DADDY?S PARTY Act Two
(The setting is the same as the first act. Only now it is dark outside, and the clock hanging over Dr. Johnson has slowed until it has almost stopped.
Dr. Johnson?s breathing is labored and loud and, for the audience, amplified. It is like a loud snore. There are long pauses, during which everyone thinks it has stopped. Then he catches his breath. It is violent and looks as if it hurts him. He is fighting and won?t let go.
The family has gathered in the room. Except for Mrs. Johnson, who is curled up on her bed, they are all circled around the dying man. They have been told the end is near and are all watching and waiting. All are silent, but each in his or her way shows different levels of grief and concern.
The nurse is checking Dr. Johnson?s pulse, holding the old man?s wrist and looking at her watch. When she?s satisfied, she nods, lays Dr. Johnson?s arm down and pulls the sheet up. Everything has to be just so. She makes a few adjustments and, when satisfied, she pats her patient?s shoulder.)
Alice
Father, can you still hear us?
(Mrs. Johnson gets up, goes to her husband?s bed and stares into his eyes.)
Nurse
Almost?almost gone. His pulse is weak. Note his color, how it?s changed. There?s not much time.
Alice
I?m sure he still hears.
Penny
Daddy, Daddy, oh, Daddy?.
Jude
What?s the matter with you?
Alice
Sh! She has something that she needs to say to him.
Clint
I bet we all do.
Alice
But I don?t think Penny?I don?t think she really was ready?not before we talked last night.
Penny
I didn?t sleep much.
Clint
Go ahead, Penny.
Penny
I don?t know about this.
Alice
I think we?ve shocked him, bless his soul.
Penny
Where do I begin?
Alice
Just tell him what you told me last night.
Penny
I?m not sure?
Alice
You can do it.
Jude
Ashes, his ashes, blown by the wind. Carrion eaten by birds.
Alice
Hush, Jude. Let Penny?
Olga
I watched my mom die. I never had a dad until?Dr. Johnson. At least he?s not suffering.
Mrs. Johnson
Honey, please don?t go.
Clint
Heaven forbid anyone stop him.
Jude
He makes dying look easy.
Olga
He was a father I never had.
Penny
Please, Olga!
Olga
I want him to know. I don?t care if it upsets you.
Alice
Don?t respond to her Penny! It?s not worth it.
Olga
I changed his diapers!
Penny
So did I!
Alice
Tell him, Penny! This is your last chance. We?re all behind you.
Penny
But Mamma?s?
Alice
She needs to hear?
Penny
No. It?s not fair to her.
Alice
She knows.
Penny
I can?t.
Mrs. Johnson
Honey, take me with you.
(Mrs. Johnson throws herself on to top of Dr. Johnson and holds him. Penny steps back and starts crying. Alice holds her.)
Clint
This is difficult.
Penny
During scrabble?Daddy?Daddy?he?he?talk about?he tried to draw a ?C.?
Mrs. Johnson
Oh, Honey!
Jude
Bastard!
Penny
Jude!
Alice
Did he draw one?
Penny
What?
Alice
A ?C??
Alice
No.
Clint
We all suffered. It?s only fair that he hear us.
Jude
He?d take his knuckles! Like this! Like this! Right in the head! Yes, he would.
Clint
Listen to me, Pa! Why do you think I ran away? Think about it. It shouldn?t be hard for you to figure out. You should be pleased to know that you were right about me. I own no property and have very little money. I?m not worth a tinker?s damn. But I don?t care.
Alice
Clint, you?re just being hard on yourself.
Clint
It?s all true. Did you hear me Pa?
Alice
He heard you. He?s nodding his head.
Penny
No.
Alice
Okay. Now it?s my turn. Father, this?this?this is Alice here.
Mrs. Johnson
Alice!
Alice
Penny, take care of mother!
Penny
All aboard! Choo-choo-choo-choo!
Mrs. Johnson
Take your hands off me!
Penny
Mamma!
Olga
Let me.
Mrs. Johnson
(Going with Olga over to her bed)
You?re nice.
