BooksBarbecue
Back Yellowman
Chapters (17)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. ALSO BY DAEL ORLANDERSMITH
  4. Title Page
  5. Dedication
  6. Part 1 - Yellowman
  7. PRODUCTION CREDITS
  8. CHARACTER NOTES
  9. PART I
  10. PART II
  11. PART III
  12. PART IV
  13. PART V
  14. Part 2 - My Red Hand, My Black Hand
  15. PRODUCTION CREDITS
  16. CHARACTER NOTES
  17. Copyright

EUGENE: I bring my head way back–way, way back–

ALMA: I feel beautiful–I am on this train riding–I am riding and I feel beautiful–I am beautiful. This white wine is the equivalent of the most glorious champagne and I am beautiful–

EUGENE: I take in this “taste”–this long taste of bourbon. I drive home. Daddy and Momma are sitting at the bar. You could see they’ve been there for a while. Daddy looks at me and says, (ROBERT) “Alma’s gone?” (EUGENE) “Yeah, yeah she is.” (ROBERT) “Boy people really are passing you by.” (EUGENE) I yell “LEAVE ME ALONE!–LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!” (ROBERT) “Failure–YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A FAILURE!” (EUGENE) Momma starts in on the crying and I go upstairs to my room. I want to have a drink but not with them. So I’m in the room waiting. Daddy continues to yell at me from the bar. (ROBERT) “FAILURE, YOU–YOU’RE A NOTHING.” (EUGENE) I put the radio on and then I hear Momma crying and slurring. I can smell her upstairs. Jim Beam and Chanel No. 5 wafting through the house. She’s crying/wailing. I turn the radio up a little higher. After a while, it gets quiet and I go to the top of the stairs and peep down. Momma cries/slurs, (THELMA) “Why can’t you and Gene get along/why can’t you and my daddy get along–all of you are tearing me apart.” (EUGENE) Daddy moves from around the bar and comes behind her. With his left hand he puts a filled glass of bourbon to her lips. He takes his right hand and slips it under her blouse, caressing her right breast. She takes a drink and tongue smacks/kisses the air. She is darting her tongue in the air. Her tongue doesn’t connect with his. She’s far gone–she doesn’t know. He leads her–with his hand still on her breast–to their bedroom and closes the door. I hear her voice–high–high in her throat. I hear his voice–low and rumbling from his gut. I stand there for a good ten minutes and realize that they’ll be in there for the rest of the night. I go down to the bar and pour a big stiff drink. I look down at my shirt and see Alma’s lipstick. I down the drink and quickly pour another. I just sit there thinking and drinking. I sit there–me and Jim Beam.

PART IV