The Summer Bobby(ie) Lee Turner Loved Me, referenced in last week's post, was written between May 2005 and late 2007. It is published in its entirety as The Summer Bobby(ie) Lee Turner Loved Me: A Coming-of-Age-Tragedy by Holly Grove Press. In this scene, Bobbie Lee Turner confronts Malia Hendricks, the new woman in Bobby Lee's life. The play was originally presented as And They Heard the Thunder of Angels at the Martha Moore Sykes Studio at the Virginia Samford Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama in March of 2007.
Scene Three: A Middle Ground Where We Can Meet
(The condo. Three months later. Malia is considerably bigger, but still has her petite frame. She is wearing maternity clothes and is organizing some pictures on the coffee table. She looks at one photo and thinks. There is a knock at the door.)
MALIA: Bobby?
(Another knock. Malia stands. She goes to the door and opens it. Bobbie Lee stands there. She never looks Malia directly in the eye. But, there is a fire in her eye that was not there before.
BOBBIE LEE: So it is you.
MALIA: I’m sorry. You must have the wrong apartment.
BOBBIE LEE: Malia Hendricks?
MALIA: Yes?
BOBBIE LEE: No, I have the right place. Can I come in?
MALIA: Who are you?
(But, Malia realizes she knows who it is.)
MALIA: Oh. (shocked) Come in.
(Bobbie Lee steps in. She looks around pointedly.)
MALIA: Sorry. It’s not very clean.
BOBBIE LEE: So, this is where y’all live?
MALIA: Yeah.
BOBBIE LEE: Is Bobby Lee here?
MALIA: No.
BOBBIE LEE: Where is he?
MALIA: He went out fishin’ with Larry.
BOBBIE LEE: Oh...
(Pause.)
BOBBIE LEE: How far along are you?
MALIA: Seven months...
BOBBIE LEE: (nodding) Right when we broke up. (pause) I’m a little surprised Bobby didn’t tell me.
MALIA: Well...you told him you didn’t wanna see him...
(Bobbie Lee looks at Malia icily.)
BOBBIE LEE: I guess you would’ve handled it better?
(Pause.)
MALIA: I don’t know you.
BOBBIE LEE: No, you don’t. And you don’t know what I’ve been through. So, you can shut the hell up. You wouldn’t get what he did to me.
MALIA: He fell in love with someone else.
(Pause.)
BOBBIE LEE: If he woulda had a ring on his finger when you met, would you have went after him?
MALIA: I don’t know.
BOBBIE LEE: Mmm. (beat) Even if he had a ring on, you know men—cain’t have blood rushin’ to two heads. (quick beat) As I’m sure becomes clear to you when it kicks.
(The “it” really bothers Malia.)
BOBBIE LEE: (staring at Malia’s stomach) What are you namin’ it?
MALIA: We don’t know what it’s gonna be yet, but we still don’t know...
(Pause. Bobbie Lee goes and sits on the couch.)
BOBBIE LEE: If I didn’t have Bobby all these years, I don’t know where I woulda been. Just like I don’t know where I am now. I used to ignore how people were unfaithful. I figured what me and Bobby had was above it, but...now that it’s happened to me, I guess...I’m old enough to know what most women see but never wanna talk about.
MALIA: Which is?
BOBBIE LEE: Men ain’t like women.
(Bobbie Lee starts laughing.)
BOBBIE LEE: I guess that’s a stupid thang to say. It’s true, though. When we know somethin’s wrong, we wanna get whatever it is out in the open. We’re ready to confront it, ready to brush the tough subject. We know there’s probably gonna be a middle ground where we can meet. (pause) But, I guess men do somethin’ different. It looks like they don’t know how to talk. They don’t have the words to say what they feel. So, when they get bored with someone, they bottle it in. They don’t say anything. They let themselves get bored. We know somethin’s wrong, but we can’t get it out of ‘em. We ask, “What’s wrong? Whut can I do?” They say “Nothin’s wrong.” (pause) They may try to...do new stuff in bed. They may try to...spend more time with you. But, what they end up doin’ is...cheatin’ on the people they love. They see another woman—their problem is solved. (pause) It’s kinda sad. They don’t have the words to tell you the problem so you can fix it—to prevent all this hurt. So, they end up ruinin’ your life. At least, that’s what Bobby Lee did.
