Scene Seven
The next evening, the shack is in disarray. Morris has not made the beds, swept the floor, or prepared Zachariah's foot bath. Instead, he sits at the table with his head slumped over and his arms limp at his sides. A small bundle sits on the table. When Zachariah walks in, he complains bitterly about the state of their living space. Ominously, Morris proclaims that he has given up.
Zachariah asks about the bundle on the table, and Morris answers that it contains his Bible and alarm clock. He tells Zachariah that he is leaving—he cannot go through with meeting Ethel. Zachariah tries to cheer Morris up by showing him the most recent letter he has received from Ethel.
Reluctantly, Morris reads the letter, first to himself and then to Zachariah. He tells Zachariah that the letter brings good news. Ethel has become engaged to Luckyman Stoffel, a fullback on her brother's soccer team. Stoffel works at Boetie's Garage and is an extremely possessive man; he wants her to stop corresponding with Zachariah immediately.
Morris tells Zachariah that they can begin saving for a better life again, but Zachariah is bitterly disappointed at Ethel's news. To distract Zachariah, Morris asks what time he wants supper. Zachariah says he is not hungry but wants to know if Morris will ever wear the new suit again. Morris promises that he will not.
However, Zachariah tells Morris that he would like to see him put the suit on again. Morris is reluctant, but Zachariah tells him that it will be fun. After Morris dons the suit, the brothers engage in another round of playacting, and Morris pretends to be Zachariah's park supervisor. He calls Zachariah “boy” and “swart gat,” but this time, Zachariah takes it in stride.
Zachariah sets the scene. He tells Morris to imagine trees, grass, flowers, and butterflies. There are benches at the park. Zachariah reveals that his job at the gate is to chase away black trespassers. Morris gets into character and tries to adopt the language and mannerisms of the white supervisor. However, Zachariah protests that Morris is not doing it right and is acting too “soft,” as white men with boots always treat him like he is beneath their notice.
Zachariah reveals that he picks up rubbish around the park every afternoon at four o'clock. Morris says that the sight of Zachariah doing this lowly work makes him want to throw up. It makes him want to inflict violence on Zachariah. However, he cannot do so because an old beggar woman in a gray dress is watching.
The brothers try to scare her off, unwilling to continue their charade with her watching. When harsh words fail, they begin to throw stones at her. Finally, she runs away. Their violent speech and actions rise to a crescendo, and Morris reveals his earlier overpowering desire to attack Zachariah with his umbrella. With the woman gone, he does so savagely.
Morris hurls insults at Zachariah as he attacks him. He tells Zachariah that he hates him. When his energy is spent, he sits down. The brothers then imagine that the supervisor has been locked in the park for the night. Morris says that he will climb over the gate. Zachariah reminds him that there are sharp pieces of glass at the top, and the high fence is covered with barbed wire. Morris pleads for help, but Zachariah refuses. He is not the “good sort of boy” that humors white men. Morris is livid, shouting that Zachariah has no right to self-agency, and goes down on his knees to pray.
Meanwhile, Zachariah stands over Morris, poised to inflict violence upon him. The alarm clock rings, and the brothers are jolted back to reality.
The scene ends with Morris admitting they got carried away in their playacting. He tells Zachariah they will get by without a future, as other black men do. He assures Zachariah that they will always be brothers and that their bond is secured by a “blood knot.”
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