Raisin in the Sun - Lorraine Hansberry [9]
TRAVIS (With conspicuously brushed hair and jacket) I’m gone.
RUTH Get carfare and milk money—(Waving one finger)—and not a single penny for no caps, you hear me?
TRAVIS (With sullen politeness) Yes’m.
(He turns in outrage to leave. His mother watches after him as in his frustration he approaches the door almost comically. When she speaks to him, her voice has become a very gentle tease)
RUTH (Mocking; as she thinks he would say it) Oh, Mama makes me so mad sometimes, I don’t know what to do! (She waits and continues to his back as he stands stock-still in front of the door) I wouldn’t kiss that woman good-bye for nothing in this world this morning! (The boy finally turns around and rolls his eyes at her, knowing the mood has changed and he is vindicated; he does not, however, move toward her yet) Not for nothing in this world! (She finally laughs aloud at him and holds out her arms to him and we see that it is a way between them, very old and practiced. He crosses to her and allows her to embrace him warmly but keeps his face fixed with masculine rigidity. She holds him back from her presently and looks at him and runs her fingers over the features of his face. With utter gentleness—) Now—whose little old angry man are you?
TRAVIS (The masculinity and gruffness start to fade at last) Aw gaalee—Mama …
RUTH (Mimicking) Aw gaaaaalleeeee, Mama! (She pushes him, with rough playfulness and finality, toward the door) Get on out of here or you going to be late.
TRAVIS (In the face of love, new aggressiveness) Mama, could I please go carry groceries?
RUTH Honey, it’s starting to get so cold evenings.
WALTER (Coming in from the bathroom and drawing a make-believe gun from a make-believe holster and shooting at his son) What is it he wants to do?
RUTH Go carry groceries after school at the supermarket.
WALTER Well, let him go …
TRAVIS (Quickly, to the ally) I have to—she won’t gimme the fifty cents …
WALTER (To his wife only) Why not?
RUTH (Simply, and with flavor) ’Cause we don’t have it.
WALTER (To RUTH only) What you tell the boy things like that for? (Reaching down into his pants with a rather important gesture) Here, son—
(He hands the boy the coin, but his eyes are directed to his wife’s, TRAVIS takes the money happily)
TRAVIS Thanks, Daddy.
(He starts out. RUTH watches both of them with murder in her eyes. WALTER stands and stares back at her with defiance, and suddenly reaches into his pocket again on an afterthought)
WALTER (Without even looking at his son, still staring hard at his wife) In fact, here’s another fifty cents … Buy yourself some fruit today—or take a taxicab to school or something!
TRAVIS Whoopee—
(He leaps up and clasps his father around the middle with his legs, and they face each other in mutual appreciation; slowly WALTER LEE peeks around the boy to catch the violent rays from his wife’s eyes and draws his head back as if shot)
WALTER You better get down now—and get to school, man.
TRAVIS (At the door) O.K. Good-bye.
(He exits)
WALTER (After him, pointing with pride) That’s my boy. (She looks at him in disgust and turns back to her work) You know what I was thinking ’bout in the bathroom this morning?
RUTH No.
WALTER How come you always try to be so pleasant!
RUTH What is there to be pleasant ’bout!
WALTER You want to know what I was thinking ’bout in the bathroom or not!
RUTH I know what you thinking ’bout.
WALTER (Ignoring her) ’Bout what me and Willy Harris was talking about last night.
RUTH (Immediately—a refrain) Willy Harris is a good-for-nothing loudmouth.
WALTER Anybody who talks to me has got to be a good-for-nothing loudmouth, ain’t he? And what you know about who is just a good-for-nothing