Beloved Page #5

PAUL:

Reminds me of that headless bride back

behind Sweet Home. Remember that Sethe?

Used to roam them woods regular.

DENVER:

(annoyed, resentful)

Mama doesn't like talk about Sweet Home.

Says it was never sweet and it sure

wasn't home.

SETHE:

Girl, mind yourself!

PAUL:

Now, now, she got it right there, Sethe.

SETHE:

But it's where we were. All together.

It's where I met your father. And it

comes back on us whether we want it to or

not....

DENVER:

Then why don't you ever tell me about it?

Sethe pauses - unnerved and irritated by Denver's challenge.

SETHE:

Denver, start up the stove. Paul must be

hungry.

PAUL:

Don't go to no trouble on my account.

SETHE:

Bread's no trouble. The rest I brought

back from where I work. Least I can do,

cooking dawn to noon, is bring dinner

home. You got any objections to pike?

PAUL:

If he don't object to me I don't object

to him.

He addresses his humor to Denver who offers no response. She

crosses to the stove and works on lighting it. She's mad.

DENVER:

Where's he going to sleep? Baby Sugg's

room got no sheets or nothing.

SETHE:

We'll figure it out.

DENVER:

Maybe you should stay with mama, Mr.

Garner. Then you two can talk about Sweet

Home all night long.

SETHE:

(explodes)

What's the matter with you! I never knew

you to behave like this!

PAUL:

Leave her be, Sethe. I'm a stranger to her.

SETHE:

That's just it. She got no cause to act

up with a stranger.

Denver collapses where she stands, sobbing out loud. Sethe

moves to her.

SETHE:

Baby, what is it? Did something happen?

Denver moves away. Sethe registers this rejection.

DENVER:

I can't no more! I can't no more!

SETHE:

Can't what? What can't you?

DENVER:

I can't live here! I don't know where to

go or what to do but I can't live here.

Nobody speaks to us. Nobody comes by.

Nobody even knows I'm alive.

PAUL:

What she talking about 'nobody speaks to

you'?

SETHE:

It's the house. People don't...

DENVER:

It's not! It's not the house! It's us!

It's you!

SETHE:

Denver!

PAUL:

Leave off, Sethe. It's hard for a young

girl living in a haunted place. That

can't be easy.

SETHE:

(growing irritated)

It's easier than some other things. Come

here, baby..

Denver allows herself to be held.

PAUL:

I'm a grown man with nothing new left to

see or do and I'm telling you it' ain't

easy. Maybe you oughta move.

SETHE:

No!

PAUL:

Sethe!

SETHE:

No. No moving. No leaving. It's all right

the way it is.

PAUL:

You going to tell me it's all right with

this child half out of her mind.

SETHE:

(holding Denver in her arms)

I got a tree on my back and a haunt in my

house and nothing in between but the

daughter I'm holding in my arms. No more

running - from nothing! I will never run

from another thing on this earth, you

hear! I took one journey and I paid the

ticket but let me tell you something,

Paul D. Garner; it cost too much! Do you

hear me?! It cost too much! Now sit down

and eat with us or leave us be!

Sethe's sudden outburst startles Paul. He watches as Sethe

ushers Denver out to the keeping room off the kitchen to

quiet her down.

Alone, Paul is disturbed by Sethe's words. He fishes out a

pouch of tobacco and concentrates on it, searching for

smoking papers he knows he doesn't have...waiting for Sethe

to return.

When she does, she heads straight for the stove. She spits on

her finger and touches it to check it's heat. She then begins

to make bread from flour, soda and salt - keeping her back to

Paul throughout - as the scene continues;

PAUL:

What tree, Sethe?

SETHE:

Huh?

PAUL:

What tree on your back? I don't see

nothing growing on your back.

SETHE:

It's there all the same.

PAUL:

Who told you that?

SETHE:

White girl. That's what she called it. I

never seen it and never will. But she

said that's what it looked like. A

chokecherry tree. Leaves, branches. That

was 18 years ago. Could have cherries by

now for all I know...

PAUL:

I don't follow.

Sethe pauses. Something in her decides to tell Paul D,

although she keeps working on the bread to stay in control;

SETHE:

I had milk, see. I was pregnant with

Denver but I had milk for my baby girl

that I sent ahead with the boys. I hadn't

stopped nursing her when I sent her and

the boys ahead of me. Anybody could smell

me long before they saw me. Nothing I

could do about it. All I knew is I had to

get my milk to my little girl. Nobody was

going to nurse her like me. Nobody was

going to get it to her fast enough or

take it away when she had enough..nobody

knew she couldn't pass her air if you

held her up on your shoulder, only if she

was lying on your knee..Nobody knew that

but me...

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