duaatheatre.weebly.comduaatheatre.weebly.com/.../3/4/8834968/a...script.docx  · Web viewAnd I took his place in the garden of the hotel – Three arias. I sang without a mistake!

A View from the Bridge

ACT ONE

ALFIERIYou wouldnt have known it, but something amusing has

just happened. You see how

2

uneasily they nod to me? Thats because I am a lawyer. In this neighborhood to meet a lawyer or a priest on the street is unlucky were only thought of in connection with disasters, and theyd rather not get too close.

I often think that behind that suspicious little nod of theirs lie three thousand years of distrust. A lawyer means the law, and in Sicily, from where their fathers came, the law has not been a friendly idea since the Greeks were beaten.

I am inclined to notice the ruins in things, perhaps because I was born in Italy . . . I only came here when I was twenty-five. In those days, Al Capone, the greatest Carthaginian of all, was learning his trade on these pavements, and Frankie Yale himself was cut precisely in half by a machine gun on the corner of Union Street, two blocks away. Oh, there were many here who were justly shot by unjust men. Justice is very important here.

But this is Red Hook, not Sicily. This is the slum that faces the bay on the seaward side of Brooklyn Bridge. This is the gullet of New York swallowing the tonnage of the world.

And now we are quite civilized, quite American. Now we settle for half, and I like it better. I no longer keep a pistol in my filing cabinet. And my practice is entirely unromantic.

My wife has warned me, so have my friends; they tell me the people in this neighborhood lack elegance, glamour. After all, who have I dealt with in my life? Longshoremen and their wives, and fathers and grandfathers, compensation cases, evictions, family squabbles the petty troubles of the poor and yet . . . every few years there is still a case, and as the parties tell me what the trouble is, the flat air in my office suddenly washes in with the green scent of the sea, the dust in this

3

air is blown away and the thought comes that in some

Caesars year, in Calabria perhaps or on the cliff at

Syracuse, another lawyer, quite differently dressed heard the

same complaint and sat there as powerless as I, and watched

it run its bloody course.

LOUISYou working tomorrow?

EDDIEYeah, theres another day yet on that ship.

ALFIERIThis ones name was Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman

working the docks from the Brooklyn Bridge to the

breakwater where the open sea begins.

LOUISIll see ya Eddie.

EDDIESee ya Louis.

CATHERINEHi, Eddie!

EDDIEWhere you goin all dressed up?

CATHERINEI just got it. You like it?

EDDIEYeah, its nice. And what happened to your hair?

4

CATHERINEYou like it? I fixed it different. Hes here, Bea!

EDDIEBeautiful. Turn around, lemme see in the back. Oh, if your

mother was alive to see you now! She wouldnt believe it.

CATHERINEYou like it, huh?

EDDIEYou look like one of them girls that went to college. Where

you goin?

CATHERINEWaitll Bea comes in, Ill tell you something. Here, sit

down. Hurry up, will you, Bea?

EDDIEWhats goin on?

CATHERINEIll get you beer, all right?

EDDIEWell, tell me what happened. Come over here, talk to me.

CATHERINEI want to wait till Bea comes in. Guess how much we paid

for the skirt.

EDDIEI think its too short, aint it?

CATHERINENo! Not when I stand up.

EDDIEYeah, but you gotta sit down sometimes.

CATHERINEEddie, its the style now. I mean, if you seen me walkin

down the street

EDDIEListen, you been givin me the willies the way you walk

down the street, I mean it.

CATHERINEWhy?!

5

EDDIECatherine, I dont want to be a pest, but Im tellin you

youre walkin wavey.

CATHERINEIm walkin wavey!?

EDDIENow dont aggravate me, Katie, you are walkin wavey! I

dont like the looks theyre givin you in the candy store.

And with them new high heels on the sidewalk? clack,

clack, clack. . . ? The heads are turnin like windmills.

CATHERINEBut those guys look at all the girls, you know that.

EDDIEYou aint all the girls.

CATHERINEWhat do you want me to do? You want me to . . . ?

EDDIENow dont get mad, kid . . .

CATHERINEWell, I dont know what you want from me . . .

EDDIEKatie, I promised your mother on her death bed. Im

responsible for you. Youre a baby, you dont understand

these things. I mean like when you stand here by the

window, wavin outside.

CATHERINEI was wavin to Louis!

EDDIEListen, I could tell you things about Louis, which you

wouldnt wave to him no more.

CATHERINEEddie, I wish there was one guy you couldnt tell me things

about!

EDDIECatherine, do me a favor, will you? Youre gettin to be a

big girl now, you gotta keep yourself more, you cant be so

friendly, kid. Hey, Bea, whatre you doin in there! Get her

in here, will you? I got news for her.

6

CATHERINEWhat?

EDDIEHer cousins landed.

CATHERINENo! Bea! Your cousins . . . !

BEATRICEWhat . . . ?

CATHERINEYour cousins got in!

BEATRICEWhat are you talkin about? where?

EDDIEI was just knockin off work before and Tony Bereli come

over to me; he says the ship is in the North River.

BEATRICETheyre all right?

EDDIEHe didnt see them yet, theyre still on board. But as soon as

they get off hell meet them. He figures about ten oclock

theyll be here.

BEATRICEAnd theyll let them off the ship all right? Thats fixed, heh?

EDDIESure, they give them regular seamen papers and they walk

off with the crew. Dont worry about it, Bea, theres nothin

to it. Couple of hours theyll be here.

BEATRICEWhat happened? They wasnt supposed to be till next

Thursday.

EDDIEI dont know; they put them on any ship they can get them

out on. Maybe the other ship they

7

was supposed to take there was some danger . . . What you

cryin about?

BEATRICEIm I justI cant believe it! I didnt even buy a new

table cloth

EDDIEYoure savin their lives, whatre you worryin about the

table cloth?

They probably didnt see a table cloth in their whole life

where they come from.

8

BEATRICEIm just worried about you, thats all Im worried.

EDDIEListen, as long as they know where theyre gonna sleep . . .

BEATRICEI told them in the letters. Theyre sleepin on the floor . . .

EDDIEBeatrice, all Im worried about is you got such a heart that

Ill end up on the floor with you, and theyll be in our bed.

BEATRICEAll right, stop it . . .

EDDIEBecause as soon as you see a tired relative, I end up on the

floor.

BEATRICEWhen did you end up on the floor?

EDDIEWhen your fathers house burned down I didnt end up on

the floor?

BEATRICEWell, their house burned down!

EDDIEYeah, but it didnt keep burnin for two weeks!

BEATRICEAll right, look, Ill tell them to go some place else . . .

EDDIENow wait a minute. Beatrice! I just dont want you bein

pushed around, thats all. You got too big a heart. Whatre

you so touchy?

BEATRICEIm just afraid if it dont turn out good youll be mad at me.

EDDIEListen, if everybody keeps his mouth shut, nothin can

happen. Theyll pay for their board . . .

BEATRICEOh, I told them . . .

9

EDDIEThen what the hell. Its an honor, Bea. I mean it. I was just

thinkin before, comin home, suppose my father didnt

come to this country, and I was starvin like them over

there . . .And I had people in America could keep me a

couple of months that man would be honored to lend me a

place to sleep.

BEATRICEYou see what he is? Mmm! Youre an angel! Godll bless

you . . Youll see, youll get a blessing for this!

EDDIEIll settle for my own bed.

BEATRICEGo, Baby, set the table.

CATHERINEWe didnt tell him about me yet.

BEATRICELet him eat first, then well tell him. Bring everything in.

EDDIEWhats all that about? Wheres she goin?

BEATRICENo place. Its very good news, Eddie. I want you to be

happy.

EDDIEWell, what already?

BEATRICEShes got a job.

EDDIEWhat job? Shes gonna finish school.

CATHERINEEddie, you wont believe it . . .

10

EDDIENo no, you gonna finish school. What kinda job, what do

you mean? All of a sudden you . . . ?

CATHERINEListen a minute, its wonderful.

EDDIEIts not wonderful. Youll never get nowhere unless you

finish school.

You cant take no job. Why didnt you ask me before you

take a job?

BEATRICEShes askin you now, she didnt take nothin yet.

CATHERINEListen a minute! I came to school this morning and the

principal called me out of the class, see? To go to his office.

EDDIEYeah?

CATHERINESo I went in and he says to me hes got my records,

yknow? And theres a company wants a girl right away. It

aint exactly a secretary, its a stenographer first, but pretty

soon you get to be secretary. And he says to me that Im the

best student in the whole class . . . .

BEATRICEYou hear that?

EDDIEWell, why not? Sure shes the best.

CATHERINEIm the best student, he says, and if I want, I should take the

job and the end of the year hell let me take the examination

and hell give me the certificate. So Ill save practically a

year!

EDDIEWheres the job? What company?

CATHERINEIts a big plumbing company over Nostrand Avenue.

EDDIENostrand Avenue and where?

11

CATHERINEIts some place by the Navy Yard.

BEATRICEFifty dollars a week, Eddie.

EDDIEFifty?

CATHERINEI swear.

EDDIEWhat about all the stuff you wouldnt learn this year,

though?

CATHERINETheres nothin more to learn, Eddie, I just gotta practice

from now on. I know all the symbols and I know the

keyboard. Ill just get faster, thats all. And when Im

workin Ill keep gettin better and better, you see?

BEATRICEWork is the best practice anyway.

EDDIEThat aint what I wanted, though.

CATHERINEWhy? Its a great big company . . .

EDDIEI dont like that neighborhood over there.

CATHERINEIts a block and half from the subway, he says.

EDDIENear the Navy Yard plenty can happen in a block and a half.

And a plumbin company! Thats one step over the

waterfront. Theyre practically longshoremen.

BEATRICEYeah, but shell be in the office, Eddie.

EDDIEI know shell be in the office, but that aint what I had in

mind.

BEATRICEListen, shes gotta go to work sometime.

EDDIEListen, Bea, shell be with a lotta plumbers? And sailors up

and down the street? So what did she go to school for?

CATHERINEBut its fifty a week, Eddie.

12

EDDIELook, did I ask you for money? I supported you this long, I

support you a little more. Please, do me a favor, will ya? I

want you to be with different kind of people. I want you to

be in a nice office. Maybe a lawyers office someplace in

New York in one of them nice buildings. I mean if youre

gonna get outa here then get out; dont go into practically

the same kind of neighborhood.

