Masquerade Parade A drama in one act
Denise J. Hart 6713 14th Street NW #304 Washington DC 20012 202 321-0779
[email protected]
2 “It’s about the bruises that hang in the air” – Richard Price “My father taught me three things – How to drink and not get drunk, How to gamble and not get cheated; How to always be aware of my surroundings and how to handle myself in those surroundings.” – Juan Abraham
CHARACTERS Curtis Raeford Mitchell
Marlena's brother, medium brown complexion, 31. A struggling boxer.
Marlena Mitchell
Curtis's sister, very light complexion, 29. A stripper.
(Character can be played by a Caucasian actress with dark features) Raeford Wilson Crandell
Father of Curtis & Marlena, white, 56, businessman.
SETTING The action takes place along the banks of the Mississippi river in Kansas City, Missouri. Specifically, in front of a closed barbecue joint (MICKEYS) located on the water front. It’s 11 o'clock at night, Tuesday, late October.
3 PROLOGUE
The pulsating sound of Johann Sebastian Bach is heard. Three individual pools of light develop and each character steps into their world. Marlena pulls on stockings and slides her feet into tall pumps. Curtis shadow boxes vigorously, then pulls on a tank top t-shirt. Raeford slides his arms into a very expensive suit jacket, and picks up a six pack of beer and a carton of cigarettes. Both Marlena and Raeford pose a la a masquerade ball. Curtis shadow boxes so hard that his movements become exaggerated and out of control. He wipes his face with a handkerchief from his back pocket. He does not pose. He pants recovering his breath as the music and lights fade to black. * Suggest: Concerto No. 3 in D minor for 2 violins
ACT 1 The sound of the river smacks against the board walk along the riverbank. The river is unruly on this mild autumn evening. Lights up on CURTIS MITCHELL, smoking a KOOL'S cigarette. He wears a wind breaker, muscle shirt, jeans, and mud covered work boots. He has a can wrapped in a brown paper bag. He sits, then stands, then paces. He peerss down the boardwalk, then returns to the barbecue joint. He takes off his jacket, starts to do a boxers warm up, working himself up to a fierceness of movement that definitely intimidates his imaginary adversary. CURTIS (to an imaginary adversary) Who the fuck are you?! (he shadow boxes.) Huh? I said who the fuck are you? Some one runs up the boardwalk. MARLENA MITCHELL enters, dressed in a short skirt, tights, a ruffled top, and high heeled shoes. Curtis retrieves the cigarette, and picks up his bag. MARLENA Hey Curt...hey man. Sorry… I’m sorry I took so long. (panting) Dang, ths spot is way down here at the end. (she catches her breath) So, did he come yet? Curtis is silent. He continues smoking the cigarette. MARLENA I said I'm sorry. He been here? (she looks around) Did I miss him or what? CURTIS Who the fuck are you? MARLENA What?... What you drinkin'? (she grabs for the bag. He eludes her) CURTIS Who the fuck are you? MARLENA Fuck am I?... Stop it Curt... CURTIS What's your name? You lookin' real pretty.
MARLENA Cut it out Curtis... CURTIS What's your name? MARLENA I hate when you do this shit... CURTIS What's your name, pretty? (he begins to circle her) MARLENA Stop… CURTIS What's your name, pretty thang? MARLENA Stop it Curt. It ain’t... This ain't funny, now stop. CURTIS How you know my name, pretty? MARLENA I said stop it and I mean it! (pause) Has he been here yet? CURTIS What? (Shadowboxing DS, then towards Marlena) MARLENA Stop it...are you all right? CURTIS (snickering) Got any money pretttty thang? MARLENA You know what, you’re sick. You a sick assCURTIS Who the fuck are you? How you know my name?
MARLENA (Nervous and now scared, she darts away from his circling then strikes him hard) You're my brother stupid. Now cut it out! Whatever you been drinkin', you need to quit. (pause) I guess he ain’t come yet. Marlena pulls her earphones on her ears and presses play. Bach concerto leaks from the ear phones. She steers clear of Curtis waltzing about. Curtis jabs the air frenetically. Then he charges towards Marlena, snatching the headphones from her head. CURTIS What in the hell you been doin' Marlena? MARLENA You betta leave me alone. (she recovers her headphones and turns off the walkman.) CURTIS I said what you been doin’? MARLENA Nothin' okay... I just... alright, alright, it only took a minute. Do you got anything... Need somethin' sweet. CURTIS Just like I figured. Marlena, you need to quit that shit and get you a real job. MARLENA Dancin' is a real job. CURTIS Was you dancin' a minute ago? (pause) No, I didn't think so. Like I said, you need to get you a real job. MARLENA Okay, Mr. C.E.O of B.D.N. Been Doin Nothin'... shiiit. CURTIS Alright, just your big brother... MARLENA Big ass brother, always’s my big ass brother...
CURTIS Yeah, you right, big brother just tryin' to give you some good advice. MARLENA Good advice? CURTIS Yeah. Good ass advice. MARLENA Why start now? CURTIS Been started, you just never listened. Okay, I’ma try it again... Marlena, get you a real job, give them kids somethin' to look up to. MARLENA Oh, like their uncle? (she jabs the air lazily two times) CURTIS Forget you. You wasn't sayin' that when I was only one step away... Shiiit…belt almost around my waist. You was all up in my face then. None a ya’ll. When you close to the top everybody wanna be in your world, sit down at your table. He jabs restlessly at an invisible adversary. CURTIS Just one step away... (still jabbing the air) One step that’s all. MARLENA Look, I'm doin' the best I can. (pause) I only do this at the end of the month. CURTIS Since when do the end of the month come on the 17th? MARLENA It ain’t my fault damn money ran out early... Hell, if they'd give you... shoot, welfare ain't what it used to be CURTIS No, I don't know nothin' 'bout that.
