Topdog / Underdog by Suzan Lori Parks Page B

name?
     
    Booth
    Maybe.
     
    Lincoln
    Booth
     
    Lincoln
    What to?
     
    Booth
    Im not ready to reveal it yet.
     
    Lincoln
    You already decided on something?
     
    Booth
    Maybe.

    Lincoln
    You gonna call yrself something african? That be cool. Only pick something thats easy to spell and pronounce, man, cause you know, some of them african names, I mean, ok, Im down with the power to the people thing, but, no ones gonna hire you if they cant say yr name. And some of them fellas who got they african names, no one can say they names and they cant say they names neither. I mean, you dont want yr new handle to obstruct yr employment possibilities.
     
    Booth
    Lincoln
     
    Booth
    You bring dinner?
     
    Lincoln
    “Shango” would be a good name. The name of the thunder god. If you aint decided already Im just throwing it in the pot. I brought chinese.
     
    Booth
    Lets try the table out.
     
    Lincoln
    Cool.
     
    They both sit at the new table.
    The food is far away near the door.
     
    Lincoln
    Booth
     
    Lincoln
    I buy it you set it up. Thats the deal. Thats the deal, right?
     
    Booth
    You like this place?
     
    Lincoln
    Ssallright.

    Booth
    But a little cramped sometimes, right?
     
    Lincoln
    You dont hear me complain. Although that recliner sometimes Booth, man—no Booth, right—man, Im too old to be sleeping in that chair.
     
    Booth
    Its my place. You dont got a place. Cookie, she threw you out. And you cant seem to get another woman. Yr lucky I let you stay.
     
    Lincoln
    Every Friday you say mi casa es su casa.
     
    Booth
    Every Friday you come home with yr paycheck. Today is Thursday and I tell you brother, its a long way from Friday to Friday. All kinds of things can happen. All kinds of bad feelings can surface and erupt while yr little brother waits for you to bring in yr share.
    (Rest)
    I got my Thursday head on, Link. Go get the food.
     
    Lincoln doesnt budge.
     
    Lincoln
    You dont got no running water in here, man.
     
    Booth
    So?
     
    Lincoln
    You dont got no toilet you dont got no sink.
     
    Booth
    Bathrooms down the hall.
     
    Lincoln
    You living in thuh Third World, fool! Hey, I’ll get thuh food.

    Lincoln goes to get the food.
    He sees a stray card on the floor and examines it without touching it. He brings the food over, putting it nicely on the table.
     
    Lincoln
    You been playing cards?
     
    Booth
    Yeah.
     
    Lincoln
    Solitaire?
     
    Booth
    Thats right. Im getting pretty good at it.
     
    Lincoln
    Thats soup and thats sauce. I got you the meat and I got me the skrimps.
     
    Booth
    I wanted the skrimps.
     
    Lincoln
    You said you wanted the meat. This morning when I left you said you wanted the meat.
    (Rest)
    Here man, take the skrimps. No sweat.
     
    They eat. Chinese food from styrofoam containers, cans of soda, fortune cookies. Lincoln eats slowly and carefully, Booth eats ravenously.
     
    Lincoln
    Yr getting good at solitaire?
     
    Booth
    Yeah. How about we play a hand after eating?
     
    Lincoln
    Solitaire?

    Booth
    Poker or rummy or something.
     
    Lincoln
    You know I dont touch thuh cards, man.
     
    Booth
    Just for fun.
     
    Lincoln
    I dont touch thuh cards.
     
    Booth
    How about for money?
     
    Lincoln
    You dont got no money. All the money you got I bring in here.
     
    Booth
    I got my inheritance.
     
    Lincoln
    Thats like saying you dont got no money cause you aint never gonna do nothing with it so its like you dont got it.
     
    Booth
    At least I still got mines. You blew yrs.
    Lincoln
    Booth
     
    Lincoln
    You like the skrimps?
     
    Booth
    Ssallright.
     
    Lincoln
    Whats yr fortune?
     
    Booth
    “Waste not want not.” Whats yrs?

    Lincoln
    “Your luck will change!”
     
    Booth finishes eating. He turns his back to Lincoln and fiddles around with the cards, keeping them on the bed, just out of Lincolns sight.
    He mutters the 3-card patter under his breath.
    His moves are still clumsy. Every once and a while he darts a look over at Lincoln who does his best to ignore Booth.
     
    Booth
    ((((Watch me