The Stonemason (8 page)

C
ARLOTTA
How long did he stay gone?

B
IG
B
EN
That was different.

C
ARLOTTA
How long did he stay gone?

B
IG
B
EN
I don't know. Twenty some odd years, I reckon. But that was a whole different thing.

M
AMA
I don't know what you have to go and bring up Dyson for. Worry that girl more than what she is already.

B
IG
B
EN
Me? I never made the first mention of Dyson.

C
ARLOTTA
Mama. Mama. Let it go. He's right anyway. He never made the first mention of him. I didn't even know there was such an uncle till I was in high school. Everybody in this family thinks if you don't mention something then it doesn't exist. There must be some huge skeleton left that I still don't know about. What was it? Was somebody a whore or a horse thief or vote Republican?

M
AMA
Now girl don't you start with that mouth.

C
ARLOTTA
I don't know where you all get it from. Papaw's not like that.

M
AMA
Some things is better left unsaid. That's just common knowledge. Papaw don't tell everthing he knows.

C
ARLOTTA
No, but he'll tell you anything you ask him.

M
AMA
Everbody has things they'd rather to not talk about.

C
ARLOTTA
Well if he does I never heard it. Or maybe he'll talk about it anyway, rather or not.

M
AMA
Well they ain't never been no criminals in this family like what you said. Not that I ever heard of. I don't know what use it be tellin everbody if they was though.

C
ARLOTTA
Well there's a first time for everything. Right?

B
IG
B
EN
What's that supposed to mean?

Carlotta gets up from the table. She looks as if she's about to cry.

M
AMA
Honey it ain't no crime to run off from home. You just gettin yourself all worked up now. He'll be back. You'll see. I bet Benny brings him back today.

C
ARLOTTA
Benny this, Benny that.

She leaves the room crying. Big Ben puts down his paper and looks after her and then looks at Mama.

B
IG
B
EN
Well, that ought to satisfy you I reckon.

M
AMA
(
Shaking her head sadly
) No. It don't give me no satisfaction. Trouble comes to a house it comes to visit everbody. It make me cry too, Daddy. Cry for her. Cry for that boy. Cry for everbody. They sure ain't no satisfaction in it.

SCENE III

Offstage sounds of running and hard breathing. The footsteps slow and then subside, the breathing continues. The lights come up on a scene stage right set with a metal slat park bench and a streetlamp. Sounds of traffic in the distance.
JEFFREY
, a young black about sixteen years of age and dressed in jeans and sneakers, is sitting on the bench gasping for breath. Ben is leaning against the lamp post, not quite so winded as Jeffrey.

J
EFFREY
What you want with me man? (
He leans forward, breathing
) I ain't done nothin to you.

B
EN
You didn't have to. I don't like you anyway.

J
EFFREY
(
Leaning back, turning up his eyes
) Shit.

B
EN
You know what I'm going to do to you?

J
EFFREY
Yeah.

He sits breathing.

J
EFFREY
What you want, man.

B
EN
Mr Telfair.

J
EFFREY
(
Looking at Ben
) Say what?

B
EN
What do you want Mr Telfair.

J
EFFREY
(
Leaning forward again
) Shit.

B
EN
Jeffrey.

J
EFFREY
What?

B
EN
I want to know what's happened to Soldier.

J
EFFREY
I don't know nothin bout Soldier.

B
EN
What did you run for?

J
EFFREY
What you chase me for?

B
EN
I want to know where he is.

J
EFFREY
I look like I got him?

Ben shakes his head. He looks away. He looks at Jeffrey again.

B
EN
Jeffrey. Jeffrey. Jeffrey this boy's mother is my sister. My only sister. If you know anything at all about where Soldier is or what's happened to him I want you to tell me. I don't care how bad it is.

J
EFFREY
I don't know where he is and that's the truth.

B
EN
What happened to the Newman boy?

J
EFFREY
(
Looking down, shaking his head
) Aw man. I got to listen to this again?

