Between Friends

The House on the Hill
Act 2 â€" Scene 2
Between Friends



Connie
Miranda
Vanessa

It's mid-day, Connie works in her garden planting fruits and vegetables. Miranda comes home from shopping with Vanessa and stops to talk while she works in her garden.


MIRANDA
(carrying grocery bags walking with Vanessa who is pulling a wagon with groceries) Come on Nessa! Not too much further ... we can do it!


NESSA
Mom ... (struggling to pull the wagon) this is heavy. Why didn't we take the car?


MIRANDA
Oh, Nessa ... you know why. Our car needs to be fixed. (sigh) Now come on ... not too much further.

NESSA
Hey! There is Connie! (waving) Hi Connie!

Connie turns around and sees Miranda and Nessa hauling groceries up their driveway.

CONNIE
Well ... Good Afternoon! My ... you two have been busy. Do you need some assistance?


MIRANDA
No, Nessa can bring in the groceries. She's a good little helper, right Ness? (turns to Nessa) Please take all the groceries into the kitchen, okay? Just place them in the kitchen by the cupboard ... I'll put them away. You don't have to help me with that ... all right? Do we have a deal?

NESSA
Ohhhh ... I want to talk to Connie. (pause) Not put stupid groceries away.

MIRANDA
You don't have to put them away. All you have to do is bring the bags into the kitchen. The faster you do this ... the faster you can come out here to visit with Miss Connie. Okay?


CONNIE
Nessa, you best do as your mother asks of you. Like she says, the faster you do your work, the faster you can come out here and help me plant strawberries? Would you like to help plant strawberries?

MIRANDA
That sounds like fun! What do you think Nessa? We have to buy our strawberries.


NESSA
(frowning) Fine! But I'm not helping you put them away. (she turns and walks to the wagon)


CONNIE
Hmmm... a little tired perhaps?


MIRANDA
(sigh) perhaps ... Ummm. Thank you.


CONNIE
(surprised) What on earth for?


MIRANDA

For taking care of her the other day. (pause) I was ... uh... busy. She told me you were telling her stories about an imaginary friend.


CONNIE
Oh, that! Yes, I was ... (pause) simply entertaining the poor child. She was out here all by herself you know.


MIRANDA
Yes. She told me.


CONNIE
She wasn't ... the most... happy with you that day. Are you aware of this? (whispers) She wanted to run away. You know.

MIRANDA
Yes. I'm well aware. (pause) Since Peter left ... (sigh) She is difficult for me to handle at times.


CONNIE
Oh yes ... prison? When did he go to prison again?


MIRANDA
(surprised) PRISON? No...no... who told? Oh... VANESSA! (sighs) Connie, you can't always go by what Vanessa is telling you. She often lies. It's something we are working on. He isn't in prison. He went to rehab for drug addiction. (pause) He was becoming more and more abusive ... physically with me ... and ... Vanessa. (pause) He was taken away after the police were called. He spent some time in jail and then was required to go into rehab to get off the drugs. That's where he is now. He isn't supposed to have any contact with me or Vanessa.


CONNIE
How terrible? I'm so sorry to hear this.


MIRANDA
I promise ... we are not troublesome neighbors. He's gone.

CONNIE
Don't worry, Miranda ... truly ... don't worry about what I think.


MIRANDA
Umm... Nessa hasn't stopped talking about Bob.


CONNIE
Who?

MIRANDA
... uh... the imaginary friend ... you ... gave her.


CONNIE
Oh! Silly me... of course... I apologize I was so lost in your story ... I didn't think. (pause) May I ask you a personal question, my dear?


MIRANDA
Yes.


CONNIE
I don't mean to be ... rude (pause) How old are you? You seem rather young to have a daughter who is?


MIRANDA
Vanessa just turned eight. (pause) I will be twenty-two in the fall. I was ... rather young when I had Vanessa... thirteen.


CONNIE
Thirteen? That's not much older than Nessa ... and ... (stops talking abruptly)


MIRANDA
Yeah. I was pretty young ...


CONNIE
Where was your mother at the time? If you don't mind my asking?


MIRANDA
My mother died when I was seven. She was a drug addict ... too. (sighs) She got sick and died. I don't remember much about it.


CONNIE
Oh, my word! How sad? No mother... Who raised you? Your father?





MIRANDA
No. I don't know who my father is. I just bounced around between people... finally got pregnant and pulled out of the homes I was living in. (shrugs) My mother taught me how to do drugs. I started smoking pot like her. I eventually moved into m ... umm.. harder drugs. which is how... I ... uh ... (abruptly) I don't do drugs anymore. Please believe me.


CONNIE
I see ... and Vanessa's father? Is he... Peter?


MIRANDA
He's no one. (long pause) Do you grow your fruits and vegetables?


CONNIE
What? (pause) Oh ... why yes, I do. My mother... um... taught me ... how to garden when I was young.


MIRANDA
Nessa doesn't stop talking about her friend Bob... I don't think of things like that ... you know ... to do with her. I'm too busy trying to pay the bills usually.


CONNIE
I see. (pause) Do you have a lot of ... (coughs) friends?


MIRANDA
I'm not trouble. I promise.


Vanessa comes running out and yells ... "I'm finished with my work".


CONNIE
Here she comes! (smiles) Well, good for you! Now you can help me plant in my garden.


NESSA
You will let me? (pause) But ... I don't have any of ... those things. (points to Connie's gardening tools)



CONNIE
Don't worry! You can use mine! I have plenty of gardening tools for both of us. Okay?


MIRANDA
Nessa... did you know Miss Connie plants her fruits and vegetables? Isn't that cool? We don't plant anything, do we?


VANESSA
No! I didn't know you can plant your fruits and vegetables. Can you show me how?


CONNIE
Of course! It will be fun! I have some plants right over here.


VANESSA
Wow... your daughter is so lucky!


CONNIE
My ... what?


VANESSA
Your daughter... uncle Paul said...


MIRANDA
(immediately interrupts) NESSA!!! What are you saying?


CONNIE
(under her breath) ... uncle... Paul?


MIRANDA
PETER ... Nessa... PETER. (turns quickly toward Connie) I've told her not to talk about him anymore. She ... made up a name... for him. She liked Paul when we met him... so, she uses his name instead. (sighs) It's all imaginary stuff ... Connie. I swear.


VANESSA
Mom! I ...


MIRANDA
(immediately interrupts) She doesn't have a 'real' dad ... and just wishes she did sometimes. That's all, Connie. That's all.

CONNIE
No worries, Miranda. No worries. Don't worry about me. (pause) We both know men can be real jerks now, can't we? (turns to Vanessa) Why don't you pick out a strawberry plant and let's find a good spot for it in OUR garden? Okay, Nessa?

MIRANDA
Umm... I'm going to put groceries away. (pause) You two have fun.


CONNIE
All right, my Dear. We'll be out here learning how to plant fruits and vegetables. Don't worry about us.


VANESSA
Yeah, Mom. You go do YOUR work now. I want to play with Miss Connie.


CONNIE
You heard the child, Miranda. (pause) Go do your work. (glares at Miranda) I'll be out here teaching Vanessa how to plant strawberries.


MIRANDA
Have ... um... fun. (turns to walk away) Just send her home when she becomes a pain in the ass! Bye.


CONNIE
(looks at Vanessa) Why? You're never a pain in the ass? (smiles) Are you?


VANESSA
NEVER! ... I'm just like your daughter.