SCENE 1

(Offstage)
Marcus Eshu!
I really do believe you must’ve lost
Your true mind boy! Or smacked your
Forehead on the pavement!

Marcus Eshu sits in his room watching
The walls.

(Offstage)
I don’t
Care how upset you were or what you
Were looking to find, you don’t bring
Your behind in here drifting like the
Morning dew talking bout some . . .

He is on punishment for coming home
So late the other night. He tried to
Explain to his mother what had happened . . .

She was having none of that.

What were you thinking, boy?
Enter Oba.
You know how many boys your age get
Shot or throwed up in jail round here for
Just walking? Huh? Do you? Answer me!

Shut up!
Sitting round here walking the
Streets like your daddy! You wanna know
About your daddy he used to walk around
Too and look what happened to him. Dead
And in the ground. You want that do you?

Tears in her eyes . . .

You scared the daylights outta me round
Here being fast and grown!
There’s a storm on the way!
What were you
Thinking? What did I ever do to make you . . .

No! I don’t wanna hear nothing
Out you. I means that Marcus Eshu I do.
Lord God help me . . .
Oba exits. Talking to the Father.

SCENE 2

Marcus sits in his room staring at the afternoon
Light.

Marcus!
Shaunta Iyun enters
Whispering Loud for her friend
Marcus Eshu!

Shaunta what you doing out there girl?

I’m doing the Jenny Craig “Call and
Response” workout plan. What it look like I’m
Doing. I’m freeing you like they did
Stephen Biko.

Didn’t Stephen Biko die in jail?

Nigga sneak out the house!

I’m on punishment.

Thus I said “sneak.”
C’mon I gotta talk to you about something . . .

I am in enough trouble
As it is. I am not going nowhere with . . .

Ooh you cranky what’s wrong with you?

Gon Shaunta I’m tired.

You ain’t been sleeping?

’Cause of the . . .
Huh.
What . . . what happens in that dream?

Nah, last time I went around talking about
What was in my head I ended up wet, tired
And locked in here. Done
Speaking my mind for a lil while now . . .

But Marcus the rain . . .

(Elegua is offstage, singing.)

Marcus hears it.

How could he not?

(Elegua is offstage, singing.)

Enter Elegua
Hair undone. Bent low to the ground . . .

Almost screaming.

(Elegua sings.)

What’s wrong with her, Shaunta?

Swhat I was trying to tell you. A storm coming.
Ogun sending Elegua away. Say, she don’t need
To be out this close to the waters. Say, she can
Come back when it’s over.

What she walking around screaming for?

She won’t say . . . She won’t talk about it with
Nobody but ever since you told her about that Dream she
Been wandering around crying out like
That. Going on some days now.
She looks to Marcus . . .

Me? I didn’t tell her nothing except . . .

(Elegua sings.)

It was just some stupid flick in my forehead.
It wasn’t nothing to scream about.

Who you trying to convince?
Don’t stay locked up in there forever.

Where you going Shaunta Iyun?

To make sure she get home safe.
Shaunta Iyun exits.

SCENE 3

Marcus stares after his friend . . .

Damn you got pretty eyes for a nigga.

Marcus stunned . . .

Enter Shua with his Kangol
Low . . . Down low.
I mean I’m saying though son the way the
Light playing on your eyes or whatnot, that’s
What’s up though.

Oh . . . thank you.

So, yo son what you on?

Oh, I don’t do drugs man.

Word? Are you serious son? You think . . .
Huh. Country niggas. Yo, I’m trying to
Say yo, you get down?

With dudes, son!

Oh . . . oh . . . Oh! I mean . . .
Oh. Why?

Why else I’ma be asking you?
Come outside.

I . . . Right now?

What, you want the dick later?

I . . . um . . . oh . . .
Laughing.
My mama . . .

Oh your daddy coming too?

My daddy’s dead.

Damn yo! You said that and it was like
“Flame on” in your eyes, son, when you
Talk about your old mans. No disrespect famo.