Alice
Father, I guess you?re waiting to hear from me. I hear you saying to yourself, who is this girl? What does she want? You can die before I?m finished, if you don?t want here. I?m doing pretty well. They?re still paying me to teach at Loyola. But I?m about ready to retire. I?ve wrestled with this for a long time?a long, long time. I know it?s a form of quitting and know how much you hate quitters.
(Pause)
Pa, you?ve stolen everything from me. But I don?t expect you to say you?re sorry. I no longer hate you. You never gave me a chance to beat you in Scrabble. Now tell me. What do you expect me to say?
Mrs. Johnson
Alice, you caused him all kinds of grief.
Olga
Let him go in peace.
Alice
I thought I?d only make a minimal appearance.
Nurse
Excuse me. I think this might be it.
Mrs. Johnson
What!
(Pushing herself off the bed)
No!
(Sobbing)
Honey!
Nurse
Sh! Sh!
(Dr. Johnson struggles for breath and seems to lose the struggle.)
Mrs. Johnson
No! Lover, why? Why are you doing this to me? Please don?t!
(As if Mrs. Johnson?s outburst jumpstarted it, Dr. Johnson?s breathing begins again)
Nurse
Close.
Penny
Damn! I can?t believe it.
Jude
Stubborn! I don?t mind him jerking me around once or twice. But three times? This is ridiculous. It?s getting personal.
Nurse
Why is he hanging on?
Alice
Who knows!
Jude
Why not trip him up? Next time let?s don?t come in here.
Penny
We can?t let him die alone.
Clint
Excuse me.
(Clint goes to the living room.)
Olga
Mom, you need to lie down and try to relax.
(She pulls back the bedspread.)
I?ll tuck you in. Dad wants you to take care of yourself.
(Mrs. Johnson follows Olga?s instructions. Then Olga sits in a chair next to Dr. Johnson?s bed and holds his hand.)
Penny
Someone get a camera.
Jude
Don?t say anything else, Penny.
Alice
I want everyone to know?I?m thankful for Penny. I?m also very impressed by how well the house has been maintained. I expected far worse.
Penny
Yes, it?s been difficult.
Alice
I was surprised?with what I experienced.
Penny
If you don?t want to deal yourself a blow, you better stay out of Olga?s and Jude?s?the honeymooners? room.
Olga
There she goes again. I?m out of here!
(Her feelings hurt, Olga runs to her room.)
Penny
She?s so phony.
Jude
That?s not fair.
Alice
Excuse me too.
(Alice joins Clint in the living room.)
Do they ever stop? Penny, Jude, and Olga?
Clint
Not since I?ve been here.
Mrs. Johnson
He?s my lover. My only lover. We had an agreement.
Penny
Daddy made the decision. No life supports. To die at home. We should respect it.
Mrs. Johnson
What decision? I should?ve been consulted.
Penny
And what would you have said? It wouldn?t have changed anything. It?s a bad kind of cancer.
Jude
You?ve insulted my wife. When you insult her, you insult me. Here she?s taken care of Pop. I warn you?this has got to stop,
(Hyperventilating, Jude starts to leave. Then he changes his mind and sits next to his father?s bed. The scene shifts to Alice and Clint.)
Clint
Alice, Alice, Alice.
Alice
My big brother!
Clint
Yes, I?m your big brother, and I feel bad that?.
Alice
Don?t. We?re here now, and we can?t go back.
Clint
Why are you here?
Alice
Clint, I hear you saying to yourself, ?I don?t belong here. All I have to do is bury him, and then I can leave and get on with my life.? You don?t quite understand all of this but you know that somehow you?re connected. Let me ease your mind. I feel the same way. It?s just for a few days. And how have you been?
Clint
Me? Oh. I don?t do much. Alice, do you hate me?
Alice
Well, I haven?t thought about it?thought about you in a very long time.
Clint
Well, good!
Alice
Hate you?
Clint
Yeah?
Alice
Maybe I?ve hated you.
Clint
I held out hope.
Alice
Maybe?I?ve always looked up to you.
Clint
I love you, Alice.
Alice
How easily you say that.
Clint
Fancy that! Well?
