to Henry
) My darling I will hold you in my arms, I will cradle you and hold you the way you hold mewhen I’ve been silly. I will never let you out of my sight again.
    Wife exits to inner room.
    MISTRESS    Why did he go?
    Daughter ignores the question.
    MISTRESS    Why?
    DAUGHTER    You know my father … anyone ask him a favor and he says yes. She pestered him. It was to launch some poetry magazine … a flying visit.
    MISTRESS    He will be back. We need him. We all need him so much.
    Wife reenters carrying a black hat with veiling.
    WIFE    (
to Daughter
) Get ready … he’ll want us there … to celebrate … to bring him home.
    Wife looks in mirror as she puts on the hat.
    Telephone rings offstage from inner room.
    All