Nothing But a Man Page #4

WILL:

What's the matter?! You mad at me?

LEE:

No. Why?

WILL:

(sitting down)

Nothin'.

(to Duff)

She's all right. Wouldn't have made it without

her. Christ - haven't worked in eight months.

Right now, I'm waitin' for some insurance money.

And man, when I get it, I got plans to make me

some more.

(he gets up restlessly)

Let's get out'a here. This place gives me the

willies.

(to Lee)

You got some money?

LEE:

(she knows what's coming)

Let's stay here, Will.

WILL:

(aggressively)

What's the matter?! It's a celebration!

BAR:

Will, Lee, and Duff are standing at the bar. Will has been drinking.

WILL:

So what's this about a woman? You got woman

trouble?

DUFF:

I said, I come to town with a girl.

WILL:

Plannin' on getting married?

DUFF:

No.

WILL:

'Don't sound so sure.

DUFF:

Well, matter of fact, I done a lot of bangin'

'round.

WILL:

Yeah. That's how me an' your mother got started.

I'm tellin' you, boy, you ain't got a chance

without dough. They take it all away from you.

He drains his glass and puts it down for Lee to refill.

LEE:

Pour your own trouble, Will.

WILL:

Your mother used to lay for her boss, boy. Did

you know that?

LEE:

Shut up, Will.

WILL:

Okay, so what's a girl supposed to do? Me not

workin' and her cleanin' house for a white man.

I'm tellin' you, boy, keep away from marriage.

Ya gotta stay light on your feet or you won't

make it.

He puts his hand on Lee's bare arm.

WILL:

Is she good in the hay? No point marryin' her

just to find out. Is there, baby?

LEE:

If you don't quit it, Will, I'm leaving.

WILL:

You're breaking my heart.

(he grabs her neck

and shakes her)

Got to see a man about a dog.

DANCE FLOOR:

Duff and Lee are dancing. She looks at him with a touch of sympathy.

LEE:

Don't let him get you, Duff.

DUFF:

How often does he get like that?

LEE:

Whenever he's got an edge on.

DUFF:

How often is that?

LEE:

He's been hitting it pretty hard. Got high

blood pressure, too. I guess it's hard on him,

having you around.

BAR:

Will is back and drinking when Duff and Lee come off the dance floor.

WILL:

(aggressively)

Well, what d'you think of her?

Duff says nothing.

WILL:

I asked you somethin', boy!

DUFF:

I heard you.

WILL:

Pretty good for a one-armed n*gger, huh?

DUFF:

Great.

WILL:

What d'you want anyhow? What you come and

bother me for?

LEE:

He's your son.

WILL:

Okay, boy, beat it.

DUFF:

I got the point.

He leaves money on the bar.

LEE:

Come back some other time, will you?

DUFF:

Yeah, sure. Good luck.

DOWNTOWN STREET (Night)

Duff is walking, lost in thought.

INT. BUS DEPOT (Night)

Josie enters with her purchases. She joins Duff at the sandwich counter.

JOSIE:

Hi.

DUFF:

(relieved to see her)

I thought you wasn't comin'.

She sits down.

JOSIE:

How did it go?

DUFF:

What?

JOSIE:

Your boy.

DUFF:

Okay, I guess.

JOSIE:

(to off-screen waitress)

I'll have some coffee, please.

DUFF:

You know, I been thinkin' - how 'bout us gettin'

married?

Josie is stunned.

JOSIE:

(playing for time)

What d'you mean?

DUFF:

Just what I said. Don't look so scared.

The waitress puts down a cup of coffee.

JOSIE:

Thank you.

DUFF:

How about it?

JOSIE:

What happened, Duff?

DUFF:

Look, baby - I don't know 'bout you, but it's

the right thing for me. I just know it is. So,

what d'you say?

JOSIE:

Don't push me, Duff.

DUFF:

Yeah. Wouldn't be no picnic for you. I ain't

exactly housebroken.

JOSIE:

What about that girl?

