Hester
I got all yr tapes. I send my eldest up here to get them.
Reverend D.
Wonderful. Thats wonderful. You should go to yr childs father and demand to be recognized.
Hester
Its been years since I seen him. He didnt want me bothering him so I been good.
Reverend D.
Go to him. Plead with him. Show him this sweet face and yours. He cannot deny you.
Hester lowers the picture, revealing her face.
Hester
Reverend D.
Hester
Reverend D.
(Rest)
Hester
You know me?
Reverend D.
No. God.
Hester
I aint bothered you for 2 years.
Reverend D.
You should go. Home. Let me call you a taxi. Taxi! You shouldnt be out this time of night. Young mother like you. In a neighborhood like this. We’ll get you home in a jiff. Where ya live? East? West? North I bet, am I right? TAXI! God.
Hester
hes talking now. Not much but some. hes a good boy.
Reverend D.
I am going to send one of my people over to your home tomorrow. Theyre marvelous, the people who work with me. Theyll put you in touch with all sorts of agencies that can help you. Get some food in that stomach of yours. Get you some sleep.
Hester
Doctor says I got a fever. We aint doing so good. We been slipping. I been good. I dont complain. They breaking my back is all. 5 kids. My treasures, breaking my back.
Reverend D.
We’ll take up a collection for you.
Hester
You know me.
Reverend D.
You are under the impression that—. Your mind, having nothing better to fix itself on, has fixed on me. Me, someone youve never even met.
Hester
There aint no one here but you and me. Say it. You know me. You know my name. You know my—. You know me and I know you.
Hester
Reverend D.
(Rest)
Reverend D.
Here is a card. My lawyer. He’ll call you.
Hester
We dont got no phone.
Reverend D.
He’ll visit. Write yr address on—. Tell me yr address. I’ll write it down. I’ll give it to him in the morning and he’ll visit you.
(Rest)
Do the authorities know the name of the father?
Hester
I dont tell them nothing.
Reverend D.
They would garnish his wages if you did. That would provide you with a small income. If you agree not to ever notify the authorities, we could, through my instutition, arrange for you to get a much larger amount of money.
Hester
How much more?
Reverend D.
Twice as much.
Hester
3 times.
Reverend D.
Fine.
Hester
Theres so many things we need. Food. New shoes. A regular dinner with meat and salad and bread.
Reverend D.
I should give you some money right now. As a promise to you that I’ll keep my word. But Im short of cash.
Hester
Oh.
Reverend D.
Come back in 2 days. Late. I’ll have some then.
Hester
You dont got no food or nothing do ya?
Reverend D.
Come back in 2 days. Not early. Late. And not a word to no one. Okay?
Hester
—. K.
Reverend D.
Hester
Reverend D.
Hester
(Rest)
Reverend D.
You better go.
Hester goes.
SCENE 4
With the Welfare
Outside, Jabber, Trouble and Beauty sit in the dirt playing with toy cars.
Trouble
Red light. Greet light. Red light. Green light.
Jabber
Look, a worm.
They all study the worm as it writhes in the dirt. Welfare enters.
Welfare
Wheres your mommie?
Beauty
Inside.
Jabber
Mommie! Welfares here.
Welfare
Thank you.
Hester enters.
Hester
You all go inside.
The kids go inside.
Welfare
Hands clean?
Hester
Yes, Maam.
Welfare
Wash them again.
Hester washes her hands again.
Dries them.
Welfare
The welfare of the world.
Hester
Maam?
Welfare
Come on over, come on.
Hester stands behind Welfare, giving her a shoulder rub.
Welfare
The welfare of the world weighs on these shoulders, Hester.
(Rest)
We at Welfare are at the end of our rope with you. We put you in a job and you quit. We put you in a shelter and you walk. We put you in school and you drop out. Yr children are also truant. Word is they steal. Stealing is a gateway crime, Hester. Perhaps your young daughter is pregnant. Who knows. We build bridges you burn them. We sew safety nets, rub harder, good strong safety nets and you slip through the weave.
Hester
We was getting by all right, then I dunno, I been tired lately. Like something in me broke.
Welfare
You and yr children live, who knows where.
Hester
Here, Maam, under the Main Bridge.
Welfare
This is not the country, Hester. You cannot simply—live off the land. If yr hungry you go to the shelter and get a hot meal.
Hester
The shelter hassles me. Always prying in my business. Stealing my shit. Touching my kids. We was making ends meet all right then—ends got further apart.
