BERNIECE: That’s why I don’t talk to him, Doaker. You try and talk to him and that’s the only kind of stuff that comes out his mouth.

DOAKER: You say Avery went home to get his Bible?

BOY WILLIE: What Avery gonna do? Avery can’t do nothing with me. I wish Avery would say something to me about this piano.

DOAKER: Berniece ain’t said about that. Avery went home to get his Bible. He coming by to bless the house see if he can get rid of Sutter’s ghost.

BOY WILLIE: Ain’t nothing but a house full of ghosts down there at the church. What Avery look like chasing away somebody’s ghost?

(MARETHA enters the front door.)

BERNIECE: Light that stove and set that comb over there to get hot. Get something to put around your shoulders.

BOY WILLIE: The Bible say an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a life for a life. Tit for tat. But you and Avery don’t want to believe that. You gonna pass up that part and pretend it ain’t in there. Everything else you gonna agree with. But if you gonna agree with part of it you got to agree with all of it. You can’t do nothing halfway. You gonna go at the Bible halfway. You gonna act like that part ain’t in there. But you pull out the Bible and open it and see what it say. Ask Avery. He a preacher. He’ll tell you it’s in there. He the Good Shepherd. Unless he gonna shepherd you to heaven with half the Bible.

BERNIECE: Maretha, bring me that comb. Make sure it’s hot.

(MARETHA brings the comb. BERNIECE begins to do her hair.)

BOY WILLIE: I will say this for Avery. He done figured out a path to go through life. I don’t agree with it. But he done fixed it so he can go right through it real smooth. Hell, he liable to end up with a million dollars that he done got from selling bread and wine.

MARETHA: OWWWWWW!

BERNIECE: Be still, Maretha. If you was a boy I wouldn’t be going through this.

BOY WILLIE: Don’t you tell that girl that. Why you wanna tell her that?

BERNIECE: You ain’t got nothing to do with this child.

BOY WILLIE: Telling her you wished she was a boy. How’s that gonna make her feel?

BERNIECE: Boy Willie, go on and leave me alone.

DOAKER: Why don’t you leave her alone? What you got to pick with her for? Why don’t you go on out and see what’s out there in the streets? Have something to tell the fellows down home.

BOY WILLIE: I’m waiting on Lymon to get back with that truck. Why don’t you go on out and see what’s out there in the streets? You ain’t got to work tomorrow. Talking about me . . . why don’t you go out there? It’s Friday night.

DOAKER: I got to stay around here and keep you all from killing one another.