Rainbow Country: A one-act play. (Drama).
THE CHARACTERS
ELSIE AMBLETON a woman of thirty
years
LOTTIE DEAR a woman of forty-five years
KANAKA FAIRBANK a man of fifty years
HORNER PRICE a man of forty years
MATILDA THORPE a woman of thirty-
seven years
Rainbow Country The kitchens of two country houses. A door leading to one kitchen extreme left. A door leading to the other kitchen left. The top parts of the doors open upwards and the lower sections swing outwards. It is about 5:30 a.m. on a dreary drea·ry adj. drea·ri·er, drea·ri·est 1. Dismal; bleak. 2. Boring; dull: dreary tasks. Monday morning. Elsie walks to her kitchen door (extreme left), opens it and is looking out. Lottie approaches her kitchen window (left) with a container. She looks around furtively fur·tive adj. 1. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. 2. Expressive of hidden motives or purposes; shifty. See Synonyms at secret. and throws something out. Elsie: wha'dah dey dey n. 1. Used formerly as the title of the governor of Algiers before the French conquest in 1830. 2. Used formerly as the title for rulers of the states of Tunis and Tripoli. ? Lottie: (startled star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. ) Whai? Elsie: Dat! Elsie: Yuh know good enough wha' I mean. Lottie: Morning, soul. Elsie: Um was morning eva since. Um ain't waiting 'pon you. Lottie: Wha' wrong wid you? Yuh wake up 'pon de wrong side o'de bed? Elsie: Cha! Cha! Lottie: Cha yuhself! Elsie: (sing a few lines of the hymn 'Rock of Ages') Rock of ages cleft for me Let me hide myself indeed Lottie: Yuh should do dat. Elsie: Wha'? Lottie: Hide yuhself. (laughs heartily) Elsie: (enraged en·rage tr.v. en·raged, en·rag·ing, en·rag·es To put into a rage; infuriate. [Middle English *enragen, from Old French enrager : en-, causative pref. ) From who? Lottie: You'self! Elsie: Meself? Why? Lottie: Yuh know why? Elsie: I doan know. Tell muh why. Anyhow an·y·how adv. 1. In whatever way or manner; however: I'll cook it anyhow you like. They came anyhow they could  by boat, train, or plane. when de inspecta pass
'round tomorra, yuh gine see somet'ing.
Lottie: He gine be lookin' fuh who? Elsie: You. Lottie: (shaking her skirt) He can inspect all he want. He can even inspect to see if some we got we license. Pause Elsie retires from her kitchen window and sings the first two verses of "Lord, Thy Word Abideth." Lottie in pantomine conducts her from her kitchen with a large wooden spoon. Lord, Thy word abideth, And our footsteps guideth Who is truth believeth Light and joy receiveth. When our foes are near us, Then Thy word doth cheer us Word of consolation, Message of salvation Kanaka enters right and walks over to a position in front the two kitchens. He carries a fork over his left shoulder. He is dressed in a pair of patched pants with its folds rolled up. He calls. Kanaka: Lottie! Elsie! Lottie: (in a rough voice) Yes! Kanaka: Whaiyuh snapping at me fuh? Lottie: Wha' yuh want, Kanaka? Kanaka: You. Lottie: (bandying looks) Yuh best be off wid yuhself! Kanaka: Wait, woman you... Lottie: No. You wait. Kanaka: (lowering his fork) Yuh gone mad? Lottie: De two o'we! Lottie withdraws from the window Pause Kanaka: (to the audience) Hey! Look dis trouble fuh muh. Yuh won't believe dat fuh all dese years we was working at Rainbow Country, de biggest plantation in dese parts, and I uses to call dese two fuh work everyday. Look at muh crosses now, Lottie turn 'pon me be out rhyme or reason sound or sense. See also: Rhyme . De devil mussa ride she last night. Wha' she need now is a good bush bath. Silence Elsie appears at her kitchen window. Elsie: Kanaka, I coming in a minute. I finishing dese muffins and some cocoa tea to tek elong. Elsie withdraws from the window. Kanaka: (in a slightly raised voice) How come yuh get up so late dis morning? Yuh know very well dat if we get up dah yard gap a minute late, Homer Price gine send we back home. Elsie: (in a raised voice) Not dis year, bosie Noun 1. bosie - a cricket ball bowled as if to break one way that actually breaks in the opposite way bosie ball, googly, wrong 'un bowling - (cricket) the act of delivering a cricket ball to the batsman . De radioman ra·di·o·man n. A radio technician or operator. seh dat de Dipper dipper, common name for the only aquatic member of the order Perciformes (perching birds) found near cold mountain streams. With their short, stubby wings and tails and their thick brownish plumage, dippers are thought to be closely related to the wrens. want a big crop, because de treasury ain't got a