Psychology has little notion of what he means. Never did he smile at my pretensions. It was only when I came home after my first year of graduate school that I realized my grandfather knew things that other people did not and I began to clear my head of some of the debris that had accumulated there and I did not go back to school that fall and I did not go back that winter and by then I had already begun to learn the trade that anyone would have said I already knew since I'd worked at it for ten years and paid for my schooling with it. A trade at which I thought myself a master and of which I stood in darkest ignorance. And as I came to know him... As I came to know him. . . Oh I could hardly believe my good fortune. I swore then I'd cleave to that old man like a bride. I swore he'd take nothing to his grave.
SCENE II
Early the following morning. The lights are on in the kitchen and outside it is just graying with daylight. Papaw is sitting in his chair by the stove as Ben enters.
B EN Morning Papaw. [Pap-paw]
P APAW Mornin Ben. Mornin.
Ben goes to the window and looks out at the yard. There is a small dog sleeping by the stove and it looks up.
B EN What do you think?
P APAW Well. Be a mite slick out I expect.
MAMA , Ben's mother enters the kitchen. A bustling and somewhat harried looking woman in her fifties. She eyes them suspiciously and goes on to the stove and gets the coffee percolator and goes to the sink with it.
B EN You want to go out to the farm?
M AMA ( Speaking loudly over the sound of the faucet ) He ain't goin nowhere with you in this.
Ben smiles at his grandfather. Mama turns off the faucet and takes the percolator to the stove.
M AMA So don't you even start.
P APAW You reckon we get out there?
M AMA Papaw don't you pay no attention to him he ain't got no sense.
She puts coffee in the percolator and she takes down a large black skillet and spoons lard into it.
SOLDIER enters the kitchen. He is Ben's sister's son, aged fifteen.
M AMA You just the man I want to see. Get them plates and set the table.
S OLDIER I just come in to see if they's any school today.
M AMA No, you just come in to set the table.
Soldier drags himself to the cupboard and takes down the plates.
M AMA And when you get done with that holler upstairs at Big Ben.
P APAW Everything be covered up.
M AMA Benny, I done told you all now.
P APAW Too cold to mix mud and that's for sure.
B EN I'm not going to do any work out there. I'm just going to haul a load of stone out.
M AMA You ain't takin him no place in Old Blue. That thing ain't got no heater in it.
There are heavy footsteps on the stairs overhead, BIG BEN , Ben's father, enters the kitchen. He is wearing slippers and a pair of tan gabardine slacks with suspenders over a long sleeved winter undershirt. He has on three or four very expensive rings that he wears when not working. He weighs over two hundred and fifty pounds and he goes to the stove with the rolling gait of heavy people and takes his cup and pours coffee from the percolator.
M AMA That ain't done perkin.
He continues to pour and then takes up his cup and takes his watch out of his pocket although there is an electric clock on the stove and another clock on the wall. He puts the watch back in his pocket and shuffles back across the kitchen and out the door.
B EN ( To Papaw ) You want some coffee?
P APAW Might have just a little coffee this mornin.
Ben goes to the stove and takes two cups and pours coffee. Mama is busy cooking at the stove. In the front room offstage the door slams.
B IG B EN ( Offstage ) Who got the paper?
M AMA Ain't nobody got the paper. He ain't run yet.
Ben takes the cups to the woodstove and gives one to his grandfather. Mama takes a platter of sausage to the table.
M AMA You all come on now.
Ben and Papaw start towards the table. Soldier reaches and takes a patty of sausage from the platter and it is on the way to his mouth with it when she intercepts it and puts it back
SCENE II
Early the following morning. The lights are on in the kitchen and outside it is just graying with daylight. Papaw is sitting in his chair by the stove as Ben enters.
B EN Morning Papaw. [Pap-paw]
P APAW Mornin Ben. Mornin.
Ben goes to the window and looks out at the yard. There is a small dog sleeping by the stove and it looks up.
B EN What do you think?
P APAW Well. Be a mite slick out I expect.
MAMA , Ben's mother enters the kitchen. A bustling and somewhat harried looking woman in her fifties. She eyes them suspiciously and goes on to the stove and gets the coffee percolator and goes to the sink with it.
B EN You want to go out to the farm?
M AMA ( Speaking loudly over the sound of the faucet ) He ain't goin nowhere with you in this.
Ben smiles at his grandfather. Mama turns off the faucet and takes the percolator to the stove.
M AMA So don't you even start.
P APAW You reckon we get out there?
M AMA Papaw don't you pay no attention to him he ain't got no sense.
She puts coffee in the percolator and she takes down a large black skillet and spoons lard into it.
SOLDIER enters the kitchen. He is Ben's sister's son, aged fifteen.
M AMA You just the man I want to see. Get them plates and set the table.
S OLDIER I just come in to see if they's any school today.
M AMA No, you just come in to set the table.
Soldier drags himself to the cupboard and takes down the plates.
M AMA And when you get done with that holler upstairs at Big Ben.
P APAW Everything be covered up.
M AMA Benny, I done told you all now.
P APAW Too cold to mix mud and that's for sure.
B EN I'm not going to do any work out there. I'm just going to haul a load of stone out.
M AMA You ain't takin him no place in Old Blue. That thing ain't got no heater in it.
There are heavy footsteps on the stairs overhead, BIG BEN , Ben's father, enters the kitchen. He is wearing slippers and a pair of tan gabardine slacks with suspenders over a long sleeved winter undershirt. He has on three or four very expensive rings that he wears when not working. He weighs over two hundred and fifty pounds and he goes to the stove with the rolling gait of heavy people and takes his cup and pours coffee from the percolator.
M AMA That ain't done perkin.
He continues to pour and then takes up his cup and takes his watch out of his pocket although there is an electric clock on the stove and another clock on the wall. He puts the watch back in his pocket and shuffles back across the kitchen and out the door.
B EN ( To Papaw ) You want some coffee?
P APAW Might have just a little coffee this mornin.
Ben goes to the stove and takes two cups and pours coffee. Mama is busy cooking at the stove. In the front room offstage the door slams.
B IG B EN ( Offstage ) Who got the paper?
M AMA Ain't nobody got the paper. He ain't run yet.
Ben takes the cups to the woodstove and gives one to his grandfather. Mama takes a platter of sausage to the table.
M AMA You all come on now.
Ben and Papaw start towards the table. Soldier reaches and takes a patty of sausage from the platter and it is on the way to his mouth with it when she intercepts it and puts it back
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