MARLENA Well ask Carolynn. Ask Carolynn what do she do to make her money stretch. If they gave you enough from the get go, then we wouldn't have to do this kinda thing. CURTIS Carolynn don't do that kinda thing. MARLENA You sure? CURTIS She know how to stretch a dolla. Carolynn know how to stretch a fuckin' dolla. MARLENA Well, she must be a gotdamn magician, makin' the money they give you stretch like you talkin' about. Three kids? Shit, tha's a whole lot a stretchin'. I'm just sayin' she pro'ly doin' somethin'. Runnin’ food stamps or somethin’. (pause, as Curtis stares at her hard) Okay, then maybe she's sellin' muffins on the street. I don't know... Gimmie some of that... (she grabs for the brown bag) CURTIS Hey, hey I don't know where your lips been. MARLENA No worse place then yours. Besides, I make 'em wear a rubber. (she takes the bag and swigs from the can) Pepsi?! You faker. I thought you had some beer. You got some damn Pepsi. CURTIS I only had enough for Pepsi. Got your throat wet though, didn't it. MARLENA That stuff leave a chalky taste in your mouth. Rubber taste like chalk mixed ith some... CURTIS Spare the details, Marlena, alright. Did you have to do this now? Huh? You know we gotta... MARLENA He said I had pretty lips...
CURTIS Pretty lips? You went for that? MARLENA Hell, 50 bones in my pocket. I bet you want 25! (pause) Look, now I can get Marshall a new coat and have some left. (pause) It's close enough to the end of the damn month. I don’t care what you think anyway, alright Curtis. CURTIS I told you to stop callin' me that. MARLENA Well get off my damn back. CURTIS Marlena, do not call me that pussy name. You call me Swoop. MARLENA Your name is Curtis. CURTIS Can't you ever just do like I ask? MARLENA That's half a my life. Loyal, to the bone. CURTIS Well alright then, Swoop, call me Swoop. Go 'head. Go ‘head ‘Lena. MARLENA (unenthusiastic) Swoop. CURTIS Now ask me why. Ask me. MARLENA Okay, why? CURTIS Cause, I swoops down like an eagle in the midnight hour and I defeats alla my challengers. MARLENA Man you crazy. (Curtis shadow boxes) Dag, shouldn’t he be here?
CURTIS He’ll be here. (boxing) Guess what, I gotta fight Saturday. Need some new trunks. Silk would sure be nice. MARLENA When you get silk dolla's? CURTIS Don't worry 'bout that. (yells) Swoooop. MARLENA Give me a damn break, Curt... (he steps towards her) all right, okay, Swoop. (pause) You kill me, always changin' your damn name... Prancer... Stalker... Swoop! What's it gone be next week? CURTIS Swoop. See, that's what this business is all about. Havin' the right name is just as much a part of this game as bein' able to kick some ass. You know what I mean? (wickedly) Kill or be killed! (he shadow boxes with extra energy) Swoop! MARLENA And will you stop doin' that crazy shit. CURTIS What's wrong, you scared? Scared I'ma beat down your new little boyfriend. He say you got pretty lips? (menacingly) What's ya name pretty lips? MARLENA See, that's just what I'm talkin' 'bout. That shit ain’t funny. CURTIS You used to think it was. MARLENA Well, you been takin it way too far. CURTIS You used to think it was the best we had. MARLENA Well maybe I'm not the girl I used to be. I can’t stand that damn game. CURTIS It ain’t no game.
MARLENA Whatever. I can't stand when you do that shit... CURTIS We do that shit, Marlena. WE do that. MARLENA Well, I can't stand it. It’s all wild and it’s crazy. CURTIS Yeah, but it works. MARLENA Make me feel like some kinda animal. CURTIS Well that’s what you gotta be if you gone stay inside the ring. That's the whole thing of it. Stay alive inside the ring. Like when I get in there and some skinny ma’fucka is standin' cross from me wearin’ some ugly ass lime green trunks, nowhere near silk, and I say over and over inside of my head: "Who the fuck are you! Who the fuck are you!" And they look in my eyes, and the next thing I know I got 'em under my spell, up under my command. (whispered) "Who the fuck are you". (regular voice, yelping) It's scammin', baby! MARLENA It was cool when that's what we was doin'. You doin' it to me when nobody but us is around is freaky. Give me the willies. Make me think you been sucker punched one to many times. CURTIS I have never been sucker punched. You hear me ‘Lena? Never. Don’t let no... stupid shit like that come trippin’ out your mouth again. You hear me?! (he gets right in her face) You hear me?! MARLENA Cool. CURTIS I still got it. Anybody can bet on me. (he shadow boxes with less vigor and verve.) Got that?! MARLENA Yeah, I got it.
CURTIS What's wrong 'Lena, don't like my pick up lines? Just tryin' out some lines, that's all. MARLENA No wonder nobody but Carolynn will take your ass: "Who the fuck are you?" I'm sure all the ladies fall to their knees when you use that one. (she takes out her last cigarette MORE LIGHTS from a pack stuck in her waistline. She searches for a pack of matches that had been stuck in the front of the cigarettes.) Damn...I lost my... give me some fire. CURTIS When you start smokin' these pansy ass More's? MARLENA Peanut, came around with a whole case of 'em. I got all the one's that wasn't smashed. They ain’t half bad. You should try ‘em. CURTIS What the fuck is half bad? Why would anybody want somethin' half bad? MARLENA Damn, is he comin’ or what? (she looks up and down the boardwalk.) CURTIS I'm sayin' why take some half bad shit when you can get all good. Kool's is it baby. (Taking out another cigarette, he lights it and inhales deeply.) MARLENA You should think of runnin' for some kind office. Sound like the mayor, talkin' in all them riddles. (she takes the lighter and lights her cigarette.) CURTIS Mayor can kiss my ass. What he ever do for me? MARLENA Careful now, he just might like what you offerin'. CURTIS He a damn punk?
