Rabbit Hole Read online

  (He kisses her neck.)

  BECCA

  What are you doing?

  HOWIE

  I’m kissing your neck.

  BECCA

  Why?

  HOWIE

  I’m trying to relax you.

  BECCA

  Uh-huh.

  HOWIE

  Something wrong with that?

  BECCA

  I see what this is. Dimming the lights.

  HOWIE

  What? I can’t massage my wife?

  BECCA

  (Giggles a little) You don’t have eye strain.

  HOWIE

  So?

  BECCA

  “Oh I’ve been staring at that computer all day.”

  HOWIE

  Well I do stare at that computer all day.

  BECCA

  You’re trying to seduce me.

  HOWIE

  Am I?

  BECCA

  Plying me with liquor.

  HOWIE

  It worked in college.

  BECCA

  All right, Romeo.

  HOWIE

  What?

  BECCA

  (Pushing him away playfully) That’s enough.

  HOWIE

  Why?

  BECCA

  You’re being very naughty.

  HOWIE

  Naughty’s good. You used to like naughty.

  (She gets up from the couch.)

  Where are you going?

  BECCA

  I still have stuff to bag up.

  HOWIE

  Are you kidding?

  BECCA

  No, there are piles of clothes up there, Howie.

  HOWIE

  Well if they’ve waited this long.

  BECCA

  I wanted to get it done.

  HOWIE

  We’ll get it done tomorrow. I’ll pitch in.

  BECCA

  Yeah, right.

  HOWIE

  I will.

  BECCA

  Uh-huh.

  HOWIE

  Becca ...

  BECCA

  I’m sorry. I’m feeling kinda antsy tonight. You’re right, the Izzy stuff got under my skin.

  HOWIE

  Right.

  (He clicks the music off. Pause.)

  BECCA

  So, what, you’re gonna pout now?

  HOWIE

  Well Jesus, Bec . . .

  BECCA

  Jesus, what?

  HOWIE

  It’s been almost eight months.

  (Beat.)

  BECCA

  But who’s keeping track?

  HOWIE

  I am. I’m keeping track.

  (Beat.)

  I’m sorry. (Off her look) What? That makes me perverted? Wanting to have sex with my wife?

  BECCA

  I didn’t say that.

  HOWIE

  Well you give me these looks like I should feel guilty.

  BECCA

  Funny, I’ve been getting the same looks from you.

  HOWIE

  When have I ever made you feel guilty?

  BECCA

  I’m just not ready yet, Howie. I’m sorry if you think that’s abnormal.

  HOWIE

  I don’t.

  BECCA

  Then what’s the problem here?

  HOWIE

  We’re never gonna be ready.

  BECCA

  If this is just about the sex, Howie—

  HOWIE

  It’s not just about the sex.

  BECCA

  No, then what else is this?

  HOWIE

  It’s also ... about ... I don’t know. Maybe it is just the sex. I don’t even know honestly. But we’re not gonna suddenly wake up one day and be back where we were.

  BECCA

  I know that.

  HOWIE

  So we need to ... head in that direction at least. Which will feel strange for a while, but ...

  BECCA

  But you wanna have sex.

  HOWIE

  Don’t say it like that.

  BECCA

  Why not?

  HOWIE

  Because it sounds crass and selfish.

  BECCA

  Well considering everything else—the fact that Danny died for example—don’t you think maybe it is a little crass and selfish? For you to be roping me into sex when I don’t wanna have it?

  HOWIE

  I wasn’t roping you into anything. Jesus.

  BECCA

  No? Al Green isn’t roping?

  HOWIE

  No.

  BECCA

  Al Green.

  HOWIE

  I thought it was nice. That’s all. I was trying to make things nice.

  BECCA

  Well ... you can’t. I’m sorry. But things aren’t “nice” anymore.

  (Pause.)

  HOWIE

  I think you should see someone. I know you’re not one for therapists, but I think you should. We could go together if that’d help. Or maybe you could try the group again.

  BECCA

  No.

  HOWIE

  There are a couple new parents now. It’s changed the dynamic a little.

  BECCA

  We’ve had this discussion, Howie.

