Is I glad? I jus’ got off special early this evenin’to come over here
and see everybody. I was kinda ’fraid sundown would catch me ’fore I
got round that lake. Don’t know how I’m gonna walk back to my
workin’place in the dark by muself.
DAVE.
Don’t no girl as good-lookin’as you is have to go home by herself
tonight.
JIM.
No, cause I’m here.
DAVE.
(To DAISY) Don’t you trust yourself round that like wid all them
’gators and moccasins with that nigger there, Daisy (Pointing at JIM)
He’s jus’ full of rabbit blood. What you need is a real man … with good
feet. (Cutting a dance step.)
DAISY.
I ain’t thinking ’bout goin’home yet. I’m goin’in the store.
JIM.
What you want in the store?
DAISY.
I want some gum.
DAVE.
(Starting toward door) Girl, you don’t have to go in there to git no
gum. I’ll go in there and buy you a carload of gum. What kind you want?
DAISY.
Bubble gum. (DAVE goes in the store with his hand in his pocket. The
sun is setting and the twilight deepens.)
JIM.
(Pulling package out of his pocket and laughing) Here your gum, baby.
What it takes to please the ladies, I totes it. I don’t have to go get
it, like Dave. What you gimme for it?
DAISY.
A bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck. (She embraces JIM
playfully. He hands her the gum, patting his shoulder as he sits on
box.) Oh, thank you. Youse a ready man.
JIM.
Yeah, there’s a lot of good parts to me. You can have West Tampa if you
want it.
DAISY.
You always was a nice quiet boy, Jim.
DAVE.
(Emerging from the store with a package of gum) Here’s your gum, Daisy.
JIM.
Oh, youse late. She’s done got gum now. Chaw that yourself.
DAVE.
(Slightly peeved and surprised) Hunh, you mighty fast here now with
Daisy but you wasn’t that fast gettin’out of that white man’s chicken
house last week.
JIM.
Who you talkin’’bout?
DAVE.
Hoo-oo? (Facetiously) You ain’t no owl. Your feet don’t fit no limb.
JIM.
Aw, nigger, hush.
DAVE.
Aw, hush, yourself. (He walks away for a minute as DAISY turns to meet
some newcomers. DAVE throws his package of gum down on the ground. It
breaks and several children scramble for the pieces. An old man, very
drunk, carrying an empty jug enters on left and staggers tipsily across
stage.) (MAYOR JOE CLARK emerges from the store and looks about for his
marshall.)
CLARK.
(Bellowing) Lum Boger!
LUM BOGER.
(Eating a stalk of cane) Yessir!
CLARK.
I God, Lum, take your lazy self off that keg and go light that town
lamp. All summer long you eatin’up my melon, and all winter long you
chawin’up my cane. What you think this town is payin’you for? Laying
round here doin’nothin’? Can’t you see it’s gettin’dark?
(LUM BOGER rises lazily and takes the soap box down stage, stands on it
to light the lamp, discovers no oil in it and goes in store. In a few
moments he comes out of store, fills the lamp and lights it.)
DAISY.
(Coming back toward JIM) Ain’t you all gonna play and sing a little
somethin’for me? I ain’t heard your all’s music much for so long.
JIM.
Play anything you want, Daisy. Don’t make no difference what ’tis I can
pick it. Where’s that old coon, Dave? (Looking around for his partner.)
LIGE.
(Calling Dave, who is leaning against post at opposite end of porch)
Come here, an’ get warmed up for Daisy.
DAVE.
Aw, ma throat’s tired.
JIM.
Leave the baby be.
DAISY.
Come on, sing a little, Dave.
DAVE.
(Going back toward Jim) Well, seeing who’s asking … all right. What
song yo like, Daisy?
DAISY.
Um-m. Lemme think.
VOICE ON PORCH.
“Got on the train, didn’t have no fare”.
DAISY.
(Gaily) Yes, that one. That’s a good one.
JIM.
(Begins to tune up. DAVE touches Daisy’s hand.)