MARLENA They say he like hisself some little black boys. Like to play games. He might be up for a couple of rounds of, "Who the fuck are you." CURTIS Damn, he said eleven o'clock. What time is it? MARLENA Gettin’ close. Do you think I look pretty? (she takes out her compact and checks her lips) CURTIS You ain't goin' to meet some fuckin’ John, Marlena. He's just your daddy. MARLENA He’s our daddy. CURTIS Shit on that. Think I look pretty?", What you gonna do? Fuck him? Put that thing away. (he tries to snatch the compact from her. She eludes him.) MARLENA That's not funny. CURTIS I wasn't tryin' to be. MARLENA Curtis ... CURTIS I said don't call me that. MARLENA Hell no. You gone talk like that, I call you what I want... Curtis Raeford Mitchell take it back... Curtis rushes up on her, she runs but he catches her and grabs her roughly around the collar of her blouse. CURTIS Swoop. Call me Swoop. Okay. Swoop. And don't ever call me that Raeford shit again, you hear.
MARLENA Take back what you said. That dirty soundin' shit. CURTIS The name is Swoop. (he tightens his grip) MARLENA Go head, if tha's all you got. I ain't Carolynn, 3 kids, no phone. You gone hit me? So what. Take back that dirty soundin' shit! Take it back! (he loosens his grip, then releases her. She recovers her compact from the ground) I don't hear nothin'. CURTIS I'm just sayin', he’s just your daddy. Don't see why you keep on sayin' that, "Do you think I look pretty" shit. He ain’t nobody. MARLENA He’s our daddy. CURTIS Shit on that Marlena. I'ma grown man. Don't need no daddy. MARLENA Well then why you here? (silence) CURTIS You been watchin’ to much Lifetime. MARLENA No. I guess it’s like when you ain't never seen a person, who you s’posed to know, it make you feel kinda… kinda stupid inside. So, what you feelin’? CURTIS I ain’t feelin’ nothin’. And you ain't stupid 'Lena. This shit is new, so you thinkin', that’s all. That don't make you stupid, it just make you thinkin'. MARLENA (pause) So how come you asked me to come this time? CURTIS He probably won't even show. MARLENA Why not?
CURTIS ‘Cause man, people crazy. MARLENA How come you asked me to come? CURTIS I need you. MARLENA For what? CURTIS You my sister. You always got my back, that's all. BEAT They both peer up and down the boardwalk, resigned to their respective thoughts. MARLENA What if I didn’t? CURTIS What if you didn’t what? MARLENA What if I wouldn’t or didn’t have your back, what if that. CURTIS We ain't never had no “what if” before. I got your back, you got mine, no matter what. Like always. That shit that set us off, can't get between us. You know that. What's wrong with you? Talkin' 'bout "What if I didn't." MARLENA I don't know. (Curtis takes out last cigarette, lights it) Let me get one. CURTIS What happened to "they ain't half bad?" MARLENA Smoked my last one. CURTIS This my last one. (he drag on it then hands it over.) Here, don't say I ain't never gave you nothin'.
MARLENA I don't know...I was just thinkin'. You know, wonderin' if anything could ever get between us. CURTIS Nothin' besides you gettin' on my nerves. MARLENA Well you ain’t by your self. (pause) How did that job go? CURTIS It didn't. Went all the way out there and that fool didn't even show. Messed up my boots. MARLENA (takes a drag, gives it back to Curtis) You need some new boots anyway. Tell Carolynn to go down to the Lott store. They got a sale. Real leather too. CURTIS Don't gotta tell Carolynn to get me nothin'. MARLENA You two fightin' again? CURTIS I don't fight women. (Marlena gives him a "come the fuck clean” look.) Well, not no more. MARLENA Yea, well maybe now I'll introduce you to some a my girls. CURTIS Shit, I don't wanna meet no girls from down Smitty's. MARLENA All a sudden, what's so wrong with Smitty's. CURTIS Smitty’s is Smitty’s. But, I tell you what, if you wanna real job, you go down to the Masquerade. Shit, down to the Masquerade, them dolls up in there be dancin'. MARLENA They dancin'?
CURTIS Hell yea they do. MARLENA High class uptown, instead of us ho's humpin' down town, huh? CURTIS It's just, they got all them lights and smell goods. Shoot, them dolls be in there dancin'. Treat it like some kinda science. MARLENA Lights and soft chairs… don’t matter, because, it’s all the same thing. Only difference, is the corner they hunched up in got clean carpet. Masquerade! They put them bitches on parade down there. At least up at Smitty's he let you keep yo' dignity. (she sits on the bench) CURTIS Dignity? MARLENA Capital D. CURTIS Dignity? No shit? (pause) Well, I guess Smitty all right then. (he passes cigarette back to Marlena) MARLENA (takes a drag, then passes it back to Curtis) Yeah he alright. He pay cash no questions, and any day I don't wanna come in, Smitty's like, cool. On top a all that, he let you go 60/40 some days. CURTIS Yeah, but I heard then you gotta pay him back with favors. MARLENA Way I see it, I’d rather be doin' favors for Smitty, then them punks down to the Masquerade. That shit is smoke and mirrors Curt... I mean, Swoop. (he offers her a last drag on the cigarette) Naw, it’s too damn strong. Taste worse than rubbers. CURTIS Them pansy ass More's got you spoiled. MARLENA Whatever. Daaamn he takin' long enough.
