Night. The back entrance to the Reverends new church.
Hester comes in with the kids in tow.
Hester
Sunday night. He had people in there listening to him this morning. He passed the plate in my name. Not in my name directly. Keeps me secret, cause, well, he has his image. I understand that. Dont want to step on everything hes made for himself. And he still wants me. I can tell. A woman can tell when a man eyes her and he eyed me all right.
(Rest)
Yr building this just from talking. Must be saying the right things. Nobodyd ever give me nothing like this for running my mouth. Gonna get me something now. Get something or do something. Fuck you up fuck you up! Hold on, girl, it wont come to that.
(Rest)
[I’ll only ask for 5 dollars. 5 dollars a week. That way he cant say no. And hes got a church, so he got 5 dollars. I’ll say I need to buy something for the kids. No. I’ll say I need to—get my hair done. There is this style, curls piled up on the head, I’ll say. Takes hours to do. I need to fix myself up, I’ll say. Need to get my looks back. Need to get my teeth done. Caps, bridges, what they called, fillers, whatever. New teeth, dentures. Dentures. He dont cough up I’ll go straight to Welfare. Maybe.]
(Rest)
Jabber comes running around the building.
He sees Hester and sneaks up on her, touching her arm.
Jabber
Yr it.
Hester
I aint playing.
Jabber
K.
Hester
Where you been.
Jabber
Out with Miga.
Hester
Oh.
(Rest)
Jabber
Mommie?
Hester
What.
Jabber
Hester
(Rest)
Jabber
I dont like the moon.
Hester
I’ll cover it up for you.
Hester holds her hand up to the sky, hiding the moon from view.
Whered it go?
Hester
Its gone to bed. You too.
Hester nudges him away from her.
He curls up with the others.
Hester
Hester
Reverend D. comes outside.
He carries a large neon cross.
Hester
Its Sunday.
He sees the children.
Reverend D.
Oh God.
Hester
Its Sunday. —. Yesterday was—Saturday.
Reverend D.
Excuse me a minute?
He props the cross against a wall.
Hester
Its Sunday.
Reverend D.
I passed the plate and it came back empty.
Hester
Oh.
Reverend D.
But not to worry: I’ll have some. Tomorrow morning—
I was gonna—get myself fixed up.
Reverend D.
—When the bank opens. 100 bucks. Tomorrow morning.
All for you. You have my word.
Hester
I was thinking, you know, in my head, that there was something I can do to stop that hand coming down. Must be something—
Reverend D.
I’ll have my lawyer deliver the money. Its better if you dont come back. Its too dangerous. My following are an angry bunch. They dont like the likes of you.
Hester
But you do. You like me.
Reverend D.
Youd better go.
Hester
Why you dont like me? Why you dont like me no more?
He tries to go back inside. Hester grabs ahold of him.
Hester
Dont go.
Reverend D.
Take yr hands off me.
Hester
Why you dont like me?
They struggle as he tries to shake her loose.
Then, in a swift motion, Hester raises her club to strike him.
He is much stronger than she. He brutally twists her hand.
She recoils in pain and falls to the ground.
Jabber, wide awake, watches.
Slut.
(Rest)
Dont ever come back here again! Ever! Yll never get nothing from me! Common Slut. Tell on me! Go on! Tell the world! I’ll crush you underfoot.
He goes inside.
Hester
Hester
Hester
Jabber
Mommie.
Hester
Hester
Jabber
The moon came out again.
Jabber
Hester
Jabber
(Rest)
Jabber
Them bad boys had writing. On our house. Remember the writing they had on our house and you told me to read it and I didnt wanna I said I couldnt but that wasnt really true I could I can read but I didnt wanna.
Hester
Hush up now.
Jabber
I was reading it but I was only reading it in my head I wasnt reading it with my mouth I was reading it with my mouth but not with my tongue I was reading it only with my lips and I could hear the word outloud but only outloud in my head.
Shhhh.
Jabber
I didnt wanna say the word outloud in your head.
Hester
Hester
Jabber
I didnt wanna say you the word. You wanna know why I didnt wanna say you the word? You wanna know why? Mommie?
Hester
Hester
(Rest)
Hester
What.
Jabber
It was a bad word.
Hester
Hester
Jabber
Wanna know what it said? Wanna know what the word said?
Hester
What.
Jabber
Jabber
Hester
What?
Jabber
“Slut.”
Go to sleep, Jabber.
Jabber
It read “Slut.” “Slut.”
Hester
Hush up.
Jabber
Whassa “Slut”?
Hester
Go sleep.
Jabber
You said if I read it youd say what it means. Slut. Whassit mean?
Hester
I said I dont wanna hear that word. How slow are you? Slomo.
Jabber
Slut.
Hester
You need to close yr mouth, Jabber.
Jabber
I know what it means. Slut.
Hester
(Shut up.)
Jabber
Slut.
Hester
(I said shut up, now.)
Jabber
I know what it means.
(And I said shut up! Shut up.)
(Rest)
(Rest)
Jabber
Slut. Sorry.
The word just popped out, a childs joke.
He covers his mouth, sheepishly. They look at each other.
Hester
Jabber
Hester
Jabber
Hester quickly raises her club and hits him once.
Brutally. He cries out and falls down dead. His cry wakes Bully, Trouble and Beauty. They look on. Hester beats Jabbers body again and again and again. Trouble and Bully back away.
Beauty stands there watching.
Jabber is dead and bloody.
Hester looks up from her deed to see Beauty who runs off.
Hester stands there alone—wet with her sons blood.
Grief-stricken, she cradles his body. Her hands wet with blood, she writes an “A” on the ground.
Hester
Looks good, Jabber, dont it? Dont it, huh?
SIXTH CONFESSION: HESTER, LA NEGRITA
“I Shoulda Had a Hundred-Thousand”
Hester, La Negrita
Never shoulda had him.
Never shoulda had none of em.
Never was nothing but a pain to me:
5 Mistakes!
—nnnnnnnn—
Kids? Where you gone?
Never shoulda haddem.
Me walking around big as a house
Knocked up and Showing
and always by myself.
Men come near me oh yeah but then
love never sticks longer than a quick minute
wanna see something last forever watch water boil, you know.
I never shoulda haddem!
(Rest)
She places her hand in the pool of Jabbers blood.
No:
I shoulda had a hundred
a hundred
I shoulda had a hundred-thousand
A hundred-thousand a whole army full I shoulda!
I shoulda.
One right after the other! Spitting em out with no years in between!
One after another:
Tail to head:
Spitting em out:
Bad mannered Bad mouthed Bad Bad Bastards!
A whole army full I shoulda!
I shoulda
—nnnnnnn—
I shoulda
Hester sits there, crumpled, alone.
The prison bars come down.