Raisin in the Sun - Lorraine Hansberry [39]
MAMA Fixing my plant so it won’t get hurt none on the way …
BENEATHA Mama, you going to take that to the new house?
MAMA Un-huh—
BENEATHA That raggedy-looking old thing?
MAMA (Stopping and looking at her) It expresses ME!
RUTH (With delight, to BENEATHA) SO there, Miss Thing! (WALTER comes to MAMA suddenly and bends down behind her and squeezes her in his arms with all his strength. She is overwhelmed by the suddenness of it and, though delighted, her manner is like that of KUTH and TRAVIS)
MAMA Look out now, boy! You make me mess up my thing here!
WALTER (His face lit, he slips down on his knees beside her, his arms still about her) Mama … you know what it means to climb up in the chariot?
MAMA (Gruffly, very happy) Get on away from me now …
RUTH (Near the gift-wrapped package, trying to catch WALTER’S eye) Psst—
WALTER What the old song say, Mama …
RUTH Walter—Now?
(She is pointing at the package)
WALTER (Speaking the lines, sweetly, playfully, in his mother’s face)
I got wings … you got wings …
All God’s children got wings …
MAMA Boy—get out of my face and do some work …
WALTER
When I get to heaven gonna put on my wings,
Gonna fly all over God’s heaven …
BENEATHA (Teasingly, from across the room) Everybody talking ’bout heaven ain’t going there!
WALTER (To RUTH, who is carrying the box across to them) I don’t know, you think we ought to give her that … Seems to me she ain’t been very appreciative around here.
MAMA (Eyeing the box, which is obviously a gift) What is that?
WALTER (Taking it from RUTH and putting it on the table in front of MAMA) Well—what you all think? Should we give it to her?
RUTH Oh—she was pretty good today.
MAMA I’ll good you—
(She turns her eyes to the box again)
BENEATHA Open it, Mama.
(She stands up, looks at it, turns and looks at all of them, and then presses her hands together and does not open the package)
WALTER (Sweetly) Open it, Mama. It’s for you. (MAMA looks in his eyes. It is the first present in her life without its being Christmas. Slowly she opens her package and lifts out, one by one, a brand-new sparkling set of gardening tools. WALTER continues, prodding) Ruth made up the note—read it …
MAMA (Picking up the card and adjusting her glasses) “To our own Mrs. Miniver—Love from Brother, Ruth and Beneatha.” Ain’t that lovely …
TRAVIS (Tugging at his father’s sleeve) Daddy, can I give her mine now?
WALTER All right, son. (TRAVIS flies to get his gift)
MAMA Now I don’t have to use my knives and forks no more …
WALTER Travis didn’t want to go in with the rest of us, Mama. He got his own. (Somewhat amused) We don’t know what it is …
TRAVIS (Racing back in the room with a large hatbox and putting it in front of his grandmother) Here!
MAMA Lord have mercy, baby. You done gone and bought your grandmother a hat?
TRAVIS (very proud) Open it!
(She does and lifts out an elaborate, but very elaborate, wide gardening hat, and all the adults break up at the sight of it)
RUTH Travis, honey, what is that?
TRAVIS (Who thinks it is beautiful and appropriate) It’s a gardening hat! Like the ladies always have on in the magazines when they work in their gardens.
BENEATHA (Giggling fiercely) Travis—we were trying to make Mama Mrs. Miniver—not Scarlett O’Hara!
MAMA (Indignantly) What’s the matter with you all! This here is a beautiful hat! (Absurdly) I always wanted me one just like it!
(She pops it on her head to prove it to her grandson, and the hat is ludicrous and considerably oversized)
RUTH Hot dog! Go, Mama!
WALTER (Doubled over with laughter) I’m sorry, Mama—but you look like you ready to go out and chop you some cotton sure enough!
(They all laugh except MAMA, out of deference to TRAVIS’ feelings)
MAMA (Gathering the boy up to her) Bless your heart—this is the prettiest hat I ever owned— (WALTER, RUTH and BENEATHA chime in—noisily, festively and insincerely congratulating TRAVIS on his gift) What are we all standing around here for? We ain’t finished packin’ yet. Bennie,