Happy Days Read Free

pots. [ Pause. ] The tangles of bast. [ Pause. ] The shadows deepening among the rafters.
    [ Pause. She opens eyes, puts on spectacles, raises hat towards head, arrests gesture as Willie reads. ]
      WILLIE Wanted bright boy.
    [ Pause. Winnie puts on hat hurriedly, looks for mirror. Willie turns page. Winnie takes up mirror, inspects hat, lays down mirror, turns towards bag. Paper disappears. Winnie rummages in bag, brings out magnifying-glass, turns back front, looks for toothbrush. Paper reappears, folded, and begins to fan Willie’s face, hand invisible. Winnie takes up toothbrush and examines handle through glass. ]
    WINNIE Fully guaranteed . . . [ Willie stops fanning ] . . . genuine pure . . . [ Pause. Willie resumes fanning. Winnie looks closer, reads. ] Fully guaranteed . . . [ Willie stops fanning ] . . . genuine pure . . . [ Pause. Willie resumes fanning. Winnie lays down glass and brush, takes handkerchief from bodice, takes off and polishes spectacles, puts on spectacles, looks for glass, takes up and polishes glass, lays down glass, looks for brush, takes up brush and wipes handle, lays down brush, puts handkerchief back in bodice, looks for glass, takes up glass, looks for brush, takes up brush and examines handle through glass. ] Fully guaranteed . . . [ Willie stops fanning ] . . . genuine pure . . . [ pause, Willie resumes fanning ] . . . hog’s [ Willie stops fanning, pause ] . . . setae. [ Pause. Winnie lays down glass and brush, paper disappears, Winnie takes off spectacles, lays them down, gazes front. ] Hog’s setae. [ Pause. ] That is what I find so wonderful, that not a day goes by—[ smile ]—to speak in the old style—[ smile off ]—hardly a day, without some addition to one’s knowledge however trifling, the addition I mean, provided one takes the pains. [ Willie’s hand reappears with a postcard which he examines close to eyes. ] And if for some strange reason no further pains are possible, why then just close the eyes—[ she does so ]—and wait for the day to come—[ opens eyes ]—the happy day to come when flesh melts at so many degrees and thenight of the moon has so many hundred hours. [ Pause. ] That is what I find so comforting when I lose heart and envy the brute beast. [ Turning towards Willie. ] I hope you are taking in—[ She sees postcard, bends lower. ] What is that you have there, Willie, may I see? [ She reaches down with hand and Willie hands her card. The hairy forearm appears above slope, raised in gesture of giving, the hand open to take back, and remains in this position till card is returned. Winnie turns back front and examines card. ] Heavens what are they up to! [ She looks for spectacles, puts them on and examines card. ] No but this is just genuine pure filth! [ Examines card. ] Make any nice-minded person want to vomit! [ Impatience of Willie’s fingers. She looks for glass, takes it up and examines card through glass. Long pause. ] What does that creature in the background think he’s doing? [ Looks closer. ] Oh no really! [ Impatience of fingers. Last long look. She lays down glass, takes edge of card between right forefinger and thumb, averts head, takes nose between left forefinger and thumb. ] Pah! [ Drops card. ] Take it away! [ Willie’s arm disappears. His hand reappears immediately, holding card. Winnie takes off spectacles, lays them down, gazes before her. During what follows Willie continues to relish card, varying angles and distance from his eyes. ] Hog’s setae. [ Puzzled expression. ] What exactly is a hog? [ Pause. Do. ] A sow of course I know, but a hog . . . [ Puzzled expression off. ] Oh well what does it matter, that is what I always say, it will come back, that is what I find so wonderful, all comes back. [ Pause. ] All? [ Pause. ] No, not all. [ Smile. ] No no. [ Smile off. ] Not quite. [ Pause. ] A part. [ Pause. ] Floats up, one fine day, out of the blue. [ Pause. ] That is what I find so wonderful. [ Pause. She turns towards bag.