My condolences . . .

Thank you . . .

How long he been dead for?

I barely know’d the nig . . .

Now don’t get sad man. Now the light
Almost gone out your eyes. You want,
If it keep them eyes bright, I let you call
Me Daddy.

Serious, man.
He smiles.
Come outside.

I can’t . . .

Oh aight.
Shua turns to leave . . .

Wait . . . Meet me. Out by the waters,
The Bayou.

Yeah right off Buras Drive.

How I’ma find you, the light in your eyes?

Blush.
Yeah something . . . something like
That. I’m Marcus . . . What’s your . . .

Daddy, remember? Call me Daddy.

SCENE 4

Marcus Eshu, sneaking out in the late.

Eh Marcus . . .
Enter Ogun Size.

What you doin out here?

Oh . . . how you doing?

I’m all right. Boy time you try to put things
Down and you know plant yourself you gotta
Pick up and go . . . I’m trying to send Elegua
Off you know.

She keep on wandering off . . . She ain’t slick
I know she ain’t “senile” yet.

Say the storm
Might do make landfall. You never know
This woman done wandered . . .
You haven’t seen her?

I haven’t seen you.

Been on punishment.

What you doing out?

Going to meet a friend.

A new friend . . .

Well I gotta find Elegua. Listen man, she
Been acting strange ever since . . .

Can you tell the Dream again maybe I can . . .

I don’t remember, I haven’t had it . . .

The rain in it, is it bad?

Yeah it gets pretty bad.

Like bad, bad . . .

Bad.
To himself, “Bad nigga.”

And the man in it?

What does he look like?

I gotta go . . .

Eh, didn’t you just say you was on punishment?
Your mama know . . .

Ogun you ain’t my daddy man. I mean . . . You know
You ain’t my daddy, I ain’t your brother so just . . .
Gon find your aunt, Ogun. I gotta go.
Marcus exits.

SCENE 5

Sittin watching the waters.

Shua with his cap covering his
Eyes.

Marcus with his hands in his lap.

Shua kisses his teeth.
Stch!
How old are you?

Sixteen . . . I just turned sixteen. You?

Twenty . . . two.

Shua kisses his teeth.
Stch . . .
So wassup man?

I see that. Yo, where you from?

Yeah you seem like you from down
Here. Country niggas.
Ey shorty yall get storms round
Here? I was up on the news yo
Say it’s one coming.

Sometimes . . . Yeah.

Damn yo this my first time down
Here. Visiting my peoples.

So you’re from up North?

From the boogie down baby.

That’s the Bronx right?

Uh-huh.
Shua looks over Marcus.
Marcus in his jeans lookin just right.
You aight.

Yeah you all right. Got a lil phatty
Or what not . . .

Them eyes sexy . . .

Marcus bites his lips.

Sex lips too . . . Sexy-
Ass lips.

Black boy blushing.

You gonna call me Daddy, Eyes?
Shua puts his fingers to Marcus’ lips.

Marcus kisses Shua’s fingers.

Shua moves his hand behind Marcus’ head.

He pulls Marcus’ head down toward
His lap.

SCENE 6

Osha stomps onto her porch.
Lord . . .

Shun walking up . . .
Every night, Osha?

I’m just spending
Time with him while I can.

I understand girl I’m just saying give
Him some time to miss you. You young
Chicks don’t know how to tether niggas.

He’ll miss me when he’s gone back
To the Bronx.

You need to get him to help put up my storm
Boards messing round here talking bout some, “Hanging
Out.” Oh chile never mind. He from up there he
Don’t know nothing bout no shutters.
I don’t trust them niggas from up there no how.

You rather me be hanging with Marcus
Still?

I didn’t mind you . . . hanging with that boy.
I just tried to tell you he was his way, like
That. You know I don’t hate on the gays.

Mama just go in the house.

Oh hell nah! Get your ass in this house
He can come ring the doorbell like normal bastards.