bline cent. Kanaka: (same voice pitch) Wha' he want? He always in Amer'ca and de motha country. He and Elcott, de union man. De two o' dem mussa got somet'ing going. Elsie Like you and Lottie? Pause Elsie emerges from the kitchen carrying a paperbag and an enamel enamel, a siliceous substance fusible upon metal. It may be so compounded as to be transparent or opaque and with or without color, but it is usually employed to add decorative color. It was used to decorate jewelry in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. mug. She picks up her hoe hoe, usually a flat blade, variously shaped, set in a long wooden handle and used primarily for weeding and for loosening the soil. It was the first distinctly agricultural implement. The earliest hoes were forked sticks. which is propped against the kitchen. Kanaka: Lottie, we ready. There is no answer and the two move right, passing in front of Lottie's kitchen. Matilda Thorpe Thorpe , James Francis Known as "Jim." 1888-1953. American athlete. An outstanding collegiate football player, he later played professional football and baseball. enters right and joins up with Elsie and Kanaka. Elsie: Matilda, how dat boy o' yours doing at Harr'son College? Matilda: (frowns, her eyebrows knitted) He doing puny pu·ny adj. pu·ni·er, pu·ni·est 1. Of inferior size, strength, or significance; weak: a puny physique; puny excuses. 2. Chiefly Southern U.S. Sickly; ill. good! Elsie: Pass any papers yet? Matilda: He sitting fuh some soon. Buh whai yuh asking muh all dese questions fuh? Dah is very strange? Elsie: Strange muh foot! I hope he doan turn out like a certain somebody son. Matilda: Who? Elsie: Who? Yuh know good enough who I mean? Matilda: I ain't know, soulie gal. Pause Kanaka stops and lights a cigarette. Matilda: Kanaka, who she talking 'bout? He puffs on his cigarette. Matilda: Wha' wrong wid yuh, bosie? Pause Elsie: Matilda, wha' yuh both' ring de man fuh? Yuh know full well who I mean. De two wunnah wuk in perry-gang together. She short and fat and... Matilda: Yuh mean Lottie Dear? She... Elsie: She biggest son, thingumarry, he went to Lodge and den to some big college in de States to study doctorin'? Matilda: Wha' ikind o' doctor? A foot doctor? A horse and cow doctor? He does treat pe' ple? Elsie: I ain't know wha' you asking me, dearie. All I know is he wukking at the General Hospital. Matilda: He back in de island and Lottie ain seh a word to nobody. Kanaka: She doan want wunnah so fuh know she business. Elsie: Business? Matilda: Wha' business? Elsie: She has business fuh somebody know? Kanaka: Yuh see wunnah lick lick 1. a stroke with the tongue, normally used in cleaning the coat or ingesting a substance from a flat surface. See also licking. 2. a mixture of salt plus other macro-elements, especially phosphorus, trace elements, vitamins and other feed additives, fed loosely in a box mout' pe'ple. De best o' friends and chopping up de woman name. Silence Elsie pushes aside Matilda and whispers something to her. Matilda: Fuh true! How come I ain see dat? Elsie: Shoo! Shoo! I find out this morning. Matilda: Anyway me son gine be a lawyer. Elsie: Wha' kind? Matilda: A lawyer is a lawyer. Elsie: Not true. Matilda: How yuh mean? Elsie: Well, I hear de teacher dat live by me telling somebody dat he youngest son is a criminal lawyer. Matilda: Well dat's de onliest kind I know. Yuh hae fuh hae crime fuh hae lawyer, police and judge. Kanaka: Wunnah chiliren gine to big school and dey doan learn wunnah not'ing? Elsie: Wha' yuh mean? Matilda: Yeah! Wha yuh mean? Kanaka: Well, yuh hae criminal lawyer, constitutional lawyer, corporate lawyer, justice o' peace, notary notary or notary public Public officer who certifies and attests to the authenticity of writings (e.g., deeds) and takes affidavits, depositions, and protests of negotiable instruments. , solictor, attorney and ... Matilda: And all is de same. Silence Centre aisle. Lottie is slightly up ahead of the group. Kanaka walks briskly and catches up with her. Mr. Price is at top centre stage with a register in his hand. He watches the workers as they walk up in single file. Lottie: Kanaka love, I din DIN - Deutsche Institut fuer Normung. The German standardisation body, a member of ISO. even see yuh behind muh. Kanaka: Holy Moses! (raises end of dress) Why yuh wearing dis puny dress today? Lottie: Muh son bring it back from de States. I proud o' dat boy. Soon I am gine be walking down de road wid no hoe! Kanaka: How come I din know he come back? Pause Lottie: (to the audience) Yuh bring up yuh children in