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GEORGE Oh—hello, Mrs. Younger.

MAMA Hello, George, how you feeling?

GEORGE Fine—fine, how are you?

MAMA Oh, a little tired. You know them steps can get you after a day’s work. You all have a nice time tonight?

GEORGE Yes—a fine time. A fine time.

MAMA Well, good night.

GEORGE Good night. (He exits. MAMA closes the door behind her) Hello, honey. What you sitting like that for?

BENEATHA I’m just sitting.

MAMA Didn’t you have a nice time?

BENEATHA No.

MAMA No? What’s the matter?

BENEATHA Mama, George is a fool—honest. (She rises)

MAMA (Hustling around unloading the packages she has entered with. She stops) Is he, baby?

BENEATHA Yes.

(BENEATHA makes up TRAVIS’ bed as she talks)

MAMA You sure?

BENEATHA Yes.

MAMA Well—I guess you better not waste your time with no fools.

(BENEATHA looks up at her mother, watching her put groceries in the refrigerator. Finally she gathers up her things and starts into the bedroom. At the door she stops and looks back at her mother)

BENEATHA Mama—

MAMA Yes, baby—

BENEATHA Thank you.

MAMA For what?

BENEATHA For understanding me this time.

(She exits quickly and the mother stands, smiling a little, looking at the place where BENEATHA just stood. RUTH enters)

RUTH Now don’t you fool with any of this stuff, Lena—

MAMA Oh, I just thought I’d sort a few things out. Is Brother here?

RUTH Yes.

MAMA (With concern) Is he—

RUTH (Reading her eyes) Yes.

(MAMA is silent and someone knocks on the door. MAMA and RUTH exchange weary and knowing glances and RUTH opens it to admit the neighbor, MRS. JOHNSON,* who is a rather squeaky wide-eyed lady of no particular age, with a newspaper under her arm)

MAMA (Changing her expression to acute delight and a ringing cheerful greeting) Oh—hello there, Johnson.

JOHNSON (This is a woman who decided long ago to be enthusiastic about EVERYTHING in life and she is inclined to wave her wrist vigorously at the height of her exclamatory comments) Hello there, yourself! H’you this evening, Ruth?

RUTH (Not much of a deceptive type) Fine, Mis’ Johnson, h’you?

JOHNSON Fine. (Reaching out quickly, playfully, and patting RUTH’S stomach) Ain’t you starting to poke out none yet! (She mugs with delight at the overfamiliar remark and her eyes dart around looking at the crates and packing preparation; MAMA’S face is a cold sheet of endurance) Oh, ain’t we getting ready ’round here, though! Yessir! Lookathere! I’m telling you the Youngers is really getting ready to “move on up a little higher!”—Bless God!

MAMA (A little drily, doubting the total sincerity of the Blesser) Bless God.

JOHNSON He’s good, ain’t He?

MAMA Oh yes, He’s good.

JOHNSON I mean sometimes He works in mysterious ways … but He works, don’t He!

MAMA (The same) Yes, he does.

JOHNSON I’m just soooooo happy for y’all. And this here child—(About RUTH) looks like she could just pop open with happiness, don’t she. Where’s all the rest of the family?

MAMA Bennie’s gone to bed—

JOHNSON Ain’t no … (The implication is pregnancy) sickness done hit you—I hope … ?

MAMA No—she just tired. She was out this evening.

JOHNSON (All is a coo, an emphatic coo) Aw—ain’t that lovely. She still going out with the little Murchison boy?

MAMA (Drily) Ummmm huh.

JOHNSON That’s lovely. You sure got lovely children, Younger. Me and Isaiah talks all the time ’bout what fine children you was blessed with. We sure do.

MAMA Ruth, give Mis’ Johnson a piece of sweet potato pie and some milk.

JOHNSON Oh honey, I can’t stay hardly a minute—I just dropped in to see if there was anything I could do. (Accepting the food easily) I guess y’all seen the news what’s all over the colored paper this week …

MAMA No—didn’t get mine yet this week.

JOHNSON (Lifting her head and blinking with the spirit of catastrophe) You mean you ain’t read ’bout them colored people that was bombed out their place out there?

(RUTH straightens with concern and takes the paper and reads it. JOHNSON notices her and feeds commentary)

JOHNSON Ain’t it something how bad these here