Mama please just let me wait for him by myself.

Huh. You get yo ass in this house come late night.
I don’t care whicha way a hurricane coming, you
Got school tomorrow. Hear me Osha girl?

Shun goes into the house, talking trash:
Boy come down here talking all side
Ways. He better just be courting and
Not trying to do the electric slide with
My baby I’ll light his ass up. I mean that . . .

SCENE 7

Enter Marcus Eshu.
She all right?

You know how she get.

You busy or something

Waiting for a friend . . .

Who? Like . . . like a new friend?
Smiles.

What it matter to you?

I ain’t come here to fight.

What you come for?

I met a . . . a friend too. I wanted to
Tell you.

Ehuh! Tell Shaunta Iyun she like to hear
That kind of stuff.

Last time I checked you my best too.

Yeah I thought so too tell I figured out
You was lying.

I didn’t stutter man. Lied. You knew Marcus,
Say you didn’t. How I was feeling? How
You gon be my best friend and not tell me?
Huh?

All you got for me Marcus Eshu? “I.”

Marcus laughs.
Eh girl, tell me how you didn’t
Know I wasn’t interested? Huh? Tell me how you
Couldn’t tell after all the years after all the teasing
And the fights . . . the time you punched Eric down
The way in the stomach ’cause he called me a faggot?

Huh.
Osha laughs.

He still be running when he see
You coming talking bout some “gone girl.”
When we would play “hide and go get it” with the
Other kids. Everybody round us hunching and I’m
Talking bout some “let’s play cuddle.”

I just thought you was being romantic.

All right. All right . . . I shoulda’ve known.
I mean you the only one I could sing The Wiz
Straight through with.

(Marcus sings.
Osha sings.
Marcus and Osha sing.)

Enter Shua
Kangol pulled
Way down.

MARCUS AND OSHA

You know Joshua?

Osha turns to Marcus.
You met before?

Shua puts his fingers to his lips.
To Osha:
You ready to go?

We’ll talk later Marcus.

SCENE 8

Oba on the porch.
I didn’t go looking for you ’cause I didn’t want to
Know really where you was. I didn’t call for you
For fear that you might hear me and not answer
Back.

I ain’t got much to say either Marcus but hear me
Out. You disobeyed me. The first time you just didn’t
Tell me but this time you heard what I said and still
You went on your own way. Made your own path.

I just want to know where it’s leading you?
This sneaking and secrets and lying, and making a
Fool of . . . did you really think I didn’t know that thick
Girl was hiding you the other night? Where is it
Taking you, Marcus Eshu? You turning into the man
You want to be? Or the man you need to be? Or . . .
No matter what you like, or don’t, you still a man.
All men have to be men. They say a woman can’t
Teach you that . . . I got news for you, no man can
Either. Only you can learn it for you.

Gon on in there and lay down . . . if you want. I
Can’t make you do much a nothing these days.
I figured I would just offer.

Marcus moves to . . .

What’s this Dream I hear you got going?

Is it something I could . . . wanna hear?

It’s something I barely remember.

A Dream of Drag

That night.
Marcus is
Sleeping dreaming this very . . . odd, weird dream.
Not the one . . . no this other mess.
In this dream are the very best friends
Shaunta Iyun and Osha girl.
All Caught in a Sun Shower.
To the best:
It’s raining.

We see that Marcus.

But the sun’s out.

I see why they put you in the advanced
Class Marcus.

Them good observation skills.

Why yall being so mean!

It’s raining.

And you should have told us.

I didn’t know.

Course you did.

It was raining in your dream.

Lord first I couldn’t get nobody to listen to that
Stupid dream. Now everybody acting like it King’s
Dream. Look . . .
I knew it was raining hard in the dream
But this ain’t that. This a sun shower
You know what we used to do in a sun
Shower. Osha, Shaunta Iyun.

SHAUNTA IYUN AND OSHA

Shaunta Iyun going in.
Osha struggling . . .

