Read Online The Miracle Worker by William Gibson - Free Book Online

HELEN . Then ANNIE goes wearily to her suitcase, and lifts it to take it toward the bed. But it knocks an object to the floor, and she turns back to regard it. A new voice comes in a cultured murmur, hesitant as with the effort of remembering a text:)
    MAN’S VOICE: This—soul—
    ( ANNIE puts the suitcase down, and kneels to the object: it is the battered Perkins report, and she stands with it in her hand, letting memory try to speak:)
    This—blind, deaf, mute—woman—
    ( ANNIE sits on her bed, opens the book, and finding the passage, brings it up an inch from her eyes to read, her face and lips following the overhead words, the voice quite factual now:)
    Can nothing be done to disinter this human soul? The whole neighborhood would rush to save this woman if she were buried alive by the caving in of a pit, and labor with zeal until she were dug out. Now if there were one who had as much patience as zeal, he might awaken her to a consciousness of her immortal—
    (When the boy’s voice comes, ANNIE closes her eyes, in pain.)
    BOY’S VOICE: Annie? Annie, you there?
    ANNIE: Hush.
    BOY’S VOICE: Annie, what’s that noise?
    ( ANNIE tries not to answer; her own voice is drawn out of her, unwilling.)
    ANNIE: Just a cot, Jimmie.
    BOY’S VOICE: Where they pushin’ it?
    ANNIE: To the deadhouse.
    BOY’S VOICE: Annie. Does it hurt, to be dead?
    ( ANNIE escapes by opening her eyes, her hand works restlessly over her cheek; she retreats into the book again, but the cracked old crones interrupt, whispering. ANNIE slowly lowers the book.)
    FIRST CRONE’S VOICE: There is schools.
    SECOND CRONE’S VOICE: There is schools outside—
    THIRD CRONE’S VOICE: —schools where they teach blind ones, worse’n you—
    FIRST CRONE’S VOICE: To read—
    SECOND CRONE’S VOICE: To read and write—
    THIRD CRONE’S VOICE: There is schools outside where they—
    FIRST CRONE’S VOICE: There is schools—
    (Silence. ANNIE sits with her eyes shining, her hand almost in a caress over the book. Then:)
    BOY’S VOICE: You ain’t goin’ to school, are you, Annie?
    ANNIE [ WHISPERING ]: When I grow up.
    BOY’S VOICE: You ain’t either, Annie. You’re goin’ to stay here take care of me.
    ANNIE: I’m goin’ to school when I grow up.
    BOY’S VOICE: You said we’ll be together, forever and ever and ever—
    ANNIE [ FIERCE ]: I’m goin’ to school when I grow up!
    DOCTOR’S VOICE [ SLOWLY ]: Little girl. Little girl, I must tell you. Your brother will be going on a journey, soon.
    ( ANNIE sits rigid, in silence. Then the boy’s voice pierces it, a shriek of terror.)
    BOY’S VOICE: Annie!
    (It goes into ANNIE like a sword, she doubles onto it; the book falls to the floor. It takes her a racked moment to find herself and what she was engaged in here; when she sees the suitcase she remembers, and lifts it once again toward the bed. But the voices are with her, as she halts with suitcase in hand.)
    FIRST CRONE’S VOICE: Goodbye, Annie.
    DOCTOR’S VOICE: Write me when you learn how.
    SECOND CRONE’S VOICE: Don’t tell anyone you came from here. Don’t tell anyone—
    THIRD CRONE’S VOICE: Yeah, don’t tell anyone you came from—
    FIRST CRONE’S VOICE: Yeah, don’t tell anyone—
    SECOND CRONE’S VOICE: Don’t tell any—
    (The echoing voices fade. After a moment ANNIE lays the suitcase on the bed; and the last voice comes faintly, from far away.)
    BOY’S VOICE: Annie. It hurts, to be dead. Forever.
    ( ANNIE falls to her knees by the bed, stifling her mouth in it. When at last she rolls blindly away from it, her palm comes down on the open report; she opens her eyes, regards it dully, and then, still on her knees, takes in the print.)
    MAN’S VOICE [ FACTUAL ]:—might awaken her to a consciousness of her immortal nature. The chance is