BEATRICEGo, Baby, bring in the supper. Think about it a little bit,

Eddie. Please. Shes crazy to start work. Its not a little

shop, its a big company. Some day she could be a

secretary. They picked her out of the whole class. What are

you worried about? She could take care of herself. Shell

get out of the subway and be in the office in two minutes.

EDDIEI know that neighborhood, Bea, I dont like it.

BEATRICEListen, if nothin happened to her in this neighborhood it

aint gonna happen no place else. Look, you gotta get used

to it, shes no baby no more. Tell her to take it. You hear

me? I dont understand you; shes seventeen years old, you

gonna keep her in the house all her life?

EDDIEWhat kinda remark is that?

BEATRICEWell, I dont understand when it ends. First it was gonna be

when she graduated high school, so she graduated high

school. Then it was gonna be when she learned

stenographer, so she learned stenographer. So whatre we

gonna

13

wait for now? I mean it, Eddie, sometimes I dont

understand you; they picked her out of the whole class, its

an honor for her.

EDDIEWith your hair that way you look like a Madonna, you know

that? Youre the Madonna type. You wanna go to work,

heh, Madonna?

CATHERINEYeah.

EDDIEAll right, go to work. Hey hey! Take it easy! Whatre you

cryin about?

CATHERINEI just Im gonna buy all new dishes with my first pay. I

mean it. Ill fix up the whole house! Ill buy a rug!

EDDIEAnd then youll move away.

CATHERINENo, Eddie!

EDDIEWhy not? Thats life. And youll come visit on Sundays,

then once a month, then Christmas and New Years.

CATHERINENo, please!

EDDIEI only ask you one thing dont trust nobody. You got a

good

14

aunt but shes got too big a heart, you learned bad from her.

Believe me.

BEATRICEBe the way you are, Katie, dont listen to him.

EDDIEYou lived in a house all your life, what do you know about

it? You never worked in your life.

BEATRICEShe likes people whats wrong with that?

EDDIEBecause most people aint people. Shes goin to work;

plumbers; theyll chew her to pieces if she dont watch out.

Believe me,

Katie, the less you trust, the less you be sorry.

CATHERINEFirst thing Ill buy is a rug, heh, Bea?

BEATRICEI dont mind. I smelled coffee all day today. You unloadin

coffee today?

EDDIEYeah, a Brazil ship.

CATHERINEI smelled it too. It smelled all over the neighborhood.

EDDIEThats one time, boy, to be a longshoreman is a pleasure. I

could work coffee ships twenty hours a day. You go down

in the hold, yknow? its like flowers, that smell. Well

bust a bag tomorrow, Ill bring you some.

BEATRICEJust be sure theres no spiders in it, will ya? I mean it. I still

remember that spider coming out of that bag he brung home

I nearly died.

EDDIEYou call that a spider? You oughta see what comes outa the

bananas sometimes.

BEATRICEDont talk about it!

15

EDDIEI seen spiders could stop a Buick.

BEATRICEAll right, shut up!

EDDIEWell, who started with spiders?

BEATRICEAll right, Im sorry, I didnt mean it. Just dont bring none

home again. What time is it?

EDDIEQuarter Nine.

CATHERINEHes bringin them ten oclock, Louis?

EDDIEAround, yeah.

CATHERINEEddie, suppose somebody asks if theyre livin here. I mean

if they ask.

EDDIENow look, Baby, I can see were gettin mixed up again

here . . .

CATHERINENo, I just mean . . peoplell see them goin in and out . . .

EDDIEI dont care who sees them goin in and out as long as you

dont see them goin in and out. And this goes for you too,

Bea . . . You dont see nothin and you dont know nothin.

BEATRICEWhat do you mean? I understand.

EDDIEYou dont understand; you still think you can talk about this

to somebody just a little bit. Now lemme say it once and for

all, because youre makin me nervous again, both of you. I

dont care if somebody comes in the house and sees them

sleepin on the floor, it never comes

16

out of your mouth who they are or what theyre doin here.

BEATRICEYeah, but my motherll know . . .

EDDIESure shell know, but just dont you be the one who told her,

thats all. This is the United States government youre

playin with now, this is the Immigration Bureau if you

said it you knew it, if you didnt say it you didnt know it.

CATHERINEYeah, but, Eddie, suppose somebody

EDDIEI dont care what question it is you dont know

nothin. They got stool pigeons all over this neighorhood

theyre payin them every week for information, and you

dont know who they are. It could be your best friend. You

hear? Like Vinny Bolzano, remember Vinny?

BEATRICEOh, yeah. God forbid.

EDDIETell her about Vinny. You think Im blowin steam here?

Go ahead, tell her. You was a baby then. There was a family

lived next door to her mother, he was about sixteen . . .

BEATRICENo, he was no more than fourteen, cause I was to his

confirmation in Saint Agnes. But the family had an uncle

that they were hidin in the house, and he snitched to the

Immigration . . .

CATHERINEThe kid snitched?!

EDDIEOn his own uncle!

CATHERINEWhat, was he crazy?

EDDIEHe was crazy after, I tell you that, boy.

17

BEATRICEOh, it was terrible. He had five brothers and the old father.

And they grabbed him in the kitchen and pulled him down

the stairs three flights his head was bouncin like a

coconut. And they spit on him in the street, his own father

and his brothers. The whole neighborhood was cryin.

CATHERINETs! So what happened to him?

BEATRICEI think he went away . . . I never seen him again, did you?

EDDIEHim? Youll never see him no more, a guy do a thing like

that? hows he gonna show his face? Just remember, kid,

you can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole

than a word that you gave away.

CATHERINEOkay, I wont say a word to nobody, I swear.

EDDIEGonna rain tomorrow. Well be slidin all over the decks.

Maybe you oughta put something on for them, they be here

soon.

BEATRICEI only got fish, I hate to spoil it if they ate already. Ill wait,

it only take a few minutes; I could broil it.

CATHERINEWhat happens, Eddie, when that ship pulls out and they

aint on it, though? Dont the captain say nothin?

EDDIECaptains pieced-off, what do you mean?

CATHERINEEven the captain?!

EDDIEWhats the matter, the captain dont have to live? Captain

geta a piece, maybe one of the mates, piece for the guy in

Italy who fixed the papers for them, Tony herell get a little

bite . . .

18

BEATRICEI just hope they get work here, thats all I hope.

EDDIEOh, the syndicatell fix jobs for them; till they pay em off

theyll get them work every day. Its after the pay off, then

theyll have to scramble like the rest of us.

BEATRICEWell, it be better than they got there.

EDDIEOh, sure, well, listen. So you gonna start Monday, heh,

Madonna?

CATHERINEIm supposed to, yeah.

EDDIEWell . . . I hope you have good luck. I wish you the best.

You know that, kid.

CATHERINEYou sound like Im goin a million miles!

EDDIEI know. I guess I just never figured on one thing.

CATHERINEWhat?

EDDIEThat you would ever grow up. I left a cigar in my other coat,

I think.

CATHERINEStay there! Ill get it for you.

ALFIERIHe was as good a man as he had to be in a life that was hard

and even.

EDDIEWhat are you mad at me lately?

19

BEATRICEWhos mad? Im not mad. Youre the one is mad.

ALFIERIHe worked on the piers when there was work, he brought

home his pay and he lived.

CATHERINEHere! Ill light it for you! Dont worry about me, Eddie,

heh?

EDDIEDont burn yourself. You better go in help her with the

dishes.

CATHERINEIll do the dishes, Bea!

ALFIERIAnd toward ten oclock of that night, after they had eaten,

the cousins came.

20

EDDIEYou Marco? Come in, come in!

LOUISIll see you on the pier tomorrow. Youll go to work.

EDDIEMarco. And youre .?

RODOLPHOYes, Rodolpho.

EDDIEGeez, you got here!

MARCOAre you my cousin?

BEATRICEBeatrice. This is my husband, Eddie. Catherine, my sister

Nancys daughter.

MARCOMy brother. Rodolpho. I want to tell you now, Eddie when

you say go, we will go.

21

EDDIEOh, no . . .

MARCOI see its a small house, but soon, maybe, we can have our

own house.

EDDIEYoure welcome, Marco, we got plenty of room here Katie,

give them supper, heh?

CATHERINESit down. Ill get you some soup.

MARCOWe ate on the ship. Thank you. Thank you.

BEATRICEGet some coffee. Well all have coffee. Come sit down.

CATHERINEHow come hes so dark and youre so light, Rodolpho?

RODOLPHOI dont know. A thousand years ago, they say, the Danes

invaded Sicily.

CATHERINEHes practically blonde!

EDDIEHows the coffee doin?

CATHERINEIm gettin it.

EDDIEYiz have a nice trip?

22

MARCOThe ocean is always rough. But we are good sailors.

EDDIENo trouble gettin here?

MARCONo. The man brought us. Very nice man.

RODOLPHOHe says we start to work tomorrow. Is he honest?

EDDIENo. But as long as you owe them money, theyll get you

plenty of work. Yiz ever work on the piers in Italy?

MARCOPiers? Ts! no.

RODOLPHOIn our town there are no piers, only the beach, and little

fishing boats.

BEATRICESo what kinda work did yiz do?

MARCOWhatever there is, anything . . .

RODOLPHOSometimes they build a house, or if they fix the bridge

Marco is a mason and I bring him the cement. In harvest

time we work in the fields . . . if there is work. Anything.

EDDIEStill bad there, heh?

MARCOBad, yes.

RODOLPHOIts terrible! We stand around all day in the piazza listening

to the fountain like birds. Everybody waits only for the

train.

BEATRICEWhats on the train?

RODOLPHONothing. But if there are many passengers and youre lucky

you make a few lire to push the

taxi up the hill. 23

BEATRICEYou gotta push a taxi?

RODOLPHOOh, sure! Its a feature in our town. The horses in our town

are skinnier than goats. So if there are too many passengers

we help to push the carriages up to the hotel. In our town the

horses are only for show.

CATHERINEWhy dont they have automobile taxis?

RODOLPHOThere is one we push that too. Everything in our town,

you gotta push!

