a
CHARACTERS
Gopig.
BERTHA.
Lena.
Girt.Hello from Bertha
Scene: A bedroom in “the valley”—a notorious red-li ight section
along the river-flats of East St. Louis. In the center is 6 mas.
sive brass bed with tumbled pillows and covers on which Bertha,
4 large blonde prostitute, is lying restlessly. A heavy old-fash-
ioned dresser with gilt knobs, gaudy silk cover and two large
hewpie dolls stands against the right wall. Beside the bed is
low table with empty gin bottles. An assortment of lurid maga-
zines is scattered carelessly about the floor. The wall-paper is
grotesquely brilliant—covered with vivid magnified roses—and
is torn and peeling in some places. On the ceiling are large yel-
low stains. An old-fashioned chandelier, fringed with red glass
pendants, hangs from the center. Goldie comes in at the door
in the left wall. She wears a soiled double-piece dress of white
and black satin, fitted closely to her almost fleshless body. She
stands in the doorway, smoking a cigarette, and stares smpa
tiently at Bertha’s prostrate figure.
Goupie: Well, Bertha, what are you going to do? (For « mo-
ment there is no answer.)
Bextua: (with faint groan) 1 dunno.
Goxpre: You've got to decide, Bertha.
Berrua: I can’t decide nothing.
Gotpiz: Why can’t you?
Bexrua: I’m too tired.
Gotpie: That’s no answer. 7 ore
Brrrua: (tossing fretfully) Well, it s the ce
I just want to lay here and think things
183
swer I know.Gotore: You been layin’ here thinkin’ or somethin’ for the past
two weeks. (Bertha makes an indistinguishable reply.) You
got to come to some decision. The girls need this room,
Banta: (with hoarse laugh) Let °em have it!
Goupie: They can’t with you layin’ here,
Bearua: (slapping her hand on bed) Oh, God!
Goupie: Pull yourself together, now, Bertha. (Bertha sosses
egein and groans.)
Bexrua: What's the matter with me?
Gouois: You're sick,
Bexrua: I got a sick headache. Who slipped me that Mickey
Finn last night?
Gooie: Nobody give you no Mickey Finn. You been layis
here two solid weeks talkin’ out of your head. Now, the sensi-
ble thing for you to do, Bertha, is to go back home or—
Bera: Go back nowhere!—I’m stayin’ right here till I get
on my feet. (She stubbornly averts her face.)
Goupie: The valley’s no place for a gir] in your condition. Be-
sides we need this room.
Benrua: Leave me be, Goldie. I wanta get in some rest before
I start workin’,
Gotore: Bertha, you've got to decide! (The command hangs
heavily upon the room's florid atmosphere for several long
moments. Bertha slowly turns her head to Goldie.)
Benrua: (faintly) What is it I got to decide?
Gouoie: Where you're going from here? (Bertha looks at her
silently for a few seconds.)
Bertua: Nowhere. Now leave me be, Goldie, I’ve got to get
in my rest,
Gotore: If I let you be, you'd just lay here doin’ nothin’? from
now till the crack of doom! (Bertha'’s reply is indistingwish-
able.) Lissen here! If you don’t make up your mind right
away, I'm gonna call the ambulance squad to come get you!
So you better decide right this minute,
184
: t
has suijened slightly at this threat.) Lean!
Cy owen) Vill take this
Pl tell ’em we got
se es too tired—wort
dese fara | (She snaps er pase
tel and Vk make the al ight POY.
we) al oer hee who cant WK EE, ng
jocrua: (ehickly) Go ahead. I don
write another
Gao: (changing her tactics) ‘Why donk 7 ware or some-
‘eter, Bertha, to that man who sells - -
ing in Memphis? .
an (with sudden alertness) Charlie
off your dirty tongue! he talking» me keeping
Gouin: That's a fine way for you to Be IN. 4 red,
you here just out of kindness and you not HBTS 1) oy
white or blue cent for the last coe | Whee’ Her ice
Berrua: Charlie’s a real . . . sweet- *e
trails into sobbing mumble.) saxon for you t0 %8
Gouvie: What if he is? All the better en iy
im to get you ou of this ere SEK FPO ime! Get
Berrna: (aroused) Vl never a ples ‘
y, s
that? He’s rece eee ‘sor body.) Somebody’
2? You leave his name
e’sa.
ele, (She rns her hand soy a igs ney
cat me up with ile whee ego mene
Gouore: Pull youre gehen ar A nao 7m
I send you oe pardare
mee a he’s got money- He ov there! He ieee ie
reckon know, T something j'
ewes fie, any sme ene har in that
oe ped ” We had good times
Charlie know. «=
hers :
room! sex fongoten it 6D one ince
Ca an oa all OS se the bed ice
Beer: He's found ov O88 1. (She
it him and . « - €Ome
quit him
swith her pale.) an