The Time of Your Life by William Saroyan

Author:William Saroyan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408141175
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2019-11-23T00:00:00+00:00

Act Three

A cheap bed in Nick’s to indicate Room 21 of the New York Hotel, upstairs, around the corner from Nick’s. The bed can be at the centre of Nick’s, or upon the little stage. Everything in Nick’s is the same, except that all the people are silent, immobile and in darkness, except Wesley who is playing the piano softly and sadly. Kitty Duval, in a dress she has carried around with her from the early days in Ohio, is seated on the bed, tying a ribbon in her hair. She looks at herself in a hand mirror. She is deeply grieved at the change she sees in herself. She takes off the ribbon, angry and hurt. She lifts a book from the bed and tries to read. She begins to sob again. She picks up an old picture of herself and looks at it. Sobs harder than ever, falling on the bed and burying her face. There is a knock, as if at the door.

Kitty (sobbing) Who is it?

Tom’s voice Kitty, it’s me. Tom. Me and Joe.

Joe, followed by Tom, comes to the bed quietly. Joe is holding a rather large toy carousel. He studies Kitty a moment. He sets the toy carousel on the floor, at the foot of Kitty’s bed.

Tom (standing over Kitty and bending down close to her) Don’t cry any more, Kitty.

Kitty (not looking, sobbing) I don’t like this life.

Joe starts the carousel which makes a strange, sorrowful, tinkling music. The music begins slowly, becomes swift, gradually slows down and ends.

Joe himself is interested in the toy, watches and listens to it carefully.

Tom (eagerly) Kitty. Joe got up from his chair at Nick’s just to get you a toy and come here. This one makes music. We rode all over town in a cab to get it. Listen.

Kitty sits up slowly, listening, while Tom watches her. Everything happens slowly and sombrely. Kitty notices the photograph of herself when she was a little girl. Lifts it, and looks at it again.

Tom (looking) Who’s that little girl, Kitty?

Kitty That’s me. When I was seven.

She hands the photo to Tom.

Tom (looking, smiling) Gee, you’re pretty, Kitty.

Joe reaches up for the photograph, which Tom hands to him. Tom returns to Kitty, whom he finds as pretty now as she was at seven. Joe studies the photograph. Kitty looks up at Tom. There is no doubt that they really love one another. Joe looks up at them.

Kitty Tom?

Tom (eagerly) Yeah, Kitty.

Kitty Tom, when you were a little boy what did you want to be?

Tom (a little bewildered, but eager to please her) What, Kitty?

Kitty Do you remember when you were a little boy?

Tom (thoughtfully) Yeah, I remember sometimes, Kitty.

Kitty What did you want to be?

Tom looks at Joe. Joe holds Tom’s eyes a moment. Then Tom is able to speak.

Tom Sometimes I wanted to be locomotive engineer. Sometimes I wanted to be a policeman.

Kitty I wanted to be a great actress. (She looks up into Tom’s face.) Tom, didn’t you ever want to be a doctor?

Tom looks at Joe.

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