  HOWIE

  Fine, a psychiatrist then. Someone to talk to.

  (Pause.)

  No? Yes? Do you have an opinion?

  BECCA

  I think we should sell the house.

  (Beat.)

  HOWIE

  Come on, Becca, what?

  BECCA

  I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and since we’re on the topic—

  HOWIE

  How were we on the topic?

  BECCA

  I think it’d help if we moved.

  HOWIE

  I don’t wanna move.

  BECCA

  He’s everywhere, Howie. Everywhere I look, I still see Danny.

  HOWIE

  We love this house.

  BECCA

  I can’t move without—I mean, Jesus, look at this. (Grabs a spiky toy dinosaur from nearby) Everywhere. Do you even know? (Grabs a kids book from a stack of magazines) Here: Runaway Bunny for godsake. The puzzles. The smudgy fingerprints on the doorjambs.

  HOWIE

  I like seeing his fingerprints.

  BECCA

  Because you don’t have to sit and stare at them day in and day out. You get to escape. You get to go to work.

  HOWIE

  Well, if you want to go back to work, Becca—

  BECCA

  I don’t.

  HOWIE

  —you can call up Sotheby’s.

  BECCA

  No I can’t. That’s not who I am anymore. I left all that to be a mom.

  HOWIE

  Well ...

  BECCA

  Well what? Well that didn’t work out?

  HOWIE

  I didn’t say that.

  BECCA

  Then what?

  HOWIE

  If that’s the issue—

  BECCA

  If what’s the issue?

  HOWIE

  —then ... maybe we should try again.

  (Beat.)

  BECCA

  Oh for godsakes, Howie ...

  HOWIE

  What? I’m only saying.

  BECCA

  Is that ... Is that what this was?

  HOWIE

  No. No, of course not. It just ... it might be something to talk about at some point.

  BECCA

  I ... I can’t. I’m sorry. I can’t have that talk.

  HOWIE

  Okay.

  (They are silent, then Becca heads for the stairs. She stops and turns back.)

  BECCA

  Look maybe ... maybe we can consider it at least. The house?

  (Beat.)

  HOWIE

  Yeah. we’
ll consider it.

  BECCA

  Thank you.

  (Becca heads upstairs with the dinosaur and the book. Howie watches her go. He sits alone for a couple beats. Then he gets up and goes to the TV cabinet. He rummages around quietly, looking through videotapes. He finally finds what he’s looking for.

  He glances up the stairs, then pops the video in. He shuts off the lights, then sits and watches, the light from the TV flickering on his face. He’s watched this tape dozens of times. He doesn’t tear up. He just watches it, occasionally smiling at something he hears. The volume is low, but we can hear some of it.)

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Now can I?

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Let me just get the dog. Taz, lay down.

  (On the video, we hear a dog barking and whining a little over this.)

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Ready?

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Hold on. Taz, down!

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Lay down, Taz!

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  I got him. Quick now, before he gets up. Come on, come on ...

  (Danny comes running.)

  Aaaaand ...

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Geronimo!

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Good job!

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Did you see me, Daddy?

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  I did.

  VOICE OF DANNY

  No you didn’t. I’m invisible.

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Ohhh.

  (Becca’s shadow appears at the top of the stairs, unseen by Howie. She listens for a couple beats.)

  VOICE OF DANNY

  I have magic.

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Oh, I didn’t realize.

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Do you wanna be invisible?

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Okay.

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Pffffhhh.

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Is that it? Am I invisible?

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Yeah. I made you invisible.

  (Becca’s shadow slips away from the stairs.)

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Do you see me?

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Yeah.

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  No, you don’t. I’m invisible.

  VOICE OF DANNY

  But I can still see you because I have magic.

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Ohhh.

  VOICE OF DANNY

  Did you forget that part?

  VOICE OF HOWIE

  Yeah, I forgot that part.

  (The lights fade on Howie, watching the video.)

  SCENE THREE

  The eat-in kitchen. A week later. Evening. Becca, Izzy and Nat, their mom, are gathered around a birthday cake singing “Happy Birthday.” Nat has a glass of wine.

  NAT AND BECCA

  (End of the song) “Happy birthday, dear Isabel ... Happy birthday to you ...”

