Lady Patriot

Act I Scene VII Mary dusts the table where Jefferson and Judah were working. She is alone in Jefferson’s office. She goes over his maps and some letters. She fakes dusting, then picks up another letter and reads it. Unknown to her, Old Robert enters the room. He watches her. She dusts some more then picks up another letter and reads it. OLD ROBERT I see what you was doin’. MARY You see me working? OLD ROBERT Naw. I seen what you was doing. MARY Old Robert, are you talking in riddles? OLD ROBERT No, little Mary…don’t know no riddles. Just know what I seen. MARY And just what did you think you saw? OLD ROBERT Know what I saw… saw you readin’. MARY (laughs) You know niggers can’t read. OLD ROBERT Guess you ain’t no nigger den, cause I saw you readin’. Is you colored or just a Negro? You play dumb…but you ain’t. Been around a long time little Mary…seen a whole lot of things. Good things…bad things, beautiful things and some down right evil things. I used to be young Robert, don’t ya know. I knows how to avoid trouble and I knows how to multiply good times. You know how I do that? MARY No, Old Robert, how do you do that? OLD ROBERT I look a person in dere eyes. A white man’s eyes can’t hold no secret without him telling you… it’s a secret. Oh, I’ve seen ‘em try to hide a secret, but I been around long enough to recognize a lie or see de truth…sitting right dere in dey eye. Know when a white man is scared and know when he’s working himself up to beating a nigger’s ass. It’s all in dey eyes. If’n I take my shirt off, you ain’t gonna find no scars on my back. Dat ain’t no accident. I know de truth of what I see. I’m gonna ask you a question little Mary…if’n you value Old Robert as a friend, you gonna look me in my eyes and you gonna spread truth all over your words. MARY I value you Old Robert. OLD ROBERT We gon’ see. Little Mary Bowser was you reading Master Jeff private papers? MARY (beat) Old Robert, I want you to come close and look me dead in my eyes. Old Robert moves to Mary. MARY Old Robert make no mistake…I can read any word put in front of me and write it too if I have a mind to do so. OLD ROBERT (beat) I knew it. I knew it. Little Mary, little Mary, I got you. Yes, indeedy I got you… got a secret to tell you… I knows’ my alphabet…all 26 letters. Recognize certain words too. Want to know more…can you help me? It ain’t easy around here. Want to be able to read…’fore I die. MARY You want a teacher? OLD ROBERT Has to be done in secret. MARY You want to write too? OLD ROBERT Lord ham mercy…ain’t you a God send. If it ain’t a bother? MARY One is just as dangerous as the other. If we gonna leap into the river, might as well go with both feet. OLD ROBERT Little Mary, you got gumption. Ain’t seen that in a Nigger’s eyes since, John Love ran north. MARY Old Robert, you ain’t exactly what white people think you are. Are you? You have disguised your contempt for this most peculiar institution in a jovial demeanor. OLD ROBERT (laughs) Love the sound of them words. Promise me you’ll show me what dey look like. MARY I promise. OLD ROBERT Guess you know your secret safe with me. MARY It’s why I told you the truth. Shylock is the name of a character in a play. He lends folks money. OLD ROBERT What’s the name of the play? MARY Mercantile of Venice. OLD ROBERT Who wrote it? MARY Willis Shake- the- spear. OLD ROBERT I’ll say dis for you …you a pretty smart nigger. MARY Some might say…I’m special. OLD ROBERT Mary answer me this. Why you want to read Massa Jeff’s private papers? MARY Old Robert, You know how white folks feel about darkies reading. If I open a book, I’m sure to get caught. If I glance at a paper and practice what I see, easier not to get caught. OLD ROBERT Yes sir, this is a brand new day. Gonna use that trick myself when I’m ready. Old Robert exits humming. Lights slowly fade. In the darkness the voice of Varina. VARINA Old Robert what are you humming about? OLD ROBERT Nothin’. Black Out.