VOICE.
(In fun) Hunh, you all wouldn’t play at the hall last week when we
asked you.
VOICE OF SPITEFUL OLD WOMAN.
Daisy wasn’t here then.
ANOTHER VOICE.
(Teasingly) All you got to do to some men is to shake a skirt tail in
their face and they goes off their head.
DAVE.
(To JIM who is still tuning up) Come if you’re comin’boy, let’s go if
you gwine. (The full melody of the guitar comes out in a lively,
old-fashioned tune.)
VOICE.
All right now, boys, do it for Daisy jus’ as good as you do for dem
white folks over in Maitland.
DAVE & JIM.
(Beginning to sing)
Got on the train,
Didn’t have no fare,
But I rode some,
I rode some.
Got on the train,
Didn’t have no fare,
But I rode some,
But I rode some.
Got on the train,
Didn’t have no fare,
Conductor asked me what I’m doin’there,
But I rode some!
Grabbed me by the neck
And led me to the door.
But I rode some,
But I rode some.
Grabbed me by the neck
And led me to the door.
But I rode some,
But I rode some.
Grabbed me by the neck,
And led me to the door.
Rapped me cross the head with a forty-four,
But I rode some.
First thing I saw in jail
Was a pot of peas.
But I rode some,
But I rode some.
First thing I saw in jail
Was a pot of peas.
But I rode some,
But I rode some.
The peas was good,
The meat was fat,
Fell in love with the chain gang jus’ for that,
But I rode some.
(DAVE acts out the song in dancing pantomime and when it ends there are
shouts and general exclamations of approval from the crowd.)
VOICES.
I don’t blame them white folks for goin’crazy ’bout that….
OLD MAN.
Oh, when I was a young boy I used to swing the gals round on that
piece.
DAISY.
(TO JIM) Seem like your playin’gits better and better.
DAVE.
(Quickly) And how ’bout my singin’? (Everybody laughs.)
VOICES IN THE CROWD.
Ha! Ha! Ol’ Dave’s gittin’jealous when she speaks o’ Jim.
JIM.
(To DAVE, in fun) Ain’t nothin’to it but my playin’. You ain’t got no
singin’voice. If that’s singin’, God’s a gopher.
DAVE.
(Half-seriously) My singin’is a whole lot better’n your playin’. You
jus’ go along and fram. The reason why the white folks gives us money
is cause I’m singin’.
JIM.
Yeah?
DAVE.
And you can’t dance.
VOICE IN THE CROWD.
You oughta dance. Big as your feet is, Dave.
DAISY.
(Diplomatically) Both of you all is wonderful and I would like to see
Dave dance a little.
DAVE.
There now, I told you. What did I tell you. (To JIM) Stop woofing and
pick a little tune there so that I can show Daisy somethin’.
JIM.
Pick a tune? I bet if you fool with me I’ll pick your bones jus’ like a
buzzard did the rabbit. You can’t sing and now you wants to dance.
DAVE.
Yeah, and I’ll lam your head. Come on and play, good-for-nothing.
JIM.
All right, then. You say you can dance … show these people what you can
do. But don’t bring that little stuff I been seein’you doin’ all these
years. (JIM plays and DAVE dances, various members of the crowd keep
time with their hands and feet, DAISY looks on enjoying herself
immensely.)
DAISY.
(As DAVE cuts a very fancy step) I ain’t seen nothin’like this up
North. Dave you sho hot.
(As DAVE cuts a more complicated step the crowd applauds, but just as
the show begins to get good, suddenly JIM stops playing.)
DAVE.
(Surprised) What’s the matter, buddy?
JIM.
(Envious of the attention DAVE has been getting from DAISY,
disgustedly) Oh, nigger, I’m tired of seein’you cut the fool. ’Sides
that, I been playin’all afternoon for the white folks.
DAISY.
But I though you was playin’for me now, Jim.
JIM.
Yeah, I’d play all night long for you, but I’m gettin’sick of Dave
round here showin’off. Let him git somethin’and play for himself if he
can. (An OLD MAN with a lighted lantern enters.)
