Raisin in the Sun - Lorraine Hansberry [41]
WALTER Gone, what you mean Willy is gone? Gone where? You mean he went by himself. You mean he went off to Springfield by himself—to take care of getting the license—(Turns and looks anxiously at RUTH) You mean maybe he didn’t want too many people in on the business down there? (Looks to RUTH again, as before) You know Willy got his own ways. (Looks back to BOBO) Maybe you was late yesterday and he just went on down there without you. Maybe—maybe—he’s been callin’ you at home tryin’ to tell you what happened or something. Maybe—maybe—he just got sick. He’s somewhere—he’s got to be somewhere. We just got to find him—me and you got to find him. (Grabs BOBO senselessly by the collar and starts to shake him) We got to!
BOBO (In sudden angry, frightened agony) What’s the matter with you, Walter! When a cat take off with your money he don’t leave you no road maps!
WALTER (Turning madly, as though he is looking for WILLY in the very room) Willy! … Willy … don’t do it … Please don’t do it … Man, not with that money … Man, please, not with that money … Oh, God … Don’t let it be true … (He is wandering around, crying out for WILLY and looking for him or perhaps for help from God) Man … I trusted you … Man, I put my life in your hands … (He starts to crumple down on the floor as RUTH just covers her face in horror. MAMA opens the door and comes into the room, with BENEATHA behind her) Man … (He starts to pound the floor with his fists, sobbing wildly) THAT MONEY IS MADE OUT OF MY FATHER’S FLESH—
BOBO (Standing over him helplessly) I’m sorry, Walter … (Only WALTER’S sobs reply. BOBO puts on his hat) I had my life staked on this deal, too …
(He exits)
MAMA (To WALTER) Son—(She goes to him, bends down to him, talks to his bent head) Son … Is it gone? Son, I gave you sixty-five hundred dollars. Is it gone? All of it? Beneatha’s money too?
WALTER (Lifting his head slowly) Mama … I never … went to the bank at all …
MAMA (Not wanting to believe him) You mean … your sister’s school money … you used that too … Walter? …
WALTER Yessss! All of it … It’s all gone …
(There is total silence. RUTH stands with her face covered with her hands; BENEATHA leans forlornly against a wall, fingering a piece of red ribbon from the mother’s gift. MAMA stops and looks at her son without recognition and then, quite without thinking about it, starts to beat him senselessly in the face. BENEATHA goes to them and stops it)
BENEATHA Mama!
(MAMA stops and looks at both of her children and rises slowly and wanders vaguely, aimlessly away from them)
MAMA I seen … him … night after night … come in … and look at that rug … and then look at me … the red showing in his eyes … the veins moving in his head … I seen him grow thin and old before he was forty … working and working and working like somebody’s old horse … killing himself … and you —you give it all away in a day—(She raises her arms to strike him again)
BENEATHA Mama—
MAMA Oh, God … (She looks up to Him) Look down here—and show me the strength.
BENEATHA Mama—
MAMA (Folding over) Strength …
BENEATHA (Plaintively) Mama …
MAMA Strength!
Curtain
* This character and the scene of her visit were cut from the original production and early editions of the play.
ACT III
An hour later.
At curtain, there is a sullen light of gloom in the living room, gray light not unlike that which began the first scene of Act One. At left we can see WALTER within his room, alone with himself. He is stretched out on the bed, his shirt out and open, his arms under his head. He does not smoke, he does not cry out, he merely lies there, looking up at the ceiling, much as if he were alone in the world.
In the living room BENEATHA sits at the table, still surrounded by the now almost ominous packing crates. She sits looking off. We feel that this is a mood struck perhaps an hour before, and it lingers now, full of the empty sound of profound disappointment. We see on a line from her brother’s bedroom the sameness