BEATRICEHow do you like that . . .

EDDIESo whatre you wanna do,

you gonna stay here in this country or you wanna go back?

MARCOGo back?

EDDIEWell, youre married, aint you?

MARCOYes. I have three children.

BEATRICEThree! I thought only one.

MARCOOh, no. I have three now. Four years, five years, six years.

BEATRICEAh . . . I bet theyre cryin for you already, heh?

MARCOWhat can I do? The older one is sick in his chest. My wife

she feeds them from her own mouth. I tell you the truth, if I

stay there they will never grow up. They eat the sunshine.

BEATRICEMy God. So how long you want to stay?

MARCOWith your permission, we will stay maybe a . . .

EDDIEShe dont mean in this house, she means in the country.

24

MARCOOh. Maybe four, five, six years, I think.

RODOLPHOHe trusts his wife.

BEATRICEYeah, but maybe youll get enough, youll be able to go

back quicker.

MARCOI hope. I dont know. I understand its not so good here

either.

EDDIEOh, you guysll be all right till you pay them off, anyway.

After that, youll have to scramble, thats all. But youll

make better here than you could there.

RODOLPHOHow much? We hear all kinds of figures. How much can a

man make? We work hard, well work all day, all night . . .

EDDIEOn the average a whole year? Maybe well, its hard to say,

see. Sometimes we lay off, theres no ships three four

weeks.

MARCOThree, four weeks! Ts.

EDDIEBut I think you could probably thirty, forty a week, over

the whole twelve months of the year.

MARCODollars.

EDDIESure, dollars.

MARCOIf we can stay here a few months, Beatrice . . . !

BEATRICEListen, youre welcome, Marco . . .

25

MARCOBecause I could send them a little more if I stay here . . .

BEATRICEAs long as you want, we got plenty a room . . .

MARCOMy wife . . . my wife . . . I want to send right away maybe

twenty dollars . . .

EDDIEYou could send them something next week already.

MARCOEduardo . . .

EDDIEDont thank me. Listen, what the hell, its no skin off me . .

What happened to the coffee?

CATHERINEI got it on. You married too? No.

RODOLPHOOh, no . . .

BEATRICEI told you he . . .

CATHERINEI know, I just thought maybe he got married recently.

RODOLPHOI have no money to get married. I have a nice face, but no

money.

CATHERINEHes a real blond!

BEATRICEYou want to stay here too, heh? For good?

RODOLPHOMe? Yes, forever! me. I want to be an American. And

then I want to go back to Italy when I am rich, and I will

buy a motorcycle.

CATHERINEA motorcycle!

26

RODOLPHO(crosses down L of table) With a motorcycle in Italy you

will never starve any more.

EDDIEWhat you do with a motorcycle?

MARCOHe dreams, he dreams.

RODOLPHOWhy?! Messages! The rich people in the hotel always need

someone who will carry a message. But quickly, and with a

great noise. With a blue motorcycle I would station myself

in the courtyard of the hotel, and in a little while I would

have messages.

MARCOWhen you have no wife you have dreams.

EDDIEWhy cant you just walk, or take a trolley or supm?

RODOLPHOOh, no, the machine, the machine is necessary. A man

comes into a great hotel and says, I am a messenger. Who is

this man? He disappears walking, there is no noise,

nothing. Maybe he will never come back, maybe he will

never deliver the message. But a man who rides up on a

great machine, this man is responsible, this man exists. He

will be given messages. I am also a singer, though.

EDDIEYou mean a regular . . .?

27

RODOLPHOOh, yes. One night last year Andreola got sick. Baritone.

And I took his place in the garden of the hotel Three arias

I sang without a mistake! Thousand-lire notes they threw

from the tables, money was falling like a storm in the

treasury. It was magnificent. We lived six months on that

night, eh, Marco?

MARCOTwo months.

BEATRICECant you get a job in that place?

RODOLPHOAndreola got better. Hes a baritone, very strong.

MARCOHe sang too loud.

RODOLPHOWhy too loud?

MARCOToo loud. The guests in that hotel are all Englishmen. They

dont like too loud.

RODOLPHONobody ever said it was too loud!

MARCOI say. It was too loud. I knew it as soon as he started to sing.

Too loud.

RODOLPHOThen why did they throw so much money?

MARCOThey paid for your courage. The English like courage. But

once is enough.

RODOLPHOI never heard anybody say it was too loud . . .

CATHERINEDid you ever hear of jazz?

RODOLPHOOh, sure! I sing jazz.

CATHERINEYou could sing jazz?!

28

RODOLPHOOh, I sing Napolitan, jazz, bel canto . . . I sing Paper Doll,

you like Paper Doll?

CATHERINEOh, sure, Im crazy for Paper Doll. Go ahead, sing it.

RODOLPHOI'll tell you boys, it's tough to be alone

And it's tough to love a doll that's not your own

I'm through with all of them

I'll never ball again

Say boy.

EDDIEHey, kid . . .Hey, wait a minute . . .

CATHERINELeave him finish, its beautiful! Hes terrific! Its terrific,

Rodolpho.

EDDIELook, kid; you dont want to be picked up, do ya?

MARCONo no!

EDDIEBecause we never had no singers here . . . and all of a

sudden theres a singer in the house, yknow what I mean?

MARCOYes, yes. Youll be quiet, Rodolpho.

EDDIEThey got guys all over the place, Marco. I mean.

MARCOYes. Hell be quiet. Youll be quiet.

EDDIEWhats the high heels for, Garbo?

CATHERINEI figured for tonight . . .

EDDIEDo me a favor, will you? Go ahead.

29

All actresses they want to be around here.

RODOLPHOIn Italy too! All the girls.

EDDIEYeah, heh?

RODOLPHOYes! Especially when they are so beautiful!

CATHERINEYou like sugar?

RODOLPHOSugar? yes! I like sugar very much!

ALFIERIWho can ever know what will be discovered? Eddie

Carbone had never expected to have a destiny. A man

works, raises his family, goes bowling, eats, gets old, and

then he dies. Now, as the weeks passed there was a future,

there was a trouble that would not go away.

30

EDDIEIts after eight.

BEATRICEWell, its a long show at the Paramount.

EDDIEThey mustve seen every picture in Brooklyn by now. Hes

supposed to stay in the house when he aint working. He

aint supposed to go advertising himself.

BEATRICEWell, thats his trouble, what do you care? If they pick him

up they pick him up, thats all. Come in the house.

EDDIEWhat happened to the stenography? I dont see her practice

no more.

BEATRICEShell get back to it; shes excited, Eddie.

EDDIEShe tell you anything?

BEATRICEWhats the matter with you? Hes a nice kid, what do you

want from him?

EDDIEThats a nice kid? He gives me the heeby-jeebies.

BEATRICEAh, go on, youre just jealous.

EDDIEOf him? Boy, you dont think much of me.

BEATRICEI dont understand you; whats so terrible about him?

EDDIEYou mean its all right with you? Thats gonna be her

husband?

BEATRICEWhy? Hes a nice fella, hard workin, hes a goodlookin

fella.

EDDIEHe sings on the ships, didja know that?

BEATRICEWhat do you mean, he sings?

31

EDDIEJust what I said, he sings. Right on the deck, all of a sudden

a whole song comes out of his mouth with motions. You

know what theyre callin him now? Paper Doll theyre

callin him, Canary. Hes like a weird. He comes out on the

pier, one-two-three, its a regular free show.

BEATRICEWell, hes a kid; he dont know how to behave himself yet.

EDDIEAnd with that whacky hair; hes like a chorus girl or supm.

BEATRICESo hes blond, so . . .

EDDIEI just hope thats his regular hair, thats all I hope.

BEATRICEYou crazy or supm?

EDDIEWhats so crazy? I dont like his whole way.

BEATRICEListen, you never seen a blond guy in your life? What about

Whitey Balso?

EDDIESure, but Whitey dont sing; he dont do like that on the

ships.

BEATRICEWell, maybe thats the way they do in Italy.

EDDIEThen why dont his brother sing? Marco goes around like a

man; nobody kids Marco. I tell you the truth Im surprised I

have to tell you all this. I mean Im surprised, Bea.

BEATRICEListen, you aint gonna start nothin here.

32

EDDIEI aint startin nothin, but I aint gonna stand around

lookin at that. For that character I

didnt bring her up. I swear, Bea, Im surprised at you; I sit

there waitin for you to wake up but everything is great with

you.

BEATRICENo, everything aint great with me.

EDDIENo?

BEATRICENo. But I got other worries.

EDDIEYeah.

BEATRICEYeah, you want me to tell you?

EDDIEWhy? What worries you got?

BEATRICEWhen am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie?

EDDIEI aint been feelin good. They bother me since they came.

BEATRICEIts almost three months you dont feel good; theyre only

here a couple of weeks. Its three months, Eddie.

EDDIEI dont know, Bea I dont want to talk about it.

BEATRICEWhats the matter, Eddie, you dont like me, heh?

EDDIEWhat do you mean, I dont like you? I said I dont feel

good, thats all.

BEATRICEWell, tell me, am I doing something wrong? talk to me.

EDDIEI cant. I cant talk about it.

BEATRICEWell, tell me what . . . 33

EDDIEI got nothin to say about it!

Ill be all right, Bea; just lay off me,

will ya? Im worried about her.

BEATRICEThe girl is gonna be eighteen years old, its time already.

EDDIEBea, hes taking her for a ride!

BEATRICEAll right, thats her ride. Whatre you gonna stand over her

till shes forty? Eddie, I want you to cut it out now, you hear

me? I dont like it! . . . Now come in the house.

EDDIEI want to take a walk, Ill be in right away.

BEATRICEThey aint goin to come any quicker if you stand in the

street; it aint nice, Eddie.

EDDIEIll be in right away. Go ahead.

LOUISWanna go bowlin tonight?

EDDIEIm too tired. Goin to sleep.

LOUISHows your two submarines?

EDDIETheyre okay.

LOUISI see theyre gettin work alla time.

EDDIEOh, yeah, theyre doin all right.

LOUISThats what we oughta do. We oughta leave the country and

come in under the water. Then we get work.

EDDIEYou aint kiddin.

LOUISWell, what the hell. Yknow?

