DOAKER: You gonna have a hard time trying to get Berniece to sell that piano. You know Avery Brown from down there don’t you? He up here now. He followed Berniece up here trying to get her to marry him after Crawley got killed. He been up here about two years. He call himself a preacher now.

BOY WILLIE: I know Avery. I know him from when he used to work on the Willshaw place. Lymon know him too.

DOAKER: He after Berniece to marry him. She keep telling him no but he won’t give up. He keep pressing her on it.

BOY WILLIE: Avery think all white men is bigshots. He don’t know there some white men ain’t got as much as he got.

DOAKER: He supposed to come past here this morning. Berniece going down to the bank with him to see if he can get a loan to start his church. That’s why I know Berniece ain’t gonna sell that piano. He tried to get her to sell it to help him start his church. Sent the man around and everything.

BOY WILLIE: What man?

DOAKER: Some white fellow was going around to all the colored people’s houses looking to buy up musical instruments. He’d buy anything. Drums. Guitars. Harmonicas. Pianos. Avery sent him past here. He looked at the piano and got excited. Offered her a nice price. She turned him down and got on Avery for sending him past. The man kept on her about two weeks. He seen where she wasn’t gonna sell it, he gave her his number and told her if she ever wanted to sell it to call him first. Say he’d go one better than what anybody else would give her for it.

BOY WILLIE: How much he offer her for it?

DOAKER: Now you know me. She didn’t say and I didn’t ask. I just know it was a nice price.

LYMON: All you got to do is find out who he is and tell him somebody else wanna buy it from you. Tell him you can’t make up your mind who to sell it to, and if he like Doaker say, he’ll give you anything you want for it.

BOY WILLIE: That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna find out who he is from Avery.

DOAKER: It ain’t gonna do you no good. Berniece ain’t gonna sell that piano.

BOY WILLIE: She ain’t got to sell it. I’m gonna sell it. I own just as much of it as she does.

BERNIECE: (Offstage, hollers.) Doaker! Go on get away. Doaker!

DOAKER: (Calling.) Berniece?

(DOAKER and BOY WILLIE rush to the stairs, BOY WILLIE runs up the stairs, passing BERNIECE as she enters, running.)

DOAKER: Berniece, what’s the matter? You alright? What’s the matter?

(BERNIECE tries to catch her breath. She is unable to speak.)

DOAKER: That’s alright. Take your time. You alright. What’s the matter?

(He calls.)

Hey, Boy Willie?

BOY WILLIE: (Offstage.) Ain’t nobody up here.

BERNIECE: Sutter . . . Sutter’s standing at the top of the steps.