Tea and Sympathy Read online

  You're not going to wear this thing to the dining hall, are you?

  LAURA

  Why not?

  BILL

  It was just a gag. It means something to you, but to them . . .

  LAURA (Bearing in, but gently)

  Does it mean anything to you, Bill?

  BILL

  Well, it did, but . . .

  (He stops with a gesture, unwilling to go into it all.)

  LAURA

  I think you're ashamed of the night you gave it to me. That you ever let me see you needed help. That night in Italy, in some vague way you cried out . . .

  BILL

  What is the matter with you today? Me crying out for help.

  (He heads for the other room. A knock on study door is heard.)

  BILL

  It's probably Tom.

  (LAURA goes to door.)

  HERB (This is HERBERT LEE, TOM'S father. He is a middle-sized man, fancying himself a man of the world and an extrovert. He is dressed as a conservative Boston businessman, but with still a touch of the collegiate in his attire -- button-down shirt, etc.)

  Mrs. Reynolds?

  LAURA

  Yes?

  BILL (Stopped by the voice, turns)

  Herb! Come in.

  HERB (Coming in)

  Hiya, Bill. How are you, fella?

  BILL (Taking his hand)

  I'm fine, Herb.

  HERB (Poking his finger into BILL'S chest)

  Great to see you.

  (Looks around to LAURA)

  Oh, uh . . .

  BILL

  I don't think you've met Laura, Herb. This is Laura. Laura, this is Herb Lee, Tom's father.

  HERB (Hearty and friendly, meant to put people at their ease)

  Hello, Laura.

  LAURA

  I've heard so much about you.

  HERB (After looking at her for a moment)

  I like her, Bill. I like her very much.

  (LAURA blushes, and is a little taken aback by this. To LAURA)

  What I'd like to know is how did you manage to do it?

  (Cuffing BILL)

  I'll bet you make her life miserable . . . You look good, Bill.

  BILL

  You don't look so bad yourself.

  (He takes in a notch in his belt.)

  HERB

  No, you're in shape. I never had anything to keep in shape, but you . . . You should have seen this boy, Laura.

  LAURA

  I've seen pictures.

  HERB

  Only exercise I get these days is bending the elbow.

  LAURA

  May I get you something? A drink?

  HERB

  No, thanks. I haven't got much time.

  BILL

  You drive out from Boston, Herb?

  HERB

  No, train. You know, Bill, I think that's the same old train you and I used to ride in when we came here.

  BILL

  Probably is.

  HERB

  If I don't catch the six-fifty-four, I'll have to stay all night, and I'd rather not.

  BILL

  We'd be glad to put you up.

  HERB

  No. You're putting me up in a couple of weeks at the reunion. That's imposing enough.

  (There is an awkward pause. Both men sit down)

  I . . . uh . . . was over at the Dean's this afternoon.

  BILL

  Oh, he called you?

  HERB

  Why, no. I was u'p discussing Alumni Fund matters with him . . . and . . . Do you know about it?

  BILL

  You mean about Tom?

  HERB

  Yes.

  (Looks at LAURA.)

  BILL

  Laura knows too.

  (He reaches for her to come to him, and he puts his arm around her waist.)

  HERB

  Well, after we discussed the Fund, he told me about that. Thought I ought to hear about it from him. Pretty casual about it, I thought.

  BILL

  Well, that's Fitz.

  HERB

  What I want to know is, what was a guy like Harris doing at the school?

  BILL

  I tried to tell them.

  HERB

  Was there anyone around like that in our day, Bill?

  BILL

  No. You're right.

  HERB

  I tried to find the guy. I wanted to punch his face for him. But he's cleared out. Is Tom around?

  LAURA

  He's in his room.

  HERB

  How'd he get mixed up with a guy like that?

  BILL

  I don't know, Herb . . .

  HERB

  I know. I shouldn't ask you. I know. Of course I don't believe Tom was really involved with this fellow. If I believed that, I'd . . . well, I don't know what I'd do. You don't believe it, do you, Bill?

  BILL

  Why . . .

  (Looks at LAURA.)

  HERB (Cutting in)

  Of course you don't. But what's the matter? What's happened, Bill? Why isn't my boy a regular fellow? He's had every chance to be since he was knee-high to a grasshopper -- boys' camps every summer, boarding schools. What do you think, Laura?

  LAURA

  I'm afraid I'm not the one to ask, Mr. Lee.

  (She breaks away from BILL.)

  HERB

  He's always been with men and boys. Why doesn't some of it rub off?

  LAURA

  You see, I feel he's a "regular fellow" . . . whatever that is.

  HERB

  You do?

  LAURA

  If it's sports that matter, he's an excellent tennis player.

  HERB

  But Laura, he doesn't even play tennis like a regular fellow. No hard drives and cannon-ball serves. He's a cut artist. He can put more damn twists on that ball.

  LAURA

  He wins. He's the school champion. And isn't he the champion of your club back home?

  (TOM comes down the stairs and enters his bedroom with the costume skirt and towel.)

