Nothing But a Man Page #4

JOSIE:

Well, my mother was the only good teacher the

colored school ever had. Nobody bothers with

those kids.

DUFF:

That's why you come back, huh?

JOSIE:

It's hard to see any change. But I'm going to

stay. Another year, anyway.

DUFF:

You got more guts than me, baby. It's a no-good

town.

JOSIE:

It's better than it used to be. Eight years ago

they still had a lynching here. They tied a man

to a car and dragged him to death. My father

knew who did it, but he didn't say anything.

DUFF:

Scared, huh?

The car pulls up in front of the Dawson house and Duff parks.

DUFF:

Well, good night, baby.

He is about to kiss her.

JOSIE:

Not here, Duff.

DUFF:

I get it.

(with a laugh)

Yeah, I can see your old man with a shot-gun

right now.

JOSIE:

But I would like to see you again.

DUFF:

You would, huh? If I was you, baby - I wouldn't

go 'round stickin' out my jugular vein.

JOSIE:

What d'you mean?

DUFF:

You almost got into trouble back there.

JOSIE:

(with a smile)

I wouldn't have let you.

DUFF:

Hell, baby, I'm not in the third grade. Well,

look - what' we gonna do next time -- have a

nice long chat in the parlor?

JOSIE:

No, on the porch.

DUFF:

Oh yeah, and then what?

JOSIE:

What?

DUFF:

Well, either we're gonna hit the hay or get

married. Now you don't want to hit the hay, and

I don' want to get married.

JOSIE:

You have some very primitive ideas, don't you?

DUFF:

(defensively)

All right, so I'm primitive. So what d'you want

with me?

JOSIE:

Look, Duff - most of the men I know - they're

kind of sad. When I met you the other day I had

a feeling that you're different. That's why I

went out with you. I thought we might have

something to say to each other.

DUFF:

Hell, baby, I don't know what to say.

JOSIE:

Good night, Duff.

She gets out of the car and starts toward the house.

He looks after her, then drives away.

OPEN FIELD:

The section hands are hunting rabbits, scaring them up out of the tall grass

and then clubbing them with sticks that have a heavy bolt fastened to the end.

Jocko is fishing from a trestle. Pop fries skinned rabbit in a skillet. Duff

is whittling.

CLASSROOM:

The grade school children, all black, are writing at their desks.

The end-of-school bell rings and one of the boys jumps up.

JOSIE:

Are you finished, Jackie?

BOY:

Yes, Ma'am.

JOSIE:

Well, I'm not. Wait till class is dismissed.

She walks over to close the window.

In the yard below, Duff is sitting on one of the swings.

Josie smiles and turns to the kids --

JOSIE:

All right. Class dismissed.

EXT. SCHOOLHOUSE

A bus crowded with noisy kids pulls away to reveal the yard. Duff and Josie

are sitting on two swings side by side.

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