Buried Child Read Online Free PDF Page B

In my house she's insulted! She's over there sulking because I insulted her!
    VINCE: Grandpa—
    SHELLY: (
To
VINCE.) This is really terrific. This is wonderful. And you were worried about me making the right first impression!
    DODGE: (
To
VINCE.) She's a fireball, isn't she? Regular fireball. I had some a them in my day. Temporary stuff. Never lasted more than a week.
    VINCE: Grandpa—look—
    DODGE: Stop calling me Grandpa, will ya! It's sickening. “Grandpa.” I'm nobody's grandpa! Least of all yours.
    VINCE: I can't believe you don't recognize me. I just can't believe it. It wasn't that long ago. (DODGE
starts feeling around under the cushion for the bottle of whiskey,
SHELLY
gets up from the staircase.)
    SHELLY: (
To
VINCE.) Maybe you've got the wrong house. Did you ever think of that? Maybe this is the wrong address!
    VINCE: It's not the wrong address! I recognize the yard. The porch. The elm tree. The house. I was standing right here in this house. Right in this very spot.
    SHELLY: Yeah, but do you recognize the people? He says he's not your grandfather.
    VINCE: He
is
my grandpa! I know he's my grandpa! He's
always
been my grandpa. He always
will be
my grandpa!
    DODGE:
(Diggingfor the bottle.)
Where's that bottle?!
    VINCE: He's just sick or something. I don't know what's happened to him. Delirious.
    DODGE: Where's my goddamn bottle?! (DODGE
gets up from the sofa and starts tearing the cushions off it and throwing them downstage, looking for the whiskey.)
They've stole my bottle!
    SHELLY: Can't we just drive on to New Mexico? This is terrible, Vince! I don't want to stay here. In this house. I thought it was going to be turkey dinners and apple pie and all that kinda stuff.
    VINCE: Well, I hate to disappoint you!
    SHELLY: I'm not disappointed! I'm fuckin’ terrified! I wanna go! (DODGE
yells toward left.)
    DODGE: Tilden! Tilden! They stole my bottle! (DODGE
keeps ripping away at the sofa looking for his bottle. He knocks over the night stand with the bottles,
VINCE
and
SHELLY
watch as he starts ripping the stuffing out of the sofa)
    VINCE:
(To
SHELLY.) He's lost his mind or something. I've got to try to help him.
    SHELLY : You help him! I'm leaving! (SHELLY
starts to leave.
VINCE
grabs her. They struggle as
DODGE
keeps ripping away at the sofa and yelling.)
    DODGE: Tilden! Tilden, get your ass in here! Tilden!
    SHELLY: Let go of me!
    VINCE: You're not going anywhere! I need you to stay right here!
    SHELLY: Let go of me, you sonuvabitch! I'm not your property!
(Suddenly
TILDEN
walks on from left just as he did before. This time his arms are full of carrots,
DODGE, VINCE,
and
SHELLY
stop suddenly when they see him. They all stare at
TILDEN
as he crosses slowly center with the carrots and stops,
DODGE
sits on the sofa, exhausted.)
    DODGE:
(Panting, to
TILDEN) Where in the hell have you been?
    TILDEN: Out back.
    DODGE: Where's my bottle?
    TILDEN: Gone, (TILDEN
and
VINCE
stare at each other,
SHELLY
backs away.)
    DODGE:
(To
TILDEN.)
You
stole my bottle!
    VINCE:
(To
TILDEN.) Dad? What're you doing here?
    SHELLY: Oh brother, (TILDEN
just stares at
VINCE.)
    DODGE : You had no right to steal my bottle! No right at all! Who do you think you are?
    VINCE: (
To
TILDEN.) It's Vince. I'm Vince. (TILDEN
stares at
VINCE,
then looks at
DODGE,
then turns to
SHELLY.)
    TILDEN:
(Afterpause.)
I picked these carrots. If anybody wants any carrots, I picked ‘em.
    SHELLY: (
To
VINCE.) NOW, wait a minute. This is your father? The one we were going to visit?
    VINCE: (
To
TILDEN.) Dad, what're you doing here? What's going on? (TILDEN
just stares at
VINCE,
holding the carrots.
DODGE
pulls the blanket back over himself.)
    SHELLY: This is actually your father? The one in New Mexico?
    DODGE: (
To
TILDEN.) You're going to have to get me another bottle! You gotta get me a bottle before Halie comes back! There's money on the table.
(Points to left kitchen.)
    TILDEN:
(Shaking his head.)
I'm not going down there. Into