Free Reunion and Dark Pony by David Mamet Page A

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    The VA, of course. They take pretty good care of me, I'm forced to admit.
    I still go to see them about three times a year for my back.
    They take good care of you in the hospital.
    The guys at A.A., I don't see them much anymore.
    Thank God. They took pretty good care of me.
    I hated those sonofabitches. . . .
    Frank over at the place. He took care of me for a while.
    Five there, ten here . . . he gave me a job. Knows the restaurant business like the back of his hand.
    I've been a very lucky guy.
    CAROL : You've got a lot of friends, Bernie.
    BERNIE : Always have.
    For some reason.
    You take pretty good care of yourself.
    CAROL : Got to.
    BERNIE : Yeah.
    CAROL : The A.A. are the ones who put us in touch with you.
    Gerry went.
    He said they seemed like very nice people.
    BERNIE : Very contrite.
    You still go to church?
    CAROL : No. Nobody goes to church anymore. (Pause.)
    You still go to church?
    BERNIE : I never went to church. Since I was a kid.
    Easter.
    CAROL : We should both go
    Renew our faith.
    Gerry goes to church.
    BERNIE : Yeah? Does he mean it?
    CAROL : Who knows.
    BERNIE : He might mean it. You never know. . . .
    Some of ‘em mean it.
    Scene II
    BERNIE : Goddamn, it's good to see you.
    It's good to see you.
    CAROL : This apartment is very nice.
    BERNIE : I did it myself. Leslie, my friend, she helped. Quite a lot, actually . . . to put the place in the state it's in now.
    But the basic place . . . I furnished it.
    Fixed it up.
    Been here two years plus. . . .
    I'm glad you like it.
    CAROL : Our place is quite nice. You'll like it a lot. When you come see it. You have to come out. Very soon.
    I did it myself.
    It's so comfortable.
    It's a real home, you know?
    It's just five rooms.
    It gets a little cramped when the kids are there.
    Gerry's kids.
    They sleep in the living room. . . .
    They're good kids.
    Gerry has a study.
    We're very comfortable there.
    BERNIE : You got a doorman?
    CAROL : Yes. . . .
    The building's very safe.
    Lots of light and air.
    We're thinking of building a house. (Pause.)
    This place really is lovely, Bernie.
    BERNIE : What can I tell you.
    Scene III
    CAROL (sees bomber group picture) : Are you in there?
    BERNIE : Yeah.
    CAROL : I'm going to pick you out.
    BERNIE : That's a long time ago.
    CAROL (indicates) : There!
    BERNIE : That's me.
    I haven't changed, huh?
    CAROL : Bernie Cary. Army Air Corps.
    BERNIE : Butch. They called me Butch then.
    CAROL : Why?
    BERNIE : . . . I couldn't tell you to save my life.
    Those were strange times.
    CAROL : What's this?
    BERNIE : It's a medal.
    Sit down. Sit down. It's nothing.
    I fought. I did my bit.
    If you want to know about your father I was a tail gunner.
    I shot a machine gun. Big deal.
    They had a life expectancy of—you know what?—
    Three missions. Three.
    What the hell. You can get killed in a steel mill, right?
    But I'm no hero.
    They put you in a plane with a gun, it pays to shoot at the guys who are trying to kill you.
    Where's the courage in that. . . .
    But you didn't have to take anything.
    From nobody.
    That was all right.
    Anybody get wise—some wiseass Lieutenant— I say:
    “Shove it, Champ. I'm a fuckin’ tail gunner on a B-17,
    and I don't take no shit from some chicken Lieutenant.”
    And I didn't. From Anybody.
    So what does that make me.
    You would like England.
    CAROL : I've been there.
    BERNIE : You've been there? What? With your new husband?
    CAROL : With him and by myself.
    BERNIE : Where else you been?
    CAROL : Jamaica. Around the States.
    BERNIE : See America First, huh?
    I worked a year in San Francisco. In a body shop.
    CAROL : I've been in San Francisco.
    BERNIE : Some fine people in San Francisco.
    CAROL : Oh, yes.
    BERNIE : And a lot of assholes.
    CAROL : Lot of assholes all over.
    BERNIE : Aah, people are people, you know?
    Tell me about your new husband.
    CAROL : I want to know about you.
    BERNIE : And I want to know about you.
    So. Does he love you?
    I swear I'll kill the sonofabitch, so tell me the