Scene 22
It is late and the girls are digging. ANGELIQUE is standing watch. They are tired.
POUBELLE
Why don't you sleep awhile?
ANGELIQUE
Are you sure?
POUBELLE
Oui, I'll be back in an hour. Put these under the sheets just in case.
She gives a bundle of clothes to ANGELIQUE.
Get some rest. I'll knock when I'm ready to come up.
ANGELIQUE
Bonne chance. Je t'aime.
POUBELLE
Love you too.
POUBELLE disappears down the hole. ANGELIQUE looks around. She shapes the bundle of clothes so that they look like someone under the covers. She drags the bed back over the trap door. As she is doing this she accidentally knocks the lamp off the nightstand and it crashes to the floor.
ANGELIQUE
Zut la merde!
Someone is outside the door. The knob turns and ANGELIQUE is frozen with fright. Light shines through the doorway. She holds her breath. MAX enters holding a flashlight.
MAX
Is everything all right in here?
ANGELIQUE
Oui, oui, I knocked the lamp over… in my sleep. Must have had a bad dream.
She bends to pick up the pieces and cuts herself.
Zut.
MAX
Are you all right?
ANGELIQUE
Oui.
She puts her cut finger in her mouth.
MAX
Here, let me see.
She gives him her hand and he squints at by the light of the flashlight.
Let's wash it in case there's porcelain in the wound.
He moves her over to the sink and washes out the cut. She winces a few times. They sit on the bed over the trap door as he tends to her.
There we go. It's started to clot. You'll have a nice scab in the morning.
ANGELIQUE
Should I put a bandage on it?
MAX
No, leave it. Let the air get at it.
There is a tension between them as they sit closely together. He doesn't take his hand off hers.
ANGELIQUE
Merci.
MAX
Mercy?
ANGELIQUE
Merci… thank you.
MAX
Oh. You're welcome.
Beat.
He looks at her hands.
Your fingernails are covered in dirt.
She hides her hands.
ANGELIQUE
So are yours.
He is embarrassed and moves his hands away.
MAX
How is your head?
ANGELIQUE
The same most nights.
MAX
Let me take you in to Dr. Glass.
ANGELIQUE
Non, Monsieur, s'il vous plaît?
MAX
It could be dangerous. It might have something to do with the accident.
ANGELIQUE
It is the accident.
MAX
Then let us help you, let us fix—
ANGELIQUE
You want to fix me? You can't.
MAX
We can give you medicine.
ANGELIQUE
There is no medicine, no medicine that will patch up a hole.
MAX
What do you mean?
ANGELIQUE
You say that scientists have proven that words matter. We have a saying in Quebec, "Tu me manques." Do you know what this means?
MAX
I don't speak French.
ANGELIQUE
We say it when we are separated from someone.
MAX
"I miss you?"
ANGELIQUE
Oui, yes, "Tu me manques."
MAX
It's the same in English.
ANGELIQUE
Oui, but if you translate it, if you look at it word for word, it's not the same at all. "Tu me manques," "You are missing from me." I am incomplete. I have a hole where you used to be. Vous savez? Do you understand?
MAX
That's a literal translation, it still means—
ANGELIQUE
It means that there is a wound, a gaping wound that is much worse than the others from l'accident. My maman, my papa, taken away so that I was left with parts missing. You can never plug them up because you can never return to me qu'est-ce qui manque.
Beat.
ANGELIQUE holds up her finger.
Will it scar?
MAX
It shouldn't if it gets enough air.
ANGELIQUE
I don't want any more scars.
MAX
I thought you said that you didn't mind.
ANGELIQUE
I know.
She touches her bottom lip where it has been split.
Will it ever heal?
MAX
Not any more than it has.
She looks disappointed. She tightens her lip to hide it. MAX puts his hands on her face to soften her jaw and expose her lip. POUBELLE crawls up from the hole and is about to come out when she realizes her sister is not alone.
I think it's beautiful.
ANGELIQUE
Scientifically?
MAX
No.
He kisses her. She kisses him back like he is fresh air. After a moment ANGELIQUE pulls away.
ANGELIQUE
L'heure? What time is it?
MAX
Ssssh, your sister.
He motions to the bundle of clothes.
ANGELIQUE
Yes, ma soeur.
MAX
It's past one.
ANGELIQUE
It's late.
She untangles herself.
MAX
It is. I should probably go.
They kiss and he leaves.
ANGELIQUE
Bonsoir.
He is gone. There are a few knocks from underneath her bed. The noise surprises her and she nearly jumps out of her skin. She bends to see her sister crawling out of the hole.
POUBELLE
Angelique?
ANGELIQUE
Belle?
POUBELLE looks at her strangely.
POUBELLE
How was it?
ANGELIQUE
How was what?
POUBELLE
Did anyone come?
ANGELIQUE
Non, non.
POUBELLE
Why is the lamp broken?
ANGELIQUE
I kicked it over in my sleep.
POUBELLE
Oh.
Beat.
ANGELIQUE
What did you see down there?
POUBELLE
Rien, nothing at all.
ANGELIQUE
Want to come warm up in my bed?
POUBELLE
I want to be by myself tonight.
ANGELIQUE
Oh… okay.
They crawl into their own beds.
Je t'aime, ma bleue.
POUBELLE rolls away from her sister and turns off the light.