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Growing with Moss

Info on James Saunders
Update: Obituary

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12
M: What's wrong?
W: Hm?
M: What's the matter?
W: With what?
M: With you.
W: Nothing as far as I know. Why?
M: Something obviously is.
W: Why, what have I said?
M: You haven't said anything.
W: Well then.
M: You still manage to make it pretty
obvious you're upset about some-
thing.
W: I don't know what gives you that
idea. You're probably feeling a bit
morose, so you imagine I'm upset.
M: I'm not morose.
W: No? You're not exactly cheerful, are
you?
M: Do you expect me to be cheerful
when you're like this?
W: Like what?
M: You know very well.
W: Are you blaming me for it?
M: For what?
W: For your moroseness.
M: I'm not morose and I'm not blaming
you for anything.
W: Oh do leave me alone.
1 don't know why it is you take
everything so personally.
M: What are you talking about?
W: The minute I'm a little under the
weather you go around as if it's the
end of the world. You make me feel
so guilty
M: If you'd just tell me what I've done
wrong.
W: Why shouldn't I feel a bit low now
and then? You're depressed often
enough. 1 don't automatically assume
it's something I've done.
M: I know you don't.
W: You mean it usually is something
I've done.
Oh do leave me alone.
If I'm such a depressing influence
why don't you go out?
M: 1 don't want to go out and leave
you like this.
W: You're not doing much good stay-
ing in. are you? Face as long as a
fiddle.
You're only making me feel guilty.
M: Look. 1 can't help it if I'm affected
by your moods.
W: Moods. Is that what you think they
are?
M: I can't be happy if you're upset. I'm
sorry... .
W: Well I'm very sorry but there's
nothing 1 can do about it.
M: I'm not saying there is.
W: Well then. Go out, leave me alone.
Go out and have a drink or some-
thing. I'll be all right. No point in
both of us being miserable.
M: Oh God....
I'm no help, am I?
W: Obviously not.
M: Well am I? Is there anything I can do?
W: No. I said no.
M: I'm going out then.
W: Where to?
M: I don't know. For a walk.
All right?
W: Wait.
M: What?
W: Don't leave me.

13
W: Well
Goodbye
M: 0h
You're going
W: Yes
It's been
M: Yes
W: Well
M: It's been
W: Erm
Thank you for
M: Yes
Thank you
Look, I don't
W: No
It's all right
No need to
M: Well anyway
Thank you anyway and
W: Yes
(Silence)
M You have an eyelash on your cheek.
W: Have I?
M: Just there.
W: Here?
M: There.
W Is it gone?
M: No.
There. It's gone.
So.
W: I hope you don't
M: No
It's been
We've
W: It's
M: I
W: I
M: I
(She cries)
W: I
M: I
W: I
M: I

14
(Looking at each other, smiling)
M: Hallo.
W: We met. Remember?
M: So we did. Yesterday, wasn't it?
W: What a good memory you have.
M: And the day before?
W: So we did. The day before as well.
M: And the day before that?
W: And the day before that and the
day before that and the day before
that.
How are you today?
M: I'm very well. How are you?
W: All the better for meeting you.
M: What are you laughing at?
W: You.
M: Me?
W: I'm laughing at meeting you again.
It is very funny. Every morning I
wake up and there's this familiar
stranger waiting for me to meet him
again.
M: How do you do?
W: How do you do?
What on earth are we laughing at?
M: Goodbye. It's been pleasant meeting
you.
W: Goodbye. Won't it be.
(Exit)