34

EDDIESure.

LOUISBelieve me, Eddie, you got a lotta credit comin to you.

EDDIEAah, they dont bother me, dont cost me nuttn.

LOUISThat older one, boy, hes a regular bull. I seen him the other

day liftin coffee bags over the Matson Line. They leave

him alone he woulda load the whole ship by himself.

EDDIEYeah, hes a strong guy, that guy. Their father was a regular

giant, supposed to be.

LOUISYeah, you could see. Hes a regular slave. That blond one,

though hes got a sense of humor.

EDDIEYeah. Hes funny

LOUISWell, he aint exackly funny, but hes always like makin

remarks like, yknow? He comes around, everybodys

laughin.

EDDIEYeah, well . . . hes got a sense of humor.

LOUISYeah, I mean, hes always makin like remarks, like,

yknow?

EDDIEYeah, I know. But hes a kid yet, yknow? he. . . hes just

a kid, thats all.

LOUISI know. You take one look at him everybodys happy. I

worked one day with him last week over the Moore-

MacCormack Line, Im tellin you they was all hysterical.

35

EDDIEWhy? Whatd he do?

LOUISI dont know . . . he was just humorous. You never can

remember what he says, yknow? but its the way he says

it. I mean he gives you a look sometimes and you start

laughin!

EDDIEYeah. Hes got a sense of humor.

LOUISYeah. Well, we see ya, Eddie.

EDDIETake it easy.

LOUISYeah. See ya. If you wanna come bowlin later were goin

Flatbush Avenue.

CATHERINEHey, Eddie what a picture we saw! Did we laugh!

EDDIEWhered you go?

CATHERINEParamount. It was with those two guys. yknow? That . . .

EDDIEBrooklyn Paramount?

CATHERINESure, the Brooklyn Paramount I told you we wasnt goin

to New York.

36

EDDIEAll right, I only asked you. I just dont want her hangin

around Times Square, see; its full of tramps over there.

RODOLPHOI would like to go to Broadway once, Eddie. I would like to

walk with her once where the theatres are and the opera.

Since I was a boy I see pictures of those lights.

EDDIEI want to talk to her a minute, Rodolpho, go inside, will

you?

RODOLPHOEddie, we only walk together in the streets. She teaches me.

CATHERINEYou know what he cant get over? That theres no fountains

in Brooklyn!

EDDIEFountains?

CATHERINE. . . In Italy, he says, every towns got fountains, and they

meet there. And you know what? They got oranges on the

trees where he comes from, and lemons. Imagine? on the

trees? I mean its interesting. But hes crazy for New York.

RODOLPHOEddie, why cant we go once to Broadway . . . ?

EDDIELook, I gotta tell her something . . .

RODOLPHOMaybe you can come too. I want to see all those lights. Ill

walk by the river before I go to sleep.

CATHERINEWhy dont you talk to him, Eddie? He blesses you, and you

dont talk to him hardly.

37

EDDIEI bless you and you dont talk to me.

CATHERINEI dont talk to you? . . .What do you mean!

EDDIEI dont see you no more. I come home youre runnin

around some place . . .

CATHERINEWell, he wants to see everything, thats all, so we go . . .

You mad at me?

EDDIENo. Its just I used to come home, you was always there.

Now, I turn around, youre a big girl. I dont know how to

talk to you.

CATHERINEWhy!

EDDIEI dont know, youre runnin, youre runnin, Katie. I dont

think you listening any more to me.

CATHERINEAh, Eddie, sure I am. Whats the matter? You dont like

him?

EDDIEYou like him, Katie?

CATHERINEYeah. I like him.

EDDIEYou like him.

CATHERINEYeah. Whatre you got against him? I dont understand. He

only blesses you.

EDDIEHe dont bless me, Katie.

CATHERINEHe does! Youre like a father to him!

EDDIEKatie.

38

CATHERINEWhat, Eddie?

EDDIEYou gonna marry him?

CATHERINE. . . I dont know. We just been . . . goin around, thats all.

Whatre you got against him, Eddie? Please, tell me. What?

EDDIEHe dont respect you.

CATHERINEWhy?

EDDIEKatie . . . if you wasnt an orphan, wouldnt he ask your

fathers permission before he run around with you like this?

CATHERINEOh, well, he didnt think youd mind.

EDDIEHe knows I mind, but it dont bother him it I mind, dont

you see that?

CATHERINENo, Eddie, hes got all kinds of respect for me. And you

too! We walk across the street he takes my arm he almost

bows to me! You got him all wrong, Eddie, I mean it, you . .

.

EDDIEKatie, hes only bowin to his passport.

CATHERINEHis passport!

EDDIEThats right. He marries you hes got the right to be an

American citizen. Thats whats goinon here. You

understand what Im tellin you? The guy is lookin for his

break, thats all hes lookin for.

CATHERINEOh, no, Eddie, I dont think so.

EDDIEYou dont think so! Katie, youre gonna make me cry here.

Is that a workin man? What does he do with his first

money? A snappy new jacket he buys, records, a pointy pair

new shoes and his brothers kids are starvin over

39

there with tuberculosis? Thats a hit-and-run guy, baby; hes

got bright lights in his head, Broadway them guys dont

think of nobody but theirself! You marry him and the next

time you see him itll be for divorce!

CATHERINEEddie, he never said a word about his papers or . . .

EDDIEYou mean hes supposed to tell you that!?

CATHERINEI dont think hes even thinking about it.

EDDIEWhats better for him to think about! He could be picked up

any day here and hes back pushin taxis up the hill!

CATHERINENo, I dont believe it.

EDDIEKatie, dont break my heart, listen to me . . .

CATHERINEI dont want to hear it.

EDDIEKatie, listen . . .

CATHERINEHe loves me!

EDDIEDont say that, for Gods sake! this is the oldest racket in

the country . . .

CATHERINEI dont believe it!

EDDIE. . . They been pullin this since the Immigration Law was

put in! They grab a green kid that dont know nothin and

they . . .

CATHERINEI dont believe it and I wish to hell youd stop it!

EDDIEKatie!

40

Why dont you straighten her out?

BEATRICEWhen are you going to leave her alone?

EDDIEBea, the guy is no good!

BEATRICEYou going to leave her alone? Or you gonna drive me

crazy?

BEATRICEListen, Catherine. What are you going to do with yourself?

CATHERINEI dont know.

BEATRICEDont tell me you dont know; youre not a baby any more,

what are you going to do with yourself?

CATHERINEHe wont listen to me . . .

BEATRICEI dont understand this. Hes not your father, Catherine. I

dont understand whats going on here.

CATHERINEWhat am I going to do, just kick him in the face with it?

BEATRICELook, honey, you wanna get married, or dont you wanna

get married? What are you worried about, Katie?

CATHERINEI dont know, Bea. It just seems wrong if hes against it so

much.

41

BEATRICESit down, honey, I want to tell you something. Here, sit

down. Was there ever any fella he liked for you? There

wasnt, was there?

CATHERINEBut he says Rodolphos just after his papers . . .

BEATRICELook, hell say anything; what does he care what he says?

If it was a Prince came here for you it would be no different.

You know that, dont you?

CATHERINE. . . Yeah, I guess.

BEATRICESo what does that mean?

CATHERINEWhat.

BEATRICEIt means you gotta be your own self more. You still think

youre a little girl, honey. But nobody else can make up

your mind for you any more, you understand? You gotta

give him to understand that he cant give you orders no

more.

CATHERINEYeah, but how am I going to do that? He thinks Im a baby .

. .

BEATRICEBecause you think youre a baby. I told you fifty times

already, you cant act the way you act. You still walk

around in front of him in your slip . . .

CATHERINEWell, I forgot . . .

BEATRICEWell, you cant do it. Or like you sit on the edge of the

bathtub talkin to him when hes shavin in his underwear.

CATHERINEWhend I do that?

BEATRICEI seen you in there this morning!

42

CATHERINEOh . . . well, I wanted to tell him something and I . . .

BEATRICEI know, honey. But if you act like a baby and he be treatin

you like a baby. Like when he comes home sometimes you

throw yourself at him like when you was twelve years old . .

CATHERINEWell, I like to see him and Im happy so I . . .

BEATRICELook, Im not tellin you what to do, honey, but . . .

CATHERINENo, you could tell me, Bea! . . .Gee, Im all mixed up. See,

I. . . he looks so sad now and it hurts me . . .

BEATRICEWell, look, Katie, if its goin to hurt you so much youre

gonna end up an old maid here.

CATHERINENo!

BEATRICEIm tellin you, Im not makin a joke. I tried to tell you a

couple of times in the last year or so. Thats why I was so

happy you were going to go out and get work, you wouldnt

be here so much, youd be a little more independent. I mean

it. Its wonderful for a whole family to love each other, but

youre a grown woman and youre in the same house with a

grown man. So youll act different now, heh?

CATHERINEYeah, I will. Ill remember.

BEATRICEBecause it aint only up to him, Katie, you understand? I

told him the same thing already . . .

CATHERINEWhat?

BEATRICEThat he should let you go. But, you see, if only I tell him, he

thinks Im just bawlin him out, or maybe Im jealous or

somethin, you know?

CATHERINEHe said you was jealous?

43

BEATRICENo, Im just sayin maybe thats what he thinks. You think

Imjealous of you, honey?

CATHERINENo! Its the first I thought of it.

BEATRICEWell, you should have thought of it before . . .but Im not.

Well be all right. Just give him to understand; you dont

have to fight, youre just . . . youre a woman, thats all, and

you got a nice boy, and now the time came when you said

good-bye. All right?

CATHERINEAll right . . . If I can.

BEATRICEHoney . . . you gotta.

CATHERINEOkay.

ALFIERIIt was at this time that he first came to me. I had

represented his father in an accident case some years before,

and I was acquainted with the family in a casual way. I

remember him now as he walked through my doorway His

eyes were like tunnels; my first thought was that he had

committed a crime, but soon I saw it was only a passion that

had moved into his body, like a stranger.

44

I dont quite understand what I can do for you. Is there a

question of law somewhere?

EDDIEThats what I want to ask you.

ALFIERIBecause theres nothing illegal about a girl falling in love

with an immigrant.

EDDIEYeah, but what about if the only reason is to get his papers?

