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Pass Over

Page 5

by Antoinette Nwandu


  KITCH less eat

  Kitch approaches the place where he hid the pie in order to retrieve it.

  MOSES yo nigga wait

  KITCH nigga what

  MOSES you remember dat nigga

  broke into dat shelter

  took two loaves uh bread

  and some nasty ass cheese

  KITCH i remember

  MOSES what happened

  KITCH po-pos took his ass to jail

  dat nigga got

  three fo years

  MOSES i herd he got six

  KITCH for two loaves uh bread

  and some nasty ass cheese

  MOSES for stealin

  nigga

  stealin

  KITCH i ain’t steal dat pie

  MOSES you ain’t

  Kitch retreats from the place where the pie is hidden.

  KITCH ain’t meant to steal dat pie

  MOSES dat nigga

  dat got locked up

  how you think his life turn out

  KITCH i’on know

  Moses and Kitch wonder.

  MOSES cud still be locked up

  KITCH cud be dead

  MOSES nigga

  Kitch looks longingly toward the pie’s hiding place.

  KITCH on da otha hand

  cud be fine

  MOSES how you figure

  KITCH cuda got out early

  good behavior

  some shit like dat

  MOSES good behavior

  KITCH man

  i’on know

  MOSES good behavior

  KITCH or

  or

  if he is locked up

  cud be

  in one uh dem art programs

  water colors

  shit like dat

  MOSES water colors

  KITCH (singing, from Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All”)

  I BELIEVE

  THE CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE

  MOSES yo werd

  he cud be fine

  KITCH gettin dat g-e-d

  dat bach’lers even

  MOSES dat jd-phd

  KITCH yo what dat is

  MOSES nigga

  KITCH less say he ain’t tho

  less

  less say dat shit got tragic

  MOSES yo

  KITCH if it was me

  if i’m dat nigga

  dat got locked up

  MOSES all for stealin

  two loaves uh bread

  and some nasty ass cheese

  KITCH and i knew two niggas

  hungry jess like i wuz

  wit pie

  like da pie we got right now

  i’d want dem niggas to celebrate

  feel me

  i’d tell dem niggas

  (as Dat Nigga) life is short

  enjoy dat pie

  in my honor

  MOSES yo nigga

  you right

  KITCH so what we doin

  nigga damn

  MOSES chomp chomp

  Kitch goes to the hiding place to get the pie.

  But the pie isn’t there.

  KITCH yo moses

  dat pie

  ain’t here

  MOSES quit playin

  KITCH i’m not

  MOSES then where iss at

  KITCH i’on know

  nigga damn

  MOSES yo kitch

  nigga damn

  you sayin dat pie

  wus jess a joke

  KITCH naw nigga damn

  it was pie

  MOSES then where iss at

  KITCH told you nigga damn

  i’on know

  MOSES well

  where you put it

  KITCH here nigga

  here

  MOSES then where iss at

  KITCH i’on know

  nigga shit

  MOSES maybe

  it wuz jess a dream

  the american dream

  KITCH nightmare

  most likely

  Moses and Kitch have temper tantrums.

  MOSES why

  KITCH why

  MOSES why

  KITCH why

  MOSES why

  KITCH why

  MOSES why

  KITCH why

  MOSES why

  KITCH why

  MOSES why

  KITCH why

  Moses and Kitch collapse to the ground.

  And lay there for as long as they need to.

  Then Kitch sits up.

  yo moses

  we still gittin off dis block tho

  ain’t we

  live up to our full potential

  get dat milk and honey

  A moment.

  Then Moses sits up.

  MOSES nigga i’m startin uh think

  my ass might be lactose intolerant

  feel me

  and dat honey

  shit

  dat honey fuck wit’cho glycemic index

  nigga damn

  KITCH nigga

  MOSES what

  nigga damn

  it do

  KITCH come on my nigga

  you still got heart

  you moses man

  you moses

  MOSES iss jess a name

  nigga damn

  dat shit don’t mean a thang

  KITCH mean somethin to me

  MOSES nigga

  KITCH man don’tchu see

  you fixta do dis shit right here

  git up off dis block

  pass ovuh

  nigga damn

  jess like you sed we was

  jess like dat reverend missus said we was

  (as Reverend Missus) say i say moses

  MOSES here you go

  KITCH (as Reverend Missus) you leadin deez boys

  on cross dat river now moses

  sed

  you leadin deez boys

  on cross dat river now moses

  MOSES you finished

  KITCH man

  you always was

  dat reverend missus favorite

  reverend too

  my nigga damn

  dey say dat shit to you

  make all dat shit seem real

  MOSES yeah my nigga damn

  but now she dead

  KITCH come on man

  don’t go there

  MOSES reverend

  reverend missus

  my brotha

  dat nigga got kilt last night

  nigga dat’s gon git kilt tonight

  yo kitch

  KITCH what nigga damn

  MOSES man

  how many niggas we know been kilt

  KITCH nigga

  MOSES i’m askin my nigga

  how many

  KITCH my nigga damn

  yo brotha

  man

  yo brotha knew

  dis shit right here

  ain’t fixta hold us back

  you feel me

  MOSES we iz held back nigga

  way back

  KITCH nigga

  least thang you could do is try

  MOSES i have been tryin

  kitch

  KITCH try one mo time

  MOSES … . .

