August Wilson - Fences, Act I - Scene III lyrics

Troy: Where's Cory? That boy brought his bu*t home yet? Rose: he's in the house doing chores. (calling) Cory! Get your bu*t out here, boy! (Troy goes over to a pile of wood, picks up a board, and starts sawing. Cory enters from the house.) Troy: You just now coming in here from leaving this morning? Cory: Yeah, I had to go to football practice. Troy: Yeah, what? Cory: Yessir. Troy: I ain't but two seconds off you noway. The garbage siting in there overflowing… you ain't done none of your chores… and you come in here talking about “Yeah.” Cory: I was just getting ready to do my chores now, pop… Troy: Your first chore is to help me with this fence on Saturday. Everything else come after that. Now get that saw and cut them boards. (Cory begins to get out the boards. There's a long pause) Troy: Your mama told me you done got recruited by a college football team? Is that right? Cory: Yeah, coach Zellman say the recruiter gonna be coming by to talk to you. Get you to sign the permission papers. Troy: I thought you supposed to be working down at there at the A&P. Ain't you supposed to be working down there after school? Cory: Mr Stawicki say he gonna hold my job for me until after the football season. Say starting next week I can work weekends. Troy: I thought we had an understanding about this football stuff? You supposed to keep up with your chores and hold that job down at the A&P. Ain't been around here all Saturday. Ain't none of your chores done… now you telling me you done quit your job. Cory: I'm gonna be working weekends Troy: You damn right you are! And ain't no need for nobody coming around here to talk to me about signing for nothing. Cory: Hey pop… you can't do that. He coming all the way from North Carolina Troy: I don't care where he coming from. The white man ain't gonna let you nowhere with that football noway. You go on and get your book-learning so you can work yourself up in that A&P or learn how to fix cars or build houses or something, get you a trade. That way you have something can't nobody take away from you. You go on and learn how to put your hands to some good use. Besides hauling peoples garbage. Cory: I get good grades, Pop. That's why the recruiter wants to talk with you. You got to keep up your grades to get recruited. This way I'll be going to college. I'll get a chance. Troy: First you gonna get your bu*t down there to the A&P and get your job back. Cory: Mr Stawicki done already hired somebody else ‘cause I told him I was playing football. Troy: You a bigger fool than I thought… to let somebody take away your job away so you can play some football. Where you gonna get your money to take out your girlfriend and whatnot? What kind of foolishness is that to let somebody take away your job? Cory: I'm still gonna be working weekends. Troy: Naw… naw. You getting your bu*t out of here and finding another job. Cory: Come on pop! I got to practice. I can't work after school and play football too. The team needs me that's what coach Zellman say… Troy: I don't care what nobody else say, I'm the boss … you understand you understand? I'm the boss around here. I do the only saying that counts. Cory: Come on, Pop! Troy: I asked you… did you understand? Cory: Yessir. Troy: You go on down there to that A&P and see if you can get your job back. If you can't do both… then you quit the football team. You've got to take the crooked with the straights. Cory: Yessir. (Pause) …Can I ask you a question? Troy: What the hell you wanna ask me? Mr. Stawicki the one you got the questions for. Cory: How come you ain't never liked me? Troy: Liked you? Who the hell say I got to like you? What law is there say I got to like you? Wanna stand up in my face and ask a damn fool a** question like that. Talking about liking somebody. Come here boy, when I talk to you. .. Straighten up dammit! I asked you a question… what law is there say I got to like you? Cory: None. Troy: Well, all right then! Don't you eat every day? (Pause) Answer me when I talk to you! Don't you eat every day? Cory: Yeah Troy: n***a, as long as you in my house, you put that sir on the end of it when you talk to me! Cory: Yes…sir Troy: You eat every day. Cory: Yessir! Troy: You got clothes on your back. Cory: Yessir. Troy: Why you think that is? Cory: Cause of you. Troy: Ah, hell I know its cause of me… but why do you think that is? Cory (hesitant): Cause you like me. Troy: like you? I go out of here every morning… bust my bu*t putting up with them crackers everyday… ‘cause I like you? You about the biggest fool I ever saw. (Pause) It's my job, it's my responsibility! You understand that? A man got to take care of his family. You live in my house, sleep on my bedclothes, fill your belly up on my food… cause you my son. You my flesh and blood. Not cause I like you! Cause it's my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! Let's get this straight here, before it go along any further… I ain't got to like you. Mr. Rand don't give me my money come payday ‘cause he likes me. He gives me ‘cause he owes me. I done given you everything I had to give you. I gave you your life! Me and your mama worked that out between us. And liking your black a** wasn't part of the bargain. Don't you try and go through life worrying about if somebody like you or not. You best be making sure they doing right by you. You understand what I'm saying boy? Cory: Yessir Troy: Then get the hell out of my face, and get on down to that A&P. (Rose enters) Rose: Why don't you let the boy go ahead and play football Troy? Ain't no harm in that. He's just trying to be like you with the sports. Troy: I don't want him to be like me! I want him to move as far away from my life as he can get. You the only decent thing that's ever happened to me. I wish him that. But I don't wish him a thing else from my life. I decided seventeen years ago that boy want getting involved in no sports. Not after what they did to me. Rose: Everything that boy do… he do it for you. He wants you to say “Good job, son” That's all. Troy: Rose, I ain't got time for that. He's alive. He's healthy. He's got to make his own way. I made mine. Ain't nobody gonna hold his hand when he get out there in the real world. Rose: Times have changed from when you was young, Troy. People change. The world is changing around you and you can't even see it. Troy (slow, methodical): Woman… I do the best I can do. I come home every Friday. I carry a sack of potatoes and a bucket of lard. You all line up at the door with your hands out. I give you the lint from my pockets. I give you my sweat and blood. I ain't got no tears. I done spent them. I get up on Monday morning… find my lunch on the table. I go out. Make my way. Find my strength to carry me through to the next Friday. (Pause) That's all I've got Rose. That's all I've got to give. I can't give nothing else.