dis world. Yuh nurse dem, feed dem and clothes dem. Yuh edicate dem. What a joy! What a joy! The four workers stop in front of the stage and lift their tools from their shoulders. Mr. Price: Lottie Dear! Lottie: Here, sir! Mr. Price: Kanaka Fairbank Kanaka: Present, sir! Mr. Price: Matilda Thorpe! Elsie: We hey! Mr. Price: Elsie Ambleton! Matilda: De two o'we hey! There is a general laughter. Mr. Price pushes back his cork hat A cork hat is a type of headgear with cork strung from the brim, to ward off insects. Traditionally worn by jackaroos and swagmen in the blow-fly infested Australian outback, [1] and stares at the workers. Silence Mr. Price: (to Elsie and Matilda) When I speak, you listen. Got that? Elsie, you go home and come back at one o'clock. Elsie: But massa Massa, in the Bible Massa (măs`ə), in the Bible, seventh son of Ishmael. Massa, city, Italy Massa (mäs`ä), city (1991 pop. 66,737), capital of Massa-Carrara prov. Price.... I so ... Mr. Price: Out! Get packing you black... You fleidhands don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. your places. The shilling SHILLING, Eng. law. The name of an English coin, of the value of one twentieth part of a pound. In the United States, while they were colonies, there were coins of this denomination, but they greatly varied in their value. a week you get, we ought to put it in the bank and let you starve starve v. 1. To suffer or die from extreme or prolonged lack of food. 2. To deprive of food so as to cause suffering or death. . Nine and ten children in a family and you want to be rude to your betters. Lottie and Kanaka: Sir, wey we gine wuk today? Mr. Price: (annoyed) You fools, why you are interrupting me? Can't you think for yourselves? Do I have to tell you everything? Go to Rising Sun. Exit Lottie and Kanaka Elsie walks slowly away as if to go home. She places the hoe over her left shoulder and hangs her head in despair. Elsie: Lawd, wha' I gine do? I mek a fool oi muhself andmuh children gine suffa. I owe de coolie man; I owe Mrs. Elridge; I got money fuh de shopkeeper; and, I ain't got a cent. Matilda walks away swinging her hips suggestively. She waves atElsie, but before she can say anything Mr. Price calls., Mr. Price: (shouting) Upon second thoughts, Elsie, come back here. I want you and Matilda to work in the orchard behind the house. Mr. Price leaves and adjusts his cork hat as he goes. The intense light of the sun fades and is replaced by a soft shade of green lights as the girls move to the orchard. Elsie: Why he want we fuh wuk in de orchard? Matilda: Dah very strange to me, gal! Elsie: Wukking in de shade is fuh house niggers. Matilda: And we is field niggers. Elsie: I t'ink we getting a pramotion maybe. Mr. Price enters the orchard from left. He is wearing a pair of shorts and his hat is replaced by a cap. The women become busy and start to sort limes limes plural limites (Latin; “path”) In ancient Rome, a strip of open land along which troops advanced into unfriendly territory. It came to mean a Roman military road, fortified with watchtowers and forts. and bananas. Mr. Price: (calling) Elsie! Matilda! Elsie and. Matilda: We hey, sir Mr. Price: (He walks over to where the women are. They look at him suspiciously but carry on with their work.) The servant wants some fish from the market. I want you to go for them, Elsie. Don't rush. Take your time 'cause itis a good little walk. And the sun hot as shite. Mr. Price Matilda, I want you to... Matilda: I hae bellyache bel·ly·ache n. Pain in the stomach or abdomen; colic. . I drink some sersi bush tea dis morning Mr.Price: (angrily) Move it! Get undressed! All you are good for is breeding copper-haired, bronze bastards. Matilda: (swinging her hands wildly) Get 'way from me! I gine tell de mistress if yuh touch me. Mr. Price: (boastfully) I am the boss. I can send you home and make you move your house off the plantation's land. But to tell you the truth, my wife agrees with me that you black women keep her breasts from sagging sag v. sagged, sag·ging, sags v.intr. 1. To sink, droop, or settle from pressure or weight. 