Tom at the Farm by Michel Marc Bouchard

Author:Michel Marc Bouchard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Canadian Drama, Drama, Gay, In the Closet, Farm, rural, Quebec, Screen Adaption, Family, Coming Out
Publisher: Talonbooks
Published: 2013-03-14T04:00:00+00:00

+ TABLEAU SIX +

Day 5. TOM is wearing the altered work clothes. He is covered in blood. He washes his hands and arms in a deep sink.

In the barn.

TOM

Ecstasy! Pure ecstasy! We helped a cow give birth. We delivered a life. It was powerful. I felt like running into the field and yelling: “I gave birth! Hey, coyotes, I gave birth.” Okay, so I couldn’t do much because of my wrists, but I watched Francis do it all. I encouraged him until he told me to shut up. He put on some big rubber gloves. And he stuck his arm inside the cow, into the cow’s uterus, to grab the calf’s legs, his front legs. He tied a rope around them. Then, he pulled and pulled. For at least an hour. Every time the cow had a contraction, he pulled. Every time the cow had a contraction, I encouraged him. Finally the calf’s head appeared. That’s when he told me to shut up. More contractions. Then out came the whole body, almost in one shot. I yelled. Francis gave me a dirty look, but I yelled even louder. The calf fell on the ground. It broke a leg. A violent welcome into this world. Then the cow licked the placenta. The calf drank the colostrum. Francis said “colostrum.” Francis said a Latin word.

TOM breaks down and sobs.

Then your mother thawed some pies. It was so cool!

FRANCIS

(enters, covered in blood) We can call it “Baby-butt.”

TOM

(inconsolable) So cool! I don’t know what’s come over me! I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I’m sorry.

FRANCIS

Tom, can you tell me what good your sperm is?

TOM

What?

FRANCIS

What good is your sperm?

TOM

Okay. We’ve just changed the subject.

FRANCIS

Why are you alive if you can’t give life?

TOM

Give me a second …

FRANCIS

I was just thinking about that. When you’re gone, there’ll be nothing left. Your sperm is absolutely useless.

TOM

That’s one way of looking at it.

FRANCIS

Your juice is useless.

TOM

“Juice”? Leave synonyms to the experts!

FRANCIS

What’s the point of your life?

TOM

Since when is tearing faces apart a mission?

FRANCIS

Take off your undershirt.

TOM

What?

FRANCIS helps TOM take off his undershirt.

FRANCIS

Raise your arms higher.

He soaps his body.

Show me your armpits.

TOM

He has your voice.

FRANCIS

You can’t spend your whole life without kids. An old man? No kids? Nobody?

TOM

He has your hands.

FRANCIS

I’m talking to you!

TOM

He has your dark eyes.

FRANCIS

I’m talking to you.

TOM

Back to him. I only care about my own little self, Francis! And producing “my juice” gives me a lot of pleasure.

FRANCIS

Let me show you something.

FRANCIS takes a paper bag out of its hiding place and carefully removes a red blouse, a woman’s blouse.

This was for the girl at the dance classes. The salesgirl told me it was real silk.

TOM

Just looking at it, I can tell it’s real silk.

FRANCIS

Coming from you, I believe it.

TOM

It’s beautiful.

FRANCIS

I never had a chance to give it to her.

TOM

What was her name?

FRANCIS

It is real silk. I’m glad.

FRANCIS pushes a button and music fills the barn.

Twelve speakers, one console, a 2500-watt amp. An eight-CD continuous deck. Everyone thinks it’s samba music, but it’s rumba. The cows love it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.