ࡱ> &(%` bjbj . DDDD P 4hhhhhh& hR phhhh"hhh\ `q |DF04    " 4 LOST IN YONKERS by Neil Simon BELLA You think I cant have healthy babies, Momma? Well, I can...Im as strong as an ox. Ive worked in that store and taken care of you by myself since Im twelve years old, thats how strong I am... like steel, Momma. Isnt that how were supposed to be?...But my babies wont die, because Ill love them and take care of them...And they wont get sick like me or Gert or be weak like Eddie and Louie...My babies will be happier than we were, because Ill teach them to be happy....not to grow up and run away or never visit when theyre older or not be able to breathe because theyre so frightened...and never, ever to make them spend their lives rubbing my back and my legs because you never had anyone around who loved you enough to want to touch you, because you made it so clear you never wanted to be touched with love...Do you know what its like to touch steel, Momma? Its hard and its cold, and I want to be warm and soft with my children.... Look, Momma, Im not crying...I know youre very angry with me, but Im not crying. And its not because Im afraid to cry. Its because I have no tears left in me. I feel sort of empty inside. Like you feel all the time. You dont think I know anything, do you? You think Im stupid, dont you, Momma? ....Im not a child. If God wanted me to stay a child, why did he make me look like a woman? ...And feel like a woman inside of me? And want all the things a woman should have? Is that what I should thank him for? Why did he do that, Momma, when I can do everything but think like a woman?...I know I get confused sometimes....and frightened. But if Im a child, why cant I be happy like a child? Why cant I be satisfied with dolls instead of babies? Let me have my babies, Momma. Because I have to love somebody. I have to love someone wholl love me back before I die...Give me that , Momma, and I promise you, youll never worry about being alone....Because youll have us...Me and my husband and my babies...Louie, ell her how wonderful ha would be...Gert, wouldnt that make her happy?....Momma? Please say yes....I need you to say yes...Please? It is deathly silent. No one has moved. Finally, Grandma gets up slowly, walks to her room, goes in, and quietly closes the door. Hold me....Somebody please hold me... z{ Z ^ M N $i h,/6]h/h,/ h,/5\$$igd,/$a$gd,/,1h/ =!"#$% @@@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DAD Default Paragraph FontRiR  Table Normal4 l4a (k(No ListB^@B ,/ Normal (Web)dd[$\$ $i  00000$i  @0@0@0@0 0    LOST_IN_YONKERS   xr q  9*urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsplace8*urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsCity +   $ 3333z{Z^MN   %P^7/,/@ @@UnknownGz Times New Roman5Symbol3& z Arial"qhʓƶJZZ!24  2HX)?,/2LOST IN YONKERS Dale Story Dale StoryOh+'0|  8 D P\dltLOST IN YONKERS Dale StoryNormal Dale Story3Microsoft Office Word@Ik@y@kZ՜.+,0 hp|     LOST IN YONKERS Title  !"#$'Root Entry F` |)1Table WordDocument.SummaryInformation(DocumentSummaryInformation8CompObjq  FMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q