CARLOTTA How long did he stay gone?
BIG BEN I don't know. Twenty some odd years, I reckon. But that was a whole different thing.
MAMA I don't know what you have to go and bring up Dyson for. Worry that girl more than what she is already.
BIG BEN Me? I never made the first mention of Dyson.
CARLOTTA 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?
MAMA Now girl don't you start with that mouth.
CARLOTTA I don't know where you all get it from. Papaw's not like that.
MAMA Some things is better left unsaid. That's just common knowledge. Papaw don't tell everthing he knows.
CARLOTTA No, but he'll tell you anything you ask him.
MAMA Everbody has things they'd rather to not talk about.
CARLOTTA Well if he does I never heard it. Or maybe he'll talk about it anyway, rather or not.
MAMA 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.
CARLOTTA Well there's a first time for everything. Right?
BIG BEN What's that supposed to mean?
Carlotta gets up from the table. She looks as if she's about to cry.
MAMA 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.
CARLOTTA Benny this, Benny that.
She leaves the room crying. Big Ben puts down his paper and looks after her and then looks at Mama.
BIG BEN Well, that ought to satisfy you I reckon.
MAMA (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.
JEFFREY What you want with me man? (He leans forward, breathing) I ain't done nothin to you.
BEN You didn't have to. I don't like you anyway.
JEFFREY (Leaning back, turning up his eyes) Shit.
BEN You know what I'm going to do to you?
JEFFREY Yeah.
He sits breathing.
JEFFREY What you want, man.
BEN Mr Telfair.
JEFFREY (Looking at Ben) Say what?
BEN What do you want Mr Telfair.
JEFFREY (Leaning forward again) Shit.
BEN Jeffrey.
JEFFREY What?
BEN I want to know what's happened to Soldier.
JEFFREY I don't know nothin bout Soldier.
BEN What did you run for?
JEFFREY What you chase me for?
BEN I want to know where he is.
JEFFREY I look like I got him?
Ben shakes his head. He looks away. He looks at Jeffrey again.
BEN 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.
JEFFREY I don't know where he is and that's the truth.
BEN What happened to the Newman boy?
JEFFREY (Looking down, shaking his head) Aw man. I got to listen to this again?
BEN What happened to him?
JEFFREY I don't know what happened to the boy. He died.
BEN He died?
JEFFREY 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.
BEN What happened to the Nighthawks?
JEFFREY Nighthawks? Ain't no Nighthawks no more.
BEN Your brother used to be president.
JEFFREY So what's that make me?
BEN You tell me.
JEFFREY (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.
BEN (Watching Jeffrey) How old are you, Jeffrey?
JEFFREY Sixteen.
BEN How old do you think I am?
JEFFREY 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.