Welfare
“Ends got further apart.” God!
(Rest)
I care because it is my job to care. I am paid to stretch out these hands, Hester. Stretch out these hands. To you.
Hester
I gived you the names of 4 daddys: Jabbers and Bullys and Troubles and Beautys. You was gonna find them. Garnish they wages.
Welfare
No luck as yet but we’re looking. Sometimes these searches take years.
Hester
Its been years.
Welfare
Lifetimes then. Sometimes they take that long. These men of yours, theyre deadbeats. They dont want to be found. Theyre probably all in Mexico wearing false mustaches. Ha ha ha.
(Rest)
What about the newest child?
Hester
Baby.
Welfare
What about “Babys” father?
Hester
—. I dunno.
Welfare
Dont know or dont remember?
Hester
You think Im doing it with mens I dont know?
Welfare
No need to raise your voice no need of that at all. You have to help me help you, Hester.
(Rest)
Run yr fingers through my hair. Go on. Feel it. Silky isnt it?
Hester
Yes, Maam.
Welfare
Comes from a balanced diet. Three meals a day. Strict adherence to the food pyramid. Money in my pocket, clothes on my back, teeth in my mouth, womanly parts where they should be, hair on my head, husband in my bed.
Hester combs Welfares hair.
Welfare
Yr doctor recommends that you get a hysterectomy. Take out yr womans parts. A spay.
Hester
Spay.
Welfare
I hope things wont come
to that. I will do what I can. But you have to help me, Hester.
Hester
((Dont make me hurt you.))
Welfare
What?
Hester
I didnt mean it. Just slipped out.
Welfare
Remember yr manners. We worked good and hard on yr manners. Remember? Remember that afternoon over at my house? That afternoon with the teacups?
Hester
Manners, Maam?
Welfare
Yes. Manners.
Hester
Welfare
Welfare
Babys daddy. Whats his name?
Hester
You wont find him no how.
Welfare
We could get lucky. He could be right around the corner and I could walk out and there he would be and then we at Welfare would wrestle him to the ground and turn him upside down and let you and yr Baby grab all the money that falls from Deadbeat Daddys pockets. I speak metaphorically. We would garnish his wages.
Hester
How much would that put in my pocket?
Welfare
Depends how much he earns. Maybe 100. Maybe. We take our finders fee. Whats his name?
Hester
I dunno.
Welfare
You dont have to say it out loud. Write it down.
She gives Hester pencil and paper.
Hester writes. Welfare looks at the paper.
Welfare
“A.”
(Rest)
Adam, Andrew, Archie, Arthur, Aloysius, “A” what?
Hester
Looks good dont it?
Welfare
You havent learned yr letters yet, have you?
Hester
I want my leg up is all.
Welfare
You wont get something for nothing.
Hester
I been good.
Welfare
5 bastards is not good. 5 bastards is bad.
Hester
Dont make me hurt you!
Hester raises her club to strike Welfare.
Welfare
You hurt me and, kids or no kids, I’ll have you locked up. We’ll take yr kids away and yll never see them again.
Hester
My lifes my own fault. I know that. But the world dont help, Maam.
Welfare
The world is not here to help us, Hester. The world is simply here. We must help ourselves.
(Rest)
I know just the job for you. It doesnt pay well, but the work is very rewarding. Hard honest work. Unless yr afraid of hard honest work.
Hester
I aint afraid of hard work.
Welfare
Its sewing. You can do it at home. No work no pay but thats yr decision.
(Rest)
Heres the fabric. Make sure you dont get it dirty.
Hester
Can I express myself?
Welfare
Needles, thread and the pattern, in this bag. Take the cloth. Sew it. If you do a good job therell be more work. Have it sewn by tomorrow morning, yll get a bonus.
Hester takes the cloth and notions.
Hester
I dont think the world likes women much.
Welfare
Dont be silly.
Hester
I was just thinking.
Welfare
Im a woman too! And a black woman too just like you. Dont be silly.
Hester
Welfare
(Rest)
Hester puts her hand out, waiting.
Hester
Yr shoulders. Plus I did yr hair.
Welfare
Is a buck all right?
Hester
Welfare
Welfare
Unless yll change a 50.
Hester
I could go get change—
Welfare
Take the buck, K? And the cloth. And go.
Welfare owes Hester more $, but after a beat, Hester just leaves.
SECOND CONFESSION: THE WELFARE
“I Walk the Line”
Welfare
I walk the line
between us and them
between our kind and their kind.
