[Williamssuddenly turns with a swiftness and agility astounding in so old a man. Starting forward he confrontsMadisonwith such dominance and fire that he seems suddenly to tower.]
[Williamssuddenly turns with a swiftness and agility astounding in so old a man. Starting forward he confrontsMadisonwith such dominance and fire that he seems suddenly to tower.]
Williams
Youkillme!Youtek money away fromme! Why, you po’ grain er chaff, you don’ know me. I’m a king in my own right. I got ways an’means er pertecktin’ myse’f dat you don’ even dream on an’ I don’ need to lay a fingeh on you to do hit. Furdermo’ I could brain you wif dis stick but ef you cross me I won’ be dat easy on you. Ef you don’ wan’ wuss’n dat don’ cross me no furder er youah troubles’ll begin fer fa’r.
Lucy
Oh, please don’ lay nothin’ on him.
Williams
You po’ sufferin’ gal, I won’ lay nothin’ onto ’im but I’m a-goin’ to tek sumpin’ off’n you. I’m goin’ tek de burding er dish yere pack er laziness off’n you. An’ fus’ I wants ter show you dish yere piece er papeh. [He produces a folded document and opens it.] Does yo’ know who wrote it? Answeh me. [He shoves the paper underMadison’seye.]
Madison
It looks like dat Wilson Byrd’s writin’.
Williams
Yassuh, an’ what’s mo’ it is dat man’s writin’. It’s his confession dat he fo’ge Lucy Sparrow’s name. I saw dat man steal my guitar an’ follered him home. Dah I grabbed him, dah I foun’ de purse wif Lucy’s name inside an’ dah I made dat thief write out his confession.Knowed so much of his meanness already dat he had to do hit. An’ now I owns you. Does you undehstan’ dat? Answeh me.
Madison
Yas suh, no suh.
Williams
Well, I’ll take’n cl’ar up de myst’ry fer you. I got dis confession outer Byrd an’ I got other things ter prove hit an’ I kin bring him an’ you too, bofe befo’ de gran’ jury.
Lucy
Oh, my sweet Jesus, save him. [The old man stands watching the two before him for some time in silence.Lucyfalls on her knees before him.] Oh, don’t sen’ Madison to de lawyers.
Williams
No, Lucy, I ain’ wishful ter.
Lucy
You won’t?
Williams
Mebbe not. But fus’, les’ put all dis talk aside dat I bin talkin’ up to now. I bin puttin’ on an’ pretendin’ in ordeh ter try you bofe an’ sif’ de chaff from de grain in you. I des bin playin’wif you ter see how good you is an’ how ornry dish yere man er youahn is. Yit I’ll take an’ give him er chance even so, an’ I’ll pluck him f’um de bu’nin’ ef he follers de paf I p’ints out ter him. But we all got ter have cl’ar unde’stan’in’ ’bout dat. Fus’ an’ fo’mos’ youah money is all safe wif me. De house is youah’n.
Lucy
You means you sell it fer de money.
Williams
In co’se. You didn’t speck I’d steal too, like a w’ite man, did you? I’ll fetch you de deeds fo’ hit fus’ thing in de mo’nin’.
Lucy
Oh, fu’give me, I was all mix up. But you won’ sen’ Madison to de gran’ jury neitheh?
Williams
I say I ain’ honin’ ter.
Lucy
Oh, my Makeh, I thank Thee fo’ Thy mercy.
Williams
But I shorely goin’ to put dis man er youah’n th’oo er tes’ ter see whetheh he’s fitten ter keep out er jail. Madison, will you tek er tes’?
Madison
[Humbly.] Yassuh. What is it?
Williams
A guitar.
Madison
A guitar!
Williams
Yassuh, dat’s hit, no mo’ ner no less. I’m goin’ give you dat guitar—but—dere’s suhtinly goin’ to be a string tied to it. You kin take dat guitar but you got to make somethin’ outer yourself wif her or back she’ll come to me. You kin give lessons an’ learn folks music or you kin write down de music you make, but you got to do somethin’ wif it fer Lucy. You got to wake up or I’ll take de guitar. Which’ll it be? Make youah choice.
