Alfred Uhry - Driving Miss Daisy Read Online Free Page A

to show emotion ): Yassum.
    DAISY: But you have to practice. I taught Mayor Hartsfield out of this same book.
    HOKE: Thank you, Miz Daisy.
    DAISY: It’s not a Christmas present.
    HOKE: Nome.
    DAISY: Jews don’t have any business giving Christmas presents. And you don’t need to go yapping about this to Boolie and Florine.
    HOKE: This strictly between you and me.
    We hear a record of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. ”
    They seen us. Mist’ Werthan done turn up the hi-fi.
     
    DAISY: I hope I don’t spit up.
    Hoke takes her arm and they walk off together as the light fades on them. Light up on Boolie, wearing madras bermuda shorts and Lacoste shirt. He is in his late forties, waiting by the car.
     
    BOOLIE ( Calling ): Come on, Hoke! Get a wiggle on! I’m supposed to tee off at the club at 11:30.
    Hoke enters.
     
    HOKE: Jes’ emptyin’ the trash. Sad’dy garbage day, you know.
    BOOLIE: Where’s Mama?
    HOKE: She back in her room and she say go on widdout her. I think she takin’ on ’bout dis.
    They have gotten in the car, both in the front seat. Hoke is driving.
     
    BOOLIE: That’s crazy. A car is a car.
    HOKE: Yassuh, but she done watch over dis machine like a chicken hawk. One day we park in front of de dry cleaner up yonder at the Plaza and dis white man—look like some kind of lawyer, banker, dress up real fine—he done lay his satchel up on our hood while he open up his trunk, you know, and Lawd what he do that for, fore I could stop her, yo’ mama jump out de back do’ and run that man every which way. She wicked ’bout her paint job.
    BOOLIE: Did she tell you this new car has air conditioning?
    HOKE: She say she doan’ like no air-cool. Say it give her the neckache.
    BOOLIE: Well, you know how Mama fought me, but it’s time for a trade. She’s losing equity on this car. I bet both of you will miss this old thing.
    HOKE: Not me. Unh-unh.
    BOOLIE: Oh come on. You’re the only one that’s driven it all this time. Aren’t you just a little sorry to see it go?
    HOKE: It ain’ goin’ nowhere. I done bought it.
    BOOLIE: You didn’t!
    HOKE: I already made the deal with Mist’ Red Mitchell at the car place.
    BOOLIE: For how much?
    HOKE: Dat for him and me to know.
    BOOLIE: For God’s sake! Why didn’t you just buy it right from Mama? You’d have saved money.
    HOKE: Yo’ mama in my business enough as it is. I ain’ studyin’ makin’ no monthly car payments to her. Dis mine the regular way.
    BOOLIE: It’s a good car, all right. I guess nobody knows that better than you.
    HOKE: Best ever come off the line. And dis new one, Miz Daisy doan’ take to it, I let her ride in disheah now an’ again.
    BOOLIE: Mighty nice of you.
    HOKE: Well, we all doin’ what we can. Keep them ashes off my ’polstry.
    Light out on them and up on Daisy’s driveway. Daisy, wearing traveling clothes and a hat, enters lugging a big heavy suitcase. She looks around anxiously, checks her watch and exits again. In a moment she returns with a full dress bag and a picnic basket. She sets them by the suitcase, looks around, becoming more agitated, and exits again. Now she returns with a large elaborately wrapped package. Hoke enters, carrying a small suitcase.
     
    DAISY: It’s three after seven.
    HOKE: Yassum. You say we leavin’ at fifteen to eight.
    DAISY: At the latest, I said.
    HOKE: Now what bizness you got draggin’ disheah out de house by yo’seff?
    DAISY: Who was here to help me?
    HOKE: Miz Daisy, it doan’ take mo’n five minutes to load up de trunk. You fixin’ to break both yo’ arms and yo’ legs too fo’ we even get outta Atlanta. You takin’ on too much.
    DAISY: I hate doing things at the last minute.
    HOKE: What you talkin’ ’bout? You ready to go fo’ the las’ week and half! (He picks up the present)
    DAISY: Don’t touch that.
    HOKE: Ain’ it wrap pretty. Dat Mist’ Walter’s present?
    DAISY: Yes. It’s fragile. I’ll hold it on the seat with me.
    Boolie enters carrying his