DAISY.
(Coyly) Well, honey, play some more for me, then, and don’t mind Dave.
I reckon he done danced enough. Play me “Shake That Thing”.
OLD MAN WITH LANTERN.
Sho, you ain’t stopped, is you, boy? Music sound mighty good
floatin’down that dark road.
OLD WOMAN.
Yeah, Jim, go on play a little more. Don’t get to acting so niggerish
this evening.
DAVE.
Aw, let the ol’ darky alone. Nobody don’t want to hear him play, nohow.
I know I don’t.
JIM.
Well, I’m gonna play. (And he begins to pick “Shake That Thing”. TEETS
and BOOTSIE begin to dance with LIGE MOSELY and FRANK WARRICK. As the
tune gets good, DAVE cannot resist the music either.)
DAVE.
Old nigger’s eveil but he sho can play. (He begins to do a few steps by
himself, then twirls around in front of DAISY and approaches her.
DAISY, overcome by the music, begins to step rhythmically toward DAVE
and together they dance unobserved by JIM, absorbed in picking his
guitar.)
DAISY.
Look here, baby, at this new step I learned up North.
DAVE.
You can show me anything, sugar lump.
DAISY.
Hold me tight now. (But just as they begin the new movement JIM notices
DAISY and DAVE. He stops playing again and lays his guitar down.)
VOICES IN THE CROWD.
(Disgustedly) Aw, come on, Jim…. You must be jealous….
JIM.
No, I ain’t jealous. I jus’ get tired of seein’that ol’ nigger
clownin’all the time.
DAVE.
(Laughing and pointing to JIM on porch) Look at that mad baby. Take
that lip up off the ground. Got your mouth stuck out jus’ because some
one is enjoying themselves. (He comes up and pushes JIM playfully.)
JIM.
You better go head and let me alone. (TO DAISY) Come here, Daisy!
LIGE.
That’s just what I say. Niggers can’t have no fun without someone
getting mad … specially over a woman.
JIM.
I ain’t mad…. Daisy, ’scuse me, honey, but that fool, Dave….
DAVE.
I ain’t mad neither…. Jim always tryin’to throw off on me. But you
can’t joke him.
DAISY.
(Soothingly) Aw, now, now!
JIM.
You ain’t jokin’. You means that, nigger. And if you tryin’to get hot,
first thing, you can pull of my blue shirt you put on this morning.
DAVE.
Youse a got that wrong. I ain’t got on no shirt of yours.
JIM.
Yes, you is got on my shirt, too. Don’t tell me you ain’t got on my
shirt.
DAVE.
Well, even if I is, you can just lift your big plantations out of my
shoes. You can just foot it home barefooted.
JIM.
You try to take any shoes offa me!
LIGE.
(Pacifying them) Aw, there ain’t no use of all that. What you all want
to start this quarreling for over a little jokin’.
JIM.
Nobody’s quarreling…. I’m just playin’a little for Daisy and Dave’s out
there clownin’with her.
CLARK.
(In doorway) I ain’t gonna have no fussin’round my store, no way. Shut
up, you all.
JIM.
Well, Mayor Clark, I ain’t mad with him. We’se been friends all our
lives. He’s slept in my bed and wore my clothes and et my grub….
DAVE.
I et your grub? And many time as you done laid down with your belly
full of my grandma’s collard greens. You done et my meat and bread a
whole lot more times than I et your stewed fish-heads.
JIM.
I’d rather eat stewed fish-heads than steal out of other folkses houses
so much till you went to sleep on the roost and fell down one night and
broke up the settin’hen. (Loud laughter from the crowd)
DAVE.
Youse a liar if you say I stole anybody’s chickens. I didn’t have to.
But you … ’fore you started goin’around with me, playin’ that little
box of yours, you was so hungry you had the white mouth. If it wasn’t
for these white folks throwin’_me_ money for _my_ dancin’, you would be
thin as a whisper right now.
