The Man Who Had All the Luck (12 page)

AUGIE: There's no coach in the world can take out a boy's brain and set it back twelve years. Your boy is crippled up here. [
Taps his temple.
] I'm convinced.

DAVID: But if you coached him right, if you drilled him day after day . . .

AUGIE: It would take a long, long time, and I personally don't believe he'll ever get rid of it.

PAT: You can't . . . you can't try him, eh?

AUGIE: I know how you feel, Mr. Beeves, but I am one man who will not take a boy out of his life when I know in my heart we're going to throw him away like a wet rag.

DAVID [
for a long time he stands staring
]: He has no life.

AUGIE [
bends closer to hear
]: Eh?

DAVID: He doesn't know how to do anything else.

AUGIE [
nods with sympathy
]: That was another mistake. [
He starts to turn away to go.
]

PAT [
as though to call him back somehow
]: I believed if he concentrated . . . concentration . . . you see I myself always jumped from one thing to another and never got anywhere, and I thought . . .

AUGIE: Yeh . . . when it works concentration is a very sound principle. [
Takes a breath.
] Well, lots of luck.

Still unable to believe,
PAT
can't speak.

'Bye, Amos.

AMOS
nods slightly, numbly staring. At the door, to
DAVE
.
'Bye. [
He starts to open the door.
]

DAVID: Look . . . [
He hurries to him. He looks in his eyes, his hand raised as though to grab the man and hold him here.
]

AUGIE: Yeh?

DAVID
starts to speak, then looks at
AMOS
who is still staring at nothing.
DAVID
turns back to
AUGIE
.

DAVID: . . . You'll see him in the Leagues.

AUGIE: I hope so. I just don't . . .

DAVID [
trying to restrain his fury
]: No, you'll see him. You're not the only team, you know. You'll see him in the Leagues.

AUGIE [
grasps
DAVID'
s arm
]: . . . Take it easy, boy. [
To the others.
] I hope you'll pardon me for being late.

DAVID [
quietly, like an echo, his voice cracking
]: You'll see him.

AUGIE
nods. Glances at
PAT
and
AMOS
, opens the door and goes.
PAT
and
DAVID
stand looking at the door.
PAT
turns now, walks slowly to
AMOS
who is sitting. As
PAT
nears him he stand slowly, his fists clenched at his sides.

PAT [
softly, really questioning
]: He can be wrong too, can't he?

[AMOS
is silent, his face filling with hate.
] Can't he be wrong? [
No reply.
] He can, can't he?

AMOS [
a whip-like shout
]: No, he can't be!

PAT: But everybody makes mistakes . . .

AMOS [
with a cry he grabs
PAT
by the collar and shakes him violently back and forth
]: Mistakes! Mistakes! You and your goddam mistakes!

DAVID [
leaps to them, trying to break his grip
]: Let him go! Amos, let him go!

AMOS [
amid his own, and
PAT
's weeping. To
PAT]: You liar! I'll kill you, you little liar,
you liar!

With a new burst of violence he starts forcing
PAT
backward and down to the floor.
GUS
comes in as
DAVID
locks an arm around
AMOS
's neck and jerks him from
PAT
who falls to the floor.

Leave me alone! Leave me alone!

With a great thrust
DAVID
throws
AMOS
to the couch and stands over him, fists raised.

DAVID: Stay there! Don't get up! You'll fight me, Amos!

PAT [
scurrying to his feet, and taking
DAVID
away from the couch
]: Don't, don't fight! [
He turns quickly, pleadingly to
AMOS
, who is beginning to sob on the couch.
] Amos, boy, boy . . . [AMOS
lies across the couch and sobs violently.
PAT
leans over and pats his head.
] Boy, boy . . .

AMOS
swings his arm out blindly and hits
PAT
across the chest.
DAVID
starts toward them but
PAT
remains over him, patting his back.

