Hampton Christopher - The mother ; and, the father

Father A bit, yes. All right? Mother Yes, yes. Pause. She resumes, not accusingly. Where were you? Father Mm? Mother This afternoon. Father What did you say? Mother Where were you? Father Why? Mother Just wondered. Pause. Father What about you? Good day? Mother Why are you asking me that? When you know the answer. Pause. Father What about you? Good day? Mother Why are you asking me that? When you know the answer.

Father Wanted to know. Mother Youre interested? Father Yes. Mother You know perfectly well my day was shitty. Father (astonished by her answer) Whats the matter with you? Anne Mother Nothing. Im just wondering why you bother to pretend. Father Me? Pretend what? Mother To be interested.

Father But Im not pretending at all, Anne. What are you talking about? I am interested. Very interested. Mother Well, its not very interesting. I stayed in, did nothing. Pause. Pause.

The start of a palpable unease. Your seminar, is it tomorrow? Father Yes. Mother Youre leaving tomorrow? Father Yes. In the morning. Mother Good. Are you happy? Father Its only a seminar. Pause. You seem upset.

Mother No, its just Nicolas. Father What? Mother He still hasnt phoned. Father Why should he have phoned? Mother Because Im his mother. I left him a message, but he hasnt called back. As usual. I dont understand why he never tells me whats happening in his life.

Why he never comes by to see me. Never. He behaves as if I didnt exist. Father Hes busy. Mother Doing what? Father Mm? I dont know. She shrugs her shoulders. She shrugs her shoulders.

Pause. Mother So? Father What? Mother Where were you? Father What do you mean, where was I? Mother This afternoon. Father In the office, darling. Why? Pause. He looks at her, vaguely anxious. Whats the matter with you? Mother I called the office just now. Father My office? Mother Yes. Pause. I wanted to talk to you. Pause. I wanted to talk to you.

Father Oh, yes? Mother And they told me you werent there. Father When? Mother This afternoon. They told me you werent there. Father I was in a meeting. Mother Oh, so thats it Father Yes. Mother Ah, right.

Father Yes. Didnt my secretary tell you? Pause. No answer. Mother (blandly and lightly, as if shes posing the question for the first time) Everything all right? Father Fine Mother (still unemphatic) Where were you this afternoon? Father Mm? I told you, I was in the office. Mother You were in a meeting? Father Yes. Mother You were preparing tomorrows seminar? Father No, no connection. Mother (suspiciously) Really? (Pause.) Is it tomorrow, your seminar? Father Youre worrying me, Anne.

Mother I am? Father Yes. Youre weird You are, I promise you, youre weird this evening. Mother Im not not at all. What makes you say that? I spend my days on my own bored sick, while youre banging little bitches in hotel rooms, so obviously Father (as if he hadnt heard) Sorry? Mother Mm? Father What did you say? Mother (as if nothing had been said) I said Im aware of a great void. Father Its your fault as well, you know You dont do anything. You havent developed any enthusiasms.

You stay here, doing nothing. So obviously the world seems dreary to you. Mother What am I supposed to do? Father I dont know. Mother See. Pause. Father You have no interests. Since the children left home, its as if I mean, you have to find yourself something to do.

Some focus of interest. Some Mother Ive been had. Thats the truth of it. Ive been had. All the way down the line. Father What are you talking about? Mother There were the children, yes.

I took care of them. I certainly took care of the children. Two children, thats quite something. I say two three, including you. Because I took care of you as well. And then I took care of this house.

Father You did. Mother But now everyones gone. And here I am on my own. In this big house. Nobody needs me any more. Never. Never.

Sara, Im not saying. But him Nicolas Not even a phone call To ask how I am. To, I dont know, let me hear his voice. Hes cut me out of his life. Father Hes in love. Its natural Brief pause. Mother (as if to herself) Little bitches in hotel rooms Father You Whats the matter with you? Anne Are you all right? You dont look very Mother (her tone suddenly completely normal) Im fine.

What about you? Had a good day? Father (disconcerted) Mm? Yes. Mother You had meetings? Father Why are you doing this? Mother Why am I doing what? Father You keep repeating yourself. Mother You didnt have a meeting? Father I did. I told you I did. Mother Just one? Father Yes. Mother So? Did it go well? Did you close the deal? Father Mm? Yes.

Mother Great. Im very happy for you. Pause. Father (walking on eggshells) And you Mother Oh, I just stayed here. I didnt do much. Tidied up a bit. Oh, yes, I did go out Did some shopping.

I bought a dress. Want me to show it to you? You wont like it, though. Its not your style. Its red. Need some bravado to carry it off. Or else some really important occasion.

Ill wear it to your funeral. Father Have you been drinking today? Mother Me? Father Yes. Have you been drinking? Mother Not a drop. Father You havent been drinking? Mother No. Why are you looking at me like that? Father No reason. Pause. Mother Actually, I should never have had children.

Father What? Mother I realise now. I should never have had children. Especially with someone like you. Someone who works, I mean. Who has meetings. And seminars.

Father Anne Mother Its true When we met, I was what, twenty-two? Naive. How could I have known? If youre twenty-two, you have no idea what a huge cheat life is. You dont know anything about it. You can be had so easily. Especially by a man like you. Apparently presentable, superficially at least.

Later, as time passes, you find you have to dig a bit deeper. And thats when you find out the extent of the disaster. Anyway, and I dont mean this as a compliment, Pierre, you were a pathetic father. Really. Ive been meaning to tell you. Pathetic. Pathetic.

The complete opposite of a role model. At least for Nicolas. Father Why are you saying this? Mother Its what Nicolas told me. He told me hes always taken you as an anti-role model. Obviously, hes an artist. He told me that as far as he was concerned, to be anything like you would mean his life was a failure.

To some extent, I agree with him. Father Are you listening to what youre saying to me? Anne Are you listening to yourself? Mother As for Sara Well. She may have admired you a bit. Yes. Vaguely. Until she was nine or ten.