How Black Mothers Say I Love You by Trey Anthony

Author:Trey Anthony
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
Published: 2017-10-03T19:17:13+00:00

Lights up on claudette, who is busy trying on a bunch of awful-looking hats under daphne’s watchful yet excited eye. There is fun, happy music playing. The atmosphere is fun and there seems to be a new lightness to the exchange with the entire family.

daphne: The one with the red bow looks better. It’s my favourite hat, but I don’t mind, Claudette; I’ll let you borrow it for Sunday!

claudette: But, Mom, it’s your favourite hat.

daphne: I know, but you can wear it. Claudette, don’t even borrow it—you can keep it! Wear it every day!

claudette looks pained, and valerie is delighted to watch her sister squirm. She teases her even more; she picks up another extreme hat, with bows and lace.

valerie: I think you should have this one as well. The green taffeta works so well with your complexion.

daphne: Maybe Val’s right. You are a bit too dark for the red. And green could bring out your colour a bit… um I know! I have the hat for you!

daphne reaches dramatically into a big hat box and proudly pulls out a hat. This is a hat like no other! It is huge, with big pink and white polka dots and a big lace trim. daphne hands claudette the hat as if it is the most precious thing that she could possibly give to her. claudette puts it on with great trepidation. daphne is beaming; valerie can barely contain herself.

Now that is what you call a hat!! Boy, you favour Momma in dat hat. Spitting image of your grandmother. You girls are too young to remember how Momma wouldn’t go anywhere without her hat. Even to sell at the market she would have on her fancy hat. Her favourite one was the cream one that Auntie Joyce gave her.

claudette: No, her favourite one was the blue one Uncle Roy gave her.

daphne: No. Her favourite one was the one Joyce gave her. She loved it!

claudette: No. It was the one Uncle Roy gave her; she wore that one everywhere. She used to tell everyone that it was her favourite hat.

daphne: You were too little to remember anything and I know that Momma’s favourite—

Tension begins to rise and everyone feels it. The music abruptly stops.

claudette: I know what I remember.

valerie can sense the tension in the room and desperately tries to diffuse it.

valerie: Well… this hat is nice. What about this one, Claude? This one’s nice, right, Mom?

claudette: This is stupid. I don’t want to wear a stupid hat anyways.

claudette grabs the hat off her head and starts to quickly stuff it into its box.

daphne: Well you can’t go to church without wearing a hat.

claudette: Says who?

daphne: It’s just the way it is. And I don’t need you to embarrass me in front of my church sisters.

claudette: If I wear a hat or not, you’re going to feel embarrassed once they all find out, and you know they all know anyways. You know they know?

daphne quickly busies herself with putting away the hats and deliberately ignores claudette’s question.

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