25: A Confirmation and a Consolation

Late evening at the Executive Offices of the Goode Candy Company. Alfred sits and talks with Bill Meriwether, an attractive man with thick hair and olive skin. Cindy is in the adjacent office filing her nails.

Cindy: (using the office buzzer) How you doing, Freddie, honey?

Alfred: Fine.

Cindy: Okay. When you gonna be done?

Alfred: I don’t know.

Bill: She’s right. You don’t look well.

Alfred: Forget about me. Anyhow were you able to obtain anything or?

Bill: No. I wasn’t.

Alfred: You have to try harder. Do we have to send more drones or what?

Bill: Drones? You make this sound like a science fiction movie.

Alfred: I don’t know what it is you do, but you need to do it faster. This company is going under. Don’t you get that?

Bill: Yes, yes, I do. Would you like to know about your son?

Alfred: No. I told you. I don’t care about that.

Bill: Well, I’ve got a full file on him. I completed all that you asked me too.

Alfred: Fine. (pause) Is he doing okay?

Bill: He’s-

Alfred: Is he? I asked you is he?

Bill: Yes. I would say so. But-

Alfred: But what?

Bill: Nothing. It is getting late, Alfred. Maybe you’d like to go home now?

Alfred: I hate my home, Bill. I hate it. I can’t go back there anymore.

Bill: What are you talking about?

Alfred: I don’t even know.

Bill: Are you not going back?

Alfred: I don’t want to.

Bill: Who is she this time?

Alfred: What are you saying?

Bill: This isn’t anything new. I’ve known you for a long time.

Alfred: Yeah, so what?

Bill: Alfred. . .and his women.

Alfred: Listen. Shut the hell up. I don’t want to hear you utter another word about it.

Bill: Fine. God I’m starving.

Alfred: You want an orange?

Bill: Can’t stand em.

Alfred: Go ahead eat it. My wife packed it. My wife. Ha.

Bill: Have you fallen out of love with her?

Alfred: I don’t know if I ever loved her.

Bill: No, no orange thank you. Maybe get a divorce?

Alfred: I can’t. I somehow can’t.

Bill: Why?

Alfred: Seems beneath me.

Bill: Divorce is beneath no one these days. Everyone’s doing it.

Alfred: No. Nothing has ever worked in my life. My first marriage. My company. My son. My daughter. And now my wife. . .

Bill: I see. Alfred, you do realize that I’m not a licensed therapist.

Alfred: Is that what you think I need?

Bill: I don’t know.

Alfred: Oh.

Cindy: (coming to the door) Hey I thought we were locked.

Alfred: We are.

Cindy: Someone’s coming up in the elevator. The numbers are lighting up. I’m sort of scared. Can I come sit with you gentlemen?

Alfred: Be my guest.

Bill: What are you doing here? The work day is done.

Cindy: I was finishing up some extra work from the day.

Bill: Such dedication. I’d love to have a secretary like you-

Alfred: I bet you would.

Bill: But then I’d have to kill her.

Alfred and Bill laugh. Cindy looks uneasy.

Cindy: Are you two friends or?

Alfred: Bill works for the company, but it’s sort of under the table.

Cindy: What do you do?

The elevator dings. The three watch the closed office door intently. There is a knock.

Alfred: Who is it?

Michael: (off) Me old man.

Alfred: It’s Michael. Come in.

Michael enters with Toby in tow. Their eyes are bloodshot and they are both stumbling.

Bill: So this is the boy whose going to-

Alfred: Not now, Bill. Not now.

Michael grabs Bill’s collar.

Michael: Who the fuck are you?

Cindy shrieks.

Alfred: Michael. Michael. Calm down.

Michael: So you did it after all?

Alfred: I try to please my family.

Michael: Bull-shit, you do. You killed our fucking mother.

Alfred: Silence, boy.

Toby: (jumping over the desk) Look mother fucker. (forces Alfred to sit) Sit your ass down.

Alfred: Who are you?

Cindy: Just leave. Please. We don’t want any trouble.

Michael: How did you do it? How?

Alfred: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Michael: Michael fucking Sandera? What the fuck.

Bill: Let go of Mr. Andreas, Toby. Now.

Toby: Who the hell are you, Bitch. How do you know my name?

Bill: Nevermind.

Toby: What the fuck, Michael. What the fuck.

Michael: Yeah, what the fuck are you going on about?

Cindy: Please just leave.

Toby: Sit down, before I make you sit down.

Cindy sits.

Michael: I want to know who this is. I’ve never seen him before.

Bill: I’ve worked for this company your whole life, Michael. I’m Bill Meriwether.

Michael: (becoming a small boy) Mr. Meriwether? You look so different.

Bill: People grow up, Michael. (pause) Some don’t.

Toby: Fuck you.

Michael: Toby, stop it. Now I know how this happened. You did it didn’t you?

Bill: Did what?

Michael: What I think you did. Got me accepted.

Bill: Maybe.

