Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Read Online Free PDF

the bruises where I hit my kneecaps? Took both doctors to
     haul me back on my feet!
    [ She laughs—she always laughs like
     hell at herself. ]
    Big Daddy was furious with me! But ain't that wonderful
     news?
    [ Facing bathroom again, she
     continues: ]
    After all the anxiety we been through to git a report like that on Big
     Daddy's birthday? Big Daddy tried to hide how much of a load that news
     took off his mind, but didn't fool me. He was
     mighty close to crying about it himself!
    [ Goodbyes are shouted downstairs, and she
     rushes to door. ]
    Hold those people down there, don't let them
     go!— Now , git dressed,
     we're all comin’ up to this room fo’ Big Daddy's
     birthday party because of your ankle.—How's his ankle,
     Maggie?

    MARGARET:
    Well, he broke it, Big Mama.
    BIG MAMA:
    I know he broke it.
    [ A phone is ringing in hall. A Negro voice
     answers: “Mistuh Polly's
     res'dence.” ]
    I mean does it hurt him much still.
    MARGARET:
    I'm afraid I can't give you that information, Big Mama.
    You'll have to ask Brick if it hurts much still or not.
    SOOKEY [ in the
     hall ]:
    It's Memphis, Mizz Polly, it's Miss Sally in Memphis.
    BIG MAMA:
    Awright, Sookey.
    [ Big Mama rushes into the hall and is heard
     shouting on the phone: ]
    Hello, Miss Sally. How are you, Miss Sally?—Yes, well, I
     was just gonna call you about it. Shoot!—
    [ She raises her voice to a
     bellow. ]
    Miss Sally? Don't ever call me from
     the Gayoso Lobby, too much talk goes on in that hotel lobby, no wonder you
     can't hear me! Now listen, Miss Sally. They's
     nothin’ serious wrong with Big Daddy. We got the report just now,
     they's nothin’ wrong but a thing called a—spastic! SPASTIC!—colon . . .
    [ She appears at the hall door and calls to
     Margaret. ]
    —Maggie, come out here and talk to that fool on the phone.
    I'm shouted breathless!

    MARGARET [ goes
     out and is heard sweetly at phone ] :
    Miss Sally? This is Brick's wife, Maggie. So nice to hear your voice.
     Can you hear mine? Well, good!—Big Mama just wanted you to know that they've
     got the report from the Ochsner Clinic and what Big Daddy has is a spastic colon.
     Yes. Spastic colon, Miss Sally. That's right, spastic colon. G'bye, Miss Sally, hope I'll see you real
     soon!
    [ Hangs up a little before Miss Sally was
     probably ready to terminate the talk. She returns through the hall
     door. ]
    She heard me perfectly. I've discovered with deaf people the
     thing to do is not shout at them but just enunciate clearly. My rich old Aunt
     Cornelia was deaf as the dead but I could make her hear me just by sayin’
     each word slowly, distinctly, close to her ear. I read her the Commercial Appeal ev'ry night, read her the classified ads in it,
     even, she never missed a word of it. But was she a mean ole thing! Know what
     I got when she died? Her unexpired subscriptions to five magazines and the
     Book-of-the-Month Club and a LIBRARY full of ev'ry dull
     book ever written! All else went to her hellcat of a sister . . . meaner than
     she was, even!
    [ Big Mama has been straightening things up
     in the room during this speech. ]
    BIG MAMA [ closing
     closet door on discarded clothes ]:
    Miss Sally sure is a case! Big Daddy says
     she's always got her hand out fo’ something. He's not mistaken.
     That poor ole thing always has her hand out fo’ somethin’. I
     don't think Big Daddy gives her as much as he should.
    [ Somebody shouts for her downstairs and she
     shouts: ]
    I'm comin'!
    [ She starts out. At the hall door, turns and
     jerks a fore-finger, first toward the bathroom door, then toward
     the liquor cabinet, meaning: “Has Brick
     been drinking?” Margaret pretends not to understand, cocks her
     head and raises her brows as if the pantomimic performance was completely
     mystifying to her.
    [ Big Mama rushes hack to
     Margaret: ]
    Shoot! Stop playin’ so
     dumb!— I mean has he been drinkin’ that stuff much
     yet?
    MARGARET [ with a
     little laugh ]:
    Oh!