Alice
I hope it?s true.
Clint
It is. There aren?t many people I?ve loved.
Alice
Can I count on it?
Clint
I can be pretty reliable.
Alice
I believe you.
Clint
I?m sorry, Alice.
Alice
Don?t be.
Clint
I hurt you.
Alice
No you didn?t. You just?.
Clint
Why would you say I didn?t when I did?
Alice
It?s not how I remember it. With Father dying? Well, I don?t blame you, no. I can?t. For pity?s sake, no. It was his fault. You know it.
Clint
But I?.
Alice
Sh! Sh!
Clint
Pa did the same thing?
Alice
Sh!
Clint
?to me, and I turned around and did it to you.
Alice
Sh!
Clint
I?
Alice
Sh!
Clint
I knew what Pa was doing to you too.
Alice
Clint, it?s over.
Clint
Is it?
Alice
Now listen to me. The only thing I feel bad about now is that we didn?t stop him. We could?ve?
Clint
I should?ve killed him.
Alice
Will you give me a hug? I need a hug.
(They hug.)
When you reach a certain point in your life? Well, you should?ve gotten there before I did. You should be telling me what to expect.
Clint
For the past so many years, Ma has been trying to get me to come over. Everybody?s tried?
Alice
I used to try to imagine how this would be. Do you know what I would do with an ache?
Clint
No. I just know what I do.
Alice
I ?d cut myself.
Clint
Cut yourself?
Alice
I once carved ?I hate you? on my arm. At that stage, there wasn?t anyone looking after me.
Clint
You cut yourself.
Alice
You can?t fathom it, can you?
Clint
No, I can?t.
Alice
So Father had big plans for you. And you had to spoil it for him. Okay, I understand it. But how could you expect a little girl to know how to protect herself?
Clint
I know I let you down.
Alice
You didn?t let me down. I just worried about you. One day you were around, and then suddenly you weren?t. Before that, you were rarely at home.
Clint
You shouldn?t have relied on me.
Alice
I don?t think that.
Clint
Yeah. I wonder. What would I have?what would?ve happened, if I?d stayed. I really would?ve killed him.
Alice
I would?ve helped you.
Clint
I had a lonely time. And you?
Alice
Quite so, but? I had Willy. At least for a while I did.
Clint
Willy. Really, Willy?
Alice
Willy. Really.
(Clint starts laughing.)
What?s so funny?
Clint
Willy.
Alice
Well, that wasn?t Willy. He was too serious to be funny. It?s a strange feeling not to know someone you once loved.
Clint
Willy?
Alice
Yeah. I?m talking about Willy. Willy. Do something, Willy! Willy, if you don?t want to be here, do something about it! I don?t blame him for leaving me. I never gave him very much. Know what else? I wouldn?t touch him.
Clint
Pa? Or me?
Alice
Clint? Willy blamed it on a midlife crisis. Coward! And what about you?
Clint
Oh, more of the same. Only the characters changed. I?m surprised you still care about me. I don?t deserve it.
Alice
You do.
Clint
No, no.
Alice
Yes, yes.
Clint
You?re overwhelming.
(Pause)
There?s so little I can do to make up for what I did to you.
(Pause)
When you consider it all.
Alice
Don?t, Clint! I?ve moved on.
Clint
Ah, then?I?m mud?I haven?t changed. I?m still a dirty old man.
Alice
No.
Clint
I am. You don?t know. Nobody does. I made sure of that. I sneaked around. I went to a part of the world where laws weren?t enforced.
Alice
Clint?frankly, I don?t want to hear about it. I don?t need it.
Clint
I?d go. I?d try not to. Is it possible to control? How often have I said, ?I?m not going to do it anymore?? And failed. Back to Willy?.
Alice
Well, nine years ago?Willy sat across the dinner table from me. He gave me a long, pitiful look, bowed his head, and told me that he didn?t want to be married to me anymore. When he left, he left the door wide open. It took me a long time to close it.
Clint
It had to have been hard.
(Penny comes into the room.)
Penny
Have I missed something?
