Brothers of Blood and Sons of Betrayal by James Neufeld
AT RISE:
While a coffee maker is perking Steve and David Pederson are
sitting at the kitchen table
Their mother Nicole Kidman is bustling about the kitchen cooking eggs and
setting the table
They are both dressed as security guards ready for work-complete with
pistols in holster
NICKI:
(Appears wearing a bathrobe .Places the vase upright that was
fallen.)
Your real father wouldn't be so demanding.
STEVE:
My real father left me when I was about 10 years old Ma!
DAVID:
Yeah ma-he abandoned us!
NICKI:
It's not like that and you know it!
(SHE sets the table with their silverware for breakfast in front of
them-while she is talking and cooking the eggs)
STEVE:
You better tow the line now Ma- we're in charged!
DAVID:
Hurry up with that breakfast!
NICKI:
You want the eggs done raw or something?
(She puts their bottle of whiskey and shot glasses away in disgust)
STEVE:
You haven't even given us our morning coffee!
NICKI:
It's perking…I-I haven't' got ten hands -I'm just one person!
DAVID:
We could take those hands!
STEVE:
Better watch your step mama child!
NICKI:
What kind of sons did I raise? Are you threatening me?
DAVID:
We could easily replace her! (Snickers)
STEVE:
She's lucky they were able to sew that finger on!
DAVID:
Well- you know accidents happen!
STEVE:
Yeah-we'd hate to see you have another accident!
NICKI:
My real husband would knock you out -he's a real man. You both
became a couple of hoodlums! I ought to c-call him!
(SHE pauses and starts to show a noticeable shake as she won't look
up at them!)
STEVE:
Now- what did we tell you?
NICKI:
I-I ought to!
STEVE:
I-I what ma?
DAVID:
We have to remind her! Mafia's power Ma!
STEVE:
You're not to call him ever!
DAVID:
You like your fingers don't you?
NICKI:
You've made my life a prison!
STEVE:
Just remember -we're the boss now!
DAVID:
Yeah- get that straight mama!
NICKI:
If you two hadn't been so violent as boys-he would've stayed with me!
STEVE:
Just shows that your Jim was a fag!
DAVID:
Yeah- we really whacked him a good one-just like old Tony taught us!
STEVE:
His own father made a fool of him!
NICKI:
Here's your food! (Throws it on the table)
(CONT.) Son of a Bitch!
DAVID:
I notice how she shuts-up now "when" I tell her to!
STEVE:
Better watch that lip of yours! Stick out that tongue of
yoursnow-mom!
NICKI:
I won't and you can't make me!
(Pause as SHE just shakes in fear of them)
DAVID:
Now we told you what to do ma!
(They both pull out hammers from their pockets and hammer the kitchen
table)
STEVE:
Yeah- and you better do it!
DAVID:
Now Ma! Now! (HE hammers again) It better bleed too!
STEVE:
Or we'll make it right!
NICKI:
Oh God- what have I done?
(She sticks out her own tongue and bites down)
DAVID:
That's right ma-you've done that to yourself- didn't you?
STEVE:
I wonder how come?
DAVID:
I wonder! (Snickers)
NICKI:
You're both so abusive! So very abusive!
STEVE:
We told you- not to talk about him!
NICKI:
Your violence drove my Jimmy away from me! You both made this wall
that's between us.
DAVID:
We told you before- not to talk about him!
STEVE:
That's right -we don't want to talk about him!
NICKI:
And to think he taught both of you to read and write!
DAVID:
I'm telling you -we don't want to hear about it ma!
STEVE:
He abandoned us! But we're a member of a big family now Ma!
DAVID:
Mafia's our family now!
STEVE:
We're both a made man now!
NICKI:
A made man?
DAVID:
That's where you do a favor for the mafia.
STEVE:
We're both members of the outfit now ma!
DAVID:
Mafia's come ma!
STEVE:
We're more than survivors now!
DAVID:
They try our hand -it's the last thing they do!
NICKI:
But I'm just a little woman that brought you into this world!
Don't I count?
STEVE:
You have to follow the rank and file of the mafia now! Get me some
more coffee!
