Crest of the Waves - Three Bells

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! THREE BELLS ! 1-3-1Cap is sitting on The Porch reading his newspaper. The SOUND of a car pulling up, the engine stays running, the slam of a car door - the murmur of a cabbie being paid - ENTER MRS. TILSON slowly up the walk she stands at the foot of the stairs.

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONWell, hes gone...

! ! ! ! ! ! CAP! ! ! ! ! ! (Putting down the newspaper)Irv passed?

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONI knew when we checked into the hospital it wasnt going to go well.. it was his heart - all that smoking when he was manager of the shipyard.. I never could get him to stop.. at least I was with him when he passed - he looked at me and all of sudden blood came out his mouth...

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPSorry, Mrs. Tilson.. gonna have a funeral?

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONOh, Ill just have him buried, Cap - no reason to prolong it - hes gone and thats it - Im all alone, now...

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPWal.. you might as well stay here, for awhile - ya tol me ya got nothin ta go back ta in New York.. stay here at The Crest of the Waves - its always warm, n Ill be creepin round th place...! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! (The LIGHTS DIM on The Porch, then the ! ! ! ! ! ! LIGHTS RISE again on The Porch - CAP is ! ! ! ! ! ! sitting on in the right-hand lawn chair, with his ! ! ! ! ! ! glasses on, reading a shipping newspaper - ! ! ! ! ! ! the SOUND of low waves - Mrs. Tilson speaks ! ! ! ! ! ! through her screen door.)

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONCap...

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPHo, Mrs. Tlison..

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSON! ! ! !Want company?

Copyright Ed Ballou, 2014

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1-3-2! ! ! ! ! ! CAP! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, puts down his newspaper)Shore..! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! (MRS. TILSON comes out her screen door, sits ! ! ! ! ! ! down in the left-hand lawn chair, a pause, they ! ! ! ! ! ! say nothing, just watch the activities at the ! ! ! ! ! ! motel across the street)! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! CAPLookit there, under th Illinois car...

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONWhat?

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPA little black cat...

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONOhh.. I see it..

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPCaint find its way home...

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONSaw it this side last week, chasing your lizards (references in play!) into their rock piles..

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPCat grabs em by th tail, plays with em til it breaks off - n inta th rocks they go!.. theres one...! ! ! ! ! ! (Calling to the lizards)Look out , Rufus - here come th cat! - n Brutus - there he goes..

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSON! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! (Laughs)Where do you get these names?! ! ! ! ! ! (We hear the SOUND of a car crunching into ! ! ! ! ! ! the shell parking area of the motel across the ! ! ! ! ! ! street)

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONI gotta pie in the oven, Cap...! ! ! ! ! ! CAP ! ! ! ! ! ! (Reading the license plate of the car)New.. York.. Christ, glad I left! - too damn cold..


! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1-3-3! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONThats why we came down... the day he retired, Irv said, Lets get out of here, hon - far south as we can! - away from this cold shipyard and its cold ships.. ! ! ! ! ! ! (They watch across the street)Werent you a sailor on the ships?

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPChrist, long time ago.. I became captain...

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONOh, thats where you got your name - Cap...! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! (They watch across the street)!Well, you can call me Ruth...

! ! ! ! ! ! CAP! ! ! ! !Shore, Ruth... theres that gal goin to that fellers room with a bottle, agin.. probably full o holy water, gonna sprinkle it over him, get him holy...

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONCap, youre terrible! - hows your grandson doing?! !! ! ! ! ! ! CAPTeddy? - tol me, Gonna be a millionaire! - shore, by totin paint pots around.. hes rich in his mind...!! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONWhy doesnt he go to sea, like you did?

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPLike I hadta.. Ma put me on Uncle Neds old three-masted schooner - cabin boy on th Maise Hassell, tradin with th other islands, sometimes run up ta New York - later became mate, pullin watches, steerin by th stars, never sleepin really.. there was five schooners owned by me five uncles, all brothers - me Pa, n me Uncles Ned, Tommy, Ben, n Tater - four died at sea, n then me Pa...! ! ! ! ! ! (They watch across the street)

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS.TILSONWhat happened to him? ! ! ! ! ! ! (LIGHTS DIM on The Porch, and LIGHTS ! ! ! ! ! ! RISE on The Plot - a boy and a man with a ! ! ! ! ! ! machetes stand on the ground - the SOUND ! ! ! ! ! ! of goats scrambling above them on the cliffs - ! ! ! ! ! ! the SOUND of a small rock, represented by ! ! ! ! ! ! light, bounces past them - they both look up)


! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1-3-4! ! ! ! ! ! MAN! ! ! ! !Goats..! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! BOYHowd they get up there?

