Scene 2
A section of Strum's
Dress Shop. Downstage is a long counter behind which stand DIXIE ANN and
a younger, rather plain girl, WANDA LUSPINSKI. THEY are both engaged in
straightening the shelves. WANDA looks out toward the audience.
WANDA
Looks like it's gonna come
down any second now.
DIXIE ANN
Not again! Oh, my God, there
are the Frake sisters.
WANDA
Who are the Frake sisters?
DIXIE ANN
Not who are the Frake
sisters---what are the Frake sisters? The biggest gossips in town.
(EDITH and OPAL enter
left, carring umbrellas.)
OPAL
Why, Dixie Ann! I didn't
know whether you still worked here at Strum's or not.
DIXIE ANN
Wanda, these lovely ladies
used to live next door when I was growin' up. Edith and Opal Frake, this
is my co-worker, Wanda Luspinski.
OPAL
My dear, what beautiful hair
you have! I wish I had hair like that.
WANDA
You can if you pray hard
enough.
(SHE pulls off her wig and hands it to Opal.)
OPAL
I declare to my soul!
(WANDA replaces her wig and retires to another counter.)
EDITH
Dixie Ann, you simply gotta
help us. Tuesday is Margaret Casey's birthday, and we don't know what to
get her.
DIXIE ANN
How about some nice suede
gloves? Mrs. Casey always wore gloves.
(SHE pulls out a
tray, and OPAL proceeds to rummage through it.)
OPAL
Poor thing hasn't been the
same since her grandson went back to Philadelphia and blew his brains out.
EDITH
A terrible tragedy. Why,
the last time we saw him was at Jolene's comin' home party for Russell,
and that has to be a good six, seven years ago. That was the party where
you and Clois never showed up.
(pointing to a small box on the counter)
What are these?
DIXIE ANN
I don't think they're right
for Margaret Casey.
EDITH
I'm not sayin' they are.
I just wondered what they were.
DIXIE ANN
Beauty patches. The latest
thing.
(SHE removes a star-shaped one and places it on Edith's cheek.)
You see. You look just
like Marie Antoinette.
(under her breath)
Shortly after she was
guillotined.
EDITH
Good heavens, what will they
think of next? Opal, you think I oughta get myself a beauty patch?
OPAL
Just the thing for the next
D.A.R. meetin'.
EDITH
Speakin' of Clois…
DIXIE ANN
Clois who?
EDITH
You're getting' just like
your Mama.
DIXIE ANN
(under her breath again)
God forbid.
EDITH
Polly Berryhill was down
visitin' her sister Mame in Biloxi, and she ran into him. You know, o'course,
he's remarried and has two boys.
DIXIE ANN
Good for him.
OPAL
He's opened a dry goods store,
but Polly says he's not doin' all that well.
EDITH
What he shoulda done was
go into business with your brother-in-law. I swear, getting' that Pontiac
dealership was the smartest thing Russell ever did.
OPAL
He's makin' money hand over
fist. And Jolene looks so gorgeous in all those Christian Dior copies.
EDITH
She's certainly kept her
figure. After four babies, I don't know how she does it. Oh, look! It's
gonna come down in buckets any second. Dixie Ann, you've been a darlin',
but Opal and I are gonna go now before the holocaust. We'll think about
the gloves and let you know.
(THEY exit left.
WANDA returns to the counter as DIXIE ANN places the tray back.)
WANDA
They didn't buy anything?
What'd they come in for?
DIXIE ANN
Collectin' for the Salvation
Army.
WANDA
So what's on for tonight?
DIXIE ANN
Texas Carnival is
at the Carolina. Etienne adores Esther Williams.
WANDA
Don't you ever think of going
out with a man? You know Ed Batty, the nylon hosiery salesman? He's dying
to ask you out.
DIXIE ANN
When you've had a love like mine, Wanda,
A love that leaves you soarin'!
When a love is that divine, Wanda,
Every other love seems dull and borin'.
Mr. Batty is a nice enough fellow,
But you never met Brian Costello.
It was in August
At a USO dance,
We saw each other,
It was a preordained
romance.
Oh, he was gorgeous!
That smile and those
charms!
He held me tightly
In his muscular arms.
We'd walk in the moonlight,
We didn't have to speak;
I was in heaven
For one mem'rable week.
If this had happened to
you,
How would you feel?
WANDA
In ecstasy!
DIXIE ANN
Isn't it incredible?
And every word is real.
We'd hold hands and whisper
On the family porch,
Then he got shipped out
To fight in Operation Torch.
He sailed on a transport,
The transport went down
Off the coast near the Casbah---
That's where he drowned.
He drowned saving others
In the turbulent tide;
The Purple Heart's what they gave him
After he died.
If this had happened to you,
What would you do?
Isn't it incredible?
And every word is true.
WANDA
Oh, that is so touching,
I want to cry!
DIXIE ANN
I once read a story about
this woman and this man on the Lusitania, and how she actually saw him
drown…and how ten years later there he was comin' up the walk. I keep thinkin'
that someday I'll look out o' my apartment window, and there will be Brian…
WANDA
Brian Costello…even his name
is romantic…
(Sound of rain starts.
The stage begins to revolve as the lights dim.)
