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The Name on the Truck
Nate comes home to tell his mother he is leaving the family heating business for a job in Denver. She has known for five weeks. She has been waiting to see if he would say it to her face.
Characters
- CAROL - 50s, owns a small heating and cooling company she took over when her husband died, does the books every night and misses nothing
- NATE - late 20s, her son and her best technician, has been rehearsing this conversation for a month
Setting
The back office of a family heating and cooling business, after closing on a cold November evening.
The back office of a family heating and cooling business. Two desks, a space heater, a wall calendar with jobs written in marker. Evening. CAROL sits at the bigger desk doing invoices. NATE stands in the doorway with his jacket still on.
CAROL
You gonna come in or you gonna stand there and let the heat out?
NATE
I'm coming in.
He comes in. Doesn't sit.
CAROL
Ruiz called. The Hendersons want the furnace swapped before Thanksgiving. I put you on it Tuesday.
NATE
Mom.
CAROL
Tuesday's fine, right? You don't have anything Tuesday.
NATE
Can you stop with the invoices for a second?
CAROL
I can do two things.
NATE
I know you can. I'm asking you not to.
She puts the pen down. Looks at him.
CAROL
Okay.
NATE
So I've been, uh. I've been talking to a guy in Denver.
CAROL
Mm-hm.
NATE
He's got a commercial outfit. Bigger jobs. Hospitals, schools. And he offered me a lead position. Salary, benefits, the whole thing.
CAROL
Denver.
NATE
Yeah.
CAROL
That's far.
NATE
It's a flight.
CAROL
It's two flights. You gotta connect.
NATE
Mom, I'm gonna take it.
Pause.
CAROL
Okay.
NATE
That's it? Okay?
CAROL
What do you want me to say?
NATE
I don't know. Something. I've been sick about this for a month.
CAROL
I know you have.
NATE
What do you mean you know?
CAROL
I mean I know. Denny Fowler's wife works at the bank. You got a letter from a company in Denver with a logo on the envelope, and Denny's wife mentioned it to Denny, and Denny mentioned it to me at the gas station. Five weeks ago.
NATE
Five weeks.
CAROL
Give or take.
NATE
You've known for five weeks and you put me on the Henderson furnace?
CAROL
Somebody's gotta do the Henderson furnace.
NATE
Why didn't you say anything?
CAROL
Because it wasn't mine to say.
(beat)
I wanted to see if you'd come in here and tell me. To my face. Or if I'd get a text from the airport.
NATE
I wouldn't do that.
CAROL
Your father would've. He did it to his brother. Left him with the whole shop and a note on the counter. So don't tell me what people wouldn't do.
NATE
I'm not him.
CAROL
No. You're not. That's what I was waiting to find out.
NATE finally sits, in the smaller chair.
NATE
You could've made this easier.
CAROL
I could've. I didn't wanna.
NATE
Why?
CAROL
Because if it's easy, you don't know what it cost. And I want you to know what it cost. I want you to know I'm gonna be in here at six in the morning with Ruiz, who's a good kid but can't read a blueprint, and I'm gonna be sixty next year, and I'm gonna do it anyway. I'm not saying that so you stay. I'm saying it so you know.
NATE
I know.
CAROL
No, you don't. You will. About March.
Silence. She picks up the pen. Puts it down again.
CAROL
Is it good money?
NATE
It's real good money.
CAROL
Good.
NATE
You could sell.
CAROL
I'm not gonna sell.
NATE
Mom.
CAROL
Your dad's name is on the truck. I'm not gonna sell.
NATE
It's your name too.
CAROL
(a small laugh)
Yeah. It is, isn't it.
(beat)
Tuesday. The Hendersons. You're still doing that.
NATE
I'm still doing that.
CAROL
And you're gonna teach Ruiz how to read a blueprint before you go. I don't care if it takes every night.
NATE
Okay.
CAROL
And you call. Not text. Call. Sundays.
NATE
Okay.
CAROL
Okay.
She goes back to the invoices. He watches her for a moment.
NATE
Were you gonna say anything? If I didn't?
CAROL
(not looking up)
I was gonna let you get all the way to the airport.
(beat)
Then I was gonna call the guy in Denver and tell him you're the best tech I ever had.
She keeps writing. He doesn't move.
End of script