Plays 1

by Kwame Kwei-Armah

  Clifton Wasn’t there someone in the back waiting to reach the hospital?

  Digger I don’t give a bombo! Deli, give me a roti.

  Deli We don’t do roti no more, Digger.

  Digger Oh yeah, me forget.

  Deli throws a glance at the baseball bat behind the door.

  Deli Eh! The police came round about the Roy ting today.

  Digger Oh yeah? What you tell them?

  Deli What Rose told me.

  Digger Which was?

  Deli That some Yardie men in mask asking for protection money burnt down the place, after beating the hell out of Roy.

  Digger Really? She told the police that?

  Deli I told her she should. How else we gonna rid this place of such vermin.

  Digger I wouldn’t have thought that would do her much good. Nobody likes an informer. Not even you.

  Beat.

  From what I hear she refused a reasonable deal.

  Deli Did you get my son help you in your nastiness, Digger?

  Digger What you talking about? Don’t be stupid.

  Deli I don’t believe you. How much odder dirty youth out there you gonna recruit, you gonna take my son? I don’t want you anywhere near anything of mine again, Digger. My son, myself, my shop.

  Digger You don’t? . . . You should think about that. Particularly after the recent events.

  Deli You threatening me?

  Digger No. Just reminding you of who protects who! Shit’s gonna change, Deli, dey run tings now. They was going to send a next man to talk to you but I said, true say that you and me go back, that I would do it and negotiate the best price for all involved.

  Deli The best price?

  Digger Best price.

  Deli After I already pay rates, tax and employees’ insurance, Renton crew want me to pay protection money?

  Digger Yep. I might could a get you less but ah, pay you do.

  Deli What appen, Digger? How you gonna go and join them lowlives?

  Digger Watch you mouth, Deli.

  Deli Ha, well, run tell your new employees that no. Not me.

  Digger Don’t be stupid. You don’t want dem kinda friction dere.

  Deli I been here ten years, Digger, what makes you think I’m gonna start paying some ‘off the boat’ bloody Yard boy money that I don’t have?

  Digger Because they said so. It’s not like you can’t afford it. Everybody knows that Dougie left you a whole heap ah money.

  Deli Dougie never left me shit. You know what? Tell them they can come burn down my place, before they get a red cent from me, that they can fuck off.

  Digger I ain’t gonna tell them that, Deli.

  Deli That’s your business.

  Digger No, this is. Once I say you have to pay, you pay, Deli, or else I look bad.

  Deli So it’s money you want, well, here, Digger, have some money.

  He empties out his pockets and throws the coins at Digger.

  Digger Ah wha de bloodclaat!

  Clifton Delroy . . .

  Digger Deli, calm and settle youself before I have to.

  Deli Take the money, Digger.

  He throws more money that he has found by the till.

  Clifton Deli, calm the hell down.

  Deli Take the money na!

  He grabs hold of the till and rips it out of the counter and throws it at Digger.

  Take the blood money.

  Digger Deli!

  Digger goes to pull his gun out but before he can get it out Deli is at his throat with the big knife.

  Deli Do it na! See if you could shoot me before I cut your bloody throat!

  Digger Deli, you’re behaving like an arse. Calm down and move the knife from my throat unless you plan to use it this very minute.

  Deli Digger, you used my son, you used my blood, to do my neighbour. You knew the first place the police were gonna come to was here.

  Digger He wanted to defend your manhood. Is not me!

  Deli My son doesn’t have to defend me, Digger.

  Digger Take the knife from my throat, Deli.

  He doesn’t.

  Clifton Delroy, use your mind. Take the knife from the man throat.

  Digger I told him no. But all you got on the street is your rep, bro, and my youth wants rep.

  Deli I see you close to Ashley again, Digger, and I will kill you.

  He takes the knife away.

  And take back your stinking BMW!

  Digger stands up.

  Digger That’s a very silly ting you jus’ do. (Beat.) I hope you can defend that.

  Digger exits, staring Deli out.

