Kewpie act 3 Flashcards
Gus: …The sinking of the Titanic..how history passes
now kewpie enters)
Gus:… (Kewpie enters followed by silence) You got the wrong house.
Kewpie: Mind your business, Gussie. (Advances inward. Silence.) I hear you’re dispossessed…
Clara: who invited you here?
Kewpie: Maybe I can help…
Clara: we don’t need your help.
Kewpie: I see I’m still rat poison here. Why not forget it?
Clara: the day I die I’ll forget. Not before. When we die we’ll forget everything. Just now remember!
Kewpie: So it’s a cosmic frame-up, only don’t—
Clara: Get our before my husband—(she stops as Leo enters. a pause.)
Kewpie: (Kewpie fills it by approaching Julie.) How you feeling, kiddo? (Listens. Lights a cigarette.) don’t know what to do with my money these days, so I’m working Turkish. (To Leo) Have one… (emotionally bunked?) Don’t be so damn ritzy, Mr. Gordon. I supported Ben’s family for two years!
Leo: you killed my son.
Kewpie: You’re a liar! He wanted to die.
Gus: And we know why.
Kewpie: He stood there like a rock—
Leo: Get out!
Kewpie: He stood there soaking up cops’ bullets like a sponge—A guy with fifty medals for running. Ben Gordon wanted to die!
Gus: now you get out, you low life, before I call a cop!
Kewpie: (furiously, in defense of his entire life): You gimme worms, the whole bunch! A pack of tramps making believe they own the world because they read a book! I don’t read, see! But I saw the handwriting on the wall. I don’t stop to say it ain’t my cake. I cut a piece without asking! I done something to help myself. You don’t! Well, take a lesson Kewpie—if you don’t like the Constitution, make it over! Then it’s my fault ‘cause Ben killed himself. That’s what he did. He dug his own grave. He was a little kid in a man’s world…you made him like that. He couldn’t earn a living, and he was ashamed
Gus: Mr. Kewpie, you’re so small you ain’t visible to the naked eye!
Kewpie: don’t think I’ll ever forget my friend Ben. I carry him around like a medal. He wanted to show he was better than me—that’s why he killed himself. He was better. You can have all this money—(draws out a handful of bills.) Every damn nickel!
Gus: Get out, get out—get off these premises!
Kewpie: who wants the cash?
Gus: Get out!
Kewpie: (after looking at the money, looking at them, girls the bills in Gus’s face): P.S., and plenty more where it came from! (No one moves. Kewpie can hardly catch a breath. It seems for a moment he will burst into tears. He finally stops, picks up all the bills, puts them on the top of a box , says): I wouldn’t mind right now if you beat my brains out. (Walks up to the door, stops. He exists. In the following silence Clara strokes Julie’s hair)
