17: Eyes Peeled

The porch of Carol’s farmhouse on County T. The natural land and forest is expansive surrounding the house. Carol’s oldsmobile pulls up. Janet is in the passenger seat.

Carol: Roll up your window, will you, darling?

Janet: Sure.

They get out of the car.

Carol: Honey, thanks for coming over. I just have so much fruit to wash.

Janet: No problem. I like to help.

Carol’s cell phone rings.

Carol: This thing is going off non-stop today. Let me just turn it off.

Janet: I like your house.

Carol: It’s very, very old. Nobody but me lives there, but Mr. Whiskers and Tabbykins.

Janet: Who are they?

Carol: My cats.

Janet: Oh.

Carol: Come on. Oh say. Your eye is healing nicely. It looks a lot nicer today.

Janet: Thanks. I put a little of that make-up on.

Carol: Good. Good. Make-up goes a long way in this society. It does. I tell you. Yeah I guess we’re always in the shade so I couldn’t get a good look at it. But it does. I tell you. It does.

Janet: Thanks.

Beau enters.

Janet: Who’s that?

Beau: I’m Beau. I work for Carol.

Carol: My husband died a long time ago. I think twenty years ago. He died in a farming accident when we were young.

Janet: Oh, I’m sorry.

Carol: Oh, I’ve gotten used to it, but Beau and his friend and his brother help out here.

Janet: I see.

Carol: Janet, this is Beau. Beau, Janet.

Beau: Nice to meet you.

Beau: I just came up to the house to ask if those hay bales were for landscaping or if you were thinking of getting some more pigs.

Carol: You know I can’t take no more livestock, Beau. What’re you thinking?

Beau: I am not sure.

Janet: Beau.

Beau: Yes?

Janet: Did you love someone very much who died?

Carol: Janet!

Beau: No, Carol. It’s okay. Why do you ask that?

Janet: Did you?

Carol: Beau, I’m sorry.

Janet: Because I figured out a puzzle.

Carol: What’s that?

Janet: That thing on his arm.

Beau: No shit, Sherlock. Whoa, Carol.

Carol: What is it?

Beau: My tattoo. She noticed my tattoo.

Carol: Yeah, so?

Beau: Janet, you know what my tattoo means?

Janet: Well, you have a rose there. And the flower of the rose looks like a heart. It looks like it’s bursting all over and at the top, you can see the outline of a skeleton. See here, hidden in the stem are the letters A-L-I-C- and. . .

Beau: E.

Janet: Yeah, E.

Janet: Is that her name?

Beau: You’re the first person to ever get that before.

Janet: It’s a puzzle. I just figured it out. Hearts mean love and Skeletons mean death.

Beau: No fucking kidding. Nobody has ever gotten that before.

Janet: I did.

Carol: Janet’s very good at puzzles, Beau. Now yes, go spread that hay out over the field on the south side. I want grass to come in quickly.

Beau: No problem. Yes, ma’m. Nice to meet you, Janet.

Janet: You too.

He runs off.

Carol: Now Janet, I have no problem with you coming out here, but if I were you I wouldn’t talk to the boys around here. They have very big. . .hmmm egos and they are very lonely. I don’t want you to get mixed up with them.

Janet: I wouldn’t do that, Carol. I love Michael.

Carol: Also if you choose to come out here. I can’t pay you for your extra work.

Carol’s cell phone goes off again.

Carol: Dang. Blast it. I’m going to turn it off.

Janet: Wait. . .Paula is supposed to call me at home.

Carol: Well what time was that at?

Janet: Five.

Carol: It’s ten after six now.

Janet: Oh no!

Carol: It’ll be fine. You can talk to Paula another day.

Janet: I guess. Do you have a phone?

Carol: I do. But I’ve turned it off because it won’t stop ringing. You can just call her when you get home. No?

Janet: I guess.

Carol: So here. I’m going to get a bucket of potatoes for you to peel.

Janet: Potatoes for me to peel? I don’t know how to peel no potatoes.

Carol: Yes, you do. It’s easy. I’ll show you.

Janet: You said I’d be washing fruit.

Carol: Maybe a different day.

Bob enters.

Bob: Who’s this fine thing?

Carol: Bob, shoo. I’m busy.

Bob: I’m Bobby. Who are you?

Janet: Janet.

Bob: I like your hair, Janet.

Janet: Thanks.

Bob: No, I mean it. I think it looks great.

Carol: That’s enough, Bob. Beau’s got his hands full out in south field. You should go help him.

Bob: Okay.

Bob exits.

Carol: Now, Janet, you just sit tight here on the porch and I’ll go get the peeler and the potatoes and we can get started.

Janet: Okay.

Carol: Be right back.

Janet sits and waits. She rocks in the chair there. Silence except for birds for awhile. Then suddenly, Bob appears from behind and grabs her eyes.

Janet: Owww! Who’s there?

Bob: Guess.

Janet: (trying to get up) Let go of me.

Bob: I said, Guess.

Janet: I don’t remember your name.

Bob: What I’m not memorable?

Janet: Please let me go. Please.

Bob: I won’t let you up, until you tell me my name.

Janet: Beau? Is your name Beau?

Bob: No. (He raises a hand to hit her.) Don’t you ever call me that fucking name again.

Carol: (appearing) Bob. You march out to that south field or I’ll kick your ass through your teeth. You leave Janet alone.

Janet: Bob, your name is Bob. I don’t like you at all.

Bob: Likewise. Cunt.

Carol: Bob. I won’t tell you again.

Bob: Yes, Miss Carol.

Janet: My eye really hurts now.

Carol: Come on in. We’ll make you all pretty with make-up and then the boys won’t want to hurt you anymore.

Janet: You promise?

Carol: I do.