THE DUMMY BY GENE PLATTNER Copyright March, 1990 CAST: David Able - Male, 18, 148 pounds, well built, good looking and intelligent. Momma Able - Middle forties. Short, stocky. Dominates the entire family. Poppa Able - Late forties. An intelligent, gentle man. Deborah Able - David's little sister, age 12. Nicki Rossi - Age 18, dark haired, pretty and very well built. Italian. Pop Haines - Middle 60's. Runs the local gym for boxers. SETTING: Winter, 1941 Takes place in East St. Louis, Ill., which is directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO. The Able family is comprised of the parents, both born in Russia and their two children, David (18) and Deborah (12) born in E. St. Louis, Ill. TWO STAGE SETTINGS: 1. The Able Living Room: The living room of a small house in a poor neighborhood during the height of the depression. It has all of the standard items of furniture, plus a small table and chair for the children to do their homework on, generally loaded with papers and books. 2. Pop's office: Small, seedy office in his boxing gym, comprised of an old, small wooden desk with an old, beat-up swivel chair and a couple of old straight back chairs in front. Various pictures of boxers, etc. on the wall. Boxes, etc strewn about the office. AT RISE: In the Able living room. Momma Able is seated in the easy chair, crocheting nervously, waiting for her son, David, to come home. She is short and stout and speaks with a slightly Jewish accent. Davey is a tall, good looking, young man of 18 with a wiry, athletic build. Davey enters cautiously. Sees Momma still up and takes his cap off and twists it nervously in his hands like a small boy. ACT 1 SCENE 1 DAVEY: Hi Momma. (He walks briskly across the room toward his bedroom) Goodnight Momma. MOMMA: Sit down, Davey. (Pause) We have to talk. DAVEY: It's late Momma. Can't we talk tomorrow? I'm very tired. MOMMA: It's Shabass. Tomorrow is Saturday. It wouldn't hurt you to stay up a little late. Sit! (She watches him take off his coat and hang it up on the coat rack and slouch over to the couch and very meekly sit down) Did he hurt you? DAVEY: No. I'm fine. Just a few bruises, that's all. (Pause) How did you find out? I only agreed to fight two days ago. MOMMA: I know everything that goes on in this town. Nobody keeps secrets from me. You thought maybe you could pull the wool over mine eyes? You ought to know better. You thought you could fight in the boxing rink in front of five hundred people and I wouldn't know? (Long Pause) To think my son would become a box fighter. (Pause) My skinny little boy would fight against grown men. (Pause, higher) In front of the whole town yet. (Pause, louder) Bums fight! Goyem fight in rinks! DAVEY: I never intended to fight in the ring, Momma. It was an accident. Mister Holder called me last Wednesday and asked, would I do him a favor. He's a promoter. A fight promoter. The guy who puts the fights on at the coliseum. He says, one of his fighters is sick and he wants to know if I would help him out... you know.. substitute for this sick guy. I didn't see any harm in it. I figured it was going to be in one of the early prelims. You know, an easy fight. I didn't dream he'd put me in against somebody like that. MOMMA: Somebody like that. A grown man! You fought a grown man! A bull! (Pause) When I saw you up there in that rink, I couldn't believe mine eyes. My skinny David, standing there almost naked. Waiting for that hairy bull to catch you and give you the beating of your life. He could have killed you. One good klop on your head and you would be laying out there in that rink dead. Ohii, Got! That's how you do people favors? You big dummy! You let them kill you? DAVEY: He didn't kill me Momma. He didn't even hurt me very much. You saw it yourself. I won! You sat there and saw it. I won! MOMMA: Yes. I saw it. I saw the whole thing, but I still don't believe it. A miracle. That's what it was. A miracle. (Pause) My son, a box fighter. DAVEY: After the first round, when I was sitting there in my corner and I saw you coming down the aisle, screaming and shaking your fist, that's when I really got scared. You were coming to pull me out of the ring, weren't you? MOMMA: You damned right I was! I saw that big ox in there with you. He could make two of you. I thought sure he was going to kill you. Such a dummy! DAVEY: Then why didn't you? MOMMA: Why? Why? I don't know why. Everybody was yelling and screaming and that big Goy was running to hit you with those big fists... those big hairy arms. Ohii, Got. I was so scared, Davey. And you. You came out of that corner so calm, so foolish, so brave. My heart jumped out of my mouth. And then, when he swung his fist at you, you weren't there. How did he miss? I was running as fast as I could.... And then you hit him so hard and he went falling into the ropes. (Pause) Mine Got! I was yelling and screaming with the all the rest of those crazy people. Could you believe it? Well, the next thing I know I'm sitting next to the Kranzberg's and watching the fight and me and everybody was yelling DAVEY! DAVEY! (Pause) It was like a dream. I had to keep telling myself over and over that that was my little David up there in that rink. (Pause) Where did you learn to fight like that? All I remember, back to the first grade, is you coming home dirty and bloody from school all the time. Every boy in school could beat you up. A regular sissy. That's what you were. A sissy. DAVEY: That's right. I was a sissy! You know why? Because I couldn't fight back. Nice Jewish boys don't fight. Isn't that what you taught me, Momma? But you never told me what I was supposed to do when they beat me. I couldn't run away because they could all run faster than me. Nobody ever told me what I was supposed to do. (Pause) Well, I finally figured it out for myself. If I wanted to stop the beatings, I had to learn to fight back. MOMMA: But you were so sickly, so skinny. And you were a Jew. Don't forget that, David. The Goyem, they knew you were a Jew. DAVEY: Tell me, Momma. When was the last time I was sick? MOMMA: I didn't mean sick, exactly. You know... skinny... puny... dumb. DAVEY: I can lick anybody in my school. Even the teachers. I get good grades. I've been learning how to fight since I was 11 years old and I'm a good fighter now. Nobody picks on me anymore. Nobody! I'm not skinny anymore Momma! And I'm not sickly and I'm not puny and I am not dumb! In the first few grades I was slow. I didn't know what was going on in school 'til the third grade. That's when they found out I couldn't see and I got my glasses. I'm not dumb Momma. MOMMA: And what do you call getting into the rink with that big ox so everybody could watch you kill each other? That's smart? DAVEY: I didn't learn to fight so I could be a boxer in the ring. I learned to fight so the bullies wouldn't pick on me anymore. Remember when I wanted to go out for football? MOMMA: I wouldn't let you because I knew you would get hurt. I didn't want you to get hurt. DAVEY: The coach said I was a natural athlete. He said I could be a great quarterback some day, maybe. Do you remember that? But no. Your little David was too puny, so I didn't play football. MOMMA: Better you should spend your time on your homework. (Pause) I guess it's too late to do anything about your grades now, anyway. I'll just be thankful to Got if you graduate. DAVEY: I'll graduate Momma. My grades aren't as good as Deborah's or my cousins but they're good enough. (Then in a lower voice) They're good enough to get me into college. MOMMA: You're not going to college, dummy! You know we can't afford to send you to college. You're going to have to find a job like everybody else and go to work. Besides, they want smart kids in college, not dumb fighters. DAVEY: I'm not a dumb fighter. I don't even want to fight. I want to go to college and get a degree and be somebody. MOMMA: You fought tonight. I saw it with my own eyes. But I still don't believe it. (Pause) Tell me David. How did it feel up there with all the fighting and the noise? All those people cheering for you? It felt good, no? DAVEY: Gee. I guess so. I was kinda nervous at first. First time and all. Especially when I saw you coming down the aisle to pull me out of there in front of all those people. But you didn't. MOMMA: No. I didn't. You looked different up there in that rink. You looked ...... almost like a man. I hardly recognized you. DAVEY: I am a man, Momma. Almost. I'm 18 years old and in a few months, I'm going to graduate. I fought a grown man in the ring tonight and I beat him. He outweighed me by 18 pounds and this was his 28th fight. (Pause) And I liked it. Yeah. I liked it! I liked the way they cheered for me. Davey Able! For the first time in my life I was a winner and people cheered for me. They were on my side. They had faith in me. They believed I could win. MOMMA: I'm telling you for the last time, no more fighting. I don't want a son of mine to be a fighter like the Goyem. Better you should sell shoes or insurance like your Poppa. You hear me David? No more fighting! I forbid it! DAVEY: Yes, Momma. I hear. I wasn't going to fight anymore, anyway. MOMMA: (She gets up and exits, smiling.) That's a good boy. Now goodnight, Davela. DAVEY: (He continues to slouch on the couch.) Goodnight, Momma. (Blackout) END OF SCENE 1 SCENE 2 SETTING: The living room, the next morning. AT RISE: Deborah, Davey's little 12-year-old sister, is studying in the easy chair and Davey is reading a book on the couch. Deborah looks up shyly. DEB: I heard all about your fight last night. I bet Momma really gave it to you huh? DAVEY: (He looks up furtively.) Will you shut up, Deb! Drop it! DEB: (Also looking around. Then whispers.) I've got your picture, Davey. I bought the newspaper with my own money, so I could cut your picture out of it and save it for my scrapbook. DAVEY: (Also whispering) Who're ya fooling? You don't even have a scrapbook. (Poppa enters the room and quietly listens to the conversation) DEB: Well, someday I'm going to have one and my big brother's picture is going to be right there on the very first page. DAVEY: (He starts to say something and notices his father for the first time. He shuts his mouth and