  Clifton Was that wise?

  Deli stares at Clifton and then backs out towards Digger.

  Lights down.

  An intense gurkel melody plays until:

  Scene Four

  Restaurant. Day.

  Baygee is sitting with a half-eaten plantain burger in front of him. He is mid-story to Clifton who is in the kitchen area.

  Baygee Now you know Charlie! Twenty years he dere in this country and doe miss a day work. But that afternoon, out of the blue, he head start to hurt him bad. He beg the manager not to send him home but they order him, so he go. Well, is just by chance I meet him on the street, vex he vex. I say, Charlie boy, go home and enjoy the missus. Huh, well, is den he start to tell me ting. Apparently, before Thelma would give him anyting he had to agree to put out the bins and wash de wares and all breed ah stupidness!

  Clifton What?

  Enter an aproned Clifton with a tray of plantain burgers. He starts restacking the shelves.

  Baygee Yes, blackmailing de man before she get him he tings, and even then he say, no matter what he tell her, all she doing is laying stiff so dreaming ah Trinidad. Not even a little (he imitates a female groan of pleasure) ahhhhh to sweet him.

  Clifton Is he that wrong, he should a grip woman long! Me I would a . . .

  Baygee Wait hear de story na! So I give him a few sweet boy tips and I send he on he way. De next time I see the man, is not in burial ground!

  Clifton You lie?

  Baygee Well, the story go that when he reach home flowers in hand and ting, he hear one set a noise from upstairs. Well, he say somebody break in and must be beating he wife. So he run into the kitchen grab one big knife and creep up de stairs so as to catch the criminal in the act . . .

  Clifton Surprise him yes . . .

  Baygee When he bust into the room, tell me what he see?

  Clifton The wife beating the man?

  Baygee Thelma head stick out the window leg cock up so, and a man half he age woking it hard from behind.

  Clifton You lie?

  Baygee I look like I lie? . . .

  Clifton What he kill de man?

  Baygee Well, he sister tell me that the wife tell she, that he just look at her, and then he look at this young stallion dat making Thelma shout ting he doe hear in he life and he heart just give up so, bang, he drop and dead.

  Clifton Just so? . . .

  Baygee Just so.

  Clifton Bonjay! Ha! Well is so he had to dead. Me old man use to say, if you have to drown you can’t burn.

  Baygee downs the rum in front of him in one and salutes Clifton.

  Baygee He don’t lie, Clifton, he don’t lie.

  Enter Deli. He doesn’t greet either of the men. He is in a world of his own.

  Clifton Where the France you been, boy?

  Deli looks at Clifton but doesn’t reply. Clifton addresses Baygee at first.

  Clifton (to Baygee) But look me crosses na! Delroy, you going deaf? I had to set up the shop by myself, you know. Where you been?

  Deli In a meeting.

  Clifton Meeting, what kind of meeting?

  Deli I said a meeting, OK!

  Clifton You don’t know we have a business to run here. None of the things going to be ready for lunchtime, you know?

  Deli Clifton, Clifton please. We miss lunch, we miss lunch.

  Baygee looks up at the
two men, checks his watch and decides it’s time to leave. He takes one last shot of Clark’s and slams the glass on the table and stands to go.

  Baygee (laughs) Gentlemen, I promised I’d drop something before twelve o’clock.

  Clifton I go have you food ready. What time you passing back?

  Baygee No, it’s OK, dey just reach back from Trinidad. She go have a little home food for me.

  Clifton Who is that?

  Baygee Ms Thelma. I gone.

  He exits and leaves the shop. There’s silence for a bit.

  Clifton You’s still a suspect?

  Deli You see Ashley this morning?

  Clifton No! (Beat.) I feel rather proud, you know. We seem to be running this ting well. Don’t you think?

  Deli We?

  Clifton Yes, it wouldn’t be unfair to say we. In fact, you know what I was thinking? You should let me move into the flat with you, son, that way we’d always be ready!

  Deli Clifton, I’m selling this place.

  Clifton Because them Yardies want a little money from you? It’s better you pay them than you run away. Men don’t run, son.

  Deli (fed up with everyone questioning his manhood) So what do they do, Clifton?

  Clifton They stay at the crease till the umpire’s hand go so. (Pointing up and out.) Running is never the answer.

  Deli I’m not running.

  Clifton I thought you had more brains than that, man!

  Beat.

  Where you going if you sell this place?

  Deli I don’t know. Somewhere far.

  Clifton You going to take Ashley?

  Deli I want to.

  Clifton What about me?

  Deli What about you, Clifton?

  Clifton Aren’t you going to need someone to help you run the business?

  Deli Who said anything about a business?

  Clifton What else you go do? Who’s going to employ someone that has no qualifications, spent a year in jail and ran away from the one positive thing he has achieved in his life. Where’s your respect?

  Deli Respect for what?

  Clifton Ashley, me.

  Deli You?

  Clifton Yes actually, me. As your father you owe me respect. The respect that says, ‘Daddy I know you’re not well, as your son I’ll take care of you till you’re strong again.’

  Deli Clifton, this is the wrong time for us to be having this debate.

  Clifton (losing it) No, this is exactly the right time to be having it. As a child, did I ever let you walk the street raggedy?

  Deli No, but . . .

  Clifton Exactly!

  Deli That was about you, you and your children always had to be the smartest in the street!

  Clifton Exactly, I looked after you . . .

  Deli To a point.

  Clifton (to himself) Once and man, twice a child. Jesus. Your generation curse. You British blacks pick up worse and leave best. Instead ah you pick up the Englishman thirst for knowledge and learning you pick up his nasty habit of dumping their old people in some stinking hole for them to rot when they are at the prime of their wisdom.

  Deli Clifton, is you that said when the doctors give you the all-clear that you going home . . .

  Clifton . . . I lied. I don’t have nowhere to go, Delroy.

  Deli What do you want me to do? I can’t help you, Clifton, believe me, I don’t have nothing!

  Clifton You and your brother bought some land home! You got money hidden away, I know. Let’s go home together na? Open a little something in town. Show them bitches that Clifton can bounce back. Clifton have something. He children amount to something. You know they does laugh at me home? Yes. Your own uncle laughs at me. ‘Look,’ he does say, every time he sees his daughter in the paper hug up with a next white man, ‘she doing well, innit? By the way, Dougie come out of jail yet.’ Laughing at my seed. Let we go home show them that my seed is something. We are somebody.

  Deli Clifton, listen to me, you are not going to want to be where I am, believe me.

  Clifton (loses it) Don’t say that!

  He begins to throw over the chairs and tables.

  What have I got to show for my life, Delroy? Parkinson’s! What do I have to do, beg you? Fight you for it?

  Deli Calm down.

  Clifton No, you fucking calm down. Calm down? Calm down? Come and make me na, think the old man can’t knock you down.

  He starts swinging his fists in the air. Deli stares at him, bewildered. He loses steam eventually, falling to the floor.

  Ashley enters. He stares at Clifton on the floor and the messed-up restaurant. He doesn’t say a word. Eventually, he goes to help Clifton stand up. Clifton shrugs him off and picks himself up.

  Clifton Get off me. All you generation curse. You go rot, mark my words.

  He leaves the restaurant. Ashley stares at his grandfather leaving.

  Beat.

  Ashley Where’s he going?

  Deli I don’t know.

  Ashley (cool and deadly) I hear you was down the police station this morning?

  Deli Yeah, how you know that?

  Ashley What did they want?

  Deli More details of your whereabouts when Rose’s place was burn.

  Ashley What did you tell them?

  Deli What I have before, that you were here with me. Why?

  Ashley You sure?

  Deli Yeah!

  Ashley walks up and hugs his dad.

  Ashley Thanks, Dad.

  Deli (slightly taken aback) It’s alright.

  Ashley You know I was only looking out for you?

  Deli pushes him off.

  Deli No, you were looking out for yourself. But it’s my fault. Should have got you out of here years ago. But I didn’t have the resource, the wherewithal . . .

  Ashley . . . What you talking about?

  Deli They know it was you. They know it was Digger. It’s only a matter of time. If Roy dies they coming to get you, son, no matter what.

  Ashley is about to say something but Deli stops him.

  Deli Ah . . . Now I know you’s a big man and dat but it’s up to me to protect you the best way I know how. If I was to say that I’ve arranged a place away from here for us, what would you say?

  Ashley I’d say why?

  Deli struggles to find the words. Eventually.

  Deli OK. I did go to the police station today but it wasn’t about you entirely.

  Ashley No?

  Deli No. I went because I’ve struck a deal. You . . . for Digger.

  Ashley (shocked to his core) Noooo! You can’t have done dat? You’re many things but you’re not an informer, Dad.

  Deli I knew Digger was bad but, son, he’s terrible.

  Ashley He does what he has to do to survive.

  Deli Don’t talk shit to me. What do you want me to do, son, protect Digger and throw you to the wolves? This is about your survival, you better know.

  Ashley (sickened) You didn’t have to inform, Dad. Where you ever going to go in the world and not have to look over your shoulder?

  Deli That’s not better than being in prison?

  Ashley Is still prison, just bigger cells.

  Deli Well, I’ve been in a cell, son, and it is not very nice. Each generation is suppose to top the previous one. If I have to die on the street to get you out of that dere runnings, wouldn’t I be doing my job?

  Ashley I don’t believe you did this?

  Deli I did, now listen to me. The police are going to arrest Digger today, but they’re only gonna be able to hold him for forty-eight hours. After he’s released, he’s gonna know that I shopped him, then he’s going to come right here and deal with me.

  Ashley You’re damn right he will!

  Deli But if you speak to the police and say that you’ll testify that Digger told you to do all that happened that night, we will get fifty grand and a safe house out of the country. Coupled with the money I already have, when we ready we could fly back home and live the lives of kings.

/>   Ashley Hackney’s home.

  Deli It won’t be when Digger gets out. What? He’s gonna have an informer’s son in his crew?

  Ashley (realisation) You did that on purpose?

  Deli Yes I did.

  Ashley (screams) I don’t believe you.

  Enter Digger.

  Digger You better do! Didn’t I tell you your father would do this. Didn’t I?

  Deli stands. A little afraid but ready whatever comes next.

  Digger How did you think you were going to get away wid dis? Wha, you think you could just pull knife on me, inform pon me and me would let you get ’way?

  Deli Man has to tek his chances in life, you get me, don’t you, Digger?

  Digger I get you, but what about your son? What have you done to your child, Deli? Branded him for life. Ashley, the informer’s boy.

  Deli stares him out.

  Digger What did you think was going to happen, Delroy?

  Deli Stop all the long chat, Digger, if you come to deal wid me let’s get it on like men.

  Digger pulls out a packet of crack rocks and throws them on the floor. He then removes another bag from his pocket. It is pure cocaine. He opens it and, as if releasing magic dust from his hand, throws a handful at Deli.

  Digger Um-um. It’s not me that’s gonna deal with you. You don’t know what we do to informers these days, do you? Well . . .

  He turns to Ashley.

  My youth. Deal wid this properly and you go straight to the big league. Rep is everything, and yours is gonna be huge after this.

  Ashley slowly takes out his gun. Deli just stares at him.

  Ashley You let me down, Dad.

  Digger OK, let’s do the solicitor’s work for him. Put one in the roof, shows we had a struggle.

  Ashley shoots the gun off in the air.

  Deli You ready for this life, Ashley?

  Digger Alright, now point the gun at your punk-arsed dad. The one that gets beat up and does nothing, has his business near taken away and does nothing, but then informs on a brother man to the other man for what? A piddling fifty grand! I could ah give you that! Is this the type of people we need in our midst? Weak-hearted, unfocused informers? No, I don’t think so. Do you, Ashley?