CURTIS No shit. MARLENA (they sit in silence for a beat) I met somebody... CURTIS Aww, Lena, come on now. Come on! MARLENA What? What’s wrong with you? CURTIS Don’t' do it. Don't get yourself pregnant. That’s all I’m sayin’. MARLENA You know what? Sometimes I really hate you. I only saw him once. CURTIS Last I checked, once was all it takes. What is he, a customer? That’s not cool ‘Lena... MARLENA I don’t know why I tell you stuff anyway. . CURTIS Just lookin’ out for you. MARLENA (ignores the comment) How come you and Carolynn just don’t get married? CURTIS She got three kids, okay. MARLENA That didn't bother you when you started sleepin' wit' her. CURTIS (pause) She can't have no more. Fuckin' doctor's messed her up. I tol' her to sue, but she so damn scared... Talkin' about the Lord gone make a way. MARLENA Maybe he will.
CURTIS Maybe he will what? MARLENA I don’t know, maybe the Lord will make a way... CURTIS What? MARLENA She might have a point. Crazy as things get, somebody’s keepin' us from blowin' our brains out. CURTIS You been talkin' to Poppa Preacher again huh? That nigga’s crazy. You need to quit listenin’ to him. MARLENA No I haven’t. (pause as Curtis gives Marlena a stare) It seem like she got a point, that’s all. CURTIS Don't go gettin' soft on me, okay. MARLENA I ain't gettin' soft! Damn! Why I got to be gettin’ soft? It’s just… she loves you, but you, you ... you shouldn’t keep her hangin’ like this. CURTIS She want me to quit. She want me to quit the only place I ever been king (he paces out at square ring shape.) The place where I... (he shadow boxes) where I know I can fuck me up some bodies. She want me to quit. I can’t do that. Never. MARLENA It’s not so much she want you to quit, as she wants you to stop takin' it out on her when you lose. CURTIS I don’t do that shit no more. MARLENA Well then you already ahead. You need to talk to her. CURTIS I do.
MARLENA Like a woman? CURTIS We talk. But she, she always's tryin' to tell me what to do. Askin' me questions. Twenty fuckin' questions. MARLENA But do she make sense? Curtis is silent. MARLENA Well then, what’s the problem? Don’t youCURTIS I don't know. (pause) Damn, what time is it? MARLENA It’s dag near 11:30. I guess he really ain’t comin'. CURTIS Oh, he better come. MARLENA I thought you said you didn't need no daddy. CURTIS I don't. MARLENA Well then what's up? CURTIS Shit like usual. MARLENA Usual shit like what? CURTIS See, now there you go. Next thing you gone wanna know is did I wipe my ass. You wanna check my drawers. (he playfully opens his pants) MARLENA Get outta here... You know they dirty anyway.
CURTIS So who’s this somebody? MARLENA What somebody? CURTIS The one you met. MARLENA Nobody really. Just somebody who came around and... well, he made me feel kinda special. Different. CURTIS Different like what? MARLENA Different like... Like talkin' all crazy like... "A man could lose his mind lookin' at you." Stupid stuff like that. CURTIS See, tha's just why I never say stuff like that to women. Ya’ll fall too damn hard. MARLENA I didn’t say I fell. CURTIS You sayin' stuff like "I met somebody." Either you fell, or came close. MARLENA Maybe, maybe not. Anyway. (Pause, then she reaches in her breasts and pulls out some money) Here. (she hands him a 10 dollar bill) CURTIS What's this for? MARLENA Take it. Here. All I can spare is ten. CURTIS Naw I’m cool. MARLENA Just take it! CURTIS For what?
MARLENA For what?... for some, for some Budweiser instead a Pepsi, if that’s what you want. I don't know... just whatever you might need it for. Take it... Here. Here. (she shoves it into his hand and curls his fingers around it until he grabs it himself) Don’t’ trip, you know you gotta pay me back. CURTIS (He looks up the boardwalk) Dude was probably a fake anyway. MARLENA A fake? CURTIS Yeah. He probably roll up here and ask me for some damn money, you know. Or maybe he want me to do some kinda hit. Black man take out the white man’s cheatin’ wife. He call the cops, and there I go, sittin’ stupid at brick walls and bars second time around. MARLENA What happened when you met him? CURTIS Nothin’. MARLENA Why won’t you tell me? CURTIS Lookin' out for you like a big brother supposed to. I don't wanna get your hopes up. MARLENA What? What’d he say? CURTIS He didn’t say nothin'. MARLENA Not nohin? CURTIS Nope. MARLENA He had to say somethin’.
CURTIS Some old mumbo jumbo. Let’s get outta here. Marlena cuts him off from leaving. MARLENA Curt, I know you mean the best for me, but I’m a big girl. Talk to me. Did he say he don’t wanna see me or somethin’? Are you sneakin’ me up here! If he don’t wanna see me I’m not stayin’. CURTIS Naw… dag girl! See... women! Why you gotta know everything? MARLENA Because I got to. CURTIS Before you act like you ain't give a damn. MARLENA Well, this ain’t before. CURTIS ‘Lena, it wasn’t nothin’. JustMARLENA Humor me then. (pause) CURTIS For what? MARLENA For me. Just for me. CURTIS For you. MARLENA Yeah for me. Why is that so hard for you? That’s your problem. You selfish. Selfish ass. (she spits hard on the ground.) CURTIS Don’t spit at me. Shit is nasty. MARLENA I’ll do what I want when I feel like doin’ it.
