Читать книгу The Apple Family - Richard Nelson - Страница 17

Marian

A short time later. All but Marian are sitting. Perhaps they have sat down in different chairs, with plates, drinks, eating. Marian stands, serving herself.

MARIAN (Answering a question): Adam’s poll watching.

BARBARA (Explaining to Tim): He runs the Democrats here.

MARIAN: He doesn’t “run” them. But he’s busy tonight. He said he might try and drop in after the polls close. But I doubt it.

(Short pause.)

JANE: Is it going to be as bad as they say?

MARIAN (About Richard): At least his boss is going to win.

TIM: Do we think they’ll take both houses?

RICHARD: I was telling them a funny story—

BARBARA: Don’t. Please.

MARIAN: What? What funny story? I think tonight we’re going to need all the funny stories we can get.

(She smiles.)

RICHARD: The punch line goes something like—“Fuck Kirsten Gillibrand and the horse—”?

MARIAN (Upset): For Christ sake—when are you going to grow up?!

BARBARA (Over this): I told you not to—

MARIAN: Why is that funny, Richard?! You want her to lose? You want them to win everything?

RICHARD (To himself): “And the horse’s name is Chuck.”

MARIAN: I really don’t understand you. (To Barbara) Thank god Adam’s not here. (To Richard) You know he calls you a whiner.

JANE (Smiling): Does he? (To Richard) Did you know that?

MARIAN (To Jane): And you too sometimes.

JANE (“Whining”): When do I whine?

RICHARD: I think of myself as—objective. As—critical. A social critic.

MARIAN (To Barbara): When did he give up?

RICHARD: What have I given up? What is there to give up on? (Smiles)

MARIAN (To Jane): Barbara said she didn’t even know you were spending the week up here. And if Richard hadn’t told her, we’d never have known.

JANE: We were settling in.

MARIAN: Bard College is just down the road.

JANE: I know where Bard is. I’m working hard on my book.

(Short pause. They eat.)

MARIAN (To Jane): How’s Billy?

RICHARD (Before she can answer): He’s lost. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. Helpless.

JANE: He’s thinking of applying to law schools.

BARBARA: You didn’t say that—

JANE (To Barbara): I’m not “pushing him.” (To Marian) How’s Evan? Will we see her—?

MARIAN: She might drop by. I told her her uncle was here . . . (Gestures to Richard)

JANE: What about me?

MARIAN (To Jane): Mostly she just goes in and out.

BARBARA: That passes. (To Jane) Doesn’t it?

(Jane shrugs.)

MARIAN: If we don’t support people like Gillibrand, no matter what we may think of her—and I sort of like her . . . I’ve met her. She’s okay. But—we need to win, Richard. It’s not about “like” anymore.

JANE: I’d have voted for Gillibrand.

(Marian looks at her.)

I’ve been up here. It was too late for an absentee ballot.

(To Tim) Wasn’t it?

BARBARA: I thought you said you voted for Cuomo.

JANE: Did I? (To everyone) Did I? I guess I feel like I did. (Then)

I would have . . .

(She eats.

Benjamin starts to stand up.)

MARIAN: Where are you going, Uncle Benjamin?

BENJAMIN: Where’s Oliver?

(They all look at each other. Then:)

MARIAN (Impatient): Oliver is dead. You put him to sleep. We couldn’t ask Barbara to keep cleaning that mess up—

BARBARA: That wasn’t why we put him—

MARIAN: He’s dead, Uncle.

(Benjamin looks around, and sits.)

(Calmly to the others) He forgets. You have to remind him.

BARBARA (To say something): The bean salad and the dessert are Marian’s. She brought them over earlier.

TIM: It’s very good . . .

(Barbara looks at Tim; he buries himself in the eating.)

MARIAN (To Richard): And how are your kids, Richard?

RICHARD: They’re good. They’re not teenagers yet.

BARBARA: And your wife?