JIM.
(Laughing sarcastically) Your dancin’! You been leapin’around here like
a tailless monkey in a wash pot for a long time and nobody was payin’no
’tention to you, till I come along playing.
LINDSAY.
Boys, boys, that ain’t no way for friends to carry on.
DAISY.
Well, if you all gonna keep up this quarrelin’and carryin’on I’m
goin’home. ’Bout time for me to be gittin’back to my white folks
anyhow. It’s dark now. I’m goin’, even if I have to go by myself. I
shouldn’t a stopped by here nohow.
JIM.
(Stopping his quarrel) You ain’t gonna go home by yourself. I’m
goin’with you.
DAVE.
(Singing softly)
It may be so,
I don’t know.
But it sounds to me
Like a lie.
WALTER.
Dave ain’t got as much rabbit blood as folks thought.
DAVE.
Tell ’em ’bout me. (Turns to DAISY) Won’t you choose a treat on me,
Miss Daisy, ’fore we go?
DAISY.
(Coyly) Yessir, thank you. I wants a drink of soda water.
(DAVE pulls his hat down over his eyes, whirls around and offers his
arm to DAISY. They strut into the store, DAVE gazing contemptuously at
JIM as he passes. Crowd roars with laughter, much to the embarrassment
of JIM.)
LIGE.
Ol’ fast Dave jus’ runnin’the hog right over you, Jim.
WALTER.
Thought you was such a hot man.
LUM BOGER.
Want me to go in there and put Daisy under arrest and bring her to you?
JIM.
(Sitting down on the edge of porch with one foot on the step and lights
a cigarette pretending not to be bothered.) Aw, I’ll get her when I
want her. Let him treat her, but see who struts around that lake and
down the railroad with her by and by.
(DAVE and DAISY emerge from the store, each holding a bottle of red
soda pop and laughing together. As they start down the steps DAVE
accidentally steps on JIM’s outstretched foot. JIM jumps up and pushes
DAVE back, causing him to spill the red soda all over his white shirt
front.)
JIM.
Stay off my foot, you big ox.
DAVE.
Well, you don’t have to wet me all up, do you, and me in company? Why
don’t you put your damn foot in your pocket?
DAISY.
(Wiping DAVE’S shirt front with her handkerchief) Aw, ain’t that too
bad.
JIM.
(To DAVE) Well, who’s shirt did I wet? It’s mine, anyhow, ain’t it?
DAVE.
(Belligerently) Well, if it’s your shirt, then you come take it off me.
I’m tired of your lip.
JIM.
Well, I will.
DAVE.
Well, put your fist where you lip is. (Pushing DAISY aside.)
DAISY.
(Frightened) I want to go home. Now, don’t you all boys fight.
(JIM attempts to come up the steps. DAVE pushes him back and he
stumbles and falls in the dust. General excitement as the crowd senses
a fight.)
LITTLE BOY.
(On the edge of crowd) Fight, fight, you’re no kin. Kill one another,
won’t be no sin. Fight, fight, you’re no kin.
(JIM jumps up and rushes for DAVE as the latter starts down the steps.
DAVE meets him with his fist squarely in the face and causes him to
step backward, confused.)
DAISY.
(Still on porch, half crying) Aw, my Lawd! I want to go home.
(General hubbub, women’s cries of “Don’t let ’em fight.” “Why don’t
somebody stop ’em?” “What kind of men is you all, sit there and let
them boys fight like that.” Men’s voices urging the fight: “Aw, let ’em
fight.” “Go for him, Dave.” “Slug him, Jim.”
JIM makes another rush toward the steps. He staggers DAVE. DAVE knocks
JIM sprawling once more. This time JIM grabs the mule bone as he rises,
rushes DAVE, strikes DAVE over the head with it and knocks him out.
DAVE falls prone on his back. There is great excitement.)
OLD WOMAN.
(Screams) Lawdy, is he kilt? (Several men rush to the fallen man.)
VOICE.
Run down to the pump and get a dipper o’ water.