LONG PAUSE CURTIS I’m gone. (he picks up his things.) MARLENA You know, you need to stop runnin’ from shit and grow up. Be a man. CURTIS Fuck you, Lena. MARLENA Don’t you mean “fuck me up”, or “Who the fuck am I?” Well I’m not Carolynn, I’m not Ma and I sure as hell ain’t one of them other punk ass boxers… you pushin’ me Curtis, you pushin’ me on this. One of these days you gone push too damn hard and your ass is gonna be sorry. CURTIS You wanna know that damn bad. MARLENA I should know. You’re so selfish… (she starts to walk away). CURTIS Alright, alright… Look… one day, I was down at the gym doin’ my usuual. I was practicin', and Patterson comes up to me, he tells me I got a phone call. I say, tell whoever it is I'll call 'em back. 'Cause you know I don't stop practicin' for nobody, not you, not ma, not Carolynn... MARLENA Yeah, I know, not for nobody. CURTIS Right. So Patterson went back to the phone, then he yells out "Swoop! Swoop!" Two times. Two times yellin' my name like that. So I'm gettin' pissed, my practice is bein' interrupted. So I say "Who the fuck is it?" Then Patterson come walkin' up to me all quick like he gotta piss or somethin' and he whispers to me just so me and him can hear, he say's "It's a man." So I’m like, "And?" Then he say "Man says he your daddy." MARLENA (whispers) Get the fuck outta here. (then regular voice) You been sittin' on this? CURTIS Like I said, I didn't wanna get your hopes all up.
MARLENA So what he say? What he say? CURTIS So I say, "What the fuck? My daddy?" And Patterson walks away, leavin’ me standin' there. For a second I thought maybe he was playin' some kinda joke. But then I thought "Naa", Patterson my man, he wouldn't joke like that. So I goes to the phone, I said "Hello", and this voice, it says "Hello." And he told me who he was. Then… then he asked me to meet him, right here where we standin'. So I came here, and I met him. MARLENA Well, what’d he say? CURTIS What do you mean, what he say? MARLENA I mean, what did he say? Do you look like him? CURTIS Hell naw. And that's what I mean he could be a fake. MARLENA Why would somebody do somethin’ like that? CURTIS I don't know. MARLENA What’d he look like? CURTIS Look like... white people. MARLENA I mean…is he handsome? Is his face wrecked up? What? CURTIS What you mean is do you look like him? (pause) No you don’t. And that's why I’m sayin’, he could be a fake. Neither one of us look like him. MARLENA Well, what's he look like? Big eyes, little ears?... What?
CURTIS Hell, I don't know... MARLENA Come on. You standin' there... Where was you standin'? CURTIS What? MARLENA You said you met him right here. Where was you standin'? Show me! CURTIS I don't know... MARLENA Here? (she moves around the boardwalk) Over here? Where? CURTIS Right here, I guess. I don’t know, Somewhere. MARLENA And where was he? CURTIS I don’t' know. MARLENA Where'd he stand? CURTIS Right... right over there. What difference do it make? MARLENA Right here? CURTIS Yeah, I guess so. MARLENA So what'd he look like? CURTIS Marlena, Damn! I don't know.
MARLENA Look at me. Look! Look at my face. Now pretend, pretend that I'm him. Look at me! Look Curtis. Now what did he look like? (a beat.) What the fuck did he...? You know what, you know what? Your ass been sucker punched so many damn times... You lost your fuckin' memory. How you gone fight? You can't even remember what the man looks like. CURTIS (Speaks real quick) He got big ears. MARLENA He do? CURTIS Yeah, big ears. And, and... his eyes were, his eyes were green... MARLENA My eyes are green. CURTIS Bu they was darker than yours. MARLENA What else? (pause) Is he tall, skinny, fat? What? CURTIS He got, he..., umm, he, he’s tall... and he got uhhh, he got... He’s just a fuckin' white boy, okay. He ain’t nothin’. I don’t wanna play your damn game no more. (he turns away from her, and angrily begins to jab the air) He’s just a white boy. MARLENA I don't care. I don’t care about that part anymore. He's our daddy. I don't care if he’s white, he’s green, purple, or... CURTIS Well don't worry, he’s just white. White as the fuckin' snow, and his ass ain’t comin'. Let's get up outta here. MARLENA What’d he say? When you met him, what’d he say? CURTIS See, this is exactly why I never should've got you in this.
MARLENA He’s my daddy too. I'm s'posed to be in this. CURTIS We don't know who the fuck he is. MARLENA What’s his name? CURTIS Don’t matter. MARLENA What is it? CURTIS (mumbling) Raeford. MARLENA Raeford? Then that’s him. That’s our daddy. CURTIS I don’t have no daddy. I got a mama and I got a sister, and that’s it. That’s what’s my world. MARLENA That’s him. CURTIS How you know? Think you know every thing. MARLENA Curtis, how he gone know your middle name? CURTIS Swoop. MARLENA How he gone know your middle name? CURTIS Swoop! MARLENA Okay, Swoop! How would he know your middle name and then call himself that?
