Infinite Black Suitcase Script

Scene 3: Dress Black

(Nine o'clock in the morning.)
(JANIE KALINSKI's house - her bedroom.)
(There is a bed, with several black dresses laid across it. An open window, a dresser. There is a telephone on the dresser; and a picture of JANIE and her husband, John.)
JANIE sits in a rocking chat, wearing an old pair of sweats. She is drawn and pale and wears no makeup. She rocks back and forth with a rhythmic blankness.)
(After a moment, someone knocks on the door of the house [offstage]. Knock again. JANIE does not reach at all.)
(After another moment, JANIE's brother-in-law, STAN, appears at the window. He is wearing a black suit and a white, pressed shirt, which isn't buttoned up all the way.
A tie hangs loose around his neck.)
(STAN Sees JANIE, and taps on the window. JANIE doesn't seem to hear.)
(STAN pushes the window open the rest of the way.)
STAN. Janie?
(JANIE continues to rock.)
(STAN frowns. Then he looks at the window frame. Then he climbs in the window. He squats down beside JANIE.)
STAN. We gotta be over at the church at ten, Janie.
(When JANIE doesn't react, STAN reaches over and takes her hand.)
STAN. Jeez, you're freezing.
(rubs her hand in his)
You been up all night?
(beat)
STAN. Donna woulda stayed with you, but Chrissy's got a cold. They get sick, all they want is their Ma.
(beat)
You okay, Janie?
(STAN puts JANIE's hand back in her lap. She continues to rock.)
STAN. Dumb question.
(runs hands through hair; glances at clock)
We gotta get goin' if we're gonna get to the church.
(beat)
Donna's bringin' the kids. Marty an' Pepper are meetin' us there.
(JANIE doesn't react. STAN moves a little, to ease his knees, then sits on the edge of the bed.)
STAN. You want Pepper to come over an' help you get dressed?
JANIE doesn't answer. STAN looks around and sees the phone, which is off the hook. He grabs it, presses the button a few times to get a dial tone, then dials. He listens to it ring....and ring..He hangs up.)
STAN. Okay, so maybe they left already. I woulda been here earlier, but I-
(STAN closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He takes a handkerchief out of his pocket and swipes it across his nose, then stands. He looks at the clock. He looks at the dresses on the bed.)
STAN. Donna says she's sorry she didn't stay with you last night. She said for me to tell you. She said she's thinkin' about you. Everybody is. We got a hundred phone calls yesterday an' a dozen casseroles. Grand Central yesterday.
(STAN picks up a dark blue dress from the bed, then puts it back. He rifles through the clothes. He picks up a black dress, looks at it, then takes it off the hanger and shows
it to JANTE.)
STAN. How 'bout this one? This okay?
(JANIE continues to rock.)
STAN. Janie.
(beat)
Janie!
(JANIE continues to rock)
STAN. You gonna put this on or what?
STAN. You gotta help me out here, okay?
(pause)
Shit
(STAN throws the dress on the bed and goes back to the phone. He dials another number.)
STAN. It's me.
(pause)
Yeah, I know where I'm s'posed to be. She's not dressed.
(pause)
Yeah, we're still at the house! I'm tellin' you, she's not dressed. I get here an' she's-
(pause)
I know.
(pause)
Yeah, I know! But she's-
(pause, sigh)
All right. I'll figure somethin'. Kiss the kids, okar?
(pause)
Me too you.
(STAN hangs up. He turns and looks at JANIE, then gets the black dress off the bed. He puts his hands on the arms of the rocking chair to still its movement.)
STAN. So maybe you need some help today, right? When I busted my back that time, Johnny....
(STAN pauses and looks down. Then he reaches in  tentatively and pulls up on JANIEs sweatshirt. He pulls it over her head.)
STAN. We're gonna get you there, okay? I'm just gonna help you get dressed a little. I help the kids when Donna's late for work sometimes.
(STAN unbuttons the dress, then slips it awkwandly over JANIEs head. He threads her arms through the arm holes.)
STAN, You okay?
(beat)
I don't know what the fuck to say. I don't know.
(beat)
Okay. It's okay. Lift up, hon, all right?
(STAN eases the sweatpants of JANIE.)
(He goes over to the dresser and opens up a drawer. It isn't JANIE's drawer.)
(He puts his hand in the drawer for a moment, on his brother's clothes, then closes the drawer.)
(He opens a drawer on the other side of the dresser and takes out a pair of nylons, but throws them back after a moment. He finds a pair of black pumps under the dresser.)
STAN. We don't gotta dress up anyway, right? Who's gives a fuck how we look? I don't know why I got this fuckin' suit on. Donna laid it out for me an' ironed up the
shirt this morning.
(STAN eases the black pumps onto JANIES feet, looks at her a moment, then takes a little black comb out of his pocket and combs her hair back from her face with it.)
(He looks at the clock.)
(He puts his hands under JANIE S arms and lifts her to her feet. She sways a little, but stands.)
SAN. Nobody's gonna start without us, right? So it's okay.
(beat)
It's okay.
(STAN swipes at his nose with the back of his hand, then turns his back to JANIE. He takes out his handkerchief and rubs it over his face.)
(JANIE lifts her head a little. After a moment, she lifts her hand and puts it on STAN's shoulder.)
(STAN turns toward her.)
(JANIE's fingers walk, braille-like, to STAN's throat. Slowly, she buttons his shirt, then begins to tie his tie for him.)
(Lights.)