! ! ! ! ! ! SEVEN BELLS! ! ! ! 2-3-1

AT RISE: Cap and Ralph are sitting on The Porch in the lawn chairs.! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! CAPJimmy says Leverock’s is open for lunch - we’ll go there once Jimmy gets here with Teddy...

! ! ! ! ! ! RALPHHow much time we got for lunch?

! ! ! ! ! ! CAP‘Bout four hours..

! ! ! ! ! ! RALPH Isn’t that a short turn-around for that tug?

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPAfter lunch, Jimmy will take us down ta th docks, we’ll take Teddy back ta th tug, so’s he can ship ta New Orleans - he’s becoming a man from The Rock, that Teddy...! ! ! ! ! ! (The SOUND of Jimmy’s Buick pulling up on ! ! ! ! ! ! the shell road - the engine stops, car doors ! ! ! ! ! ! slam, the SOUND of a trunk opening)

! ! ! ! ! ! JIMMY! ! ! ! ! ! (Offstage, gruffly)Get your gear...! ! ! ! ! ! (The trunk lid slams, ENTER JIMMY, set jaw, ! ! ! ! ! ! and TEDDY, carrying the old sea bag slung ! ! ! ! ! ! over his shoulder)

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPBoy, whatcha got the sea bag fer? - yer shippin agin ‘n just a few hours!

! ! ! ! ! ! RALPHWe’re going to take you to lunch at Leverock’s, and then back down to the docks - hope to get aboard your tug and take a look-see - before you cast off, again!! ! ! ! ! ! (Jimmy says nothing, goes into the right side of ! ! ! ! ! ! the duplex - Teddy drops sea bag at their feet)

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDY! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looks off to sea)I quit the tug. ! ! ! ! ! ! (Cap and Ralph say nothing)

Copyright Ed Ballou, 2014

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2-3-2! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDY (Con’t.)I was okay sailing to New Orleans, ‘cause I was somehow heading back to my girl - but after we were on the river five days and started back to Tampa, I felt I was going in the wrong direction, away from her.. I just couldn’t take it, made up my mind to fly back to her, soon as we docked and got paid - I went and told the Captain I wanted off the Ruby Hays when we docked...! ! ! ! ! ! (Cap and Ralph say nothing, a pause)

! ! ! ! ! ! RALPH! ! ! ! ! ! (Finally)Quit the sea? - you quit, Teddy, quit?

! ! ! ! ! ! CAP! ! ! ! ! ! (Finally)Boy, you crazy as a bedbug...

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDY! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)I know.. the sea’s in your blood.. but love is in my blood!! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! RALPHYou’ll see what love gets you, boy...

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPChrist!! ! ! ! ! ! (ENTER MADGE from the right side of the ! ! ! ! ! ! duplex)

! ! ! ! ! ! MADGEYour Uncle Jimmy told me you quit.. you let him down, Teddy - he’s really disappointed in you...

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDYI’m sorry, I’m sorry! ! ! ! ! ! ! (ENTER JIMMY from the right side of the ! ! ! ! ! ! duplex)

! ! ! ! ! ! JIMMYNo lunch at Leverock’s.. when you flying out?

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDYI can’t book a flight until I get paid...

!

Copyright Ed Ballou, 2014

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2-3-3! ! ! ! ! ! JIMMY! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! (Pulling out a roll of bills from his pocket, ! ! ! ! ! ! peeling off some, gruffly)That’s enough for your flight - pay me back when you get to California and get a job - if you get a job...! ! ! ! ! ! (Gives cash to Teddy)Take your gear out of your Granpot’s sea bag, and stow it back in your suitcase - I’m taking you to the airport...

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDYNow?

! ! ! ! ! ! JIMMYYou book a flight to California, and if you have to wait, you can wait alone -pack your suitcase, boy..! ! ! ! ! ! (Teddy pauses, then nods, picks up the sea ! ! ! ! ! ! bag, EXITS into the right side of the duplex. A ! ! ! ! ! ! pause. The low SOUND of the distant surf.)! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! RALPHWell, that’s it, then...! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! CAPShore, no more to it...