goes back to reading his book. Deb buries her head in her papers.) POPPA: (He walks over to Deb's chair and reaches down and picks up the clipping. Deb looks vainly at Davey for help. Poppa examines the clipping with the picture of Davey.) It says here that this is your first fight. Is that true? DAVEY: No, Poppa. I've been in fights before this one but never in the ring. POPPA: The other fights, did you win those too? (He walks over to Deb's chair and gently strokes her hair.) DAVEY: Yes sir. At least for the last 5 or 6 years. Before that, well.... They really weren't fights at all. You know how I used to get beat up after school all the time. I just got beat up because I never fought back. When I was young, I didn't know I had a choice, except maybe to just stand there and take it or run away. (He smiles at his father.) I was never very fast at running Poppa. POPPA: Yes. I know. In Poland, where I come from, if you fought a Goy they would come for you in the middle of the night and nobody ever heard from you again. If a Goy wanted to beat you or abuse your wife and children, those were the only options you had. (Pause) You could stand there and pray that they wouldn't harm you very much or you ran away and hid. I guess somehow that philosophy rubbed off on you. Though God knows I never taught you those things....... Not consciously anyway. (He sighs deeply and walks upstage.) My God! What have I done to my own son? (He turns back to Davey) But we are in America now. A Jew can fight back and no one comes for him in the night. Here, in America, we have been replaced by a new scapegoat. In this country it is the black man who must stand passively and accept the abuse and the degradation or run and hide. May God have mercy on them. DAVEY: Yes, Poppa. I know. I found that out by myself. POPPA: (He looks at the clipping again) It says here that you are a superior boxer and that you out- classed a heavier and more experienced fighter. Your opponent has fought dozens of times and has 17 knockouts to his credit. You were very brave to fight such a man your first time in the ring. DAVEY: I wasn't brave Poppa. I didn't know all those things when I agreed to fight him. It all happened so fast. I thought I was going to fight in a preliminary, you know with someone with my own experience. POPPA: Tell me Davey. What made you decide to learn to how to fight? DAVEY: I guess it was because of my friends. My gentile friends. Mom calls them Goys. You know that most of my friends are not Jewish. They kept asking me, why didn't I fight back when some bully attacked me. As I got older, I realized that the answers I gave them didn't make any sense anymore. Not even to me. POPPA: What were those answers that didn't make any sense David? DAVEY: I told them that my people don't fight. But when I got old enough to study history, I learned that in the old days the Jews were a proud people who fought their enemies bravely and were great warriors. Back in those olden days our people were real fighters when they had to be. (He stands and faces his father) I decided I had the right to make my own decisions about this. After all, it was my body that was taking the beatings. POPPA: So you decided to become a Jewish warrior. DAVEY: I guess you could say that. There is always a need for warriors Poppa. Especially for the Jews. POPPA: There was a time when I would have argued that point but not anymore. We never had it very good in Poland, even in the best of times. But now that that crazy Hitler has invaded it, it will be much worse for the Jews. You're right. We could use some Jewish warriors in these times. (Pause) That must have been some fight last night, eh? DAVEY: It was Poppa. You should have been there. You should have seen it. You would have been proud of me Poppa. POPPA: (Smiling) I'm sure I would have, son. But I don't remember receiving an invitation. DAVEY: (Embarrassed) Well,..... you see.... POP: By the way. I understand that Momma was there and watched the whole fight. How did that happen? DAVEY: Why, ah... she just showed up out of nowhere. But you know Momma. With that grapevine she's got working for her, she always knows everything that's going on in this town. POPPA: Yes, I know. Sometimes more than she has any right to know. I understand she has forbidden you to.... MOMMA: (Calling from offstage) All right everybody. Come to the table. Lunch is ready. DAVEY: (Relieved to end this discussion) Momma's calling. I guess we'd better go eat now. (Everybody rises to go to the kitchen) It looks like the weather's going to be beautiful for your trip tomorrow. POPPA: Trip? Oh, yes. I wish you would change your mind Davey and go with us. This may be the last chance you get to see Uncle Sidney and Aunt Rose for a long time. DAVEY: Sorry Poppa. I've got other plans. Give me a little more notice next time. POPPA: Yes. I forgot that we must make an advance appointment with our own son these days. What was it I was saying? Oh, yes. I understand that Momma has forbidden..... (They exit together) (Blackout) END OF SCENE 2 SCENE 3 SETTING: Living room, the next day. (Sunday) AT RISE: Nicki Rossi, a pretty, buxom 18 year old, enters first from the bedroom. She is exhilarated and in the act of putting on her blouse. She leaves it hanging open and bounces over to the couch. Davey enters as she stretches out seductively on the couch. He is upset and exhausted, trying to button his pants, as he follows her. He sits down on the chair opposite the couch and glares at Nicki. NICKI: You were wonderful, honey. I knew you'd do it for me if I got you excited enough. God! It was even better than I thought it would be. DAVEY: You knew I didn't want to do that. It was disgusting. Human beings aren't supposed to do things like that. My God! Nicki. What makes you want to do things like that anyway? Where do you come up with those weird ideas? NICKI: I think about it a lot. Sex. Sex. Sex. I can't think of anything else lately. Do you know how many years I've wanted to do these things? At first, I was afraid. I was even afraid to talk about it until we finally broke the ice. (Pause) Until we finally quit playing around and got down to business. And then it just came pouring out of me. I want to do it all, Davey. Every last thing there is to do. DAVEY: We only broke the ice four months ago. When we first did it, I thought it was so beautiful. We made love then. After two years, we finally went all the way and it was everything I ever dreamed it would be.... And more. But this. There's no love in what we're doing now. It isn't right, Nicki. NICKI: I love you very much, Davey. We're just experimenting, that's all. There's nothing wrong with that. Making love is sex and sex is making love. (Pause) It's your religion. That's the problem. DAVEY: Hey! Don't be blaming it on my religion. What we just did... what we've been doing lately, may be against my religion but what about yours? What would your mother say about all this? And what about your Priest? What does he say when you go to confession? NICKI: You just leave my Priest out of this. DAVEY: Yeah. It's OK to talk about my religion but yours is off limits. Right? Your religion's no problem. Right? Tell me, would they say anything different than mine? I'm ashamed. I love you and I want to be with you but you make me do things..... forbidden things. I can't handle it anymore. Why can't you understand what I'm saying? NICKI: You sure liked it while we doing all those wonderful things in the bedroom just now. Or don't you remember that far back. You were moaning and groaning even louder than me. Why you even.. DAVEY: Damn it! You're not listening to me! I can't stop myself when you get all excited and egg me on, further and further and further.... Until I turn into an animal, just like you. NICKI: (She smiles a little, sly smile) You talk like this after every time we do it. But you keep coming back for more. You know what I think? I think, way down deep, you love to turn into an animal. You should have seen the look on your face in there 15 minutes ago. (She snuggles close to Davey and runs her hands over his body) You always keep coming back for more. Don't you Davey? DAVEY: I keep hoping it will change. That you'll get tired of all this crazy stuff and it'll be like it used to be. NICKI: Not on your life, Davey. I'll never go back. There's so much we haven't done yet. It's been better than I ever dreamed. I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a woman now. At least I'm learning how to be a woman and I love it! See this body? (She opens her blouse even more.) I've had it since I was fourteen. A little girl inside of a woman's body. Now I'm a woman with the body to match and I intend to get everything I can out of it. (Pause) I can't help it if you've got hang-ups and feel guilty every time we have sex. DAVEY: I love sex. I've told you that a hundred times. But... Oh, what's the use? We've been over this before. NICKI: (She jumps and hurries to the exit, buttoning her blouse as she goes.) I've got to go now, darling. You'll feel better tomorrow. (She stops at the door and looks back coquettishly at Davey) I'll bet you're going to have wonderful dreams tonight. I know I will. Bye, Davey. (She exits) DAVEY: Yeah. Nightmares. (Muttering to himself.) (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 3 SCENE 4 SETTING: The next day, Monday. A small, dark, rundown office in a dingy, local boxing gym. The office consists of an old wooden desk with a beat-up, old swivel chair in back and two old, wooden chairs in front. There is a half-empty bottle of whiskey, a glass and a phone on the desk. AT RISE: Pop is sitting behind the desk with his feet propped up on it and his fist around the glass. POP: (A tentative knock on the door.) Come! DAVEY: (Looking in shyly) You wanted to see me, Pop? POP: Yeah, Davey. Come in and sit down. DAVEY: (He goes to the chair and sits, just as he would have at the age of 8 in a classroom. He smiles anxiously) POP: How long have you been working out here, Davey? DAVEY: Almost two years now, I guess. Have I done something wrong, Pop? Is that why you called me in here? POP: No. Nothing like that. I just thought it was about time for us to