  KITCH pleeze moses

  MOSES … . .

  KITCH come on man

  pleeze

  pleeze

  MOSES how many

  KITCH a’ight then nigga damn

  yo brotha

  ed from the otha night

  darnell

  fat jay

  dat nigga roll wit jay

  dumb terry

  wall-eyed terry

  wall-eyed terry cousin

  mike dat got dat messed up knee

  big mike

  junior

  nick

  jayvon

  his brotha

  i ain’t never know his name

  c-money

  julio


  andre

  MOSES nigga

  which andre

  KITCH my nigga both

  tyleak

  MOSES okay man damn

  KITCH man i ain’t finished

  justin

  yo dat tall dude got dat elbow rash

  day-shawn

  day-kwan

  dat nigga martin

  kev

  oh shit

  dat otha kev

  there’s more my nigga damn

  i know they is

  A moment.

  Then up, out.

  yo reverend missus

  how da fuck

  you spect

  we fixta git up off dis block

  pass ovuh

  when deez fuckin red white blues

  keep passin over us

  MOSES (also up, out) also

  we never liked yo potato salad

  KITCH yo moses

  MOSES what

  my nigga damn

  KITCH i kinda did

  MOSES naw

  my nigga damn

  no mustard

  feel me

  hold dat mustard

  KITCH yo

  you right

  MOSES yo kitch

  KITCH what nigga damn

  MOSES less say dem po-pos

  come back

  keep comin back

  you and me

  never git off dis block

  man

  what’cho ass gon do

  KITCH niggaaa

  MOSES what nigga damn

  i’m askin

  KITCH i’on know man

  take it i guess

  MOSES yeah for how long

  KITCH niggaaa

  told you i’on know

  MOSES yo kitch man

  you my nigga right

  KITCH mos def

  MOSES a’ight then nigga

  one mo try

  less do dis shit right here

  pass ovuh

  KITCH yeah my nigga

  less git up off dis block

  MOSES naw nigga

  pass ovuh

  KITCH pass ovuh

  MOSES pass ovuh

  KITCH pass ovuh

  MOSES naw nigga

  pass ovuh

  KITCH what

  MOSES you herd me

  nigga damn

  pass ovuh

  A moment.

  KITCH yo

  you mean

  MOSES yeah

  KITCH … . .

  MOSES what nigga

  you scared

  KITCH … . .

  MOSES spent

  my whole damn life thinkin

  why niggas

  so fixated on heaven

  nigga damn

  i want dat good life now

  you feel me

  now

  but i’on know man

  maybe there is

  somethin to it

  why niggas stay killin each otha

  cuz in deez red white blues

  dat river don’t part for niggas like us

  dat river crash on us

  drown us whole

  we ain’t chosen nigga damn

  we egypt

  feel me

  egypt

  KITCH … . .

  MOSES but i understand

  if you don’t—

  KITCH naw nigga damn

  iss good

  but what we fixta

  do it with tho

  ain’t got no gun

  really we ain’t got nuthin

  MOSES we got dat rock

  KITCH yo what

  MOSES dat rock

  my nigga

  less jess use dat

  KITCH … . .

  MOSES come on

  my nigga

  Kitch gets the rock and gives it to Moses.

  KITCH a’ight then

  after you

  Moses gives the rock back to Kitch.

  MOSES naw nigga

  damn man

  after you

  Kitch gives it back to Moses.

  KITCH man after you

  MOSES nigga

  KITCH okay nigga damn

  iss juss …

  MOSES you iz scared ain’tchu?

  KITCH yeah nigga damn

  i hit’chu wit dat rock

  den what

  you pass ovuh

  leave me here

  all by my lonesome

  MOSES shit

  KITCH yeah nigga

  ain’t thought uh dat

  now did you

  MOSES no i ain’t

  KITCH a’ight then

  shit

  MOSES i got it

  how bout we don’t do dat whole thang

  all at once

  KITCH yo what

  MOSES i sed my nigga damn

  not all at once

  i hit’chu

  juss a little

  then when iss yo turn

  you hit me

  KITCH but juss a little

  MOSES yeah my nigga damn man

  juss a little

  dat way

  you and me

  we still

  KITCH but what if dat don’t—

  MOSES percy

  man

  i believe in you

  KITCH yo werd

  MOSES yes dawg

  i do

  KITCH man

  thank you man

  i’m touched

  Moses offers Kitch the rock.

