When He Grew Up
By Anthony Proctor
Two women sit having a coffee in a cafe. J is in her 40’s and fabulous. She shops in Marks and Spencer’s. D is late 40’s, smokes throughout and is a cleaner in a blazer. Despite her occupation she doesn’t scrub up well.
J He drew perfect circles
D Circles?
J Yeah, perfect
D Perfect circles.
J Yeah
D Tracing around a tin?
J No
D With a compass?
J No, free hand.
D sign o’ madness that.
J No?
D it is.
J A sign of dedication more like. Perseverance.
D Do boys that age persevere?
J Hours.
D Persevering for?
J Hours. He drew for hours.
D is that healthy?
J He was happy.
D But was he healthy?
J of course he was healthy, he was strapping, even then.
D mentally?
J Yes. He wanted to be an artist.
D That’s not healthy.
J He could have done it, if he persevered.
D He could.
J He could
D if only
J If
D they have so many options at that age.
J He could have been anything
D Malleable
J A fountain of endless possibilities
D They can be forged at that age.
J Made into whatever they want to be
D You give me a boy
J I’ll show you a man
D course he was too young for all that.
J Mummy, I want to be an artist.
D Do you love? That’s wonderful
J Can I have a paintbrush?
D Of course.
J Can I have some paint?
D What do you say?
J Please
D What colour would you like?
J er
D Think carefully.
J err...Turquoise
D Turquoise?
J Yes.
D Why turquoise?
J It’s my favourite.
D Then you shall have it.
J He wanted to be so many things. There was a time when he would go out every day to play with his friends. And when he got home he would have a new fascination with a new occupation. During an hour’s football match he would grow a new aspiration.
D Mummy, I would like to be a Policeman.
J Mummy, I would like to be a Surgeon
D You’ve got to work hard to be a Doctor
J I don’t just want to be a Doctor; I want to be a Surgeon.
D Then that is what you’ll be.
J Mummy, I want to be a Baker
D Mummy I want to be a Vet.
J But you’re allergic to cats.
D Then I’ll be a Fireman.
J Mummy, I want to be an Olympic Swimmer.
D Butterfly
J He loved
D 500m
J He loved butterflies, the Peacock, the Painted Lady, the Red Admiral.
D A Sailor
J Mummy, I want to be a Train Driver.
D Then one day.
J It was cloudy
D One cloudy day
J He came in
D He beamed
J He shone
D All damp from running around
J A graze on his right knee
D A lump of mud on his chin
J Breathless and Beaming
D I saw it coming
J I’d seen it a thousand times
D but I didn’t know what it was going to be.
J how many could be left?
D There
J Tailor, Teacher, Bricklayer, Blacksmith
D Landscape Gardner, Roofer, Inventor, Poet
J Restaurateur, Guitarist, Politician
D Mummy I want to be a Solider.
J Oh do you dear? Then that’s what you will be.
D He drew perfect circles.
J Can I have a helmet?
D He loved butterflies
J Can I have a camouflage jacket with loads of pockets?
D We would play for hours.
J Mummy, can I have a gun?
D (pause)
J Mummy
D (pause)
J Mummy, can I have a gun?
D Yes dear, yes every Solider needs a gun.
J Perfect circles.
D Why did the wheel stop there?
J Why was it that he couldn’t think of any more
D Why did he choose that one?
J Any other
D I’d still worry
J No matter what he was
D I’d still
J worry
D But I’d be an ordinary stupid mother
J Doing stupid, motherly worring
D Have you had yer tea?
J Do you need any washing doing?
D Are you wearing odd socks?
J Not real worrying
D Not, will he still be alive tomorrow worrying.
J Why couldn’t he have come up with
D Binman
J Male nurse
D Drag queen
J I wouldn’t have cared
D He could have been an accountant.
J I wouldn’t have held being an accountant against him.
D I would have still loved him for being an accountant.
J But
D But he never.
J He wanted to be
D Mummy, I want to be
J He wanted to be
D A Soldier
J From such an early age.
D Persevere.
J For hours.
D Mummy, when I grow up, I’m going to be a Soldier
J Are you darling? Yes, I think so, I think that’s what you’ll be.
D Can I have a gun?
J (pause)
D Mummy
J (pause)
D Mummy, can I, please.
J Maybe when you’re older.
D Ok.
J He got a gun, he still wasn’t old enough
D they never are at that age
J My baby.
D Just a
J Why didn’t it go away?
D I got a letter.
J Missing in action
D Presumed dead
J Unlikely to e found
D Case closed
J Pride
D Sacrifice
J Had leadership potential
D Popular
J Died for his country
D Brave.
J I knew he was brave. He fell off his bike and didn’t cry. Blood everywhere, it was summer, he grazed his right knee, cut all up he arms, not one tear.
D Mummy’s brave Soldier
J They said all sorts of things.
D His actions saved lives.
J Medals
D Mummy, can I have a medal?
J Every Soldier needs a medal.
D Yeah.
J I still have them
D I wish I still had him.