DUFF:

She don't mean nothin' to me. That's all over.

(after a moment)

Hell, baby - I'm askin' you to marry me. I

guess you want a big scene, huh?

JOSIE:

No. But a small one.

They look at each other.

DUFF:

It's yes, huh?

INT. BUNK CAR (Day)

Frankie is looking scornfully at Duff, who is lying on his bunk bed.

FRANKIE:

I'll be a monkey's kid sister! What d'you want

to do a thing like that for?

JOCKO:

'Musta knocked her up.

FRANKIE:

What're you gonna get out of it, huh?

DUFF:

(with a smile)

A whole lot, Frankie.

FRANKIE:

(aggressively)

Like what?

DUFF:

Like a home, for one thing.

FRANKIE:

You gonna sit at home the rest of your life?

Jesus!

DUFF:

Well, it's better than windin' up like a bum.

FRANKIE:

(defensively)

What 'you signifyin'?

DUFF:

I wasn't thinkin' about you, Frankie.

JOCKO:

Ol' Doris sure goin' to miss you.

FRANKIE:

Just give him a couple of months. A girl like

that, she don't know any tricks.

JOCKO:

You know what Doris told me? She say: That

Duff's a nice guy. Wouldn't even charge him

nothin'.

FRANKIE:

I guess you'll be quittin' the railroad, huh,

man?

DUFF:

That's right.

FRANKIE:

Man, you must be plumb outa your mind! You'll

be makin' twen'y bucks a week, if you're lucky.

INT. MOVING CAR

Josie is next to Duff. They are driving past a row of small attached houses

in the black section of town.

JOSIE:

Turn here. There it is!

They stop in front of a house. It is barely larger than a shack.

DILAPIDATED LIVING ROOM

Duff and Jose come in. The room is full of abandoned, broken furniture and

the ceiling and wallpaper hang down in strips.

JOSIE:

I used to know them. They've gone North.

DUFF:

(with a laugh)

I can see why.

JOSIE:

Well, what d'you think?

DUFF:

It's okay with me, baby. But how' you goin' to

like it?

JOSIE:

It'll be fine when we get done with it.

EXT. WINDOW OF LIVING ROOM

Duff is looking out through the broken pane of glass.

DUFF:

Who's that?

NEIGHBORING HOUSE, SEEN FROM WINDOW

A woman is putting laundry into a washing machine on the open porch. Her

children are all around her and in the yard below.

EXT. WINDOW

Josie has stopped next to Duff and looks out.

JOSIE:

That's Bessie Hall. Barney works at the mill.

DUFF:

Yeah?

Josie removes a shard of glass from the window; a larger piece falls out.

DUFF:

Hey, watch out! Guess you want a house full of

pickaninnies too, huh?

JOSIE:

Don't call them that.

DUFF:

That's all right with me. Always liked kids.

He moves to the rear of the room.

LIVING ROOM:

Josie turns to him.

JOSIE:

What about your boy?

DUFF:

(defensively)

What about him?

JOSIE:

He could live with us.

DUFF:

Let's just see how the two of us make out

first, huh?

INT. CHURCH

Duff and Josie are getting married. Duff is waiting near the pulpit. The

section hands are seated on one side of the aisle, Josie's family and friends

on the other. The gospel piano segues into the wedding march. Josie is coming

down the aisle by herself. She joins Duff and they step forward to face

Reverend Dawson.

DUFF AND JOSIE'S BEDROOM (Early morning)

Josie lies in bed with closed eyes. She hears Duff move and turns to him. He

is dressed for work.

JOSIE:

Good luck, baby.

He sits down beside her for a moment.

INT. MOVING CAR

Duff is in the rear seat with his new neighbor, Barney.

Joe, a millhand, sits next to the driver in front. He turns to Duff.

JOE:

Hard to get up in the morning, huh?

DUFF:

(with a grin)

That's right. How' you doin', Barney?

BARNEY:

(not given to saying much)

Okay.

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