ALFIERIFirst of all you dont know that . . .

EDDIEI see it in his eyes; hes laughin at her and hes laughin at

me.

ALFIERIEddie, Im a lawyer; I can only deal in whats provable.

You understand that, dont you? Can you prove that?

EDDIEI know whats in his mind, Mr A1fieri!

ALFIERIEddie, even if you could prove that . . .

EDDIEListen . . . Will you listen to me a minute? My father always

said you was a smart man. I want you to listen to me.

ALFIERIIm only a lawyer, Eddie . . .

EDDIEWill you listen a minute? Im talkin about the law. Lemme

just bring out what I mean. A man, when he comes into the

country illegal, dont it stand to reason hes gonna take

every penny and put it in the sock? Because they dont

know from one day to another, right?

ALFIERIAll right.

EDDIEHes spendin. Records he buys now. Shoes. Jackets.

Yunderstand me? This guy aint worried. This guy is here.

So it must be that hes got it all laid out in his mind already

hes stayin. Right?

45

ALFIERIWell? What about it?

EDDIEAll right. . . . Im talking to you confidential, aint I?

ALFIERICertainly.

EDDIEI mean it dont go no place but here. Because I dont like to

say this about anybody. Even my wife I didnt exactly say

this.

ALFIERIWhat is it?

EDDIEThe guy aint right, Mr Alfieri.

ALFIERIWhat do you mean?

EDDIEI mean he aint right.

ALFIERII dont get you

EDDIEDja ever get a look at him?

ALFIERINot that I know of, no.

EDDIEHes a blond guy. Like . . . platinum. You know what I

mean?

ALFIERINo.

EDDIEI mean if you close the paper fast . . . you could blow him

over.

ALFIERIWell, that doesnt mean . . .

EDDIEWait a minute, Im tellin you supm. He sings, see. Which

is . . . I mean its all right, but sometimes he hits a note, see .

. . I turn around. I mean high you know what I mean?

46

ALFIERIWell, thats a tenor.

EDDIEI know a tenor, Mr Alfieri. This aint no tenor. I mean if you

came in the house and you didnt know who was singin,

you wouldnt be lookin for him, you be lookin for her.

ALFIERIYes, but thats not . . .

EDDIEIm tellin you supm, wait a minute; please, Mr Alfieri. Im

tryin to bring out my thoughts here. Couple of nights ago

my niece brings out a dress which its too small for her,

because she shot up like a light this last year. He takes the

dress, lays it on the table, he cuts it up; one-two-three, he

makes a new dress. I mean he looked so sweet there, like an

angel you could kiss him he was so sweet.

ALFIERINow look, Eddie . . .

EDDIEMr Alfieri, theyre laughin at him on the piers. Im

ashamed. Paper Doll they call him. Blondie now. His

brother thinks its because hes got a sense of humor, see

which hes got but that aint what theyre laughin. Which

theyre not goin to come out with it because they know

hes my relative, which they have to see me if they make a

crack, yknow? But I know what theyre laughin at, and

when I think of that guy layin his hands on her I could . . . I

mean its eatin me out, Mr Alfleri, because I struggled for

that girl. And now he comes in my house and . . .

ALFIERIEddie, look I have my own children. I understand you. But

the law is very specific. The law does not . . .

EDDIEYou mean to tell me that theres no law that a guy which he

aint right can go to work and marry a girl and . . . ?

47

ALFIERIYou have no recourse in the law, Eddie.

EDDIEYeah, but if he aint right, Mr Alfieri, you mean to tell me . .

.

ALFIERIThere is nothing you can do, Eddie, believe me.

EDDIENothin.

ALFIERINothing at all. Theres only one legal question here.

EDDIEWhat?

ALFIERIThe manner in which they entered the country. But I dont

think you want to do anything about that, do you?

EDDIEYou mean . . . ?

ALFIERIWell, they entered illegally . . .

EDDIEOh, Jesus, no, I wouldnt do nothin about that, I mean . . .

ALFIERIAll right, then, let me talk now, eh?

EDDIEMr Alfieri, I cant believe what you tell me. I mean there

must be some kinda law which . . .

ALFIERIEddie, I want you to listen to me. You know, sometimes

God mixes up the people. We all love somebody, the wife,

the kids . . . everymans got somebody that he loves, heh?

But sometimes . . . theres too much. You know? Theres

too much, and it goes where it mustnt. A man works hard,

he brings up a child, sometimes its a niece, sometimes even

a daughter, and he never realizes it, but through the years

there is too much love for the daughter, there is too much

love for the niece. Do you understand what Im saying to

you?

48

EDDIEWhat do you mean, I shouldnt look out for her good?

ALFIERIYes, but these things have to end, Eddie, thats all. The

child has to grow up and go away, and the man has to learn

to forget. Because after all, Eddie what other way can it

end? Let her go. Thats my advice. You did your job, now

its her life; wish her luck, and let her go. Will you do that?

Because theres no law, Eddie; make up your mind to it; the

law is not interested in this.

EDDIEYou mean to tell me, even if hes a punk? If hes . . .

ALFIERITheres nothing you can do.

EDDIEWell, all right, thanks. Thanks very much.

ALFIERIWhat are you going to do?

EDDIEWhat can I do? Im a patsy, what can a patsy do? I worked

like a dog twenty years so a punk could have her, so thats

what I done. I mean . . . in the worst times, in the worst,

when there wasnt a ship comin in the harbor, I didnt stand

around lookin for relief I hustled; when there was empty

piers in Brooklyn I went to Hoboken, Staten Island, the

West Side, Jersey, all over because I made a promise. I

took out of my own mouth to give to her. I took out of my

wifes mouth. I walked hungry plenty days in this city! And

now I gotta sit in my own house and look at a son of a bitch

punk like that! which he came out of nowhere! I give him

my house to sleep! I take the blankets off my bed for him,

and he takes and puts his dirty filthy hands on her like a

goddam thief!

ALFIERIBut, Eddie, shes a woman now . . .

49

EDDIEHes stealing from me!

ALFIERIShe wants to get married, Eddie she cant marry you, can

she?

EDDIEWhatre you talkin about, marry me! I dont know what the

hell youre talkinabout!

ALFIERII gave you my advice, Eddie. Thats it.

EDDIEWell, thanks. Thanks very much. It just . . . its breakin my

heart, yknow. I . . .

ALFIERII understand. Put it out of your mind. Can you do that?

EDDIEIm . . . Ill see you around.

ALFIERIThere are times when you want to spread an alarm, but

nothing has

happened. I knew, I knew then and there I could have

finished the whole story that afternoon. It wasnt as though

there was a mystery to unravel; I could see every step

coming, step after step, like a dark figure walking down a

hall toward a certain door. I knew where he was heading

for, I knew where he was going to end. And I sat here many

afternoons asking myself why, being an intelligent man, I

was so powerless to stop it. I even went to a certain old lady

in the neighborhood, a very wise old woman, and I told her,

and she only nodded, and said, Pray for him . . . And so I .

. . waited here.

50

CATHERINEYou know where they went?

BEATRICEWhere?

CATHERINEThey went to Africa once. On a fishing boat. Its true,

Eddie.

EDDIEI didnt say nothin.

CATHERINEAnd I was never even in Staten Island.

EDDIEYou didnt miss nothin. How long that take you, Marco?

to get to Africa?

MARCOOh . . . two days. We go all over

RODOLPHOOnce we went to Yugoslavia.

EDDIEThey pay all right on them boats?

MARCOIf they catch fish they pay all right.

RODOLPHOTheyre family boats though. And nobody in our family

owned one. So we only worked when one of the families

was sick.

BEATRICEYknow, Marco, what I dont understand Theres an ocean

full of fish and yiz are all starvin.

EDDIEThey gotta have boats, nets, you need money.

51

BEATRICEYeah, but couldnt they like fish from the beach? You see

them down Coney Island . . .

MARCOSardines.

EDDIESure. How you gonna catch sardines on a hook?

BEATRICEOh, I didnt know theyre sardines. Theyre sardines!

CATHERINEYeah, they follow them all over the ocean, Africa,

Yugoslavia . . .

BEATRICEIts funny, yknow. You never think of it, that sardines are

swimming in the ocean!

CATHERINEI know. Its like oranges and lemons on a tree. I mean you

ever think of oranges and lemons on a tree?

EDDIEYeah, I know. Its funny. I heard that they paint the oranges

to make them look orange.

MARCOPaint?

EDDIEYeah, I heard that they grow like green . . .

MARCONo, in Italy the oranges are orange.

RODOLPHOLemons are green.

EDDIEI know lemons are green, for Christs sake, you see them in

the store theyre green sometimes. I said oranges they paint,

I didnt say nothin about lemons.

BEATRICE

Your wife is gettin the money all right, Marco?

52

MARCO

Oh, yes. She bought medicine for my boy.

BEATRICE

Thats wonderful. You feel better, heh?

MARCO

Oh, yes! But Im lonesome.

BEATRICE

I just hope you aint gonna do like some of them around

here. Theyre here twenty-five years, some men, and

they didnt get enough together to go back twice.

MARCO

Oh, I know. We have many families in our town, the

children never saw the father. But I will go home. Three,

four years, I think.

BEATRICE

Maybe you should keep more here. Because maybe she

thinks it comes so easy youll never get ahead of yourself.

MARCO

Oh, no, she saves. I send everything. My wife is very lonesome

BEATRICE

She must be nice. She pretty? I bet, heh?

MARCO

No, but she understand everything.

RODOLPHO

Oh, hes got a clever wife!

EDDIE

I betcha theres plenty surprises sometimes when those guys get back there, heh?

MARCO

Surprises?

EDDIE

I mean, you know they count the kids and theres a couple extra than when they left?

MARCO

No no . . . The women wait, Eddie. Most. Most. Very few surprises.

53

RODOLPHOIts more strict in our town. Its not so free.

EDDIEIt aint so free here either, Rodolpho, like you think. I seen

greenhorns sometimes get in trouble that way they think

just because a girl dont go around with a shawl over her

head that she aint strict, yknow? Girl dont have to wear

black dress to be strict. Know what I mean?

RODOLPHOWell, I always have respect . . .

