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Lorraine Hansberry
slice of paper and inspects it closely. The boy and his mother study
it raptly over MAMA'S shoulders.
MAMA: Travis! (Sheis
counting off with doubt.) Is that the right
number of zeros?
TRAVIS: Yes'm . . . ten thousand dollars. Gaalee, Grandmama, you
rich.
MAMA (She holds the check away from her, still looking at it.
Slowly her face sobers into a mask ofunhappiness.):
Ten thousand
dollars. (She hands RUTH.) it to Put it away somewhere,
Ruth. (She does not look RUTH; at her eyes seem to be seeing
something somewhere off.) veryfar
Ten thousand dollars they
give you. Ten thousand dollars.
TRAVIS (to his mother, sincerely): What'sthe
matter with Grandmama—don't
she want to be rich?
RUTH (distractedly): You go on out and play (TRAVIS now, baby.
exits. MAMA starts wiping dishes absently, humming intentlyto
herself. RUTH turns to her, with kind exasperation.) You've
gone and got yourself upset.
MAMA (not looking at her): I specif
it wasn't for you all... I
would just put that money away or give it to the church or
something.
RUTH: Now what kind of talk is that. Mr. Younger would just be
plain mad if he could hear you talking foolish like that.
MAMA (stopping and staring off): Yes ... he sure would, (sighing)
We got enough to do with that money, all right. (She halts then,
and turns and looks at her daughter-in-law RUTH avoids hard;
her eyes and MAMA wipes her hands with finalityand
starts to
speak firmly RUTH.,) to Where did you go today, girl?
RUTH: To the doctor.
MAMA (impatiently): Now, Ruth . . . you know better than that.
Old Doctor Jones is strange enough in his way but there ain't
nothing 'bout him make somebody slip and call — him "she"
like you done this morning.
RUTH: Well, that's what happened—my tongue slipped.
MAMA: You went to see that woman, didn't you?
RUTH (defensively, giving herself away): What woman you talking
about?