Long Day's Journey Into Night Page #16

I had more to do with bringing you up than anybody.

I wised you up about women so you'd never be the fall guy

and make any mistakes you didn't want to make.

And who steered you on to reading that poetry first?

Swinburne, for example?

I did!

And because I once wanted to write,

I put it in your head that someday you'd write.

Hell you're more than my brother.

I made you! You are my Frankenstein!

All right.

I'm your Frankenstein.

So...

let's have another drink?

You crazy nut.

No.

I'll have a drink...

not you.

I got to take care of you.

Listen kid...

you'll be going away

I may not get another chance to talk or I may

not be drunk enough to tell you the truth

so I got to tell you now something I ought to have told you a

long time ago for your own good.

No drunken bull.

But in vino veritas.

You better take this seriously.

I wanna warn you...

against me.

Mama and Papa are right I've been a rotten bad influence

but worst of all is...

I did it on purpose.

I don't want to hear anymore.

You listen...

I did it on purpose to make a bum out of you.

Part of me did a big part.

The part that's been dead so long that hates life.

My putting you wise so you'd learn from my mistakes

well I believed that myself at times but it's a fake.

It made my mistakes look good. Made getting drunk romantic.

Made whores fascinating vampires instead of

poor stupid diseased slobs they really are.

Made fun of work as a sucker's game.

I never wanted you to suceed and make me look even worse by comparison.

Wanted you to fail. Always jealous of ya.

Mama's baby! Papa's pet!

And it was your being born that started Mama on dope.

I know that's not your fault but all the same God damn you!

I can't help hating your guts.

- Cut it out Jamie.

- Don't get me wrong kid.

I love you more than I hate you.

My telling what I'm telling you now proves it.

Because I run the risk you'll hate me and you're all I got left.

I didn't mean to tell you all that last stuff

to go that far back, I don't know what made me.

What I wanted to say is

I'd like to see you become the greatest sucess in the world.

But you better be on your guard,

because I'm gonna do my damnest to make you fail.

I can't help it.

I hate myself. I got to take revenge on everyone else, especially you.

The dead part of me hopes you won't get well.

Maybe he's even glad the game's got Mama again.

He wants company!

He doesn't want to be the only corpse around the house.

God Jamie!

- You're crazy!

- You think it over, you'll see I'm right. Think it over

while you're away from me in the sanatorium.

Make up your mind you gotta tie a can to me, get me out of your life.

You got to think of me as dead.

Tell people "I had a brother but he's dead".

And you come back you look out for me because

I'll be waiting to welcome you here with that "My old pal" stuff

and give you the glad hand and the first good

chance I get I'm gonna stab you in the back!

- Stop! I'll be god damned if I'm gonna listen to...

- Don't you forget me. Remember I warned you for your sake.

Come on! Give me credit!

"Greater love hath no man than this:

That he saveth his brother from himself."

That's all.

I'm finished now... I've gone to confession.

I know you absolve me, don't you kid?

You understand.

You're a damn fine kid.

You ought to be.

I made you.

So go

and get well.

Don't die on me, you're all I got left.

God bless, kid.

That last drink...

the old K.O.

Thank God he's asleep.

I thought he'd never stop talking.

You better let him sleep, what he needs is to sleep it off.

I heard the last part of his talk, it's what warned you.

I hope you'll heed the warning now that it comes from his own mouth.

You mustn't take it too much to heart though lad.

He loves to exagerate the worst in himself when he's drunk.

He's devoted to you.

It's the one good thing left in him.

What a sweet spectacle for me

my first born

who I'd hoped would bear my name in honor and dignity.

Showed such brilliant promise.

- Be quiet can't you Papa?

- A waste! A wreck! A drunken hulk!

Done with and finished.

"Clarence is come; false, fleeting, perjured Clarence,

That stabb'd me in the field by Tewksbury;

Seize on him, Furies and take him in to torment."

What the hell are you staring at?

"Look in my face; my name is Might-have-been.

- I am also called No-more, Too-late, Farewell."

- I'm well aware of that and God knows I don't want to look at it.

- Quit it!

- You know I got a great idea for you Papa.

Pu on a revival of "The Bells" this season, there's a

great part in there you can play without make-up.

- Old gasbard the miser!

- Shut up Jamie!

I claim that Edwin Booth never saw the day

when he could give as good a performance as a trained seal.

Seals are inteligent and honest, they don't put on any bluffs about

"the art of acting", they admit they're just hams earning their daily fish.

- You loafer!

- Papa! You wanna start a row that'll bring Mama down?

Jamie go to sleep.

You shot off your mouth too much already.

All right kid.

I'm not looking for an argument.

- Too damn sick.

- I wish to God she'd go to bed so that I could too.

I'm dumb tired.

I can't stay up all night like I used to.

I'm getting old. Old and finished.

I can't keep my eyes open.

I think I'll catch a few winks.

Why don't you do the same Edmund.

It'll pass the time

until she...

"A mad scene."

"Enter Ophelia"

Good boy Edmund! The dirty blaggard!

His own mother!

All right kid I had that coming

- but I told you how much I'd hoped.

- I'll kick you out in the gutter tomorrow, so help me God!

Papa.

Jamie.

For the love of God! Stop it.

I play so badly now. I'm all out of practice.

Sister Theresa would give me a dreadful scolding.

She'd tell me it isn't fair to my father who

spent so much money for extra lessons.

She's quite right it isn't fair when he's so

good and generous and so proud of me.

I'll practice everyday from now on.

Something... horrible has happened to my hands.

The fingers have gotten all stiff,

the knuckles are all swollen, they're so ugly.

I'll go to the infirmary and show sister Martha.

She's old and a little crancky but I love her just the same.

She has things in her medicine chest that'll cure anything. She'll give me

something to rub on my hands and tell me to pray to the blessed virgin.

I'll be well again in no time.

Let... let me see...

What did I...

come here...

to find?

It's terrible how absent minded I've become.

Always dreaming and forgetting.

Here, let me take it dear.

You'll only step on it and then you'll be sorry afterwards.

Thank you. You're very kind.

It's a wedding gown, it's very lovely isn't it?

I remember now...

I found it...

in the attic hidden in a trunk.

I... I don't know what I wanted it for.

I'm going to be a nun.

That is...

if I can only...

find...

What is it I'm looking for?

- I know it's something I lost.

- Mary.

No good Papa.

Something I... I miss...

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