CLARK.
(To his wife in door) Mattie, come out of that store with a bottle of
witch hazely oil quick as you can. Jim Weston, I’m gonna arrest you for
this. You Lum Boger. Where is that marshall? Lum Boger! (LUM BOGER
detaches himself from the crowd.) Arrest Jim.
LUM.
(Grabs JIM’S arm, relieves him of the mule bone and looks helplessly at
the Mayor.) Now I got him arrested, what’s I going to do with him?
CLARK.
Lock him up back yonder in my barn till Monday when we’ll have the
trial in de Baptist Church.
LINDSAY.
Yeah, just like all the rest of them Methodists … always tryin’to take
undercurrents on people.
WALTER.
Ain’t no worse then some of you Baptists, nohow. You all don’t run this
town. We got jus’ as much to say as you have.
CLARK.
(Angrily to both men) Shut up! Done had enough arguing in front of my
place. (To LUM BOGER) Take that boy on and lock him up in my barn. And
save that mule bone for evidence.
(LUM BOGER leads JIM off toward the back of the store. A crowd follows
him. Other men and women are busy applying restoratives to DAVE. DAISY
stands alone, unnoticed in the center of the stage.)
DAISY.
(Worriedly) Now, who’s gonna take me home?
:::: CURTAIN::::
ACT TWO
SCENE I
SETTING: Village street scene; huge oak tree upstage center; a house or
two on back drop. When curtain goes up, Sister LUCY TAYLOR is seen
standing under the tree. She is painfully spelling it out.
(Enter SISTER THOMAS, a younger woman (In her thirties) at left.)
SISTER THOMAS.
Evenin’, Sis Taylor.
SISTER TAYLOR.
Evenin’. (Returns to the notice)
SISTER THOMAS.
Whut you doin’? Readin’dat notice Joe Clark put up ’bout de meeting?
(Approaches tree)
SISTER TAYLOR.
Is dat whut it says? I ain’t much on readin’since I had my teeth pulled
out. You know if you pull out dem eye teeth you ruins’ yo’ eye sight.
(Turns back to notice) Whut it say?
SISTER THOMAS.
(Reading notice) “The trial of Jim Weston for assault and battery on
Dave Carter wid a dangerous weapon will be held at Macedonia Baptist
Church on Monday, November 10, at three o’clock. All are welcome. By
order of J. Clark, Mayor of Eatonville, Florida.” (Turning to SISTER
TAYLOR) Hit’s makin’on to three now.
SISTER TAYLOR.
You mean it’s right _now_. (Looks up at sun to tell time) Lemme go git
ready to be at de trial ’cause I’m sho goin’to be there an’ I ain’t
goin’to bite my tongue neither.
SISTER THOMAS.
I done went an’ crapped a mess of collard greens for supper. I better
go put ’em on ’cause Lawd knows when we goin’to git outa there an’ my
husband is one of them dat’s gointer eat don’t keer whut happen. I bet
if judgment day was to happen tomorrow he’d speck I orter fix him a
bucket to carry long. (She moves to exit, right)
SISTER TAYLOR.
All men favors they guts, chile. But what you think of all dis mess
they got goin’on round here?
SISTER THOMAS.
I just think it’s a sin an’ a shame befo’ de livin’ justice de way dese
Baptis’ niggers is runnin’round here carryin’on.
SISTER TAYLOR.
Oh, they been puttin’out the brags ever since Sat’day night ’bout whut
they gointer do to Jim. They thinks they runs this town. They tell me
Rev. CHILDERS preached a sermon on it yistiddy.
SISTER THOMAS.
Lawd help us! He can’t preach an’ he look like 10 cents worth of
have-mercy let lone gittin’up dere tryin’to throw slams at us. Now all
Elder Simms done wuz to explain to us our rights … whut you think ’bout
Joe Clarke runnin’round here takin’up for these ole Baptist niggers?
SISTER TAYLOR.
De puzzle-gut rascal … we oughter have him up in conference an’ put him
out de Methdis’ faith. He don’t b’long in there—wanter tun dat boy outa
town for nothin’.
SISTER THOMAS.
But we all know how come he so hot to law Jim outa town—hit’s to dig de
foundation out from under Elder Simms.
SISTER TAYLOR.
Whut he wants do dat for?
SISTER THOMAS.
’Cause he wants to be a God-know-it-all an’ a God-do-it-all an’ Simms
is de onliest one in this town whut will buck up to him.
(Enter SISTER JONES, walking leisurely)
SISTER JONES.
Hello, Hoyt, hello, Lucy.
SISTER TAYLOR.
Goin’to de meetin’?
SISTER JONES.
Done got my clothes on de line an’ I’m bound to be dere.
SISTER THOMAS.
Gointer testify for Jim?
SISTER JONES.
Naw, I reckon—don’t make such difference to me which way de drop fall….
’Tain’t neither one of ’em much good.
SISTER TAYLOR.
I know it. I know it, Ida. But dat ain’t de point. De crow we wants to
pick is: Is we gointer set still an’ let dese Baptist tell us when to
plant an’ when to pluck up?
SISTER JONES.
Dat is something to think about when you come to think ’bout it.
(Starts to move on) Guess I better go ahead—see y’all later an tell you
straighter.
(Enter ELDER SIMMS, right, walking fast, Bible under his arm, almost
collides with SISTER JONES as she exits.)
SIMMS.
Oh, ’scuse me, Sister Jones. (She nods and smiles and exits.) How you
do, Sister Taylor, Sister Thomas.
BOTH.
Good evenin’, Elder.
SIMMS.
Sho is a hot day.
SISTER TAYLOR.
Yeah, de bear is walkin’de earth lak a natural man.
SISTER THOMAS.
Reverend, look like you headed de wrong way. It’s almost time for de
trial an’ youse all de dependence we got.
SIMMS.
I know it. I’m tryin’to find de marshall so we kin go after Jim. I
wants a chance to talk wid him a minute before court sets.
SISTER TAYLOR.
Y’think he’ll come clear?
SIMMS.
(Proudly) I _know_ it! (Shakes the Bible) I’m goin’to law ’em from
Genesis to Revelation.
SISTER THOMAS.
Give it to ’em, Elder. Wear ’em out!
SIMMS.
We’se liable to havea new Mayor when all dis dust settle. Well, I
better scuffle on down de road. (Exits, left.)
SISTER THOMAS.
Lord, lemme gwan home an’ put dese greens on. (Looks off stage left)
Here come Mayor Clark now, wid his belly settin’out in front of him
like a cow catcher! His name oughter be Mayor Belly.
SISTER TAYLOR.
(Arms akimbo) Jus’ look at him! Tryin’to look like a jigadier Breneral.
(Enter CLARK hot and perspiring. They look at him coldly.)
CLARK.
I God, de bear got me! (Silence for a moment) How y’all feelin’,
ladies?
SISTER TAYLOR.
Brother Mayor, I ain’t one of these folks dat bite my tongue an’ bust
my gall—whut’s inside got to come out! I can’t see to my rest why you
cloakin’in wid dese Baptist buzzards ’ginst yo’ own church.
MAYOR CLARK.
I ain’t cloakin’in wid _none_. I’m de Mayor of dis whole town I stands
for de right an’ ginst de wrong—I don’t keer who it kill or cure.
SISTER THOMAS.
You think it’s right to be runnin’dat boy off for nothin’?
CLARK.
I God! You call knockin’a man in de head wid a mule bone nothin’?
’Nother thin; I done missed nine of my best-layin’hens. I ain’t
sayin’ Jim got ’em, but different people has tole me he burries a
powerful lot of feathers in his back yard. I God, I’m a ruint man! (He
starts towards the right exit, but LUM BOGER enters right.) I God, Lum,
I been lookin’for you all day. It’s almost three o’clock. (Hands him a
key from his ring) Take dis key an’ go fetch Jim Weston on to de
church.
LUM.
Have you got yo’ gavel from de lodge-room?
CLARK.
I God, that’s right, Lum. I’ll go get it from de lodge room whilst you
go git de bone an’ de prisoner. Hurry up! You walk like dead lice
droppin’off you. (He exits right while LUM crosses stage towards left.)
SISTER TAYLOR.
Lum, Elder Simms been huntin’ you—he’s gone on down ’bout de barn. (She
gestures)
LUM BOGER.
I reckon I’ll overtake him. (Exit left.)
SISTER THOMAS.
I better go put dese greens on. My husband will kill me if he don’t
find no supper ready. Here come Mrs. Blunt. She oughter feel like a
penny’s worth of have-mercy wid all dis stink behind her daughter.
SISTER TAYLOR.
Chile, some folks don’t keer. They don’t raise they chillun; they drags
’em up. God knows if dat Daisy wuz mine, I’d throw her down an’ put a
hundred lashes on her back wid a plow-line. Here she come in de store
Sat’day night (Acts coy and coquettish, burlesques DAISY’S walk) a
wringing and a twisting!
(Enter MRS. BLUNT, left.)
MRS. BLUNT.
How y’all sisters?
SISTER THOMAS.
Very well, Miz Blunt, how you?
MRS. BLUNT.
Oh, so-so.
MRS. TAYLOR.
I’m kickin’, but not high.
MRS. BLUNT.
Well, thank God you still on prayin’ ground an’ in a Bible country. Me,
I ain’t so many today. De niggers got my Daisy’s name all mixed up in
dis mess.
MRS. TAYLOR.
You musn’t mind dat, Sister Blunt. People jus’ _will_ talk. They’s
talkin’ in New York an’ they’s talkin’in Georgy an’ they’s talkin’in
Italy.
SISTER THOMAS.
Chile, if you talk folkses talk, they’ll have you in de graveyard or in
Chattahoochee one. You can’t pay no ’tention to talk.
MRS. BLUNT.
Well, I know one thing. De man or women, chick or child, grizzly or
gray, that tells me to my face anything wrong ’bout _my_ chile, I’m
goin’to take _my_ fist (Rolls up right sleeve and gestures with right
fist) and knock they teeth down they throat. (She looks ferocious)
’Case y’all know I raised my Daisy right round my feet till I let her
go up north last year wid them white folks. I’d ruther her to be in de
white folks’ kitchen than walkin’de streets like some of dese girls
round here. If I do say so, I done raised a lady. She can’t help it if
all dese mens get stuck on her.
MRS. TAYLOR.
You’se tellin’de truth, Sister Blunt. That’s whut I always say: Don’t
confidence dese niggers. Do, they’ll sho put you in de street.
MRS. THOMAS.
Naw indeed, never syndicate wid niggers. Do, they will distriminate
you. They’ll be an _anybody_. You goin’to de trial, ain’t you?
MRS. BLUNT.
Just as sho as you snore. An’ they better leave Daisy’s name outa dis,
too. I done told her and told her to come straight home from her work.
Naw, she had to stop by dat store and skin her gums back wid dem trashy
niggers. She better not leave them white folks today to come
traipsin’over here scornin’ her name all up wid dis nigger mess. Do,
I’ll kill her. No daughter of mine ain’t goin’to do as she please, long
as she live under de sound of my voice. (She crosses to right.)
MRS. THOMAS.
That’s right, Sister Blunt. I glory in yo’ spunk. Lord, I better go put
on my supper.
(As MRS. BLUNT exits, right, REV. CHILDERS enters left with DAVE and
DEACON LINDSAY and SISTER LEWIS. Very hostile glances from SISTERS
THOMAS and TAYLOR toward the others.)
CHILDERS.
Good evenin’, folks.
(SISTERS THOMAS and TAYLOR just grunt. MRS. THOMAS moves a step or two
towards exit. Flirts her skirts and exits.)
LINDSAY.
(Angrily) Whut’s de matter, y’all? Cat got yo’ tongue?