Alice
No. We were just talking about growing up in the Bronx. Stuff?just stuff?stuff we hadn?t thrown away. Look around here. It looks as it they picked up the apartment in the Bronx and moved it here. Except, I couldn?t make this my home. Here? No.
Clint
No fire escape. Nowhere to go. No where to let off steam. The fire escape, out the kitchen window in our old apartment, was where I?d hang out. Out there I had a safety ladder. I could always fly down those rungs quicker than Pa. Alice, I should?ve?
Alice
Sh! Sh! I only would?ve gotten in the way.
Clint
Yes, I can see you complaining?take me home.
Alice
There are a few funny things that I could tell you about Clint.
Clint
Funny?
Alice
Ha! Ha! That was about it, you were funny.
Penny
Ha, ha, funny?
Alice
Ha, ha, sad. With him, you didn?t know when to laugh.
Clint
I?m standing right here, and listen to her make fun of me.
(He starts off.)
Alice
I want to tell you a secret about Clint.
Penny
We don?t keep secrets here.
(He goes back to the bookcase.)
Alice
So he disappeared. So what?
Penny
That?s no secret.
Alice
I?ve always said things would?ve been different, very different had mother?
Penny
Alice, Daddy may have had his problems, but?
Alice
Go on?make excuses for him?why you shouldn?t remember?create a false memory?go on, forget what you told me last night?never again admit it?never admit?
Penny
Alice!
Alice
Don?t get hysterical. Look! To avoid Father I had to stay away all the time?not come straight home after school?had all these activities. I joined clubs, was this special girl in charge of everything?editor of the school newspaper, Student Council member, cheerleader. But it didn?t work all the time, I mean?
Penny
No.
Alice
Believe what you want.
Penny
People change all the time.
Alice
Oh, yeah, sure. You can continue to believe whatever you want. I know what happened to me?how he?d slip into my room at night.
Penny
You don?t have the foggiest idea what you?re talking about.
Alice
All I need now is my grown-up brother.
Penny
Why are you so quick to criticize Daddy?
Alice
Hello?Father?eh, what happened between last night and now? Did he get to you in some way? I remember him coming into my room. He?d tell me I was his special little girl. My guess is Mother knew. I?d pretend to be asleep.
Clint
That?s called?
Alice
I?d call it exhaustion. My hope was he?d give up.
Penny
He always was strong-willed.
Alice
Clint, wouldn?t you call it a conflict of wills? Penny, you don?t believe me anyway. I don?t want to bother you with the details.
Penny
I never said I don?t believe you. I said Daddy?
Alice
Forget it! Father would come to the breakfast table?. Well, we had to get out of his way, especially Clint. ?Pull your chair up to the table! Sit up straight and tuck your landing gear in!? But Clint?
Clint
Penny, I?m afraid your sister has the wrong person. However! The ?however? in my case, mind you, was far worse than the beatings. I?m afraid we?ve all been less than forthcoming.
Alice
It?s funny, because I considered our family to be normal. I just thought that was the way families were.
Clint
I thought that too.
Alice
We grew up with it in our heads
Clint
(Laughing)
Normal. So we should?ve counted ourselves lucky?
Alice
I felt shame.
(Then with nervous agitation.)
I don?t know how Father ever made the commute.
Clint
He faced it everyday, everyday a long ride to Columbia, where he taught, and commuted back.
Alice
He?d complain about it all the time.
(Pause)
I could never look at Mother.
Clint
As far as I was concerned, she was never there.
Alice
There?d be a smile on her face. I detested him.
Penny
Well, I didn?t detest him. I love him.
Alice
Then define love. You can?t.
(Pause)
But who would?ve believed me?with Father teaching at Columbia and all. Now, here we are, except for Sally.
Penny
(Becoming very agitated and uncomfortable)
You know, I can?t believe Daddy just a week ago paid cash for his casket, his funeral, and his burial. He paid for Mamma?s right then too. Wrote a check for twenty-five grand.
Clint
Ain?t that grand.
Alice
If that?s everything, it?s cheaper than what it would cost at home?.
Penny
Yes, it covers everything?except the party.
