Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Quotes

Ephraim recrosses the yard towards his own room. He switches on the light as he enters. The glow from the naked light bulb reveals, among other necessary furniture in the room, a large multi-coloured shawl lying at the foot of the bed.

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…

ESTHER. Is after midnight, Epf?

EPF. (winding his watch as he gets up) Close on.

ESTHER. Then Ma should be home soon.

EPF. I wonder if in bigger parts of the world—when the night should have a moon—it seems that close! … Esther—if yer have yer head screw on right—No matter where yer go—One night—sometime—Yer reach up—yer touch that moon.

ESTHER. (quietly) You think so?

EPF. I know so! … Night. Don’t stay out too long. I see you all in the morning.

ESTHER. Awright.

SOPHIA. Earrings, girl! Let me see—Let me see!

She holds the candle perilously close to Rosa’s ear.

And solid gold too! Is from the old man you get them, nah?

ROSA. Just now before I close up the café.

She sits on the steps.

SOPHIA. Hm…Earrings, wristwatch, new clothes and all kinds of fancy shoes and things you taking from this olde man—I suppose he right to seek his rights.

ROSA. (with spirit) I didn’t ask him to give mey them, Mrs Adams.

SOPHIA. Yes—but yer wearn’ them! Them nuns you grow up with—I think they teach you to look at life too simple. […] Well, child, all I could say is that you must be tickling the right vein in him. For in all the years we been rentin’ from him—he is a man I never know to be generous.

ROSA. You all heard what happen, Mrs Adams?

SOPHIA. No.

Rosa has moved up the steps to Ephraim’s room. She calls softly.

ROSA. Ephraim? Ephraim? God—he still sleeping. And I wanted to talk to him…Somebody broke open the café.

Ephraim sits listening—but makes no movement toward the door.

ESTHER. Your café, Rosa?

SOPHIA. (as Rosa nods her reply) No! What they take?

ROSA. Every penny, Mrs Adams. Seventy dollars!—And some small change we had left in the register.

SOPHIA. Well I glad! I too damn glad somebody outdo that damn old miser at last! Lay up not for yourself TREASURES! God!—How I wish was me did pick out he eye! Now so—All mey troubles over!

(Sings joyously.)

There’s no hidin’ place down here
There’s no hidin’ place down here
I went to the rocks to hide myself
The rocks cried out I’m hidin’ too
There’s no hidin’ place down here.

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.

SOPHIA. All night long, Ephraim! To tell yer the truth—I don’t want to vex—But is Esther I’m thinkin’ about. If only Charlie would try a little harder. These next few weeks before school open so many things we find we have to buy. In them kind of schools yer can’t got dress jest anyhow, yer know. All this Charlie know. But when the rum get in him so—pride—everything disappear. You wouldn’t believe me, boy—but when I first knew Charlie he was spit and polish jest like you. Girls by the dozen. In them days he didn’t have eyes for a body like me. But I went to every match he was playin’ in. He was so handsome. Yer should have seen him.

EPF. I may never know!…Trouble with Charlie—he was a dreamer. And ole as he is he ent loss that dream yet. But I’m young and I’m wide awake. And it ent my intention to remain here and grow a big white moustache like Ole Sam, how used to drive tramcar—and when the trolleys came they pension him off with a pittance. This Trinidad has nothin’ fer me! Nothin’ I want!

SOPHIA. What about Rosa?

EPF. Rosa?

SOPHIA. Why all yer young men so?

EPF. So?

SOPHIA. Look—let me mind mey own business, yer hear. Allyer young. Allyer could sort out allyer own salvation. I say this fer ye yer though. You is a man with ambition!

EPF. I have my plan!

He picks up the Union Jack. There is a pause as she looks at him. Then she remarks flatly.

SOPHIA. I hope it pointing in the right direction!

CHARLIE. Not now, Sophie. Not now.

The children are calling.

CHILDREN. Hooop! Hooop! Yer can’t catch me tho! Yer can’t catch me tho! Yer can’t catch me tho!

A VOICE. I caught yer! I caught yer! I—caught—yer!

Charlie is quiet still. And Sophia is looking at him.

SOPHIA. Charlie—what’s wrong?

CHARLIE. Nothin’! (Pulling himself together.) Nothing.

He goes back into Ephraim’s room and sits on the bed. A solitary spot is left on Charlie as the lights go down. A child chants: ‘One, two, three, Mother catch a flea. Flea die. Mother cry—one, two, three! You to catch! You to catch! Hooop! Hooop!’

The children scream and laugh wildly as they play.

Curtain.

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.

EPF. Yer see this picture of ole Grandma here?…She took care of me from the time I small—till I grow a man! My ole man died when I was five years old. When I was six—my mother pick up with another man—went off to Curaçao!—and left me flat! For nearly a whole week I went hungry till Grandma came and found me and took me home with her. So it was only me and Gram from all that time…Then come a time. I began to make my plans. I find that she was in my way. I wanted to save money!—But she was in my way. So one day—I went to her—Told her—I was putting her in the poor house…Four days!—After I took her there—she died.

ROSA. (makes the sign of the cross) O God!

He has told his story without any display of emotion.

ROSA. Yer not going to marry me?

