The Retreaters (Part 5)
June 19th, 2020
Starring: Nell, Fabian, Marcel
Weeks since part 4. The vacation home. Dinnertime. The three of them are eating quietly, in their own heads.
FABIAN
Silent bunch, are we?
NELL
I’m ok, I’m just tired.
FABIAN
M?
MARCEL
Yeah?
FABIAN
You alive in there?
MARCEL
Yeah. Are you?
FABIAN
I am.
...
NELL
Did anyone look at the news today?
FABIAN
I glanced.
NELL
I just can’t. I’m doing once a day is my limit. It’s just so tough, knowing all that’s going on—
MARCEL
Yeah, we’re really hurting out here.
…
NELL
That’s not what I’m saying—
MARCEL
Then what was the point of that?
FABIAN
Back off your mother—
MARCEL
No, but actually I’m curious, mom. What are you saying?
NELL
Are you going to let me talk—?
MARCEL
I just don’t understand how either of you can’t see the hypocrisy of lamenting the world’s gone to shit, but literally choosing to not look at it. Like you can’t even acknowledge the privilege of that.
FABIAN
We’re going to do this?
MARCEL
I mean, at least I’m willing to talk about it.
FABIAN
You weren’t talking about anything. You stayed silent until you found a reason to shit on your mom—
MARCEL
I’m not trying to shit on mom. I’m trying to remind you—
FABIAN
That we’re privileged? That we are somehow bad people for having good lives?
MARCEL
I mean the fact that we’re even having having this argument in our “second house” says everything—
FABIAN
That you seem to be fine with living in. You seem to be fine with being fed by us, and clothed by us, and sent to school with zero debt by us, and given a phone to call your girlfriend, by us. Yeah?
MARCEL
There it is.
NELL
I think we should stop—
FABIAN
You are no better than us. No better. You have not worked a hard day in your life. You’re welcome. You want to judge your mother and I after all we’ve done for you? Okay, you don’t have to be here. Go stay with your gal-pal’s family, if that’s what you want. Or you can apologize, say thank you, and keep your mouth shut.
...
I am so tired of this brooding, entitled, generational bullshit. I really am.
Everyone sits in that. Marcel is upset, but doesn't want to show it. He gets up from the table, washes his plate in the sink, and goes upstairs. Nell stares at Fabian. Fabian stares at Nell.
FABIAN
Please don’t.
He needed that.
NELL
I agree.
But it didn’t have to be that way.
FABIAN
Mm.
…
…
For what it’s worth, the chicken’s great.
NELL
Thanks.