have little talk, that's all. You know, kinda get acquainted better. Get to know one another better. (He pauses to sip his drink slowly.) You've been working out in here all that time and we've hardly spoken to each other, personally, that is. DAVEY: Gee. What is it you'd like to talk about? POP: Nothing in particular. Why don't we start with your family? Oh, I know who you are and all that. I even bought some insurance from your Dad a few years ago. Still have it, as a matter of fact. Nice man, your Dad. Real gentleman. Honest. Does exactly what he says he's going to do. No excuses, no bullshit. Good man, Mr. Able. (Pause) Never met your mother, though I've heard some stories about her. (Smiles and takes another sips) From what I've heard, she's been in more fights or arguments than Joe Louis. Never heard of her losing any, either. DAVEY: I don't know that she's ever lost one either but if she ever has you can bet there wasn't any winner, if you know what I mean. POP: Yeah. I sure do. Kinda like you in that respect, eh Davey? Some day, some fighter may beat you but not before you've cut him to ribbons with that vicious left jab of yours. DAVEY: Yeah. Only she does it with her tongue. She can skin you alive with it. (Pause) I know. POP: What does she think of your fighting? From the way it looked to me the other night, you almost got yourself yanked prematurely out of that ring after the first round. DAVEY: (Shocked) You were there? You saw Momma coming down that aisle after me? POP: I don't think anyone else noticed. I just happened to be sitting in the back row when your Mom came storming in and looking for her Davey. I was so close I could have reached out and touched her. I couldn't help hearing what she was yelling at you as she went by. It didn't take much to figure out who she was. (Pause) You handled that situation very neatly, I must say. You kept your head and figured out what you had to do to keep her out of that ring and you did it. (He smiles and tips his glass in salute) Very neatly done. DAVEY: Yeah. Well. I just remembered what you keep telling us all the time. Stay calm. Think before you act. Think and react. It sure paid off Friday night. Twice, in fact. Once with Momma and again with that big guy from Tulsa in the second round. POP: (He sips slowly) You still haven't answered my question. How do your folks stand on this? You're being a fighter? DAVEY: To tell the truth, they didn't know anything about my fighting until this fight. They just thought I came to the gym to work out and do exercises. Momma has always thought of me as puny and timid. You see, I used to get sick a lot when I was a little kid. I used to get beat up a lot by the other kids too. That's why I took up boxing. POP: I guess you don't have to worry about that anymore. But the cat's out of the bag now for sure. DAVEY: It sure is. Poppa understands, I think. But he'd never say anything. I mean he'd never cross Momma. (Pause) It's been pretty quiet at home since the fight. Maybe they're looking at me different now. I don't know. All I know is, it's been awful quiet at home lately. POP: Is that all? Don't you have any brothers or sisters? DAVEY: Oh, sure. I forgot about my little sister. Her name is Deborah and she's twelve years old. She's Momma's pride and joy. Makes straight A's and all that. I guess that's why Momma thinks I'm a dummy. The only grades she's ever seen have been Deb's and mine. Momma was born in the Old Country and she never had a chance to go to school herself. Deb's a really sweet girl for a sister, although sometimes she can be a real pain in the ass. POP: (Nodding and sipping) What do you want to do after you graduate? Got any plans? DAVEY: Nothing definite. Just keep working out and trying to get better, I guess. POP: You're 18 and about to graduate high school and you don't have any plans or ambitions at all? DAVEY: Well. What I really want to do is go to college. But my folks could never afford to send me. We're just scraping by as it is. There may be a college somewhere that gives out scholarships for boxing but I never heard of any. (Pause) I've been thinking, Pop. Maybe I could earn some money fighting and save up enough to pay my way through college. What do you think? POP: Well, I don't know. Depends on how serious you are. How badly do you want it? DAVEY: I want it, Pop. I've got to get out of this stinking town or I'll go nuts. And I've made up mind to go to college, come Hell or high water. I'm definitely goin' to go to college, one way or another. It's just that I don't see any other way to do it except with these. (He holds up his fists) Do you think I can do it, Pop? Do you think I have a chance? POP: Maybe. If you get serious about your training program and you keep putting on more muscle. You might make it. You're good Davey. No question about that. I've never seen a young fighter with more natural talent. But you have to want it, Davey, real bad. DAVEY: You just tell me what I have to do. POP: You got to understand something, right from the start. There's a heavy price to pay to succeed in this racket. There's nothing tougher than the fight game. Nothing. You'll have to pay your dues, Davey. And even then there's no guarantee you'll make it. DAVEY: The way I see it, it's the only way I've got to get out of this dump and be somebody. Do you know what my Momma calls me? She calls me Davey the Dummy. I know I'll never get a scholastic scholarship but by God I'm going to college! If I need to train then I'll train harder than anybody and if I need to put on some muscle then I'll do that too. You just tell me what to do Pop and I'll do it. POP: (He stands and prepares to leave.) Let's get out there in the gym, son. We've got a lot of work to do before you fight for the championship of the world. (They exit together) END OF SCENE 4 SCENE 5 SETTING: Two months later in Pop's office. AT RISE: Pop is seated behind his desk with his usual bottle and glass. Davey enters wearing boxing trunks, etc. ready for his workout. POP: Have a seat, Davey. DAVEY: (Sits down. He is a little more relaxed this time) You wanted to see me, Pop? POP: It's been more than two months now since we had our little chat and I thought we ought to bring each other up to date. You've been working very hard and it's beginning to pay off. I've never seen you so sharp. DAVEY: Thanks. I feel great. POP: I get the feeling that something's wrong. Sometimes you look like your trying to kill that heavy bag out there. I worry that you might forget yourself and hurt one of the sparring partners. DAVEY: Oh you don't have to worry about that. I'd never hurt any of the guys. Never! But sometimes my feelings kinda get carried away when I'm on the big bag. (He smiles sheepishly) But I know the difference, Pop. You don't have to worry about that. POP: Well, just remember what I said. (Pause) Jim Holder was in to see me today. He's got another fight lined up for you if you want it. DAVEY: (Halfheartedly) Well, Gee, yeah. I guess. You remember what happened the last time, don't ya Pop? Gee, I don't know. POP: Yeah. I remember. You won. If you're talking about your mother, that's your problem. As far as I'm concerned, you're ready to fight again. DAVEY: Well, yeah. I'm interested. What's the deal? POP: Jim's putting a fight card together across the river in St. Louis. You did so well in your first fight, he's willing to give you another shot at a semi-final. He liked the way you handled yourself, Davey. He figured you'd probably put up a pretty good fight that last time but he never figured you to win. (He smiles and sips whiskey) And besides he got you for nothing last time. I told him that from now on, no more freebees. You get paid just like the other guys. DAVEY: Get paid? I don't understand. That was an amateur card, Pop. Guys don't get paid for amateur cards. Do they? POP: Wake up and smell the flowers, Davey. Why do you think all those amateur fighters travel all over the country to get their brains beat out? For glory? They fight for the experience and the money and in the hopes that they will someday make it to the pros. But most of them never will. (Sip) On his semi bouts, Jim pays fifty bucks to the winner and twenty-five to the loser. And he pays a Hell of a lot more to the finalists in the main event. When he books the fights in St. Louis, he gets some of the best fighters in the Mid- West to come in for his fights. DAVEY: Then I shoulda got fifty bucks for my last fight. Right? POP: No. He only pays thirty here in East St. Louis. Smaller crowds, smaller take. That's one reason my old buddy Jim went directly to you. He figured maybe he could get you for free, which he did. He also has to fork over a few bucks to me when I'm involved. (Sip) The other reason is he knew I would never have allowed you to go against that big ape from Tulsa. You weren't ready for him and Jim knew it. (Sip) There's a Hell of a lot more to this fight game than what you learn out there in the ring, kid. But you'll learn. Probably the same way the rest of us learned. The hard way. DAVEY: (He jumps up and nervously paces the floor) Wow! Fifty dollars! (He stops pacing and stands still, mentally calculating) Why.... That's more than my allowance for a whole year. My God! I never dreamed... I mean, I've got to give this some serious consideration. Gee, fighting in the ring for nothing was fun but fighting for real money, that's something else. Fifty bucks is a lot of money. POP: (Smiling) Only if you win, son. Only if you win. DAVEY: Oh, I'll win all right. For fifty dollars, I'll win. POP: Just remember. The other guy will have more experience and he'll be fighting for the same fifty bucks. (Sip) I know you've got some personal problems to work out, so I won't press you for an answer tonight. But I have to get back to Jim within a few days or he'll have to book someone else. You understand, Davey? DAVEY: Sure, I understand. I'll get back to you in a day or so. POP: Fine. Just let me know when and we'll have another talk. Now get your ass out there and start working the heavy bag. I've lined up three sparing partners for you tonight. I want you to go at least four rounds with each of them. Stay on your toes because they're