2. . Matilda: (furiously) She wha'! Mr.Price: You heard me? Come here. (Matilda resists) No black woman wants any black, tar baby tar baby n. A situation or problem from which it is virtually impossible to disentangle oneself. [After "Bre'r Rabbit and the Tar Baby," an Uncle Remus story by Joel Chandler Harris.] . We'll help to lighten up Lighten up Selling some part of a stock or bond position in a portfolio to realize capital gains or to losses or increase cash assets. lighten up your race. So come. (She breaks free of him). Matilda: Mr. Price? Oh no! (She picks up apiece of stick and shakes it at him, threateningly. He struggles with her to get the stick.) Umh! Umh! I ain't Elsie, man. Lemme The Lemme is a 35 km torrent, a right tributary of the Orba, which flows through the Province of Alessandria in northern Italy. Its source is near Monte Calvo; from there it passes through the communes of Fraconalto, Voltaggio, Carrosio, Gavi, San Cristoforo, Francavilla go! Mr. Price: Be quiet, you fool. You can benefit from this. Matilda: Wha' yuh talking ebout? Yuh t'ink I gine shame meself fuh a piece o' cut yam and a few sweet potaotes? I worth much moe den dat. They continue to struggle and the stick drops. He throws her to the ground. Lights fade to darkness. Elsie has returned from the fish market and rejoins Matilda in the orchard. Elsie: Wha' you and de boss did talking when I was gone? Tell muh evat'ing and doan miss a line. Matilda: (slow and deliberate) He seh he wife very sick. Elsie: She got de bad sick or consumption? Anyway, yuh know dese pe'ple doan eat no good food like we. Dey pick pick and try to save all de money. Matilda: (wishing to avoid Elsie's questions) Wha'kind o' fish yuh get dem? Pound fish or flying fish? Yuh keep piece fuh yuhself? Elsie: Soul, whai you talking? De man giime a two-dollar bill to get two slices o' fish fuh he, de missis mis·sis or mis·sus n. Informal 1. The mistress of a household. 2. Used as a term of reference by a man of his wife. [Alteration of mistress. , a son and de cat. Matilda: Yuh mean fuh seh dat Babsie, de maid, doan get none? Buh dah ain't muh business! Elsie: 'Tilda, yuh got some dirt in yuh hair! Yuh like yuh did rooting in the mud. Matilda: Mr. Price wife, somebody put duppie dust in she tea. Elsie: Wha' yuh know? Matilda: Wha' I know? Muh gran'motha know dis business tall. Um came down from the banks o' de Niger. Elsie: Wey dat is, soul? Matilda: (proudly) Africa! De mothaland! Elsie: (startled)Oh Lordie, wha' happening hey? Mr. Price enters hunched hunch n. 1. An intuitive feeling or a premonition: had a hunch that he would lose. 2. A hump. 3. A lump or chunk: "She . . . over, his body racked with pains. Mr. Price: (slow and drawn out) My wife can die. Life is a gentle passing from birth to death. If such is the case, my wife is dead already. Elsie: Matilda! Matilda: Le 'we mek a run fuh it. Elsie: Haw haw, common name for several plants, e.g., the hawthorn and the black haw (see honeysuckle). , haw, but look she fuh muh! She tek de man money an' now playing she running. Matilda: Look yuh pond side woman, shut up if yuh ain't know wha' fuh seh! Anyway you stand dey 'pon um, I gine 'long. Elsie: (song slightly distorted) Matilda, Matilda, Matilda she tek he money an' run Venezuela. Pause Matilda: (hands akimbo, she leans forward) Yuh can sing all yuh like, urn doan move muh. Besides, I getting outta hey! Elsie: Why? Matilda: Why not? Elsie: He need we now. Matilda: I hae a sweet man a'ready, soul. Elsie: You can't understan'? Matilda: I understan' enough. No dry up bossman ain gine ride out me soul. Elsie: He ain't gine do dat to you. Matilda: Look shut yuh big, lick-mout! If yuh ain know wha' fuh seh! How yuh know dat? Elsie: Trust me! Matilda: Yeah? (pause) Bye! She exits hurriedly and adjusts her hair and clothes as she leaves. Elsie: Man, I got fuh ease he agony fuh muh poor children sake. After all, he is still dey father. Fuh now I gine try to bring some to 'e life an' when missy gone, he gine be all mine. Pause Matilda: (off stage) Elsie, commuh, quickly. Yuh fust boy is sick. Somet'ing real bad happening at yuh house. Elsie exits hurriedly. Lights fade Curtain In afield, Rising Sun, Kanaka forks and shakes out weeds. He stops to chat with Lottie. Kanaka: (propping on his fork) Lottie, yuh ain seh a bline word to muh all morning Lottie: T'inking, boy. T'inking. Kanaka: (teasing teasing the act of parading a male before a female to see if she displays estrus, and is therefore in a state where mating is likely to be fertile. ) I can help yuh t'ink. Lottie: 'Cause words doan tell how feelings be. Look at de rainbow in de sky, (pointing upwards) it hae ebout nine colours. Kanaka: Red, white, and blue, de monkey marr'd to you Lottie: (in a very dazed daze tr.v. dazed, daz·ing, daz·es 1. To stun, as with a heavy blow or shock; stupefy. 