  NAT

  Blow ’em out.

  (Izzy blows out the candles. Ad-lib yays and clapping. Becca goes to get a knife.)

  BECCA

  What’d you wish for?

  IZZY

  I can’t say.

  (Regarding the cake) It looks good, Becca.

  NAT

  Where’d you buy it?

  BECCA

  I didn’t. I made it.

  NAT

  Of course you did. What a stupid question. Of course you made it.

  BECCA

  (Catches Izzy scooping off the frosting) Izzy—

  IZZY

  It’s my cake.

  BECCA

  Well let me cut it first. Watch your fingers.

  (Becca cuts slices of cake and puts them on plates over the following. Howie enters with a couple papers.)

  HOWIE

  You didn’t wait for me?

  BECCA

  You said not to.

  HOWIE

  I didn’t mean it though.

  NAT

  I tried to stop them, Howie.

  IZZY

  I wanted cake.

  HOWIE

  Rude.

  BECCA

  I didn’t know how long you were gonna be up there. Once you get on that computer ...

  NAT

  Did you get it?

  HOWIE

  Yeah, right here. (Hands her papers)

  NAT

  Let me get my glasses. (Gets her glasses from her purse)

  BECCA

  (To Howie) Did you have to?

  HOWIE

  She wanted me to look it up.

  BECCA

  Any excuse to escape for ten minutes.

  IZZY

  (Regarding Nat) Well do you blame him?

  NAT

  (Regarding printout) What is this?

  IZZY

  Mom, cake.

  HOWIE

  It’s a timeline, starting with the lobotomy. The plane crashes. It’s the whole list. It’s long.

  NAT

  Well still, that doesn’t make it a curse.

  BECCA

  Nobody said it was a curse, Mother.

  NAT

  Everybody says. That was my point. Everybody says it’s a curse.

  BECCA

  Well nobody in this room.

  NAT

  You know what it is, really? Hype. Perpetuating the myth. That whole American royalty crap.

  IZZY

  It’s good cake.

  NAT

  But the Kennedys aren’t cursed. They’re just really unlucky. And kinda stupid, a lot of them.

  HOWIE

  Cut me a piece, wouldja Bec?

  NAT

  Too much money, that’s their curse. And too much time on their hands. If they had to go to work, like normal people, then most of those Kennedys would still be alive.

  IZZY

  Thanks, Howie. I’m so glad you went and got that timeline.

  NAT

  Maybe if they had stayed home and watched television once in a while, instead of zipping off to Vail, then none of that stuff would’ve happened.

  BECCA

  You have the most interesting theories.

  NAT

  Don’t patronize me.

  BECCA

  I’m not. I was being serious.

  IZZY

  (Regarding cake) This is so good.

  NAT

  Normal people don’t fly around in their own planes for example. I don’t know anyone with his own plane, do you? Do you, Howie?

  HOWIE

  Well, yeah I know one guy but—

  NAT

  Well, you know someone, but that’s not the norm. An average person doesn’t own an airplane.

  HOWIE

  No, you’re right, he’s not average.

  BECCA

  He’s a member of the jet set.

  NAT

  Exactly! That’s what that word means! The jet set. Jet-setters! Buzzing around in little Pipers or whatever, crashing off the coast of Massachusetts. Regular people don’t have ten relatives die in separate plane wrecks.

  HOWIE

  It’s not ten.

  NAT

  Just about, if you count Teddy who survived his.

  IZZY

  Well I think it’s sad.

  BECCA

  Teddy surviving?

  NAT

  Well of course it’s sad. All those good-looking people falling out of the sky like that. It’s a frickin’ waste. But it isn’t a curse. It’s just rich people acting stupid.

  BECCA

  I thought you liked JFK?

  NAT

  I’m not talking about JFK. I’m not talking about the ones who were assassinated. Although getting shot by a crazed gunman is kinda a rich-guy problem too, isn’t it?

  HOWIE

  Well, not necessarily.

  NAT

  It doesn’t matter, that’s not who I’m talking about. I’m talking about
the unqualified pilots. I’m talking about playing football. And skiing. At the same time!

  IZZY