all heavier than you are. I saved the best one for last so you'd better be in shape. DAVEY: (He rises to leave.) I'm in good condition. Uh.... Two questions, OK? POP: Shoot. But make it fast. Those guys won't wait around all night. DAVEY: First. Who am I going to fight? That is, if I decide to take this one. And second, when? POP: Jesus H Christ! I thought you'd never ask. You'll be fighting a seasoned veteran out of Detroit. Name's Bobby Foxworth. He's twenty-nine, 19 fights, 9 knockouts. Lost one. He's not much of a hitter but he's a pretty good boxer and he fights like a human buzz saw. If you can stay out of the corners, you can beat him. He's a clever in-fighter. Likes to get inside and bang away. The fight is scheduled for January 5th, almost four weeks away. Now, if there are no more questions, there are some very nice gentlemen outside waiting to knock your head off. DAVEY: I'm going. I'm going. Thanks, Pop. (He exits) (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 5 SCENE 6 SETTING: Davey's Living room. AT RISE: Davey and Nicki are fully dressed and sitting on the couch. NICKI: It's been a long time, Davey. I can't wait 'til we get in the bedroom. (She begins to unbutton her blouse) Can't we talk afterwards? DAVEY: No. We've got to talk now. Button your blouse and come over here, Nicki. NICKI: Since when did you start giving me orders? (She opens her blouse even wider) Come on. Make it snappy, honey. We don't have much time. DAVEY: (He stands and glares at her) Button up or go home. NICKI: (Stunned) You really mean it, don't you? (Pause) Well, I just might do that. (She whirls around and walks away, testing. Davey does not move. She stops and twists around and is confused) Do you really want me to go home, Davey? DAVEY: I want you to button your blouse and sit down. NICKI: (She turns to face him with her blouse full open and glares back defiantly. Then walks up to him and takes her blouse off and throws it on the floor. She starts to touch him and looks into his eyes, steps back and then calmly picks up her blouse and puts it on. She meekly goes to the couch and sits down and continues to button her blouse.) Are you mad at me? DAVEY: I'm mad at myself for letting this thing go so far. I've been fighting my parents for almost two years to go steady with you. NICKI: So have I. Do you think it's been any easier for me? A Catholic going steady with a Jew. But it's been worth it. You've made me happy these last few years. It's been wonderful. The happiest time of my whole life. DAVEY: We stuck it out because we loved each other. And you've made me happy too. I never knew love could be so great. We used to go for long walks and hold hands and talk to each other. I thought I knew you better than anyone else in the whole world. (Beat) But I don't know you at all anymore. It seems like all we do now is plot and plan so we can find some place to have sex. I used to dream about the time when we would actually take off all our clothes and make love like grown-ups. NICKI: We do! And it's wonderful! DAVEY: No! We don't! We screw each other. And it's not wonderful. It's.... It's dirty. With your new ways and your disgusting, little games. We've changed, Nicki. We need different things. I can't give you what you need anymore (Pause) and you can't give me what I need. NICKI: Don't you love me anymore? DAVEY: I don't know. Is love different after you grow up? How do you know when you quit loving somebody? Can your love change and still be love? (Pause) I don't know the answers. (He leans down and strokes her face.) When I look at you, I still feel it deep inside. And when I touch you, I... (He sits down next to her and takes her in his arms) Why did everything have to change? It was so wonderful before. NICKI: We grew up, Davey. And for me, the most beautiful time of all is now. (She throws her arms around Davey and they embrace and kiss) Davey... can we go in the bedroom now? DAVEY: (Long sigh) Not yet. I told you, we have to talk first. NICKI: (They part and Nicki pouts) So what's the problem? You said that something serious has come up. What is it? DAVEY: I've been offered another fight. NICKI: I thought it was something important. So? You've been offered another fight. Big deal. Turn it down. Who needs all that aggravation? You got some kind of an ego problem? DAVEY: I wish it was just an ego problem. It's more than that. A Hell of a lot more. It's my whole life. My future. You know how I hate this Hell hole we live in. My number one goal in life is to get out of here and make something of myself. You know that. NICKI: Sure. I know that. You've been telling me that for two years. Mine too. What has that got to do with your fighting? What's so important about your fighting another lousy amateur fight? That's not going to get you anything but a whole lot of trouble. DAVEY: But what if they paid me? You know, for fighting? NICKI: So they slip you a couple of bucks for missing teeth and losing blood. I still say, so what? DAVEY: So what if they slip me fifty bucks? NICKI: (Her mouth drops open) You're kidding. Nobody's gonna pay you fifty dollars for a local amateur fight. C'mon Davey. You're dreaming. DAVEY: I'm serious. The fight's across the river in St. Louis and it's a big one. Top fighters. Big crowd. Lotta money. They pay fifty bucks to the winner and twenty-five to the loser. NICKI: Have you thought about the price you'll have to pay? You know what I mean. What if your Momma finds out? She forbid you to ever fight again. Have you thought about what she will do when she finds out? She'll do something bad, Davey. She scares me. DAVEY: She scares me too. My Poppa works his ass off ten, sometimes twelve hours a day for fifteen, maybe twenty bucks a week. How do you think he's going to send me to college? If I'm going to go to college, I've got to make it on my own. The best way I can. Do you realize how much that adds up to if I fight eight or ten times a year and win? That's half what my father makes to support our whole family. That can pay for any college I want. NICKI: So you've definitely decided to fight? DAVEY: I don't know. That's the big problem I mentioned. NICKI: She'll throw you out of the house when she finds out. You know that, Davey? DAVEY: She might. I honestly don't know what she'll do. NICKI: Are you willing to take that chance? DAVEY: What's my alternative? Stay here and sell insurance for the rest of my life? I've got to fight. If I can't live at home, I'll find some other place to live. I can take care of myself. NICKI: What does that mean? Go live some place else. I think you should reconsider this whole thing. You're scaring me. What's the matter with selling insurance? I don't think you should do this, Davey. DAVEY: Hey. C'mon. Let's not panic. It's probably never going to come to that. Not if we think of something clever. (Nicki is frozen with fright) Look, honey. I have definitely made up my mind. If you don't want to help that's Ok. I'll understand. (Pause) Would you like to go home now? NICKI: Yes. ... No. OK. If that's the way it's going to be, then let's get down to business. What are our choices? DAVEY: Now that's better. Now we're cooking. (He rises and begins to pace back and forth) Let's see. Do I tell her and then try to convince her that I'm doing the right thing? Do I try to keep it from her and pray she doesn't find out? (Pause) Gee. What other choices do we have? NICKI: Face it, Davey. There is no way you're going to convince your mother that fighting is the right way for you to go. If you tell her, she'll try to stop you. DAVEY: Yeah. You're right. (He sits down dejectedly) NICKI: What if she reads it in the papers? That you're going to fight? Do you think she'd go along with you then? DAVEY: Oh, my God! I forgot about the papers. That would rile her up even more. No. I got away with surprising her the first time but it won't help me again. (Pause) Something's missing. There has to be a simple answer. Something we're missing. NICKI: I doubt it. You're just going to have to.... (She brightens. An idea.) This fight, you're definitely going through with it? DAVEY: You know damn well I am. It's the most important thing in my life. NICKI: And the only thing stopping you is your mother. I mean, if we don't solve this problem, it's well.... DAVEY: We've got to solve this problem. You know how important it is to me. If you've got something spit it out. NICKI: If I had the answer, would you be willing to do something for me (Pause) in exchange? DAVEY: I'd do anything for you, even if you didn't have the answer. You know that. Are you saying you have it? Don't fool around, Nicki. Let's have it. NICKI: Well. There are some things you won't do for me. DAVEY: Like what? I've never refused .... Oh, that. You know how I feel about that. That's dirty, filthy. No. Forget it. I'll work out my own problems. NICKI: And what if you can't? Come on, Davey. Just one more time. That's all I'm asking. Just this once. I promise. I won't ever ask you again. Ever. Please. Just this one time. DAVEY: No! Go home. NICKI: Come on honey. Just think about it. You want to fight again don't you? (She gets up and walks toward the door.) I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow. Bye. DAVEY: (He watches her and waits, then) OK! OK! You win. NICKI: (She prances back to the couch and sits) You'll do whatever I say. Everything? DAVEY: I said it was a deal, didn't I? So what's the great solution? And this better be good. NICKI: It's really so simple. It was right there in front of us all the time. Sure it's going to be in all the papers. But it won't matter. DAVEY: That's crazy. The Hell it won't matter. What are you talking about? NICKI: No! That's just the point. It won't matter because it won't be you. DAVEY: You're not making any sense. I'll be in the papers but it won't be me? That's your answer? NICKI: Right. Listen. We'll give you a..... you know.... a stage name. Then nobody will know it's you. Get it? DAVEY: Of course! A phony name. With a phony home town. (He jumps up, very excited) We'll make it some place far away. It's so simple. So perfect. She'll never catch on. NICKI: Isn't it wonderful? We both get something we wanted very badly. Now