Scene 4 Flashcards
Martha: That’s the thing about Lennox. She starts things in motion, makes things happen. When she sets her mind to something, when she wants something, when she finds the thing to put all of that energy of hers into… well, there’s no getting in her way then!
Lennox: Your Mum said you were in here.
Dylan: She said you wanted to hang out
Lennox: It was her idea.
Lennox: Shall we go outside?
Cooper: Dylan’s with me
Lennox: Well… you come too then
Cooper: No.
Lennox: Right. Well I asked. Your choice. Come on Dylan.
Cooper: Stay here Dylan.
Dylan is torn.
Lennox: Fine! We’ll just… sit. Here.
Cooper: Ow!
Lennox: Give over, I barely touched you
Cooper: What did you do then?
Lennox: When?
Dylan: (Falters) Mum said you were excluded, from school?
Lennox: Two. Two schools.
Cooper: Well then..?
Lennox: I’ll tell you that if you tell me something.
Cooper: What?
Lennox: Not you! Dylan. Beth said you knew the garden better than her.
Dylan: (Proud) Did she?
Lennox: Or something like that and I want to know where the secret garden is. Where Mr and Mrs Craven/ used
Dylan: /Mum been telling you her stories, has she?
Lennox: They’re not stories. Unless your Mum’s a liar?
Dylan: No. Course not. Telling stories and lying are not the same thing.
Lennox: It is if you don’t tell people they’re stories. So?
Dylan: Cooper? Cooper: I’m not telling her. Dylan: Cooper’s/ been Cooper: /Stop it! Dylan: But what if it is real? What if Mum isn’t just telling a story. What if…
Lennox: Hello? What are you talking about?
Dylan: When Mum used to tell that stor- tell me about the garden – she said that after Cooper was born, they took her in too. Like a magical den for the three of them.
Lennox turns to look at Cooper.
Dylan: And Cooper’s dreamt about it.
Lennox: Tell us then!
Dylan: Maybe now’s not, she’s not feeling /very well
Lennox: /It’s just talking. Come on.
Cooper: I am here you know? I can speak for myself?
Lennox: Speak then. Come on, you must be bored out your head in here all the time. What do you even do?
Cooper: Read. Daydream. Imagine all the things going on outside
Lennox: Well, this time you don’t need to imagine. You can help me with what you know.
Lennox: Well, this time you don’t need to imagine. You can help me with what you know.
Dylan: You?
Lennox: Well, not just me! Think about it. If we can find it, no-one else uses it, it would be a space just for – us.
Cooper: Us? Right. And you two will have a great time, and I’ll still be stuck in here.
Lennox: You can come too. We’ll all be there.
Cooper: I doubt it. Dad’ll have a heart attack if he thinks I’m off wandering around the garden. Unsupervised.
Lennox: Is there anything you’re allowed to do?
Cooper: No. Not really. Don’t go outside. Rest but do your exercises. Keep warm but let the fresh air in. Take all of your tablets. Make sure you eat enough. And drink enough. Got to keep your blood sugar up. And your blood pressure down.
Lennox: I’m exhausted just listening to it.
Cooper: Exactly. It’s not as easy for me.
Dylan: Are you okay Cooper? Shall we go?
Cooper: No! Stay… if you want
Lennox: Just tell us what you can remember.
Cooper: I used to dream about it all the time when I was little. Especially just after Mum died. Our garden, the three of us in there together. Then it happened again. The night you arrived Lennox. I heard everything that was going on, all the fuss you were making. I was drifting in and out of sleep and then suddenly, I was there, right there in the garden. It was so vivid. I didn’t want to leave. I tried to hold on to it, to stay asleep. But I couldn’t.
Lennox: Right. And where/ was
Cooper: Do you/ think?
Lennox: /It was just a dream
Dylan: Lennox!
Lennox: Maybe you did make it up. Or Martha did. Unless you can tell us where it is.
Cooper: Why should I?
Lennox: Because then we’d know you’re not a liar, and you can see what it’s really like. With us.
Cooper: I don’t know. I’m not sure I should/ be
Lennox: /Let’s go now.
Cooper: //I can’t
Dylan: //We can’t
Lennox: No-one’s around.
Cooper: I will. But not today
Lennox: Come on, just for a little while. Look it’s lovely out.
Dylan: We shouldn’t/ push
Lennox grabs a blanket
Lennox: /Put this over your shoulders, that’ll keep you warm. Come on.
Dylan: I don’t think this is a good idea
Cooper: I/
Lennox: /She’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with her.
Cooper stumbles
Lennox: You’re not trying.
Cooper: It’s not though, is it? I read and I daydream because that’s all there is. I disappear into stories, in my head, in books, where I can be someone else, be somewhere else. Because here, no-one cares.
Dylan: Is that what you/ think?
Lennox: /I know that feeling. Come on! This is our chance to do something for ourselves. I bet you’ll feel better outside.
Cooper: People only come in here to tell me what to do or what not to do. Or to talk about my health, my medication. They decide I should have a day in the garden or that they should take me into village. They never ask me, what I want or what I think. They just assume they know better.
Lennox: My grandparents are exactly the same.
Beth: Have you got a headache? Do you feel sick?
Cooper: No it’s/ not
Beth: /I should have known you’d cause trouble
Lennox: //I didn’t
Cooper: //It wasn’t
Beth: Now look what’s happened. Let’s get you back in bed for a bit. I’ll open the window. I turn my back for one minute…
Lennox: 3 days actually. That he was away.
Dylan: You didn’t say that though
Lennox: No
Beth: Lennox, this is your fault.
Lennox: That’s /not
Beth: /You’re all grounded until I say otherwise. And Dylan I expected more from you so no time in the garden, either.
Dylan: //No!
Lennox: //That’s not fair!
Beth: Go to your rooms.
Cooper: I’m okay Dad. Really. It’s okay.
Lennox: I’d forgotten that bit. Tried to forget it. I really didn’t mean to..
Dylan: We have to think about the bad bits sometimes, to remember that we need to do better. And to feel proud when we get it right.
Lennox: Yeah. I guess.
