JESSIE. Your hands aren't washed. Do you (Interrupting.) want a manicure or not? MAMA. Yes I do, but ... JESSIE. Then wash your hands afld (Crossing to the chair.) don't talk to me any more about Ricky. Those two rings he took were the last valuable things had so now he's started I in on other people, door to door. I hope they put him away sometime. I'd turn him in, myself, if I knew where he was: MAMA. You don't mean that. · JESSIE. Every word. Wash your hands and that's the last time I'm telling you. (jessie sits down with the gun and starts it, cleaning pushing the cylinder out, checking to see that the chambers and barre! are empty, then putting some oil on a small patch of cloth and pushing it through the barre! with the push rod that was in the box. Mama goes to the kitchen and washes her hands, as instructed, trying not to show her concern about the gun.) MAMA. I shoulda got you to bring down that milk can. Fletcher sold hers somebody with a flea market for to forty dollars apiece. JESSIE. I'll go back and get it in a minute. a wagon wheel up there too. There's even a churn. I'll get it all if you want. MAMA. What are you (Coming over now, taking over now.) doing? JESSIE. The barrel has be clean, Mama. Old powder, dust to gets in it ... MAMA. What for? JESSIE. I told you. MAMA. And I told you, we don't (Reaching for the gun.) get criminals out here. JESSIE. And I told you ... (Quickly pulling it to her.) The gun is for me. (Then trying to be calm.) itif MAMA. Well you can have you want. When I die, you'll get it all anyway. JESSIE. I'm going kill myself, Mama. to 13
JESSIE. (Interrupting.) Your hands aren't washed. Do you want a manicure or not? MAMA. Yes I do, but ... JESSIE. (Crossing to the chair.) Then wash your hands afld don't talk to me any more about Ricky. Those two rings he took were the last valuable things I had so now he's started in on other people, door to door. I hope they put him away sometime. I'd turn him in, myself, if I knew where he was: MAMA. You don't mean that. · JESSIE. Every word. Wash your hands and that's the last time I'm telling you. (jessie sits down with the gun and starts cleaning it, pushing the cylinder out, checking to see that the chambers and barre! are empty, then putting some oil on a small patch of cloth and pushing it through the barre! with the push rod that was in the box. Mama goes to the kitchen and washes her hands, as instructed, trying not to show her concern about the gun.) MAMA. I shoulda got you to bring down that milk can. Fletcher sold hers to somebody with a flea market for forty dollars apiece. JESSIE. I'll go back and get it in a minute. a wagon wheel up there too. There's even a churn. I'll get it all if you want. MAMA. (Coming over now, taking over now.) What are you doing? JESSIE. The barrel has to be clean, Mama. Old powder, dust gets in it ... MAMA. What for? JESSIE. I told you. MAMA. (Reaching for the gun.) And I told you, we don't get criminals out here. JESSIE. (Quickly pulling it to her.) And I told you ... (Then trying to be calm.) The gun is for me. MAMA. Well you can have itif you want. When I die, you'll get it all anyway. JESSIE. I'm going to kill myself, Mama. 13