Some time later. Vet still ironing. Tv still on.
Reading from her Book:
Grace
The Book of Grace, Chapter 48: My Version of Homeland Security.
Buddy, standing in the doorway with his footlocker.
He wears t-shirt and jeans.
Buddy
I’ve got I.D. Identification.
Vet
That’s good.
Buddy
You need to see it?
Vet
Are you really Buddy?
Buddy
Sure, Pop.
Vet
Just asking.
Buddy
I’ve got I.D. Take a look.
(Rest)
I’ll put it right here.
Buddy sets his identification card down and glances at the tv.
Vet joins him.
Vet
The Border Fence. There it is.
Buddy
That’s where you work.
Vet
That’s right.
Buddy
“Border Patrol Officer single-handedly catches 8 Illegal Immigrants and their truckload of drugs.”
Vet
You saw the news.
Buddy
I knew it was you before they said your name.
Vet
You recognized me. I’ve changed a lot.
Buddy
Me too.
Vet
For better or for worse?
Buddy
That’s a frame-of-reference question.
Vet
How long you planning on staying?
Buddy
Just for your Ceremony.
Vet
That’s tomorrow.
Buddy
So I’ll just stay the night.
Vet
Grace says you might stay longer.
Buddy
She home?
Vet
She’s at work.
(Rest)
I say we’ll see.
Buddy
About what?
Vet
About you staying longer. We expected you yesterday.
Buddy
I got held up.
Vet
Grace baked you a cake. She wanted to have a party.
Buddy
Yeah, she said.
Vet
She said?
Buddy
In her letter. I sent her a picture—
Vet
—She showed me—
Buddy
—So she’d know it was me. So you would too.
Vet
It’s been a while. 10 years.
Buddy
15 years.
Vet
Point taken.
Buddy
I got an honorable discharge. A few years ago.
Vet
And you’ve just been doing what since then? Just kicking around?
Buddy
Pretty much.
(Rest)
Can I get some water?
Vet
Hold up.
Vet approaches Buddy. Buddy raises his arms.
Vet
My version of Homeland Security. On the job and at home too.
Buddy submits to Vet’s thorough pat-down. Vet takes Buddy’s phone from his pocket. Looks it over.
Vet
You’ve got one of these, huh? A Smartphone.
Buddy
It’s a few years old.
Vet hands the phone back.
Vet
You believe in the right to bear arms?
Buddy
Sure. For self-protection. But I don’t got a gun.
Vet
Do you want one?
Buddy
Not right now.
Vet
You’re not a liberal?
Buddy
No, sir.
Vet
Good. There’s the sink. Help yourself.
Vet goes back to his ironing and also watches as Buddy goes to the sink, getting a few handfuls of water.
Vet
This heat makes me think of ice cream. Remember that time I took you for ice cream?
Buddy
No.
Vet
We had black walnut. My favorite.
Buddy
Ok.
Vet
I got a single. You got a double-dip.
Buddy
Triple-dip.
Vet
So you remember. You got a favorite anything?
Buddy
Nope.
Vet
That ice cream was almost as big as you.
Buddy
Almost.
Vet
And your mother got vanilla.
Buddy
Strawberry.
Vet
Right.
(Rest)
Too bad she passed.
Buddy
No one at her funeral but me. You could of come.
Vet
What for?
Buddy
Right. I got the condolence card Grace sent. I guess me visiting here was all her idea, right?
Vet
The card was from both of us. And you visiting: we thought of it together.
Buddy
Right.
Grace
Footnote #1:
Grace, waitressing at the diner, pauses from her work to speak to us.
Grace
So I said to him, “Vet, don’t look at me like I’m crazy. You’re getting a medal, he’s got a medal already. You’re doing pretty good, he’s doing pretty good. It’s the perfect time for you and Buddy to see each other again. You say you ‘can’t see him.’ But you’ve got eyes, don’t you? Of course you do. So you’ll see him and you two will make amends. It’ll be good for both of you. No brainer.”
Buddy
That Fence. It’s something.
Buddy watches the tv. Vet watches Buddy.
Vet
That’s live-streaming video. But even live-streaming video doesn’t do it justice.
Buddy
Maybe you’ll take me to see it.
Vet
You’ll see it tomorrow at the Ceremony with everybody else.
(Rest)
Grace says you’re looking for work. She thinks you should work Patrol. With me.
Buddy
There’s a fast-track for military guys.
Vet
But I’m guessing you’ve had a few blemishes on your record since you got out.
Buddy
Nothing too serious.
Vet
Still, you’ll need my good word to smooth your path.
Buddy
Yeah. I would.
Buddy
Vet
(Rest)
Buddy
I got a favorite tree.
