The Stonemason by Cormac McCarthy Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cormac McCarthy
Shaking her head sadly ) No. It don't give me no satisfaction. Trouble comes to a house it comes to visit everbody. It make me cry too, Daddy. Cry for her. Cry for that boy. Cry for everbody. They sure ain't no satisfaction in it.
SCENE III
Offstage sounds of running and hard breathing. The footsteps slow and then subside, the breathing continues. The lights come up on a scene stage right set with a metal slat park bench and a streetlamp. Sounds of traffic in the distance. JEFFREY , a young black about sixteen years of age and dressed in jeans and sneakers, is sitting on the bench gasping for breath. Ben is leaning against the lamp post, not quite so winded as Jeffrey.
J EFFREY What you want with me man? ( He leans forward, breathing ) I ain't done nothin to you.
B EN You didn't have to. I don't like you anyway.
J EFFREY ( Leaning back, turning up his eyes ) Shit.
B EN You know what I'm going to do to you?
J EFFREY Yeah.
He sits breathing.
J EFFREY What you want, man.
B EN Mr Telfair.
J EFFREY ( Looking at Ben ) Say what?
B EN What do you want Mr Telfair.
J EFFREY ( Leaning forward again ) Shit.
B EN Jeffrey.
J EFFREY What?
B EN I want to know what's happened to Soldier.
J EFFREY I don't know nothin bout Soldier.
B EN What did you run for?
J EFFREY What you chase me for?
B EN I want to know where he is.
J EFFREY I look like I got him?
Ben shakes his head. He looks away. He looks at Jeffrey again.
B EN Jeffrey. Jeffrey. Jeffrey this boy's mother is my sister. My only sister. If you know anything at all about where Soldier is or what's happened to him I want you to tell me. I don't care how bad it is.
J EFFREY I don't know where he is and that's the truth.
B EN What happened to the Newman boy?
J EFFREY ( Looking down, shaking his head ) Aw man. I got to listen to this again?
B EN What happened to him?
J EFFREY I don't know what happened to the boy. He died.
B EN He died?
J EFFREY The boy got his ticket punched. That's all I know. What would I know about it? Shit man. He's a fourteen year old kid. I didn't even know who he was till this shit started.
B EN What happened to the Nighthawks?
J EFFREY Nighthawks? Ain't no Nighthawks no more.
B EN Your brother used to be president.
J EFFREY So what's that make me?
B EN You tell me.
J EFFREY ( Leaning back and looking at Ben ) You don't know shit man. They ain't no more Nighthawks. Ain't no more clubs. They ain't shit. Just a bunch of freelancers out roguin and doin drugs. These young bloods are all strung out, man. You understand what I'm tellin you? Fourteen year old. Twelve. You leanin all over me bout some young dude got killed. Shit. It's just brother against brother. Shit goin down out there don't make no more sense than nothin. Try and tell these young bloods bout the Nighthawks. They look at you like you from Mars, man.
B EN ( Watching Jeffrey ) How old are you, Jeffrey?
J EFFREY Sixteen.
B EN How old do you think I am?
J EFFREY Man I don't know how old you are. All I know is you livin in the past. I'm livin in the past. History done swallowed you up cept you don't know it.
B EN If history swallows everybody up, who do you think is running the world?
J EFFREY It look to you like somebody runnin it?
B EN When I was sixteen I looked forward to being eighteen. I looked forward to being twenty one.
J EFFREY Yeah, well. Everbody over sixteen the same age to me. And I feel like I'm a hundred.
SCENE IV
Night. The kitchen. Ben sits at the table drinking tea. Lights sweep across the window from outside and a car pulls in and stops and a door opens and slams. Big Ben enters the kitchen. He takes off his hat and his camelhair overcoat. He is dressed in a suit with a sport shirt open at the neck.
B EN Hey.
Big Ben crosses heavily to the stove.
B IG B EN They any coffee?
B EN I think there is. You'll have to warm it.
