All My Sons

Hello, mom

Did you take a bag from under the sink?

Yeah, I put it in the pail

Well get it out of the pail. That’s my potatoes.

I thought it was garbage

Will you do me a favor Joe? Don’t be helpful.

I can afford another bag of potatoes

Minnie scoured that pail in boiling water last night. It’s cleaner than your teeth.

and i don’t understand why, after I worked forty years and I got a maid, why I have to take out the garbage.

If you would make up your mind that every back in the kitchen isn't full of garbage you wouldn't be throwing out my vegetables.  Last time it was the onions.

I don't like garbage in the house.

Then don't eat.

Yeah, I'm in last place again. I don't know, once upon a time I used to think that when I got money again I would have a maid and my wife would take it easy.  Now I got money, and I got a maid, and my wife is workin' for the maid.

It's her day off, what are you crabbing about?

Isn't Annie finished eating?

She'll be right out. That wind did some job on this place. So much for that, thank God.

Sit down, take it easy.

I've got such a funny pain on the top of my head

Can I get you an aspirin?

It's so funny... everything decides to happen at the same time.  This month is is birthday, his tree blows down, Annie comes.  Everything that happened seems to be coming back.  I was just down the cellar, and what do I stumble over?  His baseball glove.  I haven't seen it in a century.

Don't you think Annie looks well?

Fine.  There's no question about it.  She's a beauty... I still don't know what brought her here.   Not that I'm not glad to see her, but...

I just thought we'd all like to see each other again. And I wanted to see her myself.

The only think is I think her nose got longer.  But I'll always love that girl.  She's one that didn't jump into bed with somebody else as soon as it happened with her fella.

Oh, what're you...

Never mind.  Most of them didn't waid till the telegrams were opened.  I'm just glad she came, so you can see I'm not completely out of my mind.

Just because she isn't married doesn't mean she's been mourning Larry.

Why then isn't she?

Well... it could have been any number of things.

Like what, for instance?

I don't know.  Whatever it is.  Can I get you an aspirin?

It's not like a headache.

You don't sleep, that's why.  She's wearing out more bedroom slippers than shoes.

I had a terrible night. I never had a night like that.

What was it, Mom? Did you dream?

More, more than a dream.

About Larry?

I was fast asleep and...Remember the way he used to fly low past the house when he was in training?  When we used to see his face in the cockpit going by?   That's the way I saw him.  Only high up.  Way, way up, where the clouds are.  He was so real I could reach out and touch him.  And suddenly he started to fall.  And crying, crying to me...Mom, Mom!  I could hear him like he was in the room. Mom! ...it was his voice!  If I could touch him I knew I could stop him, if I could only... {breaks off, allowing her outstretched hand to fall}   I woke up and it was so funny.   The wind... it was like the roaring of his engine.  I came out here... I must've still been half asleep.  I could hear that roaring like he was going by.  The tree snapped right in front of me... and I like... came awake. See?  We should never have planted that tree.  I said so in the first place.  It was too soon to plant a tree for him.

Too soon!

We rushed into it. Everybody was in such a hurry to bury him.  I said not to plant it yet. I told you to...!

Mother, Mother! The wind blew it down.  What significance has that got?   What are you talking about?  Mother, please... Don't go through it all again, will you?  It's no good, it doesn't accomplish anything.  I've been thinking, y'know? ...maybe we ought to put our minds to forgetting him?

that's the third time you've said that this week.

Because it's not right.  We never took up our lives again.  We're like at a railroad station waiting for a train that never comes in.

Get me an aspirin, heh?

Sure, and let's break out of this, heh, Mom?  I thought the four of us might go out to dinner a couple of nights, maybe go dancing out at the shore

Fine. We can do it tonight.

Sure, let's have some fun. You'll start with this aspirin. 

Why did he invite her here?

Why does that bother you?

She's been in New York three and a half years, why all of a sudden...?

Well, maybe... maybe he just wanted to see her.

Nobody comes seven hundred miles "just to see".

What do you mean? He lived next door to the girl all his life, why shouldn't he want to see her again? Don't look at me like that, he didn't tell me any more than he told you.

He's not going to marry her.

How do you know he's even thinking about it?

It's got that about it.

Well? So what?

What's going on here Joe?

Now listen, kid...

She's not his girl, Joe.  She knows she's not.

You can't read her mind.

Then why is she still single?  New York is full of men, why isn't she married? Probably a hundred people told her she's foolish, but she's waited.

How do you know why she waited?

She knows what I know, that's why.  She's faithful as a rock.  In my worst moments, I think of her waiting, and I know again that I'm right.

Look, it's a nice day. What are we arguing for?

Nobody in this house dast take her faith away, Joe.  Strangers might.  But not his father, not his brother.

What do you want me to do? What do you want?

I want you to act like he's coming back. Both of you.  Don't think I haven't noticed you since Chris invited her.  I won't stand for any nonsense.

But, Kate...

Because if he's not coming back, then I'll kill myself!  Laugh.  Laugh at me. But why did that happen the very night she came back?  She goes to sleep in his room and his memorial breaks in pieces.  Look at it. Look. Joe...

Calm yourself.

Believe with me, Joe.  I can't stand all alone.

Calm yourself.

Only last week a man turned up in Detroit, missing longer than Larry. You read it yourself.

All right, all right, calm yourself.

You above all have got to believe, you...

Why me above all?

Just don't stop believing.

Gee, aren't you going to arrest him?  I warned him.

Stop that, Bert. Go home. There's no jail here.

Kate...

There's no jail here!  I want you to stop that jail business!

He's right across the street.

Go home, Bert. I want you to stop that, Joe.  That whole jail business!

Look at you, look at you shaking.

I can't help it.

What have I got to hide?  What the hell is the matter with you Kate?

I didn't say you had anything to hide, I'm just telling you to stop it! Now stop it!