he silence. Occasionally the laughter and shouting of children is
heard nearby off stage.

HAMBO: (To BRAZZLE) Say, Matt, gimme a jint or two of dat green
cane--dis ribbon cane is hard.

LIGE: Yeah, and you ain't got de chears in yo' parlor you useter have.

HAMBO: Dat's all right, Lige, but I betcha right now wid dese few
teeth I got I kin eat up more cane'n you kin grow.

LIGE: I know you kin and that's de reason I ain't going to tempt you.
But youse gettin' old in lots of ways--look at dat bald-head--just as
clean as my hand. (Exposes his palm).

HAMBO: Don't keer if it tis--I don't want nothin'--not even
hair--between me and God. (General laughter--LIGE joins in as well.
Cane chewing keeps up. Silence for a moment.)

(Off stage a high shrill voice can be heard calling:)

VOICE: Sister Mosely, Oh, Sister Mosely! (A pause) Miz Mosely! (Very
irritated) Oh, Sister Mattie! You hear me out here--you just won't
answer!

VOICE OF MRS. MOSELY: Whoo-ee ... somebody calling me?

VOICE OF MRS. ROBERTS: (Angrily) Never mind now--you couldn't come
when I called you. I don't want yo' lil ole weasley turnip greens.
(Silence)

MATT BRAZZLE: Sister Roberts is en town agin! If she was mine, I'll
be hen-fired if I wouldn't break her down in de lines (loins)--good as
dat man is to her!

HAMBO: I wish she was mine jes' one day--de first time she open her
mouf to beg _anybody_, I'd lam her wid lightning.

JOE CLARK: I God, Jake Roberts buys mo' rations out dis store than any
man in dis town. I don't see to my Maker whut she do wid it all....
Here she come....

(ENTER MRS. JAKE ROBERTS, a heavy light brown woman with a basket on
her arm. A boy about ten walks beside her carrying a small child about
a year old straddle of his back. Her skirts are sweeping the ground.
She walks up to the step, puts one foot upon the steps and looks
forlornly at all the men, then fixes her look on JOE CLARK.)

MRS. ROBERTS: Evenin', Brother Mayor.

CLARK: Howdy do, Mrs. Roberts. How's yo' husband?

MRS. ROBERTS: (Beginning her professional whine): He ain't much and I
ain't much and my chillun is poly. We ain't got 'nough to eat! Lawd,
Mr. Clark, gimme a lil piece of side meat to cook us a pot of greens.

CLARK: Aw gwan, Sister Roberts. You got plenty bacon home. Last week
Jake bought....

MRS. ROBERTS: (Frantically) Lawd, Mist' Clark, how long you think dat
lil piece of meat last me an' my chillun? Lawd, me and my chillun is
_hongry_!