(Pause. Malia looks away.)
MALIA: This was the first time he did anythin’ against you?
BOBBIE LEE: He would never have if you hadn’t come here. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it was supposed to be like this. My Daddy cheated on my Momma. Countless times, she says. It’s normal, she says. Tells me—around here, the Walstone men go find the Walbridge women. They’re just one county away, but far enough where it don’t matter much. If that’s what the world’s really like, why should it be any different for me?
(Pause.)
MALIA: I’m sure...were it any other time...he would’ve liked for you to have known. About the baby.
BOBBIE LEE: I guess. (beat) I saw you at the store.
(Malia looks away again.)
BOBBIE LEE: I saw you fightin’. I was just across the way. (laughing) You know what’s funny? I went there to try and win him back. I had been tired of hatin’ him. I was tired of not carin’ what I looked like, what I smelled like. I was tired of bein’ alone. I figured I was so good to him...(pause) I actually thought he would wanna come back to me. Then, I saw you. I knew he wouldn’t be fightin’ with just any girl. No, he was fightin’ with his new woman. The mother of his child.
(Pause.)
BOBBIE LEE: This is ridiculous. I don’t even know why I’m here. I’m done.
(Bobbie Lee stands.)
MALIA: You don’t want to wait on Bobby Lee and see him?
BOBBIE LEE: I don’t think so. I was...curious about his life now. (beat) Now, I’ve seen it.
(Pause.)
MALIA: Right.
(Silence.)
BOBBIE LEE: How you gonna take care of it? Do your parents live here?
MALIA: My father works in Pierpoint. He’ll be helpin’ us with the money.
BOBBIE LEE: (looking about) He bought you this?
MALIA: Yes.
(Pause.)
MALIA: I’m a good person.
BOBBIE LEE: Okay. (beat) I’m not mad at you.
(Silence.)
MALIA: (biting) Can I get you somethin’?
(The door opens. Bobby Lee walks in. Bobby Lee sees Bobbie Lee. Pause.)
BOBBIE LEE: (weak again, as before) Hey, Bobby Lee.
BOBBY LEE: Hey, Bobbie Lee.
(She misses him, but she doesn’t want to say anything.)
BOBBY LEE: What’re you doin’ here?
BOBBIE LEE: I wanted to see about ya.
MALIA: (sullen) Do you want me to leave y’all alone?
BOBBIE LEE: No...no...
BOBBY LEE: It’s okay, Malia. Go ahead.
BOBBIE LEE: No. I’ve gotta go.
(Bobbie Lee starts to walk out the door. She turns and impulsively holds Bobby Lee for a few moments. He returns her embrace.)
BOBBIE LEE: (locked in embrace) You smell like fishin’.
BOBBY LEE: Yeah.
BOBBIE LEE: You’re not comin’ back are ya? (pause) I still thought you might. Thought this mighta been a phase or somethin’. (quick beat) I’m goin’.
(Bobbie Lee exits quickly. Bobby Lee is left stunned. Silence. Finally:)
BOBBY LEE: What’d she say to you?
MALIA: Nothin’ really.
BOBBY LEE: Was she...?
MALIA: (nodding) Yes.
(Pause.)
BOBBY LEE: What did she...?
MALIA: I don’t know...
(Bobby Lee lowers his head.)
BOBBY LEE: Larry saw us at the store. (beat) You should’ve never went out. I didn't want anyone...
MALIA: (head lowered) I’ll be payin’ for that forever, I guess.
(Silence. There is no longer anything between them.)
MALIA: Well...(after a beat) What’d he say?
BOBBY LEE: Just...”It’s your life, Bobby.” I think he was startin’ to get okay with everything...’til this.
(Malia nods.)
MALIA: (monotonously) I love you.
(Bobby Lee just looks at her.)
BOBBY LEE: I’m goin’ to bed.
MALIA: (nodding) Okay...
(Bobby Lee goes to the bedroom. Malia sits on the couch and cries.)
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