(Alice stands, then goes to her father?s desk and looks at the piles of papers. Jude enters from his parents? bedroom.)
Jude
No home run yet.
Clint
Let?s hope we?re down to the last out.
Alice
I think we are. I don?t sense a rally.
Jude
A rally? No!
Penny
There might be one. Daddy?s a fighter.
(Clint and Alice frown.)
Clint
I never had the grades for Columbia.
Penny
Daddy could?ve pulled some strings and gotten you in, I?m sure.
Clint
Columbia was not for me.
Penny
Well, I only went to Columbia one semester?until I got married.
(Pause)
But Alice?
Alice
What about Alice?
Penny
I can?t blame you getting a good education.
Alice
Well, yes. But an education will only take you so far and then?. You can graduate from Columbia with honors, acquire a Ph.D., and think you?re set. Okay, fine, you have an education. At the same time you?ve created expectations.
Clint
Man.
Alice
Letters after your name. Letters on your office door. Thank you. Thank you; thank you. I?m going to have a good job. I?m going to be at the top of my profession. I can?t believe it. I?m going to obtain heights our father never obtained.
Jude
And make money. Lots and lots of it.
Alice
No, wait a minute. You?re missing something. None of it?s good when you don?t have any support.
Jude
So you?ve created a hypotheses as to why you haven?t succeeded.
(Alice does not respond.)
Take me. I could?ve been Pop?s prize physicist. Then I bungled a college career. Even so I?ve had all kinds of offers dangled in front of me.
Clint
That?s different from me.
Jude
Don?t complain. Don?t let it get to you. It?s all in the head, yes, yes, all up here, where it gets all mixed up. Oh, this tiny voice, ?you?re not worth shit, sssst, piss on you,? and those moments are repeated and repeated until the voice becomes garbled, without knowing I recognized it. It?s a silly little voice created by laughing gas, so that instead of running, I?d laugh.
(Silence)
Pop always said I could win the Nobel, if I put my mind to it. I think he?s right.
Clint
Then why don?t you? Didn?t you?
Jude
You wouldn?t think I was the same guy as then.
(He turns and looks at everybody.)
Well!
Alice
I brought some old photographs of Clint and me during our New York days.
Clint
Sis, what do you remember about the Bronx?
Alice
I can still see those Venetian blinds with broken slats that Mother hated to touch.
Clint
You?re still making noise about that?
Alice
Penny, I never imagined one telephone call would ever have had such a profound impact on me as your call two days ago. I?d half forgotten our connection. ?Hello?? ?Who?? ?Oh?.? ?Yes?? ?Yes?.? ?I understand.? Was all I could say. ?No, no, I?ll come. I?ll be there.? It stunned me. There was something about it. I knew the voice, but it was as if I hadn?t heard it before. I mean, up until that point, I hadn?t paid attention. She sounded like me: only panicky. It was Penny?s voice, the intonation, the accent. It blew me away.
Jude
Voices.
Alice
Penny?s voice.
(Olga comes in. She has on her tiara and veil.)
Jude
Olga, I told them how much I love and depend on you. How you saved my life. I told Alice, I told Clint, I told Penny? Olga, God made you with the finest heart in the world. If something were to happen to you, I?d kill myself.
Olga
Don?t pay attention to him. Your brother has always exaggerated.
Jude
Olga?s going to make sure I toe the line, take my medicine, and provide oversight. She?s my life preserver.
Olga
I couldn?t ask for a better husband. I know it isn?t his fault.
Alice
I know that. We all do.
Olga
I?ve heard Dr. Johnson talk about Jude?s brilliance. It seemed to frustrate him.
(Penny comes back into the room.)
Dr. Johnson said Jude was his cross. I can see that, but it didn?t give Dr. Johnson cause to treat Jude the way he did. I didn?t mind being his maid, but I couldn?t stand the way Jude was treated. I?ve been a motel maid most of my life, so?. I mean I didn?t mind the way he looked at me, how he?d flirt, and? But for him to treat Jude like a piece of shit! Now that?s something I can?t forgive.
Penny
Jude, get her out of here! I can?t stand the sight of her.