Michael: You said you weren’t going to.

Alfred: Well, your father still has a soft spot, I guess. Now get out of my office. I told you I don’t want to see you again.

Michael: I’m gonna have to get my name changed to Sandera, you know.

Bill: Why are you doing this Michael? Why this grand charade?

Michael: What are you talking about?

Alfred: I don’t want to know, Bill. Don’t talk about it with him.

Michael: None of your fucking business.

Bill: That’s your problem, Alfred. You never ever address anything. You always are in the shadows. Don’t you see?

Alfred: How did you get in here? The buildings locked.

Toby: We busted up the front door.

Alfred: Bill, could you go take care of the security tape?

Bill gets up and exits.

Alfred: Listen to me, Michael. I’m not covering for you anymore. You have failed me so many times. I don’t want to see another time or the likes of you ever again.

Michael: I don’t fucking care. You asshole.

Alfred: Then why did you come here?

Michael: Then why did you do it for me?

Silence

Alfred: It’s a father’s responsibility to look after his children. Even if he hates them.

Toby: You don’t have to listen to this. Let me-

Michael: Toby. . .shhh. I know why you did it. I’ll take that as an understanding.

Alfred: Just keep in mind. I know what goes on in this town. This town is mine. I have a hold on whatever you can or will do. Don’t forget it.

Michael: Forget that idea, Dad. I’m all grown up now.

Alfred: Then no more favors from me.

Michael: Good.

Alfred: What are you on?

Michael: Nothing.

Alfred: How is Ms. Windhover?

Toby: He knows?

Alfred: I know everything, Mr. Toby. If I make it my business to know it.

Michael: How do you know about Janet? Nevermind. Clara. You heard from Clara, didn’t you?

Alfred: Maybe.

Michael: Look. I just came here for some confirmation. I’ve got it. Now stay out of my life.

Bill: (re-entering) It’s all taken care of. Nobody’ll know that you smashed in the plate glass window. I also reset the alarms.

Cindy: He has blood coming through his pants!

Bill: Are you hurt?

Toby: I’m fine. Get off my back.

Michael: Let’s go, Toby.

Toby: I don’t like this. This fucking sucks.

Alfred: Michael.

Michael: What?

Alfred: I want to give you something.

Michael: Why?

Alfred: You are my son.

Silence.

Toby: Yeah, who cares.

A golden chocolate bar comes out of the desk. Alfred holds it. Engraved in the chocolate is the Goode’s Candy company logo.

Michael: Your golden bar?

Alfred: Yes. I’m old. I don’t want to see you again, but I want you to take this and do what you want with it.

Toby: Looks like its worth a lot of money.

Michael: It is.

Alfred: I just want you to remember the family. The good times.

Michael: I was very little then.

Alfred: I know. Here I’ll put it in this bag.

Michael: Dad, are you okay?

Cindy: (near hysterics) He’s fine. He’ll be okay. You should go.

Toby: Quiet you. We’ll go when we’re ready.

Alfred: Don’t you talk like that to her.

Toby: Don’t tell me, what to do.

Michael: Toby- please.

Alfred hands the brown paper sack with the miniature gold bar in it to Michael.

Alfred: I could never give you anything, Michael. I can’t give you the company, but I can at least give you this.

Michael: Thank you. (looking in the bag) An orange?

Alfred: A snack to have later.

Bill: You two better go.

Michael: Yeah, we better go, Tobes.

Alfred: Good bye, Michael.

Michael: Come on Toby.

Michael and Toby exit. The door closes. The elevator dings. They are gone.

Cindy: Oh, Alfred. . .what’s going on?

Alfred: A story that would take years to explain.

Cindy: Oh, I can’t stop shaking.

Bill: So what do you want me to do about Michael?

Alfred: Stop. Stop whatever. It’s done. I don’t want nor do I need to know anything more about my son.

Bill: I know, but I’m so curious.

Alfred: Curiosity killed the cat, Bill. You’re done.

Bill: He looks messed up.

Alfred: Drugs no doubt.

Bill: That’s what I thought. You still love him. I see it in your eyes.

Alfred: Cindy, I’ll walk you to your car. We’ve all had a scare tonight. Bill, enough.

Bill: Fine.

On the street below. Michael and Toby walk.

Michael: I can’t go home like this.

Toby: Then don’t go home.

Michael: Where am I going to go?

Toby: (extending arms) Where you always go, bro? Come to papa!

Michael: I don’t think I should.

Toby: I do.

Michael: You always do. Why should I?

Toby: I have more booze. And a big bed.

Michael: Sold to the highest bidder. Me.

Toby: What the fuck. A golden chocolate bar? What is your dad, Willy Wonka?

Michael: Yeah. I guess he is.

Toby: Looks worth a lot.

Michael: It is. Get that out of your head though. It’s mine. Here have this orange.

Toby: A fucking orange?

Michael: Eat it for a snack. Shut up.

Toby: Later. Let’s go get fucked up.