"Bath Time"
Written by Paul Rust
LIGHTS UP on a two-foot-high plastic tub in the center of the stage. It’s half-filled with water. There’s a chair beside it. A moment passes.
HENRY, a sixteen year-old boy, enters stage left and kneels down beside the tub of water (i.e. bathtub). He turns on the faucets and runs his fingers underneath the running water.
He takes a seat in the chair, lowers his face into his hands, and sighs. He rubs his eyes — for awhile.
HENRY:
(calling out) Joseph? (pause) Joseph? It’s bath-time. (pause) Just because mom and dad are gone doesn’t mean you can get out of taking your bath.
His younger brother Joseph enters (not really onstage, but there in the theatre world, you know?). Henry quits rubbing his eyes, stands up, and cheerily greets Joseph.
(smiling) Hey there, big guy. How’s it going? (pause) Okay. Take your clothes off. (pause) You need help with your belt? (demonstrating on self) First, get it out of the buckle and then… here I’ll show you.
Henry bends over, fiddling with the belt bucket. He pulls back.
Sorry, sorry. You’re right. You’re a big boy. You can do it yourself.
Again, Henry kneels down beside the bathtub, running his fingers underneath the running water. He shuts off the faucets.
So, how was pre-school today? (pause) What’d you do? (pause) A butterfly? Really? What color was it? (pause) Orange? I bet that was pretty, huh? Orange is your favorite color. (pause) Black? When did black become your favorite color? (pause) Ohhhh.
Henry holds his hand up and out, indicating to Joseph that he must wait.
Hold up, Joseph. (sticking his fingers into the water) The water’s still hot. You’ll want to wait a couple minutes. (arm growing stiffer) Joseph, trust me. The water’s hot. (pause) Fine. (smiling) Get in.
Henry watches Joseph step into the tub. Henry unbuttons his cuffs, rolls up his sleeves, and reaches into the tub. His hands cup the water, rise up, and release the water down Joseph’s back. He repeats this motion as he speaks.
(gently, tactfully) You know, Joseph… just because Scott’s favorite color is black doesn’t mean it has to be yours, too.
Suddenly, Henry pulls back, agitated.
(annoyed) Joseph! Don’t splash the water. (smiling) Don’t laugh. It’s not funny. You’re a big boy. You know better. (pause) Okay. Soap-time. Raise your arms.
Henry grabs the soap, lathers it in his hands, and rubs it around Joseph’s torso.
I don’t want to sound like mom and dad, but you can’t do everything your buddy Scott does. Remember those words he taught you? (pause) Remember how much trouble you got into with mom and dad?
Again, Henry suddenly pulls back.
(angrily) Goddammit, Joseph, quit splashing the water! (quickly switching mood) Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to get angry. (pause) And I shouldn’t have used that word. That was naughty of me. Promise me you won’t ever use that word. (pause) Promise me? (pause) Okay. Good.
Henry resumes with the soap.
It’s just that you got to be careful what kind of people your friends with, Joseph. If you choose the wrong ones, you can get into a lot of trouble. Like… Laura. Remember my friend Laura? (pause, listening) Yeah, I like Laura, too. (pause) Yeah, Laura is friendly. (pause, smiling) Yeah, she does smell nice. (pause) But lately… she’s been… she’s been a bad friend, Joseph. (pause) Okay. Stand up. (pause) Here’s the soap. Wash your privates. I won’t look.
Henry hands over the soap and turns his head.
(with his head turned to the side) No, Joseph, I still like Laura. She’s still my friend and all. It’s just that she… have you ever made a promise with a friend, Joseph? (pause) Like have you and Scott ever made a promise to each other? (pause, smiles) Well, I guess making a promise that you won’t spit in each other’s milk is a good promise, but Laura and I made a different promise. (pause) You done washing yourself? (pause) Okay. Sit down. Shampoo time.
Joseph sits back down in the tub. Henry grabs a bottle of shampoo, uncaps it, and shakes a dollop into his palm.