EDDIEI know, but in your town you wouldnt just drag off some

girl without permission, I mean. You know what I mean,

Marco? It aint that much different here.

MARCOYes.

BEATRICEWell, he didnt exactly drag her off though, Eddie.

EDDIEI know, but I seen some of them get the wrong idea

sometimes. I mean it might be a little more free here but its

just as strict.

RODOLPHOI have respect for her, Eddie. I do anything wrong?

EDDIELook, kid, I aint her father, Im only her uncle . . .

BEATRICEWell then, be an uncle then. I mean.

MARCONo, Beatrice, if he does wrong you must tell him. What

does he do wrong?

EDDIEWell, Marco, till he came here she was never out on the

street twelve oclock at night.

MARCOYou come home early now.

54

BEATRICEWell, you said the movie ended late, didnt you?

CATHERINEYeah.

BEATRICEWell, tell him, honey. The movie ended late.

EDDIELook, Bea, Im just sayin he thinks she always stayed out

like that.

MARCOYou come home early now, Rodolpho.

RODOLPHOAll right, sure. But I cant stay in the house all the time,

Eddie . . .

EDDIELook, kid, Im not only talkin about her. The more you run

around like that the more chance youre takin. I mean

suppose he gets hit by a car or something. Wheres his

papers, who is he? Know what I mean?

BEATRICEYeah, but who is he in the daytime, though; its the same

chance in the daytime.

EDDIEYeah, but he dont have to go lookin for it, Beatrice, if hes

here to work, then he should work; if hes here for a good

time then he could fool around! But I understood, Marco,

that you was both comin to make a livin for your family.

You understand me, dont you, Marco?

MARCOI beg your pardon, Eddie.

EDDIEI mean, thats what I understood in the first place, see.

MARCOYes. Thats why we came.

EDDIEWell, thats all Im askin.

55

CATHERINEYou wanna dance, Rodolpho?

RODOLPHONo, I . . . Im tired.

BEATRICEGo ahead, dance, Rodolpho.

CATHERINEAh, come on. They got a beautiful quartet, these guys.

Come.

EDDIEWhats that, a new record?

CATHERINEIts the same one. We bought it the other day.

BEATRICEThey only bought three records. Must be nice to go all over

in one of them fishin boats. I would like that myself. See all

them other countries?

EDDIEYeah.

BEATRICEBut the women dont go along, I bet.

MARCONo, not on the boats. Hard work.

BEATRICEWhatre you got, a regular kitchen and everything.

MARCOYes, we eat very good on the boats . . . Especially when

Rodolpho comes along; everybody gets fat.

BEATRICEOh, he cooks?!

56

MARCOSure, very good cook. Rice, pasta, fish, everything.

EDDIEHes a cook, too! He sings, he cooks . . .

BEATRICEWell, its good; he could always make a living.

EDDIE Its wonderful. He sings, he cooks, he could make

dresses . . .

CATHERINEThey get some high pay, them guys. The head chefs in all

the big hotels are men. You read about them.

EDDIEThats what Im sayin.

CATHERINE Yeah, well, I mean.

EDDIEHes lucky, believe me. Thats why the waterfront is no

place for him. I mean like me I cant cook, I cant sing, I

cant make dresses, so Im on the waterfront. But if I could

cook, if I could sing, if I could make dresses, I wouldnt be

on the waterfront. . .I would be some place else. I would be

like in a dress store. What do you say, Marco, we go to the

bouts next Saturday night. You never seen a fight, did you?

MARCOOnly in the moving pictures . . .

57

EDDIEIll treat yiz. What do you say, Danish? you wanna come

along? Ill buy the tickets.

RODOLPHOSure. I like to go.

CATHERINEIll make some coffee, all right?

EDDIEGo ahead, make some! Make it nice and strong. You wait,

Marco, you see some real fights here. You ever do any

boxing?

MARCONo, I never.

EDDIEBetcha you have done some, heh?

RODOLPHONo.

EDDIEWell, come on, Ill teach you.

BEATRICEWhats he got to learn that for?

EDDIEYa cant tell, one a these days somebodys liable to step on

his foot or sumpn. Come on, Rodolpho, I show you a

couple a passes.

BEATRICEGo ahead, Rodolpho hes a good boxer, he could teach you

RODOLPHOWell, I dont know how to . . .

EDDIEJust put your hands up. Like this, see? Thats right. Thats

very good; keep youre left up, because you lead with the

left, see, like this . . . See? Now what you gotta do is you

gotta block me, so when I come in like that you . . .

58

Hey, thats very good! All right, now come into me. Come

on.

RODOLPHOI dont want to hit you, Eddie.

EDDIEDont pity me, come on. Throw it, Ill show you how to

block it. Ats it. Come on again. For the jaw right

hereVery good!

BEATRICEHes very good!

EDDIESure, hes great! Come on, kid, put sumpn behind it, you

cant hurt me. Attaboy. Now Im gonna hit you, so block

me, see?

CATHERINEWhat are they doin?

BEATRICEHes teachin him; hes very good!

EDDIESure, hes terrific! Look at him go! Ats it! Now, watch

out, here I come, Danish!

CATHERINEEddie!

EDDIEWhy? I didnt hurt him. Did I hurt you, kid?

RODOLPHONo, no, he didnt hurt me. I was only surprised.

59

BEATRICEThats enough, Eddie; he did pretty good, though.

EDDIEYeah. He could be very good, Marco. Ill teach him again

RODOLPHODance, Catherine. Come.

MARCOCan you lift this chair?

EDDIEWhat do you mean?

MARCOFrom here.

EDDIESure, why not? Gee, thats hard, I never knew that. Its on

an angle, thats why, heh?

MARCOHere.

60

ALFIERIOn the twenty-third of that December a case of Scotch

whiskey slipped from a net while being unloaded as a case

of Scotch whiskey is inclined to do on the twenty-third of

December on pier 41. There was no snow, but it was cold,

his wife was out shopping. Marco was still at work. The boy

had not been hired that day; Catherine told me later, that this

was the first time they had been alone together in the house.

CATHERINEYou hungry?

RODOLPHONot for anything to eat. I have nearly three hundred dollars.

Catherine?

CATHERINEI heard you.

RODOLPHOYou dont like to talk about it any more?

CATHERINESure, I dont mind talkin about it.

RODOLPHOWhat worries you, Catherine?

CATHERINEI been wantin to ask you about something. Could I?

RODOLPHOAll the answers are in my eyes, Catherine. But you dont

look in my eyes lately. Youre full of secrets. What is the

question?

CATHERINESuppose I wanted to live in Italy.

RODOLPHOYou going to marry somebody rich?

61

CATHERINENo, I mean live there you and me.

RODOLPHOWhen?

CATHERINEWell . . . when we get married.

RODOLPHOYou want to be an Italian?

CATHERINENo, but I could live there without being Italian. Americans

live there.

RODOLPHOForever?

CATHERINEYeah.

RODOLPHOYoure fooling.

CATHERINENo, I mean it.

RODOLPHOWhere do you get such an idea?

CATHERINEWell, youre always saying its so beautiful there, with the

mountains and the ocean and all the . . .

RODOLPHOYoure fooling me.

CATHERINEI mean it.

RODOLPHOCatherine, if I ever brought you home with no money,

no business, nothing, they would call the priest and the

doctor and they would say Rodolpho is crazy.

CATHERINEI know, but I think we would be happier there.

RODOLPHOHappier! What would you eat? You cant cook the view!

CATHERINEMaybe you could be a singer, like in Rome or . . .

RODOLPHORome! Rome is full of singers.

62

CATHERINEWell, I could work then.

RODOLPHOWhere?

CATHERINEGod, there must be jobs somewhere!

RODOLPHOTheres nothing! Nothing, nothing, nothing. Now tell me

what youre talking about. How can I bring you from a rich

country to suffer in a poor country? What are you talking

about? I would be a criminal stealing your face. In two years

you would have an old, hungry face. When my brothers

babies cry they give them water, water that boiled a bone.

Dont you believe that?

CATHERINEIm afraid of Eddie here.

RODOLPHOWe wouldnt live here. Once I am a citizen I could work

anywhere and I would find better jobs and we would have a

house, Catherine . . . If I were not afraid to be arrested I

would start to be something wonderful here!

CATHERINETell me something. I mean just tell me, Rodolpho would

you still want to do it if it turned out we had to go live in

Italy? I mean just if it turned out that way.

RODOLPHOThis is your question or his question?

CATHERINEI would like to know, Rodolpho. I mean it.

RODOLPHOTo go there with nothing.

CATHERINEYeah.

RODOLPHONo. No.

CATHERINEYou wouldnt?

63

RODOLPHONo; I will not marry you to live in Italy. I want you to be my

wife, and I want to be a citizen. Tell him that, or I will. Yes.

And tell him also, and tell yourself, please, that I am not a

beggar, and you are not a horse, a gift, a favor for a poor

immigrant.

CATHERINEWell, dont get mad!

RODOLPHOI am furious! Do you think I am so desperate? My brother is

desperate, not me. You think I would carry on my back the

rest of my life a woman I didnt love just to be an

American? Its so wonderful? You think we have no tall

buildings in Italy? Electric lights? No wide streets? No

flags? No automobiles? Only work we dont have. I want to

be an American so I can work, that is the only wonder here

work! How can you insult me, Catherine?

CATHERINEI didnt mean that . . .

RODOLPHOMy heart dies to look at you. Why are you so afraid of him?

CATHERINEI dont know!

RODOLPHODo you trust me, Catherine? You?

CATHERINEIts only that I . . . He was good to me, Rodolpho. You dont

know him; he was always the sweetest guy to me. Good. He

razzes me all the time but he dont mean it. I know. I

wouldjust feel ashamed if I made him sad. Cause I

always dreamt that when I got married he would be happy at

the wedding, and laughin. . . and now hes . . . mad all the

time and nasty. . .Tell him youd live in Italy just tell him,

and maybe he would start to trust you a little, see? Because

I want him to be happy; I mean . . . I like him, Rodolpho . . .

and I cant stand it!

64

RODOLPHOOh, Catherine oh, little girl.

CATHERINEI love you, Rodolpho, I love you.

RODOLPHOThen why are you afraid? That hell spank you?