  MOSES so what

  my nigga

  you in

  Kitch takes the rock.

  KITCH yeah nigga

  less do dis thang

  yo reverend missus

  git them fish eggs ready

  you hear

  (singing the theme song from The Jeffersons) CUZ WE UH MOVIN ON UP

  MOSES movin on up

  MOSES & KITCH we finally got uh piece

  uh the pie

  MOSES a’ight then nigga

  less do dis shit

  Moses considers his immediate surroundings, then kneels down facing Kitch.

  Kitch picks up the rock and raises it above his head.

  A moment.

  man

  waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait

  KITCH nigga!

  MOSES what nigga damn

  KITCH man

  what’chu want

  MOSES iss juss

  i think dat i shud face dis way

  KITCH yeah nigga damn

  dat might be better

  Moses turns to face away from Kitch.

  A longish silent moment.

  MOSES yo kitch

  KITCH what nigga damn

  MOSES sorry

  i ain’t da nigga

  you thought i was

  KITCH man

  dis shit

  don’t change nuthin

  feel me

  don’t change nuthin

  MOSES pass ovuh

  KITCH pass ovuh

  Kitch raises the rock above his head to strike.

  Ossifer clears his throat offstage.

  Kitch hesitates.

  yo moses man

  you hear dat dawg

  MOSES yo

  kill me now

  KITCH i can’t

  my nigga

  MOSES why not

  KITCH i think somebody here

  MOSES yo how you figure

  KITCH yo somebody here

  Ossifer enters as before.

  Kitch flinches.

  OSSIFER you

  going somewhere

  Ossifer approaches Kitch and takes the rock out of his hand.

  KITCH no sir

  Kitch assumes the position.

  MOSES … . .

  But Moses does not. He just sits there on his knees.

  OSSIFER (to Moses) i said

  you going somewhere

  MOSES … . .

  OSSIFER what’s the matter alpha dog

  c
an’t talk

  MOSES … . .

  OSSIFER alright then boy

  stand up

  Moses stands up.

  come on boy

  you know the drill

  Moses assumes the position.

  Ossifer pats him down.

  i don’t know why

  you boys

  insist

  on making me treat you

  like this

  what i do know is

  i can’t go

  one

  fucking

  day

  without problem

  after problem

  after problem

  you boys

  enjoy this shit

  hey boy

  don’t act like

  you don’t hear me

  i said

  you / boy—

  MOSES kill me now

  OSSIFER what the fuck

  did you say to me boy

  MOSES you heard me nigga

  KITCH yo moses—

  OSSIFER i say

  you could talk

  KITCH no sir

  Ossifer takes out his baton and runs the tip over Moses’ face and body. It’s a threat. But it’s not not sexual.

  OSSIFER i suggest

  you think about

  how you talk to me boy

  last thing i want

  is for this to get ugly

  MOSES kill

  me

  now

  OSSIFER i’m the one giving orders here nigger

  not you

  Ossifer hits Moses with the baton.

  Moses falters.

  Then he laughs.

  what the fuck

  is so funny

  MOSES you

  i’m standin here

  sayin kill me

  sayin i’d rather die

  than put up wit’cho shit

  for one mo day

  but’chu won’t do it

  wuss da matter

  you scared?

  Ossifer hits Moses again.

  Again Moses falters.

  OSSIFER no

  i’m just getting warmed up

  MOSES a’ight then nigga

  no time like the present

  bang bang

  OSSIFER you’d like that

  wouldn’t you

  MOSES you wud too

  or maybe you wudn’t

  maybe

  huntin niggas ain’t fun

  unless niggas run away

  OSSIFER start running nigger

  let’s find out

  MOSES naw nigga

  imma make you

  do dat shit up close

  cuz where i’m standin

  my black ass dead already

  all dat’s left

  is how it happens

  and who gets to bury

  dat body

  so come on nigga

  less go

  OSSIFER alright boy

  i warned you

  Ossifer hits Kitch with the baton.

  Kitch falters.

  KITCH moses

  MOSES what his crime is

  breathin while black

  OSSIFER don’t worry bout it nigger

  just keep those hands

  where i can see them

  A moment.

  MOSES no

  Ossifer takes out his gun and points it squarely at Moses.

  OSSIFER watch it boy

  The space changes.

  Then, Moses changes too.

  Then, the plagues against Ossifer begin.

  MOSES against my body

  black and free

  these weapons that you wield

  have no more strength

  not your gun

  Ossifer attempts to shoot Moses, pulling the trigger twice in rapid succession.

  Bang Bang.

  He can’t.

 

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