NICKI:
I know, one lump or two?
(Pause: SHE glares at both of them -then walks over to the coffee
pot)
DAVID:
She's starting to catch on!
STEVE:
She remembers!
DAVID:
Just don't remember too much!
STEVE:
Safer that way!
NICKI:
I know you really whack people's heads! What kind of sons-
STEVE:
Ball peen hammer! (HE hammers the table)
DAVID:
They get whacked!
NICKI:
If you are this abusive to your own mother after all I've done
for you-what are you like around others that I don't know?
STEVE:
You don't want to know!
DAVID:
Safer that way!
STEVE:
Yeah-you could have another accident- if you get to nosey ma!
DAVID:
That's our business ma!
STEVE:
That's right ma!
NICKI:
You went from becoming gifted children -to becoming gifted criminals!
What did I do wrong? Where did I go wrong?
DAVID:
I think it started with Dad using a baseball bat against us!
STEVE:
I think that about says it!
NICKI:
But what was he supposed to do? Both of you would come at him with
hammers! Telling him that you're mafia!
DAVID:
Orders came down and we followed them!
NICKI:
Orders? Orders? Fathers' give orders…and he told you I give
orders-not you!
STEVE:
So you thought!
DAVID:
Sure found out different-little mama child!
STEVE:
We got our orders from Buster!
DAVID:
We followed them!
NICKI:
But this was your own father we're talking about!
STEVE:
Let that be a lesson for you too! Understand?
DAVID:
Yeah-don't get to nosey into our business or you'll get whacked!
(Snickers)
NICKI:
Your own father had an I.Q. of 250; I thought you were going to be
gifted like him - a genius! Instead you're a gifted criminal! A
criminal son!
(THEY both start laughing)
STEVE:
Oh ... so you think so David? A gifted criminal?
NICKI:
Criminal sons!
DAVID:
We have to play our cards right! (Snickers) We might make Al Capone
look like hell!
NICKI:
Oh my ... and you both just relish this!
STEVE:
Mafia gets all the women, all the cars!
DAVID:
Positions in the business world too!
NICKI:
No…No…don't do this to me!
STEVE:
Positions of authority!
DAVID:
Mafia's power!
STEVE
We got clout!
NICKI:
But aren't you afraid of going to prison?
DAVID:
We cover our ass ma!
STEVE:
You might have to cover for us too ...sometime!
NICKI:
Oh little me? I'm only 5ft and I don't cover much ground!
STEVE:
Well… she has a point there! (Snickers)
DAVID:
We pay off the police officers and judges ma!
STEVE:
They know we got the goods on them too!
DAVID:
We know right where they live-their pocketbook!
STEVE:
All the addresses of relatives! We're paid to know!
DAVID:
We know - we own this town! One of them gets out of line…
(Hand motions like a pistol)
STEVE:
Have to pay them a visit you might say!
NICKI:
Oh my ...I don't want to know! I don't know a thing!
DAVID:
Well -that's the best policy ma! Best insurance you can buy!
STEVE:
You do have insurance- don't you ma?
NICKI:
So I guess you're proud mafia men now! So I guess I guess I
won't say a thing!
DAVID:
We're people now ma!
NICKI:
People son?
DAVID:
We're the people of the mafia ma!
STEVE:
You'll be safe-ma-we got a couple of 357's!
DAVID:
It's best you don't say nothing about it though!
STEVE:
Yeah -forget about it!
(They pull a pistol out of their holster and set it onto the table)
NICKI:
Oh my ...oh my!
DAVID:
Think "that" will handle our problems?
STEVE:
Forget about it!
NICKI:
I know nothing now I 'm afraid! You know your father has a case
of amnesia now- too!
DAVID:
Forget about it! (Snickers)
STEVE:
Hell -guess we got him pretty good!
DAVID:
Paralyzed from the neck down!
NICKI:
Amnesia! You stupid sons could have killed him!
STEVE:
Better that way-less story to tell!
DAVID:
Dead men don't tell stories ma! He had to learn to respect!
STEVE:
Respect had to be learned!
NICKI:
Respect respect?
DAVID:
You have to respect the mafia.