Scene 5 Flashcards
(40 cards)
Catherine
You know where they went?
Beatrice
Where?
Catherine
They went to Africa once. On a fishing boat.
It’s true, Eddie.
I didn’t say nothin’.
Catherine
And I was never even in Staten Island.
You didn’t miss nothin’.
How long that take you, Marco – to get to Africa?
Marco
Oh . . . two days. We go all over.
Rodolpho
Once we went to Yugoslavia.
They pay all right on them boats?
Marco
If they catch fish they pay all right.
Rodolpho
They’re family boats, though. And nobody in our family owned one. So we only worked when one of the families was sick.
Beatrice
Y’know, Marco, what I don’t understand – there’s an ocean fulI of fish and yiz are all starvin’.
They gotta have boats, nets, you need money.
Beatrice
Yeah, but couldn’t they like fish from the beach? You see them down Coney Island –
Marco
Sardines.
Sure.
How you gonna catch sardines on a hook?
Beatrice
Oh, I didn’t know they’re sardines.
They’re sardines!
Catherine
Yeah, they follow them all over the ocean, Africa, Yugoslavia . . .
Beatrice
It’s funny, y’know. You never think of it, that sardines are swimming in the ocean!
Catherine
I know. It’s like oranges and lemons on a tree.
I mean you ever think of oranges and lemons on a tree?
Yeah, I know. It’s funny.
I heard that they paint the oranges to make them look orange.
Marco
Paint?
Yeah, I heard that they grow like green.
Marco
No, in Italy the oranges are orange.
Rodolpho
Lemons are green.
I know lemons are green, for Christ’s sake, you see them in the store they’re green sometimes. I said oranges they paint, I didn’t say nothin’ about lemons.
GAP, then:
Marco
Oh, no, she saves. I send everything. My wife is very lonesome.
Beatrice
She must be nice. She pretty? I bet, heh?
Marco
No, but she understand everything.
Rodolpho
Oh, he’s got a clever wife!
I betcha there’s plenty surprises sometimes when those guys get back there, heh?
Marco
Surprises?
I mean, you know – they count the kids and there’s a couple extra than when they left?
Marco
No – no . . . The women wait, Eddie. Most. Most. Very few surprises.
Rodolpho
It’s more strict in our town.
It’s not so free.
It ain’t so free here either, Rodolpho, like you think. I seen greenhorns sometimes get in trouble that way – they think just because a girl don’t go around with a shawl over her head that she ain’t strict, y’know? Girl don’t have to wear black dress to be strict. Know what I mean?
Rodolpho
Well, I always have respect –
I know, but in your town you wouldn’t just drag oft some girl without permission, I mean.
You know what I mean, Marco? It ain’t that much different here.
Marco
Yes.
Beatrice
Well, he didn’t exactly drag her off though, Eddie.
I know, but I seen some of them get the wrong idea sometimes.
I mean it might be a little more free here but it’s just as strict.
Rodolpho
I have respect for her, Eddie. I do anything wrong?
Look, kid, I ain’t her father, I’m only her uncle
Beatrice
Well then, be an uncle then.
I mean.
Marco
No, Beatrice, if he does wrong you must tell him.
What does he do wrong?
Well, Marco, till he came here she was never out on the street twelve o’clock at night.
Marco
You come home early now.
Beatrice
Well, you said the movie ended late, didn’t you?
Catherine
Yeah.
Beatrice
Well, tell him, honey.
The movie ended late.
Look, B, I’m just sayin’ – he thinks she always stayed out like that.
Marco
You come home early now, Rodolpho.
Rodolpho
All right, sure. But I can’t stay in the house all the time, Eddie.
Look, kid, I’m not only talkin’ about her. The more you run around like that the more chance you’re takin’.
I mean suppose he gets hit by a car or something.
Where’s his papers, who is he? Know what I mean?
Beatrice
Yeah, but who is he in the daytime, though? It’s the same chance in the daytime.
Yeah, but he don’t have to go lookin’ for it, Beatrice. If he’s here to work, then he should work; if he’s here for a good time then he could fool around!
But I understood, Marco, that you was both comin’ to make a livin’ for your family. You understand me, don’t you, Marco?
Marco
I beg your pardon, Eddie.
I mean, that’s what I understood in the first place, see.
Marco
Yes. That’s why we came.
Well, that’s all I’m askin’.
Catherine
You wanna dance, Rodolpho?
Rodolpho
No, I – I’m tired.
Beatrice
Go ahead, dance, Rodolpho.
Catherine
Ah, come on. They got a beautiful quartet, these guys. Come.
What’s that, a new record?
Catherine
It’s the same one. We bought it the other day.
Beatrice
They only bought three records.
Must be nice to go all over in one of them fishin’ boats. I would like that myself. See all them other countries?
Yeah.
Beatrice
But the women don’t go along, I bet.
Marco
No, not on the boats. Hard work.
Beatrice
What’re you got, a regular kitchen and everything?
Marco
Yes, we eat very good on the boats – especially when Rodolpho comes along; everybody gets fat.
Beatrice
Oh, he cooks?
Marco
Sure, very good cook. Rice, pasta, fish, everything.
He’s a cook, too!
He sings, he cooks . . .
Beatrice
Well it’s good, he could always make a living.
It’s wonderful. He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses . . .
