For the Reckord

by Barry Reckord

  PALMER: I hate deformities.

  DOCTOR: You won’t see a thing.

  PALMER: What would she be without her clitoris?

  DOCTOR: Your happy, high-born, obedient wife.

  PALMER: Surgery is wonderful.

  DOCTOR: The devil in her will die, with her desires.

  PALMER: Then cut her.

  DOCTOR: Drug her food tonight. I’ll come in the morning.

  As DOCTOR exits, DAWES re-enters.

  DAWES: What the doc say?

  PALMER: Cut her.

  DAWES: (Slapping his thigh with excitement.) Drug her food?

  PALMER: Not tonight. I want to climb that mountain one more time.

  DAWES: You want everything down there! You buy the whole hog!

  PALMER: I saw this bitch of a stone in Montego Bay. A precious stone. It will sweeten her. I’ll buy it Dawes. Tell her I’ll be back by nightfall. I’m too often away from home.

  DAWES sees PALMER out. Lights on ANNIE and CUPID upstairs listening.

  ANNIE: (To CUPID.) You’re sweating.

  She wipes his sweat off and licks her hand. Then licks his face, and he avidly feels her. They exit by the backstairs for a fuck in the bush.

  RHONE enters the drawing-room as LUCINDA comes down the stairs.

  RHONE: Where is milady?

  LUCINDA: Gone out with Cupid.

  RHONE: When is bakkra comin’ back?

  LUCINDA: You goin’ to tell?

  He stands there breathing. Desperate. She exits as DAWES re-enters.

  DAWES: For a walking prick you do flap.

  RHONE: Bakkra will have to hang me Mr. Dawes.

  DAWES: He’ll put Sammy back in the stores, and Sammy can count. Why you want him to punish you?

  RHONE: Niggers get caught by their prick. My life’s finished.

  DAWES: Bakkra is going to cut her, boy, and she will be flat white flab. She can’t run from that, she can’t hide, and you won’t even want her. We’re well set and if you crash, I’ll split your dick, so don’t crash.

  Lights on ANNIE and CUPID re-entering bedroom by back-stairs.

  CUPID: Read us our future.

  ANNIE: Hush.

  CUPID: Will we die?

  ANNIE: They kill, we die.

  CUPID: Is ecstasy rare?

  ANNIE: Yes.

  CUPID: I feel it now.

  ANNIE: I’d walk bare-foot, bare-arsed, bare-back, breed, live and die for you.

  CUPID: Why do you love me?

  ANNIE: Because I can quote you.

  CUPID: Why do I love you?

  ANNIE: Because you have a nose for dark truth.

  CUPID: I feel sweetly sad.

  ANNIE: Moonchild.

  CUPID: I must go and look after Sammy.

  ANNIE: Is he ill?

  CUPID: Yes.

  ANNIE: Worried how slavery’s getting on without him?

  CUPID: And my mother’s at a meeting.

  ANNIE: Rebellion?

  CUPID: I dread leaving you defenceless in this house.

  ANNIE: I’m not defenceless… Wear this devil’s cloth to keep out the dew.

  CUPID runs, then turns back.

  CUPID: (Whispering.) Tomorrow.

  ANNIE: Tomorrow… I’ll walk home with you.

  Both exit.

  Lights down to late afternoon. PALMER enters drawing-room with DAWES.

  PALMER: I bought her a bitch of a diamond. Look at it Dawes.

  DAWES: Pure light bakkra. The pure light of heaven.

  PALMER: (Shouting.) Miss Annie… (To DAWES, of the diamond.) It will hang as heavy as my right ball. (Shouts.) Miss Annie!

  DAWES, out of the corner of his eye, sees RHONE hovering.

  DAWES: (To RHONE.) Go and find milady.

  RHONE: Bakkra, I carry news for you.

  PALMER: Where is she?

  RHONE: Walking with Cupid sir.

  PALMER: Go and find her.

  RHONE: Bakkra…

  DAWES: (Cutting in.) Go and find Mrs. Palmer.

  RHONE stands there.

  PALMER: (Screams.) Go!…

  RHONE exits.

  (To DAWES.) What is he telling me?

  Before DAWES can answer, ANNIE enters.

  DAWES exits.

  Where were you?

  ANNIE: I open my legs. Need I open my mouth as well?

  PALMER: I came back to say I’m sorry I hit you.

  ANNIE: And sorry you raped me, and sorry you brag to Dawes about raping black girls. And sent for the doctor to cut me.

  PALMER: You heard that?

  ANNIE: (Dry.) Rhone my lover told me in bed.

  PALMER: It took me a numb second to see the jest. My gut turned over. Turned black. No woman ever made me feel that. I bought you a stone as rare as you. We’ll set it here in Jamaica and cut it. There are as good cutters and setters here in Jamaica as in England… My father couldn’t buy this. Not this. Couldn’t afford this. But with money so debased it’ll be worth twice as much as I pay for it.

  ANNIE: I’ve never seen a stone this size. Not even in England.

  PALMER: Since God has made us rich, let us enjoy it.

  ANNIE: Is it a present for castrating me?

  PALMER: Who said that?

  ANNIE: How many slaves died you think, mining this?

  PALMER: (Screaming.) What are you? The French Revolution?! ANNIE: You bought it, did you not, on approval? Give it back.

  PALMER: It cost the earth. It made the friggin’ Jew laugh under his cap. There I was, he thought, panderin’ to my new bitch of a wife.

  ANNIE: Take it away. I’ll be on the bed with my drawers down and my knees up.

  PALMER: Why did you marry me?

  ANNIE: The better to murder you!

  Exit ANNIE.

  PALMER: (Shouting.) Dawes! Dawes!

  DAWES enters.

  I’ll sleep at my neighbour’s for safety. And speak to Rhone in the morning.

  Both exit.

  Lights down to night. RHONE spreads his mat on drawing-room floor. DAWES enters.

  DAWES: There is peace in rum, take some. (Pours him a drink.)

  RHONE: (Declines drink.) I am dead Mr. Dawes.

  DAWES tosses off the drink and pours him another.

  DAWES: Take more.

  RHONE declines.

  (Swallowing RHONE’s drink.) There, that should make you feel better.

  DAWES stabs RHONE, who stumbles off. DAWES follows and kills him.

  Drawing-room. Dawn.

  PALMER comes home from neighbour’s. DAWES hails Caesar.

  DAWES: When bakkra come everything settle, everything in order. When bakkra come down from Ramble, come back from the bay. One hundred estates fall in Jamaica, but not one belong to bakkra. Bakkra’s five estates grind out 2,000 hogshead, and piss don’t flow like bakkra’s rum. Drought come, flood come, God reign and bakkra under God. Bakkra reign like a white sun and moon over five estates, like a white sun and moon bakkra shine. When bakkra stamp his foot, niggers hide. He is the honourable bakkra. Come bakkra and save Jamaica from witchcraft and the peril of Santo Domingo.

  PALMER: I want no more reports about witchcraft! Never again!

  DAWES: Bakkra, the whole estate says it’s Herrera.

  PALMER: I do not believe it.

  DAWES: Then it cannot be true sir.

  PALMER: You killed Rhone?

  DAWES: Bakkra, who wanted revenge? Who wanted Sammy restored to pride and position? Cupid and Princess and Sammy himself. They want Sammy back in the stores to feed rebellion.

  PALMER: Who killed him?

  DAWES: Cupid planted a knife in his head. And the one blow served his mother and Sammy.

  PALMER: You speak advisedly?

  DAWES: I checked the stores. Silver is missing. Weapons are missing. Sammy was plundering for Princess, Cupid and rebellion.

  PALMER: You have proof?

  DAWES: Bakkra I captured two runaways who said Princess is in rebellion, and gave your slaves powders to abort. I can’t fi
nd Cupid, we are chasing him and milady, but I arrest Princess and Sammy.

  PALMER: She gave my wife powders?

  DAWES: That might not be true, but it sound reasonable.

  PALMER: Summon them. Sammy first.

  DAWES leads in SAMMY.

  SAMMY: Morning bakkra, and respect sir.

  PALMER: You hear Rhone is dead?

  SAMMY: Yes bakkra.

  PALMER: Murdered by person or persons unknown.

  SAMMY: Yes bakkra, I hear and I grieve.

  PALMER: You felt grievance against him?

  SAMMY: I said I feel grief, bakkra, not grievance.

  PALMER: I know what you said, but I ask you again. You felt grievance against him?

  SAMMY: No, bakkra. I know I was wrong to give the niggers salt-beef and salt-pork, and Rhone take my place.

  PALMER: What have you done since you put up for sale?

  SAMMY: I just sit down in me house.

  PALMER: And brood on Rhone.

  SAMMY: Brood on the expense I bring down on you. Thirty-five years I serve you and your father, and I never do nutten without yea or nay from the bakkra.

  PALMER: You didn’t brood on yourself, put up for sale, and on separation from your woman and family.

  SAMMY: Well, sir, that is my trial, but I grieve that I took liberties with the trust you put in me, Sammy, and now Rhone is another trial come down on you.

  PALMER: Nigger, you playing fool to catch wise.

  SAMMY: I stand here under bakkra and God.

  PALMER: Who killed Rhone?

  SAMMY: Bakkra, I hear about Herrera, but my head refuse. I don’t know.

  PALMER: Your woman slept in your bed last night?

  SAMMY: She was at her usual meeting till cock-crow, bakkra.

  PALMER: She made you buy the salt food.

  SAMMY: Bakkra, I am in charge of your stores. I was in charge of your stores.

  PALMER: Call your wife.

  SAMMY: She’s waiting bakkra.

  PALMER: Call her.

  SAMMY: (Gently.) Princess. Come Princess.

  PRINCESS enters.

  PALMER: She made you buy the salt food the day I married?

  SAMMY: Bakkra, my wife has enemies in your house. Anything you hear is labrish.

  PALMER: I ask you this on oath. Dawes, give him the Bible. Did she make you buy the salt food?

  SAMMY: (Holding the Bible.) Bakkra, she made me buy the salt food.

  PALMER: And you are an honest Christian fool, so you thought your wife was like you, with motives honest and Christian.

  SAMMY: She was concerned for the suffering sir.

  PALMER: She didn’t tell you that the day I married was the day her son was certain not to inherit.

  SAMMY: Sir, you gave Cupid his freedom. What more could he want?

  PALMER: My five estates. Don’t the black people want that? (Sarcastic.) Isn’t it their land? Isn’t your wife in rebellion against me? Doesn’t she feed runaways.

  SAMMY: I am only her husband sir.

  PALMER: And you swear to me now under oath, she is not a rebel.

  SAMMY: (Selling her out.) I was not at her meeting sir.

  PALMER turns to PRINCESS.

  PALMER: Where is my wife?

  PRINCESS: Hiding from the doctor sir.

  PALMER: Princess, somebody give my wife a powder to kill my baby. Who?

  PRINCESS: Bakkra, your wife miscarried on the boat.

  PALMER: Her nanny was a blasted Ibo slave like you. You gave her powders? You gave my slaves powders.

  PRINCESS: Bakkra the women work through sickness till they miscarry. You want more than that? They cook the food they can’t eat, wash the clothes they can’t wear, and make the beds they can’t sleep in. And when they run and you catch them, you cripple them.

  PALMER: So you dose-out the baby niggers that I need to grow big and chop cane. And dose-out me son and heir.

  PRINCESS: Rebellion is all over the parish and it will be heard right here in your house.

  PALMER: Who killed Rhone?

  PRINCESS: Well, everybody know how that go.

  PALMER: How it go?

  PRINCESS: It go beyond mortal control.

  PALMER: You grievance Rhone?

  PRINCESS: For what sir?

  PALMER: Sammy sale.

  PRINCESS: Is Rhone sell Sammy, sir?

  PALMER: You grievance me?

  PRINCESS: I grievance you. Yes bakkra. You sell Sammy.

  PALMER: So it’s me next?

  PRINCESS: Left to me, it’s you first, bakkra.

  PALMER: So you go to meeting to conspire against me.

  PRINCESS: Bakkra the people conspire. And I believe Herrera has some business to settle. With Rhone and Dawes, then with you.

  PALMER: Princess, I am a magistrate of this parish. Take the oath.

  PRINCESS: No, sir. It’s not my God. Leave the book and hang me. When I’m dead and buried I’ll rise up and eat food and live and you will die like everything you believe in.

  PALMER: Dawes, bear witness. Princess conspire.

  PRINCESS: Bakkra, slaves live and die at your pleasure, and I am a slave. But who can chain up the dead? They walk free. Bakkra day done. Black man time come now.

  PALMER: You threatenin’ my authority?

  PRINCESS: Yes.

  PALMER: Dawes, take this woman into the slave yard and hang her.

  DAWES: Come.

  PRINCESS: (Shouts.) Tell Cupid to look after all the children.

  PALMER: I have changed my mind. Take her to the slave yard, whip her, and then hang her.

  All exit, except PALMER and SAMMY.

  Sammy. (He throws him the store keys.) Count the stores. Top to bottom.

  Blackout.

  PALMER stands in the drawing-room listening to dogs in the pen howling. SAMMY enters.

  PALMER: Where is my wife?

  Howling.

  SAMMY: Bakkra I know not. The rebellion is spreading. Nine more people run away.

  PALMER: (Bitter comment on SAMMY saying “people”, not “niggers”.) They are people now.