Big Ben shakes the pot and sets it on the burner and turns on the stove.
B IG B EN Well. We got trouble.
B EN We do?
B IG B
SCENE III
Offstage sounds of running and hard breathing. The footsteps slow and then subside, the breathing continues. The lights come up on a scene stage right set with a metal slat park bench and a streetlamp. Sounds of traffic in the distance. JEFFREY , a young black about sixteen years of age and dressed in jeans and sneakers, is sitting on the bench gasping for breath. Ben is leaning against the lamp post, not quite so winded as Jeffrey.
J EFFREY What you want with me man? ( He leans forward, breathing ) I ain't done nothin to you.
B EN You didn't have to. I don't like you anyway.
J EFFREY ( Leaning back, turning up his eyes ) Shit.
B EN You know what I'm going to do to you?
J EFFREY Yeah.
He sits breathing.
J EFFREY What you want, man.
B EN Mr Telfair.
J EFFREY ( Looking at Ben ) Say what?
B EN What do you want Mr Telfair.
J EFFREY ( Leaning forward again ) Shit.
B EN Jeffrey.
J EFFREY What?
B EN I want to know what's happened to Soldier.
J EFFREY I don't know nothin bout Soldier.
B EN What did you run for?
J EFFREY What you chase me for?
B EN I want to know where he is.
J EFFREY I look like I got him?
Ben shakes his head. He looks away. He looks at Jeffrey again.
B EN Jeffrey. Jeffrey. Jeffrey this boy's mother is my sister. My only sister. If you know anything at all about where Soldier is or what's happened to him I want you to tell me. I don't care how bad it is.
J EFFREY I don't know where he is and that's the truth.
B EN What happened to the Newman boy?
J EFFREY ( Looking down, shaking his head ) Aw man. I got to listen to this again?
B EN What happened to him?
J EFFREY I don't know what happened to the boy. He died.
B EN He died?
J EFFREY The boy got his ticket punched. That's all I know. What would I know about it? Shit man. He's a fourteen year old kid. I didn't even know who he was till this shit started.
B EN What happened to the Nighthawks?
J EFFREY Nighthawks? Ain't no Nighthawks no more.
B EN Your brother used to be president.
J EFFREY So what's that make me?
B EN You tell me.
J EFFREY ( Leaning back and looking at Ben ) You don't know shit man. They ain't no more Nighthawks. Ain't no more clubs. They ain't shit. Just a bunch of freelancers out roguin and doin drugs. These young bloods are all strung out, man. You understand what I'm tellin you? Fourteen year old. Twelve. You leanin all over me bout some young dude got killed. Shit. It's just brother against brother. Shit goin down out there don't make no more sense than nothin. Try and tell these young bloods bout the Nighthawks. They look at you like you from Mars, man.
B EN ( Watching Jeffrey ) How old are you, Jeffrey?
J EFFREY Sixteen.
B EN How old do you think I am?
J EFFREY Man I don't know how old you are. All I know is you livin in the past. I'm livin in the past. History done swallowed you up cept you don't know it.
B EN If history swallows everybody up, who do you think is running the world?
J EFFREY It look to you like somebody runnin it?
B EN When I was sixteen I looked forward to being eighteen. I looked forward to being twenty one.
J EFFREY Yeah, well. Everbody over sixteen the same age to me. And I feel like I'm a hundred.
SCENE IV
Night. The kitchen. Ben sits at the table drinking tea. Lights sweep across the window from outside and a car pulls in and stops and a door opens and slams. Big Ben enters the kitchen. He takes off his hat and his camelhair overcoat. He is dressed in a suit with a sport shirt open at the neck.
B EN Hey.
Big Ben crosses heavily to the stove.
B IG B EN They any coffee?
B EN I think there is. You'll have to warm it.
Big Ben shakes the pot and sets it on the burner and turns on the stove.
B IG B EN Well. We got trouble.
B EN We do?
B IG B
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