CATHERINEDont, dont laugh at me! Ive been here all my life . . .

Every day I saw him when he left in the morning and when

he came home at night. You think its so easy to turn around

and say to a man hes nothin to you no more?

RODOLPHOI know, but . . .

CATHERINEYou dont know; nobody knows! Im not a baby; I know a

lot more than people think I know. Beatrice says to be a

woman, but . . .

RODOLPHOYes.

CATHERINEThen why dont she be a woman?! If I was a wife I would

make a man happy instead of goin at him all the time. I can

tell a block away when hes blue in his mind and just wants

to talk to somebody quiet and nice . . . I can tell when hes

hungry or wants a beer before he even says anything. I

know when his feet hurt him, I mean I know him and now

Im supposed to turn around and make a stranger out of

him? I dont know why I have to do that, I mean . . .

RODOLPHOCatherine. If I take in my hands a little bird. And she grows

and wishes to fly. But I will not let her out of my hands

because I love her so much, is that right for me to do? I

dont say you must hate him; but anyway you must go,

mustnt you? Catherine?

CATHERINEHold me.

RODOLPHOOh, my little girl.

65

CATHERINETeach me. I dont know anything, teach me, Rodolpho, hold

me.

RODOLPHOTheres nobody here now. Come inside. Come. And dont

cry any more.

EDDIEBeatrice? Beatrice? Beatrice?

CATHERINEYou got home early.

EDDIEKnocked off for Christmas early. Rodolpho makin you a

dress?

CATHERINENo. Im makin a blouse.

RODOLPHOBeatrice went to buy presents for her mother.

EDDIEPack it up. Go ahead. Get your stuff and get outa here.

Where you goin?

CATHERINEI think I have to get out of here, Eddie.

EDDIENo, you aint goin nowheres, hes the one.

66

CATHERINEI think I cant stay here no more. Im sorry, Eddie. Well,

dont cry. Ill be around the neighborhood; Ill see you. I

just cant stay here no more. You know I cant. Dont you

know I cant? You know that, dont you? Wish me luck. Oh,

Eddie, dont be like that!

EDDIEYou aint goin nowheres.

CATHERINEEddie, Im not gonna be a baby any more! You. . .

RODOLPHODont! Stop that! Have respect for her!

EDDIEYou want something?

RODOLPHOYes! Shell be my wife. That is what I want. My wife!

EDDIEBut whatre you gonna be!

RODOLPHOI show you what I be!

CATHERINEWait outside; dont argue with him . . . !

EDDIECome on, show me! Whatre you gonna be! Show me!

RODOLPHODont say that to me!

CATHERINEEddie! Let go, ya hear me! Ill kill you! Leggo of him!

67

EDDIEYou see?! I give you till tomorrow, kid. Get outs here.

Alone. You hear me? Alone

CATHERINEIm goin with him, Eddie.

EDDIENot with that. Dont make me do nuttin, Catherine. Watch

your step, submarine. By rights they oughta throw you back

in the water. But I got pity for you. Just get outa here and

dont lay another hand on her unless you wanna go out feet

first.

ALFIERIOn December twenty-seventh I saw him next. I normally go

home well before six, but that day I sat around looking out

my window at the bay, and when I saw him walking through

my doorway, I knew why I had waited. And if I seem to tell

this like a dream, it was that way. Several moments arrived

in the course of the two talks we had when it occurred to me

how almost transfixed I had come to feel. I had lost my

strength somewhere. I looked in his eyes more than I

listened in fact, I can hardly remember the conversation.

But I will never

68

forget how dark the room became when he looked at me; his

eyes were like tunnels. I kept wanting to call the police, but

nothing had happened. Nothing at all had really happened. .

. So in other words, he wont leave?

EDDIEMy wife is talkin about renting a room upstairs for them.

An old lady on the top floor is got an empty room.

ALFIERIWhat does Marco say?

EDDIEHe just sits there. Marco dont say much.

ALFIERII guess they didnt tell him, heh? what happened?

EDDIEI dont know; Marco dont say much.

ALFIERIWhat does your wife say?

EDDIENobodys talkin much in the house . . . So what about that?

ALFIERIBut you didnt prove anything about him. It sounds like he

just wasnt strong enough to break your grip . . .

EDDIEIm tellin you I know he aint right. Somebody that dont

want it can break it. Even a mouse, if you catch a teeny

mouse and you hold it in your hand, that mouse can give

you the right kind of fight. He didnt give me the right kind

of fight, I know it, Mr Alfieri, the guy aint right.

ALFIERI. . . What did you do that for, Eddie?

EDDIETo show her what he is! so she would see, once and for

all! Her motherll turn over in the grave . . .

69

So what do I gotta do now? Tell me what to do.

ALFIERIShe actually said shes marrying him?

EDDIEShe told me, yeah. So what do I do?

ALFIERIThis is my last word, Eddie, take it or not, thats your

business.

Morally and legally you have no rights, you cannot stop it;

she is a free agent.

EDDIEDidnt you hear what I told you?

ALFIERII heard what you told me, and Im telling you what the

answer is. Im not only telling you now, Im warning you

The law is nature. The law is only a word for what has a

right to happen. When the law is wrong its because its

unnatural, but in this case it is natural and a river will drown

you if you buck it now. Let her go. And bless her.

Somebody had to come for her, Eddie, sooner or later. You

wont have a friend in the world, Eddie! Even those who

understand will turn against you, even the ones who feel the

same will despise you! Put it out of your mind! Eddie!

EDDIEGive me the number of the Immigration Bureau. I want to

report something. Illegal immigrants. Two of them. Thats

right. 441 Saxon Street, Brooklyn, yeah. Ground floor. Heh?

Im just around

70

the neighborhood, thats all.

LOUISGo bowlin, Eddie?

EDDIENo, Im due home.

LOUISWell, take it easy.

EDDIEIll see yiz. Where is everybody? I says where is

everybody?

BEATRICEI decided to move them upstairs with Mrs Dondero.

EDDIEOh, theyre all moved up there already?

BEATRICEYeah.

EDDIEWheres Catherine she up there?

BEATRICEOnly to bring pillow cases.

EDDIEShe aint movin in with them.

BEATRICELook, Im sick and tired of it. Im sick and tired of it!

EDDIEAll right, all right, take it easy . . .

BEATRICEI dont wanna hear no more about it, you understand?

Nothin!

EDDIEWhatre you blowin off about? Who brought them in here?

71

BEATRICEAll right, Im sorry; I wish Id a drop dead before I told

them to come. In the ground I wish I was.

EDDIEDont drop dead! Just keep in mind who brought them in

here, thats all. I mean I got a couple of rights here. This is

my house here not their house.

BEATRICEWhat do you want from me? Theyre moved out; what do

you want now?

EDDIEI want my respect!

BEATRICESo I moved them out, what more do you want? You got

your house now, you got your respect

EDDIEI dont like the way you talk to me, Beatrice.

BEATRICEIm just tellin you I done what you want!

EDDIEI dont like it! The way you talk to me and the way you

look at me. This is my house. And she is my niece and Im

responsible for her.

BEATRICESo, thats why you done that to him?

EDDIEI done what to him?

BEATRICEWhat you done to him in front of her; you know what Im

talkin about. She goes around shakin all the time, she

cant go to sleep! thats what you call responsible for her?

EDDIEThe guy aint right, Beatrice. Did you hear what I said?

BEATRICELook, Im finished with it. Thats all.

EDDIEIm gonna have it out with you one of these days, Beatrice.

BEATRICENothin to have out with me, its all settled. Now we gonna

be like it never happened, thats all.

EDDIEI want my respect, Beatrice, and you know what Im talkin about.

BEATRICEWhat?

EDDIEWhat I feel like doin in the bed and what I dont feel like

doin. I dont want no . . .

BEATRICEWhend I say anything about that?

EDDIEYou said, you said, I aint deaf. I dont want no more

conversations about that, Beatrice. I do what I feel like doin

or what I dont feel like doin.

BEATRICEOkay.

EDDIEYou used to be different, Beatrice. You had a whole

different way.

BEATRICEIm no different.

EDDIEYou didnt used to jump me all the time about everything.

The last year or two I come in the house I dont know

whats gonna hit me. Its a shootin gallery in here and Im

the pigeon.

BEATRICEOkay, okay.

EDDIEDont tell me okay, okay, Im tellin you the truth. A wife is

supposed to believe the husband. If I tell you that guy aint

right dont tell me he is right.

BEATRICEBut how do you know?

EDDIEBecause I know, I dont go around makin accusations. He

give me the heeby-jeebies the first minute I seen him. And I

73

dont like you sayin I dont want her marryin anybody. I

broke my back payin her stenography lessons so she could

go out and meet a better class of people. Would I do that if I

didnt want her to get married? Sometimes you talk like I

was a crazy man or sumpn.

BEATRICEBut she likes him.

EDDIEBeatrice, shes a baby, how is she gonna know what she

likes?

BEATRICEWell, you kept her a baby, you wouldnt let her go out.

I told you a hundred times.

EDDIEAll right . . . let her go out then.

BEATRICEShe dont wanna go out now. Its too late, Eddie.

EDDIESuppose I told her to go out. Suppose I . . .

BEATRICETheyre going to get married next week, Eddie.

EDDIEShe said that?

BEATRICEEddie, if you want my advice, go to her and tell her good luck

I think maybe now that you had it out you learned better.

EDDIEWhats the hurry next week?

BEATRICEWell, shes been worried about him bein picked up; this

way he could start to be a citizen. She loves him, Eddie.

Why dont you give her a good word? Because I still think

she would like you to be a friend, yknow? I mean like if

you told her youd go to the wedding.

74

EDDIEShe asked you that?

BEATRICEI know she would like it. Id like to make a party here for

her. I mean there oughta be some kinda send-off. Heh? I

mean shell have trouble enough in her life, lets start it off

happy. What do you say? Cause in her heart she still loves

you, Eddie. I know it. Whatre you cryin? Go . . . whynt

you go tell her youre sorry? There . . . shes comin down.

Come on, shake hands with her.

EDDIENo, I cant, I cant talk to her.

BEATRICEEddie, give her a break; a wedding should be happy!

EDDIEIm goin, Im goin for a walk.