Jude
Leave her alone. She?s my life preserver.
Penny
You?ve got to get her out of here.
Jude
If she goes, I go. Pop let us live here.
Alice
Olga has the right to be here. She?s Jude?s wife.
Penny
She?s not good for him!
Jude
(Shaking)
She?s not a maid anymore. She?s my wife?my life preserver?my love.
Alice
Apologize to her, Penny.
Penny
No.
Jude
(Sobbing and hyperventilating)
She always does that. Oh, Sally, I?m coming.
Penny
What about Sally?
Jude
Sally?
Olga
Breathe! Now breathe.
Jude
See how she helps me. If I?m up, she?s standing under me. If I down, she?ll be there too. Penny, she?s also been there for Pop. I haven?t heard her complain.
Olga
(Taking off the tiara and veil)
This feels silly. It?s too late for it now.
(She tosses it to Penny.)
Here! Dr. Johnson meant to give it to you. Not me! You!
Jude
See!
(Jude salutes and follows Olga to their room.)
Clint
All this sorting, sorting, and going through boxes. I can?t believe there?s so much stuff.
Penny
The accumulation of a lifetime. Piles and piles of it.
Alice
It?s crazy, isn?t it? It doesn?t make sense that Father would save it all.
Penny
Piles of discardables.
Alice
I?ll call the Salvation Army.
Penny
Not yet. Alice, please!
Alice
I?ve been itching to dig through my box. Honestly. I suppose he?s trying to make up for all the missed birthdays.
(They each go through his or her box. As disappointment sets in, Penny pulls out a jar.)
Penny, don?t look so disappointed. Disappointment isn?t becoming. Let me see. A jar.
What?s in it? Nothing.
Penny
Cobwebs: nothing of value, but it fits me: Penny: of little value.
Alice
(Holding up a photograph)
This must be Sally. Jeez, she was beautiful.
Clint
Let me see. So that?s how she looked. I never met her.
Alice
Look what Clint has!
Clint
(Pulling a switchblade from his box)
A switchblade anyone? When I was a kid, Pa wouldn?t let me have one.
Penny
Please put it away. With Jude here?
(Clint puts it in his pocket.)
Thank you.
Alice
(Holding up a mirror)
Look at this.
Clint
A mirror. Perfect.
Alice
I don?t think so.
(Jude comes in, but, when he sees his siblings with their boxes, he steps back into his bedroom. Alice holds up a pigtail.)
And how much for a pigtail? Who wants it? Father whacked it off.
Penny
I want it!
Clint
(Going through his box)
Anyone would think that my old my catcher?s mitt and some old photos would mean something to me. An old picture of us standing in front of Yankee Stadium pretending to be Yankee fans.
Alice
As long as Mother doesn?t need the money, let Jude and Olga live here.
(Enter Jude with Sally?s box)
Jude
Here?s Sally?s box. I took it into our room for safekeeping. I went through it and halfway down it I found?
Penny
(After taking Sally?s box)
A teddy, barrettes, curlers, Rose Bath, coloring book, jumping jacks. Goodness!
Alice
Did all of it really belong to Sally?
Penny
They?re old, used. Sure, they could?ve belonged to her. Well, if you want to know about Sally, ask Jude.
(Pause)
Listen.
(Pause)
Maybe you shouldn?t ask Jude.
Jude
I don?t want to hear that stinking bastard?s name. I know he murdered Sally.
Penny
We don?t know it. Don?t let Mamma hear you talk that way about Sherman. He and Sally would get us out of the house. Sally knew?knew the reason? Well! Sherman. The police didn?t implicate him.
Jude
No. But?
(Full of confidence, Sherman Bates opens the door and stands there.)
Sherman
Knock, knock! I hope I?m not too late. I came directly from the airport.
Penny
Sherman!
Jude
Someone should?ve locked the door.
(An impeccable dresser, Sherman Bates enters the house in an expensive business suit and tie. With a huge diamond ring on his finger, he reeks of money and success. He is confident, immediately likeable, and shows no awkwardness or embarrassment.)
Penny
Sherman! What a surprise!
