27 Wagons Full of Cotton and Other Plays Read Online Free

a wild bunch of boys, those Peterson boys. I never went out with ‘em but something happened which made me wish I hadn’t. One time, sunburned. One time, nearly drowned. One time—poison ivy! Well, lookin’ back on it, now, we had a good deal of fun in spite of it, though.
    V ICARRO: The good-neighbor policy, huh? ( He slap his boot with the riding crop. Then he rises from steps. )
    F LORA: You might as well come up on th’ po’ch an’ make you’-self as comfo’table as you can.
    V ICARRO: Uh-huh.
    F LORA: I’m not much good at—makin’ conversation.
    V ICARRO: ( finally noticing her )Now don’t you bother to make conversation for my benefit, Mrs. Meighan. I’m the type that prefers a quiet understanding. ( Flora laughs uncertainly. )One thing I always notice about you ladies . . .
    F LORA: What’s that, Mr. Vicarro?
    V ICARRO: You always have something in your hands—to hold onto. Now that kid purse . . .
    F LORA: My purse?
    V ICARRO: You have no reason to keep that purse in your hands. You’re certainly not afraid that I’m going to snatch it!
    F LORA: Oh, God, no! I wassen afraid of that!
    V ICARRO: That wouldn’t be the good-neighbor policy, would it? But you hold onto that purse because it gives you something to get a grip on. Isn’t that right?

    F LORA: Yes. I always like to have something in my hands.
    V ICARRO: Sure you do. You feel what a lot of uncertain things there are. Gins burn down. The volunteer fire department don’t have decent equipment. Nothing is any protection. The afternoon sun is hot. It’s no protection. The trees are back of the house. They’re no protection. The goods that dress is made of—is no protection. So what do you do, Mrs. Meighan? You pick up the white kid purse. It’s solid. It’s sure. It’s certain. It’s something to hold on to. You get what I mean?
    F LORA: Yeah. I think I do.
    V ICARRO : It gives you a feeling of being attached to something. The mother protects the baby? No, no, no—the baby protects the mother! From being lost and empty and having nothing but lifeless things in her hands! Maybe you think there isn’t much connection!
    F LORA: You’ll have to excuse me from thinking. I’m too lazy.
    V ICARRO: What’s your name, Mrs. Meighan?
    F LORA: Flora.
    V ICARRO: Mine is Silva. Something not gold but—Silva!
    F LORA: Like a silver dollar?
    V ICARRO: No, like a silver dime! It’s an Italian name. I’m a native of New Orleans.
    F LORA: Then it’s not sun-burn. You’re natcherally dark.
    V ICARRO: ( raising his undershirt from his belly )Look at this!
    F LORA: Mr. Vicarro!
    V ICARRO: Just as dark as my arm is!
    F LORA: You don’t have to show me! I’m not from Missouri!
    V ICARRO: ( grinning ) Excuse me.
    F LORA: ( She laughs nervously .)Whew! I’m sorry to say we don’t have a coke in the house. We meant to get a case of cokes las’ night, but what with all the excitement going on—
    V ICARRO: What excitement was that?
    F LORA: Oh, the fire and all.

    V ICARRO: ( lighting a cigarette )I shouldn’t think you all would of been excited about the fire.
    F LORA: A fire is always exciting. After a fire, dogs an’ chickens don’t sleep. I don’t think our chickens got to sleep all night.
    V ICARRO: No ?
    F LORA: They cackled an’ fussed an’ flopped around on the roost—took on something awful! Myself, I couldn’t sleep neither. I jus’ lay there an’ sweated all night long.
    V ICARRO: On account of th’ fire?
    F LORA: An’ the heat an’ mosquitoes. And I was mad at Jake.
    V ICARRO: Mad at Mr. Meighan? What about?
    F LORA: Oh, he went off an’ left me settin’ here on this ole po’ch last night without a Coca-Cola on the place.
    V ICARRO: Went off an’ left you, did he?
    F LORA: Yep. Right after supper. An’ when he got back the fire ‘d already broke out an’ instead of drivin’ in to town like he said, he decided to go an’ take a look at your burnt-down cotton gin. I got smoke in my eyes an’ my nose an’ throat. It