MEMPHIS: That’s that old backward southern mentality. When I come up here they had to teach these niggers they didn’t have to tip their hat to a white man. They walking around here tipping their hat, jumping off the sidewalk, talking about “Yessir, Captain,” “How do, Major.”

WOLF: How long you been up here, Memphis?

MEMPHIS: I been up here since ’36. They ran me out of Jackson in ’31. I hung around Natchez for three or four years, then I come up here. I was born in Jackson. I used to farm down there. They ran me out in ’31. Killed my mule and everything. One of these days I’m going back and get my land. I still got the deed.

HOLLOWAY: I got an uncle and a bunch of cousins down in Jackson.

MEMPHIS: When I left out of Jackson I said I was gonna buy me a V-8 Ford and drive by Mr. Henry Ford’s house and honk the horn. If anybody come to the window I was gonna wave. Then I was going out and buy me a 30.06, come on back to Jackson and drive up to Mr. Stovall’s house and honk the horn. Only this time I wasn’t waving. Only thing was, it took me thirteen years to get the Ford. Six years later I traded that in on a Cadillac. But I’m going back one of these days. I ain’t even got to know the way. All I got to do is find my way down to the train depot. They got two trains running every day. I used to know the schedule. They might have changed it . . .  but if they did, they got it posted up on the board.

RISA: The oven’s on. I’m going to get the pie.
(RISA exits. MEMPHIS watches after her.)

MEMPHIS: A man would be happy to have a woman like that except she done ruined herself. She ain’t right with herself . . .  how she gonna be right with you? Anybody take a razor and cut up on herself ain’t right. If she cut her legs she might cut your throat. That’s the way I see it. Other than that, any man be glad to lay up next to that every night. Something ain’t right with a woman don’t want no man. That ain’t natural. If she say she like women that be another thing. It ain’t natural, but that be something else. But somebody that’s all confused about herself and don’t want nobody . . .  I can’t figure out where to put her.

HOLLOWAY: That’s what the problem is . . .  you trying to figure out where to put her. I know Risa. She one of them gals that matured quick. And every man that seen her since she was twelve years old think she ought to go lay up with them somewhere. She don’t want that. She figure if she made her legs ugly that would force everybody to look at her and see what kind of personality she is.