Scene 3
GLASS walks on stage. It is ten years later. The girls are now seventeen years old. He calls to them.
GLASS
Girls!
The girls are now in their nightgowns holding their toothbrushes. As one girl gets examined the other brushes her teeth and washes her face.
Hurry now. Let's get the examinations finished before bed. Angelique?
ANGELIQUE puts down her toothbrush and takes up her standard position near the doctor.
Open.
She opens her mouth and he shines his light in her mouth. He feels her throat and glands. He shines his light into her eyes and ears. He checks her reflexes. Meanwhile, POUBELLE washes her face and brushes her teeth. He puts his stethoscope up to her chest and checks her heartbeat.
POUBELLE
Is she beating?
ANGELIQUE
Am I?
GLASS
Quite satisfactorily. Any pains?
ANGELIQUE
A little right here. (pointing to her abdomen)
GLASS
Menstrual cycle?
ANGELIQUE
Started yesterday.
GLASS unlocks a cupboard and takes down a bottle of Aspirin.
GLASS
Take one before you sleep.
She nods, steps away, and takes up her toothbrush. POUBELLE, who has been brushing her teeth, puts an extra pea of toothpaste on her toothbrush and foams it up in her mouth. She does this facing her sister, her back towards Doctor GLASS.
Poubelle?
POUBELLE takes her place by the doctor.
Open up.
She opens her mouth to reveal a mouth filled with foamy toothpaste. She starts to laugh and looks at her sister who starts to giggle. POUBELLE is laughing so hard that bits of toothpaste spray everywhere. GLASS looks irritated.
Go and spit! You look like a rabid dog!
POUBELLE
Splits thought it was pretty funny.
GLASS
Has it ever occurred to you that she could be laughing for your benefit?
POUBELLE
(under her breath) Did it ever occur to you that I do it for her benefit?
GLASS
Speak up, Poubelle.
POUBELLE
Rien.
GLASS
I thought so. Now which do you want, the porch or the soap?
POUBELLE
Soap.
GLASS
Speak up.
POUBELLE
Soap, Monsieur.
GLASS
All right… get the soap.
POUBELLE goes to the sink to retrieve the soap. GLASS holds the soap in her mouth for a few moments.
Enough?
She nods.
Shall we continue then? Any pains?
POUBELLE
Oui, a little.
GLASS
Yes?
POUBELLE
Same as Split Lip.
GLASS
Take a pill as well, and don't call your sister Split Lip. It's unnecessary.
POUBELLE
But, Monsieur, she is a split lip.
GLASS
HAS a split lip. English, Poubelle, English. She has a split lip, and that scar has healed considerably. You needn't be so cruel with your sister; let's ask her. Angelique, how do you—
POUBELLE
She likes it fine.
GLASS
You do like to lead her, don't you?
He picks up his notebook and begins writing.
POUBELLE
What are you writing?
GLASS
Observations.
POUBELLE
How many of those books do you have after ten years? WHAT ARE YOU WRITING?
GLASS stares at her like she is a child.
GLASS
Shall we continue?
POUBELLE
(pointing to the book) It's us. We have a right to know. It's us.
GLASS
This particular entry only relates to you, Poubelle.
POUBELLE
Moi? Qu'est-ce qu'il dit?
GLASS
(reading) Continues to antagonize any person who interferes with the second twin in a territorial nature. Aggressive in a fashion that negates her performed authority, illustrating an underlying neediness for her sister.
POUBELLE
Vas te faire foutre!
GLASS
(starting to lose his temper) Angelique, how do you like it when your sister calls you names? Wouldn't you rather she left you alone?
ANGELIQUE
Non, Monsieur.
GLASS
No, you don't want her to call you names?
ANGELIQUE
Non, I don't want her to leave me alone.
GLASS
Why not?
ANGELIQUE
My name, she protects. She protects my name, Docteur Glass.
POUBELLE
Write that in your book.
GLASS
How very loyal of you, Angelique. (exhausted) All right, that's enough for one night, girls. Be in bed within the next three minutes. We have a lot to do tomorrow. I will wake you at seven.
He leaves. POUBELLE runs to the sink and spits, trying to get the taste of soap out of her mouth.
POUBELLE
(mimicking) Be in bed in the next three minutes.
ANGELIQUE
Poubelle, don't let him bother you.
POUBELLE
I feel all tied up in knots.
ANGELIQUE
Why don't you lie in my bed for a few minutes?
POUBELLE stands up and jumps on her bed for a few minutes to get her frustrations out.
POUBELLE
How can you stand it?
GLASS
(from behind the door) I hear voices. Are you two in bed?
BOTH
Oui, Monsieur!
POUBELLE throws something at the door, perhaps a shoe.
ANGELIQUE
Don't, Belle! He's going to make you sleep out on the porch if you do that!
POUBELLE puts down the second object she has reached for to throw at the door. She sits on the bed defeated.
Why don't you tell me a story?
POUBELLE
We're almost eighteen.
ANGELIQUE
Here, I'll start. Ummm, "There once was a witch coasting through the burning sky."
POUBELLE
I'm not a child. We're not children anymore, Splits.
ANGELIQUE
There, now you go on—
POUBELLE
Soaping my mouth like a little baby.
ANGELIQUE
Finish the rhyme, Belle.
POUBELLE
Are you even listening to me?
ANGELIQUE
Qu'est-ce… What are the alternatives then?
POUBELLE
Make a go of it on our own, go back to Quebec.
ANGELIQUE
Who would care about us?
POUBELLE
We would.
ANGELIQUE
Monsieur has always said that no one cares as much as he does.
POUBELLE
Cares about what?
ANGELIQUE
He gave us a place to sleep, three—
POUBELLE
Three perfectly balanced meals a day with a glass of water and a vitamin on the side of the plate, shots, measurements… all so his specimens wouldn't get sick. Wouldn't die on him.
ANGELIQUE
Don't talk about death, Poubelle.
POUBELLE looks at her.
That world takes people away. That world broke all of our bones and took Maman and Papa.
POUBELLE
I feel like this room is getting smaller.
ANGELIQUE
Let's finish the story. Can't go to bed without finishing the story.
Beat.
Go on.
POUBELLE
Fine. Say it again.
ANGELIQUE
There once was a witch coasting through the burning sky.
POUBELLE
Who got stuck there and began to wilt and die.
ANGELIQUE
So she lassoed the moon and swung to the ground.
POUBELLE
And made her escape without making a sound.
ANGELIQUE
She looked back at the sky with a feeling in her heart.
POUBELLE
I don't want to play anymore.