(BERNIECE moves toward the piano.)

BERNIECE: Avery . . . I done told you I don’t want to play that piano. Now or no other time.

AVERY: The Bible say, “The Lord is my refuge . . . and my strength!” With the strength of God you can put the past behind you, Berniece. With the strength of God you can do anything! God got a bright tomorrow. God don’t ask what you done . . . God ask what you gonna do. The strength of God can move mountains! God’s got a bright tomorrow for you . . . all you got to do is walk over here and claim it.

BERNIECE: Avery, just go on and let me finish my bath. I’ll see you tomorrow.

AVERY: Okay, Berniece. I’m gonna go home. I’m gonna go home and read up on my Bible. And tomorrow . . . if the good Lord give me strength tomorrow . . . I’m gonna come by and bless the house . . . and show you the power of the Lord.

(AVERY crosses to the door.)

It’s gonna be alright, Berniece. God say he will soothe the troubled waters. I’ll come by tomorrow and bless the house.

(The lights go down to black.)

SCENE 3

(Several hours later. The house is dark. BERNIECE has retired for the night. BOY WILLIE enters the darkened house with GRACE.)

BOY WILLIE: Come on in. This my sister’s house. My sister live here. Come on, I ain’t gonna bite you.

GRACE: Put some light on. I can’t see.

BOY WILLIE: You don’t need to see nothing, baby. This here is all you need to see. All you need to do is see me. If you can’t see me you can feel me in the dark. How’s that, sugar?

(He attempts to kiss her.)

GRACE: Go on now . . . wait!

BOY WILLIE: Just give me one little old kiss.

GRACE: (Pushing him away.) Come on, now. Where I’m gonna sleep at?

BOY WILLIE: We got to sleep out here on the couch. Come on, my sister don’t mind. Lymon come back he just got to sleep on the floor. He run off with Dolly somewhere he better stay there. Come on, sugar.

GRACE: Wait now . . . you ain’t told me nothing about no couch. I thought you had a bed. Both of us can’t sleep on that little old couch.

BOY WILLIE: It don’t make no difference. We can sleep on the floor. Let Lymon sleep on the couch.

GRACE: You ain’t told me nothing about no couch.

BOY WILLIE: What difference it make? You just wanna be with me.

GRACE: I don’t want to be with you on no couch. Ain’t you got no bed?

BOY WILLIE: You don’t need no bed, woman. My granddaddy used to take women on the backs of horses. What you need a bed for? You just want to be with me.

GRACE: You sure is country. I didn’t know you was this country.