The Apple Family. Richard Nelson

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СКАЧАТЬ in everyone. I told him you hadn’t. (To Marian) Adam’s sending someone over to walk him to the polls.

       (Benjamin starts to stand up.)

      JANE: Who are you going to vote for, Uncle Benjamin?

      BENJAMIN: I don’t know. I’ll see who I like.

      MARIAN: There will just be names. Vote Democrat.

      BARBARA: They have those awful new machines. Tell him how to use the new machine. (To the others) What was wrong with the old ones?

      MARIAN: They’ll tell him. You just color in the bubble wherever it says Democrat, Uncle. Following the line with your finger. That’s what I did. “Democrats,” Uncle.

      JANE: Why don’t you write it on his hand?

      MARIAN: Give me your hand.

      BENJAMIN: What are you doing? I’m going to vote for whom I want to.

      MARIAN: You’re going to vote Democrat. Or you’re not going.

      BARBARA: You’re going to vote for Schumer and Gillibrand and Cuomo.

      MARIAN: They don’t need his vote. Murphy—that’s going to be close. Make sure you vote for Scott Murphy.

      BENJAMIN: Who’s that?

      MARIAN: He’s our congressman, Uncle Benjamin. Vote for him.

      BARBARA: He’s the one with the red hair and big family. In the TV commercials? You said you liked him.

      MARIAN: And everyone else. I don’t know who the hell they are, but vote for them. Ask Adam, he’ll tell you who you’re voting for.

       (Benjamin stands up.)

      BARBARA (Gesturing back to the kitchen): Where’s the dog?

      RICHARD: What?

      BARBARA: The dog. He’s not in the kitchen.

      RICHARD: What do you mean he’s not—

      TIM (Smiling, raising his hand. Richard looks at him): He was scratching at the door. He wanted to go out. When I was getting the book. (Gestures to the book about bundling) I let him out.

      RICHARD (Standing, incredulous): You let him “out” where?

       (The doorbell rings off.)

      MARIAN: That’s your escort, Uncle.

      TIM: Into the backyard. There’s a fence.

      RICHARD: There’s a fence—not a gate. It’s open to the street. For Christ sake, Tim—!

      TIM: Then why have a fence?!

      JANE (To Richard): Don’t blame him, he’s your responsibility—

      RICHARD: Shit! . . .

       (Richard runs out into the kitchen to search for the dog.)

      TIM: I should help him.

      JANE: It’s not your fault—

       (Doorbell again.)

      BARBARA: Let’s go, Uncle Benjamin. They’re in a hurry.

       (Barbara leads Benjamin off.)

      JANE: And Uncle Benjamin goes off to vote . . . (To Marian) They got here fast. Must really be desperate.

      MARIAN: We vote at the town hall. Just around the corner. They’ll have him back in two minutes.

      JANE (To Tim): Everything is so simple here.

      TIM: I knew there wasn’t a gate. We came in that way. I saw that. I should look for him . . . (Stands)

       (Off, the dog barks.)

      JANE (Grabbing Tim’s arm): The dog’s back. No harm done. See? (Patting Tim) He needed to go out. (To Marian) What is so confusing—is that he doesn’t look—physically that different. Uncle Benjamin. So I keep forgetting—that he can’t remember.

       (Barbara returns.)

      BARBARA: That dog’s been skunked.

       (Reactions: “What?” “Oh god.” “What does that mean?”)

      MARIAN: Do you have tomato juice? (Standing) I have cans—

      BARBARA: I have it. Richard’s already doing that.

      TIM (Confused): Tomato juice?—

      MARIAN: You pour tomato juice—cans of it—The only thing that really gets rid of the—Christ, you can smell him in here.

      JANE (Smelling him): I smell him.

      TIM (Smelling): My god . . . Does Richard need—?

      BARBARA: No.

      TIM (To anyone): I feel terrible—

       (No one is listening to him.)

      MARIAN: He’s sorry he went out for a pee now, I’ll bet. And he’s a city dog, isn’t he?

      BARBARA: The man who came to pick up Uncle found him on the steps, he said he looked scared shitless.

      TIM: It was my fault—

      JANE: You don’t have to keep apologizing. And you don’t have to eat the chicken.

       (Short pause.)

       If it makes you feel better, go help Richard.

      TIM: I’ll just see if he needs another pair of hands . . .

       (Tim goes out to the kitchen.

       Jane stands and looks over the food, still deciding. She is near Benjamin’s seat. She moves his plate. Barking off from the yard.)

      JANE: He . . . seems worse.

      MARIAN: Who?

      BARBARA: Richard? He does seem out of sorts, doesn’t he?

      MARIAN: Pamela’s put our brother through quite a lot, I’m sure.

      JANE: I meant—Uncle Benjamin.

      BARBARA: Oh. Does he?

      JANE: Maybe because I haven’t been around him. So maybe it’s me. But he was always so . . . I remember him having all this energy. Could do eight shows a week, and then something, a talk, a reading on his day off. Like a bull.

      BARBARA: I think he’s happier.

      JANE: СКАЧАТЬ