The Dust of Life
The play opens in a sparsely furnished apartment somewhere in the residential section of Saigon, Vietnam. The apartments furnishings consist of a large queen sized bed, a table with four chairs up center, a dresser with a mirror to the left of the bed and two end tables, one to the right of the bed and the other near the left wall of the room.
An alarm clock rests on the table beside the bed and a Buddhist shrine rests on the other table.
Three doors are on the set. One, stage left, leads to the kitchen. Another stage right, leads to a small bathroom and the third, stage right, leads to the street.
As the lights come up, three American soldiers are discovered seated at the table playing cards and drinking beer.
One of the soldiers, JIM, is wearing a cowboy hat. His shirt is open and he holds himself with an unconscious tension which emphasizes his muscular development. All three of the soldiers have been drinking for awhile and are quite intoxicated.
Offstage, in the kitchen, are heard the sounds of dishes being washed and other sounds associated with cleaning.
TOM
Two dollars!
TOM pushes several one dollar bills towards the center of the table.
PAUL
I’ll see you.
PAUL adds two one dollar bills to the pot.
JIM
I’ll see you both and raise you ten dollars!
JIM sweetens the pot with twelve dollars.
TOM
Ten bucks!
JIM
You got it, pal. Ten bucks it is.
JIM takes a long cigar out of his pocket, removes its wrapper and lights it slowly and pompously.
PAUL
You’re bluffing! Here is your ten and five more on top of it. Beat that, buddy.
PAUL antes up fifteen dollars.
TOM
I fold!
TOM throws down his cards and pushes them towards the center of the table.
JIM
I’ll see your fifteen and raise you twenty more!
PAUL
I’m calling your bluff this time, you bastard.
PAUL adds more money to the pot.
JIM
I call!
PAUL lays down his cards.
PAUL
I got a straight flush. Beat that, fucker!
JIM lays down his cards.
JIM
Four of a kind! Read them and weep!
PAUL
Shit! Goddamn you son of a bitch!
JIM rakes in his winnings and takes a slow and self satisfied puff off of his cigar.
TOM
This sure is your night, Jim.
PAUL
It’s always his night, the goddamn hustler.
JIM turns his head towards the kitchen and raises his voice.
JIM
Girl, get your ass out here! I need a beer!
The GIRL enters from the kitchen
GIRL
Yes, Jim?
JIM
I need another beer.
PAUL
Tell her to bring me one, too.
TOM
Make that three.
JIM
Girl, get us three more beers and make it quick!
GIRL
Yes, Jim.
The GIRL hurries into the kitchen to fetch three more beers.
PAUL
Man, I gotta take a leak.
JIM
You know where the shitter is.
PAUL rises and staggers into the bathroom. The GIRL then enters from the kitchen carrying three cans of beer. She sets the cans down on the poker table.
JIM
Ah….,beer and pussy, what more does a man need?
JIM addresses the GIRL.
JIM
You talk to mamasan today?
GIRL
I talk this morning.
JIM
Well?
GIRL
She be over tonight to get beer and whiskey.
JIM
Remember what I told you about the price. Not a cent less. Do you understand?
GIRL
I no forget, Jim
JIM
Good. Now get back to the kitchen and cook us lunch.
GIRL
Yes, Jim.
The GIRL returns to the kitchen.
TOM
Man, why did you ever shack up with someone like her?
JIM
Snatch is snatch! Put a bag over its head and you will never know the difference. She doesn’t cost me much. She takes what I give and likes it. It’s better than being out in the street.
PAUL returns from the bathroom and seats himself at the table.
JIM
Hey, guys. Let me show you what came in the mail today.
JIM reaches into his back pocket and takes out his wallet. He opens the wallet, takes out a photograph, and hands it to TOM.
TOM
Wow!
TOM hands the photograph to PAUL.
PAUL
Who the hell is this?
JIM
That’s my chick back in the world. Tough, huh!
PAUL
Man, what a body! Just look at those tits! You sure know how to pick them!
PAUL nudges JIM.
PAUL
You getting any of that pussy, man?
JIM
I got my finger wet a few times before I left, but I wanted to save it until I got back from this hole.
TOM
Sure you’re the first?