Hey!
Ain’t we too old to be playing this game.

Shaunta Iyun giggling . . .

This your Dreaming Marcus Eshu tell us.

The song “Sunshower” by Dr. Buzzard’s
Original Savannah Band begins to play . . .

Laughing
Oh hell to nah.

We are not . . .

Yes we are . . .
Shaunta pats her weave.

This was cute when we were kids Marcus.

Osha rocks back on her heels.

But we grown now . . .

She puts her hand on her hip.

Back then they would call it kids being
Cute.

They call it a drag show.

It’s my Dream. We gon do what I want.
All laughing and playing in the rain.

Ha! So you Dream of drag now?

Maybe guess we have to wait and see.

Lord you are so free and easy in your Dreams
Marcus Eshu.

Nah not always only when I’m with you
Two . . .

MARCUS, SHAUNTA IYUN AND OSHA

C’mon yall sing the song.

(Marcus, Shaunta Iyun and Osha sing “Sunshower.”)

Osha singing lead.

(Osha sings.)

(Shaunta Iyun sings. Then Marcus and Osha join her.)

(Marcus sings.)

OSHA AND SHAUNTA IYUN

Sang Marcus Eshu.

(Shua enters.)

The music stops. We stop dancing.
What you want?

Rain pours . . . the sun is
Gone.
My friends are gone. To Shua:
Get out of my Dream.
Shua smiles.
Shua takes off his Kangol. He strips down
And now he looks like . . .

Oshoosi Size dressed in all white . . .
Shh! Shh! It’s gon be okay.
Shh now Marcus. It’s gon be all right . . .
Just ask him ask my brotha . . .
For me.

SCENE 9

The next morning
Black boy running . . .
Mama?

Oba still on the porch.

Mama I . . . I will be right back. I have to tell
Osha and Shaunta . . .

Do what you please, Marcus.

I will be right back.

What you please.

When I come back let me in.

SCENE 10

Enter Shaunta Iyun eating a sandwich singing.

(Shaunta Iyun sings.)

Thank you Father! Shaunta.

Boy what you doing? What’s wrong you coming
Round the corner breathing like the big girls?

Shaunta I gotta tell you something . . .

Oh now you ready to tell me something.
Wait a Dream?

No . . . well yeah.

It’s about me and Jason Witt?

Shaunta braving.
I know! I know! I should have told you . . .
But it’s hard to come out and be like, “I like, have
Loved this white boy since the third grade!”

But he so cute and nice and country as hell . . .

I sucked Shua’s dick.

Shaunta Iyun drops her sandwich.

Josh-shua . . .

That fake-ass neyo kat with the Usher hat?
Shaunta Iyun swats her foolish friend.
The one that Osha seeing!

What you suck his dick for! All the
Dick in the world and you gotta suck
His!

Ain’t like I knew she was dating him. She
And me weren’t talking and his ass ain’t say shit
Cept yeah that feel good.

Least you know you good at it.

Identify your strengths

We gotta tell her.

We just gon let him keep lying to her?

Uh-uh oh no ma’am. I don’t like how you got Creole all the sudden
Marcus E. Throwing all this here we in the soup. We
Didn’t give the king of New York some face. We
Weren’t there to watch it and now we gon act like
We don’t know nothing bout it.
Starting right, Shaunta looks
At her imaginary watch now.

Shaunta Iyun . . .

Eh there Marcus E. Baby BABY! What’s going on man
How’s that secret of sweet coming? I don’t know nothing about
No homoerotic fellatio. Nope. Not me.
Couldn’t be! Then who!

You right no sense in her killing us both.

Tell her you didn’t mean to suck it.

A realization.
Just bring her out by the waters?

Yeah just bring her out there.

Huh.
There goes a brave man.
Shaunta Iyun exits.
Damn boy made me drop my sandwich.

