Contemporary One-Act Plays Part 54

sweat below, he gi'n 'em a harp an' crown up dere. Tuck my ol' man from 'is toil an' trouble, too, an' I's left heah alone now. Ain't gwine be long do', ain't gwine be long. [_Her voice trails off into silence. All is quiet save for the ticking of the clock._ AUNT CANDACE _brushes her hand across her face, as if breaking the spell of her revery_.] Yessuh, I wants you to git married, honey. I told you, an' told you. We's lived long enough by ourselves. I's lak to nuss yo' li'l uns an' sing to 'em fo' I go. Mind me o' de ol' times.

MARY. [_Lost in abstraction, apparently has not been listening._] Aunty, you ought to see him now. He's better to me than he ever was. He's as kind as he can be. An' he wears the finest clothes! [_She stares in the fire._

AUNT CANDACE. Dat he do. Dey ain't no 'sputin' of it. I allus said he's de best-lookin' n.i.g.g.e.r in de country. An' dey ain't n.o.body kinder'n Jim.

No, suh.

MARY. An' to-day he said 'twas a pity I had to work an' wash like a slave for a livin'. He don' treat me like I was a n.i.g.g.e.r. He acts like I'm white folks. Aunty, you reckon ...

AUNT CANDACE. [_Gazing at her with a troubled look of astonishment._] I knows it, honey, I knows it. Course dey ain't no better n.i.g.g.e.r'n Jim an'

I wants you to marry Jim. He's awaitin' an' ...

MARY. [_Vehemently._] I ain't talkin' 'bout Jim. What's Jim? He ain't nothin'.

AUNT CANDACE. [_Guessing at the truth, half rises from her seat._] What you mean? Huh! What you talkin' 'bout?

MARY. [_Wearily sitting down._] Nothin', aunty, jes' talkin'.

AUNT CANDACE. Jes' talkin'? Chile ... chile ...

MARY. Aunty, did you ever wish you was white?

AUNT CANDACE. [_Troubled._] Laws a mercy! Huh! White! Wish I's white?

Lawdy, no! What I want to be white foh? I's born a n.i.g.g.e.r, an' I's gwine die a n.i.g.g.e.r. I ain't one to tear up de work o' de Lawd. He made me an'

I ain't gwine try to change it. What's in yo' haid, chile? [_Sadly._]

Po' thing, don't do dat. Yo' po' mammy useter talk lak dat ... one reason she ain't livin' to-day. An' I ain't done prayin' foh 'er nuther.

Chile, you git such notions ra't out'n yo' haid. [_She shakes her head, groaning._] Oh, Lawdy! Lawdy! [_Then, screaming, she puts her hands to her head. She grasps her stick and begins striking about her, shrieking._] Dey's after me! Dey's after me! [_She continues beating around her._] Open de do'! Open de do'!

[MARY _puts her arms around her and tries to soothe her, but she breaks away from her, fighting with her stick. Then_ MARY _runs and opens the door, and_ AUNT CANDACE _drives the imaginary devils out_.

MARY. They're gone now, they're gone.

[_She closes the door and leads her back to her seat._ AUNT CANDACE _sits down, mumbling and groaning. The spell pa.s.ses and the wild look dies from her face._

AUNT CANDACE. [_Looking up._] I's had another spell, ain't I, honey?

MARY. Yes'm, but you're all right now.

[_She pours out some medicine and gives it to her._

AUNT CANDACE. Some dese days I's gwine be carried off by 'em, chile; I's ol' an' po'ly, ol' an' po'ly now. Dem debbils gwine git me yit. [_She mumbles._

MARY. No, they ain't, aunty. I ain't goin' to let 'em.

[_There is a knock at the door, and stamping of feet._

AUNT CANDACE. What's dat?

MARY. Nothin'. Somebody at the door. [_The low strumming of guitar is heard._] That's Jim. Come in!

[JIM MATTHEWS _enters. He is a young negro about twenty-two years old, and as black as his African ancestors. He carries a guitar slung over his shoulders, wears an old derby hat, tan shirt with a dark tie, well-worn blue suit, the coat of which comes to his knees, and tan shoes, slashed along the sides to make room for his feet. As he comes in he pulls off his hat and smiles genially, showing his white teeth. With better clothes he might call himself a spo't._

JIM. Good even', ladies. [_He lays his derby an the bed._

AUNT CANDACE. [_Turning around in her chair._] What does he say?

MARY. He says good evenin'.

AUNT CANDACE. _Ah_-hah! Good even', Jim. Take a seat. I's sho glad you come. Mary's been talkin' 'bout you. [_He smiles complacently._] We's sho glad you come.

[_He takes a seat between_ AUNT CANDACE _and_ MARY.

JIM. Yes'm. An' I's sho glad to be wid you all. I's allus glad to be wid de ladies.

AUNT CANDACE. What's he say?

JIM. [_Louder._] I's glad to be wid you all.

AUNT CANDACE. Ah-hah! [JIM _pulls out a large checkered handkerchief from his breast-pocket, wipes his forehead, and then flips the dust from his shoes. He folds it carefully and puts it back in his pocket._] Any news, Jim?

JIM. No'm, none 'tall. Any wid you?

AUNT CANDACE. Hah? No, nothin' 'tall, 'ceptin' Mr. Henry done said ...

said ...

[_Here she groans sharply and puts her hand to her head._

JIM. What's that she's sayin'? [_As_ AUNT CANDACE _continues groaning_.]

Still havin' them spells, is she, Miss Mary?

MARY. Yes, she has 'em about every night.

[_Making a movement as if to go to_ AUNT CANDACE. _She stops and stares in the fire._

AUNT CANDACE. Ne' min' me. I's all right now. An' you chillun go on wid yo' cou'tin'. I's gwine peel my 'taters.

[_Raking the potatoes from the ashes, she begins peeling them. Then she takes a piece of sausage from the package in the corner._ JIM _smiles sheepishly and strums his guitar once or twice. He moves his chair nearer to_ MARY. _She moves mechanically from him, still gazing in the fire._

JIM. Er ... Miss Mary, you's lookin' 'ceedin' s.n.a.t.c.hin' wid dat white ribbon an' new cloak. I's glad to see you thought I's comin' 'round.

Yes'm, I tells all de gals you got 'em beat a mile. [_He stops._ MARY _pays no attention to him_.] From here slam to France an' back, I ain't seed no gals lak you. Yes'm, dat's what I tells 'em all, an' I oughta know, kaze I's an ol' road n.i.g.g.e.r. I's seen de world, I has. But I's tired of 'tall, an' I wants to settle down ... an' ... you knows me....

[_He stops and fidgets in his chair, strums his guitar, feels of his necktie, takes out his handkerchief and wipes his forehead._] Miss Mary, I's ...

MARY. Jim, I done tol' you, you needn't come messin' 'round here. I ain't lovin' you. I ain't goin' to marry--n.o.body, never!

JIM. [_Taken aback._] Now, Miss Mary ... er ... honey. I knows jas' how you feels. It's kaze I been a rounder, but you'll hadder forgive me. An'

I's gwine 'form, I is. I's quit all dem tother gals, near 'bout broke dey hearts, but I hadder do it. Dey's only one foh me, you know. To-day I's talkin' to dat young feller, Hugh Mawgin, an' ...

MARY. Hugh what! What you sayin', Jim Matthews! Mr. Hugh, you mean.