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96 THEO He was playing with you! And when my father holds something inside of him and plays with a man, he's getting meaner and more dangerous by the minute. BLUE I don't care what he was doing — he is messing with my work! He has gotten himself into a "thing" with one of the rottenest bitches on the Avenue, who happens to be tight with a nigger who is trying to fuck up my business. Now that's something you had better get straight: it's your turn to soothe and pacify! THEO Why should I do anything for you when you lied to me and sent my brother out with that band of thieves of yours? BLUE He said he needed the money, and I couldn't stop him. THEO But I told you I didn't want that! BLUE Let's face it, baby! Bobby's the greatest thief in the world! He's been prancing around stores and stealing all of his life! And I think that's something to bow down to — because he's black and in trouble, just like you and me. So don't ride me so hard, Theo! (They cross back into shop. He picks up attaché case, preparing to leave.) THEO Blue! Now I don't care what kind of protection you got, but I say those store raids are dangerous and I don't want my brother on them, and I mean it! BLUE When we first made our plans, you went along with it — you knew somebody had to do it. What makes you and your brother so special? THEO Well, you better— BLUE To hell with you, Theo! I could take this hand and make you dead! You are nothing but what I make you be! 97 THEO (Pause.) That just might be. But what if tomorrow this whole operation were to bust wide open in your face because of some goof-up by my father or sister — something that would be just too much for you to clean up. What would you do? Kill them? BLUE (Pause. Then calmly and deliberately.) The other day I went up on the hill to see my little boy. I took him out for a ride and as we were moving along the streets he asked me where all the people were coming from. I said from work, going home, going to the store, and coming back from the store. Then we went out to watch the river and then he asked me about the water, the ships, the weeds — everything. That kid threw so many questions at me, I got dizzy — I wanted to hit him once to shut him up. He was just a little dark boy discovering for the first time that there are things in the world like stones and trees . . . It got late and dark, so I took him home and watched him fall asleep. Then I took his mother into my arms and put her to bed. I just laid there for a while, listening to her call me all kinds of dirty mother-fuckers. After she got that out of her system, I put my hands on her and before long our arms were locked at each other's shoulders and then my thighs moved slowly down between her thighs and then we started that sweet rolling until the both of us were screaming as if the last piece of love was dying forever. After that, we just laid there, talking soft up into the air. I would tell her she was the loveliest bitch that ever lived, and all of a sudden she was no longer calling me a dirty mother-fucker, she was calling me a sweet mother-fucker. It got quiet. I sat up on the edge of the bed with my head hanging long and deep, trying to push myself out of the room and back into it at one and the same time. She looked up at me and I got that same question all over again. Will you marry me and be the father of your son! I tried to move away from her, but she dug her fingernails into my shoulders. I struck her once, twice, and again and again — with this hand! And her face was a bloody mess! And I felt real bad about that. I said, I'll marry you, Yes! Yes! Yes! (Pause.) I put my clothes on and I walked out into the streets,
