Judy Boone Lines - The Curious Incident (ACT II)

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Judy and Roger enter (SCENE 39)

JUDY. I don’t care whether you thought it was funny or not.

ROGER. Judy look, I’m sorry okay?

JUDY. Well perhaps you should have thought about that before you made me look like a complete idiot.

CHRISTOPHER. You weren’t in so I waited for you.

JUDY. Christopher.

CHRISTOPHER. What?

JUDY. Christopher.

ROGER. What the hell is going on?

JUDY. I’m so sorry Christopher.

ROGER. I suppose this means Ed’s here.

JUDY. Where’s your father Christopher?

ROGER. Thank God for that.

JUDY. But how did you get here?

CHRISTOPHER. I came on the train.

JUDY. Oh my God Christopher. I didn’t… I didn’t think I’d ever… Why are you here on your own?

Christopher, you’re soaking. Roger, don’t just stand there.

CHISTOPHER. …Father killed Wellington with a garden fork

ROGER. Jumping Jack Christ.

JUDY. Roger, please. Come on Christopher. Let’s go inside and get you dried off.

ROGER. Come on the soldier. You’ll catch your death out here.

JUDY. You follow Roger.

CHRISTOPHER. He’s hungry. Have you got any food I can give him and some water?

INTO SCENE 40

JUDY. Are you okay Christopher?

CHRISTOPHER. I’m tired.

JUDY. I know love. I can get you a blanket?

CHRISTOPHER. No, don’t. I’ve got a sleeping bag in my backpack.

JUDY. Will you let me help you get your clothes off? I can get you a clean T-shirt. You could get yourself into bed.

T-shirt, pass me a t-shirt.

You’re very brave.

CHRISTOPHER. Yes.

JUDY. You never wrote to me.

CHRISTOPHER. I know.

JUDY. Why didn’t you write to me, Christopher? I wrote you all those letters. I kept thinking something dreadful had happened or you’d moved away and I’d never find out where you were.

CHRISTOPHER. Father said you were dead.

JUDY. What?

CHRISTOPHER. He said that you went into the hospital because you had something wrong with your heart. And then you had a heart attack and died.

JUDY. Oh my God.

CHRISTOPHER. Why are you doing that?

JUDY. Oh Christopher, I’m so sorry.

CHRISTOPHER. What for?

JUDY. Bastard. That bastard.

Christopher, let me hold your hand. Just for once. Just for me. Will you? I won’t hold it hard.

CHRISTOPHER. I don’t like people holding my hand.

JUDY. No. Okay. That’s okay.

LONDON POLICE. I need to speak to him.

JUDY. He’s been through enough today already.

LONDON POLICE. …Please can you open the door.

ROGER. Come on Christopher.

JUDY. Christopher love. It’s alright. Just open the door will you sweetheart?

CHRISTOPHER. Is he going to take me away?

JUDY. No Christopher he isn’t.

CHRISTOPHER. Will you let him take me away?

JUDY. No I won’t.

LONDON POLICE. Hang on, I’m asking your mother.

JUDY. He told Christopher I was dead.

ED. I’m talking to her whether you like it or not.

JUDY. Roger. Don’t. Just…

ED. I’ll talk to you how I damn well like.

JUDY. You have no right to be here.

ED. He’s my son in case you’ve forgotten.

JUDY. What in god’s name did you think you were playing at saying those things to him?

ED. You were the one that bloody left.

JUDY. So you decided to just wipe me out of his life altogether?

ED. Well, isn’t that what you wanted?

JUDY. I wrote to him every week.

ED. And you? What? You wrote him some lousy letters.

JUDY. So you thought it was okay to tell him his mother was dead?

ED. I’m going to see him. And if you try to stop me…

JUDY. It’s okay Christopher, I won’t let him do anything. You’re all right.

POLICE. I know. This can all be sorted out. Just come with me. Please.

JUDY. Ed, you should go. He’s frightened.

ED. I’ll be back Christopher… I promise you lad…

Everyone leaves stage, just JUDY and CHRISTOPHER

JUDY. You can go back to sleep now. Everything is going to be alright. I promise you.

ROGER. Okay, he can stay for a few days.

JUDY. He can stay as long as he needs to stay.

ROGER. This flat is hardly big enough for two people, let alone three.

JUDY. He can understand what you’re saying, you know?

ROGER. …We’ve both got jobs. It’s bloody ridiculous.

JUDY. Roger. That’s enough. You can stay as long as you want to stay.

CHRISTOPHER. You need to shout more loudly at him. Like you’re really angry with him not just being nice.

JUDY. Okay.

Put milkshake down, much angrier

JUDY. Roger. That’s enough. You can stay as long as you need to stay.

CHRISTOPHER. I have to go back to Swindon.

JUDY. Christopher, you’ve only just got here.

CHRISTOPHER. I have to go back because I have to sit my maths A-level.

JUDY. You’re doing maths A-level?

CHRISTOPHER. Yes. I’m taking it on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday next week.

JUDY. Gosh, Christopher… that’s really good.

CHRISTOPHER. But I can’t see Father. So I have to go back to Swindon with you…

JUDY. I don’t know whether that’s going to be possible.

CHRISTOPHER. But I have to go.

JUDY. Let’s talk about this some other time, okay?

CHRISTOPHER. Okay. But I have to go to Swindon.

JUDY. Christopher. Please.

CHRISTOPHER. …lights in the buildings reflect off tiny particles in the atmosphere and they get in the way of light from the stars.

(Off-Stage)

JUDY. Christopher?

SIOBHAN. I have to go.

CHRISTOPHER. Don’t.

SIOBHAN. I have to.

Enter

JUDY. Christopher?

CHRISTOPHER. SIOBHAN? SIOBHAN? Where are you? SIOBHAN?

JUDY. Christopher? Christopher?

spots him, goes up to him

JUDY. What are you doing out here? I’ve been looking for you. I thought you’d gone. If you ever do that again, I swear to God, Christopher I love you but… I don’t know what I’ll do.

You need to promise me you won’t leave the flat on your own again., Christopher. Christopher do you promise me that?

I had asked him if he promises.

CHRISTOPHER. Yes.

JUDY. You can’t trust people in London.

45. HAMPSTEAD HEATH

JUDY. Would you like an iced lolly?

CHRISTOPHER. Yes, I would please. (Iced lolly).

JUDY. Would you like a strawberry one?

CHRISTOPHER. Yes I would please because that’s red. What’s it called here?

JUDY. It’s called Hampstead Heath. I love it. You can see all over London.

CHRISTOPHER. Where are the planes going to?

JUDY. Heathrow, I think.

Christopher, I rang Mrs. Gascoyne.

I told her that you’re going to take your A-level maths next year.

CHRISTOPHER throws his iced lolly and starts having a meltdown.

JUDY. Christopher please. Calm down. Okay. Okay, Christopher. Just calm down love.