Plays 1 Page 12

  Brother Kiyi What that have to do wid your Chinese wig, Norma?

  Norma If you gonna stand for election you have to look glamorous, don’t it?

  Brother Kiyi Election of what? (He moves.)

  Norma I don’t know. I had this dream last night that I was on me window ledge and all below me was darkness and me feel like me was going to fall off but me say no, and before me know it me just start to fly fly fly.

  Brother Kiyi What you think that mean?

  Norma I don’t know. (She moves.) But I wake up and the first ting that jump in me mind is ‘Norma stand for election’.

  Brother Kiyi You need an agent? Let me find you one na!

  Norma I told you I was just thinking.

  Brother Kiyi Norma, you don’t even like politics.

  Norma I don’t understand it, Kiyi! But before me dead, I’d like to understand something, something from the inside. That’s why me and you generation fail, boy, we didn’t engage.

  Brother Kiyi moves.

  Norma Oh sugar mugar. How you see that move, dread?

  Brother Kiyi By watching the game.

  Norma How long you going to carry on so? No customers, no life . . .

  Brother Kiyi Norma, it’s not going to stay so! Na man, I can smell it in the air. (Beat.) You see that young girl that does come in here, right . . .

  Norma The half-caste gal?

  Brother Kiyi Different, you know, dread. Angry, political, albeit about woman tings but still fantastic anger. I does sit down and talk to that girl and I does say to meself wooooy, where does that rage come from in these apathetic times? Then the wind whisper in me ears, ‘Ah my time again.’ That’s why I know it’s coming.

  Enter Alice. They turn around and look at her.

  Alice What?

  Brother Kiyi Nothing.

  Norma looks at him. The women look at each other.

  Norma (to Brother Kiyi, looking at his crutch) You sure it’s the wind?

  Alice How are you today?

  Brother Kiyi Good. Very good. You?

  Alice Oh, OK! I . . .

  She stops herself, taking a quick glance at Norma. Brother Kiyi very subtly follows her eyes. Norma detects a vibe.

  Norma Kiyi, I gone!

  Brother Kiyi OK, girl. Hail up Bernie.

  Norma Will do!

  She leaves.

  Brother Kiyi What were you saying?

  Alice Oh, I didn’t mean to . . .

  Brother Kiyi No no no no, Norma was just leaving.

  Alice I was just going to share that I got a call from my boyfriend this morning! Nothing earth-shattering.

  His heart sinks, but he doesn’t let it show.

  Brother Kiyi Boyfriend?

  Alice Well, ex.

  Brother Kiyi What did he want?

  Alice He wanted me to come back to him.

  Brother Kiyi Do you want to?

  Alice He’s no good for me. It’s time I either had wild abandoned sex with whoever I want, whenever I want, or settled down to have a family.

  Brother Kiyi Can’t you do both with him?

  Alice He’s married. In fact his daughter and I are roughly the same age. I know what you’re thinking . . .

  Brother Kiyi . . . I don’t think you do!

  Alice I mean, guys my age are great for sex and that, but, well . . . I need more. I love him, but, ahhh, I’m confused. I don’t know what to think. What do you think?

  Brother Kiyi You should do. (He doesn’t quite know how to respond.)

  Alice My father always use to warn me, ‘What men say and what they really mean are often two different things.’ If I were your child what would you tell me to do?

  Brother Kiyi Stick with the older man. Only joking . . .

  Enter Carl in a rush.

  Carl Brother Kiyi, Brother Kiyi. What’s up wid your phone, man?

  Brother Kiyi Calm down. What’s the matter, Carl?

  Carl Beverly’s been trying to get hold of you! She needs you to go to see her. Good ting I was passing with Dongal!

  Brother Kiyi See me for what?

  Carl She’s gonna tell me that innit? But her face looked deadly! Dongal said it’s because Mustafar’s about to take back the shop.

  Brother Kiyi That’s impossible . . . Alright, alright. Come and sit the shop for me. (To Alice.) Excuse me a moment, yeah?

  Alice Of course. Are you OK?

  Brother Kiyi Some people feel they playing with a boy! Well, they go see. Yes, it’s all fine. Little while, yeah?

  Carl Yeah. Everything’s safe wid me!

  Brother Kiyi pauses and looks at Carl for a beat before leaving.