9
W: So you're going at last.
M: Seems like it.
W: Is that yes or no?
M: Unless you've got some other idea.
W: I've run out of ideas. Why, do you
have any other ideas?
M: If I had I suppose I wouldn't be
going, would I?
W: 1 suppose not. Anyway, I've tried
everything.
M: You've tried everything?
W: We've both tried everything, I sup-
pose. I suppose there's no point in
hanging on. No point in trying
again. No point in going over the
same old ground again and again
and again. Best to give up, I sup-
pose. Cut one's losses. Go, go. Try
with somebody else.
M: There's nobody else.
W: You'll find somebody else.
M: So will you.
W: I daresay. Not to worry about me.
M: We did agree it would be best.
W: I know we agreed. I'm saying, go,
go. Only.
M: Only what?
W: It's your decision.
M: My decision!
W: Just so long as you realize. It's your
decision.
M: We both agreed…
W: We both agreed but it's your deci-
sion. it's still your decision. You're
the one who's going.
M: One of us has to go.
W: And you're the one. You’ve made
the decision to go. I haven’t. I can’t
make decisions for you. Just so long as you realize
M: Do you want me to go?
W: 1 want you to make your own deci-
sion and do your own thing. I'm not
going to hold you back. If you want
to go. 1 also don't want to be—held
responsible —if you do.
M: Do you want me to go?
W: I want you to do as you think fit!
M: Do you want me to go!
Do you want me to go!!
W: No.
Do you want to go?
M: No.
Oh, what else is there to say?
W: We'll find something.

10
(The MAN is talking)
W: Just a minute, can you stop?
M: What's the matter?
W: I'm bored with this conversation.
M: You're what?
W: The conversation doesn't interest me.
M: 0h?
W: Can you talk about something else?
M: Certainly, if you want me to. I do
apologize for boring you.
W: Not you, your conversation. You
weren't to know, I was trying to look
interested. My fault.
M: You mean you should have looked
bored?
W: No, 1 should have told you straight
away I wasn't interested.
M: Hm. Does this often happen?
W: What?
M: Finding yourself saddled with a
crashing bore?
W: You are not a crashing bore.
M: Just an ordinary bore.
W; I've offended you.
M: Me? Why should I be offended.
You're the one who should be offended,
having to put up with a crashing bore.
W: You are not….
M: After all, if one's a crashing bore it's
best that one's told. Thank you. For
telling me. That I'm a....
W: Stop it.
M: Am 1 boring you again?
W: Listen. Stop it and listen, be quiet
and shut up and listen. It's quite
simple. You were talking about
something which didn't interest me. I
should have let you know at once.
Instead I pretended lo be interested.
It was my mistake. I apologize.
M: Oh, don’t apologize. I should apolo-
gize, I’m the bore.
W: You're not listening. . . .
M: And now I have news for you. May
I tell it, at the risk of boring you?
W: Go on.
M: This conversation is boring me. So
shall we change the subject? Or bet-
ter still, since we both find each
other such crashing bores, perhaps
I'll put the television on.
W: 1 don't want television, 1 want to
talk to you.
M: In spite of the fact that I'm.. ..
W: Please. Stop it, please, please.
M: The sad thing is. I was only telling
you that story because 1 thought you
might be interested. It was of no in-
terest to me.

11
M: How would you like to go to the
cinema tonight?
W: Tonight?
M: If you're not doing anything else.
W: No, I'm not doing anything else.
M: How about it then?
W: Erm. Yes, all right. If you like.
M: Not if I like. If you like. Do you
want to go?
W: You want to go, don't you?
M: If you do.
W: Mm. All right, then.
M: You don't sound terribly enthusias-
tic. Is there anything else you want
to do?
W: No no.
M: Or we could stay in. We don't have
to go out.
W: We may as well. No reason why
not.
M: The reason why not would be if you
didn't want to go.
W: I've told you. I'll come if you're
going.
M: I don't want to drag you out just
because you think I want to go.
W: Don't you want to go then?
M: I want to go if you want to go. Do
you want to go to the cinema or
not?
W: Yes. Erm. Yes. yes.
M: You're sure?
W: I'm sure. yes.
M: You don't sound very sure.
W: I'm easy. If you're going I'll come
with you.
M: Just because I'm going?
W: I don't care either way, honestly. I’ll
stay in or I'll go out. 1 honestly don't
give a damn either way.
M: Oh, well, let's stay in, for God's
sake.
W: Why?
M: There's no point going if you don't
want to go.
W: There is a point. You want to go.
M: I don't want to go to the bloody
cinema, I just thought you might like
to go to the cinema. 1 do wish you'd
say what you want now and then.
W: So. We're in for another jolly eve-
ning at home, are we?