Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

MAVIS. What happening?—Yer givin’ little Miss Precious Mind private lessons? She is ‘bright girl’ I hear her mother say—so I expect she’ll learn quick.

EPF. Cut that, Mavis.

MAVIS. Yer want to come over and make it a party?

EPF. I said cut that!

Mavis gives a short low laugh as she goes back to her room [… She] says something and there is more laughter. Music from the victrola floats across the yard. Mavis’s light snaps off, and there is a scratch as the needle is pulled from the record—then suddenly everything is quiet.

ESTHER. I hate this yard, Ephraim…I wish Daddy was working steady—then we could find a decent place to live. Ephraim—You could help it—You don’t have to live here!

EPF. I’m a man, Esther. It don’t matter for me.

EPF. Yer know, Esther. When yer grow up—it would be kind of nice if yer could go away and study—on a island scholarship or something. Come back—big! Yer know! Make everybody respect yer.

ESTHER. I don’t know yet what I would like to be.

EPF. Yer have time! Time enough to make up yer mind. God!—If I had your kind of brains!

Esther reacts, delighted.

The things I would have been!

ESTHER. Like what?

EPF. Yer know—I don’t really know. One thing I know!—I would of been something more than just a trolleybus driver. That I know. Eight hours a day—up Henry Street—down Parker Street—Tragarete Road—St. James Terminus—Turn it round!—Back down town again!—And around again!—O Gord!

ESTHER. I like to hear the hiss of the wires as the trolleys pass.

EPF. Hiss! To my ears them wires sound as loud as a howling hurricane…

EPF. To get out! That’s the thing! Yer have to stay here—Living like this—Is as if yer trap!

SOPHIA. You so could talk!

EPF. Yes—I could talk! Look at that!

He indicates the unfinished structure in the front yard.

All that waste. The blasted ole fool. He’s got a house. Yet he starts putting that up. Three storeys high. To live in!—Himself alone. Now is months since a workman was here. Don’t you think, Mrs Adams—That instead of Ole Mack wastin’ time and money on a thing like that!—Don’t you think he could of built a decent kitchen fer you? Fix up the bathroom? Put on a roof? Use some paint back here? Not he. And I tell yer that girl shelling out to hold on to that room. The ole bastard!

Ephraim goes into his room.

MAVIS. Wait for me a minute, Joe.

She pushes the Soldier into her room.

She comes down the steps, picks up a stone. Pulling her arm back—she pitches the stone across the yard. It strikes against the shutters on the Adams’ door. Immediately, the lights go on, the door is thrown open and Sophia appears in a long nightgown.

SOPHIA. Woman! Is the damn fool yer playn’ nah?

MAVIS. Peeping, peeping, peeping! I wish the blasted stone did lick out yer eye!

SOPHIA. B’Jesus Christ! It would have been me an’ you tonight! I would of rip yer to pieces like a mad dog—yer damn little whore!

MAVIS. Yer mother was the first one!

SOPHIA. And your mother before she!

ROSA. Yer is a good-lookin’ man—you know?

EPF. Good-looking. Like who?

ROSA. Robert Taylor.

EPF. GO ’way!

ROSA. James Stewart.

EPF. He good-looking?—Try again.

ROSA. William Holden…

EPF. That’s right—He an’ me is twins.

ROSA. But look you!—Yer too fast with yer ugly self.

EPF. Jest now yer say I was handsome.

ROSA. That was jest now.

EPF. God!—Why all allyer woman so?

ROSA. Is we right.

EPF. Right?

ROSA. To tantalise.

EPF. Eh-heh?

They laugh.

MAVIS. Ay allyer! Look! Look! Look! Mey man put a ring on mye finger. He say he go make a respectable women out of mey. Hayhahyai! It got a lot of them will give they left hand for a ring like this.

PRINCE. Hush yer mouth, nah girl. Hush nah.

MAIVS. No. Let mey show them. It got a lot of them what play’ they hight and mighty—’cause they have ring on they finger. They don’t talk to people like me. So let me show them. Ay! You! Look!—Look at mey left hand. Yer see? Mrs Prince I have be call from now on. Princess Mavis. That’s me.

PRINCE. Come, come!—Come inside nah! The world don’t have to know.

MAVIS. I tellin’ it jest the same! Pampampalam! Pampampalam!—Pampampalam!—pampalm—pampalm!

MAVIS. Anytime! Right now—if yer like! So yer go!—I sure it will bring yer back!

Her eyes follow Ephraim as he goes into his room. Then she turns to face Prince and teases him with a small gesture of her body.

He nice, eh?

PRINCE. Always making a damn fool of yerself!

But for her the teasing is over. She crosses to the porch, picks up the bowl and starts towards her room.

MAVIS. Doodoo, darlin’! How yer want it?

PRINCE. (gruffly) A pelau.

MAVIS. Creole?

PRINCE. Eh-heh.

MAVIS. Then go round the back there and pick me a handful of peppers.

And again he is the patsy. But he goes off to get the peppers.

Pick a lot. I go make it hot. Hot enough to burn off yer mouth.

ROSA. (crossing to her door). Let him go! Wedding rings too cheap to have to kiss one man foot for.

SOPHIA. Men funny sometimes. Even after they come out the church at times—they ent sure. Yer should a seen Charlie them first days—with me. Rosa—Sometimes yer got to stifle pride. Think about the child growing in yer insides.

ROSA. That Ephraim!—He was the only one!—But he teach me good!—Now I’m ready for anything!

SOPHIA. Don’t talk so. Yer sound like Mavis.

ROSA. I ent fillin’ my eye with water fer no man.