Splendor Among The Ruins

THERESA

My name is Theresa Henrietta Watson, Miss.

 

STELLA

Well, please come in, Theresa.  Have a seat in the drawing room and I will tell Matty you are here.

 

(she leads Theresa to a luxurious room of grand paintings and where classical music plays softly in the background.  Enthralled by her surroundings, she walks around looking at each and every painting with wonder.  Enter Matty)

 

MATTY MILLER

What's all this I hear about a dream, child.  Are you okay?

 

THERESA

Matty, a very wonderful thing happened to me last night.  I got an idea and it came to me in a dream.

 

MATTY MILLER

What came to you in a dream?

 

THERESA

Something to make our hair manageable!  I jus' had to come and ask you if you would ask Miss Stella to draw what I saw in the dream if I describe it for her.

 

 

MATTY MILLER

She'll be back soon.  She told me to get you anything you want. Do you want anything?  How about a nice piece of that cake I made, you know how you like it.

 

THERESA

I am too excited to eat now.

 

 

LATER, THERESA DESCRIBES THE VISION OF A HOT COMB TO MISS STELLA, WHO MADE SEVERAL SKETCHES.  WHEN SHE IS SATISFIED WITH THE SIMILARITY, THERESA SETTLES ON A SKETCH

 

THERESA

I am very pleased with this one, Miss Stella.  How much will this beautiful drawing cost me?

 

STELLA

(smiles)  When you open your shop, you give me a free beauty treatment.  How's that?

 

THERESA

You are a lovely person, Miss Stella.  Matty never can stop talking 'bout your kindness and how most folks think you are the finest person in this county.

 

STELLA

I think I might know where you can get that comb made at a good price.

 

ONE MONTH LATER, THERESA SET UP SHOP IN THE SMALL FACTORY SHE WAS RENTING FROM MISS STELLA'S FAMILY, JUST A FEW DOORS DOWN FROM WHERE SHE LIVED.  HER PRODUCT QUICKLY BECAME KNOWN AS MADAM WATSON'S WONDERFUL HAIR CARE TREATMENT.  BUSINESS WAS EXCELLENT DURING THE FIRST FEW MONTHS AND BEFORE TOO LONG, THERESA WAS SHOWING SOME OF THE LOCAL WOMEN HOW TO APPLY AND SELL THE TREATMENT FOR THEMSELVES.  FOR THIS, SHE PAID THEM A COMMISSION AND SOON, THEY TOO, BEGAN TO EARN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES, WAGES.  THERESA EVENTUALLY EARNED A REPUTATION FOR BEING A FAIR AND HONEST BUSINESS WOMAN AND FOLKS BEGAN CALLING HER MADAM WATSON, OUT OF RESPECT.

 

SCENE CUTS

 

IN THE BACK WOODS, A BLACK MAN IS CHASED BY A GROUP OF WHITE MEN WITH DOGS.  HE JUST BARELY ESCAPES THE GNAWING TEETH OF THE BARKING ANIMALS BY CLIMBING UP A TREE.  THE LEADER OF THE POSSE CALLS THE DOGS OFF.

 

LEADER

Alright Narvel, you jump on down here from that tree!  We got to git' home and have thanksgiving dinnah' with our families!  We ain't about to wait around all day for you.

 

NARVEL

(terrified)  oh, please don't kill me Mr. Willet.  I didn't join the Union, honest I didn't.  I only went to one meeting and all I did was listen.

 

WILLET

You were warned, Narvel.  I tol' you and the rest o' yer' coon friends not to go and rattle your chains.  But did you listen? Obviously not.  (pause)  Our wives are gonna' be upset at us for being late, so be a good boy and git' down now, hear?  (fires a shot in the air)  If you don't we'll have to shoot your leg.

 

NARVEL

Oh, please God, Mr. Willet, I ain't never done nothing to you. When your Pa fell and broke his hip, I was the one who found him, remember, and I brung him on my shoulder  - five miles!

 

WILLET

Yeah.  That was then this is now.  And now you drop.  

 

(Willet takes aims at Narvel and shoots.  Narvel falls to the ground; the men swarm about, slip a rope around his neck and hang him in plain view.) 

 

THE MORNING AFTER THE LYNCHING, A GROUP OF PEOPLE, MOSTLY BLACK, GATHER AT THE HOME OF NARVEL JOHNSON TO PAY THEIR FINAL RESPECTS. MADAM WATSON IS IN ATTENDANCE AND IS INTRODUCED TO A PROMINENT BLACK LAWYER FROM THE NORTH

 

MADAME WATSON

I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Benjamin J. Bartlett.

 

 

B.J.  BARTLETT

Please, call me what all my friends call me, B.J.

 

MADAM WATSON

I am looking for a good lawyer to help me with my business.  Can you come to my factory tomorrow morning?

 

THE NEXT DAY B.J. ARRIVES AT MADAM WATSON'S SHOP, WHERE SHE TAKES HIM FOR A TOUR OF HER FACTORY

 

B.J.  BARTLETT

I am impressed Madam Watson, and I would be honored to serve as your attorney.

 

MADAM WASTON

(smiling)  Well, I am putting you to work right away.  You'll be the Overseer of this company.  I need someone who knows what he's doing around here while I'm on the road showing my product to customers.

 

OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, MADAM WATSON WOULD SPEND THE GREATER PART OF HER TIME VISITING THE HOMES OF HER CUSTOMERS TO SHOW THEM HOW TO USE THE HOT COMBS AND HAIR CARE PRODUCTS.  SHE GATHERED A LARGE NUMBER OF SALES WOMEN AND MADE THEM A PART OF THE WATSON COMPANY, WHICH WAS SOON MAKING NO LESS THAN THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY.  DURING THIS TIME, MADAM LEFT THE RUNNING OF HER FACTORY TO B.J. BARTLETT, WHO ORDERED THE COMPANY'S FIRST DELIVERY TRUCK.

 

AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF TRAVEL, MADAM WATSON RETURNS HOME AND IS GREETED AT THE TRAIN STATION BY HER FRIEND, MATTY, HER DAUGHTER, D'SILLA AND HER ATTORNEY, B.J. BARTLETT, WHO IS DRIVING THE COMPANY'S TRUCK

 

BARTLETT

Step this way, Madam.  And when you take this step, you will be stepping into the future.

 

MADAM WATSON

My my, but that's a lovely truck.

 

BARTLETT

And look who is inside.  (she comes closer and sees D'Silla and Matty)

 

MADAM WATSON

Oh my!  Who is this pretty little young lady?

 

D’ SILLA

Hi Mama!  Look at the nice truck B.J. got for us!  Aunt Matty took me to visit a lady and she made me this nice dress.  Do you like it, Mama?