The Boys of Cherry Hill

Act 1 Scene 3: "Out of the Rain"

ACT I

Scene 3

A montage plays showing the boys working at Cherry Hill over the course of several days to the same routine. JANE is shown to consistently offer them rides home, which they always decline. Montage ends with JANE appearing to ask again.

LIL' ED
(blurting out) We haven't got a home Ms. Jane!

HARRISON
(angrily) Ed! Shut up! Now she'll send us back to the orphanage! (looking at JANE challengingly) We won't go back you hear?! You can't catch us!

He dashes backwards to articulate his point. JANE does not look surprised. She holds her hand out to LIL' ED.

JANE
I wouldn't dream of sending you to such a place. But if I'm to send you back to the streets, I may as well do so after you've had a square meal. Come along, Molly made roast beef, I believe.

LIL' ED takes her hand before HARRISON can stop him, and looks back at BRUCE. BRUCE looks at JANE carefully, then nods, and cocks his head to HARRISON, who looks at everyone in annoyance. But he comes back, and they all head inside to dinner.

Time jump to after they've finished eating. JANE folds her hands in front of her and looks at the boys seriously.

JANE
There is going to be some construction work done on the street leading up here this month. It will take an extra half hour to walk around, Mr. Karter tells me, and I'm concerned you'll be late for your duties.

BRUCE
We can wake up earlier ma'am.

JANE
And be all the more tired because of it. No, I propose you stay with me until it's finished, as many hired workers do anyways. What do you say?

BRUCE looks at HARRISON, who silently tells him he doesn't like it. But LIL' ED looks at BRUCE beseechingly, and BRUCE's skeptical face softens. He turns back to JANE.

BRUCE
Alright ma'am. That'll be fine. (he hesitates, feeling he should say more)...Thank you, for being so kind to us.

JANE
(smiling) Think nothing of it. It is easy to be kind when you are rewarded with hard workers. Come along. Molly has Nathaniel trapped taste testing her latest pies, poor man, so I'll show you to your room.

JANE takes them through the house, LIL' ED holding her hand and practically skipping. BRUCE and HARRISON walk far behind them.

HARRISON
(whispering angrily) Why'd you get us stuck here? Now Lil' Ed's in too deep. He'll be a real pain after we ditch this place.

BRUCE
(whispering) I'm thinking about what's good for us right now Harrison. It's been raining cats and dogs all week, it'll do us all some good to get off the streets for a bit. We leave when...when it's best for us. Lil' Ed understands, he'll recover.

HARRISON
(grunts) Little rain never killed anyone. 'Sides, this probably won't be much better. Probably just a hole in the wall she can stick a cot in. We'll be luck if we end up in the barn loft.

To their surprise, JANE leads them to a well-furnished guestroom, with a wash-basin, couch, and floor-length windows covered in satin curtains. JANE leaves them speechless, and they wordlessly change into their underclothes and crawl into bed. They settle in together, LIL' ED wondrously and happily, BRUCE comfortably, and HARRISON begrudgingly. They fall asleep. Scene ends with JANE coming in to quietly place a metal bed warmer at their feet. She leaves with a smile.

End of ACT 1