Zora Neale Hurston: Collected Plays

Poker!

Poker! cast: Nunkie Aunt Dilsey Too-Sweet Tush Hawg Black Baby Peckerwood20 Sack Daddy Time: Present. Place: New York. Scene: A shabby front room in a shotgun house. A door covered by dingy portieres upstage center. Small panel window in side wall left. Plain center table with chairs drawn up about it. Gaudy calendars on wall. Battered piano against wall right.Kerosene lamp with reflector against wall on either side of room. [Action:] At rise of curtain Nunkie is at piano playing. Others at table with small stacks of chips before each man. Tush Hawg is seated at table so that he faces audience. He is expertly riffing the cards. [He] looks over his shoulder and speaks to Nunkie. Tush Hawg: Come on here, Nunkie—and take a hand! You’re holding up the game.You been woofin’’round here about the poker you can play—now do it! Nunkie: Yeah, I plays poker. I plays the piano and Gawd knows I plays the devil. Black Baby: Aw, you can be had! Come on and get in the game! My britches is cryin’ for your money! Nunkie: Soon as I play the deck I’m comin’ and take you all’s money! Don’ rush me. Ace means the first time that I met you Deuce means there was nobody there but us two Trey means the third party—Charlie was his name Four spot means the fourth time you tried that same old game— Five spot means five years you played me for a clown Six spot means six feet of earth when the deal goes down 217 080 four (201-220) 4/9/08 11:08 AM Page 217 Now I’m holding the seven spot for each day of the week Eight means eight hours that she Sheba-ed with your Sheik— Nine spot means nine hours that I work hard every day— Ten spot means [the] tenth of every month I brought you home my pay— The Jack is Three-card Charlie who played me for a goat The Queen, that’s my pretty mama, also trying to cut my throat— The King stands for Sweet Papa Nunkie and he’s goin’to wear the crown, So be careful you all ain’t broke when the deal goes down! (He laughs [and] crosses to table, bringing piano stool for [a] seat.) Tush Hawg:Aw now,brother,two dollars for your seat before you try to sit in this game. (Nunkie laughs sheepishly—puts money down—Tush Hawg pushes stack of chips toward him. Business.) Nunkie: I didn’t put it down because I knew you all goin’to be puttin’it right back in my pocket. Peckerwood: Aw, y’all go ahead and play. (To Tush Hawg) Deal! (Tush Hawg begins to deal for draw poker.The game gets tense.Sack Daddy is the first man at Tush’s left—he throws back three cards and is dealt three more.) Sack Daddy: My luck sure is rotten! My gal must be cheatin’on me.I ain’t had a pair since John Henry had a hammer! Black Baby: (Drawing three new cards)You might be fooling the rest with the cryin’ you’re doin’ but I’m squattin’ for you! You’re cryin’ worse than Cryin’ Emma! Too-Sweet: (Studying his three new cards. Sings) When yo’ cards gets lucky, oh partner, You oughter be in a rollin’ game.21 Aunt Dilsey: (Enters through portieres—stands and looks disapprovingly)You all oughter be ashamed of yourself, gamblin’ and carryin’ on like this! Black Baby: Aw, this ain’t no harm, Aunt Dilsey! You go on back to bed and git your night’s rest. Aunt Dilsey: No harm! I know all about these no-harm sins! If you don’t stop this card playin’, all of you all goin’ to die and go to hell. ([She] shakes a warning finger [and] exits through portieres. While she is talking the men have been hiding cards out of their hands and pulling aces 218 • fast and furious 080 four (201-220) 4/9/08 11:08 AM Page 218 out of sleeves and vest pockets and shoes—it is done quickly, one does not see the other do it.) Nunkie: (Shoving a chip forward) A dollar! Sack Daddy: Raise you two! Black Baby: I don’t like to strain with nobody but it’s...