  Carl stands a fair distance from Alice. He’s kinda smiling at her.

  Carl Oh well.

  Alice What?

  Carl Nothing. Just oh well! Here we are. (Sings.) ‘Just the two of us.’

  Alice Is . . . is Kiyi going to be OK?

  Carl Ah yeah, man, he’s use to fighting. You don’t see the locks? Lion of Judah! . . . They ain’t taking nothing from him, dread. This place is too good for anyone to take away. It’s great here, don’t you think?

  Alice Yes.

  Carl It’s a real tribute to Kiyi. Different people coming and going. I mean, look at you. You’ve come in an’ caught the bug, right, like the rest of us?

  Alice What bug is that?

  Carl Culture. Nothing like knowing your roots!

  He starts to reggae DJ.

  Me love me roots and culture, murderer,

  How black people dem a suffer – murderer!

  (A little embarrassed.) It’s an old Shabba Ranks tune. It must be great, being you.

  Alice Wow, where did that come from?

  Carl Yeah, you like must have the best of two worlds innit? Like you got the black beauty bit and you got the white money bit. Hoorah!

  Alice Hoorah!

  Carl Roots, you know, connection! I use to want to be white till I met Kiyi. Now I’m blue black brother. You couldn’t make me white if you tried!

  Alice You think people try?

  Carl People try anything in this day and age you know! (Pause.) Is your hair easy to maintain?

  Alice Um, yes, I suppose.

  Carl Though I don’t wanna be white, that’s what I’d like. The mixed flowy type of hair. Girls like that, don’t they? It’s so beautiful.

  Alice I think your hair is fine. It’s like mine!

  Carl You’re just saying that to sweet me. You don’t have to do that! Look, I’m gonna go do some reading. So, um, feel free to do what you want. Sure Kiyi won’t mind.

  Alice Yeah, he said it was OK.

  Carl Good.

  He moves across to the desk and takes out a book. He sings to himself:

  ‘From the very first time I set my eyes on you girl,

  My heart said follow though,

  But I know that I’m way down on your line.

  But the waiting deal is fine.’

  Alice Carl, what kind of man is Kiyi?

  Carl How do you mean?

  Alice What kind of man? Is he kind? Loving?

  Carl Mannn, he’s got the biggest heart in the world, dread. Everything I am today I owe to Kiyi.

  Alice Is that so?

  Carl Yeah. I was sleeping on the street, everybody else walked over me, but he bent down, pulled me up, took me to his home and fed me. Not a lot of people would do that! Not in this day and age.

  Alice He took you to his home?

  Carl Yeah!

  Alice What did his wife say?

  Carl Kiyi ain’t got no wife.

  Alice His woman, then . . .

  Carl You’re not getting me. Kiyi’s got his books and that’s all he needs, bar probably a likkle bit of Norma!

  Alice Oh, he and Norma are . . . ?

  Carl Naa naaa. I put that over wrong. I’m always doing that! Norma’s like a man to Kiyi! They like blokes, buddies and shit, stuff.

  Alice Stuff?

  Carl Yeah, between you and me, Kiyi did little ti
me with Norma’s husband and they looked after him when he came out. He never forgets a favour.

  Alice How long ago was that?

  Carl (sensing he’s talked too much) Dunno. Got to take my hat off to him, though, I don’t know how a brother goes that long without some grit . . . some . . . some . . .

  Alice Some what?

  Carl You know . . .

  Alice (playing) No.

  Carl Some, ha . . . !

  Alice Sex?

  Carl Exactly, that’s the one. I didn’t want to be rude.

  Alice Sex isn’t a rude word, Carl.

  Carl I know, it’s just not the kinda utterance you want to use in front of a lady, is it?

  Alice (laughs) You are so cute.

  Carl Thanks. So are you.

  Alice Does he ever talk about the old days – you know, his youth, his mother and stuff?

  Carl Naaaa. Not to me.

  Alice But at his house he must have pictures up and that?

  Carl No. He keeps all that stuff here.

  Enter Kwesi. He clocks Alice.

  Kwesi You still here, girl?

  Alice gets up and starts to walk out. Carl is vexed. Kwesi’s just broken his vibe.

  Alice I’ll see you later, Carl.

  Alice leaves.

  Carl She’s pretty innit?

