De Turkey and De Law Part 8

SETTING: Village street scene. Huge oak tree upstage center. A house or two on backdrop. When curtain goes up Sister Lucy Taylor is seen standing under the tree trying to read a notice posted on the tree.

She is painfully spelling it out. Enter Sister Thomas--a younger woman (in her thirties) at left.

SISTER THOMAS Evenin', Sis Taylor.

SISTER TAYLOR Evenin'. (returns to the notice)

SISTER THOMAS Whut you doin'? Readin' dat notice Joe Clarke put up 'bout de meetin'?

(approaches tree)

SISTER TAYLOR Is dat whut it says? I ain't much on readin' since I had my teeth pulled out. You know if you pull out dem eye teeth you ruins yo' eye sight. (turns back to notice) Whut it say?

SISTER THOMAS (Reading notice) The trial of Jim Weston for a.s.sault and battery on Dave Carter wid a dangerous weapon will be held at Macedonia Baptist Church on Monday November 10, at three o'clock. All are welcome--by order of J. Clarke, Mayor of Eatonville, Fla. (turning to Sister Taylor) Hit's makin' on to three now.

SISTER TAYLOR You mean its right _now_. (looks up at sun to tell time) Lemme go git ready to be at de trial--cause I'm sho going to be there and I ain't goin' to bite my tongue neither.

SISTER THOMAS I done went and c.r.a.pped a mess of collard greens for supper--I better go put em on--cause Lawd knows when we goin' to git outa there--and my husband is one of them dats gointer eat don't keer whut happen. I bet if Judgment day was to happen tomorrow, he'd speck I orter fix him a bucket to carry long.

(She moves to exit right)

SISTER TAYLOR All men favors they guts, chile. But whut you think of all dis mess they got going on round here?

SISTER THOMAS I just think its a sin and a shame before de livin justice de way dese Baptis' n.i.g.g.e.rs is runnin' round here carryin' on.

SISTER TAYLOR Oh they been puttin out they brags ever since Sat'day night bout whut they gointer do to Jim. They thinks they runs this town. They tell me Rev. Singleton preached a sermon on it yesterday.

SISTER THOMAS Lawd help us! He can't preach and he look like 10 worth of have-mercy, let lone gittin' up dare tryin' to throw slams at us. Now all Elder Sims done was to explain to us our rights--Whut you think bout Joe Clarke running round here takin' up for those ole Baptist n.i.g.g.e.rs?

SISTER TAYLOR De puzzle-gut rascal--we oughter have him up in conference and put him out de Meth'dis' faith. He don't blong in there--Wanta run dat boy outa town for nothin'.

SISTER THOMAS But we all know how come he so hot to law Jim outa town--hits to dig de foundation out from under Elder Sims--

SISTER TAYLOR What he wanta do dat for?

SISTER THOMAS Cause he wants to be a G.o.d-knows-it-all an' a G.o.d-do-it-all and Simms is de onliest one in this town whut will buck up to him.

(Enter Sister Jones, walking leisurely)

SISTER JONES h.e.l.lo Hoyt, h.e.l.lo Lucy.

SISTER TAYLOR Goin' to de meetin'?

SISTER JONES Done got my clothes on de line and I'm bound to be dere--

SISTER THOMAS Gointer testify for Jim?

SISTER JONES Naw. I reckon--Don't make much difference to me which way de drop fall--Taint neither one of 'em much good.

SISTER TAYLOR I know it. I know it, Ida. But dat ain't de point. De crow we wants to pick is, is we gointer set still and let dese Baptist tell us when to plant and when to pluck up?

SISTER JONES Dat _is_ something to think about when you come to think about it.

(starts to move on) Guess I better go ahead--See y'all later and tell you straighter. (Enter Elder Simms right, walking fast, Bible under his arm, almost collides with Mrs. Jones. She nods and smiles and exits.)

ELDER SIMMS How you do, Sister Taylor, Sister Thomas.

BOTH Good evenin', Elder

SIMMS Sho is a hot day

SISTER TAYLOR Yeah, de bear is walkin' de earth lak a natural man.

SISTER THOMAS Reverend, look like you headed de wrong way. It's almost time for de trial and youse all de dependence we got.

ELDER SIMMS I know it. I'm trying to find de Marshall so we kin go after Jim. I wants a chance to talk wid him a minute before court sits.

SISTER TAYLOR Y'think he'll come clear?

ELDER SIMMS (proudly) I _know_ it! (shakes the Bible) I'm going to law 'em from Genesis to Revelation.

SISTER THOMAS Give it to 'em, Elder. Wear 'em out!

ELDER SIMMS We'se liable to have a new Mayor when all dis dust settle. Well, I better scuffle on down de road.

(Exit Sims left)

SISTER THOMAS Lord, lemme gwan home and put dese greens on. (looks off stage left) Here come Mayor Clark now, wid his belly settin' out in front of him like a cow-catcher. His name oughter be Mayor Belly.

SISTER TAYLOR (akimbo) Jus' look at him! Trying to look like a jigadier Breneral.

(Enter Clarke hot and perspiring. They look at him coldly.)

CLARKE I G.o.d, de bear got me! (silence for a moment) How y'all feelin'

ladies?

SISTER TAYLOR Brother Mayor, I ain't one of these folks dat bite my tongue and bust my gall--Whuts inside got to come out! I can't see to my rest why you cloakin' in wid dese Baptist buzzards ginst yo' own Church.

MAYOR CLARKE I ain't cloakin' in wid _none_. I'm de Mayor of dis whole town.

I stands for de right and against de wrong. I don't keer who it kill or cure.

SISTER THOMAS You think it's right to be runnin' dat boy off for nothin?

MAYOR CLARKE I G.o.d! You call knockin' a man in de head wid a mule bone nothin'?

'Nother thing--I done missed nine of my best-layin' hens. I ain't sayin' Jim got 'em--but different people has told me he buries a powerful lot of feathers in his back yard. I G.o.d, I'm a ruint man! (He starts towards the right exit, but Lum Rogers enters right.) I G.o.d, Lum, I been lookin' for you all day. It's almost three o'clock. (hands him a key from his ring) Take dis key and go fetch Jim Weston on to de church.

LUM Have you got yo' gavel from de lodge-room?

CLARKE I G.o.d, that's right, Lum. I'll go get it from de lodge room whilst you go git de bone an' de prisoner. Hurry up! You walk like dead lice droppin' off you! (He exits right while Lum crosses stage towards left)

SISTER TAYLOR Lum, Elder Simms been huntin' you--he's gone on down bout de barn.

(She gestures.)