MARIAN: She has a name, Barbara.

BARBARA: I didn’t mean—How’s Pamela?

RICHARD: I just spoke with her. Before dinner. I called. She sends her best to all of my many many sisters . . . Tim, do you have sisters?

TIM: No.

(Short pause. The sisters wait for Richard to say something.)

RICHARD: I’m not going to say anything. Certainly nothing that could get me hurt.

MARIAN: We spoiled him, Tim.

RICHARD (To Tim): I’ve got the scars to prove it. (Starts to pull up his shirt)

BARBARA: Not while we’re eating. Where did you grow up?

(This makes all the siblings smile.)

JANE: He teased us mercilessly.

RICHARD (To Tim): That is a complete lie—

JANE: Shut up.

MARIAN (To Tim): We taught him everything. (Beginning to name the things they taught him) To keep the toilet seat down.

JANE: What else?

BARBARA: I think that’s it. That’s all that mattered to us. (Smiles, then back to the subject; to Richard) Is Pamela home now for good?

RICHARD: We’ve worked things out.

BARBARA: Good.

(Then:)

(To Tim) She was away.

RICHARD (Without looking at anyone): I’m going to be leaving the office. I’ve taken a job with a big firm. It’s time. The kids are going to be going to college . . .

MARIAN: What? (To Barbara) Did you know about this?

BARBARA: No.

MARIAN: Did you, Jane?

(Jane nods.)

BARBARA: Jane and Richard talk, Marian.

(Short pause.)

MARIAN: Because of Pamela??

RICHARD: Shut up.

MARIAN (To Jane): Because of her? Is this how you worked things out? You love your job. (To Barbara) He’s now worked for how many Attorneys General?

(Short pause. They eat.)

BARBARA (To Marian, as they digest this news about Richard): Jane and Tim got to Rhinebeck early and she showed him around town.

MARIAN (To Jane): Putting off coming here?

JANE: No. No.

TIM (To help Jane out): It’s a sweet village. I love the wooden signs.

MARIAN: We live here.

TIM (After a look at Jane): I didn’t mean—

MARIAN: On weekends in the summer, you New Yorkers come here and saunter in the middle of the street—like it’s some amusement park. And so we’re supposed to just stop our cars so you can walk . . .?

(Then:)

There are more registered Democrats than Republicans in this village now. That is a big change since I came here.

TIM: Is it . . .

MARIAN: We have the first openly gay elected official in all of Dutchess County. Kathy. She’s the town highway superintendent.

TIM: That’s—good.

MARIAN (To Jane): I thought Tim would be interested in that—being in the theater.

(Pause.)

TIM: So—then the Democrats will win—here?

MARIAN (Eating): There were a lot of old people in line to vote. That’s never a good sign. People aren’t thinking . . . There’s a lot of anger.

RICHARD: I’m angry.

MARIAN: Are you? I’m talking about the crazies, Richard.

RICHARD: I don’t think they’re crazy. I think they’re just pissed off. I think they’re looking at society—a government, and I’m not saying just this government, it’s been like this for decades, it’s just coming to a head. A government that’s always saying: “We’re here to give out things.” So everyone line up, push in line, cut in line, get your head in the trough! That’s not very inspiring!

TIM (To Jane): What is this?

JANE: Sh-sh . . .

MARIAN: So—that’s your excuse for quitting your job? You’re fed up? Do you even believe that yourself, Richard? Or is that just how you justify buying a bigger apartment so your wife would come home and leave that other guy?

BARBARA: Marian . . .

(Short pause.)

JANE (To Richard): Are you and Pamela getting a new apartment?

RICHARD: I don’t want to talk about this.

JANE: How did you know?

MARIAN: She complains about their apartment. She’s always after something else.

RICHARD: That’s not the reason.

MARIAN (To Richard, as she eats): So right now, it is very useful for you to be angry, Richard.

(They eat. The lights fade.)