B
EN
What happened to him?

J
EFFREY
I don't know what happened to the boy. He died.

B
EN
He died?

J
EFFREY
The boy got his ticket punched. That's all I know. What would I know about it? Shit man. He's a fourteen year old kid. I didn't even know who he was till this shit started.

B
EN
What happened to the Nighthawks?

J
EFFREY
Nighthawks? Ain't no Nighthawks no more.

B
EN
Your brother used to be president.

J
EFFREY
So what's that make me?

B
EN
You tell me.

J
EFFREY
(
Leaning back and looking at Ben
) You don't know shit man. They ain't no more Nighthawks. Ain't no more clubs. They ain't shit. Just a bunch of freelancers out roguin and doin drugs. These young bloods are all strung out, man. You understand what I'm tellin you? Fourteen year old. Twelve. You leanin all over me bout some young dude got killed. Shit. It's just brother against brother. Shit goin down out there don't make no more sense than nothin. Try and tell these young bloods bout the Nighthawks. They look at you like you from Mars, man.

B
EN
(
Watching Jeffrey
) How old are you, Jeffrey?

J
EFFREY
Sixteen.

B
EN
How old do you think I am?

J
EFFREY
Man I don't know how old you are. All I know is you livin in the past. I'm livin in the past. History done swallowed you up cept you don't know it.

B
EN
If history swallows everybody up, who do you think is running the world?

J
EFFREY
It look to you like somebody runnin it?

B
EN
When I was sixteen I looked forward to being eighteen. I looked forward to being twenty one.

J
EFFREY
Yeah, well. Everbody over sixteen the same age to me. And I feel like I'm a hundred.

SCENE IV

Night. The kitchen. Ben sits at the table drinking tea. Lights sweep across the window from outside and a car pulls in and stops and a door opens and slams. Big Ben enters the kitchen. He takes off his hat and his camelhair overcoat. He is dressed in a suit with a sport shirt open at the neck.

B
EN
Hey.

Big Ben crosses heavily to the stove.

B
IG
B
EN
They any coffee?

B
EN
I think there is. You'll have to warm it.

Big Ben shakes the pot and sets it on the burner and turns on the stove.

B
IG
B
EN
Well. We got trouble.

B
EN
We do?

B
IG
B
EN
It's your company too.

B
EN
Well what's the trouble.

B
IG
B
EN
I need six thousand dollars is what the trouble is.

B
EN
Oh man.

Ben looks down. He shakes his head slowly. He looks up at Big Ben again.

B
EN
Six thousand?

Big Ben looks at Ben. He swirls the coffee pot and sets it back down again.

B
EN
Can't you get it from the bank?

B
IG
B
EN
They say I cain't.

B
EN
You've borrowed money from them before.

B
IG
B
EN
They won't let me have no more.

B
EN
What do you mean no more?

B
IG
B
EN
Mean no more. Say they ain't goin let me have no more.

He gets a cup down from the shelf. He swirls the pot and pours coffee into the cup.

B
EN
How much do you owe them?

B
IG
B
EN
Don't make no difference bout that. The facts is that I got to have six thousand dollars come next Wednesday.

B
EN
What happens if you don't? What are they going to foreclose on?

B
IG
B
EN
Ain't a matter of foreclosure.

B
EN
Well why don't you explain it to me a step at a time.

B
IG
B
EN
Only thing needs explainin is I got to have the money.

B
EN
Why don't you tell me what it is you've done.

B
IG
B
EN
(
angrily
) I ain't done a damn thing. I just need the money.

B
EN
Well where do you think I'm going to get six thousand dollars?

B
IG
B
EN
You can get it. They'd let you have it.

B
EN
You're talking about me mortgaging the farm.

Big Ben doesn't answer. He stands leaning against the stove.

B
EN
It's not mine to mortgage.

B
IG
B
EN
Whose is it if it ain't yours?

B
EN
It's in a trust.