2. To dazzle, as with strong light. n. A stunned or bewildered condition. manner) Children! Yuh raise dem up. Yuh invest in dem. An' de payments neva come back. Kanaka: Wha' yuh talking 'bout, woman? Lottie: Not'ing! Not'ing at all! Kanaka: (motioning with his hands) Start gathering up yuh t'ings. We knocking off soon. Lottie: He lefi long time ago. Somet'ing mussa happen in de States. He suh change now. No visits. An' when he pass by, um does be mostly after dark. Kanaka: Lottie, yuh gine crazy talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to yuhself? Lottie: Just studying, boy! Just studying! Kanaka: Stop studying! (A horn sounds to signal lunchtime) De horn sounding. Time fuh knock off. Lottie: One purty pur·ty adj. Regional Variant of pretty. Regional Note: Purty is probably the most common American example of metathesis, a linguistic process in which two adjacent sounds are reversed in order. dress. No love. Muh life worth wrap 'round me. Silence Exits Kanaka and Lottie. Lights fade to darkness Soft shade of green is focused on the orchard Mr. Price: (Staggers staggers /stag·gers/ (stag´erz) a form of vertigo occurring in decompression sickness. staggers incoordination of any kind, including a tendency to fall, and recumbency if harassed. in after drinking a few shots of rum) Where is that wretch, Matilda? She still has more coming to her. (pause) (he gestures as he speaks.) I like to rest my head on her soft, pillows for breasts. And when her backside BACKSIDE, estates. In England this term was formerly used in conveyances and even in pleadings, and is still, adhered to with reference to ancient descriptions in deeds, in continuing the transfer of the same. property. wiggles wiggles - [scientific computation] In solving partial differential equations by finite difference and similar methods, wiggles are sawtooth (up-down-up-down) oscillations at the shortest wavelength representable on the grid. , it gets me going every time. He catches himself making these motions, stops, looks around and straightens his cork hat. He shouts.) Elsie, where is Matilda? Elsie: Gone! Mr. Price: Gone? Elsie: (intoning) She gone! Mr. Price: Where did she go? Elsie: Good gracious God A'mighty, I seh she gone! Dis time she gone fuh good. Mr. Price: (yelling) Stop her! I want to seed that nigger nig·ger n. Offensive Slang 1. a. Used as a disparaging term for a Black person: "You can only be destroyed by believing that you really are what the white world calls a nigger" woman. That bastard took home plenty peas and cut yam to run away now. She must pay for them. Her body must bear the stripes. (pause) Where is 'Tilda? Elsie: (mockingly) Gone to yuh wife! Mr. Price: She took my money. How can she be gone? (wildly) All of you will pay for this. You will suffer at my hands. Elsie: Yuh am mean me! I does bear yuh cross eva day. Four children widdout support. All fuh dis job dat doan bring me any ease. Mr. Price: Take home a hand of bananas and some limes. Elsie: (in a subdued sub·due tr.v. sub·dued, sub·du·ing, sub·dues 1. To conquer and subjugate; vanquish. See Synonyms at defeat. 2. To quiet or bring under control by physical force or persuasion; make tractable. 3. manner) Yes massa. (to the audience) Um ain't too late to gi'e muh soul to God and ask he fuh pardon me muh sins. De time gine come when I gine be free from dis scum. Mr. Price: (Still appears to be dazed, but reacts violently to the word 'scum.') Scum? Who are you calling scum? (He throws a round-house punch at Elsie.) You bag-bline bitch, many a day you came to me and offered your body to get food for children. (Pause) and now you call me scum? Elsie: (Defiantly) Yes! Day does run till night ketch um. Mr. Price: (Angrily) Shut up, or I'll... Elsie: (Hands akimbo)... hurt me. Not anymore. The clouds turn black over Rainbow Country. Rain clouds set up and it bound fuh rain tonight. Mr. Price: Like shite tonight... I'll live with you in the full moonlight and let my dangling balls shine dog-stones bright. Tonight. (There is a rumbling of thunder, the clouds became pitch black. Mr. Price falls into a stupor stupor /stu·por/ (stoo´per) [L.] 1. a lowered level of consciousness. 