Complete Works, Volume III Read Online Free Page A

day and night like bloody animals. Go and find yourself a mother.
    LENNY walks into the room, stands.
    JOEY . I've been training down at the gym.
    SAM . Yes, the boy's been working all day and training all night.
    MAX . What do you want, you bitch? You spend all the day sitting on your arse at London Airport, buy yourself a jamroll. You expect me to sit here waiting to rush into the kitchen the moment you step in the door? You've been living sixty-three years, why don't you learn to cook?
    SAM. I can cook.
    MAX . Well, go and cook!
    Pause.
    LENNY . What the boys want, Dad, is your own special brand of cooking, Dad. That's what the boys look forward to. The special understanding of food, you know, that you've got.
    MAX . Stop calling me Dad. Just stop all that calling me Dad, do you understand?
    LENNY . But I'm your son. You used to tuck me up in bed every night. He tucked you up, too, didn't he, Joey?
    Pause.
    He used to like tucking up his sons.
    LENNY turns and goes towards the front door.
    MAX . Lenny.
    LENNY ( turning ). What?
    MAX . I'll give you a proper tuck up one of these nights, son. You mark my word.
    They look at each other.
    LENNY opens the front door and goes out.
    Silence.
    JOEY . I've been training with Bobby Dodd.
    Pause.
    And I had a good go at the bag as well.
    Pause.
    I wasn't in bad trim.
    MAX . Boxing's a gentleman's game.
    Pause.
    I'll tell you what you've got to do. What you've got to do is you've got to learn how to defend yourself, and you've got to learn how to attack. That's your only trouble as a boxer. You don't know how to defend yourself, and you don't know how to attack.
    Pause.
    Once you've mastered those arts you can go straight to the top.
    Pause.
    JOEY . I've got a pretty good idea . . . of how to do that.
    JOEY looks round for his jacket, picks it up, goes out of the room and up the stairs.
    Pause.
    MAX . Sam . . . why don't you go, too, eh? Why don't you just go upstairs? Leave me quiet. Leave me alone.
    SAM . I want to make something clear about Jessie, Max. I want to. I do. When I took her out in the cab, round the town, I was taking care of her, for you. I was looking after her for you, when you were busy, wasn't I? I was showing her the West End.
    Pause.
    You wouldn't have trusted any of your other brothers. You wouldn't have trusted Mac, would you? But you trusted me. I want to remind you.
    Pause.
    Old Mac died a few years ago, didn't he? Isn't he dead?
    Pause.
    He was a lousy stinking rotten loudmouth. A bastard uncouth sodding runt. Mind you, he was a good friend of yours.
    Pause.
    MAX . Eh, Sam . . .
    SAM. What?
    MAX . Why do I keep you here? You're just an old grub.
    SAM. Am I?
    MAX . You're a maggot.
    SAM. Oh yes?
    MAX . As soon as you stop paying your way here, I mean when you're too old to pay your way, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to give you the boot.
    SAM. You are, eh?
    MAX . Sure. I mean, bring in the money and I'll put up with you. But when the firm gets rid of you – you can flake off.
    SAM . This is my house as well, you know. This was our mother's house.
    MAX . One lot after the other. One mess after the other.
    SAM. Our father's house.
    MAX . Look what I'm lumbered with. One cast-iron bunch of crap after another. One flow of stinking pus after another.
    Pause.
    Our father! I remember him. Don't worry. You kid yourself. He used to come over to me and look down at me. My old man did. He'd bend right over me, then he'd pick me up. I was only that big. Then he'd dandle me. Give me the bottle. Wipe me clean. Give me a smile. Pat me on the bum. Pass me around, pass me from hand to hand. Toss me up in the air. Catch me coming down. I remember my father.
    BLACKOUT.
    LIGHTS UP.
    Night.
    TEDDY and RUTH stand at the threshold of the room.
    They are both well dressed in light summer suits and light raincoats.
    Two suitcases are by their side.
    They look at the room . TEDDY tosses the key in his hand, smiles.
    TEDDY . Well, the key worked.
    Pause.
    They haven't