norma jean (act two)

act two start

I told them to be back by 11 o’clock, at the latest. We are twenty-three minutes into 1944 and they are still not back yet.

Maybe they are on their way back now.

We are talking about Eddie, Alice, Carol, and God-knows who all else cramming together to play poker in Mildred’s latrine. And Eddie brought that garbage whisky along with her.

Maybe they feel safe, with all the officers tired out from the New Years Eve party down at the gym-

If they think that those officers will fail to do an after-bed check tonight because they’re tired out from a little party, which ended twenty-four minutes ago, they don’t know anything about how the Army Air Force works. They’re watching Mildred like a hawk, too, ever since her bay mate Wendy washed last week for drinking; Mrs. Deaton threatened to wash the whole bay if they didn’t fess up to whose liquor it was they’d spilled all over the floor.

Is it true that she slipped and fell on it when she came in for the after-bed check?

She fell twice. And she was livid, and they’ve been doubly careful with after-bed checks since. I swear, Eddie is as ungrateful as she is careless, she’s just asking to get kicked out herself, and after Rosalie… if they get caught, I swear, I’m gonna…

I dont’t understand. Rosalie was good enough to get here in the first place.

Darling, that doesn’t mean she was good enough to stay.

She just needed more time.

Some people are just meant for different things.

That is easy for us to say. We are still here… any word about James?

No, nothing yet.

How do you stand it? I know exactly where Will is, and his silence is unbearable, and then there is you, who don’t even know where he… how do you stand it?

I study radio maps. I look for shapes in the clouds, or messages. I pray. Mostly, I pray.

I’m not sure God hears my prayers. My earthly father never listened, anyway.

I like to think of God as being a woman.

What?

Like one of the women in my church’s choir that can sing the sweetest melodies you’ve ever heard. With bosoms so soft they’re like pillows that you know will hold even your heaviest tears. A God who will love you no matter how many times you fail Her, no matter how many times you fall short.

Norma Jean, the Bible says He.

Who wrote the Bible, Virginia?

SHHH! Carol! Are you trying to wake up the whole base?

What in the Lord’s good name are you making such a racket for?

Mrs. Deaton’s doing an after-bed check.

What? Did she see you?

They saw me. They, whoopsie, Mildred, I was winning and then-

Get into bed, all of you. Eddie, pick up those chips! Hide that flask! Do they know you were playing cards?

What are you going to tell them?

Oh, Eddie, did you brush your teeth with whiskey? Get yourself into bed!

What are you going to tell them?

What do you mean, what am I going to tell them?

What are you going to tell them?!

Edith Harknell, if you know what is good for you, you’ll get your tan, Floridian ass into your godsdamned bed, or Lord help me I will-

Mrs. Deaton enters

I’m sorry Mrs. Deaton, is everything alright?

Squadron Commander Harris, this young woman says three of your bay mates were with her in the latrine betwixt bay 25 and 26, not even five minutes ago.

Well that’s odd, because my baymates and I have been sleeping for the last few hours.

That one is breathing hard.

Edith? She’s ah, got bad lungs. You should’ve heard her last week when she had a cold, you’dve thought a train was coming through.

Drop the southern belle charm Norma Jean, and just tell Mrs. Deaton here the truth.

The truth? You want the truth now, do you? Well the truth is that, as far as I am aware, all of my bay mates were counting sheep in their cot since lights out at ten. Under this roof we respect the bonds of sisterhood. And seeing as Miss Mildred here is a flight lieutenant and I am the Squadron Commander, I believe that my word outranks hers.

I’m so sorru to disturb you at such a late hour, Squadron Commander Harris.

It’s no trouble at all, Mrs. Deaton. I hope you get some sleep yourself soon. You too, Mildred.

You are grounded until graduation, do you hear me? You’re lucky it’s just breaking curfew we’re getting you on, otherwise-

Lord forgive me, I don’t think I’ve ever lasted in a lie so long.

You completely sewed Mildred Simmons’ mouth shut!

Good, her voice absolutely crawls me up a wall.

You didn’t haveta do that. You could’ve turned me in.

I know.

Thanks.

Hey, I didn’t do you any favors. Do you know how hard advanced training is going to be?

You put soap shavings and peanut shells in my bed covers!

Edith Harknell, are you planning to play poker in our latrine again tonight?

Wait for me! Wait for me! I wanna play, I wanna play!

I’ve got better things to do! Hello James. All is good, no, no… all good here in Texas. I love, no, no… love flying the AT-6.

Mother and I are going to get a PO box and write in secret. Mother and I are good at secrets.

You can’t make complete sentences with only 25 words!

The problem comes the other way around.

What’s that supposed to mean?

I don’t remember my ma, and she left me.

But Alice didn’t leave a child, she left her mother… right?

Why didn’t you tell us?

She’s ashamed. Because there were plenty of women who were willing to come here that didn’t have children waiting at home for them, but she left hers.

I got the call from Jackie Cochran; I felt like it was something that I was supposed to do.

For yourself!

For her country! Norma Jean, why are you getting so upset about this?

Before James left, we’d been trying. We’ve been trying for what seems like forever-

I don’t take her for granted, Norma Jean. I know what I’ve got. I know how good it is.