BRIEF PAUSE CURTIS I guess he couldn't sneak away from his wife this time. MARLENA He’s married? CURTIS He got two daughters. He said I was his only son. MARLENA I got sisters. CURTIS ‘Lena, he ain't comin'. Okay. I’ll tell you what happened, he wakes up one mornin' with a fuckin' conscience, finds me, and then gives me this shit story 'bout how sorry he was, and now the moment's over. It’s gone. Shit, let’s get outta here. MARLENA He said he was sorry? CURTIS (pause) He said he met Ma in some strip joint and came 'round to lay up with her behind his old lady’s back. Get this, he said he loved ma, but he couldn't leave his two baby girls. Limp dick ass white boy. MARLENA I didn't know ma used to strip. CURTIS He said when we was little he used to beg her to let him come see us, but she said no. Told him if he wouldn't marry her he couldn't see us. (pause) Motha fuck dignity. Come on 'Lena, let's bounce. MARLENA She did that? She kept us from our daddy. CURTIS It ain’t ma’s fault. MARLENA I’m just sayin', Ma, tell too many lies...
CURTIS She had her reasons. Don't go blamin' her. MARLENA I’m not. I’m just thinkin'. (long pause) I wanna see him. I wanna see him for myself. CURTIS Aww hell ‘Lena, give it up. I’m leavin’. MARLENA I wanna see him, okay. I just wanna... CURTIS You just wanna what? Live some kind of fucked up dream? MARLENA No! I just wanna see him, okay. Just one time. CURTIS Damn ‘Lena... MARLENA Don't damn me! You had your turn. You saw him. You talked to him. Now, I just wanna see him one time and then... and then that'll be it. CURTIS What you gone say? MARLENA I don’t know. I might not say nothin'. (pause) Might say..."Who the fuck are you?" I don’t know. CURTIS ‘Lena, it’s past time. Face it, he’s not comin'. Damn! Why I get you into this... MARLENA Maybe he got... It could be anything. Just... ten minutes. Ten more minutes, okay. Stay with me? If he don’t come, then we’ll leave. CURTIS This shit is crazy. Fuckin’ crazy. This whole situation.
MARLENA You see why I'm stayin', don't you? His response is to begin shadow boxng. MARLENA Put your jacket back on. The wind is gettin’ chilly. CURTIS I'm cool. I'm keepin' warm. (he continues shadow boxing.) MARLENA Damn it! Shit. I gotta pee... Shoot... She looks around for an acceptable place and decides to go around to the side of the building. She cannot be seen from the audience. Curtis starts to shadow box with a great deal of energy. He fakes like an opponent has struck and he falls down. RAEFORD WILSON CRANDELL, dressed in an expensive suit, enters. He’s carrying a brown bag with a six pack of beer inside, and a carton of Kool's. Curtis sees Raeford and springs to standing. RAEFORD Hey, Hello, hey. Goodness, I’m glad you stayed. I'm sorry I’m late. I’m sorry. I, I... CURTIS Oh yeah? RAEFORD Here, here I brought you... (gives him the bag) CURTIS What’s this? RAEFORD Well, you were drinking Budweiser's and, and smoking umm... the last time you were smoking ... CURTIS Kools. RAEFORD Yeah, right. And, well, I know how those kinds of things... How they, you know, how they tend to run out, so I...
CURTIS True. True, that shit run out. Yeah. Thanks. (he takes the packages. Marlena comes back, but stops at the edge of the building. She can’t see Raeford.) RAEFORD I’m sorry I'm so late. Gotdamn traffic. CURTIS You all ready said that. RAEFORD Yeah. (pause) Uhhh... this has been on my mind for quite some time... CURTIS You said that before. RAEFORD Yeah. Well, I can’t seem to stop repeating myself. Why don’t we have a seat. CURTIS I’m fine. RAEFORD I can really see your mother in your face. CURTIS Don't see why you shouldn't. RAEFORD She was such a beautiful woman. CURTIS Still is. RAEFORD I’m sure she is. CURTIS What do you want? RAEFORD What?
CURTIS What do you want? From me. RAEFORD I… Well, I don’t, I don’t expect for you to forgive me or anything like that. God knows it’s been quite a long time. But... What I’d really like is, I’d just like to continue to, to get to know you. CURTIS Why? Why now? RAEFORD The last time I saw you, you had the biggest brightest smile I’d ever seen. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but, I never forgot it. Curtis opens one of the bags and takes out a beer. Marlena comes out. Raeford’s face stops her in her tracks. She stares. MARLENA (Whispers) Oh my goodness. No! Oooh no.... She begins to hyperventilate. CURTIS ‘Lena... MARLENA Oh God… no… oh God. Oh God. Oh God. CURTIS What’s wrong Lena? What’s wrong. MARLENA I, I, I, I’m gonna be sick. I’m gonna, I’m gonna be sick. CURTIS ‘Lena, ‘Lena...? Marlena falls to the ground, holding her stomach. RAEFORD I, I, I’m sorry... Is this a bad... This is a bad time. CURTIS Lena, what’s wrong? Here. Here, drink this. Drink.
He offers her the beer. She grabs the can and guzzles it. CURTIS Slow down. Drinkin’ it like that, you sure gone be sick. RAEFORD We can meet some other... What? Does she need a doctor? CURTIS No. No. She’s just... She just nervous.... This Marlena,.. This my sister Marlena. This is my surprise. She’s your daughter. Raeford and Marlena stare at one another. She starts panting. CURTIS Lena, stop. You gone pass out. Stop. MARLENA You… you motha fucker! RAEFORD Oh my God. MARLENA You fuckin’ bastard. You didn’t... RAEFORD This is your sister? I thought there was just you. CURTIS Nope. RAEFORD Dear God. MARLENA You didn’t... He didn’t wear.. he didn’t (begins a low moan.) Oh God help me. Help me please. Help me… God. CURTIS What, Lena, what is it? What’s wrong girl? Raeford slowly backs away, then stops.
