Paul KahnINTO THE GRAY ZONE* Synopsis Characters GABE - SAUL's son, about 60 years old Setting Time
SAUL: They took Mama away. These goons came in and grabbed her and took her away. GABE: But, Dad – SAUL: I yelled at them to let her go, but they wouldn't listen to me. Nobody listens to me. GABE: But, Dad, don't you remember? We had a meeting, and we all agreed that Mama would be better off downstairs on the nursing floor. SAUL: What meeting? GABE: The meeting last week with the staff. You were there, and we all agreed that Mama needs more help now than you can give her. SAUL: I never agreed to anything. GABE: You did, but you don't remember. SAUL: What are you saying – I'm losing my mind? GABE: No, but your memory isn't as good as it used to be. SAUL: It's good enough. GABE: I wish it was. SAUL: I'm not a vegetable. GABE: Nobody is saying that. SAUL: What are they saying? What are they telling you about me? GABE: Nothing. That's not what I meant. SAUL: Goddamn goons are talking behind my back. They took Mama away. GABE: No, Dad. We had a meeting. We all said that, since Mama has trouble now with things like getting in and out of bed and using the bathroom and remembering to take her medications, it would be good for her to be where she has help available 24 hours a day. SAUL: I can help her. GABE: I know you want to, but – SAUL: It's my job. I'm her husband. For 67 years. GABE: But you're not very steady on your feet yourself. There's a real danger that you could both fall, if you try to get her out of her wheelchair. Nobody wants that to happen. SAUL: Yeah, they're always shrying at me, "Mr. Cohen, don't take your wife to the toilet. Call us, if she needs to go." But I call them, and they don't come. So, what am I supposed to do? She's a human being for Christ's sake! I'm not going to stand there and let her go in her pants. GABE: No, that's not right. They should come when you call. I'll talk to them. SAUL: You don't have to. I can talk. She's my wife. GABE: I'm just trying to help. SAUL: I don't need your help. I ran a business for Christ's sake. I know how to talk to people. GABE: Of course, you do. SAUL: I don't need you to take over. GABE: I'm not trying to take over. I never do anything without consulting you first. SAUL: You think you're a big shot. You had this meeting. You let them take Mama away. GABE: You were there, Dad. I just got finished saying you were there. SAUL: After 67 years of living together as man and wife, now we're separated! It isn't right! GABE: And I wish it didn't have to be this way. I wish you could both be accommodated together. But you can't be. You and Mama have different needs. It's not so bad, though, is it? She's right downstairs. You're only one floor apart. You can visit her whenever you want. SAUL: Yeah, I'm like a yo-yo, bouncing up and down, up and down. Half the time I don't know where the hell I am anymore. GABE: Maybe you should get a lifeline, so you can call for help if you get disoriented. SAUL: I don't want a lifeline. I want a life! This is not a life, living without my wife, having her locked up in that loony bin. Do you know what kind of people are there? The dregs! You should hear them howling all day and night. And they won't let me take her out, even to go to a concert in the auditorium. They say, "Mr. Cohen, someone has to go with you to make sure Mrs. Cohen doesn't fall." She fell once 14 years ago, and they're still harping on it. GABE: That isn't exactly true. She fell this year. Remember, she fractured a vertebra in her back and was in terrible pain for a long time. Do you want that to happen again? SAUL: Nothing would happen, if they worked with her on her walking. But they stopped. They aren't getting any more money from the government. That's why. All they care about here is money. GABE: They stopped because she wasn't making any more progress. SAUL: This place is a prison, a goddamn money-grubbing prison! GABE: I'm sorry you feel that way, Dad. I'm really sorry. SAUL: My life is shit! I ran my own business. Who the hell am I now!? GABE: You're still important. Mama needs you. I need you. SAUL: That's malarkey. You're independent. You have your own life.GABE: But a son always needs his father. SAUL: What's the matter? Is everything okay at the paper? You didn't get laid off, did you? GABE: No, the job is fine, insanely busy as usual. I meant to bring you a piece I wrote about Afghanistan. I'll bring it the next time I come. But that might not be for a while. SAUL: The paper is sending you away