I sure hope you do.

Norma Jean-

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought that I would give up flying forever if God would just give me a child.

And if God were to come by here tomorrow and be willing to sign a contract to that effect, would you sign it now?

Yes.

You would?

Yes, I would.

Don’t you lie to me, Ace!

…Fine! I don’t know. I don’t know anymore.

Carol was doing acrobatic tricks, which we’re not supposed to do.

I watched the whole thing, Mrs. Deaton, and it’s a miracle she’s still alive.

That’s it, come on girl, you’ve got it. You’ve got it.

Carol isn’t Carol unless she’s doing something without thinking.

Ejecting from a plane is a last resort.

Are you aware, Mrs. Deaton, that we’ve never gotten more instruction than a cartoon pamphlet on how to bail?

Will you at least make sure she gets some avocados with her dinner tonight? They’re her favorite.

I could kill Shrimp for doing something so stupid-

without me! I’m supposed to be the hot pilot around here.

Maybe you’re getting smart in your old age, Eddie.

I got one this morning. A short one.

I told you he’d come around.

In the letter, he said: This flying business is a phase that I’m willing to indulge until you come home and be my girl again.

That’s not quite coming around.

He said that? He’s an ass.

Eddie!

And Daddy ran off, because he couldn’t stand us knowing the truth; that sickness wasn’t what killed Mama, he was.

Edith Harknell, you’re scaring the girl!

So you better be careful, is all I’m saying!

Eddie, what’s gotten into you!

I’m a motor driver, * anything from a two and a half ton truck on down to a Jeep. We came out here to relieve men to go on active duty, and it’s really happening.

Why are you jealous of this woman? You’re the one flying, she’s driving a Jeep!

And that’s one * of the newly arrived air WACs in the Pacific, Corporal Leah Hamilton, now taking a male truck driver’s place, in the combat zone. This is Weverly Edwards, out of Central Pacific Airfield, returning you to admiral radio, in New York.

She’s doing the same thing we are: freeing up a man to fight.

I can’t explain it… last night I had a feeling I wasn’t gonna last another night here. I think I’m going to wash.

You can’t know that, you’re not God.

Dang it, where did my lighter get to?

You can fly without your lighter, Eddie.

Ricky gave me that lighter, I never go in the air without it.

Stop being so superstitious.

Norma Jean, here’s one from James.

Oh Lord. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to stomach meat again. He’s eating dogs and rats.

Well, the fighters went in first-

The Army Air Force deeply regrets to inform you that your brother Richard M. Harknell airmen was killed in action while in the performance of his duties and service of his country on seventh March in Germany… Oh Eddie.

beat

Found your lighter. Now let’s get to flying. There’s a war on.

You did it Alice, you did it! Victory over Captain Maytag!

And you thought you would be rid of us. You wish!

Roger? My Roger’s on the line?

I guess she’s gonna leave us after all.

He’s alive and he’s back with me, Virginia. I can’t ask for more than that.

No, you can’t.

Norma Jean-

Oh, don’t you worry about me. Safe travels back to Oregon.

No, I-

Eddie, stop this!

start of scene sixteen

Basic Training started. Cross country flights long and hard, no, no… flights tiring. Today Easter morning, airfield sunrise service. Sang “Victory.”

ALLELUIA!

You never guess who came.

What took you so long?

What, I’m a little late, and you all stand here like a couple of nervous mothers? Isn’t that my job?

They’re going to catch us. They’re going to catch us, and we’re giong to get kicked out before we can graduate next week!

They sure will if you don’t shut your mouth!

This feels better than smoking.

This feels better than church!

I wanna get assigned to Casper Air Field, in Wyoming. Or some other base with mountains.

I’d like to be assigned to Camp Davis. That’s only a few hours from my folks.

When the war’s over, I’m gonna live in the mountains.

When James gets home, we’re going to have a baby.

When i’ve got enough money, I’ll buy a ranch of my own, with horses and dogs.

We will name her Jackie, and we’ll teach her how to fly.

Oregon has mountains, right?

Yes, Carol. What about you, Virginia?

No Shrimp, she’s going to ask Rosalie. Or me.

Virginia? What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?

…No, I don’t want to just see it, I want to swim in it. And fish in it, and sail over it, and watch the sun sink into it!

Time to go.

See you in California!

Eddie, wait! Alice sent this wine to me. See, it’s from Oregon? I thought we could all drink it in California tonight, with no Mrs. Deaton to catch us.

What do you want me to do with it? I’ve got no room on my plane, same as you.

I’m the squadron commander, Eddie, I can’t fly with it.

Fine.

Thank you!

Norma Jean! I forgot my map!

What?

I don’t know how, but I did, I left it on my cot all the way back in the bay!

Which plane is yours?

That one over there. With the mechanics crawling all over it? They said it won’t be ready for another fifteen minutes.

Alright, you go and take my plane and my map. Seeing as I got to make sure everyone gets off the ground before I can go anywhere, I’ll go back and get your map and take your plane.

Are you sure?

Of course I’m sure! Don’t get lost now, I don’t want to hunt you down in Louisiana like last time.