you'll be able to fight whenever you want without worrying about your mother and I'll be able to..... to have what I want, too. DAVEY (The excitement goes out of him) Yeah. Great. Just wonderful. NICKI: You're still mad at me, aren't you? DAVEY: Now why would you think that? Why would I be mad at my old pal Nicki? My loving sweetheart? You'd do anything for me, wouldn't you? That is, if the price is right. You don't mind helping me out of a jam, if the price is right. NICKI: You would have done the same thing. Besides, it's no big deal. I told you. After we do it, it'll be over and done. DAVEY: Yeah. You're right about that honey. After we do it, it'll be over. NICKI: You'll see. After this we'll just go out like we used to. You know, long walks, holding hands, the movies, like that. We can still do all those things again. You'll see. DAVEY: No. No we can't. (Pause) It's over. After today, it's all over. NICKI: (She stands and walks over to Davey, takes his hand and leads him into the bedroom.) Come on, Davey. Enough talk. Let's go into the bedroom and Nicki will make that sourpuss disappear like magic. You know you don't really mean all that stuff. You'll see. In a few minutes I'll make you forget everything. That is, everything but me. You'll see. (As they exit, she can be heard offstage) You're going to love it, Davey. I'm going to make you love it. (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 6 ACT II SCENE 1 SETTING: Three months later. The early Spring of 1940. In the Able living room. AT RISE: Davey is sitting straight up on the couch and Nicki is seated on the easy chair. The atmosphere is stiff and formal. DAVEY: How long has it been? I haven't seen much of you in school lately. NICKI: Three months, one week and three days. I've been kinda busy lately. You know. (Pause) Oh. Congratulations! I knew you'd win. The paper said that the young fighter from El Paso, Texas could be the future welterweight champion some day. I guess all those years of training and hard work are beginning to pay off. That phony name paid off, huh? DAVEY: Like a charm. That was a brilliant idea you had. Momma never found out. I'm booked to fight again in a couple of months. Two or three fights this Summer and I'll have enough money saved up to enroll in college. I've picked the University of California. I guess that's far enough away from here. Isn't it wonderful? (Pause) Can I get you a drink? NICKI: Sure. Would you have some wine or whiskey around somewhere? DAVEY: Gee. You never drank anything stronger than a Coke in your life. NICKI: I've grown up a lot in the last few months. DAVEY: Looks like it. (He gets up and exits into the kitchen) Hold on. I'll be right back. (He yells from the kitchen) Only thing I've got is some Mogen David wine. Will that be all right? NICKI: That'll have to do, I guess. DAVEY: (Comes back carrying a bottle of wine, a Coke and a glass. Hands her the glass and fills it) NICKI: Thanks. DAVEY: The last time we met it was me that called the meeting because I had a problem. Now it's your turn. I hope I can help. (He sips on his Coke) It must be serious. Your hands are trembling. You said something about being in some kind of trouble. You know, now that I get a close look at you, you don't look so good. What's wrong, Nicki? NICKI: I haven't been feeling well, lately. Yes. I am in trouble. I need a friend to talk to. (She is pale and drawn and unable to look at Davey) DAVEY: I'm glad you still consider me a friend. I thought you'd be mad at me for breaking us up. I, uh... heard you've been going out with some of the guys on the football team. I don't believe all those stories though. NICKI: (She takes a strong gulp of wine) We're through, aren't we? I can date whoever I want. DAVEY: Sure. I didn't mean anything by that. I don't know why I said it. I was just surprised to see you drinking is all. NICKI: I never knew liquor tasted so bad and made you feel so good. My favorite is Rum and Coke. I can really get high on that and with only a couple drinks. I'm what they call a cheap drunk. I've been learning some of the better things of life lately. (Self conscious laugh) Of course, I've managed to teach them a thing or two in return. (Laugh. Very tense) You're being very patient with me. Always the considerate friend. Eh, Davey? (Another gulp) Well. I won't keep you in suspense any longer. I'm going to have a baby. Yours! (She breaks down completely. In tears.) I'm pregnant and I don't know what to do. DAVEY: (Stunned) How do you know? I mean, are you certain? NICKI: Missed my period..... twice. I never miss my period. Never! And I haven't been feeling so good lately. You know, in the mornings. I'm pregnant, Davey. (Pause) With your baby. DAVEY: Gee. I don't know how that's possible. Except for that very first time, I've always been so careful. How can you be pregnant? But then it has to be me. Up until two months ago I was the only one. (He sits staring at her bowed head and sighs) Well. We've got to look at this very calmly and figure out what to do. So what do we do, Nicki? NICKI: I don't know. I was hoping you would come up with something. What can a girl do when she gets pregnant? DAVEY: God. You're asking me? The only thing I know what to do is to get married. What else is there? NICKI: (Still unable to look at him) There is one other way. But it costs a lot of money. DAVEY: Another way? Money? What has money got to do with this for God's sake? How can money solve this kind of problem? NICKI: There are ways. You now. Ways to get rid of a baby. Christ! Do I have to spell it out for you? DAVEY: Come on, Nicki. Don't play games with me! I'm in no mood to play games! If you've got something to say, spit it out because I don't know what the Hell you're talking about. NICKI: All right. There are people who know how to get rid of a baby when the girl doesn't want to have it. They do something inside. You know. (Pause) But they charge a lot of money. DAVEY: (He rises out of the couch and leans toward her. In a hoarse whisper) You want to kill my baby? Is that what you mean? You want to pay somebody to kill my baby? (She recoils from the words and he comes closer to her face.) Now you listen to me you bitch! You're not going to kill my baby! You got that? I don't know what we're going to do but we are not going to do anything like that! Not to my baby! NICKI: (Shocked and puzzled by his violent reaction she rises and looks at Davey for the first time. Barely audible.) I don't know you at all. DAVEY: What? What did you say? NICKI: (Louder) I said, I don't know you at all. I don't think I ever did. I gave you a way out. I thought you'd jump at it. I was so sure that you would do anything to get off the hook. I was so sure. (Pause) It wasn't you, Davey. DAVEY: You're not making any sense. What's the matter with you? Are you drunk? NICKI: It wasn't you. You're not the father. I'm sorry, Davey. DAVEY: (He sinks back into the couch, staring blankly) I don't understand what's going here. Just now... you said something about.... What did you say? NICKI: You heard me right. I said you're not the father of my baby. I'm sorry. I told you that to get you to pay for the abortion. I didn't think you'd help me if I told you the truth. Oh, I'm pregnant all right. But you're not the one. You didn't do it. DAVEY: But if it wasn't me, who was it? NICKI: Hell. I don't know. Isn't that funny? (She laughs hysterically) One of the guys on the football team. Yeah. I lied about that too. I only missed one period. (She takes another long gulp and fills the glass herself.) Those stories you heard, they're all probably true. I guess I went a little crazy after we broke up. I didn't have any problem getting them to give me what I wanted. They didn't have all those hang-ups like you. They were just panting for me.... To do anything I wanted. (Pause) When I told them, they just laughed. They thought it was real funny. That the baby had 8 fathers. That's when I got desperate. I didn't know where else to go. I'm sorry. (Pause) After all these years with you, I don't know you at all. I thought you'd jump at the chance to get off the hook if you thought it was yours. I was sure of it. (Pause) Will you help me Davey? DAVEY: If your Poppa finds out he'll throw you out in the street and then go looking for someone to kill. Probably wind up in prison. (Pause) This'll kill your Momma. NICKI: You're right. It's not just me. It's my whole family. That's why I've got to do something, fast. I have no choice. Will you help me, Davey? DAVEY: These people. The one's who ahh.... Help women in trouble. How much do they charge? NICKI: You'll help me? A hundred dollars. It's a lot I know. I know you only get 75 cents a week allowance but you did make all that money fighting. You're my only friend, Davey. The only one in the world I can turn to. DAVEY: This hundred dollars. How soon? When do you have to have it? NICKI: They tell me it must be done as soon as soon possible. DAVEY: Do you know where to go? Who to talk to? To make all the necessary arrangements? NICKI: No. Not yet. But I have girlfriends who can get me to the right people. One of them did it herself last year. (Pause) Will you help me? DAVEY: I don't know. One hundred dollars is more than I've ever had in my whole life. There's a chance. I don't know how quickly I can do anything. NICKI: Thank you. I'm sorry I lied to you. I was out of my mind with fear. I didn't know what else to do. DAVEY: Sure. I understand. It's strange, you know. We had all of those long talks and we told each other everything. I don't think we ever had any secrets from each other. And in the end, we didn't understand each other at all. (Pause) I'm not promising anything, you understand. But I'll try. That's all I can say for now. I'll try. NICKI: I can't tell you how good it is, just to have a friend right now. (They rise and Nicki hugs Davey) Thank you, Davey for being my friend. (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 1 SCENE 2 SETTING: A few days later. Pop's office. AT RISE: Pop and Davey enter together. Davey is in his trunks as they go to their respective chairs. Pop opens a drawer and brings out his bottle and a glass. He proceeds to pour himself a drink and