  SAMMY: Cupid came with rebels and cut Princess down.

  PALMER: You counted the stores?

  SAMMY: They’re half empty.

  PALMER: Dawes waits to strike. This mulatto was merely a creature. Black nigger, brown nigger, same nigger. Everywhere you look on the map, black is grief. I’ll leave ‘em to stink in their bed-sweat, and sell up before the country is weed high. Leave Dawes to me.

  A horse pulls up. SAMMY exits. DAWES enters.

  SAMMY: You caught her?

  DAWES: My men saw her sir.

  PALMER: Your men, Dawes? You have men?

  DAWES: Bakkra is bakkra, and Dawes is his shadow. There is no Dawes without bakkra.

  PALMER: Where was she?

  DAWES: In the bush, with Cupid.

  PALMER: In heat?

  DAWES: Yes sir.

  PALMER: I want my wife tortured in every particular. Brand her, drag her to the edge of the shit-pit and bury, cut her down with a machete, and bury her. I want this done tonight. (He gives DAWES the diamond as a reward.) I’m in your debt.

  DAWES: Rape her bakkra?

  PALMER: My wife? Are you insane?

  ANNIE descends stairs. PALMER exits.

  ANNIE: Are you guarding me, Dawes?

  DAWES: I fear your husband wants me hanged for your death. I’ll bring him home for Christian burial, and woo you with tales of Cupid’s demise.

  DAWES exits. ANNIE listens to talking-drums in the distance. ABUKU enters, breathless.

  ABUKU: Cupid is here!

  ANNIE: What are the talking-drums saying Abuku?

  ABUKU: Kill the witch.

  CUPID enters. Hugs ABUKU and ANNIE.

  CUPID: (To ANNIE.) Did Dawes tell him?

  ANNIE: Yes.

  CUPID: Why?

  ANNIE: Dawes does the killing and has his own fish to fry.

  CUPID: Might you escape?

  ANNIE: Yes.

>   CUPID: The militia hunts me as a rebel, and the rebels fear I’m a traitor.

  ANNIE: Did they send you to kill me?

  CUPID: Yes.

  ANNIE: You know the bush as well as they do. You can hide.

  CUPID: We may not meet again. Alive.

  ANNIE: Then I’ll meet you there.

  They look at each other. He runs. ANNIE goes upstairs and lies flat out on her bed.

  Lights down. LUCINDA lights candles in the bedroom. DAWES enters drawing-room and goes upstairs to ANNIE, who is still flat out on the bed.

  DAWES: (Frisking her.) Is milady armed?

  ANNIE: Only with my body, Mr. Dawes.

  DAWES: You husband’s rallying the militia milady, but there are mulattoes among them. Men like me who endured his contempt, and have feelings to vent.

  ANNIE: Is he dead?

  DAWES: They laced his rum with stagnant water, and he bears a fever.

  ANNIE: Will he die?

  DAWES: (Dialect.) Life gone before doctor come.

  ANNIE: Have you forged a new will?

  DAWES: When his attorney arrives.

  ANNIE: You’ll have five estates.

  He hangs the diamond PALMER gave him round her neck, parting her cleavage.

  ANNIE: I must pillow your bed?

  DAWES: Your tits swell for Cupid, and shrivel for me?

  ANNIE: You want a quick dip? In his oil? Take those off.

  They both undress. He searches the bed, and the pillows, then joins her in the bed.

  You need refinements?

  DAWES: Yes milady.

  ANNIE slips a six inch stiletto from her parts and he gets it in the loins.

  Lights up in drawing-room.

  ABUKU takes an empty rum-flask from the drawing-room. SAMMY enters.

  SAMMY: Milady sent for me?

  ABUKU: Yes. (Very exuberant.) Mass Sammy, bakkra sent for Princess, and she didn’t tremble. Dawes put the rope around her neck, and she wasn’t afraid. Niggers know that road well. I will hold their hand and walk it with them.

  SAMMY looks distressed. ANNIE enters. ABUKU waits.

  ANNIE: Sammy, if anything should happen to Mr. Palmer, will you take charge of the estate?

  SAMMY: Yes, milady.

  ANNIE: My father cut up some of his land and rented it off. Could that be done here?

  SAMMY: And well done, milady, if you find careful tenants.

  ANNIE: We must buy our safety. Could all the land on five estates be rented at a pittance, and the tenants freed?

  SAMMY: And what would you live on?

  ANNIE: We’d grind their cane.

  SAMMY: It would shake slavery if the tenants were freed. That’s what they fight for. But the estates are Mr. Palmer’s and the world hangs on the words of the mighty.