Sherman
Mom called and told me about Dad. Where?s Mom?
Penny
I hope she?s sleeping.
(Jude glares at Sherman.)
Sherman
My heart goes out to you all. I?ll miss Dad. In spite of it all he?.
Penny
You?ve not met Clint
Sherman
Of course, I?ve heard a lot about you. Clint.
(Sherman extends his hand to Clint. They shake hands.)
And this must be Alice.
Alice
Yes.
Sherman
Sally told me all about you.
(Waving at Jude)
Hi, Jude!
(Jude doesn?t return the wave. Instead he looks nervous.)
I wanted to get here sooner. You know the trial business.
Jude
(Under his breath)
Murderer!
(Sherman glances at Jude, then ignores him.)
Sherman
Dad always said that he had little faith in me?me and my driving. He always said to me, ?I didn?t raise Sally for you to kill her in an automobile accident.?
(Unobserved, Jude starts to shake.)
Man, this place hasn?t changed. How?s Mom?
Penny
Mamma?s mamma.
Sherman
(Imitating Mrs. Johnson)
?I?m starving!?
Penny
?My back aches! Look how swollen my legs are!?
Sherman
?Nobody cares for me!?
Penny
And her fingernails. Oh, brother. ?Mamma, look how dirty they are.?
(Without taking his eyes off Sherman, Jude begins to hyperventilate.)
Sherman, you?re the same.
Jude
(Trying to catch his breath)
Sherman, how are you?
Sherman
Sad at the moment.
Jude
Sleeping at night?
Sherman
Like a lamb. Why? What?s wrong Jude?
Jude
How?s the lawyer business? Have you gotten anybody off lately?
Penny
He?s a good lawyer, Jude. The best. We all know it.
(They now can all see that Jude is having the same kind of fit that he had in the first act, only now he?s focused on Sherman. Olga steps forward and calms him.)
Alice
Sherman, I know I speak for everyone when I say you are family.
(While slowly regaining control of himself, Jude fetches Sally?s box and places it on the table.)
Jude
(Digging through the box)
Sherman, these things belonged to Sally. You should recognize them. Pop never threw them out.
Sherman
Amazing!
Jude
(Showing each item.)
A pair of nose plugs, intact.
Sherman
She hated water in her nose. A great swimmer, but she hated it.
Jude
You know I hate you, Sherman.
Alice
Jude!
Penny
Alice, let him.
Jude
No, forget it. Forget Sally!
Penny
No.
Alice
Look? Sherman, as you know, I didn?t really know Sally.
Sherman
Sally could be critical. Hey! It?s true. She had a temper?suffered rage?insolence?blindness. She could be a bitch.
Penny
You shouldn?t.
Jude
Let?s see what else we can find. Oh, here?s one expired Red Cross Life Guard Certification card. And perhaps you?ve seen Sally in this dress. And would she have gone swimming in this dress, this fancy evening gown? See the water stain.
Sherman
She?d been drinking.
Jude
You?you?you killed her! I don?t know how you did it, but you did.
Sherman
No! I loved her.
Jude
(As he begins to hyperventilate again.)
You?re?you?re?you?re?piss?
Alice
(Stepping in front of Jude)
Jude?
Jude
This is my beef!
Alice
But it has no substance. Now?you don?t want to upset mamma.
(Jude begins to sob.)
Jude
My stomach hurts. You don?t want to mess with my head.
(Olga grabs her husband and holds him tights. It seems to calm him.)
Sherman
We?d been in the lake, swimming. We were practically naked, and she put back on the dress. Then she went nuts.
Jude
Nuts!
Sherman
Yes, nuts. I couldn?t control her. I tried. Then I did something stupid. I went below deck for more booze. By the time I came back up, she was gone.
Jude
Why did you leave her?
Sherman
I said it was stupid.
(As Jude closes his eyes as tight as he can, the audience sees an inner struggle. Crying, he sinks to the floor.)
Well?where are you now, Jude?
Jude
It?s still hard to believe that?
Sherman
Accident or suicide? It?s still hard.
Jude
I?m still looking for her.
