The Iron Mountain Review Vol. XXXII

Robert Gipe and Higher Ground Company 59

they know me, because they know my family. On bad days, they’re hateful and rude—because they know my family. It’s either [ Upbeat. ] “Oh. You’re Timmy Ray and April’s daughter,” or it’s [ Wary, disapproving. ] “Oh. You’re Timmy Ray and April’s daughter.” Sometimes I want to go where no one knows me. Where I don’t feel trapped inside the same old batch of stories. JULIA [ To MAY.]: Are you OK? MAY: Yeah. I’m just having a bad day. JULIA: Well, here, come on. We’re fixing to eat. JAMES: You’ll feel better if you eat. JULIA, BETH, and JAMES move to feed. JULIA [ To MAY]: So you don’t like stories? MAY: Not too much. JAMES: Maybe nobody in your family told stories. MAY: No. My mom was awesome at telling stories. JULIA: Who is your mom? MAY: April Patterson. BETH: I know her. She’s so funny. And sweet. MAY: She acted like she cared for everybody, but when it came to her kids, it was like we were a chore. We interfered with her partying. She would flat out tell us she didn’t want us. But she didn’t want anybody else to have us either, because my grandma was trying to raise us, and Momma would come back in the nick of time to jerk us out so she couldn’t adopt us. But she could tell a story. Ain’t no doubt about that. JULIA: May, I was sorry to hear about your mother. MAY: It’s OK. JAMES: Did she die? MAY: Last February. February 11 th . Overdose. ALL: Oh. We’re so sorry. MAY: Yeah, she could put on a show. JULIA, BETH, JAMES look puzzled.

CARLTON: I didn’t believe it at first either. But it’s true. You should talk to Beth again. JAMES: I should. JAMES turns to leave.

CARLTON: You want your pistol? JAMES: You hang onto it for me. Exit JAMES and CARLTON. Song: “River Taught Me to Run” River taught me to run, run, run, river taught me to run my momma taught me to dance “First you got to give the girl a chance” Papa taught me to speak “make yourself heard but don’t preach” My sister taught me to be still “don’t waste your time chasin’ a thrill” The river taught me to run, run, run, river taught me to run

The river taught me to run [the river taught me to run] The river taught me to run [down the mountain like a thief] The river taught me to run [the river taught me to run] The river taught me to run [down the valley to the sea] The river taught me to run, run, run river taught me to run

I learned to dance around the truth I can talk the moonlight off a roof I learned to speak without words I can raise a fist and be heard I learned to have you gotta steal Never gave nothin’ for a meal The river taught me to run, run, run river taught me to run ***

Scene Ten: Feed Her / Wish You Were Dead Lights up on MAY on her own stage. BETH and JULIA join JAMES on his. MAY: Sometimes I love it here. Sometimes I hate it. On a good day, I love the people. They’re friendly, caring, and