(smearing the shampoo in his palms) Well, the summer before high school started, Laura and I promised each other that we would... that we wouldn’t… (placing the shampoo onto Joseph’s head) Okay, rub the shampoo in your hair.
Henry dips his hands into the water, washing off the excess shampoo.
It’s like… okay… you know our neighbor, Mr. Anderson? (pause) That’s right. The crabby neighbor. Well, I’m pretty sure that Mr. Anderson wasn’t always crabby. When he was a little boy, I bet he was very, very nice, but then… as he got older… he got mean. You understand? He got mean. Well, Laura and I promised each other that we’d never get mean. (pause) Okay. Close your eyes or the shampoo’s gonna’ sting them.
Henry cups some water into his hands and drops it over Joseph’s head.
(as he drops the water) Well, Laura and I promised that we wouldn’t do certain things — things that other high schoolers were doing. (pause) Like what? I don’t know like… drinking how big people drink or smoking how big people smoke. (pause) And we promised if we ever got a girlfriend or a boyfriend, we wouldn’t… we wouldn’t… (veiled)… uh, kiss them. But Laura… Laura broke that promise, Joseph.
Henry stands up and sits down in the chair.
She started drinking and she started smoking and you know, she didn’t tell me, of course. I heard it all second-hand. So-and-so saw her at a party on Friday and she was smoking or so-and-so saw her at a party on Saturday and she was drinking. And I’d ask her about it and she’d deny it because she didn’t want to break that promise we made.
Growing agitated, Henry stands up and paces beside the tub of water.
And then she started dating this guy w-w-who is so not right for her, Joseph. I mean, he’s really mean and he cusses and he smokes and he drinks and he… he doesn’t care for her like I do. I can tell. I see ‘em walking together down the hall and he doesn’t even notice her. Not like I would. He only wants to… (glancing at Joseph) … kiss her. And she lets him. That’s what I hear anyway. She lets him. She lets him. (pause) She broke our promise, Joseph. She broke it.
Henry violently yanks the chair towards him and sits down.
(fiercely) Well, I’m keeping my side of the promise. A promise doesn’t have to be between two people, Joseph. It can be between yourself and that’s it and I promise myself that I am not going to turn into that. Laura can, but I won’t. I will not. I cannot.
Henry calms himself, lowers his face into hands, and rubs his eyes.
I envy you, Joseph. You know that? I envy you. At your age, none of this happens. You go to school and you play and no one’s mean and no one’s hurtful. And no one disappoints you. Nobody.
(pause, voice cracking) I’m sorry you have to see me this way, Joseph. I’m sure it’s scary. When I was your age, I hated it when mom or dad would get upset in front of me. And now… now I’m doing it to you. And you… you don’t deserve this. It’s unfair. You’re so sweet and kind and you don’t deserve any of this. You only deserve good things. You don’t deserve this. It’s so unfair. It’s so unfair.
Henry kneels down beside the bathtub.
I wish I could keep you like this forever. I wish I could keep you from growing up. I wish there was a way - a way for you to never be disappointed or hurt or angry. I wish I had a way.
Henry looks down at his hands. Long pause. Henry looks up at Joseph.
Joey? (pause) I love you.
He raises his hands and lowers them onto Joseph’s head, forcing him underwater. A struggle follows. Slowly, the struggle ends and stillness returns.
Joseph takes his arms out of the bathtub. They are completely soaked. He sits beside the tub, staring at the floor, realizing what he’s done. A long silence follows.
He stands up and exits stage left. He quickly returns with a pack of cigarettes in his hand. He pulls out a cigarette, places it in his mouth, and lights it.
Hands shaking, he takes an awkward drag.
When he exhales… LIGHTS DOWN.
"Bath Time" IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED, TRANSMITTED, PRINTED OR PERFORMED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR
"Bath Time" debuted October 11, 2002, performed by Paul Rust
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