in everyone. I told him you hadn’t. (To Marian) Adam’s sending someone over to walk him to the polls.
(Benjamin starts to stand up.)
JANE: Who are you going to vote for, Uncle Benjamin?
BENJAMIN: I don’t know. I’ll see who I like.
MARIAN: There will just be names. Vote Democrat.
BARBARA: They have those awful new machines. Tell him how to use the new machine. (To the others) What was wrong with the old ones?
MARIAN: They’ll tell him. You just color in the bubble wherever it says Democrat, Uncle. Following the line with your finger. That’s what I did. “Democrats,” Uncle.
JANE: Why don’t you write it on his hand?
MARIAN: Give me your hand.
BENJAMIN: What are you doing? I’m going to vote for whom I want to.
MARIAN: You’re going to vote Democrat. Or you’re not going.
BARBARA: You’re going to vote for Schumer and Gillibrand and Cuomo.
MARIAN: They don’t need his vote. Murphy—that’s going to be close. Make sure you vote for Scott Murphy.
BENJAMIN: Who’s that?
MARIAN: He’s our congressman, Uncle Benjamin. Vote for him.
BARBARA: He’s the one with the red hair and big family. In the TV commercials? You said you liked him.
MARIAN: And everyone else. I don’t know who the hell they are, but vote for them. Ask Adam, he’ll tell you who you’re voting for.
(Benjamin stands up.)
BARBARA (Gesturing back to the kitchen): Where’s the dog?
RICHARD: What?
BARBARA: The dog. He’s not in the kitchen.
RICHARD: What do you mean he’s not—
TIM (Smiling, raising his hand. Richard looks at him): He was scratching at the door. He wanted to go out. When I was getting the book. (Gestures to the book about bundling) I let him out.
RICHARD (Standing, incredulous): You let him “out” where?
(The doorbell rings off.)
MARIAN: That’s your escort, Uncle.
TIM: Into the backyard. There’s a fence.
RICHARD: There’s a fence—not a gate. It’s open to the street. For Christ sake, Tim—!
TIM: Then why have a fence?!
JANE (To Richard): Don’t blame him, he’s your responsibility—
RICHARD: Shit! . . .
(Richard runs out into the kitchen to search for the dog.)
TIM: I should help him.
JANE: It’s not your fault—
(Doorbell again.)
BARBARA: Let’s go, Uncle Benjamin. They’re in a hurry.
(Barbara leads Benjamin off.)
JANE: And Uncle Benjamin goes off to vote . . . (To Marian) They got here fast. Must really be desperate.
MARIAN: We vote at the town hall. Just around the corner. They’ll have him back in two minutes.
JANE (To Tim): Everything is so simple here.
TIM: I knew there wasn’t a gate. We came in that way. I saw that. I should look for him . . . (Stands)
(Off, the dog barks.)
JANE (Grabbing Tim’s arm): The dog’s back. No harm done. See? (Patting Tim) He needed to go out. (To Marian) What is so confusing—is that he doesn’t look—physically that different. Uncle Benjamin. So I keep forgetting—that he can’t remember.
(Barbara returns.)
BARBARA: That dog’s been skunked.
(Reactions: “What?” “Oh god.” “What does that mean?”)
MARIAN: Do you have tomato juice? (Standing) I have cans—
BARBARA: I have it. Richard’s already doing that.
TIM (Confused): Tomato juice?—
MARIAN: You pour tomato juice—cans of it—The only thing that really gets rid of the—Christ, you can smell him in here.
JANE (Smelling him): I smell him.
TIM (Smelling): My god . . . Does Richard need—?
BARBARA: No.
TIM (To anyone): I feel terrible—
(No one is listening to him.)
MARIAN: He’s sorry he went out for a pee now, I’ll bet. And he’s a city dog, isn’t he?
BARBARA: The man who came to pick up Uncle found him on the steps, he said he looked scared shitless.
TIM: It was my fault—
JANE: You don’t have to keep apologizing. And you don’t have to eat the chicken.
(Short pause.)
If it makes you feel better, go help Richard.
TIM: I’ll just see if he needs another pair of hands . . .
(Tim goes out to the kitchen.
Jane stands and looks over the food, still deciding. She is near Benjamin’s seat. She moves his plate. Barking off from the yard.)
JANE: He . . . seems worse.
MARIAN: Who?
BARBARA: Richard? He does seem out of sorts, doesn’t he?
MARIAN: Pamela’s put our brother through quite a lot, I’m sure.
JANE: I meant—Uncle Benjamin.
BARBARA: Oh. Does he?
JANE: Maybe because I haven’t been around him. So maybe it’s me. But he was always so . . . I remember him having all this energy. Could do eight shows a week, and then something, a talk, a reading on his day off. Like a bull.
BARBARA: I think he’s happier.
JANE:
