Scene I
SETTING: Village street scene. Huge oak tree upstage center. A house or two on backdrop. When curtain goes up Sister Lucy Taylor is seen standing under the tree trying to read a notice posted on 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 Clarke put up 'bout de meetin'? (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. Clarke, Mayor of Eatonville, Fla. (turning to Sister
Taylor) Hit's makin' on to three now.
SISTER TAYLOR You mean its right now. (looks up at sun to tell time) Lemme go git ready to be at de trial—cause I'm sho going to be there and I ain't goin' to bite my tongue neither.
SISTER THOMAS I done went and crapped a mess of collard greens for supper—I better go put em on—cause Lawd knows when we goin' to git outa there—and my husband is one of them dats 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 whut you think of all dis mess they got going on round here?
SISTER THOMAS
I just think its a sin and a shame before de livin justice de way dese
Baptis' niggers is runnin' round here carryin' on.
SISTER TAYLOR
Oh they been puttin out they brags ever since Sat'day night bout whut
they gointer do to Jim. They thinks they runs this town. They tell me
Rev. Singleton preached a sermon on it yesterday.
SISTER THOMAS
Lawd help us! He can't preach and he look like 10¢ worth of have-mercy,
let lone gittin' up dare tryin' to throw slams at us. Now all Elder
Sims done was to explain to us our rights—Whut you think bout Joe
Clarke running round here takin' up for those ole Baptist niggers?
SISTER TAYLOR De puzzle-gut rascal—we oughter have him up in conference and put him out de Meth'dis' faith. He don't blong in there—Wanta run dat boy outa town for nothin'.
SISTER THOMAS But we all know how come he so hot to law Jim outa town—hits to dig de foundation out from under Elder Sims—
SISTER TAYLOR
What he wanta do dat for?
SISTER THOMAS Cause he wants to be a God-knows-it-all an' a God-do-it-all and 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 and I'm bound to be dere—
SISTER THOMAS
Gointer testify for Jim?
SISTER JONES Naw. I reckon—Don't make much difference to me which way de drop fall—Taint 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 and let dese Baptist tell us when to plant and when to pluck up?
SISTER JONES Dat is something to think about when you come to think about it. (starts to move on) Guess I better go ahead—See y'all later and tell you straighter. (Enter Elder Simms right, walking fast, Bible under his arm, almost collides with Mrs. Jones. She nods and smiles and exits.)
ELDER SIMMS
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 and youse all de dependence we got.
ELDER SIMMS I know it. I'm trying to find de Marshall so we kin go after Jim. I wants a chance to talk wid him a minute before court sits.
SISTER TAYLOR
Y'think he'll come clear?
ELDER SIMMS (proudly) I know it! (shakes the Bible) I'm going to law 'em from Genesis to Revelation.
SISTER THOMAS
Give it to 'em, Elder. Wear 'em out!
ELDER SIMMS We'se liable to have a new Mayor when all dis dust settle. Well, I better scuffle on down de road.
(Exit Sims left)
SISTER THOMAS
Lord, lemme gwan home and 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 (akimbo) Jus' look at him! Trying to look like a jigadier Breneral.
(Enter Clarke hot and perspiring. They look at him coldly.)
CLARKE 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 and bust my gall—Whuts 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 CLARKE
I ain't cloakin' in wid none. I'm de Mayor of dis whole town.
I stands for de right and against 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?
MAYOR CLARKE I God! You call knockin' a man in de head wid a mule bone nothin'? 'Nother thing—I done missed nine of my best-layin' hens. I ain't sayin' Jim got 'em—but different people has told me he buries a powerful lot of feathers in his back yard. I God, I'm a ruint man! (He starts towards the right exit, but Lum Rogers 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 and go fetch Jim Weston on to de church.
LUM
Have you got yo' gavel from de lodge-room?
CLARKE 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
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 chillen, they drags 'em up. God knows if dat Daisy was mine, I'd throw her down and 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.
SISTER TAYLOR
I'm kickin' but not high.
MRS. BLUNT
Well, thank God you still on prayin' ground and in a Bible
Country—Me, I ain't many today. De niggers got my Daisy's name all
mixed up in diss mess.
SISTER TAYLOR
You musn't mind dat, Sister Blunt. People just will talk. They's
talkin' in New York and they's talkin' in Georgy and they's talkin' in
Italy.
SISTER THOMAS Chile, if you talk after niggers 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 woman, chick or child, grizzly or gray that tells me to my face anything wrong bout my chile—I'm going to take my fist (rolls up right sleeve and gestures with right fist) and knock they teeth down they throat. (She looks ferocious.) Cause y'll 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 men get stuck on her.
SISTER TAYLOR You'se telling de truth, Sister Blunt—that's what I always say—Don't confidence dese niggers, do they'll sho put you in de street.
SISTER 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, and they better leave Daisy's name outer 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 [Corrected missing space.] folks today to come praipsin over here scornin her name all up wid dis nigger mess—do, I'll kill her. No daughter of mine ain't going to do as she please long as she live under de sound of my voice. (She crosses to right.)
SISTER 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. Singletary enters left with Dave and Deacon Lindsay and Sister Lewis. Very hostile glances from Sisters Thomas and Taylor towards the others.
ELDER SINGLETARY
Good evening, folks.
(Sister Thomas and Sister Taylor just grunt. Sister Thomas moves a step or two towards exit. Flirts her skirts and exits.)
LINDSAY
(Angrily) Whuts de matter, y'all? Cat got yo' tongue?
SISTER TAYLOR
More matter than you kin scatter all over Cincinnatti.
LINDSAY Go head on, Lucy Taylor, go head on. You know a very little of yo' sugar sweetens my coffee. Go head on. Everytime you lift yo' arm you smell like a nest of yellow hammers.
SISTER TAYLOR Go head on yo'self. Yo' head look like it done wore out three bodies—talking bout me smelling—you smell lak a nest of grand daddies yo'self.
LINDSAY
Aw, rack on down de road, 'oman. Ah don't wantuh change words wid yuh.
You'se too ugly.
MRS. TAYLOR You ain't nobody's pretty baby yo'self. You so ugly I betcha yo' wife have to spread uh sheet over yo' head tuh let sleep slip up on yuh.
LINDSAY (Threatening) You better git 'way from me while you able. I done tole you I don't wants break a mouth wid you. It's a whole heap better tuh walk off on yo own legs than it is to be toted off. I'm tired of yo' achin round here. You fool wid me now an' I'll knock you into doll rags, Tony or no Tony.
SISTER TAYLOR (jumping up in his face) Hit me! Hit me! I dare you tuh hit me. If you take dat dare you'll steal a hawg an' eat his hair.
LINDSAY
Lemme gwan down to dat church befo' you make me stomp you.
(He exits right.)
SISTER TAYLOR You mean you'll git stomped. Ahm going to de trial too. De nex trial gointer be me for kickin some uh you Baptis niggers around.
(A great noise is heard off stage left. The angry and jeering voices of children. Mrs. Taylor looks off left and takes a step or two towards left exit as the noise comes nearer.)
VOICE OF ONE CHILD Tell her! Tell her! Turn her up and smell her. Yo' mama ain't got nothin to do wid me.
SISTER TAYLOR (Hollering off left) You lil Baptis haitians, leave them chillun alone. If you don't, you better!
(Enter about 10 chidren struggling and wrestling in a bunch. Mrs. Taylor looks about on the ground for a stick to strike the children with.)
VOICE OF CHILD IN CROWD
Hey! Hey! He's skeered tuh knock it off. Coward!
SISTER TAYLOR
If y'all don't git on home!
SASSY LITTLE GIRL (Standing akimbo) I know you better not touch me, do my mama will tend to you.
SISTER TAYLOR (Making as if to strike her) Shet up, you nasty lil heifer, sassing me! You ain't half raised.
(The little girl shakes herself at Mrs. Taylor and is joined by two or three others.)
SISTER TAYLOR (Walking towards right exit) I'm going on down to de church an' tell yo' mammy. But she ain't been half raised herself. (She exits right with several children making faces behind her.)
A BOY (to sassy girl) Aw haw! Y'all ol' Baptis ain't got no book case in yo' church. We went there one day an' I saw uh soda cracker box settin' up in de corner so I set down on it. (pointing at sassy girl) Know whut ole Mary Ella say? (jeering laughter) Willie, you git up off our library! Haw! Haw!
MARY ELLA
Y'all ole Meth'dis' ain't got no window panes in yo' ole church.
A GIRL (Takes center of stage and hands akimbo shakes her hips.) I don't keer whut y'allsay. I'm a Methdis' bred an' uh Methdis' born an' when I'm dead there'll be uh Methdis' gone.
MARY ELLA (snaps fingers under other girl's nose and starts singing. Several join her.)
Oh Baptis, Baptis is my name
My name's written on high
I got my lick in de Baptis church
Gointer eat up de Methdis pie
(the Methodist children jeer and make faces. The Baptist camp make faces back for a full minute there is silence while each camp tries to outdo the other in face making. The Baptist makes the last face.
METHODIST BOY Come on, less us don't notice em. Less gwan down to de church an' hear de trial.
MARY ELLA
Y'all ain't the onliest ones kin go. We goin' too.
WILLIE Aw Haw! Copy cats! (Makes face) Dat's right, follow on behind us lak uh puppy dog tail. (They start walking toward right exit switching their clothes behind.)
(Baptist children stage a rush and struggle to get in front of the methodists. They finally succeed in flinging some of the Methodist children to the ground and some behind them and walk towards right exit haughtily switching their clothes.)
WILLIE (whispers to his crowd) Less go round by Mosely's lot and beat 'em there!
OTHERS
All right!
WILLIE
(Yelling to Baptists) We wouldn't walk behind no ole Baptists! (The
Methodists turn and walk off towards left exit switching their clothes
as the Baptists are doing.)