EPF. Here. Look yer dress. Put it on and go ’bout yer business.

He throws the dress at her, and pushes her towards the door. Crying out, Rosa turns, beating at him with her fists.

ROSA. Yer is a damn worthless nigger! Yer mother walk out on you! You kill yer own grandmother!...

Ephraim lifts her off the ground and literally throws the girl out of his room, hurling her dress, shoes and the shawl after her.

Do you think!—Do you think I want a man like you to marry me or to father my child? You go!—You go wherever the hell yer want to go! And when the time come so for yer to dead—I hope yer dead like the bastard you are—Yer tow foot stick up high in the air!

EPF. Thanks! An’ if that is all yer have to say fer goodbyes! Goodbye!

CHARLIE. In them days, boy—the Savannah Club crowd was running most everything. […] In them times so when we wet Barbados or Jamaica to play cricket they used to treat us like hogs, boy. When we went on tours they put we in any ole kind of boarding house. The best hotels was fer them and the half-scald members of the team—So in ’twenty-seven when we was on tour in Jamaica I cause a stink boy. I had had enough of them dirty little boarding-house rooms. I said either they treat me decent or they send me back. The stink I made got into the newspapers. They didn’t send me back. But that was the last inter-colony series I ever play. They broke me, boy.

EPF. (quietly) Fer that?

CHARLIE. I should of known mey place. […] in them days, boy—the English country clubs was outbidding each other fer bowlers like me.

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!

OLD MACK. You know one thing I’m certain of, Charlie? That boy Stephen—who runs the café for me—he knows something. But I know—he’d never tell. Charlie—yer take a boy off the street. Yer treat him as if he was your own. Yer trust him. Yer put him in charge of a café. Yer think he grateful. That boy hates me, Charlie. Hates me so he’d even rob me. Is hard.

SOPHIA. Hush, boy! Hush! Don’t cry! Don’t cry!

CHARLIE. It didn’t seem like real stealing…somehow…Taking it from Old Mack.

SOPHIA. I know, Charlie. I know. Twelve-fifty a month he takes from we—fer that stinking little room! It couldn’t be stealin’. It couldn’t be. Hush now, boy! Hush! Hush! Sophie will find a way. The money? I’ll take and give to rosa. Ask her to give it to Old Mack. Ask her to talk to him for Esther and the little baby sake. H’ll listen to Rosa. I sure he’ll listen. He have to listen…Hush! Hush, boy!

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.

BOY. Hello, Mrs Adams

SOPHIA. Afternoon, Mr Murray.

BOY. Esther gave it to me. I hope you don’t mind. I—sort of—wanted to use it this afternoon.

SOPHIA. Mr Adams said they were finished. All but one.

BOY. I’ll call back tomorrow, Mrs Adams. But—I’d like him to know that I was talking to the principal a couple of days ago. Next season they are going to engage a coach for junior school. I took the liberty of mentioning Mr Adams’ name. The job is his—if he wants it.

ESTHER. Oooh, Ma!

SOPHIA. Thank you, Mr Murray. I’ll tell Mr Adams.

BOY. He’ll have to go through the formality of making an application, of course—but it’s more or less settled…You just tell him about the job. That’s what’s important—I’ll explain the rest when I see him. So long, Mrs. Adams, Esther.

SOPHIA. You heard her? Is me. She says is me. I been slavin’ to keep things goin’. I been…

ROSA. (crossing to Sophia to comfort her) She didn’t mean what she said.

SOPHIA. I been tryin’, Rosa.

ROSA. Esther knows that.

SOPHIA. You talked to Mr Mack.

ROSA. He said…He said the matter was out of his hands.

SOPHIA. As if I didn’t know…Everythin’ happenin’ wrong. Wrong for me. Esther. Charlie. Wrong for you…

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.

EPF. (exploding) Mrs Adams! I aske yer something! You know fer certain sureyou want a whole lot more fer Esther—than you ever had a chance to get! My ole man was nothing’!…He used to drive a transport mule-cart! Everybody stinkin’ dustbin!—Hawk!—Spit!—Crap! Is so funny—yer find I want something better for meyself!

SOPHIA. Yer have it, Ephraim!

EPF. Have it?

SOPHIA. Soon they would have made yer inspector!

EPF. Today I told them they could shove that, Mrs Adams!

SOPHIA. You’re a fool! God—you’re a fool! Yer have a future here! An’ yer shoving it aside!—Fer what? To go off where? What’s wrong with allyer? Ephraim—I born and grow up in this Trinidad. I see it change. I see things open up—making room fer young people. Young people like you.

Rosa’s door is thrown open. She rushes into the veranda—her body naked under the shawl. She calls her man’s name—‘Ephraim!’ But he is gone.

[…]

SOPHIA. Rosa. He gone. But don’t mind. Perhaps—Charlie get over this trouble. Perhaps he gets the coaching job. The baby born. We help look after it for yer.

Old Mack calls from Rosa’s room.

OLD MACK. Rosa?…Rosa?

The girl turns and goes in.

SOPHIA. O God!…No!

Sophia starts up the verandah steps. Esther comes along the alley. She stops as she gets to the gate.

ESTHER. Ma-ah!

The call has warmth—a certain immediacy—strength. It should give the impression that the future could still be hers.