2. in psychiatry, a disorder marked by reduced responsiveness.stu´porous stu·por n. , stumbles to the ground and clutches his throat). Help me! Water! Elsie: (said with a biblical cadence cadence, in music, the ending of a phrase or composition. In singing the voice may be raised or lowered, or the singer may execute elaborate variations within the key. ) In the misty morning Misty Morn (1952-1971) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and owned by Gladys Mills Phipps' Wheatley Stable, at age three Misty Morn broke the Jamaica Racetrack track record enroute to winning the 1955 Gallant Fox Handicap. The filly ended up the year as the U.S. a voice was heard calling unto the sons and daughters of Sion: "Come home. All who are weary and want to rest, come home." Mr. Price: Elsie, help me! Say psalm twenty-three for me. (He gets to his feet) Elsie: God blessd muh soul ani ani (ä`nē), bird: see cuckoo. (1) See animated cursor. (2) (Automatic Number Identification) A telephone service that transmits the billing number (BN) and the telephone number of the body! Yuh drunk, niggam an? Mr. Price: I am white, whiter than snow. And don't you forget that nigger-bitch. Now say the damn psalm or I'll bash your brains. (He takes a swing at her. She ducks.) Elsie: (Confused, she begins at verse four.) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death Valley of the Shadow of Death life’s gloominess. [O.T.: Psalms 23:4] See : Melancholy Mr. Price falls and dies. Elsie: De Lord giveth and de Lord taketh away. Bastard, yuh am gine dead near me. She moves off briskly and glances back at the corpse. She meets Lottie and Kanaka at center stage. Kanaka: Wey yuh hurrying from, Elsie? Elsie: (pointing to the orchard) From dey! Kanaka: Yuh wuk dey all day? Lottie: Yeah! She wuk up in the orchard all day. Matilda bursts into the group gasping for breath. Elsie: Wey yuh bin, chil'? Matilda: To meet muh grandmother, soulie gal. Lottie: Look dis umman fuh muh! She grandmother dead! She like she mad as Nera. Kanaka: Shakespeare seh genius is madness. Elsie: He bin mad heself? Kanaka: How I gine know dat? Elsie: Yuh ain't know? Kanaka: I know you. Matilda: (Stares at Elsie and shouts) Look dey! (She falls.) Lottie: Water! Gi' she water, Elsie. Elsie: Why? Lottie: She hunger and t'irst after righteousness Righteousness See also Virtuousness. Amos prophet of righteousness. [O.T.: Amos] Astraea goddess of righteousness. [Gk. Myth.: Walsh Classical, 36] Benedetto, Don Catholic teacher of moral precepts. [Ital. Lit. ... Elsie: ... and foreign money. Lottie: Muh son can help. He can help... Elsie: If he recognize de Blessed Mother. Lottie: (agitated ag·i·tate v. ag·i·tat·ed, ag·i·tat·ing, ag·i·tates v.tr. 1. To cause to move with violence or sudden force. 2. ) Wha yuh talking 'bout? Elsie: Doan worry, Lottie. I is a virgin too. Kanaka: (praying) God is my strenith en salvation. Matilda: (on the floor and slowly gaining consciousness) Mr. Price is dead! Elsie: How yuh know dat? Lottie: Wha' happenin'hey? Kanaka: Christ muh Saviour! Elsie: Our refuge in time o' need! Lottie: Look and see de rainbow in de sky! When yuh see um, somebody gine dead! Elsie: Yuh only talking fuh frighten fright·en v. fright·ened, fright·en·ing, fright·ens v.tr. 1. To fill with fear; alarm. 2. somebody! Lottie: Life and death is de same fuh me. Kanaka: Yuh know de joke 'bout Know-de-most? Well, he went in Searles factory ani de lights was flicking on ani off, ani he shout out real hard fuh evabody fuh hear: "I see shadows 'round me." Kanaka clutches his throat and falls. Elsie: Kanaka always full o' 'Nansi stories. Look how he ole styling now. Matilda: (Rises slowly and addresses the audience) Oh dear! De air hey real heavy! The grass in the promise land is much greener. Kanaka: (groaning in a long drawn out manner) And de streets is paved pave tr.v. paved, pav·ing, paves 1. To cover with a pavement. 2. To cover uniformly, as if with pavement. 3. To be or compose the pavement of. wid gold. He dies. Elsie, Lottie, Matilda do a pantomime pantomime or mime (păn`təmīm) [Gr.,=all in mimic], silent form of the drama in which the story is developed by movement, gesture, facial expression, and stage properties. dance around the corpses. Elsie pulls out a bone from her pocket. Matilda takes out a phial of oil from a cloth wrapped around her waist. Lottie pulls a lock of hair from her brasssiere. They look at each other with surprise. They embrace and dance, pointing to the corpses. Silence (Lights fade to darkness) A day later, Tuesday, midnight. The three women are sitting around Elsie's kitchen table. A deck of cards is on the table. They deal the cards. Pause. Elsie: I uses to want a boy child. Lottie: I hae one. Matilda: I hae one muhself. Elsie: And darkness cover de universe. Lottie: All did dark and mucky muck n. 1. A moist sticky mixture, especially of mud and filth. 2. Moist farmyard dung; manure. 3. Dark fertile soil containing decaying vegetable matter. 4. Something filthy or disgusting. . Matilda: I uncover a crab hole. Lottie: We like crab, walking backwards. Elsie: Yuh eva hear de story oi de bline crab? Matilda: No! Lottie: (irritably ir·ri·ta·ble adj. 1. Easily irritated or annoyed. 