A STREAM IN THE WASTELAND

In the 1930s Katherine, a young Irish Catholic Novice is tutoring her younger sister Annie when Annie, breaks a vase of flowers.

ANNIE

Lord— Oh, Katty, don't cry, I'll save and buy you a new—

KATHERINE

(A burst of wrath) What possible good would that do? (Silence.)

Da never told you? (ANNIE shakes HER head. KATHERINE turns away frowning)

Well, then I'm sorry, Annie. I’ve only known a week.

ANNIE

I'm so sorry I broke it. Kat?

KATHERINE

Now look at your skirt, now. You can't go into the cold like that.

ANNIE

I could sleep here tonight. (SHE places HER head on KATHERINE’s pillow,)

KATHERINE

You'll have to change. Take off that dress. (ANNIE doesn’t move) Are you ill, now?

ANNIE

Dizzy....a little.

KATHERINE

Don't be like that - you know I've no choice - it's Christ's bidding I do, not my own—now take off the dress.

ANNIE

I can't.

KATHERINE

What's the matter with you? Sure you'll catch your death - you're that soaked.

ANNIE

How long will you be gone?

KATHERINE

Oh, dearest. I can't say. It won't be for a few months yet. In the spring. Come. Sit up.

ANNIE

I have to think now. I have to think what I'll do.

KATHERINE

You'll sing and study hard and someday you can come visit. Now, off with that skirt. Are you shy, now? Your own sister? I'll turn my back then.

(KATHERINE turns and as ANNIE removes the tunic of HER school uniform, the swell of HER stomach is noticeable. )

KATHERINE

Hand it here so I can hang it up and we'll find you something to wear. (Stops, stares) Annie? Annie, are you....? (ANNIE pulls away.) How long? ANSWER ME, how long?

ANNIE

I don't know.

KATHERINE

You don’t.....? Do you want to tell me who it was? Annie? Look at me.

ANNIE

He holds me down.

KATHERINE

Yes?

ANNIE

He says if I tell, he'll twist my ankles and I won't be able to go walking in the night.

KATHERINE

Is that how this happened? Were you in the road at night?

ANNIE

Just over the fields to meet James. After supper I go.

KATHERINE

Someone stopped you?

ANNIE

He said he caught a man in the shed stealing tools and he twisted his ankles so bad, he had to lay there till the law came. He said if a woman didn't take a fancy and run off first chance she got, he wouldn't have to do such things. He said a woman had no mind to turn cold, to go off to the City and leave a man alone.

KATHERINE

"...go off to the City?" You mean....Ma?

ANNIE

Shhh.

KATHERINE

Why are you talking riddles?

ANNIE

Guess what happens then? God comes. If I lie very still and almost don't breathe, God comes. And God lifts me complete out of my body. I float up and stay above the room. Above the bed. I watch them down there but I feel nothing. God comes to save me and he leaves that bad girl down there to die. But she never does.

KATHERINE

Annie. Try to think clearly. I want you to tell me who you're speaking of that did this to you.

ANNIE

Only except I don't think God's a man like you do. No, I think God is a bird. A white bird with eyes like the winter fields that wasn't man nor woman but that spread it's wings around me and carried me on top of the pain.

KATHERINE

Was it young James then?

ANNIE

She got hot stones in her heart, that one.

KATHERINE

Or was it someone else?

ANNIE

You should see her after. Like this rag here to wipe up dead things—it's her killed the flowers!

KATHERINE

Hush now and look at me. Look at me, dear. Was he from County Clare? Was he from Ennis? Because Annie, you must know that whoever it was, he'll likely be beaten. Maybe killed. You don’t want an innocent man killed, do you? You must remember what he looks like and we'll call the patrol and have them search. There are many traveling the roads now. It could have been anyone at all. Anyone. Or was it James Costello?

ANNIE

He wipes his hands. He washes himself of her and I will too.

KATHERINE

You're talking about James, aren't you then? (Pause, fiercely) Aren't you??

(Turning from ANNIE’s gaze) Very well. I think you had better go home till I think of what to do. Here - put this on to wear. Roll up the skirt so it doesn't drag.

ANNIE

Ah, you know it's not James, Katty. (KATHERINE freezes.) Nothing’s changed.