Raisin in the Sun - Lorraine Hansberry [28]
(This line begins the retardation of his mood)
RUTH Well—(She waits a long time, and then with resignation starts to put away her things) I guess I might as well go on to bed … (More or less to herself) I don’t know where we lost it … but we have … (Then, to him) I—I’m sorry about this new baby, Walter. I guess maybe I better go on and do what I started … I guess I just didn’t realize how bad things was with us … I guess I just didn’t really realize—(She starts out to the bedroom and stops) You want some hot milk?
WALTER Hot milk?
RUTH Yes—hot milk.
WALTER Why hot milk?
RUTH ’Cause after all that liquor you come home with you ought to have something hot in your stomach.
WALTER I don’t want no milk.
RUTH You want some coffee then?
WALTER No, I don’t want no coffee. I don’t want nothing hot to drink. (Almost plaintively) Why you always trying to give me something to eat?
RUTH (Standing and looking at him helplessly) What else can I give you, Walter Lee Younger?
(She stands and looks at him and presently turns to go out again. He lifts his head and watches her going away from him in a new mood which began to emerge when he asked her “Who cares about you?”)
WALTER It’s been rough, ain’t it, baby? (She hears and stops but does not turn around and he continues to her back) I guess between two people there ain’t never as much understood as folks generally thinks there is. I mean like between me and you—(She turns to face him) How we gets to the place where we scared to talk softness to each other. (He waits, thinking hard himself) Why you think it got to be like that? (He is thoughtful, almost as a child would be) Ruth, what is it gets into people ought to be close?
RUTH I don’t know, honey. I think about it a lot.
WALTER On account of you and me, you mean? The way things are with us. The way something done come down between us.
RUTH There ain’t so much between us, Walter … Not when you come to me and try to talk to me. Try to be with me … a little even.
WALTER (Total honesty) Sometimes … sometimes … I don’t even know how to try.
RUTH Walter—
WALTER Yes?
RUTH (Coming to him, gently and with misgiving, but coming to him) Honey … life don’t have to be like this. I mean sometimes people can do things so that things are better … You remember how we used to talk when Travis was born … about the way we were going to live … the kind of house … (She is stroking his head) Well, it’s all starting to slip away from us …
(He turns her to him and they look at each other and kiss, tenderly and hungrily. The door opens and MAMA enters—WALTER breaks away and jumps up. A beat)
WALTER Mama, where have you been?
MAMA My—them steps is longer than they used to be. Whew! (She sits down and ignores him) How you feeling this evening, Ruth?
(RUTH shrugs, disturbed at having been interrupted and watching her husband knowingly)
WALTER Mama, where have you been all day?
MAMA (Still ignoring him and leaning on the table and changing to more comfortable shoes) Where’s Travis?
RUTH I let him go out earlier and he ain’t come back yet. Boy, is he going to get it!
WALTER Mama!
MAMA (As if she has heard him for the first time) Yes, son?
WALTER Where did you go this afternoon?
MAMA I went downtown to tend to some business that I had to tend to.
WALTER What kind of business?
MAMA You know better than to question me like a child, Brother.
WALTER (Rising and bending over the table) Where were you, Mama? (Bringing his fists down and shouting) Mama, you didn’t go do something with that insurance money, something crazy?
(The front door opens slowly, interrupting him, and TRAVIS peeks his head in, less than hopefully)
TRAVIS (To his mother) Mama, I—
RUTH “Mama I” nothing! You’re going to get it, boy! Get on in that bedroom and get yourself ready!
TRAVIS But I—
MAMA Why don’t you all never let the child explain hisself.
RUTH Keep out of it now, Lena.
(MAMA clamps her lips together, and RUTH advances toward her son menacingly)
RUTH A thousand times I have told you not to go off like that—
MAMA (Holding out her arms