Marty Page #21

CLARA:

Nothing.

They quietly slip into each other's arms and kiss. Slowly

their faces part, and Marty's head sinks down upon her

shoulder. He is crying, detectable from the slight shake of

his shoulders. The girl presses her cheek against the back

of his head. They stand. The SOUND of the kitchen door opening

splits them out of their embrace. A moment later Mrs.

Pilletti's voice is heard.

MRS. PILLETTI'S VOICE

(off-screen)

Hallo! Hallo! Marty?!

She comes into the dining room, stops at the sight of Marty

and Clara.

MRS. PILLETTI

Hello, Marty, when you come home?

MARTY:

We just got here about fifteen minutes

ago. Ma, I want you to meet Miss

Clara Snyder. She's graduate of New

York University. She teaches chemistry

in Benjamin Franklin High School.

This seems to impress Mrs. Pilletti.

MRS. PILLETTI

Siddown, siddown. You want some

chicken? We got some chicken in the

ice box.

CLARA:

No, Mrs. Pilletti. We were just going

home. Thank you very much anyway.

MRS. PILLETTI

Well, siddown a minute. I just come

inna house. I'll take off my coat.

Siddown a minute.

Mrs. Pilletti pulls her coat off.

MARTY:

How'd you come home, Ma? Thomas give

you a ride?

MRS. PILLETTI

(nodding)

Oh, it's a sad business.

(turning to Clara)

My sister, Catherine, she don't get

along with her daughter-in-law, so

she's gonna come live with us.

MARTY:

Oh, she's coming, eh, Ma?

MRS. PILLETTI

Oh, sure.

(to Clara)

Siddown, siddown. Marty, tell her

siddown.

MARTY:

Might as well siddown a minute, Clara.

Clara smiles and sits. Mrs. Pilletti likewise seats herself,

holding her coat in her lap.

MRS. PILLETTI

(to Marty)

Did you offer the young lady some

fruit?

MARTY:

I offered her, Ma, she don't want

nothing.

CLARA:

No, thank you, really, Mrs. Pilletti.

MRS. PILLETTI

(to Clara with a sigh)

It's a very sad business, I tell

you. A woman, fifty-six years old,

all her life, she had her own home.

Now she's just an old lady, sleeping

on her daughter-in-law's couch. It's

a curse to be a mother, I tell you.

Your children grow up and then what

is left for you to do? What is a

mother's life but her children? It

is a very cruel thing when your son

has no place for you in his home.

CLARA:

Couldn't she find some sort of hobby

to fill out her time?

MRS. PILLETTI

Hobby! What can she do? She cooks

and she cleans. You gotta have a

house to clean. You gotta have

children to cook for. These are the

terrible years for a woman, the

terrible years.

CLARA:

You mustn't feel too harshly against

her daughter-in-law. She also wants

to have a house to clean and a family

to cook for.

Mrs. Pilletti darts a quick, sharp look at Clara. Then she

looks back to her own hands, which are beginning to twist

nervously.

MRS. PILLETTI

You don't think my sister Catherine

should live in her daughter-in-law's

house?

CLARA:

Well, I don't know the people, of

course, but as a rule, I don't think

a mother-in-law should live with a

young couple.

MRS. PILLETTI

Where do you think a mother-in-law

should go?

CLARA:

I don't think a mother should depend

so much upon her children for her

rewards in life.

MRS. PILLETTI

Well, maybe that's what they teach

you in New York University. In real

life, it don't work out that way.

You wait till you are a mother.

CLARA:

It's silly of me to argue about it.

I don't know the people involved.

MARTY:

Ma, I'm gonna take her home now.

It's getting late, and the buses

only run about one an hour.

MRS. PILLETTI

(standing)

Sure.

CLARA:

(standing)

It was very nice meeting you, Mrs.

Pilletti. I hope I'll see you again.

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