Come on, boy, please, boy, stop now, stop, Amos! Look, Ame, look, I'll get Cleveland down here, I'll go myself, I'll bring a man. Ame, listen, I did what I could, a man makes mistakes, he can't figure on everything. . . . [
He begins shaking
AMOS
who continues sobbing.
] Ame, stop it! [
He stands and begins shouting over
AMOS
's sobbing.
] I admit it, I admit it, Ame, I lie, I talk too much, I'm a fool, I admit it, but look how you pitch, give me credit for that, give me credit for something! [
Rushes at
AMOS
and turns him over.
] Stop that crying! God Almighty, what do you want me to do! I'm a fool, what can I do!

DAVID [
wrenches
PAT
away from the couch. Stands over
AMOS]: Listen, you! [
Leans over and pulls
AMOS
by the collar to a sitting position.
AMOS
sits limply, sobbing.
] He made a mistake. That's over with. You're going to drill on base play. You got a whole life. One mistake can't ruin a life. He'll go to Cleveland. I'll send him to New York . . .

HESTER
enters quietly.

The man can be wrong. Look at me! The man can be wrong, you understand!

AMOS
shakes his head.

AMOS: He's right.

DAVID
releases him and stands looking down at him.
AMOS
gets up slowly, goes to a chair and sits.

He's right. I always knew I couldn't play the bases. Everything the man said was right. I'm dumb, that's why. I can't figure nothin'. [
Looks up at
PAT.] There wasn't no time, he said, no time for nothin' but throwin' that ball. Let 'em laugh, he said, you don't need to know how to figure. He knew it all. He knows everything! Well, this is one time I know something. I ain't gonna touch a baseball again as long as I live!

PAT [
frantically
]: Amos, you don't know what you're saying . . . !

AMOS: I couldn't ever stand out on a diamond again! I can't do it! I know! I can't! [
Slight pause.
] I ain't goin' to let you kid me anymore. I'm through. [
He rises.
PAT
sobs into his hands.
]

DAVID [AMOS
keeps shaking his head in denial of everything
]:

What do you mean, through? Amos, you can't lay down. Listen to me. Stop shaking your head—who gets what he wants in this world!

AMOS [
suddenly.
]: You. Only you.

DAVID: Me! Don't believe it, Amos. [
Grabs him.
] Don't believe that anymore!

AMOS: Everything you ever wanted . . . in your whole life, every . . . !

DAVID: Including my children, Ame? [
Silence.
] Where are my children?

HESTER: Dave . . .

DAVID [
to
HESTER]: I want to tell him! [
To
AMOS.] What good is everything when nothing is good without children? Do you know the laughingstock it makes of everything you do in the world? You'll never meet a man who doesn't carry one curse . . . at least one. Shory, J.B., Pop, you, and me too. Me as much as anybody!

HESTER: Don't, Davey . . .

DAVID [
with a dreadful triumph
]: No, Hess, I'm not afraid of it anymore. I want it out. I was always afraid I was something special in the world. But not after this. [
To
AMOS.]
Nobody
escapes, Ame! But I don't lay down, I don't die because I'll have no kids. A man is born with one curse at least to be cracked over his head. I see it now, and you got to see it. Don't envy me, Ame . . . we're the same now. The world is made that way, as if a law was written in the sky somewhere—nobody escapes! [
Takes
AMOS
's hand.
]

HESTER [
almost weeping she cannot restrain
]: Why do you talk that way?

DAVID: Hess, the truth . . .

HESTER: It's not the truth! . . . You have no curse! None at all! DAVID [
struck
]: What . . . ?

HESTER: I wanted to wait till the scout signed him up. And then . . . when the house was full of noise and cheering, I'd stand with you on the stairs high over them all, and tell them you were going to have a child. [
With anger and disappointment and grief.
] Oh Davey, I saw you so proud . . . !

DAVID [
twisted and wracked, he bursts out
]: Oh, Hess, I am, I am.

HESTER: No, you don't want it. I don't know what's happened to you, you don't want it now!