! ! ! ! ! ! MANSome goats got away in the old days, went wild, and now they been livin for years up there on the cliffs...! ! ! ! ! ! (He wipes his brow, looks off)That sea is sure sparklin down there.. sometimes, I wish Id never left it..

! ! ! ! ! ! BOYDont you like farmin, Pa - n bein home with us?!!! ! ! ! ! ! MANIts not that, boy.. theres just somethin about bein on the sea, sailin a good ship with a fair wind and a current runnin your way.. smellin the salt, the riggin creakin, deck rollin, watch bell ringin - and th sunlight dancin off the crest o th waves! - and theres that feelin, too, boy - o bein part o them what come before - men from The Rock...! ! ! ! ! ! (The SOUND of hoofs scuttling on the cliffs ! ! ! ! ! ! above, a few rocks bound down, represented ! ! ! ! ! ! by flashes of LIGHT and SOUND)Mind those rocks, boy! - those goats gettin frisky up there.. now, lets get this plot chopped, sos we can plant... ! ! ! ! ! ! (The LIGHTS DIM on The Plot and LIGHTS ! ! ! ! ! ! RISE on The Porch - CAP and MRS. TILSON ! ! ! ! ! ! watch !across the street)! !

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPDont wanta think bout it no more.. me Pa was th oldest, n Uncle Ned were th youngest... I remember one time Uncle Ned sailed down ta Bird Island in nineteen-ought-eight...! ! ! ! ! ! (LIGHTS DIM on The Porch, LIGHTS RISE ! ! ! ! ! ! on UNCLE NED leaning on The Railing, the ! ! ! ! ! ! ropes of the rigging going up off the railing ! ! ! ! ! ! offstage to the masts above - the SOUNDS ! ! ! ! ! ! of an old sailing ship at sea - waves against the ! ! ! ! ! ! hull, the cracking of wind in the sails, the ! ! ! ! ! ! creaking of the rigging)! !! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE NED! ! ! ! ! ! (Looking through his sextant)Fifteen degrees, forty minutes south, sixty three degrees, thirty seven minutes west..! ! ! ! ! ! (Lowers the sextant)


! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1-3-5! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE NED (Cont.)Well set course for Bird Island, make landfall tonight, and with the moon full, row ashore in the skiff - nights when them big green sea turtles come ashore and lay eggs - well grab some of their eggs, take em back to the ship, and then tomorrow gather as many bird eggs as we can - put em all in a hold full o straw, and raise anchor for The Rock...! ! ! ! ! ! (Puts down sextant, gazes out to sea)Bird Island.. men from The Rock been sailing there two hundred year, just to get them eggs - eat some, make a buck on the others... nothing little island, thousand foot long, fifty wide, twelve high - but when we pull her in sight - clouds of birds rise up in the sky and dozens of turtles swim longside the ship - thats food and money to us on The Rock!! ! ! ! ! ! (LIGHTS DIM on The Railing, LIGHTS RISE on ! ! ! ! ! ! The Porch)

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPBird Island, kinda low in th water.. men from The Rock set sail with Ned on th Maise Hassell - they was lookin ta find some bird n turtle eggs ta sell - but met some Venezualans come up from th south, lookin for them eggs too, neither knowin tothers was there.. met wit a bang in th middle o th night - big fight broke out over them eggs - Uncle Ned got chopped in th head with a hatchet n his sailors carried him back ta th ship - they set sail for The Rock, then ran outta water when a storm pushed em off course - poor Ned didnt make it - they rang eight bells for him n slid him inta th sea.. they was out five day - people on The Rock waitin n hopin, til they spotted sail n th Maise Hassell hove to n dropped anchor, without her captain...! ! ! ! ! ! (They watch across the street) .. same family from last year - them Pennsylvania plates...

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS.TILSON! !Which family?