  Kwesi She alright. (Referring to the box he has left.) No, it’s alright.

  Carl walks up to Kwesi and attempts to take the box from him.

  Carl Hey, my job is delivery. That’s what I do.

  He pulls the box.

  Kwesi Carl, I said it’s OK.

  Carl Your car’s gonna get a ticket. Let me take the box. What’s the problem?

  Kwesi I said it’s alright.

  In a sudden burst of temper Carl rips the box out of Kwesi’s hands. It falls on the floor and bursts open. Lots of hair products spill on to the floor.

  Carl Keep your fucking boxes then!

  Kwesi Are you out your fucking mind?

  Carl Sorry, sorry. I just like things to be clear, you know what I am saying? Know what I’m doing, know where I am?

  He gets down to put the stuff back in the box. He notices the hair products.

  Kwesi Move. Move.

  Carl (picks up a bottle) Oh shit, I haven’t seen one of these in ages. Gerry Curl Max. (Fake-sprays it on his hair.) ‘Makes your hair wavyyyy.’ (Advert voice.)

  Kwesi Give it back! Give it to me!

  Carl What you doing with hair products, Kwesi? You boys don’t like that shit? (Impersonates.) ‘Making your hair like white folk!’

  Kwesi Don’t worry about it.

  Carl Just looking forward to seeing you with a perm! It’s gonna suit you, trust me!

  Kwesi kisses his teeth and exits. Carl pulls out a hair leaflet he took from the box. He starts to read it. He looks perturbed.

  Lights down.

  Scene Four

  Fix Up bookstore. One hour later.

  Lights come up slowly. Kwesi is in Brother Kiyi’s chair with his feet on the desk. He is on his mobile.

  Kwesi Ha! Na, man, the boy’s too stupid to put all that together. You’re kidding! . . . How much? . . . Niggers, man! We can’t afford that! . . . Tell him he’s fixing up, not bloody rebuilding! . . .

  Enter Brother Kiyi. He looks upset.

  Kwesi Look, gotta go. Yeah, yeah. Tendai Mwari.

  He gets off the phone and out of Brother Kiyi’s chair.

  Brother Kiyi Hope you ain’t planning on fixing up nothing in here?

  Kwesi Um, what do you mean?

  Brother Kiyi What you fixing up?

  Kwesi Um, some stats and stuff we just got from America. Trying to get a professional on the job. You know, for the new classes. Did you know the global buying power of black America ranks eleventh in the world? That’s just below Spain and above India, you know? Some serious money Nubians be spending.

  Brother Kiyi How much they spend on education?

  Kwesi Good question, I don’t know . . . But check this out. How much are we spending on cosmetics a year? Thirty-five million in this country alone, dread. I mean, come on, it don’t take Pythagoras to work out why other people be getting rich off our backs, does it? That’s why I always be telling you, Kiyi, I love this shop but niggers ain’t ready!

  Brother Kiyi doesn’t answer.

  Kwesi You OK?

  Brother Kiyi I don’t know about no niggers, looks like it was me that weren’t ready. It’s all over, Kwesi, game’s over. I no longer have the shop, him take the money for back rent, I thought the option to extend the lease was with me. It’s not.

  Kwesi I see.

  Brother Kiyi I mean, maybe I should have heeded your advice, opened this place up. Sold Jamaican videos and bashment-sound tapes and home food in the corner but . . . (Loses it for a bit.) This is a place of learning, Kwesi! Not a come-one come-all supermarket, but a sanctuary, a place away from the madness. Away from the pain.

  Kwesi doesn’t know what to say. He feels for him.

  Kwesi He’s a businessman, Kiyi, what else is he gonna do? Me, I blame the people around here that have ignored what this is. That walk past safe in the knowledge that it’s here but put nothing in. What you gonna go and put yourself in trouble for? For them? For those that buy one book a year?

  Brother Kiyi The road to freedom is seldom walked by the multitude.

  Kwesi It’s not being walked by anyone right now, Kiyi. You got to take emotion out of this. You couldn’t afford to run the shop because the people didn’t support you. That’s it. There’s a lesson in that for all of us. A lesson for me.

  Brother Kiyi What is that?

  Kwesi Sometimes you got to do stuff in this world that ain’t nice. But if you think it’s right, you got to do it. That’s what my Somalian brothers been showing me. They ain’t wrong.

