Free Reunion and Dark Pony by David Mamet Page B

truth.
    CAROL : He loves me.
    BERNIE : And you love him?
    CAROL : Yes.
    BERNIE : So where's the story in that?
    CAROL : No story.
    Just the usual.
    BERNIE : So it's not “the usual” for nothing.
    These things work out. They work themselves out.
    Is he a good guy?
    CAROL : He's. . . .
    He's a good guy. I think he's frightened of women.
    BERNIE : He's frightened of you? . . .
    That's funny.
    But you know, never having been a man, you don't know—
    but a lot of men are frightened of women, let me tell you.
    Beautiful women especially can be frightening.
    There's no shame in that.
    He takes good care of you.
    CAROL : Yes.
    BERNIE : So what do you want?
    CAROL : I want to hear about you.
    BERNIE : What's to tell? You see it all here. Have a look.
    Fifty-three years old.
    Ex-alcoholic.
    Ex-this.
    Ex-that.
    Democrat.
    You smoke pot?
    CAROL : No. You?
    BERNIE : Nope.
    Tried it once. Don't like the taste.
    When I was a drunk I never drank anything but the best.
    Saw no reason to change my style of life simply because I happened to be an alcoholic.
    Taste. . . .
    Never bummed for change. Waste of time.
    Bill. Two bills, bounce a check.
    Respectable.
    If you're a drunk, you'd better be respectable. . . .
    1951 I lost my license. Fourteen citations for drunk driving in the month of December 1951.
    You were what? Four.
    I was living on the Cape.
    You and your mother were in Newton.
    CAROL : What were you doing?
    BERNIE : In 1951 I was in the Vet's Hospital awhile with my back.
    The rest of the time I was working for the Phone Company.
    Worked for the Phone Company ten years.
    I was seeing this girl in Boston.
    Your mother and I were split . . .
    I got that court order in 1951.
    You know . . .
    Did you know I wanted to see you?
    Did they tell you anything?
    I wanted to come see you, you know.
    I couldn't see you because of that court order.
    CAROL : I don't know. They told me . . . something.
    BERNIE (Pause) : I was a mover for a year.
    Cross country.
    I missed my brother's funeral. Your Uncle Alex.
    You never met him. Did you ever meet Alex?
    CAROL : Yes.
    BERNIE : He's dead now. 1962.
    And his wife, Lorraine, won't talk to me since I missed his funeral.
    I'm sorry I missed it, too. But what the hell.
    Life goes on. And when he died I was out west someplace with American Van Lines and I didn't even know about it ‘til September. . . .
    You wanna hear a story?
    CAROL : Sure do.
    BERNIE : I'll tell you a story. So I'd been drunk at the time for several years and was walking down Tremont Street one evening around nine and here's this big van in front of a warehouse and the driver is ringing the bell in the shipping dock trying to get in (which he won't do, because they moved a couple of weeks ago and the warehouse is deserted. But he doesn't know that.)
    So I say, “Hey, you looking for Hub City Transport?” And he says yeah, and I tell him they're over in Lechmere. So he says “Where?” So I tell him I don't know the address but I can take him there. Which was, of course, a bunch of shit, but I figured maybe I could make a couple of bucks on the deal. And why not.
    So I ride over to Lechmere.
    I find the warehouse.
    You ever been to Lechmere?
    CAROL : Just passing through.
    BERNIE : Very depressing.
    So, anyway. He's in Lechmere to pick up a load. And he offers me ten bucks to help him load the van.
    So fine. Later we go across the street for a cup of coffee and he gives me this story. He just fired his partner, he likes the way I handle furniture, and do I want a job?
    Hey, what the hell.
    We finish the coffee and off we go.
    And for one year I didn't get home, never shaved, wore the same goddamn clothes, slept in the cab, made some money, spent some money, saw the country. Alex died, and I missed his funeral.
    Which, of course, is why Lorraine won't talk to me. Because I got back in September and I'm back a day or so and I go over to Alex's.
    Lorraine answers the door and I tell her, “Lorraine, tell your fat-ass husband to grab