Happy Days

Happy Days Read Free Page B

Book: Happy Days Read Free
Author: Samuel Beckett
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be thankful for it later on. [ Pause. ] I have my—[ raises hands to hat ]—yes, on, my hat on—[ lowers hands ]—I cannot take it off now. [ Pause. ] To think there are times one cannot take off one’s hat, not if one’s life were at stake. Times one cannot put it on, times one cannot take it off. [ Pause. ] How often I have said, Put on your hat now, Winnie, there is nothing else for it, take off your hat now,Winnie, like a good girl, it will do you good, and did not. [ Pause. ] Could not. [ Pause. She raises hand, frees a strand of hair from under hat, draws it towards eye, squints at it, lets it go, hand down. ] Golden you called it, that day, when the last guest was gone—[ hand up in gesture of raising a glass ]—to your golden . . . may it never . . . [ voice breaks ] . . . may it never . . . [ Hand down. Head down. Pause. Low. ] That day. [ Pause. Do. ] What day? [ Pause. Head up. Normal voice. ] What now? [ Pause. ] Words fail, there are times when even they fail. [ Turning a little towards Willie. ] Is that not so, Willie? [ Pause. Turning a little further. ] Is not that so, Willie, that even words fail, at times? [ Pause. Back front. ] What is one to do then, until they come again? Brush and comb the hair, if it has not been done, or if there is some doubt, trim the nails if they are in need of trimming, these things tide one over. [ Pause. ] That is what I mean. [ Pause. ] That is all I mean. [ Pause. ] That is what I find so wonderful, that not a day goes by—[ smile ]—to speak in the old style—[ smile off ]—without some blessing—[ Willie collapses behind slope, his head disappears, Winnie turns towards event ]—in disguise. [ She cranes back and down. ] Go back into yourhole now, Willie, you’ve exposed yourself enough. [ Pause. ] Do as I say, Willie, don’t lie sprawling there in this hellish sun, go back into your hole. [ Pause. ] Go on now, Willie. [ Willie invisible starts crawling left towards hole. ] That’s the man. [ She follows his progress with her eyes. ] Not head first, stupid, how are you going to turn? [ Pause. ] That’s it . . . right round . . . now . . . back in. [ Pause. ] Oh I know it is not easy, dear, crawling backwards, but it is rewarding in the end. [ Pause. ] You have left your vaseline behind. [ She watches as he crawls back for vaseline. ] The lid! [ She watches as he crawls back towards hole. Irritated. ] Not head first, I tell you! [ Pause. ] More to the right. [ Pause. ] The right, I said. [ Pause. Irritated. ] Keep your tail down, can’t you! [ Pause. ] Now. [ Pause. ] There! [ All these directions loud. Now in her normal voice, still turned towards him. ] Can you hear me? [ Pause. ] I beseech you, Willie, just yes or no, can you hear me, just yes or nothing.
    [ Pause. ]
      WILLIE Yes.
    WINNIE [ turning front, same voice ] And now?
      WILLIE [ irritated ] Yes.
    WINNIE [ less loud ] And now?
      WILLIE [ more irritated ] Yes.
    WINNIE [ still less loud ] And now? [ A little louder. ] And now?
      WILLIE [ violently ] Yes!
    WINNIE [ same voice ] Fear no more the heat o’ the sun. [ Pause. ] Did you hear that?
      WILLIE [ irritated ] Yes.
    WINNIE [ same voice ] What? [ Pause. ] What?
      WILLIE [ more irritated ] Fear no more. [ Pause. ]
    WINNIE [ same voice ] No more what? [ Pause. ] Fear no more what?
      WILLIE [ violently ] Fear no more!
    WINNIE [ normal voice, gabbled ] Bless you Willie I do appreciate your goodness I know what an effort it costs you, now you may relax I shall not trouble you again unless I am obliged to, by that I mean unless I come to the end of my own resources which is most unlikely, just to know that in theory you can hear me even though in fact you don’t is all I need, just to feel you there within earshot and conceivably on the qui vive is all I ask, not to say anything I would not wish you to hear or liable to cause you pain, not to be just babbling away on trust as it is were not knowing and something gnawing at me. [ Pause for

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