(In Priscilla’s living room. There are some couches, whatnot, entertainment center. A flat screen television set sits in the middle of the entertainment center.)
DARLENE (Sitting on a couch): Where is Wella? How come he hasn’t come home from school as yet? Today, big Friday evening, that boy is joking. I can bet that all the teachers and students have gone home.
PRISCILLA: Are you sure that he went to school?
DARLENE: From our mother died, he has gotten from bad to worse. Mister Banjo never even came here one day to talk to him. He is a real dead stock.
PRISCILLA: You can say that again. Anyway, they have some new schools where bad boys like him can go.
DARLENE: Let us try to get him into one of them. I don’t want him to go anywhere and get mixed up with bad company again.(Enter Banjo. He is dressed in jeans, t’ shirt, a pair of long boots and dark glasses. He is clean shaven and has a bald head)
PRISCILLA: Mister Banjo, what are you doing here? You never heard that mummy died, look how long now?
BANJO: How could I have heard? I was working down in St. Elizabeth.
DARLENE: She is dead and buried. We phoned you. We sent messages. Lord Mister Banjo, you could have treated her better than that.
PRISCILLA: It must have been Gwen, who stopped him from coming. Look at what mummy did for you and you treated her so bad.
BANJO: I lost my phone. That’s why you weren’t hearing from me. (Bows his head, then covers it with his hands.)
DARLENE: We know that you and our mother broke up a long time ago, but at least you could have phoned us to find out about her. You must have known that she was sick and in and out of the hospital.
BANJO: It’s just last week that I got back another phone and I decided to come and find out if everybody was all right. Everybody I talked to on my way up here said that she got a good turning out.
DARLENE: Lots of people came and I never heard anybody complaining that they never got enough to eat or drink.
BANJO: I’m glad to hear that. Where is Wella?
PRISCILLA: We were just talking about him. Look how long school over and he hasn’t come home yet.
BANJO: Are you sure that he went to school? All he’s good for is to keep bad company. Police will soon come for him.
BANJO: Anyway, that’s not what I came here to talk about. Where is Roselyn’s bank book?
PRISCILLA: What did you say, Mister Banjo? Repeat what you just said. You are asking for our mother’s bank book?
BANJO: So, what’s wrong if I ask about it? It’s only the two of us names were in it and now that she is dead, I want it.
DARLENE: (Laughs) So you never knew that she took out your name and put Priscilla’s and my name in there. It’s the money that she had in there we used to bury her. We are using the balance to send Wella to school.
BANJO: (Stands up) Both of you are lying. The amount of money that was in the account would bury Roselyn and still leave money to educate Wella up to University level. I bet that it will soon finish. I bet that both of you went in there and used it off. When it finishes, don’t come to me for any money for Wella. I’m going to the bank on Monday to find out about it.
PRISCILLA: Mister Banjo, from our mother died, six months now, this is the first time we are seeing you. Where were you all this time? You claimed that you lost your phone. Look how cheap phones are, you should be able to buy another one. I know that you are lying.
BANJO: That’s none of your business, girl and I want both of you off the place too. How soon can you come off? I promised Gwen and my brother’s woman, Naomi, to move them up here by next week. And remember that it’s only your clothes you have here. I own all of the furniture and everything else.
PRISCILLA: Darlene, it seems as if Mister Banjo is not in his right mind. Go and call Aunt Ruby for me. Are you getting mad, Mister Banjo? My mother’s will read and she left the place to me, Darlene and Wella. I never saw you bringing any furniture here yet. And you took everything that you owned with you when you were leaving the last time.(Exits Darlene)
BANJO: I am going down to Sammy’s bar. And you see, if by the time I come back the two of you don’t take out your belongings, I am going to throw them out onto the sidewalk and I’m not responsible for what happens to them. (Exits Banjo)
PRISCILLA: What a wicked man, Mister Banjo is turning out to be. Look how our mother looked after that man and in her hour of need he was nowhere to be found. God is going to give him his reward though. (Enter Wella)
PRISCILLA: Look at the time you are coming home from school, boy.
WELLA: What’s that to you? That’s none of your business.
PRISCILLA: Who are you being fresh with, boy? (Boxes Wella’s face)
WELLA: What did you boxed me for? Is it you who is sending me to school? From my mother died any of you business with me?(Enter Gwen, she is Banjo’s woman. She carries a broom and other implements, she is humming a tune)
PRISCILLA: Where are you going, Miss Gwen?
GWEN: What are you doing here, Priscilla? Banjo told me that, you, Darlene and Wella moved up to Miss Ruby’s house. He said that he ran you off the place because none of you have any manners to him and it’s us he wants to live here. My sister, Naomi has gone to look for our mother. She isn’t coming here until tomorrow evening.
WELLA: (Still has his hand over where Priscilla had boxed him) What is she saying, Priscilla? Banjo doesn’t want us to live here anymore?
PRISCILLA: Miss Gwen, I know that you have children for Mister Banjo and Miss Naomi, is his brother, Scully’s woman. Nothing what Mister Banjo told you is true. I am begging you to just come out of my place. You know me already and know that I’m a very serious woman. (Enter Darlene)
DARLENE: I don’t see Aunt Ruby, Priscilla, it looks like she has gone to church. But wait, what is Miss Gwen doing here with broom and brush?
PRISCILLA: It’s the same question I am asking her.
GWEN: I am not leaving here tonight until Banjo comes back. Go and pack up your things and call Sidney’s van to move them up to your aunt’s house, Priscilla, Darlene and Wella. Banjo said that it’s only the clothes you are to move with because he owns all the furniture and everything else.
PRISCILLA: You know what, let me go and find Mister Banjo and try thrashing out this thing with him. I’ll soon be back, Darlene and Wella. (Exits Priscilla)
GWEN: I am coming with you, Priscilla. Darlene, if Naomi’s baby father, Scully, comes up here, tell him that I’ve gone down to Sammy’s bar to look for Banjo. (Exits Miss Gwen)
WELLA (eating his dinner): Darlene, what’s going on? It looks like Banjo wants to run us out of here, but how can he do that and he doesn’t own the place? (Enter two men. Both are masked) (One is burly while the other is tall and thin)
BURLY GUNMAN: This is a stickup. I want all the money that you have.
WELLA: I know that voice, it’s Juicy Barnes. I must tell Dutch that you and Pablo came to my house and tried to rob me and my sister.
PABLO: I told you that it’s here Killer lives and you didn’t believe me.
JUICY BARNES: Killer, hold it down, no harm was done. I will see you in the morning. (Exits both Juicy Barnes and Pablo) (Wella continues eating his dinner. Finally, Darlene finds her voice.)
DARLENE: Wella, you are a gunman? They call you Killer? You are out there murdering people?
WELLA: So, what if they call me Killer? That doesn’t mean that I have ever killed anybody yet. They only call me that because they and I are friends.
DARLENE: They say to show me your company and I tell you who you are. If you are keeping company with gunmen then you must be a gunman too. (Enter Priscilla)
PRISCILLA: I don’t see Mister Banjo. He’s hiding from us. (Looks at Darlene rather curiously)(Darlene still looks frightened.)
PRISCILLA: Why are you looking so frightened, Darlene?
DARLENE: Two of Wella’s friends just tried to hold me up. (Priscilla’s hands fly to her mouth.)
WELLA (Has finished eating his dinner now): How do you know that they and I are friends?
DARLENE: They said so, Wella and you said so too.
PRISCILLA: You gave them any money?
DARLENE: It looks as if they have the same boss. When he said he was going to tell the boss on them,