The Stonemason (2 page)

S
OLDIER
I just come in to see if they's any school today.

M
AMA
No, you just come in to set the table.

Soldier drags himself to the cupboard and takes down the plates.

M
AMA
And when you get done with that holler upstairs at Big Ben.

P
APAW
Everything be covered up.

M
AMA
Benny, I done told you all now.

P
APAW
Too cold to mix mud and that's for sure.

B
EN
I'm not going to do any work out there. I'm just going to haul a load of stone out.

M
AMA
You ain't takin him no place in Old Blue. That thing ain't got no heater in it.

There are heavy footsteps on the stairs overhead,
BIG BEN
, Ben's father, enters the kitchen. He is wearing slippers and a pair of tan gabardine slacks with suspenders over a long sleeved winter undershirt. He has on three or four very expensive rings that he wears when not working. He weighs over two hundred and fifty pounds and he goes to the stove with the rolling gait of heavy people and takes his cup and pours coffee from the percolator.

M
AMA
That ain't done perkin.

He continues to pour and then takes up his cup and takes his watch out of his pocket although there is an electric clock on the stove and another clock on the wall. He puts the watch back in his pocket and shuffles back across the kitchen and out the door.

B
EN
(
To Papaw
) You want some coffee?

P
APAW
Might have just a little coffee this mornin.

Ben goes to the stove and takes two cups and pours coffee. Mama is busy cooking at the stove. In the front room offstage the door slams.

B
IG
B
EN
(
Offstage
) Who got the paper?

M
AMA
Ain't nobody got the paper. He ain't run yet.

Ben takes the cups to the woodstove and gives one to his grandfather. Mama takes a platter of sausage to the table.

M
AMA
You all come on now.

Ben and Papaw start towards the table. Soldier reaches and takes a patty of sausage from the platter and it is on the way to his mouth with it when she intercepts it and puts it back on the platter and slaps him on the back of the head with her open hand and sets the platter down all in one motion as if she'd had practice at it.

M
AMA
Get the chair boy, get the chair. You all come on now. Carlotta! Benny where's Maven? I ain't cookin no two breakfasts.

Ben's sister
CARLOTTA
enters on her high heels dressed for work. Soldier brings the extra chair from its place against the wall and Ben goes to the door and calls downstairs for Maven. Big Ben appears and takes his place at the head of the table and begins to help his plate to eggs. Ben comes to the table and Mama brings the percolator from the stove and sets it on the table.

M
AMA
Carlotta, did you want to say grace?

C
ARLOTTA
Bless O Lord this food to our nourishment and us to thy service. Amen.

F
AMILY
Amen.

B
IG
B
EN
Where's Maven?

Ben pushes his chair back and rises.

M
AMA
Set still. Soldier you run downstairs and see if she comin to breakfast this mornin.

B
EN
I'll go.

M
AMA
Maybe she sick.

S
OLDIER
What she got?

M
AMA
Just eat, boy.

Ben exits. The family continues to eat, to pass plates. A radio on the sideboard is giving local news, the volume comes up slowly.

C
ARLOTTA
What do they say about school?

S
OLDIER
Ain't said nothin yet that I heard.

M
AMA
Well you better be for findin out.

S
OLDIER
Well let me call Jeffrey.

M
AMA
How he supposed to know?

S
OLDIER
Cause he the man that knows, that's how.

C
ARLOTTA
Don't smart mouth your grandmama.

S
OLDIER
Ain't smart mouthin nobody. She ast me and I told her.

C
ARLOTTA
And don't smart mouth me either. And you better stay away from that boy. If he's not on his way to the penitentiary there's no use in having one.

S
OLDIER
Shoot.

Big Ben casts a suspicious glance at Soldier. Soldier crams a last forkful of food into his mouth and rises from the table. He makes his way around the table and goes to the telephone on the sideboard and dials a number. He stands with his back to the table and puts his thumb down on the receiver. He talks a little too loud. The family continues to eat.

B
IG
B
EN
Pass the preserves yonder, Carlotta.

S
OLDIER
Yeah. Soldier. You heard anything bout school? Mm hm. Ain't goin be none. Called your mama? Yeah. On the radio too? Naw we didn't hear it. Bout half a hour ago?

