27 Wagons Full of Cotton and Other Plays Read Online Free PDF Page B

What was a mistake?

    F LORA: Fo‘ you t’ fool with th’ Syndicate—Plantation. . . .
    J AKE: I don’t know about that. We wuh kind of up-against it, honey. Th’ Syndicate buyin’ up all th’ lan’ aroun’ here an’ turnin’ the ole croppers off it without their wages—mighty near busted ev’ry mercantile store in Two Rivers County! An’ then they build their own gin to gin their own cotton. It looked for a while like I was stuck up high an’ dry. But when the gin burnt down an’ Mr. Vicarro decided he’d better throw a little bus’ness my way—I’d say the situation was much improved!
    F LORA: ( She laughs weakly. )Then maybe you don’t understand th’ good-neighbor—policy.
    J AKE: Don’t understand it? Why, I’m the boy that invented it.
    F LORA: Huh-huh! What an— invention! All I can say is—I hope you’re satisfied now that you’ve ginned out—twenty-seven wagons full of—cotton.
    J AKE: Vicarro was pretty well pleased w’en he dropped over.
    F LORA: Yeah. He was—pretty well—pleased.
    J AKE: How did you all get along?
    F LORA: We got along jus’ fine. Jus’ fine an’—dandy.
    J AKE: He didn’t seem like a such a bad little guy. He takes a sensible attitude.
    F LORA: ( laughing helplessly )He—sure—does!
    J AKE: I hope you made him comfo’table in the house?
    F LORA: ( giggling )I made him a pitcher—of nice cold—lemonade!
    J AKE: With a little gin in it, huh? That’s how you got pissed. A nice cool drink don’t sound bad to me right now. Got any left?
    F LORA: Not a bit, Mr. Meighan. We drank it a-a-ll up! ( She flops onto the swing. )
    J AKE: So you didn’t have such a tiresome time after all?
    F LORA: No . Not tiresome a bit. I had a nice conversation with Mistuh—Vicarro. . . .

    J AKE: What did you all talk about?
    F LORA: Th’ good-neighbor policy.
    J AKE: ( chuckling )How does he feel about th’ good-neighbor policy?
    F LORA: Oh—( She giggles. )—He thinks it’s a—good idea! He says—
    J AKE: Huh? ( Flora laughs weakly. )Says what?
    F LORA: Says—( She goes off into another spasm of laughter. )
    J AKE: What ever he said must’ve been a panic!
    F LORA: He says—( controlling her spasm )—he don’t think he’ll build him a new cotton gin any more. He’s gonna let you do a-a-lll his ginnin’—fo’ him!
    J AKE: I told you he’d take a sensible attitude.
    F LORA: Yeah. Tomorrow he plans t’ come back—with lots more cotton. Maybe another twenty-seven wagons.
    J AKE: Yeah?
    F LORA: An’ while you’re ginnin’ it out—he’ll have me entertain him with—nice lemonade! ( She has another fit of giggles. )
    J AKE: The more I hear about that lemonade the better I like it. Lemonade highballs, huh? Mr. Thomas Collins?
    F LORA: I guess it’s—gonna go on fo’—th’ rest of th’—summer. . . .
    J AKE: ( rising and stretching happily )Well, it’ll . . . it’ll soon be fall. Cooler nights comin’ on.
    F LORA: I don’t know that that will put a—stop to it—though. . . .
    J AKE: ( obliviously )The air feels cooler already. You shouldn’t be settin’ out here without you’ shirt on, honey. A change in the air can give you a mighty bad cold.
    F LORA: I couldn’t stan’ nothin’ on me—nex’ to my—skin.
    J AKE: It ain’t the heat that gives you all them hives, it’s too much liquor. Grog-blossoms, that’s what you got! I’m goin’ inside to the toilet. When I come out—( He opens the screen door and goes in. )—We’ll drive in town an’ see what’s at th’ movies. You go hop in the Chevy! ( Flora laughs to herself. She slowly opens the huge kid purse and removes a wad of Kleenex. She touches herself tenderly here and there, giggling breathlessly. )
    F LORA: ( aloud )I really oughtn’ t’ have a white kid purse. It’s wadded full of—Kleenex—to make it big—like a baby! Big—in my arms—like a baby!
    J AKE: ( from inside )What did you say, Baby?
    F LORA: ( dragging herself up by the chain of the swing )I’m