SECRETS

A ONE-ACT PLAY

The scene is set in a side room of a hospital ward. In the bed is an elderly, grey-haired  man and sitting on a chair beside the bed is a dark-haired man in his mid-forties, the old man`s son. On the bedside table there is a jug of water and a glass.

  Father: Is your Ma with you son?

  Son:  Mammy`s dead dad..don`t you remember.

 Father:  Was it the bombs.

Son:  No dad it was her heart.

Father:  Scared stiff a` the bombs she is.

Son: (Handing his father some magazines)  I`ve brought you some of your favourite railway  magazines to read dad.

Father:  Railway you say?

Son: That`s right dad.

Father: What do I want with railway magazines?

Son: You were a fireman on the GNER for forty years dad..remember all that coal you had to shovel.

Father:   Shovel you say.

Son: Yes. I came with you once..you sneaked me onto the footplate and we went to Newcastle.

Father:  Will your mother be coming to see me.

Son: Not today  dad.

Father:  Newcastle you say.

Son: That`s right. I helped you shovel the coal until I got a bit of clinker in my eye.

Father: You always was a clumsy little sod.

Son: No that was Brian dad.

Father: Brian?

Son:  My brother…went to live in New Zealand

Father (Shifting uneasily in his bed)  I could murder a pint.

Son: Best I can do is a glass of water.(Pours his father a glass from the bedside jug)

Father: Will ya` mother be comin` to see me?.

Son: No dad, mum`s dead, remember.

Father: Dead you say.

Son: Two years ago..you went to the funeral with me and Brian and then we went to the Legion for a cup of tea and a sandwich with family and all your old friends.

Father:  I remember the trains now. Bloody hard work that was, but we had some good times. Was I there long.

Son:  Until the diesels took over. Nearly forty years.

Father:  Your mother loves going on trains. Took her to Brighton last week you know. Lovely day it was. We had a photo took on the prom. Red jacket the bloke had got on, with white stripes. Said we could collect the photo from the end of the pier in an hour. She hates havin` her photo took, says she never smiles proper. Have I shown it you son.

Son: Yes it`s a nice one dad, `specially of mum.

Father:  Bet she says it`s `orrible doesn`t she

Son: ( smiling)  She once told me it was the best photo she`d got of the pair of you.

Father:  We had an ice cream in the pleasure gardens and listened to the band playin` on the bandstand. Ya` mother loves a good brass band.

Son:  Look dad, I`ve got some papers I need you to sign.

Father:  I`m tired lad, can`t ya` mother do it?

Son: Not at the moment dad..Look, It`s just to say you agree to me dealing with the sale of the house and everything.

Father:  Are me and ya` mother movin` then?

Son:  No dad..it`s just that you`re not well enough to go back home.

Father:   1938 we bought that house. Ya` mother fell in love with it the moment she clapped eyes on it. Said the kitchen was just what she`d dreamed of and how we could grow plenty of veg round the back. I don`t think she`d like ta` move now son, not after all these years.

Son:  But I keep telling you dad, mum`s gone and you`re going to be living in this nice new Home just round the corner from me and Julie.

Father:   I bet the roses will soon need pruning. She doesn`t like doing that much, says the thorns keep pricking her fingers. Can you remember where I put my secateurs?

Son:  I`ll look for them in a minute dad. Now if you`ll just sign these forms.    

Father: (Laboriously signs the papers)  Can we go home now son?

Son:   Not yet dad. You`ve got to stay here a bit longer and then they`re moving you to that nice new place I was telling you about.

Father:  They don`t like me in here ya` know

Son: Who doesn`t like you dad.

Father:  The bosses. Reckon I`m a trouble maker.

Son: Which bosses is that then.

Father: I`ve told ya`! Railway bosses.( beckons his son nearer to him) They say I stir things up amongst the men..ya` know..askin` fa` more wages an` better hours.

Son:  I`ll have a word with them.

Father:  They`ll not listen ta` you lad! Profit. That`s all they`re interested in. Ya` mam says I should leave it alone else I`ll get me` cards.

Son: Perhaps she`s right. You don`t want to be out of work do you.

Father:  Where`s the other one?

Son: Other one what dad

Father:  Int there two of ya`

Son: Oh you mean Brian

Father: If you say so.

Son:   He`s emigrated..to New Zealand.

Father: Why did he want ta` go an` do that

Son:   Better life dad. He`s working on a thousand acre sheep farm.

Father:  Does ya` mother know he`s gone?

Son:  I`m sure she does.

Father: (After slight pause)  What day is it?

Son:  Wednesday.

Father: (Lifts himself up in bed) Best go and get the shoppin` done then.

Son:  (Restraining his father)  Don`t worry about that dad, I`ll see to it.

Father:  Don`t bring any of  them foreign spuds..we `ad some last week an` they was `orrible, all black eyes an` scabs.

Son: I`ll make sure I only bring English ones.

Father:  They kept us alive ya` know, when we was escaping`

Son: What did.

Father:  Carrots. Pinched `em out the fields when Jerry was after us. Captain Barker-Mead, `e was in charge. `Barkin` Mad` we use ta` call `im. Not to `is face a` course. Been on a fizzer if we`d done that. Twenty two us there was, escaped from the prison camp. Bloke in charge was Captain Barker-Mead  did I tell ya`. Big red-headed bloke `e was, with a temper ta` match. Me an` `shorty` `arris got about ten mile from the border when we was caught. Slung us in the back of this truck with ten other blokes what `ad been unlucky enough to get caught an` all.  Proper rag tag an` bobtail lot we looked an` no mistake..

Son: Then what happened to you?

Father:  Where?

Son: When the Germans  recaptured you?

Father:  (Tight lipped) Don`t remember.

Son:  Oh come on dad. I know it`s a bit late in the day but you`ve never once said what happened to you in the war.

Father (quite agitated)  They was shot! Everyone last one of `em. In the back.

Son: (After a long pause)  I`m sorry dad….How did you get away.

Father: (Taking a sip of water from the bedside table and then sinking back onto his pillow)  I seen it weren`t right as soon as she opened the door. She were allus slim as a rake ya` see. She cried all over me demob suit, said `ow sorry she was.

Son: Sorry for what dad?

Father: (His eyes filling up)  It were the war ya` see...Women got lonely. I should `ave understood.  

Son: Understood what dad! 

Father:  There is a heavy silence for a few seconds as the old man stares straight ahead)   I remember now.  I ran away. That`s why I didn`t get shot.  Slipped out through a broken board in the side of the truck and legged it.  I couldn`t `elp `em could I. I mean, what could I do. Dozens of `em there were, with rifles an` machine guns. I couldn`t do nothing` could I?

Son: (Squeezing his father`s arm)  No dad, you couldn`t do anything. You`ve nothing to feel ashamed about

Father: I get`s that tired ya` know.

Son:  I know (Beat) Look dad, what did you mean…Women got lonely and you should have understood. .

Father: ( Closing his eyes) It`s bin nice ta` see ya` son, but make sure ya` bring ya` mother next time aye.

Son : (Looks for a few moments at the prone figure before getting up from his chair) I won`t forget…Bye dad.

(He walks slowly from the room, the only sound coming from his father`s  gentle snoring)

CURTAIN