Sherman
You go ahead. I may join you. May I join you?
(Sherman sits down on the floor beside Jude and puts an arm around him.)
You know?she was my best friend.
Jude
Why would she?
Sherman
I think you know,
Jude
Did she tell you?
Sherman
I was her husband.
Penny
Well?
Jude
(Standing)
Well?
Sherman
Give me a hand.
(Jude refuses to help him up.)
I need to get in and see your parents. Dad always treated me like a son.
Jude
I hope he treated you better than he treated me.
Sherman
I imagine he did.
Jude
Wait. Wait. What about the Nantucket business?
Penny
Yeah. Wasn?t there hanky-panky? You had a beautiful wife, Sherman. I don?t understand why you cheated on her.
Sherman
I can?t explain it. I don?t know. It?s something I regret.
Penny
For what it?s worth, Sherman, Sally never?well, she never?never, ever talked to me about it. Maybe? But Sherman, why in the hell did you brag about knowing how to get away with murder? Then she drowns. That?s what?s hard.
Sherman
Sally and I loved our boat and being out on the water. It was our one chance to do something together. The water that evening was warm, and Sally insisted on swimming. She took all her clothes off. We were practically naked.
Clint
Practically naked? That sounds like fun.
Penny
I?ve needed closure.
Alice
Closure! Penny, you?ll never allow yourself?
Penny
Alice, you?re annoying me.
Alice
I shouldn?t have come. Do you think I wanted to? Because I knew?I knew? Boy, did I know.
Penny
You think it?s been easy for me?
Alice
It can get a hell of lot worse?prescription pills: Tylenol, Advil, you name it and lots of drinking?like I told somebody. I used to cut myself.
Penny
Cut? Castration. Two ?C?s!?
Clint
It would serve the bastard right.
Penny
Clint! No, no, no. Father NEVER?
Alice
Penny, remember what you told me last night?
Clint
You?re wasting you time, Alice. As soon as he?s dead, I?m out of here.
Penny
I?m confused.
Alice
It wasn?t your fault.
Penny
No.
Alice
He did it to all of us.
Penny
No.
Alice
Okay. Whatever you say.
Penny
I guess?
Alice
It?s okay, really.
Penny
No, it?s not.
Alice
You?ll get there.
Penny
I?m not so sure. Most of the time I put up a good front.
Alice
Penny, you don?t have to anymore.
Penny
I don?t?
Alice
You don?t.
Clint
She doesn?t.
Penny
I don?t. Christ, I don?t.
Alice
He did it to Clint. He did it to me. To Jude too. I don?t know why he?d skip you.
Penny
I was his little Miss Precious.
Alice
So?
Penny
So! What do you want me to say? Okay, I hate my body. If you want to know, I hate?I hate, I hate, I hate? It sounds horrible, but?I didn?t hate? It felt good, and I craved his attention?craved it. Yes, craved it. Craved, craved, craved. That?s the truth. You want to know the truth. I craved it!
Clint
She craved it!
Alice
Clint!
Clint
It?s a ?C!? I?ll take a ?C!?
Alice
Clint!
Penny
I craved it.
Alice
It?s okay, Penny.
Clint
?A? for Alice. And give Penny an ?A.? She deserves one.
Sherman
I don?t know about you all, but I think all of this has gone far enough.
Jude
Whooped-de-do!
(The nurse comes into the room.)
Nurse
It?s time.
Jude
I?ll get Olga.
Penny
Yes, of course, Olga. .
(Olga comes in from the bedroom with a full suitcase in hand. Jude takes her hand.)
Jude
Come on!
(As the family gathers together, they watch in silence as the old man dies. None of them cry.)
Alice
He?s dead.
Penny
Peace.
Mrs. Johnson
Lord take me.
Clint
God, I?m glad it?s over.
Mrs. Johnson
Where?s Jude!
Jude
I?m here.
Olga
Christ! Leave him alone.
Nurse
Let?s pray.
(A crescendo of rock)
Penny
Let the party begin!
CURTAIN
Randy Ford
Source: http://thebrainpan.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/randy-ford-author-revised-daddys-party-act-two
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