Raisin in the Sun - Lorraine Hansberry [45]
(MAMA reaches out absently and pats RUTH’S hand)
MAMA No—I sees things differently now. Been thinking ’bout some of the things we could do to fix this place up some. I seen a secondhand bureau over on Maxwell Street just the other day that could fit right there. (She points to where the new furniture might go. RUTH wanders away from her) Would need some new handles on it and then a little varnish and it look like something brand-new. And—we can put up them new curtains in the kitchen … Why this place be looking fine. Cheer us all up so that we forget trouble ever come … (To RUTH) And you could get some nice screens to put up in your room ’round the baby’s bassinet … (She looks at both of them, pleadingly) Sometimes you just got to know when to give up some things … and hold on to what you got.…
(WALTER enters from the outside, looking spent and leaning against the door, his coat hanging from him)
MAMA Where you been, son?
WALTER (Breathing hard) Made a call.
MAMA To who, son?
WALTER To The Man. (He heads for his room)
MAMA What man, baby?
WALTER (Stops in the door) The Man, Mama. Don’t you know who The Man is?
RUTH Walter Lee?
WALTER The Man. Like the guys in the streets say—The Man. Captain Boss—Mistuh Charley … Old Cap’n Please Mr. Bossman …
BENEATHA (Suddenly) Lindner!
WALTER That’s right! That’s good. I told him to come right over.
BENEATHA (Fiercely, understanding) For what? What do you want to see him for!
WALTER (Looking at his sister) We going to do business with him.
MAMA What you talking ’bout, son?
WALTER Talking ’bout life, Mama. You all always telling me to see life like it is. Well—I laid in there on my back today … and I figured it out. Life just like it is. Who gets and who don’t get. (He sits down with his coat on and laughs) Mama, you know it’s all divided up. Life is. Sure enough. Between the takers and the “tooken.” (He laughs) I’ve figured it out finally. (He looks around at them) Yeah. Some of us always getting “tooken.” (He laughs) People like Willy Harris, they don’t never get “tooken.” And you know why the rest of us do? ’Cause we all mixed up. Mixed up bad. We get to looking ’round for the right and the wrong; and we worry about it and cry about it and stay up nights trying to figure out ’bout the wrong and the right of things all the time … And all the time, man, them takers is out there operating, just taking and taking. Willy Harris? Shoot—Willy Harris don’t even count. He don’t even count in the big scheme of things. But I’ll say one thing for old Willy Harris … he’s taught me something. He’s taught me to keep my eye on what counts in this world. Yeah—(Shouting out a little) Thanks, Willy!
RUTH What did you call that man for, Walter Lee?
WALTER Called him to tell him to come on over to the show. Gonna put on a show for the man. Just what he wants to see. You see, Mama, the man came here today and he told us that them people out there where you want us to move—well they so upset they willing to pay us not to move! (He laughs again) And—and oh, Mama you would of been proud of the way me and Ruth and Bennie acted. We told him to get out … Lord have mercy! We told the man to get out! Oh, we was some proud folks this afternoon, yeah. (He lights a cigarette) We were still full of that old-time stuff …
RUTH (Coming toward him slowly) You talking ’bout taking them people’s money to keep us from moving in that house?
WALTER I ain’t just talking ’bout it, baby—I’m telling you that’s what’s going to happen!
BENEATHA Oh, God! Where is the bottom! Where is the real honest-to-God bottom so he can’t go any farther!
WALTER See—that’s the old stuff. You and that boy that was here today. You all want everybody to carry a flag and a spear and sing some marching songs, huh? You wanna spend your life looking into things and trying to find the right and the wrong part, huh? Yeah. You know what