The Old Neighborhood Read Online Free PDF

mother and I. ‘Just Don’t Feel’ that
Carl
is the Right Sort.”
    BOB : Mmm.
    JOLLY : The Right Sort. The right fucking sort. Huh? For who? For a piece of shit like me. For a piece of shit they
despised
. Like me.
    BOB : … mmm …
    JOLLY : Am I wrong? For us. And what in the world gave them that right? Who never thought a
moment
of my happiness …? Eh? And the
finest
and the
best man
, and he
loved
me, you understand? That was the thing, do you see, that disqualified him, Bob. He loved me. That was what they hated, Bob. For how could a man who loved
me
be any good? BUT WHOSE MARRIAGE WORKED—
(Pause)
WHOSE MARRIAGE WORKED? Out of the
pack
of them. Three generations. And I don’t mean you, Buub …
    BOB : No, I …
    JOLLY : No, I don’t mean you. I mean of them. Who Had the Marriage That Worked? And it’s been, what has it been, “easy”?
    BOB : No.
    JOLLY : You are Fucking in Hell
Right
it hasn’t. And, you know. When we thought we would have to move. Out of
work
. And she’d come, “Mom” … She’d come to see us … “Mom” … 
(Pause)
    BOB : It’s okay, Jol.
(Pause)
It’s okay.
(Pause)
It’s okay, Jol.
    JOLLY : Gimme a cigarette.
(Pause. He gives her one.)
I can’t smoke these.
    BOB : Break the filter.
    JOLLY : I can’t smoke these.
    BOB : Yes, you can.
(She smokes.)
    JOLLY : When we were moving. We Had No Cash, Buub.
    BOB : I know.
(Pause)
    JOLLY : And she would come
(Pause)
And I’d say, “Mom … you know …” she’d first, she’d say, “What do the kids need?” And I’d say “Shoes. They need shoes.”
(Pause)
Well,
you
know how kids …
    BOB : I know …
    JOLLY : … grow out of shoes.
    BOB : I know.
    JOLLY :
You
know what they cost …
    BOB : Yes.
    JOLLY : Uh huh. “The Kids Need Shoes.” The end of her stay, she would give them, God bless her, these, two,
incredibly
expensive, what are they, “vanity” sets. A desk. A desk to put on makeup … a “vanity set”?
    BOB : … I don’t know …
    JOLLY : And I would say … 
Carl
would say “forget about it.” I … I’d say … No. “Mom … Mom …”
(Pause)
“Mom …” And the fucking
skis
. The
Christmas
skis. One thousand generations we’ve been Jews. My mother marries a sheigetz and we’re celebrating Christmas.
    BOB : … hey.
    JOLLY : … huh?
    BOB : Mockeys with a Mistletoe …
    JOLLY : Isn’t it …
    BOB : Yes. It is.
(Pause)
    JOLLY : Jingle Bells.
(Pause)
Ah, what the hell.
(Pause)
And The Big Present.
(Pause)
    BOB : I remember.
    JOLLY : I’m sure that you do.
    BOB : The Big Present.
    JOLLY : “Waal, we’ve opened
everything …
”
    BOB : “Oh,
wait
a second … ‘What Is That Behind the Door.’ ”
    JOLLY : And the fucking skis year it was this expensive, this, Red Leather Briefcase. And I was behaving badly. I was behaving oh so badly. And the one time in my life I said “no.” And I said “no.” God
knows
where I got the courage. I said
no
. And I was “behaving hysterically.” I got sent to my room. And “why must I ruin these occasions?”
    BOB : Why did you ruin those occasions, Jol?
    JOLLY : Well, that’s right. I
ruined
them … I
ruined
them … because I was an Ungrateful Child. Why did
you
ruin them, Buub?
    BOB : Because I was an ungrateful child.
    JOLLY : I know that you were.
(Pause)
You know, and I
carried
, I had to
carry
that fucking red briefcase for three or four years, all day, every day, full of books, These Are Your Skis. Did I tell you …
    BOB : What?
    JOLLY : I had a dream about her.
    BOB : About Mom …
    JOLLY : Uh huh.
(Pause)
I’ll tell you later. Can I tell you later. You know, because, what was I saying?
(Pause)
Hm …
    BOB : The Red Briefcase.
    JOLLY : Yes.
(Pause)
You know, the girls. So adore having you here.
    BOB : It’s good to be here.
    JOLLY : You … it’s good of you to come.
    BOB : Jol …
    JOLLY : No, I know that …
    BOB : Jol, I’ve been, well
fuck
“remiss.” … It’s been criminal of me