settle back. POP: You look like a man with a problem, son. DAVEY: Yeah. A big one. How did you know? I haven't said anything yet. POP: I've been watching you all night. There must have been somebody's face on that bag out there. You looked like you were trying to kill it. I almost had to warn you a few times in the ring tonight, too. It's not easy, getting sparring partners for you anymore. You keep that up and you won't have anybody to spar with. I've warned you about that. DAVEY: I know. I had to keep telling myself to calm down all night. I talked to the guys afterwards. I told them I was sorry. I must be hitting harder lately. POP: You are. And that's OK. Great, in fact. Except you have to learn to hold back a little when you're sparring. They don't have to come in here and spar with you, you know. You've gained weight, too. You're moving from welterweight up to middleweight faster than I wanted. DAVEY: You told me to gain weight and put on more muscle Pop. POP: Yeah. You can't have it both ways, I guess. It's just that you haven't proven yourself as a welterweight yet. DAVEY: I know. I heard you talking to Mister Holder the other day. You don't know how I'll react when I'm hit hard. That's when you'll find out whether I'm a real fighter or just a flash in the pan. POP: You've got big ears, Davey. That was a private conversation. DAVEY: Well, I kinda tuned in when I heard my name mentioned. I hope I don't let you down when the time comes. POP: Don't worry about it son. I've got a feeling you'll do just fine. Right now it looks like you've got enough to worry about without that. What's eating you, anyway? DAVEY: I was wondering when I could get another fight. I have to fight again as soon as possible. POP: You're already booked for another fight. You know that. DAVEY: Yeah. I know. But that's more than two months away. I'm talking about this week or next week at the latest. POP: Too soon. You just had a fight a month ago. Why this sudden compulsion to fight again? Last week you weren't the slightest bit interested in another fight. You in trouble, son? DAVEY: Oh, no sir. You see, I got a friend who's in trouble. Serious trouble. You might say it's a matter of life and death. My friend needs a lot of money, real fast. POP: How fast? DAVEY: Right away. She needs it right away. She doesn't have much time. POP: (Slow, thoughtful sip) We've never talked about your personal life, except for your folks. You got a girlfriend, Davey? DAVEY: I know what you're thinking, Pop. But you're wrong. No. I don't have a girlfriend. I'm just helping out a friend who's in deep trouble. (Pause) We may be saving her life. There's just nobody else she can turn to. POP: So when did it become "we"? I don't know any girls who are in trouble. DAVEY: Well..... gee.... You know, Pop. That's just a figure of speech. She's desperate and she needs all the help she can get. Do you think there's a chance I can get a fight real soon? Any chance at all that I can get a fight soon enough to help her out? POP: (Thoughtful sip) Let's see if I understand you right. You're going to put all of your college money on the line for this 'friend' who's got herself in trouble. Trouble that you had nothing to do with, of course. Have I got that right? DAVEY: I guess I was partially responsible, only not in the way you think. I can live without college but she can't live without the money. I can fight again and save money in the future. And if I can't make it this year, I can go to college next year. I can keep fighting for awhile longer if I have to. I owe her, Pop. I can't explain it very well, not even to myself. But that's the way I feel. POP: Let me make a few phone calls over the weekend. See if I can find something for you. I'll try to have something definite by Monday. In the meantime, I think you'd better go back to the heavy training schedule we worked out for your last fight. DAVEY: Yeah. That's a great idea. I knew I could count on you. Thanks, Pop. POP: Don't thank me. I haven't done anything yet. This will probably be an out of town fight. Are you going to have any problems with that? DAVEY: You just get me a fight. I'll handle the details. The only thing is, I've got to come out with a clear fifty bucks, after expenses. POP: I think I can handle that part. But remember Davey, the fifty bucks will be for the winner. If you lose, well..... DAVEY: Yeah. I know. I already figured that out. (Pause) I've never been in a spot like this before. I mean, where somebody else is depending so much on what I did. You know? Before it's always been if I win, swell and if I lose, I take a beating and wait till next time. This time, if I lose, somebody's life is changed forever. That's pretty scary. POP: (He sips and smiles.) That's what being a grown-up is all about, son. You just do the same things you did as a boy, only the stakes are higher. (Pause) Let's not worry about it anymore tonight. Go take a shower and go home. Get a good night's sleep and start running in the morning. See you Monday. DAVEY: Ok, Pop. Goodnight. (He exits) POP: (Tilts back in his chair and stares at the ceiling.) Goodnight, Davey. (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 2 SCENE 3 SETTING: Pop's office on Monday. AT RISE: Pop is sitting in his usual place with his usual half-filled glass. The desk has one additional item on it. An empty glass. Davey enters, wearing sweatshirt and pants. POP: One hell of a day to be out in the weather. You must have been soaked to the skin. DAVEY: I was soaked and frozen, walking those 8 blocks from the bus stop. That's the worst ice storm I've ever seen. Cars slipping and sliding around into everything. Even the buses are sliding into the pile-ups. I had to get off and walk an extra 4 blocks when my bus skidded into three other cars. These sweat clothes feel pretty good. I took a hot shower and left my wet clothes downstairs to dry out. Boy, that walk was murder. POP: Thought you'd be chilled. Here. Take a little anti-freeze. It'll thaw you out. (He pours a shot into the shot glass and hands it to Davey) DAVEY: (He grabs it and downs it neatly in one gulp and puts the glass back on the desk as though he had been doing it for years.) Thanks, Pop. That feels warm all the way down. POP: Well, I see you already know how to handle your liquor. I never knew you drank. DAVEY: I don't. But that doesn't mean I don't know how. I learned to drink from my Grandpa. He makes his own. Not like this store bought stuff. His is 120 proof and looks like water. (He smiles) If you can drink Grandpa's whiskey, you can drink anything. POP: I remember that stuff from my young days. We used to call it White Mule. It could take the top of your head off. You say your Grandpa let's you drink that stuff at your age? DAVEY: Not exactly. He didn't know we swiped some now and then. Good thing too. He was a big, tough man. Still is. Only he's getting on now. (Beat) Oh, you said you had some news for me. Good or bad? POP: That's for you to decide. I don't think it's so hot myself. I managed to get hold of some friends around the country and I got lucky. I think I found something, although you may not think so after you hear what it is. (Takes a sip and nods at Davey's glass) Another shot? DAVEY: No thanks. Like I said, I don't normally drink. POP: Glad to hear it. I advise you not to take it up. Nasty habit. (Another sip) Anyway, as I was saying. We got an offer from an old friend of mine, Abe Solomon, in Chicago. Seems he's put together a strong fight card for this Saturday night and he's got a big problem. One of the fighters he's got signed for the Semi has turned sour. Until I spoke with Abe yesterday he was looking around desperately for another fighter. He figured he was stuck with this bum at this late date. He's just discovered the guy has a really bad drinking problem and he's in no condition to fight a 120- pound Girl Scout. That's the good part. DAVEY: That's great! We fight Saturday night! Gee, Pop. That's great! POP: Hold your horses, son. You haven't heard the other part. You may not be so happy about this setup. DAVEY: What's the rest of it, Pop? POP: First of all, this is a middleweight you'll be fighting. You've never fought that heavy and you're not ready for it. Second, the guy you're fighting is J. C. Johnson. Ever heard of him? DAVEY: No, sir. I don't know about any fighters outside of the St. Louis area. Who is he? POP: He's just the best middleweight in the amateur ranks in the country. And the dirtiest. He'll be a ranking pro before the year's out. Under any other circumstances I wouldn't allow you to even get in the ring with this guy. You don't have the experience. You don't have the weight. You're just not ready for J. C. yet. Not only will you lose, you'll probably get hurt. DAVEY: So you think it's a bad idea. POP: I think it's a terrible idea. Like I said. Under ordinary conditions I'd never let you do it. But these are not ordinary conditions. There's more at stake here than just winning a fight. I can't say do it and I can't say don't do it. You've got to make this decision on your own. You've got to learn to live in this grown-up world. You'll be fighting grown men from now on and living in a man's world. That means taking the responsibilities that go with being a man. (Pause) There's one more thing. Abe's offering you a carrot. DAVEY: That's awful nice of old Abe. What's the deal? POP: He's offering you the winning purse, guaranteed. Win or lose. One hundred dollars, plus expenses. DAVEY: He must want me pretty bad. POP: He's desperate. Nobody wants to go in against J. C. The two of you need each other. As you can see, they also pay better in Chicago. (Pause) Would you like to think it over? You can't take too much time, though. He must have our answer by tomorrow. DAVEY: Now lets see if I understand all of this. I get one hundred bucks, win or lose. That's the good part. I have to fight in Chicago on Saturday night and the guy I'm fighting is a middleweight named J. C. Johnson. And he's good. Very good. POP: Right. DAVEY: You've laid it out for me like I was an adult. I appreciate that. Now tell me, Pop. No bullshit. Do I have chance? Any chance at all against J. C.? POP: Jesus, Davey. You're