JIM
Are you kidding, man? She is cherry all the way. I wrote and told her about the Corvette that I am going to buy for us when I get back. She can’t wait until I get home. It’s going to be nice to be a civilian again - just my machine, my chick and me.
PAUL
When’s your pussy cut off date, man?
JIM
The day after tomorrow - I’ve got the money to buy the Corvette. That’s what she wanted. I’ll get all the pussy I need when I get back to the world.
TOM
We have time for one more hand. Deal, Paul.
PAUL picks up the deck and begins to shuffle the cards.
PAUL
Did you two dudes eat in the chow hall yesterday?
JIM
I can’t stomach that shit. That’s why I moved in with her – at least I get decent food.
PAUL
For lunch they had green roast beef - green roast beef! It looked like it dated back to World War II. As if the humidity and the rain and the bugs weren’t enough to put up with - even the food has to suck.
TOM
Yeah, I ate that crap, too. What I wouldn’t give for a steak smothered in mushrooms and a baked potato brimming with butter and sour cream.
There is a knock at the door. The GIRL enters from the kitchen.
GIRL
Maybe that be mamasan.
JIM
Just shut up and answer the door.
GIRL
Yes, Jim.
The GIRL walks over to the door and opens it. MAMASAN is standing in the doorway.
GIRL
Come in, mamasan.
MAMASAN enters the apartment.
MAMASAN
Gac bo.
JIM
Tell her that I have ten cases of beer and twenty bottles of cognac to sell.
GIRL
Lung thung hen dam do tai tai ban tai tao.
MAMASAN nods in agreement, saying:
MAMASAN
Dam tao tai.
TOM
Twenty bottles of cognac! How did you manage that?
JIM
I take care of this babe and in exchange she tightens me up with extra rations.
PAUL
It must be nice to have connections.
JIM
It’s all in whom you know, man. All in whom you know.
GIRL
Jim, mamsan say she do. She have taxi outside.
JIM
How about giving me a hand, fellows?
TOM
Sure, buddy.
PAUL
Where’s the merchandise?
JIM
In the kitchen.
All three men rise and make their way into the kitchen. Several seconds later they emerge carrying three cases of beer apiece.
TOM
God, this shit is heavy!
All three men exit outside, taking the beer to the awaiting taxi. They return a minute later.
JIM
Now, the cognac.
PAUL
How do you do it, man? How do you manage to get more than your monthly allotment?
TOM
Yeah, Jim, you can’t be that good in bed.
JIM
Money talks, man. I slip this chick a few dollars and always check out through her register. Works like a charm.
PAUL
I sure wish that I had a racket like that.
All three men again exit into the kitchen. Several seconds later they return carrying one shopping bag apiece. They walk to the door and exit onto the street to place the shopping bags in the waiting taxi. They reenter the apartment a minute later.
JIM (to the GIRL)
Tell mamasan to get her ass moving. I want my cash first thing tomorrow morning.
GIRL (to MAMASAN)
Voi vang trang ton pin luu lac dun lai.
MAMASAN
Dai tang dai to.
MAMASAN exits. The GIRL stands silently. PAUL looks at his watch.
PAUL
Wow, it’s that late. I’ve got to split. I’ve got guard duty tomorrow night and I’ve got to get some sleep.
TOM
I better take off, too. What time do you want me to come by tomorrow morning?
JIM
Make it about ten o’clock or so.
TOM
I’ll be here.
JIM
Don’t you two guys wander into any hot pussy on your way back to the base.
All three men laugh.
PAUL
Thanks for the beer, Jim. See you around.
TOM
Later on, man. I’ll see you tomorrow.
TOM and PAUL stagger out the front door of the apartment. JIM goes over to the poker table, picks up his last beer and then walks over to the bed and plops himself down on the edge.
JIM (to himself)
Tomorrow I will have the cash to make the down payment on my Vet.
JIM drains his last can of beer in one gulp.
JIM (to the GIRL)
Get over here. I’m horny.
GIRL
I wash first, Jim.
JIM
Well, hurry up!
GIRL
Yes, Jim.
The GIRL hurries into the bathroom. JIM rises from the bed and takes off his shirt and shoes. He then rises and stands before the mirror, flexing his muscles and admiring himself. Then the stage then goes dark.