EUGENE: The next day me and Alma go over to grandfather Eugene’s house–MY house. It feels strange saying that. My house. The house is huge–there are four bedrooms. I walk through it sneaking sips off my flask cause you can’t tell me any minute he ain’t going to come down the stairs. I stop in the hall by the stairs and it hits me–my head filled with bourbon, it doesn’t matter–it hits me. I can see that he had to fight/he had to fight to get this house–this palatial-looking house–he had to fight to prove he wasn’t a “light-skinned punk”–he had to fight/he had to be hard. I understand now why the house was left to me. (Beat) We bury Granddaddy No great funeral. We just bury him. We have the wake at Momma and Daddy’s house. Relatives from Momma’s side whom I never met, never dealt with, come up to me, kissing me. (VOICES) “Oh isn’t it so sad?/You have to keep the family going.” (EUGENE) They barely speak to Daddy. They know Alma and I are engaged. They smile at her and shake her hand. They do not kiss her.

ALMA: I’m looking at them–all these fair, thin-lipped people. They look me up and down, past me/even through me. Mr. Gaines comes over to me reeking of bourbon. (ROBERT) “Look at ’em Alma–look at all these yella red niggas–Doesn’t it make you sick?”

EUGENE: Momma’s happy that her family is present. She’s kissing all these people she hasn’t seen in years–Some blonde woman comes over and kisses me. (VOICE) “We got to stick together–the family is getting smaller.”

ALMA: No one is talking to me–

EUGENE: Who are these people? I need a drink.

ALMA: Wyce comes in. He nods in my direction. I turn my head–

EUGENE: (To Wyce) “Wyce, man, I am so glad to see you man! How the hell did you get a leave?” (WYCE) “I got my ways-sorry about your loss.” (EUGENE) “Thanks, man.” (WYCE) “Damn Gene, you got a nice-looking family!”

ALMA: Wyce is in seventh heaven with all these people in the room. He’s walking around with a bourbon bottle filling glasses. He keeps filling Eugene’s glass–Mr. Gaines looks at me, winks, smiles, and fills his glass again–

EUGENE: Wyce is trying to talk to one of my cousins. He keeps telling her, (WYCE) “I had no idea Gene had such beautiful women in his family.”

ALMA: How can these people drink in this heat? All of these people are just drinking and drinking–it’s like one big buzz.