MARLENA (she is virtually babbling) They, they, they usually wear, they wear rubbers. Johns usually, they usually do that, they want to but he,he, he, didn’t... He wouldn’t…. He wouldn’t. He said I was pretty. He said that I was pretty, and that I reminded him of somebody. Somebody special. Special… Special… Special… She fiercely spits repeatedly on the ground. Marlena locks her gaze on Raeford. MARLENA This sorry mothafucka is our daddy. So you wouldn’t wear no sleeve huh? So now we here, while he get to go runnin’ back to his real family. Family up on the West side. CURTIS How you know where he live? MARLENA That’s where all these white motha fuckers live. They only come to the East side when they want somethin’ black to call their own. Just a short drive from the Big house down to the quarters. Ain’t that right “Daddy?” They stare. Then-RAEFORD I, I, I, I’m sorry. (he turns to quickly walk off) CURTIS Hold the fuck up. (Raeford stops) Did you not hear my sister speaking to you? MARLENA Crawlin’ they asses back over here... Go the fuck back. (animal like) Get your ass outta here mother fucka. RAEFORD I have to go. I’m sorry. I, I, I,… Marlena races at him and shoves him hard. He stumbles to the ground. MARLENA Get out of here!! Get out! Go on!!! Don’t nobody need you. CURTIS Come on ‘Lena, follow me. Come on
MARLENA Go! I hate you! I can’t stand... get outta here! She flails her arms at Raeford. CURTIS ‘Lena, ‘Lena, come on. (to Raeford) Who the fuck are you? Come on ‘Lena. I said, who the fuck are you? You makin’ my sister cry. You disrespectin’ her. Who the fuck are you? Tag his ass ‘Lena. Tag him. MARLENA Yeah, yeah… Who the fuck... Yeah, who the fuck are you? (Curtis begins to circle Raeford. He jabs at him, but does not strike him.) RAEFORD I’m, I’m, I’m sorry. I, I, I, I just... I just... CURTIS Yeah, you just, you just. Who the fuck are you? You come with your pretty suit. Look ‘Lena, pretty boy. Pretty little white boy in his pretty little suit. MARLENA Pretty little white boy with the pale ass skin. (She joins in the circling.) CURTIS Wanna go for a ride? MARLENA Fuck a ride. You wanna go for a swim? River’s kinda cold. RAEFORD Please … stop. Please... I, I, I, I, I, I... CURTIS Shut up. We do the talkin’. MARLENA We. Me and him. You--Shut the fuck up. You got the knife? CURTIS Don’t I always. He shadow boxes towards Raeford with vigor. He still doesn’t strike him.
MARLENA Kill or be killed. RAEFORD Please. Please I beg of you. Please. What is it that you want? Anything. I’ve got some cash… MARLENA I want you to shut up! Both Marlena and Curtis circle faster. Both throw punches at Raeford’s head. They come close but do not strike him yet. Raeford ducks and turns trying to keep both of them in front of him. The game is intoxicating. Marlena and Curtis ad lib egging each other on. Curtis finally stops circling and shoves Raeford to the ground, while saying... CURTIS Tell me, who the fuck are you now? RAEFORD Marlena please.. MARLENA Don’t do it! RAEFORD Curtis... CURTIS Swoop! RAEFORD ...please, I’m sorry. I, I, I... Please. CURTIS I said Swoop, mother fucka. RAEFORD Who? CURTIS Swoop! My name is Swoop. RAEFORD Swoop? I thought you were... I thought your name was Curtis. Who are you? Who are you people?
CURTIS You people! I’m not you people. I’m Swoop mother fucka! Swooooop! You step from the past like a shadow... but I rule the night mafucka. I do. (he shadow boxes with renewed vigor.) Tell him ‘Lena. MARLENA He swoops down like an eagle in the midnight hour to devastate anybody who steps to challenge. RAEFORD What do you want? Please. What do you want with me? CURTIS Did I ask him to talk? MARLENA Nope. CURTIS Did you? MARLENA Hell no! CURTIS You can’t follow directions? Well try this. Give me all your shit. Everything. Rings, watches... you lucky I leave you with this pansy ass suit. On second thought, give me that damn jacket. (Raeford takes off his jacket, watch, ring, and money from his pocket. He pulls out a wallet, takes out more money. Curtis drops each item to the ground. He looks down at the pile.) That’s it? RAEFORD That’s everything I’ve got. I... I’m sorry. Now please... Please... CURTIS We waited. You said Eleven o’clock... Eleven fuckin’ o’clock, but what time you show up? RAEFORD I, I’m sorry...It couldn’t be helped. CURTIS What time he show up ‘Lena?
MARLENA Late. CURTIS Yeah, like we don’t mean shit. Like since we on the East side we don’t mean nothin’. Our Mama’s from the East side, so what you sayin’ is she ain’t shit either. Can’t nobody talk about our Mama. Right Lena. Don’t nobody talk about our Mama. Curtis takes the money from Raeford’s lap, counts it. He rifles through the wallet, finds a photo of Raeford’s wife. CURTIS Look at this ‘Lena. I don’t see no picture of me and you in here. Must of lost it. Daddy, did you lose our picture? MARLENA White bitch. CURTIS I guess he must of got tired of black pussy. Huh ‘Lena? (Lena freezes trance like. A few tears begin to fall) (to Raeford) What happened? You roll over next to your old lady one morning and realize if she found out what your ass really like, that she’d take all your soft shoes and silk suits right out the door with her? Huh shadow man. RAEFORD I’m not proud of what I did. Believe me, I tried... I did. You have to believe me... I did, I did... I, CURTIS He wants us to believe him. RAEFORD (he turns towards Marlena) Please. I’m sorry. I’m very sorry, for, for everything. CURTIS Stand up. (Raeford doesn’t move) You a man? I said are you a man. RAEFORD Yes. CURTIS Then stand up. Stand up to your son like you’re a man! Raeford stands tentatively. Curtis takes a boxers stance.
