A Raisin in the Sun (11 page)

(
RUTH’S
radiance fades abruptly, and
WALTER
finally turns slowly to face his mother with incredulity and hostility
)

RUTH
Where?

MAMA
(
Matter-of-factly
) Four o six Clybourne Street, Clybourne Park.

RUTH
Clybourne Park? Mama, there ain’t no colored people living in Clybourne Park.

MAMA
(
Almost idiotically
) Well, I guess there’s going to be some now.

WALTER
(
Bitterly
) So that’s the peace and comfort you went out and bought for us today!

MAMA
(
Raising her eyes to meet his finally
) Son—I just tried to find the nicest place for the least amount of money for my family.

RUTH
(
Trying to recover from the shock
) Well—well—’course I ain’t one never been ’fraid of no crackers, mind you—but—well, wasn’t there no other houses nowhere?

MAMA
Them houses they put up for colored in them areas way out all seem to cost twice as much as other houses. I did the best I could.

RUTH
(
Struck senseless with the news, in its various degrees of goodness and trouble, she sits a moment, her fists propping her chin in thought, and then she starts to rise, bringing her fists down with vigor, the radiance spreading from cheek to cheek again
) Well—well!—All I can say is—if this is my time in life—
MY
TIME—to say good-bye—(
And she builds with momentum as she starts to circle the room with an exuberant, almost tearfully happy release
)—to these goddamned cracking walls!—(
She pounds the walls
)—and these marching roaches!—(
She wipes at an imaginary army of marching roaches
)—and this cramped little closet which ain’t now or never was no kitchen! … then I say it loud and good, HALLELUJAH! AND
GOOD-BYE MISERY … I DONT NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR UGLY FACE AGAIN! (
She laughs joyously, having practically destroyed the apartment, and flings her arms up and lets them come down happily, slowly, reflectively, over her abdomen, aware for the first time perhaps that the life therein pulses with happiness and not despair
) Lena?

MAMA
(
Moved, watching her happiness
) Yes, honey?

RUTH
(
Looking off
) Is there—is there a whole lot of sunlight?

MAMA
(
Understanding
) Yes, child, there’s a whole lot of sunlight.

(
Long pause
)

RUTH
(
Collecting herself and going to the door of the room
TRAVIS
is in
) Well—I guess I better see ’bout Travis. (To
MAMA
) Lord, I sure don’t feel like whipping nobody today!

(
She exits
)

MAMA
(
The mother and son are left alone now and the mother waits a long time, considering deeply, before she speaks
) Son—you—you understand what I done, don’t you? (
WALTER
is silent and sullen
) I—I just seen my family falling apart today … just falling to pieces in front of my eyes … We couldn’t of gone on like we was today. We was going backwards ’stead of forwards—talking ’bout killing babies and wishing each other was dead … When it gets like that in life—you just got to do something different, push on out and do something bigger … (
She waits
) I wish you say something, son … I wish you’d say how deep inside you you think I done the right thing—

WALTER
(
Crossing slowly to his bedroom door and finally turning there and speaking measuredly
) What you need me to say you done right for?
You
the head of this
family. You run our lives like you want to. It was your money and you did what you wanted with it. So what you need for me to say it was all right for? (
Bitterly, to hurt her as deeply as he knows is possible
) So you butchered up a dream of mine—you—who always talking ’bout your children’s dreams …

MAMA
Walter Lee—

(
He just closes the door behind him
.
MAMA
sits alone, thinking heavily
)

GEORGE
O.K. … O.K., whatever you say … (
They both sit on the couch. He tries to kiss her. She moves away
) Look, we’ve had a nice evening; let’s not spoil it, huh? …

(
He again turns her head and tries to nuzzle in and she turns away from him, not with distaste but with momentary lack of interest; in a mood to pursue what they were talking about
)

BENEATHA
I’m
trying
to talk to you.

GEORGE
We always talk.

BENEATHA
Yes—and I love to talk.

GEORGE
(
Exasperated; rising
) I know it and I don’t mind it sometimes … I want you to cut it out, see—The moody stuff, I mean. I don’t like it. You’re a nice-looking girl … all over. That’s all you need, honey, forget the atmosphere. Guys aren’t going to go for the atmosphere—they’re going to go for what they see. Be glad for that. Drop the Garbo routine. It doesn’t go with you. As for myself, I want a nice—(
Groping
)—simple (
Thoughtfully
)—sophisticated girl … not a poet—O.K.?

(
He starts to kiss her, she rebuffs him again and he jumps up
)

BENEATHA
Why are you angry, George?

GEORGE
Because this is stupid! I don’t go out with you to discuss the nature of “quiet desperation” or to hear
all about your thoughts—because the world will go on thinking what it thinks regardless—

BENEATHA
Then why read books? Why go to school?

GEORGE
(
With artificial patience, counting on his fingers
) It’s simple. You read books—to learn facts—to get grades—to pass the course—to get a degree. That’s all—it has nothing to do with thoughts.

(
A long pause
)

BENEATHA
I see. (
He starts to sit
) Good night, George.

(
GEORGE
looks at her a little oddly, and starts to exit. He meets
MAMA
coming in
)

GEORGE
Oh—hello, Mrs. Younger.

MAMA
Hello, George, how you feeling?

GEORGE
Fine—fine, how are you?

MAMA
Oh, a little tired. You know them steps can get you after a day’s work. You all have a nice time tonight?

GEORGE
Yes—a fine time. A fine time.

MAMA
Well, good night.

GEORGE
Good night. (
He exits
.
MAMA
closes the door behind her
) Hello, honey. What you sitting like that for?