Vet
Ok.
Buddy
The one we had in the yard on Myrtle Avenue was pretty good.
Vet
Pine.
Buddy
Elm.
Vet
It was pine, I’m telling you.
Buddy
When we lived on Elm Street we had a pine tree, but on Myrtle Ave we had the elm. But that was just me and Mom, when we lived on Myrtle.
Vet
Right.
Buddy
So you probably wouldn’t remember it. The elm.
Vet
That pine tree was something though, wasn’t it? You practically lived up there. And then when that cone fell down and popped you on the head you took it personal. Stuck your firecrackers around the trunk and tried to blow it up.
Buddy
I almost did too.
Vet
Fire department had to come. Your mother blamed it on me.
Buddy
Yeah.
(Rest)
When’s Grace coming home?
Vet
In a couple of hours. She’s at work, or at least that’s where she says she is.
(Rest)
You’re grown and I’m old. Is that what you’re thinking?
Buddy
You’re working that iron pretty good.
Vet
50 push-ups, 200 sit-ups every morning.
Buddy
I do twice that.
Vet
Want me to call Grace?
Buddy
No need.
Vet
You two talk on the phone a lot?
Buddy
Nope.
Vet
Just letters? Emails?
Buddy
Just letters.
(Rest)
You wear Kevlar?
Vet
Why you asking?
Buddy
Just making conversation.
Vet
A bullet-proof vest? We could, but the job doesn’t go that way too often. Most Tonks don’t hardly got shoes let alone a gun. Although I’ve got mine. Glock.
Buddy
They make you keep it locked up at the station?
Vet
They don’t make me. That’s my decision. Keeps things—contained.
Buddy
You have changed.
Vet
Yep.
Buddy
You keep that Fence on all day?
Vet
It feeds to the tv. From the “interwebs.” So we can monitor the Border 24/7. Grace says I shouldn’t bring my work home with me. The live-feed’s mostly for volunteers, but I like it too.
Buddy
It’s interesting.
Vet
You want a beer? I know it’s early, but—
Vet takes two beers from the fridge, hands one to Buddy who holds up his hand in refusal.
Buddy
I’m all right.
Vet
I could put an egg in it. Make it breakfast.
Buddy
No thanks.
Vet
Not your brand? It’s American. The can’s red-white-and-blue at least.
Buddy
I don’t drink.
Vet
You drink water.
Buddy
Not spirits.
Vet
You a Muslim?
Buddy
Nope.
Vet
Next thing I know you’ll drop down and be praying on the rug. East is that way, if you’re wondering.
Buddy
I’m not.
Vet
So you’re a 12-Stepper?
Buddy
Nope.
Vet
Just a Teetotaler. Ok. Your mother inhabited the opposing camp on the subject of drinking if I remember correctly. I’m easy on the spirits. So you’re like me.
Buddy
I guess.
Vet
You’re easy on the spirits, I’m easy on the spirits. We believe in the same things. You got a footlocker. I got a footlocker. I got private stuff in mine. What’s in yours?
Buddy
Private stuff.
Vet
We’re 2 peas in a pod. You turned out all right. Pretty much.
Buddy
Thanks.
Vet
Ceremony’s going to be a social situation. Around here if you don’t at least hold a beer in your hand, people will think twice about you. Then they’ll think twice about me.
Buddy picks up the unopened beer and holds it.
Buddy
Should I open it?
Vet
If we were in a social situation.
Buddy
We’re not in a social situation?
Vet
No, Buddy, we’re at home.
Buddy
Your home, not mine.
Vet
My home and we’re glad you’re here.
Grace
Footnote #2:
Again, Grace pauses from her work.
Grace
And then I told him, “Vet, you’ll know what to say. Say ‘welcome home.’ Ok, so it’s not his home. Say ‘we’re glad you’re here.’ Offer him a beer and a seat, Vet. It’s not brain surgery. Or is it? Ok, maybe it is brain surgery. Better get out your rubber gloves. No, don’t get out your rubber gloves, Vet. Just offer him a beer and tell him to sit down. Forgive and forget. I mean, how bad can it be, right?”
Vet
Grace wants you to stay. Longer than just the night. Christ, the things she’s got going on in her head. She’s thinking, together, the three of us can be some sort of family unit: me the Father, you the Son and her as the—Holy Ghost.
They enjoy that together.
| Vet | Buddy |
| (Rest) | |
| Stupid-dumb. | Stupid-dumb. I remember that. You and Grace? Kids? |
Vet
Nope.
Vet’s finished ironing. He would go into the bedroom to change, but, to keep his eye on Buddy, he stays in the room, getting dressed.
