Wonder Wheel Page #7

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Then I say forget him.

I happen to know he's got a

girlfriend who he's in love with.

And maybe even plans to marry.

So my-my advice

is-is to keep away.

That's disappointing.

Well, honey, he'll-he'll

break your heart.

You know, is that what you want?

Are you sure?

Men can't be trusted.

I should talk. My husband

trusted me and I...

I hurt him. I wrecked him.

I'm not sure he didn't kill

himself in some hotel room in

in Philadelphia.

I-I don't-I don't

wanna know about it.

He decides to take 90

sleeping pills, or 85

I'm supposed to...

supposed to blame myself?

Christ, can they

get the hell out?!

Calm down, Ginny,

they're leaving.

I know him.

And I know him

well enough to know

you're not his type.

And he--honey, he's taken.

He's not free.

Okay.

That's why I asked you.

Come here, Richie,

come say goodbye.

Come on, come here.

-See you later, kiddo.

-Bye.

Bye, sweetheart.

Ginny!

-Ginny!

-Bye.

Happy birthday!

Make sure you're coming

to the boat this weekend.

I didn't mean to

bother you with this.

Why don't you lie down?

You know, just because

you're a pretty young girl

who's been pampered

and chased after,

you think every man

is a pushover!

Why are you saying that?

What did I do?

Well, it's true, isn't it?

Car and drivers, you know,

winters in Palm Beach...

God, who you kidding?

Hello?

What?

This is his mother.

Where?

When, t-today?

Was anybody hurt?

But nobody got

burned or anything?

Well, no, no.

No, I-I work then.

Well, no, no, no, no--

No, no, there's no-no

reason to involve the police.

Yeah.

Yes.

I'll be there.

Nine-thirty.

Uh-huh.

Thank you.

Bell bottom trousers--

Put away that goddamn machine!

What'd I do?

You know what you did!

You made a fire

in the basement of

an apartment house!

What the hell were you doing

in a basement of an

apartment house?

Listen to me!

They were gonna call the police.

We have to see the

principal tomorrow.

What is wrong with you?

Huh? Do you wanna-

you wanna kill somebody?

Do you wanna burn

yourself to death?

Oh, Jesus, I can't take

this close living.

Everything's coming apart.

W-What's wrong?

What's wrong?

Is one of these days, he's

gonna kill someone with a fire!

You did it again?

Oh, God, where'd you get this

sick habit to make fires?

Are you demented?

You know what? I swear I catch

you with matches again,

I'm gonna beat your brains out

and that goes for your stealin' too.

Okay, we're too crowded here.

And she's no help.

You know, you spoiled her.

Her husband pampered her.

She's no good in the restaurant.

Let her go to Mexico

where she's safe.

Well, she's right.

I'll get out.

No, you won't.

Where the hell you gonna go?

Business is off all over.

Come on, we're broke.

No, no, you're finally

going to school.

You stay here until you get

your feet on the ground

and then you can go.

She's not happy

waiting on tables

and she's no good at it.

All right.

Let's do somethin' about the kid.

You know what

I'm gonna do?

I'm gonna take my strap off

and I'm gonna teach you a lesson

you're never gonna forget.

Hey, don't you dare.

He started the fire. How did

this get to be about me?

W-Why can't she find

a job somewhere else?

Get a room and then split

the rent with some girl.

What are you--come on, she's--

She's tryin' to go to school,

she's tryin' to make

a life, all right?

Sh-She wants to

amount to somethin'.

She's not gonna spend the rest

of her life waiting tables.

She's better than that.

It's 'cause

you're too close to her.

Honey,

there's class in this girl.

She made a mistake, all right?

And I swore I'd never

forgive her, but

it's not in my nature

to stay angry, honey.

And what about me, huh?

I don't wanna be

a waitress either.

There's more to me

than shucking oysters.

You're upset, baby. All right?

Every birthday instead of

celebrating, you put on a long face.

Come on, honey.

What I really need

is a drink.

But I can't have it

'cause you'll fall off the wagon.

Argh, go to bed!

-Go to bed!

-Hey!

What the hell?!

All right, here we go.

Hi. The same time next

Thursday okay for you?

I work. I'll have to call you.

-He may have to come alone.

-Oh, that's fine.

-Okay.

-Okay.

-Thank you.

-Sure.

-How'd you like her?

-She was okay.

Well, what'd she say?

Nothing.

Well, I'm sure she

didn't say nothing.

She asked a few questions.

Like what?

I don't know.

Tell me.

I don't remember.

About my father, and you,

and Humpty.

And then what'd you say?

I don't remember.

Did you tell her I love you?

Did you tell her I screwed up your

life by betraying your father?

Huh? What'd she say to that?

She must have a pretty

low opinion of me.

I told her that it's your

fault my real father's gone.

Where'd you get that from?

You just said it,

you say it all the time!

I told her it makes you cry

and you think you hear drums.

Hey, Humpty, Humpty,

He-He has to see this doctor.

He has to see this

doctor once a week.

We need an extra

ten dollars a week.

Don't look at me,

you see how business is.

Well, don't look at me either.

-You have some money saved.

-What money?

Plenty of money.

From when you hit

your number and since

Carolina came, you put

away a few dollars

from your paycheck

every week.

And you have some-some

money left from selling the car.

Uh, listen, Th-that's for

her school, okay?

She earns money.

What, Ruby's?

She makes peanuts, come on.

Well, you-you got plenty

in that tin box.

And I-I need to pay

the psychiatrist.

I don't believe in

any of that crap.

You know, you just gotta

be stricter with him.

I-I've said it a dozen times.

I-I need some

extra money, okay?

He-He needs help.

Well...for what?

What-what about my daughter?

All right? I'm not gonna

throw away her future

to pay for some

phony head doctor.

That's the biggest

goddamn racket.

Right this way, folks.

What's with the cigarettes?

I'm smoking. I'm smoking.

Ginny, come on.

Coney's on the skids. We

don't raise enough to live.

Honey, honey, I don't

blame you for--

for being moody,

I know you're moody.

Okay, I...

You know, I... I don't get it.

Y-Y-You're happy one minute

and then you get crazy.

You pick fights with Carolina

for no good goddamn reason.

She likes you.

Look at me, she likes you.

Come on.

What happened to us, huh?

We should talk

to each other more.

Ugh.

We should go fishing together.

Your problem is you're

wrapped up in Carolina.

I told you that.

You scrimp and save for her,

you take her fishing with you,

you get angry if she

goes on a date.

And face it, Humpty,

you treat her like a girlfriend.

You're gonna be crushed

when she dumps you again.

And she will dump you

and move on.

You know what?

I cannot have this

conversation anymore.

You've got a one-track mind.

And you've become insulting!

You remembered I loved it here.

Here. Here's your present.

Happy birthday.

It's obviously a book.

Open it.

The plays of Eugene O'Neill.

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