A Raisin in the Sun (17 page)

LINDNER
(
Hat and briefcase in hand
) Uh—hello … (
RUTH
crosses mechanically to the bedroom door and opens it and lets it swing open freely and slowly as the lights come up on
WALTER
within, still in his coat, sitting at the far corner of the room. He looks up and out through the room to
LINDNER
)

RUTH
He’s here.

(
A long minute passes and
WALTER
slowly gets up
)

LINDNER
(
Coming to the table with efficiency, putting his briefcase on the table and starting to unfold papers and unscrew fountain pens
) Well, I certainly was glad to hear from you people. (
WALTER
has begun the trek out of the room, slowly and awkwardly, rather like a small boy, passing the back of his sleeve across his mouth from time to time
) Life can really be so much simpler than people let it be most of the time. Well—with whom do I negotiate? You, Mrs. Younger, or your son here? (
MAMA
sits with her hands folded on her lap and her eyes closed as
WALTER
advances
.
TRAVIS
goes closer to
LINDNER
and looks at the papers curiously
) Just some official papers, sonny.

RUTH
Travis, you go downstairs—

MAMA
(
Opening her eyes and looking into
W
ALTER’S
) No. Travis, you stay right here. And you make him understand what you doing, Walter Lee. You teach him good. Like Willy Harris taught you. You show where our five generations done come to. (
WALTER
looks from her to the boy, who grins at him innocently) Go
ahead, son—(
She folds her hands and closes her eyes
) Go ahead.

WALTER
(
At last crosses to
LINDNER
,
who is reviewing the contract
) Well, Mr. Lindner. (
BENEATHA
turns away
) We called you—(
There is a profound, simple groping quality in his speech
)—because, well, me and my family (
He looks around and shifts from one foot to the other
) Well—we are very plain people …

LINDNER
Yes—

WALTER
I mean—I have worked as a chauffeur most of my life—and my wife here, she does domestic work in people’s kitchens. So does my mother. I mean—we are plain people …

LINDNER
Yes, Mr. Younger—

WALTER
(
Really like a small boy, looking down at his shoes and then up at the man
) And—uh—well, my father, well, he was a laborer most of his life.…

LINDNER
(
Absolutely confused
) Uh, yes—yes, I understand. (
He turns back to the contract
)

WALTER
(
A beat; staring at him
) And my father—(
With sudden intensity
) My father almost
beat a man to death
once because this man called him a bad name or something, you know what I mean?

LINDNER
(
Looking up, frozen
) No, no, I’m afraid I don’t—

WALTER
(
A beat. The tension hangs; then
WALTER
steps back from it
) Yeah. Well—what I mean is that we come from people who had a lot of
pride
. I mean—we are very proud people. And that’s my sister over there and she’s going to be a doctor—and we are very proud—

LINDNER
Well—I am sure that is very nice, but—

WALTER
What I am telling you is that we called you over here to tell you that we are very proud and that this—(
Signaling to
TRAVIS
) Travis, come here. (
TRAVIS
crosses and
WALTER
draws him before him facing the man
) This is my son, and he makes the sixth generation our family in this country. And we have all thought about your offer—

LINDNER
Well, good … good—

WALTER
And we have decided to move into our house because my father—my father—he earned it for us brick by brick. (
MAMA
has her eyes closed and is rocking back and forth as though she were in church, with her head nodding the Amen yes
) We don’t want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors. And that’s
all
we got to say about that. (
He looks the man absolutely in the eyes
) We don’t want your money. (
He turns and walks away
)

LINDNER (
Looking around at all of them
) I take it then—that you have decided to occupy …

BENEATHA
That’s what the man said.

LINDNER
(
To
MAMA
in her reverie
) Then I would like to appeal to you, Mrs. Younger. You are older and wiser and understand things better I am sure …

MAMA
I am afraid you don’t understand. My son said we was going to move and there ain’t nothing left for
me to say. (
Briskly
) You know how these young folks is nowadays, mister. Can’t do a thing with ’em! (
As he opens his mouth, she rises
) Good-bye.

LINDNER
(
Folding up his materials
) Well—if you are that final about it … there is nothing left for me to say. (
He finishes, almost ignored by the family, who are concentrating on
WALTER LEE
.
At the door
LINDNER
halts and looks around
) I sure hope you people know what you’re getting into.

(
He shakes his head and exits
)

RUTH
(
Looking around and coming to life
) Well, for God’s sake—if the moving men are here—LET’S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!

MAMA
(
Into action
) Ain’t it the truth! Look at all this here mess. Ruth, put Travis’ good jacket on him … Walter Lee, fix your tie and tuck your shirt in, you look like somebody’s hoodlum! Lord have mercy, where is my plant? (
She flies to get it amid the general bustling of the family, who are deliberately trying to ignore the nobility of the past moment
) You all start on down … Travis child, don’t go empty-handed … Ruth, where did I put that box with my skillets in it? I want to be in charge of it myself … I’m going to make us the biggest dinner we ever ate tonight … Beneatha, what’s the matter with them stockings? Pull them things up, girl …

(
The family starts to file out as two moving men appear and begin to carry out the heavier pieces of furniture, bumping into the family as they move about
)

BENEATHA
Mama, Asagai asked me to marry him today and go to Africa—

MAMA
(
In the middle of her getting-ready activity
) He did? You ain’t old enough to marry nobody—(
Seeing the moving men lifting one of her chairs precariously
)
Darling, that ain’t no bale of cotton, please handle it so we can sit in it again! I had that chair twenty-five years …

(
The movers sigh with exasperation and go on with their work
)

BENEATHA
(
Girlishly and unreasonably trying to pursue the conversation
) To go to Africa, Mama—be a doctor in Africa …

MAMA
(
Distracted
) Yes, baby—

WALTER
Africa!
What he want you to go to Africa for?

BENEATHA
To practice there …

WALTER
Girl, if you don’t get all them silly ideas out your head! You better marry yourself a man with some loot …

BENEATHA
(
Angrily, precisely as in the first scene of the play
) What have you got to do with who I marry!

WALTER
Plenty. Now I think George Murchison—

BENEATHA
George Murchison!
I wouldn’t marry him if he was Adam and I was Eve!

(
WALTER
and
BENEATHA
go out yelling at each other vigorously and the anger is loud and real till their voices diminish
.
RUTH
stands at the door and turns to
MAMA
and smiles knowingly
)

MAMA
(
Fixing her hat at last
) Yeah—they something all right, my children …

RUTH
Yeah—they’re something. Let’s go, Lena.

MAMA
(
Stalling, starting to look around at the house
) Yes—I’m coming. Ruth—

RUTH
Yes?

MAMA
(
Quietly, woman to woman
) He finally come into his manhood today, didn’t he? Kind of like a rainbow after the rain …

RUTH
(
Biting her lip lest her own pride explode in front of
MAMA
) Yes, Lena.

(
WALTER’S
voice calls for them raucously
)

WALTER
(
Off stage
) Y’all come on! These people charges by the hour, you know!

MAMA
(
Waving
RUTH
out vaguely
) All right, honey—go on down. I be down directly.

(
RUTH
hesitates, then exits
.
MAMA
stands, at last alone in the living room, her plant on the table before her as the lights start to come down. She looks around at all the walls and ceilings and suddenly, despite herself, while the children call below, a great heaving thing rises in her and she puts her fist to her mouth to stifle it, takes a final desperate look, pulls her coat about her, pats her hat and goes out. The lights dim down. The door opens and she comes back in, grabs her plant, and goes out for the last time
)