DAVID [
with a chill of horror freezing him
]: Don't say that! Hester, you mustn't . . . [DAVID
tries to draw her to him.
]

HESTER [
holding him away
]: You've got to want it, Davey. You've just got to want it!

She bursts into tears and rushes out. He starts after her, calling her name . . . when he finds himself facing
AMOS.

AMOS: Nobody escapes . . . [DAVID
stops, turns to
AMOS.] . . . except you. [
He walks to the door, past
DAVID,
and goes out.
]

ACT THREE

 

J.B.
is asleep on the couch.
SHORY
and
GUS
are silently playing cards and smoking at a table near the fireplace. Snow can be seen on the window muntins. Several coats on the rack. Presently . . .

 

GUS: There's no brainwork in this game. Let me teach you claviash.

SHORY: I can win all the money I need in rummy and pinochle. Play.

GUS: You have no intellectual curiosity.

SHORY: No, but you can slip me a quarter. [
Showing his hand.
] Rummy.

Enter
BELLE
from the stairs.

GUS [
to
BELLE]: Everything all right?

BELLE [
half turns to him, holding blanket forth
]: She keeps sweating up all the blankets. That poor girl.

GUS: The doctor says anything?

BELLE: Yes . . . [
Thinks.
] . . . he said, go down and get a dry blanket.

GUS: I mean, about when it will be coming along?

BELLE: Oh, you can't tell about a baby. That's one thing about them, they come most any time. Sometimes when you don't expect it, and sometimes when you do expect it. [
She goes up to door and turns again.
] Why don't Davey buy a baby carriage?

GUS: Didn't he? I suppose he will.

BELLE: But how can you have a baby without a baby carriage?

SHORY: You better blow your nose.

BELLE: I haven't time! [
She blows her nose and goes out, up left.
]

SHORY: A quarter says it's a boy. [
Tosses a quarter on the table.
]

GUS: It's a bet. You know, statistics show more girls is born than boys. You should've asked me for odds.

SHORY: Dave Beeves doesn't need statistics, he wants a boy. Matter of fact, let's raise it—a dollar to your half that he's got a boy tonight.

GUS: Statistically I would take the bet, but financially I stand pat.
Enter
DAVID
from left door to outside. He is dressed for winter. It is immediately evident that a deep enthusiasm, a ruddy satisfaction is upon him. He wears a strong smile. He stamps his feet a little as he removes his gloves, and then his short coat, muffler, hat, leaving a sweater on. As he closes the door.

DAVID: How'm I doing upstairs?

GUS: So far she only sweats.

DAVID: Sweating! Is that normal?

GUS: Listen, she ain't up there eating ice cream.

DAVID [
goes to the fireplace, rubs his hands before it. Of
J.B.
as though amused
]: The least little thing happens and he stays home from work. He's been here all day.

GUS: Certain men like to make holidays. A new kid to him is always a holiday.

DAVID [
he looks around
]: What a fuss.

GUS: You're very calm. Surprising to me. Don't you feel nervous?

SHORY [
to Gus
]: You seen too many movies. What's the use of him pacing up and down?

DAVID [
with an edge of guilt
]: I got the best doctor; everything she needs. I figure, whatever's going to happen'll happen. After all, I can't . . .

Breaks off. In a moment
BELLE
enters from the left door, carrying a different blanket. She goes toward the stair landing.
DAVID
finally speaks, unable to restrain it.

Belle . . . [
She stops. He goes to her, restraining anxiety.
]

Would you ask the doctor . . . if he thinks it's going to be very hard for her, heh?

BELLE: He told me to shut up.

DAVID: Then ask J.B.'s wife.

BELLE: She told me to shut up too. But I'll ask her.

BELLE
goes up the stairs.
DAVID
watches her ascend a moment.

DAVID [
looking upstairs
]: That girl is going to live like a queen after this. [
Turns to them, banging his fist in his palm.
] Going to make a lot of money this year.

SHORY: Never predict nothin' but the weather, half an hour ahead.

DAVID: Not this time. I just finished mating my mink, and I think every one of them took.