A Re-Collection

I’m old enough to know better. To know. What did
I expect to happen, did you see this coming? Huh, you couldn’ta . . .
Guess I wouldn’t’ve listened or heard but
I hear now. Yessuh. I do. I hear you can’t just wake up one morning
A Dream on your mind, in your heart, spend that day
No matter whose wedding or funeral running round
Telling everybody bout it. Just talking I got a Dream
It went like this . . . I got this feeling feels like this . . .
Lesson: When you thought about it
Prayed about it and you can’t keep it to yourself . . .
Maybe it’s better to run or walk away but don’t give
It unto the air.
You realize that your Dreams too heavy for
Everyone else? You can grin; you can bare em but the world
Seem to light a fire or drown deep when you mention
Your innermost thoughts, wishes, desire . . . so what’s that teaching: Keep it
To yourself? That ain’t right either.
So how do you play it?
How does this run out? ’Cause right now I’m back out here
By the waters knowing more than I did, understanding
. . . Well I’m still standing but just barely
My best friend’s bout to hate me, if she don’t still . . . already.
Got a ol lady say she see a storm somehow in my Dream and
A mama who barely can look me in the eye ’cause she think I’m
On the ho stroll and she ain’t but half wrong, she ain’t but half wrong
’Cause I’m out here again waiting under the good God’s sky for some Up
North down-low Negro and . . .
These Dreams.
All I got are these Dreams and Memories. The Dream of a man who
I think . . . well I know . . . but how to tell that part? How to explain that . . .
Stop thinking Marcus just tell him.
’Cause all that thinking this thinking ain’t gon undo
Redo make do nothing. Time to quit thinking or quicker think so
The next move is made before the thought. The next move don’t
Take a whole lot of thought. The next move . . . Here he comes.
Here we go.
Marcus moves.

SCENE 11

Enter Shua.
Kangol: Low.
You know. Sup yo?

Heavy breath . . .
Hey.

Evening, as yall say.

Huh that’s funny, you funny, you
Always been funny?

You all right man?

Oh I’m fine. Yeah I mean
Sexy: I’m fine.

Laughing. Yeah all right.
What you stepping up?

Yeah I am . . . yo.

You . . . you like that?

Your girl know what went down
Between us?

So what you trying to keep this going
On the side, right?

That’s what’s . . .

I mean no . . .
Marlene Dietrich:
I think I might be the jealous type.

Like that? You get green . . .

Lauren Bacall:
Yeah, I like to keep my friends to myself.

Shit that’s cool n th gang baby.
I mean long as you can keep a secret.

(To us)
Is he for real?
Yeah I’m good at keeping my mouth shut.
People round here don’t even know about me.

Well this time we ain’t got to worry about your mouth.

I on’t need your lips.

What you doing?

I bet you tight.

That’s it. That’s them eyes lightning up.

Just back up . . .

Touch,
You making me hot, son.

You give good ass?

I ain’t never . . . Gon man!

GRAB!
Can’t.
Your eyes calling me.
Shua moves to . . .

(They struggle.
Enter Shaunta Iyun pulling Osha.)

Stop girl . . .

C’mon let me get that ass nigga!

Joshua get your hands off him!

Shua stops.
Realizing.
Oh so yall kats trying to play me. Put my
Business out there like that? Trying to put
My shit on blast . . .

Nah you trying to put your shit on boys did that!

Shut the fuck up . . .

Marcus moves. Uh.

(He punches Shua.)

Osha steps between.
Gon Joshua, just gon.

Shua holding his face.
Fuck this . . . Fuck this . . .
Exit Shua.

I wanted to . . . wanted to tell you.

You told me . . .

I’m . . . I’m sorry.

Me too.
Osha exits.

Roll down his face.
Marcus?

You ain’t crying ’cause she left huh?

(He shakes his head.)

You crying ’cause punching that boy
Hurt your damn hand.

Laughing. A www. Shhh! Shhh! It’s gon be
Okay. Shhh now Marcus it’s gon be all right . . .

Marcus steps back.

Like he just heard a ghost.

Or remembered a . . .