THE FREELOADERS-SCENE TWO-A ONE ACT PLAY by Austin Mitchell


SCENE TWO
(It is about 3:30 in the morning in Happy Valley on a fifteen acre farm. A man is snoring in a little out room. It is the farm of Rapley Rowe) A middle aged woman knocks on the door of the out room) (Beville groans sleepily but opens the door.)
MISS MILDRED: Mister Beville, wake up, your taxi will soon be here.
BEVILLE: Yes, Miss Mildred. (Gets up out of the bed in his pyjamas) (Beville goes into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth)
MISS MILDRED: I will wait out here until you’re finished, Mister Beville. You have your ticket that we  bought for you and the pocket money that you saved while working for my brother, Rapley? (Beville comes out of the bathroom and goes to his room)
BEVILLE: Miss Mildred, I have to thank you because it was you, who begged Rapley to hire me. Everybody thinks I’m crazy after I threw away my money and lost my house. I have to thank Rapley for the three months that he let me work for him.
MISS MILDRED: Mister Beville, if you ever come into money, again you will be a wiser person. (A car horn sounds) The taxi come for you, Mister Beville. (Beville comes out of the room dressed in seemingly cast off clothes and carrying  a tattered bag.)
BEVILLE: Thank you  for what you did for me, Miss Mildred and say thanks to your brother for me. The people in Happy Valley think that I’m finished, but I’m a hard man to kill. (Exits Beville) (Taxi drives off) (Enter Rapley)
RAPLEY: Mildred, the taxi came for Beville and you couldn’t wake me up?
MISS MILDRED: Well, it’s too late now, but I’m glad that he’s gone. He never could imagine himself  doing manual labor. So what do you think is going to happen to him?
RAPLEY: He came to Happy Valley with several million dollars in his bank account apart from what he paid down on the house and look how quickly he lost everything. He lost his house and his women left him. I don’t think he is coming back to Happy Valley for now.
MILDRED: He is a good example of a fool and his money will soon depart. Cars, girls, parties, feasts and cookouts was all he could think about and you saw how his so called friends deserted him.

RAPLEY: We  end one chapter with Beville and we will open it with somebody else. Anybody who buys that house will be forced to behave like Beville. Remembered how Walton had to run away to St. Elizabeth after his money was finished.
MILDRED: I am going back to sleep (Exits)
RAPLEY: People say that I’m mean, that’s why I can’t get any women, but look what happened to Beville. I have my money and I’m not spending it like Beville. (Exits) The lights fade)

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