The balance of the system depends on a well-drawn boundary line
and all parties respecting that boundary.
I am
I am a married woman.
I dont—that is have never
never in the past or even in the recent present or even when I look
look out into the future of my life I do not see any interest
any sexual interest
in anyone
other than my husband.
(Rest)
My dear husband.
The hours he keeps.
The money he brings home.
Our wonderful children.
The vacations we go on.
My dear husband he needed
a little spice.
And I agreed. We both needed spice.
We both hold very demanding jobs.
We put an ad in the paper: “Husband and Bi-Curious Wife, seeking—”
But the women we got:
Hookers. Neurotics. Gold diggers!
“Bring one of those gals home from work,” Hubby said. And
Hester,
she came to tea.
(Rest)
She came over and we had tea.
From my mothers china.
And marzipan on matching china plates.
Hubby sat opposite in the recliner
hard as Gibralter. He told us what he wanted and we did it.
We were his little puppets.
She was surprised, but consented.
Her body is better than mine.
Not a single stretchmark on her.
Im a looker too dont get me wrong just in a different way and
Hubby liked the contrast.
Just light petting at first.
Running our hands on each other
then Hubby joined in
and while she and I kissed
Hubby did her and me alternately.
The thrill of it—.
(Rest)
I was so afraid I’d catch something
but I was swept away and couldnt stop.
She stuck her tongue down my throat
and Hubby doing his thing on top
my skin shivered.
She let me slap her across the face
and I crossed the line.
(Rest)
It was my first threesome
and it wont happen again.
And I should emphasize that
she is a low-class person.
What I mean by that is that we have absolutely nothing in common.
As her caseworker I realize that maintenance of the system depends on a well-drawn boundary line
and all parties respecting that boundary.
And I am, after all,
I am a married woman.
Welfare exits.
Hester reenters, watches Welfare exit.
Hester
Bitch.
Hester, alone on stage, examines the cloth Welfare gave her.
Hester
Sure is pretty cloth. Sewing cant be that hard. Thread the needle stick it in and pull it through. Pretty cloth. Lets see what we making. Oooooh. Uh evening dress. Go to a party in. Drink champagne and shit. Uh huh, “Dont mind if I do,” and shit and la de dah and come up in a limo and everybody wants a picture. So many lights Im blinded. Wear dark glasses. Strut my stuff.
Hester has another painful stomach attack which knocks the wind out of her and doubles her over.
Far away, Chilli walks by with his picnic basket on his arm.
He pauses, checks his pocket watch, then continues on.
Hester, recovering from her attack, sees him just before he disappears.
Hester
Chilli!
Intermission
SCENE 5
Small Change and Sandwiches
Late at night. The children inside, all sleeping.
Lots of “A’s” written in Hesters practice place.
Hester, working on her sewing, tries to thread the needle.
Hester
Damn needle eyes too damn small. Howmy supposed to get the thread through. Theres a catch to everything, Hester. No easy money nowheres. Wet the thread good. Damn.
She squeezes her eyes shut and opens them, trying to focus. Having difficulty threading the needle, she takes out an object wrapped in brown paper.
Looks cautiously around. Begins to unwrap it.
A sandwich.
Hester
Put something in my stomach maybe my eyesll work.
Amiga Gringa comes in.
Hester stashes the package, picks up her sewing.
Amiga Gringa
Mother Hubbard sewing by street lamp. Very moving.
Hester
I got me uh job. This here is work.
Amiga Gringa
From Welfare?
Hester
Shes getting me back in the workforce. I do good on this she’ll give me more.
Amiga Gringa
Whats the pay?
Hester
Its by the piece.
Amiga Gringa
How much?
Hester
10 bucks maybe.
Amiga Gringa
Maybe?
Hester
I get a bonus for working fast.
Amiga Gringa
Very nice fabric. Very pretty. Very expensive. And oooh, look at what yr making.
Hester
You good with needles? Thread this. My eyes aint good.
Amiga tries halfheartedly to thread the needle. Quits.
Amiga Gringa
Sorry.
Hester continues trying to thread the needle.
Hester
Today we had uh E-clipse. You seen it?
Amiga Gringa
Cant say I did. Good yr working. Getting some money in yr pocket. Making a good example for the kids. Pulling yrself up by yr bootstraps. Getting with the program. Taking responsibility for yr life. I envy you.
The Red Letter Plays Page 4