! ! ! ! ! ! RALPHThe end of the sea-farin’ life...

! ! ! ! ! ! CAP.. he were th last blood o’ th men from The Rock...

! ! ! ! ! ! RALPHIt was all about that girl...! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! JIMMY

Some silly little girl! - I’ll be out in the car...! ! ! ! ! ! (JIMMY goes down the steps, EXITS)

! ! ! ! ! ! RALPHI need a shot of rum.. how about you, Cap?

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPNot right now, Ralph..

Copyright Ed Ballou, 2014

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2-3-4! ! ! ! ! ! MADGEI could use a shot.... ! ! ! ! ! ! MADGE and Ralph EXIT into the duplex. Cap ! ! ! ! ! ! slowly sits down in his lawn chair, looks off - ! ! ! ! ! ! ENTER TEDDY from the duplex, suitcase in ! ! ! ! ! ! hand - he pauses by Cap, looks down at him.)

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDYWell.. I’ll see you, Granpot - guess everybody’s mad at me...

! ! ! ! ! ! CAP! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)Teddy... it’s not too late, me boy.. I was readin’ th shippin’ news this mornin’ - th T.E. Mitchell departs Dock Seven at eleven Thursday night, bound for Buenos Aires - big ship, I know th captain - he shipped twenty year ago with me, as third mate - might need a deckhand, I could give him th word..! ! ! ! ! ! (Looks over at TEDDY - TEDDY says nothing)You can take me old greatcoat, th one I used ta wear on th bridge in them convoys.. like the ones yer uncles n’ them wore, on all those bridges of all them ships, of all them what come before.. you ship out again, Teddy, n’ you’ll be good as any man from The Rock...

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDY! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)Granpot..

! ! ! ! ! ! CAPWhat, boy?

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDYThe whole time I was out on the sea, I was thinkin’ .. that I needed to get back to my girl..! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! CAP! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)Boy, you go home now, n’ th girl will be gone n’ th sea’ll be gone n’ you’ll be paintin’ houses th rest o’ your life - no kinda life - I done it! - it’s a life on th sea you want, boy!

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDY! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)Granpot.. when you left The Rock, did you chart your own course through your life?

! ! ! ! ! ! CAP! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses)Wal, shore, I hadta chart my course - who else? - I was on me own...! ! ! ! ! !

Copyright Ed Ballou, 2014

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2-3-5! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDY ! ! ! !You charted a life on the sea - and you sailed that course.. that’s also the course you charted for me, as if I was following your North Star.. but, maybe I’m meant to follow a different star, Granpot..

! ! ! ! ! ! CAP! ! ! ! ! ! (Pauses, looks off towards the sea, listens to ! ! ! ! ! ! its SOUNDS)Wal, boy.. you go back ta California, then.. but be sure n’ take care o’ your Ma...

! ! ! ! ! ! TEDDYI will...! ! ! ! ! ! (Reaches into his pocket, pulls out the piece of ! ! ! ! ! ! The Rock)Here.. I don’t deserve this...! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! CAP! ! ! ! ! ! (CAP looks down at the piece of The Rock in ! ! ! ! ! ! his hand)No, you keep ahold o’ this piece o’ The Rock - just remember where it come from, boy, where we come from...! ! ! ! ! ! (Hands the rock back to Teddy - Teddy ! ! ! ! ! ! squeezes it, then goes down the porch steps ! ! ! ! ! ! with the rock in his hand, EXITS - the Buick’s ! ! ! ! ! ! engine starts up, and the SOUND of car’s tires ! ! ! ! ! ! crunching the shell road as it drives off - Cap ! ! ! ! ! ! looks out to sea - LIGHTS DIM on The Porch) ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Copyright Ed Ballou, 2014