Vet
Look at that crease. Grace, she can’t understand the importance of a good crease. It’s just a boundary, just a line of demarcation. But that kind of understanding is beyond her. She came home one day. Reading one of those women’s magazines and took one of the tests they’ve got in there, counted up her score and says the test says that she’s got “boundary issues.” Well, I could of told her that.
Buddy is looking out the window.
Buddy
It’s nice here. Nice house. Nice yard.
Vet
At night you can see the Fence from here. And when I’m over there I can see the house. From there, we’re the closest lights in the distance. They wanted me to live on the base, with everybody else, but I don’t like people in my business.
Buddy
What’s the hole in the backyard for?
Vet
Buddy
(Rest)
Vet
How was the Service?
Buddy
I qualified as “expert” on the M-16. I worked the M-79 for a while.
Vet
Grenade launcher.
Buddy
Yeah. I got out and I took some classes. A government class. “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary—”
Vet
No need to school me.
Buddy
I know the whole thing. The Constitution too.
Vet
Grace said you were mostly a sort of army waterboy.
Buddy
Water Transport Specialist.
Vet
Ok.
Buddy
I got promoted. Got working as a Combat Engineer too. Building anti-tank ditches, laying landmines.
Vet
Blowing up stuff. Ok. You put your childhood inclination to good use.
Buddy
I got the Bronze Star too.
Vet
Tell the truth, now.
Buddy takes off his boot.
Empties out his medal.
Shows it to Vet.
Vet
Might as well take off the other one too.
Buddy takes off his other boot. Shakes it out. Nothing in it.
Vet
Where’s your name?
Buddy
They don’t put your name on it. It’s like the Olympics. You get a medal in the Olympics they don’t put your name on it.
Vet
Grace would say we’re finding our “Common Ground.”
(Rest)
I’m getting a medal too. The Governor’s coming down. The whole town will be there. The local news crew. The marching band. They’re telling me I’ll have to give a speech.
Buddy
A speech?
Vet
Yeah.
Buddy
What’s the hole in the backyard for?
Vet
It’s a deterrent.
Buddy
You said you changed.
Vet
Grace says I’m a work-in-progress.
Buddy
What do you say?
Vet
I say, are you in trouble?
Buddy
In trouble? No, sir.
Vet
Except for your stint in the Service you were always in trouble. Are you in trouble now?
Buddy
I’m doing great.
Vet
Mind if I take a look?
Buddy
Yes.
Vet
I’ve probably got a key that could fit it.
Buddy
Vet
Buddy unlocks his footlocker, opening the lid. Vet puts on some latex gloves before gently looking through the contents.
Some bric-a-brac, old clothes, not much else.
Buddy
Just some old junk from Mom’s house.
Vet
Too bad you lost it.
Buddy
They took it.
Vet
Well if you don’t pay the bill, they’ll do that.
Buddy
I could use a job.
Vet
We’ll see.
Buddy
I need to get back on my feet. It’s been hard.
Vet
I said we’ll see.
Buddy
We’ll see.
(Rest)
Unspeakable. The things you did to me.
Vet
I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Buddy
Maybe we should just forget it.
Vet
I don’t know what you’re talking about. What I do know is: I’m on the good foot now. Past behind me. Future in front. Like it should be, ok? Ok. Hey, ok, maybe I’ll have time later tonight. I could show you the Fence. See the Fence, meet the guys. Even a job—maybe.
Buddy
“Maybe.”
Vet
You should get a haircut. So when you meet the guys you’ll look correct. There’s a barbershop—
Buddy
You really don’t have any recollection of it?
Vet
It’s past. I’m living today, ok?
Buddy
Vet
Buddy
Buddy holds up his thumb, like he’s counting. It’s Strike One.
Vet
What’s that for?
Buddy
I hitchhiked. From the bus stop.
Buddy stands there with his thumb still extended.
Vet looks at the clock on the wall and then at his watch.
He goes to the house phone, making a call.
Vet
Time at the tone is a real lifesaver.
He resets the clock, then his watch.
Vet
Past behind, future in front. All right?
Buddy
We’ll see.
He’s still got his thumb out, but not brandishing it so obviously.
Vet
Well—“Welcome home, Buddy.” I’ll swing by the barbershop later. Pick you up if you’re there. Then we could do the tour.
Buddy
Sure.
Vet goes.
Buddy stands there watching the Fence on tv.
The sound of Vet’s truck fades into the distance.
When the coast is clear, Buddy goes outside and retrieves his plastic bag.
Back in the house he opens his footlocker and transfers the bag’s contents: several Army-issue hand grenades: very precious, very dangerous.
Buddy
Strike One.