again? GABE: That's not it. I don't want you to worry, Dad, but I went the other day for a routine colonoscopy, and they found something. SAUL: You know I've saved all your articles. They're around here somewhere. GABE: We can look for them later. Right now I want you to try and focus on what I'm saying. SAUL: Remember, I gave you your first job after you got out of college – writing ads for me. What I used to be able to do in those days! I juggled a dozen clients and kept them all satisfied. GABE: Dad, I’m trying to talk to you about right now. They found something—polyps. And they were malignant. I have cancer. SAUL: Cancer? GABE: Yes, colon cancer. I’m going in for surgery tomorrow. And to be honest, Dad, I'm nervous about it, really quite nervous. SAUL: Sure, you're nervous, putting yourself in those butchers’ hands. Those gonifs don't know half as much as they pretend to. They're always pushing these pills on me that cost an arm and a leg, and I swear to god they don't do a damn thing. GABE: That's not really helpful for me to hear right now, Dad. SAUL: Believe me, it's probably nothing. They're just trying to make money off you. Don't be a patsy and let them. GABE: Dad, please don’t call me a patsy just because I’m not like you, suspicious of everyone. I don't have to be like that. SAUL: You haven't lived through what I have. You haven't had goons come and take your wife away. GABE: Oh for Christ's sake, Dad, there are no goons! That's not real! Can't you get that through your head!? SAUL: What are you shrying at me for? GABE: Because you're not listening to me. SAUL: I'm listening. GABE: No, you’re not. You don’t get it. SAUL: Get what? GABE: I might be dying! SAUL: You're not old. I'm old. GABE: That doesn't matter. Things change. SAUL: So, what can you do? That's life. GABE: Is that all you can say – that's life? SAUL: What do you want me to say? GABE: Something real, for god’s sake! SAUL: I know what’s real. I know Mama and I only have a few years left. GABE: Okay, have it your way, damnit! I bend over backwards trying to respect your feelings. I try to reach you. But you’re nowhere! SAUL: Don't huck on me! I'm an old man. GABE: Oh God, what am I doing? I'm sorry, Dad. SAUL: (Breaking into tears.) I can't take it! GABE: Don't cry. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just that I miss you. You, Mama, everything that means anything to me is slipping away. I feel like I did when I was a kid, and you were out working day and night. I couldn't sleep till you got home. SAUL: I had a business to run. I used to be the boss. GABE: Now you're never coming home again, are you? SAUL: This is my home. Mama should be here with me. Can't you tell them to bring her back. They respect you. Me -- they think I'm shmootz. You can make them bring her back. GABE: I wish I could, Dad. I wish I could snap my fingers and make us all young and healthy again. But I can't. SAUL: Please try, son. GABE: Okay, okay. I'll try. SAUL: At night I'm like a stone, rattling around here by myself. GABE: I'll visit you more often, if I can. SAUL: You're a good boy. GABE: I suppose it's not much consolation that you and Mama had a good long run together. I know I'm not finding much consolation in what I've done before. SAUL: You remember when the three of us all went on vacation in New Hampshire, and we climbed up The Flume? GABE: I remember. What made you think of that? SAUL: The water rushed down so fierce. You wanted to turn around and go back to the bottom. GABE: I thought I was going to fall in and drown. I held onto your hand for dear life. SAUL: And we made it to the top. GABE: You didn't know how scared I was. SAUL: I knew.GABE: You did? I wish you had told me. I wish you had said it was okay to be afraid. Why the hell couldn't you!? SAUL: I thought I had a reason. I thought I was making you strong. But I don't know now. I don't know anything anymore. GABE: Yes, you do. You remembered that story. You knew it meant something. SAUL: Are you going to be all right? GABE: I hope so. SAUL: Please don't be mad at me, son. I couldn't take it if you were mad. GABE: I'm not mad. It's too late to be mad. SAUL: You're sure? GABE: I'm sure. And you can tell me about how rotten it feels to be separated from Mama whenever you want. I'll listen. As long as I'm here I'll listen. *"Into the Gray Zone" was presented at the Boston Theatre Marathon in 2010, produced by Boston Playwright's Theatre. Published here by permission of Ruth Kahn
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