J Died doing the job he loved.
D The job he always wanted to do
J The job he was meant to do.
D When I grow up. I’m going to be a Soldier.
J He drew perfect circles
D Circles?
J Yeah, perfect
D Perfect circles.
J Yeah
D Tracing around a tin?
J No
D With a compass?
J No, free hand.
D sign o’ madness that.
J No?
D it is.
J A sign of dedication more like. Perseverance.
D Do boys that age persevere?
J Hours.
D Persevering for?
J Hours. He drew for hours.
D is that healthy?
J He was happy.
D But was he healthy?
J of course he was healthy, he was strapping, even then.
D mentally?
J Yes. He wanted to be an artist.
D That’s not healthy.
J He could have done it, if he persevered.
D He could.
J He could
D if only
J If
D they have so many options at that age.
J He could have been anything
D Malleable
J A fountain of endless possibilities
D They can be forged at that age.
J Made into whatever they want to be
D You give me a boy
J I’ll show you a man
D course he was too young for all that.
J Mummy, I want to be an artist.
D Do you love? That’s wonderful
J Can I have a paintbrush?
D Of course.
J Can I have some paint?
D What do you say?
J Please
D What colour would you like?
J er
D Think carefully.
J err...Turquoise
D Turquoise?
J Yes.
D Why turquoise?
J It’s my favourite.
D Then you shall have it.
J He wanted to be so many things. There was a time when he would go out every day to play with his friends. And when he got home he would have a new fascination with a new occupation. During an hour’s football match he would grow a new aspiration.
D Mummy, I would like to be a Policeman.
J Mummy, I would like to be a Surgeon
D You’ve got to work hard to be a Doctor
J I don’t just want to be a Doctor; I want to be a Surgeon.
D Then that is what you’ll be.
J Mummy, I want to be a Baker
D Mummy I want to be a Vet.
J But you’re allergic to cats.
D Then I’ll be a Fireman.
J Mummy, I want to be an Olympic Swimmer.
D Butterfly
J He loved
D 500m
J He loved butterflies, the Peacock, the Painted Lady, the Red Admiral.
D A Sailor
J Mummy, I want to be a Train Driver.
D Then one day.
J It was cloudy
D One cloudy day
J He came in
D He beamed
J He shone
D All damp from running around
J A graze on his right knee
D A lump of mud on his chin
J Breathless and Beaming
D I saw it coming
J I’d seen it a thousand times
D but I didn’t know what it was going to be.
J how many could be left?
D There
J Tailor, Teacher, Bricklayer, Blacksmith
D Landscape Gardner, Roofer, Inventor, Poet
J Restaurateur, Guitarist, Politician
D Mummy I want to be a Solider.
J Oh do you dear? Then that’s what you will be.
D He drew perfect circles.
J Can I have a helmet?
D He loved butterflies
J Can I have a camouflage jacket with loads of pockets?
D We would play for hours.
J Mummy, can I have a gun?
D (pause)
J Mummy
D (pause)
J Mummy, can I have a gun?
D Yes dear, yes every Solider needs a gun.
J Perfect circles.
D Why did the wheel stop there?
J Why was it that he couldn’t think of any more
D Why did he choose that one?
J Any other
D I’d still worry
J No matter what he was
D I’d still
J worry
D But I’d be an ordinary stupid mother
J Doing stupid, motherly worring
D Have you had yer tea?
J Do you need any washing doing?
D Are you wearing odd socks?
J Not real worrying
D Not, will he still be alive tomorrow worrying.
J Why couldn’t he have come up with
D Binman
J Male nurse
D Drag queen
J I wouldn’t have cared
D He could have been an accountant.
J I wouldn’t have held being an accountant against him.
D I would have still loved him for being an accountant.
J But
D But he never.
J He wanted to be
D Mummy, I want to be
J He wanted to be
D A Soldier
J From such an early age.
D Persevere.
J For hours.
D Mummy, when I grow up, I’m going to be a Soldier
J Are you darling? Yes, I think so, I think that’s what you’ll be.
D Can I have a gun?
J (pause)
D Mummy
J (pause)
D Mummy, can I, please.
J Maybe when you’re older.
D Ok.
J He got a gun, he still wasn’t old enough
D they never are at that age
J My baby.
D Just a
J Why didn’t it go away?
D I got a letter.
J Missing in action
D Presumed dead
J Unlikely to e found
D Case closed
J Pride
D Sacrifice
J Had leadership potential
D Popular
J Died for his country
D Brave.
J I knew he was brave. He fell off his bike and didn’t cry. Blood everywhere, it was summer, he grazed his right knee, cut all up he arms, not one tear.
D Mummy’s brave Soldier
J They said all sorts of things.
D His actions saved lives.
J Medals
D Mummy, can I have a medal?
J Every Soldier needs a medal.
D Yeah.
J I still have them
D I wish I still had him.
J Died doing the job he loved.
D The job he always wanted to do
J The job he was meant to do.
D When I grow up. I’m going to be a Soldier.