The telephone rings. Soldier freezes. The family at the table stop eating and look at Soldier. The telephone rings again. Carlotta and Mama rise at the same moment. Soldier holds the telephone away from his ear and looks at it and puts it to his ear again.

S
OLDIER
Hello? Hello?

Ben enters the kitchen. The phone rings again. Carlotta reaches Soldier first.

M
AMA
Fool. If I don't put a knot on your head.

S
OLDIER
There's somethin wrong with this phone.

Carlotta snatches the phone from him and raps him on the top of the head with it.

S
OLDIER
Ow!

C
ARLOTTA
(
Putting the receiver to her ear
) Hello. Yes. Hi Jenny.

Soldier goes wide around Mama, who is taking her place at the table again. He is holding the top of his head.

S
OLDIER
Shit.

B
IG
B
EN
What did you say?

Soldier mutters something that no one can hear. Big Ben reaches down the table and takes a swipe at him. Soldier ducks and falls backward and the chair goes to the floor. Big Ben stands up to deal with him further and Mama stands up and takes Big Ben by the arm.

M
AMA
Don't hit him on the ear you'll make him deaf like they done Edison in the movie.

Across the table Papaw is eating peaceably.

C
ARLOTTA
(
Holding one hand over the receiver
) Mama make them quit.

Ben shakes his head and goes back out. Soldier gets up and rights the chair and stands there and Big Ben subsides and Mama sits back down and Ben comes back into the room with the paper and gives it to his father who glares up at him and takes it. Ben sits at the table and helps his plate to eggs and sausage and begins to eat.

M
AMA
(
To Soldier
) You set down over there. You ain't excused. Benny is she goin to school today?

B
EN
Yes. She says she is.

M
AMA
You ask her if she looked outside?

B
EN
Yep.

M
AMA
She sick?

B
EN
(
Smiling
) She's sick. She's looked outside. She's going to school.

M
AMA
Why don't you take her a cup of coffee down there?

B
EN
I offered to but she said she didn't want any. (
To Big Ben
) I want to use your truck today.

B
IG
B
EN
(
Reading the paper
) Where you goin?

B
EN
Haul a load of rock out to the farm.

B
IG
B
EN
Don't call on me when you get stuck.

B
EN
I won't.

M
AMA
That thing ain't got no heater in it and it ain't got no floorboard.

Big Ben does not look up from his paper. He takes a sip of coffee and continues to read.

B
IG
B
EN
You better see if they any sand in the bed. I don't know where you get any at today.

M
AMA
You hear that? Twenty two degrees.

Ben finishes his breakfast and wipes his mouth and pushes back his chair and rises and takes his plate to the sink and then goes to the door.

B
EN
Soldier.

S
OLDIER
What.

B
EN
Come out here a minute.

S
OLDIER
What for?

B
EN
Just come out here.

S
OLDIER
I ain't excused.

B
EN
You're excused.

Soldier gets up wearily and follows Ben out of the kitchen. They come to stage left where a light illuminates a white sofa and a white chair and a coffee table.

B
EN
Sit down.

S
OLDIER
I ain't tired.

B
EN
Just sit down.

Soldier sits wearily in the sofa and throws his arm across the back of it. Ben sits on the arm of the sofa.

B
EN
What do you want to do that stuff for?

S
OLDIER
What stuff?

B
EN
That telephone business. Trying to get out of school.

S
OLDIER
Maybe I don't want to go today.

B
EN
You don't want to go any day. That's not the point. You don't have a choice.

S
OLDIER
You ain't my daddy.

B
EN
Is there somebody leaning on you at school?

Soldier drums his fingers on the back of the sofa in a bored fashion.

B
EN
Is there?

S
OLDIER
They ain't nobody at that school that I'm scared of.

B
EN
What happened to your eye the other day?

S
OLDIER
What other day?

B
EN
Last week. Week and a half ago.

S
OLDIER
I done that playin basketball.

B
EN
Where were you playing basketball? You quit the team.

S
OLDIER
You think they ain't nobody play basketball cept what's on the team?