BENEATHA
I’m just sitting.

MAMA
Didn’t you have a nice time?

BENEATHA
No.

MAMA
No? What’s the matter?

BENEATHA
Mama, George is a fool—honest. (
She rises
)

MAMA
(
Hustling around unloading the packages she has entered with. She stops
) Is he, baby?

BENEATHA
Yes.

(
BENEATHA
makes up
TRAVIS’
bed as she talks
)

MAMA
You sure?

BENEATHA
Yes.

MAMA
Well—I guess you better not waste your time with no fools.

(
BENEATHA
looks up at her mother, watching her put groceries in the refrigerator. Finally she gathers up her things and starts into the bedroom. At the door she stops and looks back at her mother
)

BENEATHA
Mama—

MAMA
Yes, baby—

BENEATHA
Thank you.

MAMA
For what?

BENEATHA
For understanding me this time.

(
She exits quickly and the mother stands, smiling a little, looking at the place where
BENEATHA
just stood
.
RUTH
enters
)

RUTH
Now don’t you fool with any of this stuff, Lena—

MAMA
Oh, I just thought I’d sort a few things out. Is Brother here?

RUTH
Yes.

MAMA
(
With concern
) Is he—

RUTH
(
Reading her eyes
) Yes.

(
MAMA
is silent and someone knocks on the door
.
MAMA
and
RUTH
exchange weary and knowing glances and
RUTH
opens it to admit the neighbor
,
MRS
.
JOHNSON
,
^*
who is a rather squeaky wide-eyed
lady of no particular age, with a newspaper under her arm
)

MAMA
(
Changing her expression to acute delight and a ringing cheerful greeting
) Oh—hello there, Johnson.

JOHNSON
(
This is a woman who decided long ago to be enthusiastic about EVERYTHING in life and she is inclined to wave her wrist vigorously at the height of her exclamatory comments
) Hello there, yourself! H’you this evening, Ruth?

RUTH
(
Not much of a deceptive type
) Fine, Mis’ Johnson, h’you?

JOHNSON
Fine. (
Reaching out quickly, playfully, and patting
RUTH’S
stomach
) Ain’t you starting to poke out none yet! (
She mugs with delight at the overfamiliar remark and her eyes dart around looking at the crates and packing preparation;
MAMA’S
face is a cold sheet of endurance
) Oh, ain’t we getting ready ’round here, though! Yessir! Lookathere! I’m telling you the Youngers is really getting ready to “move on up a little higher!”—Bless God!

MAMA
(
A little drily, doubting the total sincerity of the Blesser
) Bless God.

JOHNSON
He’s good, ain’t He?

MAMA
Oh yes, He’s good.

JOHNSON
I mean sometimes He works in mysterious ways … but He works, don’t He!

MAMA
(
The same
) Yes, he does.

JOHNSON
I’m just soooooo happy for y’all. And this here child—(
About
RUTH
) looks like she could just pop open with happiness, don’t she. Where’s all the rest of the family?

MAMA
Bennie’s gone to bed—

JOHNSON
Ain’t
no … (The implication is pregnancy
) sickness done hit you—I hope … ?

MAMA
No—she just tired. She was out this evening.

JOHNSON
(
All is a coo, an emphatic coo
) Aw—ain’t that lovely. She still going out with the little Murchison boy?

MAMA
(
Drily
) Ummmm huh.

JOHNSON
That’s lovely. You sure got lovely children, Younger. Me and Isaiah talks all the time ’bout what fine children you was blessed with. We sure do.

MAMA
Ruth, give Mis’ Johnson a piece of sweet potato pie and some milk.

JOHNSON
Oh honey, I can’t stay hardly a minute—I just dropped in to see if there was anything I could do. (
Accepting the food easily
) I guess y’all seen the news what’s all over the colored paper this week …

MAMA
No—didn’t get mine yet this week.

JOHNSON
(
Lifting her head and blinking with the spirit of catastrophe
) You mean you ain’t read ’bout them colored people that was bombed out their place out there?

(
RUTH
straightens with concern and takes the paper and reads it
.
JOHNSON
notices her and feeds commentary
)

JOHNSON
Ain’t it something how bad these here white folks is getting here in Chicago! Lord, getting so you think you right down in Mississippi! (
With a tremendous and rather insincere sense of melodrama
) ’Course I thinks it’s wonderful how our folks keeps on pushing out. You hear some of these Negroes ’round here talking ’bout how they don’t go where they ain’t wanted and all that—but not me, honey! (
This is a lie
) Wilhemenia
Othella Johnson goes anywhere, any time she feels like it! (
With head movement for emphasis
) Yes I do! Why if we left it up to these here crackers, the poor niggers wouldn’t have nothing—(
She clasps her hand over her mouth
) Oh, I always forgets you don’t ’low that word in your house.

MAMA
(
Quietly, looking at her
) No—I don’t ’low it.

JOHNSON
(
Vigorously again
) Me neither! I was just telling Isaiah yesterday when he come using it in front of me—I said, “Isaiah, it’s just like Mis’ Younger says all the time—”

MAMA
Don’t you want some more pie?

JOHNSON
No—no thank you; this was lovely. I got to get on over home and have my midnight coffee. I hear some people say it don’t let them sleep but I finds I can’t close my eyes right lessen I done had that laaaast cup of coffee … (
She waits. A beat. Undaunted
) My Goodnight coffee, I calls it!

MAMA
(
With much eye-rolling and communication between herself and
RUTH
) Ruth, why don’t you give Mis’ Johnson some coffee.