Member of the Wedding (Play)

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FRANKIE:

She is about ninety. Other old folks lose their faculties, but she found some faculty. She reads futures, too. BERENICE:

Hi, Sis Laura. How is your folks getting on? sis LAURA:

We ain't much, and I feels my age these days. Want any peas today? [She shuffles across the yard.] BERENICE:

I'm sorry, I still have some left over from yesterday. Good-bye, Sis Laura. sis LAURA:

Good-bye. [She goes off behind the house to the continuing her chant.] [When the old woman is gone Frankie begins around the kitchen.]

right,

walking

FRANKIE:

I expect Janice and Jarvis are almost to Winter Hill by now. BERENICE:

Sit down. You make me nervous. FRANKIE:

Jarvis talked about Granny. He remembers her very good. But when I try to remember Granny, it is like her face is changing—like a face seen under water. Jarvis remembers Mother too, and I don't remember her at all. 36

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BERENICE:

Naturally! Your mother died the day that you were born. [standing with one foot on the seat of the chair, leaning over the chair back and laughing]: Did you hear what Jarvis said? FRANKIE

BERENICE:

What? FRANKIE [after laughing more]: They were talking about whether to vote for C. P. MacDonald. And Jarvis said, "Why I wouldn't vote for that scoundrel if he was running to be dogcatcher." I never heard anything so witty in my life. [There is a silence during which Berenice watches Frankie, but does not smile.] And you know what Janice remarked. When Jarvis mentioned about how much I've grown, she said she didn't think I looked so terribly big. She said she got the major portion of her growth before she was thirteen. She said I was the right height and had acting talent and ought to go to Hollywood. She did, Berenice. BERENICE:

O.K. All right! She did! FRANKIE:

She said she thought I was a lovely size and would probably not grow any taller. She said all fashion models and movie stars . . . BERENICE:

She did not. I heard her from the window. She only remarked that you probably had already got your growth. But she didn't go on and on like that or mention Hollywood. 37

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