CURTIS Now, put up your hands. (pause) Defend yourself mother fucka. (Raeford doesn’t move. Curtis tags him softly in the jaw. ) Put up your hands and maybe I’ll think about lettin’ you go. (slowly Raeford puts up his hands) Curtis begins to jab. Raeford ducks and scrambles. CURTIS Throw me some bitch. (jab) Defend yourself. Kill or be killed. (jab) If you can hit me, maybe I’ll let you live. He throws a punch and strikes Raeford. MARLENA Curtis! Stop it. Don’t… CURTIS Hit me. (jab) I said hit me! (Curtis jabs, Raeford ducks, then takes a jab of his own, misses.) Awww, there we go. There we go. Swoop! Curtis throws a combination, lands a solid punch knocking Raeford to the ground. He pauses, walks over to Raeford and begins kicking him and calling him “piece of shit. Pansy mothafucka, etc.” He kicks him hard Marlena scrambles between Curtis and Raeford. MARLENA Stop it Curtis! Stop! Stop it. Stop it, Curtis. No don’t. Stop. Curtis leans over Raeford with fist raised and hate seeping from his pours. CURTIS Move ‘Lena. Move outta my way. MARLENA Curtis, don’t. Please… CURTIS Move outta my way before you get hurt. MARLENA It’s over. We did it. We scared him. He scared as shit.
CURTIS No he ain’t. He don’t know scared. He don’t know hunger. He don’t know pain. He don’t know… You don’t know me. You bring me beer and cigarettes… what? You think this TV? Some kind of commercial? Is that what you bring your precious little daughters? Naw, you buy them tickets to the ballet, the opera, and then some caviar afterwards. What? Did you think you was gone come up here and pick up where you left off with our mother or somethin’. You dreamin’. If I felt like it, I would kill you. But you lucky... (he smacks Raeford hard across the face) MARLENA Curtis don’t, don’t. Please…. CURTIS This what he deserve Lena. He don’t know nothin’ ‘bout us. MARLENA You’re right, but that don’t matter. I know you. You’re my brother… we’re family. Me you and ma. Us. We’re not animals. We’re not. He is. I was wrong… Just because a man can lay down with a woman don’t make him a daddy. (pause) Raeford cowers on the ground. Curtis looks from Marlena to Raeford for a beat. MARLENA We did it, okay. We got him. We got him good. Let’s go. We should go. Curtis picks up the money from the wallet. MARLENA No! (she grabs the money and throws it on Raeford.) We don’t need nothin’ from him. CURTIS (to Raeford) Don’t leave this spot until you count from one hundred backwards to zero. They stare at Raeford a moment. Marlena gets right over top of him and spits hard at his face. Marlena and Curtis begin to walk off. CURTIS Count out loud mother fucka. I wanna hear your voice while I takes my sister on a stroll down the boardwalk. (pause) RAEFORD One…
CURTIS Backwards.
RAEFORD One…one hundred... one hundred, ninety nine... One hundred..., I mean... ninety eight... Marlena and Curtis walk off. Marlena silently weeps. RAEFORD (slow and tight with fear) ... ninety seven... ninety six... ninety, ninety five... ninety four... ninety three... ninety two... ninety one, ninety... (he looks around) eighty nine... eighty eight... eighty seven... eighty, eighty, eighty six, eighty five, eighty four, eighty three, eighty two, eighty three, eighty two, eighty one, eighty... (he stands and takes a few steps up the board walk ) seventy nine, seventy... seventy eight, seventy seven... seventy... He peers up the boardwalk, convinced that Curtis and Marlena are gone he stops counting. He looks around, sees his jacket on the ground and picks it up. As he puts it on, Curtis returns. He drops back to the ground. RAEFORD A, a, a, seventy, seventy, seventy... Listen. Listen, come with me… I can, I can get you some more money. We can go to the, to the, to the aaaaaa, to the ATM. I can... CURTIS A fuckin’ ATM? (chuckles) So I guess my Mama wasn’t enough for you huh? RAEFORD I’m sorry? CURTIS (mocking) I’m sorry? (switching gears) You love some black meat don’t you. Why can’t you stay where you belong? That’s my sister. RAEFORD I swear to you, I didn’t know. I never knew. I would never...
CURTIS You come, you take, then you leave. Over and over and over. That’s my sister. She might not mean nothin’ to you, but she and my mama, they my world. My whole world. RAEFORD I’m sorry. I am. I really am. CURTIS You fucked with my world. RAEFORD Curtis... I swear to you. I didn’t... I’m sorry. The men make strong eye contact for a beat. Then-CURTIS Mother fuck, sorry. Curtis opens his switch blade. CURTIS You hear me? Mother…(he plunges it in Raeford’s stomach.) Fuck… sorry. RAEFORD No… Oh, no… Raeford falls to the ground. Curtis watches. He weeps. RAEFORD Please... please... CURTIS You fucked with my world. (pause) Now who the fuck are you? Curtis stares at Raeford, then slowly walks a few steps back from the body. He stares then snaps back to reality and races up the boardwalk. Raeford’s moans are low and labored. A few beats go by. Finally-RAEFORD Help… me… somebody... help.. please... help me… please…. Lights dim on Raeford as he lay on the boardwalk. THE END
