Three Plays | Page 6

rush me. (He
begins same business of figuring out moves and scratching his head)
(Enter two or three girls and fellows. The girls are dressed in cool
summer dresses, but nothing elaborate)
Lonnie I know I'm gointer play something now. (He tunes and plays
"Cold Rainy Day". He begins to sing and the others join in. Not all. But
all start to dancing. They couple off as far as possible and Lindy. The
men unmated do hot solo steps. The men cry out in ecstacy)
1. Shimmy! If you can't shimmy, shake your head.
2. Look, baby, look! Throw it in de alley
3. Look, if you can't look, stick out, and if you can't stick out, git out.
(At the end of the son and dance, one of the girls exclaim)
Girl Aw, we got to go. Mama's looking for us. (The three girls exit,
walking happily. The men watch them go)

Cliff Oh boy, look at 'em! Switching it and looking back at it. (He
imitates the girl's walk)
Good Black Yeah Lawd, ain't they specifyin'! They handles a lot of
traffic.
Cliff (Seating himself again) Yeah, but dat don't play no checkers.
Come on here, Good Black and lemme finish wearing your ant.
Good Black's Wife Good Black, yo' better come git dese clothes.
Lonnie Good Black, yo' wife kin cold whoop for what she want.
Good Black Yeah and if she don't git, she keep right on whoopin'.
B'lieve I wants a drink of water. Wisht I knowed where I could slip up
on me a drink.
Cliff Aw man, come on back here and move. Yo' doin' everythin' but
playin' checkers. You'd ruther move a mountain wid a pry bar than to
move (Points) dat man.
Good Black (Seats himself) Lemme hurry up and beat dis game befo'
yo' bust yo' britches. (He wags his finger to indicate moves, scratches
his head, but doesn't move. Several men enter and group around the
players. All offer suggestions. One says, "you got him Cliffert. He's
locked up just as tight as a keyhole". Another: "Aw, man he kin break
out!" Another: "Yeah, but it'll cost him plenty to git out of dat trap".)
Cliff Police! Police! He won't move!
Another Voice Aw, leave go de checkers and less shoot some crap.
(Enter a WOMAN in a house dress, head rag on, run down house shoes.
She goes to the edge of the porch and calls inside)
Woman Him there Bertha, what yo' doin'.
Woman Inside Still bumpin' de white folks clothes--hittin' for de
sundown man. Come on in and have some sit down.

Outside Woman Ain't got time. Got a house full of company. I took a
minute to see if yo' could let me have a little skeeting garret.
Inside Woman How come yo' didn't git yo'self some snuff whilst yo'
was at de store? De man ast yo' what else. I ain't no Piggly Wiggly.
Reckon I kin spare yo' a dip tho. (She hands out the box and the outside
woman fills her lip and hands it back)
Outside Woman Much obliged, I thank yo'. Reckon I better heel and
toe it on back, to see how de comp'ny is makin' out.
Inside Woman Step inside a minute I want to put a bug in yo' ear. (She
makes an urgent gesture and the other woman goes inside)
(Lonnie is sitting off to himself and picking "Rabbit on de Log" softly.
A small BOY dashes on with a lolly pop in his hand. He is licking it
and laughing. He is pursued by a little GIRL yelling "you gimme my all
day sucker! Johnny! You gimme my candy, now!" They run all over
the stage. The men take notice of them and one of them seizes the boy
and restores the candy to the girl. She pokes out her tongue at the boy
and says "goody, goody, goody, goody, goody!" She notes the guitar
playing and begins to dance. The boy makes faces back at her and
dances back at her. The music gets louder, dancing faster, check board
gets upset. General laughter at that. When dance is over, boy snatches
the lolly pop again and races away and the girl runs behind him yelling
"Johnny! You gimme my candy! Johnny!" The music stops and the
crap game gets under way. Furious side bets for 5 and 10 cents each.
Loud calls on Miss "Daisy Dice", snake eyes, "Ada from Decatur".
Somebody suggests a soft roll, others object on the ground that it's too
easy for the experts to cheat)
Good Black Gimme de dice! I'm gointer play 'em like John Henry.
Lonnie John Henry didn't bother wid de bones. He used to play Georgy
Skin.
Good Black He shot crap too. He played everythin' and