2. Pathology Abnormally sensitive to a stimulus. 3. Physiology Capable of responding to stimuli. ) Shut up you two! Elsie: We disturbing yuh, Lottie? Matilda: Le' we sing. Lottie: Sing a song of sixpense. A pocket full of... Elsie: Bird seeds. Matilda: Yuh seeds. Lottie: I lost two pair o' dem. Matilda: I wannah hear Elsie story. Elsie: Wey yuh want me fuh start? Matilda: Dah am no funny story. Um song stupid! Elsie: Who stupid? Matilda: You! Elsie: If I stupid, de whole world stupid! Silence Lottie picks up the queen of hearts Queen of Hearts constantly orders beheadings. [Br. Lit.: Lewis Carroll Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland] See : Decapitation Queen of Hearts “first the sentence, and then the evidence!” [Br. Lit. from the pack, looks a it and reminisces. Lottie: I use to go to church eva Sunday. I worship de Lord and give muh tithes TITHES, Eng. law. A right to the tenth part of the produce of, lands, the stocks upon lands, and the personal industry of the inhabitants. These tithes are raised for the support of the clergy. 2. . (pause) Whai I do to deserve dis treatment? Matilda: (looks at Lottie and smiles) I takes Sanatogen Tonic Wine. Give yuh a lot o' strenk. Lotie: (looks up at the ceiling) He seh he would skin me up. Elsie: (She looks around and pushes her top lip to her nose) I smell Jayes fluid. Matilda: Lottie, fancy you in dat big table, dingy dingy used as a description of fleece wool; the wool is lacking in brightness. , ole dress and a big musty hat! Lottie: When he come back...he gine.. Elsie: Who yuh mean? Lottie: (stares at the ceiling still) Sandflies in muh eyes. Matilda: Yuh poor eyes always giiing trouble. Lottie: Popping out muh head like pulp eddo. Elsie: Yuh gine bline? Matilda: Not me! Lottie: I cahn even see a tiing out dey (F-r-e-e!) Elsie: Wha' wrong wid yuh eyes? Matilda: (says psalm 141, verse 1) O Lord, I call upon Thee; hasten has·ten v. has·tened, has·ten·ing, has·tens v.intr. To move or act swiftly. v.tr. 1. To cause to hurry. 2. to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee! Elsie: Woman! What de hell yuh doing? Yuh turnin' muh house to a church? Matilda: Wha' soul, I din know you's a headen. Lottie: An' soon de hoe gine be flattened flat·ten v. flat·tened, flat·ten·ing, flat·tens v.tr. 1. To make flat or flatter. 2. To knock down; lay low: The boxer was flattened with one punch. . They put away the cards and play a game of guessing riddles. Elsie: Yuh hear dis one? Matilda: (teasing) Yes! Elsie: A riddle - a - riddle - a-ree... Matilda: Who got more clothes dan she? Elsie: I call de department oi surgery. Matilda: Surgery? Lottie: Dead! Elsie: Who? Lottie: Hey is a man who do summuch, he died of a stiff... Matilda: (snaps her fingers) Ten bucks fuh yuh t'oughts. Lottie: yuh t'ink so? Elsie: I t'ink no. Matilda: We tiink but doan act. Lottie: Wha' he hae fuh do dah fuh? Elsie: (irritably) I doan know. Matilda: Yuh doan know whai? Lottie: only one stake in dis rock, remains. Pe'ple come and goes, but dis stake gine stand hey fuh eva. Muh father was tied to it once. (to the audience as she points to apiece of iron.) Dis. Silence Elsie: I see Charlie yesterday. Matilda: Yeah! An' ain't he fat an' blokey? Lotatie: De cow jump over de moon Elsie: Who cow? Charlie cow? Matilda: Impossible! Lottie: An' weeds cover human voices. Elsie: Sersi bush, black sage, soursop sour·sop n. In both senses also called guanabana. 1. A tropical American evergreen tree (Annona muricata) bearing spiny, yellow-green fruit with tart edible pulp. 2. The fruit of this tree. buds, coffee fence! Good brew! Lottie: Yuh wukking obeah? Matilda: Snails like bush. Lottie: (points into space) Look at how de mountain gine up in de sky, an' de rainbow sit on top of it! Elsie: (points to the audience) Yuh eva see a drunk dragging heself 'roun de street minglini wid dirt, searchini garbage can fuh scraps o' food? Lottie: Muh son save lives. He good at dat. Matilda: He turn priest now? Anyway, my son gine be a lawyer. Soon I gine be able fuh lean up muh hoe by de pailing. Elsie: All wunnah talking 'bout de size a wunnah future bank books, ah know I ain't got no such thing to worry 'bout. Lottie: Tonight real purty. All de stars out and de moon now peeping up. Matilda: I see something strange last night. Elsie: Wha' yuh see? Matilda: A stillbirth Stillbirth Definition A stillbirth is defined as the death of a fetus at any time after the twentieth week of pregnancy. Stillbirth