  His mobile rings. He glances at the text.

  I need to talk to you, Kiyi, not now cos I got to run, but you gonna be around later?

  Brother Kiyi Where else I go be?

  Kwesi Alright. I’ll see you in while.

  Kwesi turns to leave.

  Brother Kiyi Kwesi.

  Kwesi Yeah . . .

  Brother Kiyi You’re a good brother!

  Kwesi turns and leaves.

  Brother Kiyi begins to sob, silently at first. Slowly and quietly we hear his sobs.

  Gently, barely audibly at first, he begins to hear the voices from the books. Passages, statements, prose and poetry all blend.

  After a few beats he snaps out of it, inhales and then forcefully exhales the air to pull himself together. He returns to his desk, gets out the key to the chest of drawers, opens it pulls out an old-looking box. He removes the photo album that is inside.

  He stares at the first few pictures before drifting off into a state of great sadness.

  Enter Carl.

  Carl Hey, Brother Kiyi, you OK?

  Brother Kiyi Yeah, man, course I’m OK.

  Carl How did the Beverly meeting go?

  Brother Kiyi Fine, fine. She just wanted to talk to me about future plans and tings.

  Carl Tings?

  Brother Kiyi You know, expansion.

  Carl Right. So the shop’s cool?

  Brother Kiyi Yeah man. Safe as it’s ever been.

  Carl Seen. Wanna cup of tea or something?

  Brother Kiyi No.

  Carl Hear what! I wanna do something right.

  Brother Kiyi Alright.

  Carl I wanna bust a move on Alice.

  Brother Kiyi What?

  Carl Not bust a move exactly. I wanna ask her out.

  Brother Kiyi Um?

  Carl Truth is I just need to talk to someone and you like a dad to me. Plus I ain’t got no mates but that’s wholly secondary.

  Brother Kiyi (stunned) Carl . . . have I missed . . . do you know if she feels anything for you?

  Carl Yeah, man. I know she feels something for me, Kiyi. I feel it in bloodstream. Shit that powerful don’t just happen one
way, it just don’t . . .

  Brother Kiyi Maybe you’ve misread.

  Carl I can’t misread what’s in my heart, Kiyi.

  Brother Kiyi I don’t doubt that you feel for her . . .

  Carl I don’t feel, I know.

  Brother Kiyi . . . Look before you step to any woman – you got to make sure that it is something they would like, that you’re compatible, that . . .

  Carl You think that I’m not good enough for her? Am I too dark for her or something?

  Brother Kiyi Oh Carl, come on. That’s not what I meant!

  Carl Yes it is! I’m alright for all those other girls round here but Alice, noooo!

  Brother Kiyi Carl, calm down! Count to ten, come on, slowly! One . . .

  Carl I’m not a crack addict any more, Kiyi. I mean, you’re treating me like the enemy and you don’t understand, you ain’t looking. What’s happening with the shop, Kiyi?

  Brother Kiyi Nothing’s happening with the shop, Carl, everything’s going to be fine.

  Carl You’re lying to me. Why does everybody lie to me all of the time? I’m not a fool, I’m not an idiot.

  Brother Kiyi I didn’t say you were, Carl. I was saying . . .

  Carl You’re telling me everything gonna be alright. When I know that everything is fucked!

  Brother Kiyi Carl, calm down!

  Carl I won’t fucking calm down, Kiyi, this is serious. I’m trying to tell you something and you won’t hear me. Kwesi’s going to take over your shop, Kiyi.

  Brother Kiyi Ah, Carl, don’t be ridiculous.

  Carl I’m not being ridiculous. Look . . . here’s the order thingy. Now I could be wrong, you know, maybe I read it wrong, I’ve done that before, but . . . where the fuck is it?

  Brother Kiyi Carl.

  Carl I’ll find it in a minute, just wait a second. I put it . . .

  He looks for the hair product order form.

  Brother Kiyi Carl, come on. Kwesi! How you gonna be going there? Are you mad?

  Carl What did you call me? You see. You see. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to tell you anything about Kwesi? About your fucking darling upstairs.

  Brother Kiyi Carl, look, I’m sorry if I . . .

  Carl I don’t give a bombo about you’re sorry, you think I’d just make that up? I may have done some bad things but I ain’t the killer here.