rose: Troy be talking that stuff and half the time don't even know what he be talking about. troy: Bono know me better than that. bono: That's right. I know you. I know you got some Uncle Remus in your blood. You got more stories than the devil got sinners. troy: Aw hell, I done seen him too! Done talked with the devil. rose: Troy, don't nobody wanna be hearing all that stuff. (lyons enters the yard from the street. Thirty-four years old, troy's son by a previous marriage, he sports a neatly trimmed goatee, sport coat, white shirt, tieless and buttoned at the collar. Though he fancies himself a musician, he is more caught up in the rituals and "idea" of being a musician than in the actual practice of the music. He has come to borrow money from troy, and while he knows he will be successful, he is uncertain as to what extent his lifestyle will be held up to scrutiny and ridicule.) lyons: Hey, Pop. troy: What you come "Hey, Popping" me for? lyons: How you doing, Rose? (He kisses her.) Mr. Bono. How you doing? bono: Hey, Lyons . . . how you been? troy: He must have been doing alright. I ain't seen him around here last week. rose: Troy, leave your boy alone. He come by to see you and you wanna start all that nonsense. 14 FENCES ACTONE 15 troy: I ain't bothering Lyons. {Offers him the bottle.) Here ... get you a drink. We got an understanding. I know why he come by to see me and he know I know. lyons: Come on, Pop . . . I just stopped by to say hi. . . see how you was doing. troy: You ain't stopped by yesterday. rose: You gonna stay for supper, Lyons? I got some chicken cooking in the oven. lyons: No, Rose . . . thanks. I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by for a minute. troy: You was in the neighborhood alright, nigger. You telling the truth there. You was in the neighborhood cause it's my payday.
everybody's name what was ever been born. That's what he told me. But I seen your name. Seen it with my own eyes. troy: Go on in the house there. Rose going to fix you something to eat. Gabriel: Oh, I ain't hungry. I done had breakfast with Aunt Jemimah. She come by and cooked me up a whole mess of flapjacks. Remember how we used to eat them flapjacks? troy: Go on in the house and get you something to eat now. gabriel: I got to go sell my plums. I done sold some tomatoes. Got me two quarters. Wanna see? (He shows troy his quarters.) I'm gonna save them and buy me a new horn so St. Peter can hear me when it's time to open the gates. (Gabriel stops suddenly. Listens.) Hear that? That's the hellhounds. I got to chase them out of here. Go on get out of here! Get out! (gabriel exits singing.) Better get ready for the judgment Better get ready for the judgment My Lord is coming down (rose enters from the house.) troy: He gone off somewhere. gabriel: (Offstage) Better get ready for the judgment Better get ready for the judgment morning Better get ready for the judgment My God is coming down rose: He ain't eating right. Miss Pearl say she can't get him to eat nothing. troy: What you want me to do about it, Rose? I done did everything I can for the man. I can't make him get well. Man got half his head blown away . . . what you expect? rose: Seem like something ought to be done to help him. troy: Man don't bother nobody. He just mixed up from 28 FENCES that metal plate he got in his head. Ain't no sense for him to go back into the hospital. rose: Least he be eating right. They can help him take care of himself.
troy: You're gonna have to use it! You wanna draw that bat back on me . . . you're gonna have to use it. cory: Come on! . . . Come on! (cory swings the bat at troy a second time. He misses. troy continues to advance toward him.) troy: You're gonna have to kill me! You wanna draw that bat back on me. You're gonna have to kill me. (cory, backed up against the tree, can go no farther. troy taunts him. He sticks out his head and offers him a target.) Come on! Come on! (cory is unable to swing the bat. troy grabs it.) troy: Then I'll show you. (cory and troy struggle over the bat. The struggle is fierce and fully engaged, troy ultimately is the stronger, and takes the bat from cory and stands over him ready to swing. He stops himself.) ACT TWO 89 Go on and get away from around my house. (cory, stung by his defeat, picks himself up, walks slowly out of the yard and up the alley.) cory: Tell Mama I'll be back for my things. troy: They'll be on the other side of that fence. (cory exits.) troy: I can't taste nothing. Helluljah! I can't taste nothing no more, (troy assumes a batting posture and begins to taunt Death, the fastball in the outside corner.) Come on! It's between you and me now! Come on! Anytime you want! Come on! I be ready for you ... but I ain't gonna be easy. (The lights go down on the scene.)