BEATRICEKatie? . . . Eddie, dont go, wait a minute. Ask him, Katie.

Come on, honey.

EDDIEIts all right, Im . . .

BEATRICENo, she wants to ask you. Come on, Katie, ask him. Well

have a party! Whatre we gonna do, hate each other? Come

on!

CATHERINEIm gonna get married, Eddie. So if you wanna come, the

weddingll be on Saturday.

EDDIEOkay. I only wanted the best for you, Katie. I hope you

know that.

CATHERINEOkay.

75

EDDIECatherine? I was just tellin Beatrice . . . if you wanna go

out, like . . .erent idea, yknow? I mean you could

always come back to him, youre still only kids, the both of

yiz. Whats the hurry? Maybe youll get around a little bit,

you grow up a little more, maybe youll see different in a

couple of months. I mean you be surprised, it dont have to

be him.

CATHERINENo, we made it up already . . .

EDDIEKatie, wait a minute . . .

CATHERINENo, I made up my mind . . .

EDDIEBut you never knew no other fella, Katie! How could you

make up your mind?!

CATHERINECause I did. I dont want nobody else.

EDDIEBut, Katie, suppose he gets picked up . . .

CATHERINEThats why we gonna do it right away. Soon as we finish the

wedding hes goin right over and start to be a citizen. I

made up my mind, Eddie. Im sorry. Could I take two more

pillowcases for the other guys?

BEATRICESure, go ahead. Only dont let her forget where they came

from.

EDDIEShes got other boarders up there?

BEATRICEYeah, theres two guys that just came over.

EDDIEWhat do you mean, came over?

76

BEATRICEFrom Italy. Lipari the butcher, his nephew. They come from

Bari, they just got here yesterday. I didnt even know till

Marco and Rodolpho moved up there before. Itll be nice,

they could all talk together.

EDDIECatherine, Whatre you, got no brains?

You put them up there with two other submarines?

CATHERINEWhy?

EDDIEWhy! How do you know theyre not trackin these guys;

theyll come up for them and find Marco and Rodolpho! Get

them out of the house!

BEATRICEBut they been here so long already . . .

EDDIEHow do you know what enemies Liparis got? Which theyd

love to stab him in the back?

CATHERINEWell, whatll I do with them?

EDDIEThe neighborhood is full of rooms, cant you stand to live a

couple of blocks away from him? Get them out of the

house!

CATHERINEWell, maybe tomorrow night Ill . . .

EDDIENot tomorrow, do it now. Catherine, you never mix yourself

with somebody elses family! These guys get picked up,

Liparis liable to blame you or me and we got his whole

family on our head. They got a temper, that family.

CATHERINEHowm I gonna find a place tonight?

77

EDDIEWill you stop arguin with me and get them out?! You think

Im always tryin to fool you or sumpn? Whats the matter

with you, dont you believe I could think of your good? Did

I ever ask sumpn for myself? You think I got no feelins? I

never told you nothin in my life that wasnt for your good.

Nothin! And look at the way you talk to me! Like I was an

enemy! Like I

ALFIERIA knock on the door. They all stand motionless. Another

knock.

EDDIEGo up the fire escape, get them out over the back fence.

ALFIERICatherine stands motionless.

OFFICERImmigration! Open up in there!

EDDIEGo, go. Hurry up!

ALFIERIShe stands a moment staring at him.

EDDIEWell, whatre you lookin at!!

OFFICEROpen up!

EDDIEWhos that there?

OFFICERImmigration, open up.

ALFIERIKnock repeated

78

EDDIEAll right, take it easy, take it easy.

ALFIERIThe officer steps inside.

EDDIEWhats all this?

OFFICERWhere are they?

EDDIEWheres who?

OFFICERCome on, come on, where are they?

EDDIEWho? We got nobody here. Whats the matter with you?

OFFICERThis is 441, isnt it?

EDDIEThats right.

ALFIERIEddie turns to Beatrice. She looks at him now and sees his

terror.

BEATRICEOh, Jesus, Eddie.

EDDIEWhats the matter with you?

79

BEATRICEOh, my God, my God.

EDDIEWhatre you, accusin me?

BEATRICEMy God, what did you do!

ALFIERIWe see the Officer descending with Marco. Behind him

Rodolpho, and Catherine

CATHERINEWhat do yiz want from them? They work, thats all. Theyre

boarders upstairs, they work on the piers.

ALFIERIBeatrice to Officer.

BEATRICEAh, Mister, what do you want from them, who do they

hurt?

ALFIERICatherine pointing to Rodolpho.

CATHERINEThey aint no submarines, he was born in Philadelphia.

OFFICERStep aside, lady . . .

CATHERINEWhat do you mean? You cant just come in a house and . . .

OFFICERAll right, take it easy.

What street were you born in Philadelphia?

80

CATHERINEWhat do you mean, what street? Could you tell me what

street you were born?

OFFICERSure. Four blocks away, 111 Union Street. Lets go, fellas.

CATHERINENo, you cant! Now, get outa here . . .!

OFFICERLook, girlie, if theyre all right theyll be out tomorrow. If

theyre illegal they go back where they came from. If you

want, get yourself a lawyer, although Im tellin you now

youre wasting your money.

ALFIERIOfficer to Rodolpho and Marco.

OFFICERAndiamo, Andiamo, lets go.

ALIFERLRodolpho and Marco start. Marco hangs back.

BEATRICEWhore they hurtin, for Gods sake, what do you want from

them?

Theyre starvin over there, what you want!

81

ALFIERIMarco breaks from the group and spits in Eddies face.

EDDIEOh, you mothers . . . !

ALFIERIThe officer quickly intercedes and pushes Eddie from Marco.

OFFICERCut it out!

EDDIEIll kill you for that, you son of a bitch!

OFFICERHey! Stay in here now, dont come out, dont bother him. You hear

me? dont come out, fella.

ALFIERIFor an instant there is silence.

EDDIEI dont forget that, Marco! You hear what Im sayin?! Thats the

thanks I get? which I took the blankets off my bed for yiz? You

gonna apologize to me, Marco!

ALFIERIMarco points back at Eddie.

MARCOThat one! I accuse that one!

OFFICERCome on!

MARCOThat one! He killed my children! That one stole the food from my

children.

ALFIERIMarco is gone.

EDDIEHes crazy! I give them the blankets off my bed. Six months I kept

them like my own brothers! For Christs sake, I kept them, I give them

the blankets off my bed!

ALFIERIEddie turns to Louis.

EDDIELouis! LOUIS!

ALFIERILouis barely turns, then walks off.

EDDIEHes gonna take that back. Hes gonna take that back or Ill kill him!

You hear me? Ill kill him! Ill kill him!

ALFIERIThere is a pause of darkness before the lights rise, on the reception

room of a prison.

82

ALFIERIIm waiting Marco, what do you say?

RODOLPHOMarco never hurt anybody.

ALFIERII can bail you out until your hearing comes up. But Im not

going to do it, you understand me? Unless I have your

promise. Youre an honorable man, I will believe your

promise. Now what do you say?

MARCOIn my country he would be dead now. He would not live

this long.

ALFIERIAll right, Rodolpho you come with me now.

RODOLPHONo! Please, Mister, Marco . . . Promise the man. Please, I

want you to watch the wedding. How can I be married and

youre in here? Please, youre not going to do anything; you

know youre not.

CATHERINEMarco, dont you understand? He cant bail you out if

youre gonna do something bad. To hell with Eddie.

Nobody is gonna talk to him again if he lives to a hundred.

Everybody knows you spit in his face, thats enough, isnt

it? Give me the satisfaction I want you at the wedding.

You got a wife and kids, Marco you could be workin till

the hearing comes up, instead of layin around here.

MARCOI have no chance?

ALFIERINo, Marco. Youre going back. The hearing is a formality,

thats all.

MARCOBut him? there is a chance, eh?

ALFIERIWhen she marries him he can start to become an American.

They permit that, if the wife is born here.

MARCOWell we did something.

83

RODOLPHOMarco, tell the man.

MARCOWhat will I tell him? He knows such a promise is

dishonorable.

ALFIERITo promise not to kill is not dishonorable.

MARCONo?

ALFIERINo.

MARCOThen what is done with such a man?

ALFIERINothing. If he obeys the law, he lives. Thats all.

MARCOThe law? All the law is not in a book.

ALFIERIYes, in a book. There is no other law.

MARCOHe degraded my brother. My blood. He robbed my children,

he mocks my work. I work to come here, Mister!

ALFIERII know, Marco . . .

MARCOThere is no law for that?! Where is the law for that?

ALFIERIThere is none.

MARCOI dont understand this country.

ALFIERIWell? What is your answer? You have five or six weeks you

could work. Or else you sit here. What do you say to me?

MARCOAll right.

84

ALFIERIYou wont touch him. This is your promise.

MARCOMaybe he wants to apologize to me . . .

ALFIERIThis is not God, Marco. You hear? Only God makes justice.

MARCOAll right.

ALFIERIGood! Catherine, Rodolpho, Marco, let us go.

CATHERINEIll get Beatrice and meet you at the church.

BEATRICEIll be back in about an hour, Eddie.

ALFIERIOnly God, Marco.

BEATRICEAll right?

EDDIEWhat, have I been talkin to myself?

BEATRICEEddie, for Gods sake, its her wedding.

EDDIEDidnt you hear what I told you? You walk out that door to

that wedding you aint comin back here, Beatrice.

85

BEATRICEWhy! What do you want?

EDDIEI want my respect. Didnt you ever hear of that? From my

wife?

CATHERINEIts after three; were supposed to be there already, Beatrice.

The priest wont wait.

BEATRICEEddie. Its her wedding. Therell be nobody there from her

family. For my sister let me go. Im goin for my sister.

EDDIELook, I been arguin with you all day already, Beatrice, and

I said what Im gonna say. Hes gonna come here and

apologize to me or nobody from this house is goin into that

church today. Now if thats more to you than I am, then go.

But dont come back. You be on my side or on their side,

thats all.

CATHERINEWho the hell do you think you are!

BEATRICESssh!

CATHERINEYou got no more right to tell nobody nothin! Nobody! The

rest of your life, nobody!

BEATRICEShut up, Katie!

CATHERINEYoure gonna come with me!