really putting me on the spot. I told you I'm against this whole deal. Isn't that enough? DAVEY: No. I need to know. I have a right to know. POP: He's got the fastest hands I ever saw. Even faster than yours. But you're a better boxer than he'll ever be. With all the weight you've been putting on recently, you're almost out of the welterweight division right now. You'll be fighting at the lowest weight of the division and J. C. is at the top of the Middleweight class. Which means he's got some pounds on you but not very much. He's shorter. You've got the reach on him by at least three or four inches. That's definitely to your advantage. He's dirty but we can teach you a few tricks you won't find in any boxing manual. That'll even the score on that point a little. The best thing you'll have going for you though. He's dumb. Dumb as a post. You're the smartest fighter I've ever worked with. Thinking all the time. You're calm under pressure. (Takes another thoughtful sip) I figure it'll be the toughest fight you'll ever have in the ring. But, with a lotta luck, you can take him. If everything goes just right and if you get the breaks. Those are awfully big ifs son. DAVEY: But I have a chance. That's what you're saying. Isn't it, Pop? I've got a chance to take this J. C. Johnson in Chicago? POP: You've got a chance. A slim chance, Davey. DAVEY: With the weather like this, I guess you're not going anywhere for awhile. POP: I don't know where else I'd be going on a day like this. I've got a feeling we're both stuck here for the rest of the day. DAVEY: I'd like to go in the gym and work out for awhile. Kinda think things out. I'll come back later and we can talk some more, if that's OK with you. POP: That'd be just fine. I've got a mountain of paperwork that's been piling up around here for weeks. Come back in when you're ready. DAVEY: (He gets up and prepares to leave) Thanks, Pop. (Pause) I mean... you know.... Thanks for everything. POP: Yeah. Well... You going to let me get some work done or what? DAVEY: I'm going. I'm going. (He exits) (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 3 SCENE 4 SETTING: Pop's office, two hours later. AT RISE: Same as scene 4, only Davey is all sweaty. He sits and looks at the bottle across the desk. Pop sees the look and shoves the bottle across the desk towards Davey. DAVEY: (He picks up the bottle and pours himself a small shot, sets the bottle down and picks up the glass. He salutes Pop) L'Chaim! (He drinks it down and returns the glass to the desk.) How do we get to Chicago? POP: (He returns the salute and downs the shot) L'Chaim! I've made all the arrangements. We leave at 8 Saturday morning. When we arrive in Chicago, we settle into a hotel near the coliseum until fight time. After the fight, we drive back home. We should get in around 6 or 7 in the morning. (Pause) You'll have to take care of the other, ah, details on your own. DAVEY: (He smiles and relaxes in his chair) You had it all figured out. POP: It had to be your decision, Davey. But when you got right down to it, what other decision could you make? (Pause) Now that we've got all that settled, why don't you call your parents and tell them where you are and that you're dining with me tonight? I'll see that you get home afterwards. DAVEY: Gee. That sounds great. I'll be right back. (He exits) (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 4 SCENE 5 SETTING: Pop's office Sunday morning after the fight. AT RISE: Pop and Davey come in together and slouch into their respective chairs. They are exhausted. Davey's face is in terrible condition, swollen lips, black eye and a large white bandage on his left cheekbone. POP: (He pulls out the bottle and two glasses and pours himself a drink, then slides the extra glass and bottle over to Davey) My God, I thought we'd never get out of that damned car. Terrible drive. Thank God we took Jackie along as our cornerman. Without his help driving back, we'd still be out there somewhere. DAVEY: Sorry I wasn't much help. I guess I passed out in the back of the car before we even got out of Chicago. POP: Hey. You earned it. You did your work in the ring. How are the stitches? DAVEY: (Feeling the bandage very gingerly) I'm OK. I feel fine. POP: You sure as Hell don't look fine. He really opened up your cheek with that head butt. I warned you, he butts like a Billy Goat. I thought sure the referee was going to stop the fight when the blood started gushing. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to stop the bleeding but the gash was so deep.... All the way down to the bone. DAVEY: Hey. You did a good job, Pop. You stopped it after every round so I could go back and fight some more. POP: I don't know how much of a favor that was. DAVEY: I shoulda been more careful. I was warned about him. He just caught me by surprise that one time. I was pretty careful after that. I never saw a fighter that fought so dirty. POP: Or a referee that was so blind. He never even gave J. C. a warning or considered stopping the fight when the both of you were bleeding like stuck hogs. And where did you learn all that stuff? I taught you some pretty dirty tricks last week but I don't remember teaching you what I saw you pull up there in that ring last night. You were just as bad as J. C. after he opened up your face in the second round. DAVEY: Some of the guys in the gym have been giving me lessons on the side. You'd be surprised what those guys know about fighting dirty. POP: No I wouldn't. Over half of them have been in jail and most of them are going to wind up there sooner or later. (Pause) What are you going to do now, Davey? DAVEY: I'd just like to rest here for a few hours before I go home. POP: Sure. No problem. You can forget about keeping this fight a secret though. Not with a face like that. DAVEY: Yeah. I know. I've been thinking about that. (Pause) I guess I knew all along I wasn't going to get away with it this time. I'll just have to go home and face the music....... Funny. I was so terrified of Momma finding out. And now, I just don't care anymore. In fact, I'm kinda relieved. I know what I'm going to do with my life now and it's time Momma knew too. POP: You're one Hell of a fighter, Davey. In all my forty years in the fight game I've never seen a more vicious fight. Both of you standing toe to toe like that, punching away at each other. Neither one is giving an inch and both of you bleeding all over the place. Even the referee was covered with it. (Pause) There were a few times when I seriously considered throwing the towel but you just kept after him and fighting your fight, just like there was nothing wrong at all. DAVEY: You did the right thing, Pop. I'da never forgiven you if you had thrown that towel on me. Blood or no blood, I had a right to finish it, whether it was on the floor or standing. It was my fight to finish. POP: That's exactly the way I had it figured. A man has the right to determine his own destiny, whether he's 18 or 80. I had to respect that right. (He gets up and goes to the door) You proved yourself last night, Davey. There's something a fighter has to have in order to rise to greatness. Something over and above strength and talent and quickness and all the rest of it. It's something inside that he must be born with. You've got everything it takes to be a champion, son. I was proud to be in your corner last night. DAVEY: Thanks, Pop. We sure make a great team, don't we? POP: The best. It's too bad nobody in town will ever know about the fight you put up against the very best amateur in the country last night. DAVEY: There's going to be a few people in town who know. A couple too many, I think. POP: I want you know, Davey. If there's anything I can do, you know I'll be here. DAVEY: Thanks. I'll be seeing you in a few days. So long. POP: Bye, Davey. (He exits) DAVEY: (He watches Pop leave and then reaches for the phone and dials.) Nicki? Hi. Yeah. Davey. Yeah. Me too. How're ya feeling? That's good. Say. How about meeting me at the gym this afternoon? Yeah. Pop's office. Great. About 2:30 sounds fine. Yeah, bye. (He hangs up the phone and puts his arms on the desk and gently puts his head down and goes to sleep.) (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 5 SCENE 6 SETTING: The office at two thirty o'clock. AT RISE: Davey is in exactly the same position as he was at the end of scene 6, sound asleep. NICKI: (She opens the door and peeks in and sees Davey sleeping. She walks over and gently puts her hand on his shoulder and whispers) Davey. Davey. DAVEY: (Wakes up with a start) What? Oh. It's you. What time is it? NICKI: It's almost two... Oh, my God. Davey. Your face! DAVEY: I'm OK. It looks a lot worse than it is. Really. I'm OK. NICKI: Oh, Davey. (She leans down and kisses his swollen lips.) I'm sorry Davey. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. DAVEY: Hey. I'm OK. Really. I just got banged up a little, that's all. I'll be good as new in a few weeks. Here sit down. (He slowly gets up and helps Nicki sit in his chair. He goes around and sits behind the desk. He sees the bottle and pours both of them a drink.) NICKI: (She takes out a handkerchief and wipes her eyes. Then grabs the glass and takes a drink and makes a face) I'm not used to drinking it straight. That's nasty. DAVEY: I'll go get you some water. (He rises to go) NICKI: No. No. This is Ok. Don't go. (Pause) Where did you fight? There isn't a fight scheduled around here for months. I checked. DAVEY: Chicago. I had to go to Chicago. Last night. They have different rules up there, that's all. NICKI: Nobody's ever done that to you before. He must have been very good. That fighter in Chicago. DAVEY: He is. Best amateur middleweight in the country. I wasn't supposed to fight him but the other fighter wasn't able to make it so they put me in to substitute. Quite an honor, huh? NICKI: Yes. Big honor. You got to take the other guys beating for him. Lucky you. DAVEY: I knew he was good. And I knew it wouldn't be easy. But I got what I went for. (He takes out an envelope from his pocket and shoves it across the desk) NICKI: (Stares in disbelief) The money? All of it? You got all of it? (The tears begin to flow) DAVEY: One hundred bucks. That's what you needed, wasn't it? (She tries to speak but nothing comes out. He stands and reaches for her hand and puts it gently on the envelope) I've got to go now. If you need anything else you know where to find me. NICKI: (She nods her head and puts her arms over the envelope and her head on her arms and sobs) DAVEY: (He walks around and stands behind her. Puts his hand on her shoulder) You get another chance, Nicki. Make it a good one. (He turns and exits) (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 6 SCENE 7 SETTING: Livingroom, an hour later. AT RISE: Deborah is studying with a book on the sofa. Davey enters very quietly and looks around. DAVEY: (Whispering) Hi. Where is everybody? DEB: (She smiles as she hears his voice and looks up to answer him. Her smile disappears as she reacts to his face) Oh, Davey! What happened to your face? DAVEY: (This time he is prepared for the reaction and has already raised his finger to his mouth to keep her quiet. Whispering) Sshh. I'll tell you all about it later. OK. DEB: (Whispering) OK. DAVEY: Where's Momma and Poppa? DEB: They went to the hospital to visit Uncle Jake. He's sick again. They should be home any time now. DAVEY: (In a normal voice again) Then why are you whispering? DEB: (In a normal voice) Because you told me to. That's why. What happened to your face? It's awful! DAVEY: I was in a fight. Keep it to yourself for awhile. OK? Now go on with your homework or whatever you were doing. (He picks up the paper and sits down in an easy chair to read) DEB: I won't tell. Boy! Wait till Momma sees your face. MOMMA: (She is heard off stage) Just when I wanted to leave, you start explaining the war in Europe. Who cares about that mishugana Hitler anyway? So he invaded Poland. He deserves Poland. (They enter with Momma still talking to Poppa) Can the Jews be any worse off than they already are? We could have left an hour ago but... hello, Deborah... David. (Turns back to poppa. Quick double take at David and explodes) Ohhii, Gott! Oh my God. David! What happened to your face? (She rushes to David to get a closer look. Poppa right behind her) Who did this to you? How did it happen? Are you all right? DAVEY: I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about. MOMMA: So what happened? DAVEY: I was in a fight, Momma. MOMMA: (First relief. Then rage) A fight? You fought again in the rink? Someone beat you like this in the rink? Ohii, David. (Pause) Dummy! You big dummy! (She strikes him on the shoulder with her fist) You fought? (She hits again and again. Carefully avoiding his face. Davey sits motionless and unafraid.) After I forbid you to fight again? After you promised? You live in my house and you eat my food and you disobey me? DAVEY (He rises slowly out of his chair and towers over his mother, their eyes locked in combat. She must crane her neck backward to hold visual contact) That's enough, Momma. MOMMA: You dare to tell me what is enough in my own house? You Goy! You... you animal. (She beats him on his chest with her fists) DAVEY: (He calmly grabs both her wrists and holds them over her head. Then he twists her completely around and gently pushes her into the chair he had been sitting in) That's enough, Momma. MOMMA: What are you doing? Have you gone crazy? I'm your mother, for God's sake. DAVEY: Don't ever hit me again, Momma. I'm not your skinny little dummy anymore. I'm a man and I want you to treat me like a man. MOMMA: (Her rage suddenly subsides and is replaced by hatred and fear. Her back stiffens and she sits up ramrod straight, like a queen on her throne.) Get out. I want you out of mine house. I don't want any Goyem living in mine house. You want to live like a Goy, then go live with them. POPPA: This has gone far enough. I think everybody should calm down and quit talking for awhile. Things are being said here that will be regretted later. Now please. No more talking. Please. You'll see. After things quiet down.... You'll see. MOMMA: (Without breaking contact with Davey's eyes.) Stay out of this, Sam. Don't mess in. DAVEY: (He finally breaks visual contact with Momma and looks at Poppa) Please, Poppa. Don't make it any worse than it already is. Momma's right. It's time for me to go. POPPA: (He looks slowly from one to the other and then down at the floor in defeat. He walks over to the couch and slumps down next to Deborah. He looks at Momma) You're making a terrible mistake, Hanna. (Davey turns and exits) (BLACKOUT) END OF SCENE 7 SCENE 8 SETTING: Livingroom, one hour later. At rise: There is a cheap, cardboard suitcase lying open on the couch and Davey is walking around the room picking up books and papers and putting them in the suitcase. He is alone. Poppa enters and sits down on the couch, next to the suitcase.) POPPA: So where are you going? DAVEY: (He looks over at his father) Momma named me right. Davey the Dummy. That's me. I've just packed everything I own and I'm ready to leave and I haven't even thought about where I'm going. POPPA: (Shaking his head sadly) You never were a dummy. We both know that. (Pause) I've made a few phone calls. Your Aunt Rose wants you to stay at her house for a little while. You know. Until things cool off a little around here. In a few weeks, you'll come back home again and everything will be just like it was. You'll see, Davey. You'll see. (He looks at the suitcase) Not much in there for a young man first going out into the world on his own. DAVEY: It's enough, Poppa. I don't need much. POPPA: You got any money? It's all right. Don't worry. I'll give you money when you need it. (He reaches into his pocket and takes his wallet and pulls out a five-dollar bill. He hands it to Davey.) You just come around to my office when you need more. DAVEY: (He walks over to the couch and sits on the arm with the suitcase between him and his father. Takes the money and then tries to push one more book into the suitcase.) Thanks, Poppa. This will do fine. I won't need any more. I'll make it on my own from now on. POPPA: It's not easy to make a living nowadays. Or haven't you heard? We got a depression going on? Got any prospects? DAVEY: I've got some money saved and I've been able to make a few dollars lately. POPPA: Your allowance is 75 cents a week. (Smiling) The few dollars you've saved and the five dollars I just gave you won't go very far. Everything costs money out there. DAVEY: I know. But I have a talent that I can make a living with. POPPA: How come you kept it such a secret? If you have a talent, you should be proud of it. But can it really make you a living? DAVEY: It can get me through college. It can help me get a start in life. POPPA: What is it? This wonderful talent of yours? DAVEY: Boxing. People will pay good money to come and see me fight, Poppa. I've made one hundred and fifty dollars already this year. POPPA: They paid you one hundred and fifty dollars for fighting? It's not March yet and you've already earned almost as much money as I have. (Pause) You haven't done anything stupid? I mean, you got the money legally? DAVEY: It's all legal. I earned it, in the ring. POPPA: From the looks of your face, I would have to agree. You certainly earned every penny. Tell me, Davey. What's under the bandage? DAVEY: (His hand voluntarily goes up to the bandage on his cheek) Oh, this. It's a cut. He butted me with his head and opened up my cheek. They had to take sixteen stitches to close it up. POPPA: Puffed lips, a black eye, sixteen stitches and God knows what else under your clothes. How many times have you fought for your one hundred and fifty dollars? DAVEY: They didn't pay me for my first fight. You know, the one Momma saw. But I've had two fights since then. I got fifty dollars for the second one. That one was in St. Louis. The third fight was last night in Chicago. I got one hundred dollars for that one. POPPA: You mean they paid you a hundred dollars for one fight? Chicago? You went all the way to Chicago yesterday to fight in the ring? My God. I don't earn that much money in a month. DAVEY: I know, Poppa. But the depression can't last forever. You'll get back on your feet again. Soon. (Pause) I'm fighting to go to college. To be somebody. I'm going to make it too. 16 stitches. 100 stitches. I don't care how many. I'm going to go to college and get out of this lousy town. I'm going to be somebody. I'll show her. POPPA: Well. You have money and a career and the determination to do just about anything you want. And you haven't even graduated from high school yet. (Pause) And to think, yesterday you were a skinny little kid, and today... look at you, I can't believe it. DAVEY: I've grown up, Poppa. POPPA: Yes. My little boy has grown up into a fine young man. (Pause) He really hurt you, eh Davey? He made you earn your hundred dollars. DAVEY: He hurt me pretty bad. POPPA: What was his name? This great fighter who beat my son? DAVEY: J. C. Johnson. He's a very good fighter. One of the best in the country. POPPA: Yes. I'm sure he is. He would have to be to beat the great Davey Able. No? DAVEY: Oh, he didn't beat me, Poppa. I won. POPPA: You won? You look like that and you won? DAVEY: (Smiling) You should see J. C. Johnson. He looks even worse than I do. (Davey stands and closes the suitcase. Poppa also rises and they embrace warmly. When they finally part, they both have misty eyes.) POPPA: So? Have you made up your mind where you are going to live until graduation? DAVEY: Yes. I'm going to do what Momma told me to do. I'm going to live with the Goyem. I'm going to make arrangements to live with my trainer for awhile. His name is Pop Haines. He's a very nice man. You'll like him. He says he knows you. Bought insurance from you a few years ago. POPPA Yes. I remember him. You chose well. The weather is bad outside. Let me take you over to Aunt Rose for now. You can make other arrangements later. DAVEY: Thanks Poppa. I guess I'm ready now. (He picks up his suitcase and walks to the door. As he does, Poppa puts his arm around his son and they exit together.) POPPA: Don't be a stranger, eh? DAVEY: I'm not mad at you. You understand, don't you Poppa? POPPA: Of course I understand. I love you son. DAVEY: And I love you Poppa. (BLACKOUT) CURTAIN END OF PLAY