Free The Miracle Worker by William Gibson Page A

bedstead in the barn would be too—
    KELLER: I have not yet consented to Percy! Or to the house, or to the proposal! Or to Miss Sullivan’s—staying on when I—
    (But he erupts in an irate surrender.)
    Very well, I consent to everything!
    (He shakes the cigar at ANNIE. )
    For two weeks. I’ll give you two weeks in this place, and it will be a miracle if you get the child to tolerate you.
    KATE: Two weeks? Miss Annie, can you accomplish anything in two weeks?
    KELLER: Anything or not, two weeks, then the child comes back to us. Make up your mind, Miss Sullivan, yes or no?
    ANNIE: Two weeks. For only one miracle?
    (She nods at him, nervously.)
    I’ll get her to tolerate me.
    ( KELLER marches out, and slams the door. KATE on her feet regards ANNIE , who is facing the door.)
    KATE [ THEN ]: You can’t think as little of love as you said.
    ( ANNIE glances questioning.)
    Or you wouldn’t stay.
    ANNIE [ A PAUSE ]: I didn’t come here for love. I came for money!
    ( KATE shakes her head to this, with a smile; after a moment she extends her open hand. ANNIE looks at it, but when she puts hers out it is not to shake hands, it is to set her fist in KATE’S palm.)
    KATE [ PUZZLED ]: Hm?
    ANNIE: A. It’s the first of many. Twenty-six!
    ( KATE squeezes her fist, squeezes it hard, and hastens out after KELLER. ANNIE stands as the door closes behind her, her manner soapprehensive that finally she slaps her brow, holds it, sighs, and, with her eyes closed, crosses herself for luck.
    The lights dim into a cool silhouette scene around her, the lamp paling out, and now, in formal entrances, persons appear around ANNIE with furniture for the room: PERCY crosses the stage with a rocking chair and waits; MARTHA from another direction bears in a stool, VINEY bears in a small table, and the other Negro servant rolls in a bed partway from left; and ANNIE , opening her eyes to put her glasses back on, sees them. She turns around in the room once, and goes into action, pointing out locations for each article; the servants place them and leave, and ANNIE then darts around, interchanging them. In the midst of this—while PERCY and MARTHA reappear with a tray of food and a chair, respectively— JAMES comes down from the house with ANNIE’S suitcase, and stands viewing the room and her quizzically; ANNIE halts abruptly under his eyes, embarrassed, then seizes the suitcase from his hand, explaining herself brightly.)
    ANNIE: I always wanted to live in a doll’s house!
    (She sets the suitcase out of the way, and continues; VINEY at left appears to position a rod with drapes for a doorway, and the other servant at center pushes in a wheelbarrow loaded with a couple of boxes of HELEN’S toys and clothes. ANNIE helps lift them into the room, and the servant pushes the wheelbarrow off. In none of this is any heed taken of the imaginary walls of the garden house, the furniture is moved in from every side and itself defines the walls.
    ANNIE now drags the box of toys into center, props up the doll conspicuously on top; with the people melted away, except for JAMES , all is again still. The lights turn again without pause, rising warmer.)
    JAMES: You don’t let go of things easily, do you? How will you—win her hand now, in this place?
    ANNIE [ CURTLY ]: Do I know? I lost my temper, and here we are!
    JAMES [ LIGHTLY ]: No touching, no teaching. Of course, you are bigger—
    ANNIE: I’m not counting on force, I’m counting on her. That little imp is dying to know.
    JAMES: Know what?
    ANNIE: Anything. Any and every crumb in God’s creation. I’ll have to use that appetite too.
    (She gives the room a final survey, straightens the bed, arranges the curtains.)
    JAMES [ A PAUSE ]: Maybe she’ll teach you.
    ANNIE: Of course.
    JAMES: That she isn’t. That there’s such a thing as—dullness of heart. Acceptance. And letting go. Sooner or later we all give up, don’t