Paul KahnTHE MAKING OF FREE VERSECharacters: JOSHUA -- a writer in his early 30s who has muscular dystrophy and uses a motorized wheelchair MIRANDA -- an attractive African-American documentary filmmaker in her 20s MOLLY -- publisher and editor of an alternative newspaper, in her mid 30s ROGER -- Joshua's intellectually challenged personal care attendant, in his late 20s Scene 2 MOLLY's office. MOLLY hands MIRANDA a large, thickly stuffed envelope. MOLLY: Please take good care of these. MIRANDA: I will. I'll copy them and return the originals within the week. MOLLY: Thank you. MIRANDA: Thank you for introducing me to such an interesting person. MOLLY: Have you spoken yet? MIRANDA: Oh, yes! I had a nice conversation with Josh, and he invited me over. MOLLY: He likes to be called "Joshua" not "Josh." MIRANDA: Really? He didn't say that. MOLLY: He wouldn't. He's not assertive enough. MIRANDA: Sounds like you know him very well. MOLLY: I'm one of the few people he trusts, one of the few TABs. MIRANDA: TABs? MOLLY That's an expression in the disability community. It means a "temporarily able-bodied" person. The idea is that everyone can and probably eventually will become disabled. MIRANDA: That's a little hostile, isn't it? MOLLY: People with disabilities have good reason to be hostile. Society has always treated them like freaks. And, notice I said "people with disabilities" not "the disabled." That's called "people first language," and it's important to use with Joshua. It shows that you think of him as a person, not just a collection of symptoms. MIRANDA: Of course I think of him as a person. MOLLY: But, he's not going to assume that. You have a lot to learn about Joshua, if you want to gain his trust. Fortunately I can teach you. MIRANDA: And I really appreciate your help. But, I like to gain my own impressions of people. MOLLY: Fine. But, if you screw up and make him uncomfortable, he won't give you a second chance. MIRANDA: Okay, "Joshua" not "Josh;" people first language; I'm a TAB, in other words, the enemy. What else should I be on guard about? MOLLY: Don't ask him about his disability. For God's sake don't say anything as stupid as "What's wrong with you?" Don't help him with anything. That will just humiliate him. And, don't dress like that. MIRANDA: Excuse me, like what? MOLLY: Look, it's none of my business how you show off your assets. But, Joshua is very susceptible. He's had very little experience with women. I don't want him to get the wrong idea about your interest in him and then be hurt later on. MIRANDA: Thanks for the warning, but I think I know how to behave professionally. MOLLY: I'm just trying to keep things smooth. MIRANDA: How smooth has it been between you and Joshua? Has sex ever reared its unruly head? MOLLY: When I first started spending time with him, I'd often catch him staring at my breasts. Just like a teenager, I swear. I'd call him on it, and he'd get terribly embarrassed. That eventually cured him. Now he knows enough to keep his eyes in his head, and we're fine. *** from Scene 4 JOSHUA's apartment. MIRANDA is meeting JOSHUA for the first time. ROGER has been sent out to take a walk. MIRANDA: (Sipping from her glass.) Mm! That's good ginger ale. JOSHUA: My own private stock. (ROGER has placed JOSHUA's glass a little too far away for him to reach. He tries to get at the straw but doesn't want MIRANDA to see him struggle.) 2002 was a vintage year. The ginger ripened to perfection... on the savannah. MIRANDA: (Catching herself staring at JOSHUA while he tries to nab the straw, she turns away in embarrassment.) I have to look at some more of these pictures. They're fascinating! JOSHUA: (Making a more aggressive effort to grab the straw while her head is turned and grumbling to himself.) That's where I found Roger -- growing like a squash with mush for brains. And that's where I'm throwing him back -- (He finally manages to grip the straw in his teeth. But, the effort tips the glass over, and the ginger ale and ice cubes spill across his tray and down his lap.) Shit! Oh shit! (MIRANDA turns around, sees what has happened, but is frozen by MOLLY's injunction not to offer help.) Jesus Christ! Get some paper towels! In the kitchen! Quick! (MIRANDA runs into the kitchen and returns with a bare paper towel tube.) Roger strikes again. Oh, man, this is cold! MIRANDA: Oh Christ! (She tries to use her shirttails to blot his tray.) Did I catch any? JOSHUA: Too little, too late. MIRANDA: Fuck it all! What the hell! (She rips her shirt off and balls it up to better catch the liquid.) Get your hands out of the way! (Pointing to his tray.) How the hell does this thing come off? JOSHUA: Why? MIRANDA: Because I can't reach underneath you with it on. JOSHUA: I'm okay. You don't -- MIRANDA: (Tugging at the tray until it comes off.) -- want to sit in a puddle of ice? Don't be an idiot. (She uses her wadded up shirt to flick ice cubes out from between his legs and dry his seat cushion as well as she can.) How's that? How do you feel? JOSHUA: Like a stupid klutz. I was trying to be Mr. Suave, and instead... Jesus! I wish I could start this whole fucking day over. MIRANDA: You want to start over? How do you think I feel? I did everything wrong. Everything! JOSHUA: What do you mean? MIRANDA: I made assumptions about what you would be interested in. I tripped all over myself, trying to avoid asking about your disability. I was trying to be modest and ended up doing a strip show. I was afraid to help you, and then I helped too much. JOSHUA: Why were you afraid to help me? MIRANDA: Because Molly said not to. She gave me this whole list of sins that would offend you, and I managed to commit every one of them. I'm a real classic TAB. JOSHUA: Molly! She's a conceited idiot. Don't ever listen to her. MIRANDA: Oh, now I find this out. JOSHUA: Listen, maybe we can start over. I'll just ignore the fact that my pants are soaking wet and that you're...um... like you are, although that won't be easy. MIRANDA: You must be so uncomfortable. JOSHUA: Not nearly as much as I was a few minutes ago.
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