  HERB

  I'm glad you mentioned that . . . because that's just what I mean. Do you know, Laura, his winning that championship brought me one of my greatest humiliations? I hadn't been able to watch the match. I was supposed to be in from a round of golf in time, but we got held up on every hole . . . And when I got back to the locker room, I heard a couple of men talking about Tom's match in the next locker section. And what they said, cut me to the quick, Laura. One of them said, "It's a damn shame Tom Lee won the match. He's a good player, all right, but John Batty is such a regular guy." John Batty was his opponent. Now what pleasure was there for me in that?

  BILL

  I know what you mean.

  HERB

  I want to be proud of him. My God, that's why I had him in the first place. That's why I took him from his mother when we split up, but . . . Look, this is a terrible thing to say, but you know the scholarships the University Club sponsors for needy kids . . .

  BILL

  Sure.

  HERB

  Well, I contribute pretty heavily to it, and I happened to latch on to one of the kids we help -- an orphan. I sort of talk to him like a father, go up to see him at his school once in a while, and that kid listens to me . . . and you know what, he's shaping up better than my own son.

  (There is an awkward pause. Upstairs TOM has put a record on the phonograph. It starts playing now.)

  BILL

  You saw the Dean, Herb?

  HERB

  Yes.

  BILL

  And?

  HERB

  He told me the circumstances. Told me he was confident that Tom was innocently involved. He actually apologized for the whole thing. He did say that some of the faculty had suggested -- though he didn't go along with this -- that Tom would be more comfortable if I took him out of school. But I'm not going to. He's had nothing but comfort all his life, and look what's
happened. My associates ask me what he wants to be, and I tell them he hasn't made up his mind. Because I'll be damned if I'll tell them he wants to be a singer of folk songs.

  (TOM lies on the bed listening to the music.)

  BILL

  So you're going to leave him in?

  HERB

  Of course. Let him stick it out. It'll be a good lesson.

  LAURA

  Mightn't it be more than just a lesson, Mr. Lee?

  HERB

  Oh, he'll take some kidding. He'll have to work extra hard to prove to them he's . . . well, manly. It may be the thing that brings him to his senses.

  LAURA

  Mr. Lee, Tom's a very sensitive boy. He's a very lonely boy.

  HERB

  Why should he be lonely? I've always seen to it that he's been with people . . . at camps, at boarding schools.

  BILL

  He's certainly an off-horse, Herb.

  HERB

  That's a good way of putting it, Bill. An off-horse. Well, he's going to have to learn to run with the other horses. Well, I'd better be going up.

  LAURA

  Mr. Lee, this may sound terribly naive of me, and perhaps a trifle indelicate, but I don't believe your son knows what this is all about. Why Mr. Harris was fired, why the boys will kid him.

  HERB

  You mean . . .

  (Stops.)

  LAURA

  I'm only guessing. But I think when it comes to these boys, we often take too much knowledge for granted. And I think it's going to come as a terrible shock when he finds out what they're talking about. Not just a lesson, a shock.

  HERB

  I don't believe he's as naive as all that. I just don't. Well . . .

  (He starts for the door.)

  BILL (Takes HERB'S arm and they go into the hall)

  I'm going over to the Dean's for supper, Herb. If you're through with Tom come by here and I'll walk you part way to the station.

  HERB

  All right.

  (Stops on the stairs)

  How do you talk to the boys, Bill?

  BILL

  I don't know. I just talk to them.

  HERB

  They're not your sons. I only talked with Tom, I mean, really talked with him, once before. It was after a Sunday dinner and I made up my mind it was time we sat in a room together and talked about important things. He got sick to his stomach. That's a terrible effect to have on your boy . . . Well, I'll drop down.

  (He takes a roll of money from his pocket and looks at it, then starts up the stairs.)

  BILL (Coming into his study)

  Laura, you shouldn't try to tell him about his own son. After all, if he doesn't know the boy, who does?

  LAURA

  I'm sorry.

  (BILL exits into the other part of the house, pulling off his tie. HERB has gone up the stairs. Knocks on the study door. LAURA settles down in her chair and eventually goes on with her sewing.)

  AL (Inside, calls)

  Come in.

  (HERB goes in and shuts the door.)

  HERB (Opens TOM'S bedroom door and sticks his head in)

  Hello, there.

  TOM (Looks up from the bed, surprised)

  Oh . . . Hi . . .

  HERB

  I got held up at the Dean's.

  TOM

  Oh.

  (He has risen, and attempts to kiss his father on the cheek. But his father holds him off with a firm handshake.)

  HERB

  How's everything? You look bushed.

  TOM

  I'm okay.

  HERB (Looking at him closely)

  You sure?

  TOM

  Sure.

  HERB (Looking around room)

  This room looks smaller than I remember.

  (He throws on light switch)

  I used to have the bed over here. Used to rain in some nights.

  (Comes across phonograph)

  This the one I gave you for Christmas?

  TOM

  Yeah. It works fine.

  HERB (Turns phonograph off)

  You're nearer than I was. My vest was always behind the radiator, or somewhere.

  (Sees part of dress costume)