is also referred to as intrauterine fetal death (IUFD). ! Lottie reaches into the pack of cards and pulls a king of hearts. Lottie: He ain't got a drop o' blood. Elsie: Sweet Jesus! Dey nailed papa to a tree! Matilda: My gran' motha fustic fustic: see mulberry. tree? Lottie: Strange ideas. Foreign too. Elsie: (sings) This land is not my home, I am just a passing through. Matilda: (interrupts) Dat is we problem. We always pass an' neva get over. Lottie: I know I wanna wan·na Informal 1. Contraction of want to: You wanna go now? 2. Contraction of want a: You wanna slice of pie? stan' right hey. The night is getting darker and there is a foreboding fore·bod·ing n. 1. A sense of impending evil or misfortune. 2. An evil omen; a portent. adj. Marked by or indicative of foreboding; ominous. among the three women. Matilda: Who ask you to leave? Elsie: (mockingly) Son? Matilda: Wait, whal gine on hey? Lottie: Today Charlie cow give milk. (reciting) Peas porridge hot. Peas porridge cold. Peas porridge in the pot... Elsie: (interrupts) Hot milk does gi'e yuh vigur. Ground nut and gin does mek yuh sin. Brandy and raw eggs give yuh fire power. Elsie: Wha' yuh doan gi'e yuh man some? Lottie: (clutches an imaginary doll and speaks to it softly) Mommy loves baby boy. Full? Burp now. Ata boy! Now beddy byes. There! All warm and snuggly. (pause) (shouts) Elsie! Elsie: Wha' yuh want? Matilda: Ans'er she properly, Elsie. Elsie: Yes, sir! Matilda: Madam! Elsie: (makes faces) Yes sir and madam too. Elsie: Yuh is sometling else! Lottie: Yuh gine to wuk tomorr? It's getting late. Elsie: We gine wuk we backside widout pay. Matilda: Yuh touch muh wid dem words. Elsie: Yeah? Matilda: Dese lines song like poetry. Lottie: De Surriento mek a rouni- de-bout and head fuh de States. Elsie: Yuh son did on dat one, ent? Matilda: De English ask fuh de ship and carga back. Lottie: London Bridge is falling down "London Bridge Is falling down" is a well-known traditional nursery rhyme which is found in different versions all over the world. The main verse is:
Elsie: Dem boys looked pretty in dey London Transport London Transport could mean:
Matilda: Wha' bout de girls? Dem did look like doll babies. Lottie: Dem bastards, I ain't got not'ing fuh do wid dem. Elsie: (Looks at a watch that Lottie is wearing) Made only in England. Pity! Lottie: (recites) He is gentle. He is kind... Elsie: He kiss de Devil behind. Matilda: Dey murder muh son! Wha' i happen dat I say dat? I ain't Lottie. Lottie: Let dem burn. Dem is de scruff o' de earth! (muses) Son, come to motha. Feel betta betta (bĕt`ə) or fighting fish, small, freshwater fish of the genus Betta, found in Thailand and the Malay Peninsula. Best known is the Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens. now? Yeah? Yuh like dat, doan yuh? Sure! Elsie: Lottie! Lottie: (jumps up from the table) Yes! Elsie: Dat's yuh ace! Lottie: So what? Matilda: Woman, yuh playing or not? Elsie: Yes or no? Lottie: No or yes. Do or die. Elsie: Kiss de devil and ... Matilda: (angrily) Shut up! Elsie: (pouts like a child) No! Lottie: Yes! Elsie: (rises from her seat) Not in dis house, yuh don't. Matilda: I doan do wha'? Elsie: She ain't gine let yuh do what yuh was 'bout to do. Matilda: (she gets up from the table, stretches and makes to go) Well I gone den. Elsie: (rises and yawns) Come back hey a minute 'Tilda. Matilda: (yawns) Fuh what? Elsie: 'Cause I seh so, nuh! Matilda: Seh what? Elsie: Put a cork up Verb 1. cork up - close a bottle with a cork cork plug, stop up, secure - fill or close tightly with or as if with a plug; "plug the hole"; "stop up the leak" yuh ... Matilda: Andi de inspecta will fine um when he come tomorra. Lottie: He ain't no inspecta. He is a docta. He study in de States. Matilda: (leaves) Bye! See yuh in de gang! She exits at left. Elsie: De night is cold and dark out. An' morning come so quickly. And behind dat is muh rainbow country. Lottie: Um is five o'clock already? De dead mussa done gone back to sleep before cock-crow. Elsie: Lawd, I feel like Noah after de flood. New! New! Lottie: He got surgery today. A good doctor. (She stumbles across the stage left and says as she goes) One dress. One life to live. Lights fade out slowly. Total darkness. A burst of yellow light on the empty stage. A melange mé·lange also me·lange n. A mixture: "[a] building crowned with a mélange of antennae and satellite dishes" Howard Kaplan. of lights representing the rainbow. Fade out. Curtain. Horace I. Goddard is a Montreal writer. |
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