Madison
[Crushed.] I’ll—keep de guitar.
Williams
An’ dat ain’ all. You got ter quit runnin’ wif Byrd an’ Byrd wif you, you got ter be a better husban’ an’ you got to min’ everything Lucy tells you. Will you do hit?
Madison
Yassuh.
Williams
An’ yo’ ain’ much of er temp’unce man neitheh, is you, Madison?
Madison
I’s a temp’unce man but I ain’ no frantic.
Williams
Well, suh, you got ter jine de frantics now. No dram drinking at all. Will you quit hit er go ter jail?
Madison
I’ll quit.
Williams
Well, dat’s on’y a promise but I’ll shore hol’ you to hit er put you behin’ de bahs. Why, look heah, man, does you know how you stan’ ’pon top er dis yu’th? Does you know how you liken to er tree? ’Sposin’ sumpin’ wif er cool eye like er tree could see you an’ talk. I cain’ jedge you ca’m but er tree could. Tree would look at you an’ say, “Does dat ’ere man wu’k?” Win’ ’ud whispeh, “No.” “Do he eat?” “Yas ’n git fat,” respon’ de win’. “Who shines on him?” “His wife,” win’ say. “Do he put fo’th flower an’ bless de wife?” say de tree.“No.” “Do he give shade an’ shelteh ter de wife?” say de tree. “No.” “Well, chop’m down an’ bu’n him befo’ he rots,” say de tree. “Dat’s all.” But mebbe I kin mek mo’ of him dan dat an’ so I’ll try prunin’ him an’ graftin’ some good labeh onto him. An’ I kin’ er think hit’ll save him yit. Well’m, I must be er goin’ now. Hit’s late an’ I mus’ git my res’ fer I got to do a lot er bossin’ termorrer an dat’s allers ha’d fer me. Lucy, I’ll fetch you de deeds ter de house befo’ nine termorrer an’, Madison, you kin repo’t to me at eight o’clock sha’p an’ give my little boy a lesson on de guitar. You’ll be dah, won’t you?
Madison
[Meekly.] Yassuh.
Williams
Ready to whu’l in an’ scratch.
Madison
Yassuh.
Williams
Well den, les’ all shek han’s on de noo nes’ an’ de noo aig. [They shake hands. He puts on his hat and turns to the door.] An’ dat remin’s me, Lucy, you better tell Madison to play on dat guitar a plenty tonight because he’ll need musicfer to stan’ up undeh all de lessons I’m goin’ to lay onto him. Well, I wish you good night. I’m er gittin’ kin’er ole an’ I cain’ stay up late no mo’ without bein’ crosser in de mornin’. Good night den an’ far’ you well bofe. Eight o’clock, Madison. Good night.
[He goes, closing the door after him. The pair stand silent for a moment,Madisonwith hanging head and in deep dejection.]
[He goes, closing the door after him. The pair stand silent for a moment,Madisonwith hanging head and in deep dejection.]
Lucy
[Throwing her arms around him.] Oh, my husban’, I’ll pray fer you. Don’ sorrer now. Git youah res’ tonight. We kin be hones’ now. We’ve got de house at las’ an heah’s de guitar.
Madison
Yassuh, heah’s de guitar. [He plays it and fondles it. Then his face assumes again its melancholy look.]
Lucy
What’s de trouble?
Madison
I don’ undehstan’ dis worl’. If I wants to make music why cain’t folks lemme alone to make music? If I dream a fine dream why is it I always wake up? Looks to me like somebody’salways tryin’ to crowd me out an’ git me in a tight place.
Lucy
You wuz doin’ all right till you got mix up wif dat white man an’ his tricks. De trouble wuz dat dis dream of youahs wuzn’t a good dream.
Madison
Yes, but not all of my dreams is bad ones. All, I wants is room to dream my good dreams an’ make my own music.
CURTAIN