The Apple Family. Richard Nelson

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СКАЧАТЬ (To Benjamin): Do you know who Cuomo is, Uncle Benjamin?

       (No response.)

       He’s our next—

      JANE (Interrupting): In about— (Looks at her watch) two hours, he’ll be our governor. I’m sure we all voted for him. But that’s very funny. (To herself) “Fuck you Albany.”

      BARBARA: I wish you both wouldn’t keep—

      JANE: “Fuck Albany.” Come on, you must want to say it. You’re a public schoolteacher.

       (Barbara ignores her.)

       We’re doing this as a buffet? (To Richard) It would have been better if Cuomo’d been there.

      BARBARA: Is buffet all right with everyone? You want to sit around a table?

      JANE: Whatever is easiest, Barbara. We don’t want to put you out.

      BARBARA: A buffet is not necessarily easier than—

      TIM (To Barbara): Thank you for doing all this.

      BARBARA: You’re welcome— (Turns to Jane)

      JANE: “Tim.”

      BARBARA: Tim.

       (They are at the tables, filling their plates.)

      RICHARD: Actually, I don’t really like Andrew. I liked working for Eliot more; he had his bad days, but mostly . . . With Eliot it wasn’t all about politics. So—in my mind, Eliot was better. (Looks at the others) But then again—I didn’t have to have sex with him.

       (He smiles. Jane smiles.)

       (Joke to Jane) We’ve heard how that could be a little rough . . .

      BENJAMIN: Why would you have to have sex with him?

      JANE (After a glance at Richard): It’s a long long story, Uncle. Richard was making another joke.

      BARBARA: Since when did everything become a joke to you?

      RICHARD (Ignoring her): I’m glad we decided not to go to Gigi’s. Last time we went there—it’s like being in New York.

      BARBARA: I don’t go there. Only New Yorkers go there.

       (Short pause, as they fill their plates.)

      JANE: Like us.

       (No response.)

      RICHARD: Barbara, I brought you and Marian bagels. They’re in the car. You too, Uncle Benjamin. I know how much you love your bagel.

      BENJAMIN: Do I?

      BARBARA: We have bagels in Rhinebeck. We have a whole “bagel shop” on West Market.

       (Richard and Jane share a look.)

      TIM: I’m sorry I missed the fall foliage. I hear that’s spectacular up here.

      BARBARA: It’s very nice.

      JANE: Tim and I walked around the village a little. We got here early.

      BARBARA: You could have—

      JANE: He’d never been to Rhinebeck.

      TIM: What a beautiful village . . .

      RICHARD: The Beekman Arms—

      JANE: We went in. Where should we sit?

      BARBARA: Anywhere . . .

       (They hesitate.)

      RICHARD: Washington, Lafayette stayed there. (To Barbara) Who else?

      BARBARA: I don’t know.

      JANE: I showed him the sign. You could hardly read it. Don’t they clean it anymore? I’ll bet they cleaned it for Chelsea’s wedding.

      RICHARD (To Tim): Did she point out the muskets on the ceiling?

      JANE (Before Tim can answer): He loved Stickle’s. They don’t have five-and-dimes like that anymore . . .

      RICHARD: Barbara saved an article from the New York Times that called this “The Town That Time Forgot.” (To Barbara) Is it still on your refrigerator?

      BARBARA: Probably.

       (No one has sat down.)

      RICHARD: Maybe I should—Uncle Benjamin—why don’t you sit at the table? That’ll be easier.

       (Directing them to seats.)

       Jane and—Tim. And I’ll sit . . . Barbara—I don’t want to tell you where to sit in your own house . . .

       (Barbara sits.)

       And our sister, when she comes . . . (Another chair)

       (Then:)

       And we are sure she’s not going to be angry that we started without her?

      JANE: Do you care?

      RICHARD: No.

      BARBARA: It was getting cold.

       (Short pause.)

       (To say something) I didn’t tell you—Mrs. Stickle’s son-in-law—not the one who works in the store, the other one?

      JANE: I don’t live here. I’ve never even met Mrs. Stickle.

      BARBARA (To Richard): He wrote that vampire book about President Lincoln.

      JANE: There’s a vampire book about Lincoln? (Smiles)

      RICHARD: I don’t know it.

      BARBARA: It’s very—successful.

       (They begin to eat.)

      RICHARD: Good.

       (They eat.)

      JANE (To Tim): What does Lincoln have to do with vampires?

      TIM: I have no idea.

       (They eat.)

      BARBARA (To Tim): Mrs. Stickle has been here forever. Longer even than Marian.

      RICHARD: You are looking good, Uncle Benjamin. The country air is doing you wonders. (To Barbara) He does look better.

      BARBARA: The bean salad is Marian’s.

      RICHARD (Standing): СКАЧАТЬ