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPTall guy wit glasses, four kids, a dog n a little-bitty wife - he keeps comin down wit em each summer..!! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONThey must love these beaches.. ever go to the beach?!! ! ! ! ! ! CAPChrist, I was on the water fifty year! - why I wanta go ta th beach? ! ! ! ! ! ! (They watch across the street)! !! ! ! ! ! ! CAPThen theres Uncle Tommy.. went out the aft deck o his schooner, th Ina Vanterpool, with his brother Ben at the helm..


! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1-3-6! ! ! ! ! ! (LIGHTS DIM on The Porch, LIGHTS RISE on ! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE TOMMY at The Railing, coiling a rope)

! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE BEN (Offstage)! ! ! ! ! ! (Calling)Tommy! - drop the aft anchor, soons I get the anchorage!

! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE TOMMY! ! ! ! ! ! (Calling)OK, Ben!! ! ! ! ! ! (He stands, coiling and uncoiling the anchor ! ! ! ! ! ! rope)Shes gone...! ! ! ! ! ! (Coils and uncoils the ! ! ! ! ! ! rope)Wasnt I enough?! ! ! ! ! ! (Coils and uncoils the ! ! ! ! ! ! rope)I can still see her face, her long black hair..! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks off).. her soft brown eyes...! ! ! ! ! ! (Coils and uncoils the ! ! ! ! ! ! rope)! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE BEN (Offstage)! ! ! ! ! ! (Calling)Tommy! - drop anchor! - wes driftin off the buoy!

! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE TOMMY! ! ! ! ! ! (Calling)Im droppin it, Ben!! ! ! ! ! ! (He coils the anchor rope around his neck, ! ! ! ! ! ! goes to The Railing - the LIGHTS DIM - a loud ! ! ! ! ! ! SPLASH. LIGHTS RISE on The Porch.)

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPTied th anchor rope round his neck, n dropped hisself overboard...! ! ! ! ! ! (They watch across the street)

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSON! ! ! !What was that about?! !! ! ! ! ! ! (They watch across the street)


! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1-3-7! ! ! ! ! ! CAPSome girl... n then Ben, Uncle Ben.. he sailed inta harbor on Martinique in th Mona Marie, his big two-master.. ! ! ! ! ! ! (LIGHTS DIM on The Porch, LIGHTS RISE on ! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE BEN leaning on The Railing)

! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE BENWe dropped anchor last night in the harbor here at Saint Pierre - big volcano up behind town - strange lightnin flashin round its top as we sailed in, red and orange glow.. actin up, again, I reckon.. well be in and outta harbor quick.. Ill take the sugarcane thats on the skiff, row to the wharf and get it sold, row back and well sail down to Barbados, flat as a pancake - check your course or youll sail right past her! - buy some rum there for a good price, and then its back up the islands! - tradin the rum for stuff we need on The Rock... rough life on The Rock, sometimes think about leavin it - but where would I go? - another island that got white sandy beaches and big towns, where I dont know nobody? - no, better to stay safe up the cliffs of The Rock, with people like me and them what come before - not much changes - you either grow somethin, or put to sea.. but its a paradise on The Rock - and you dont need to die to get there! - just set your course, put up sail, and her beautiful steep cliffs will rise into view.. theres some more o that strange lightnin up top the mountain - better row into Saint-Pierre and unload that sugarcane..! ! ! ! ! ! (Calling OFFSTAGE)Mind the anchor rope, mate - tides turning!! ! ! ! ! ! (LIGHTS DIM on The Railing, RISE on The ! ! ! ! ! ! Porch) ! ! ! ! ! ! CAPUncle Ben took th skiff inta harbor ta sell some sugarcane.. while he were on th wharf, volcano blew, n a big cloud ogas n lava came down quick over th town - lava killed everyone in town, thousands - cept one guy in jail, thick walls - Uncle Ben jumped in th skiff n started rowin back ta th ship.. but th lava went right out in th water, caught his skiff n burned him up.. ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! (They watch across the street)Now theres proof Uncle Tater got lost at sea in th Rebecca Palmer..! ! ! ! ! ! (Gestures to bell)This heres its bell - Madge hooked it charter fishin, right out there off Egmont Key - now theys almost all gone, them what come before, men from The Rock...! ! ! ! ! ! (They watch across the street)Finally I got offa them leaky windjammers - hadta keep puttin inta port so they wouldnt sink under us - Christ! - came up ta New York ta work th steamships.. ! ! ! ! ! ! (Cap grabs the rope clapper of the ships bell ! ! ! ! ! ! above his head, RINGS it twice, pauses, ! ! ! ! ! ! RINGS it a third time)

! ! ! ! ! !


! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1-3-8! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONWhy ring that bell?!! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! CAPMarks th watch - ever half hour, one more bell - eight bells, yer watch is over - in th ol days, we also rung eight bells when a dead sailor hadta get slid inta th sea...! ! ! ! ! ! (The SOUNDS of low surf on the beach - the ! ! ! ! ! ! SOUND of Jimmys Buick pulling up on the ! ! ! ! ! ! shell road, the engine turns off, a car door ! ! ! ! ! ! slams - JIMMY comes up on the porch - he ! ! ! ! ! ! pauses as he sees Mrs. Tilson)

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONHello!

! ! ! ! ! ! JIMMY! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! (Gruffly)Hello.

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPThis is my son, Jimmy.. chief mate of a sulfur tanker...

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONOh, another sailor!

! ! ! ! ! ! JIMMYIm a Merchant Marine officer..

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPYour nephews in from California, Jimmy...

! ! ! ! ! ! MRS. TILSONTime for me to get my pie out.. come on in and have some, Cap...

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPOkay, Ruth...! ! ! ! ! ! (She gets up and disappears into her side of ! ! ! ! ! ! the duplex)

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPTeddys inside, stowing his gear - maybe ya wanta take him down now, ta see his Grandma...! ! ! ! ! ! (Cap goes into Mrs. Tilsons side of the ! ! ! ! ! ! duplex - Jimmy stares after him)


! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1-3-9! ! ! ! ! ! JIMMYRuth... ! ! ! ! ! ! (ENTER TEDDY from the right side of the ! ! ! ! ! ! duplex)

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDYHi, Unc! - just got in from the Coast! - gonna have to look for work! - you been at sea?

! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE JIMMYJust got in, boy - from Beaumont on the Marine Duval - Ill haunt the halls for you, but unions not accepting applications til shipping picks up..

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDYWhat can I do?! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! UNCLE JIMMY! ! !Get some paint jobs, until something opens up on the sea - but pack some of your gear into your Granpots old seabag, in case you have to get underway in a hurry... gotta night mate now, the Louisiana Brimstone, pump sulfur - see you noon tomorrow, then well go down and see your Grandma.. pack that bag, boy!

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDY! ! ! ! ! ! (Saluting)Aye, aye, Uncle Jimmy!! ! ! ! ! ! (He EXITS into the duplex - the LIGHTS DIM ! ! ! ! ! ! on The Porch - the LIGHTS RISE on TEDDY at ! ! ! ! ! ! The Podium)

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDYI always looked up to my Uncle Jimmy. I see him now as a big kid, staring out of a picture of a snowy New York street, in a heavy coat and a hat with flaps, standing tall and protective over his two sisters like a guardian angel. I knew how he graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy at the start of the Second World War, attending a party in his honor, proud and resplendent in his uniform - only to discover forty men from The Rock, also in uniform, all outranking him. And how he and his father, Cap,sailed in the convoys to England in those Liberty ships - his father as captain on one,he as a young deckhand on another - and after the war, Uncle Jimmy sailed as mate on a freighter around the world, with his father as captain - together makingenough money to leave New York and move to Florida, where the weatherwas warm and the land was cheap - buying the Crest of the Waves to rent out, and then Uncle Jimmy designing and building another home for the three of them - Cap, Grandma and Jimmy - but after a while, only Grandma and Uncle Jimmy stayed there - Cap moving himself back to the Crest of The Waves - and always my Uncle Jimmy sailing away on freighters and tankers, for weeks at a time - a gruff guy driving big


! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1-3-10! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDY (Cont.)Buicks and devoted to a little bitty dog he would take with him on the ships - working his way up through the decks to be Third Mate, Second Mate, and finally Chief Mate - the guy who actually ran those big sulfur and concrete tankers - he was our hero, Uncle Jimmy...


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Crest of the Waves - Three Bells