American Buffalo Read Free Page B

Nothing.
    TEACH : Same old shit, huh?
    DON : Yup.
    TEACH : You seen my hat?
    DON : No. Did you leave it here?
    TEACH : Yeah.
    Pause.
    DON : You ask them over at The Riv?
    TEACH : I left it here.
    Pause.
    DON : Well, you left it here, it’s here.
    TEACH : You seen it?
    DON : No.
    Pause.
    TEACH : Fletch been in?
    DON : No.
    TEACH : Prolly drop in one or so, huh?
    DON : Yeah, You know. You never know with Fletcher.
    TEACH : No.
    DON : He might drop in the morning . . .
    TEACH : Yeah.
    DON : And then he might, he’s gone for ten or fifteen days you never know he’s gone.
    TEACH : Yeah.
    DON : Why?
    TEACH : I want to talk to him.
    DON (Pause) : Ruth would know.
    TEACH : You sure you didn’t seen my hat?
    DON : I didn’t see it. No.
    Pause.
    Ruthie might know.
    TEACH : (Vicious dyke.)
    DON : Look in the john.
    TEACH : It isn’t in the john. I wouldn’t leave it there.
    DON : Do you got something up with Fletch?
    TEACH : No. Just I have to talk to him.
    DON : He’ll probably show up.
    TEACH : Oh yeah . . . (Pause. Indicating objects on the counter) What’re these?
    DON : Those?
    TEACH : Yeah.
    DON : They’re from 1933.
    TEACH : From the thing?
    DON : Yeah.
    Pause.
    TEACH : Nice.
    DON : They had a whole market in ‘em. Just like anything. They license out the shit and everybody makes it.
    TEACH : Yeah? (I knew that.)
    DON : Just like now. They had combs, and brushes . . . you know, brushes with the thing on ‘em . . .
    TEACH : Yeah. I know. They had . . . uh . . . what? Clothing too, huh?
    DON : I think. Sure. Everything. And there’re guys they just collect the stuff.
    TEACH : They got that much of it around?
    DON : Shit yes. (It’s not that long ago.) The thing, it ran two years, and they had ( I don’t know) all kinds of people every year they’re buying everything that they can lay their hands on that they’re going to take it back to Buffalo to give it, you know, to their aunt, and it mounts up.
    TEACH : What does it go for?
    DON : The compact?
    TEACH : Yeah.
    DON : Aah . . . (You want it?)
    TEACH : No.
    DON : Oh. I’m just asking. I mean, you want it . . .
    TEACH : No. I mean somebody walks in here . . .
    DON : Oh. Somebody walks in here . . . (This shit’s fashionable . . .)
    TEACH : (I don’t doubt it.)
    DON : . . . and they’re gonna have to go like fifteen bucks.
    TEACH : You’re fulla shit.
    DON : My word of honor.
    TEACH : No shit.
    DON : Everything like that.
    TEACH : (A bunch of fucking thieves.)
    DON : Yeah. Everything.
    TEACH (snorts) : What a bunch of crap, huh?
    DON : Oh yeah.
    TEACH : Every goddamn thing.
    DON : Yes.
    TEACH : If I kept the stuff that I threw out . . .
    DON : . . . yes.
    TEACH : I would be a wealthy man today. I would be cruising on some European yacht.
    DON : Uh-huh.
    TEACH : (Shit my father used to keep in his desk drawer.)
    DON : (My father, too.)
    TEACH : (The basement . . . )
    DON : (Uh-huh.)
    TEACH : (Fuckin’ toys in the backyard, for chrissake . . .)
    DON : (Don’t even talk about it.)
    TEACH : It’s . . . I don’t know.
    Pause.
    You want to play some gin?
    DON : Maybe later.
    TEACH : Okay.
    Pause.
    I dunno.
    Pause.
    Fucking day . . .
    Pause.
    Fucking weather . . .
    Pause.
    DON : You think it’s going to rain?
    TEACH : Yeah. I do. Later.
    DON : Yeah?
    TEACH : Well, look at it
    BOB appears, carrying a paper bag with coffee and foodstuffs in it.
    Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby.
    BOB : Ruthie isn’t mad at you.
    TEACH : She isn’t?
    BOB : No.
    TEACH : How do you know?
    BOB : I found out.
    TEACH : How?
    BOB : I talked to her.
    TEACH : You talked to her.
    BOB : Yes.
    TEACH : I asked you you weren’t going to.
    BOB : Well, she asked me.
    TEACH : What?
    BOB : That were you over here.
    TEACH : What did you tell her?
    BOB : You were here.
    TEACH : Oh. (He looks at DON .)
    DON : What did you say to her, Bob?
    BOB : Just Teach was here.
    DON : And is she coming over here?
    BOB : I don’t think so. (They had the plain.)
    DON (to TEACH ): So? (This is all right.)
(To BOB