Footsteps In The Dark

THE SETTING IS AT A TABLE OF A WEST INDIAN RESTAURANT IN MONTREAL. TWO COUPLES ARE SEATED AT THE TABLE - A WAITRESS APPROACHES

 

Waitress

Are ya' all ready to order now?

 

lst Woman

I can't make up my mind what I wan' eat.

 

lst Man

You always say the same thing everytime we go out to eat. Make it easy on ya'self Ginny, just have something in mind when you know we going out to eat!

 

2nd Man

All you does always have dis' same discussion everytime we go to break bread. Byron, you know she does take long, just. leave she man, order your food and she'll get around to hers.

 

2nd Woman

What I wan' know is what's the big news Byron bring us here to tell us?

(Byron reaches in his bag and pulls out a bottle).

Byron

Tessy, if your sister would hurry up and mek' up she mind you could all be hearing de' news while you eating some nice food.

2nd Man

It can't be dat you won de loto, because you woulda' brought champagne instead of dat homemade wine de Italian man does give you.

Byron

Dis' taste better 'dan champagne man. Wha' wrong wit' you?

Tessy

Ginny and me ready to order if it's going to make you tell us the news any faster.

Ginny

Byron, you watch too much Alfred Hitchcock, you always does make everything suspenseful. Sometimes I wonder if you do dat to get back at me for taking long to order ma' food.

(He opens the bottle and pours wine into everyones glass)

Byron

(lifting his glass) I finally wok' up' the nerve to leave my chains behind. (he looks at everybody's puzzled faces) What's de matta? I too swift fuh you all? (looking his brother-in-law in the eye and then looks at his wife, whose mouth is open). Ginny, you always tell me you want the finer things in life (pauses and takes a sip) ... you sure as hell ain't gunna' get it with the job I got now ... I am going to start my own business!

 

2nd Man

Byron, dis' is Squid you talkin' to. How 'de ass you gun pay for de place you bought, that Tessy and me co-sign the mortgage for?

Tessy

Listen Byron, you are my brother-in-law and I want what's best for you and my sister. Byron, dis' is a recession dat' we in. People naw quit dey job now, dey tankful dey get one!

Byron

Black people never like to support they own. I bet if you were at wok' in a dat bank and one a dem' white people say dey go' leave dey job, you would be the first one to wish dem well!

Tessy

Lemme tell you sometin' Byron, you know how many black people duz come in de bank fuh loan? Well it does be plenty and none a dem ever leave dat bank wit' a loan. What mek you tink dat you will get de money to start you own business?

Byron

Dat is why we are gathered here at my favourite restaurant (the waitress returns to the table). I know wha' I want, give me some cowfoot, with rice and peas.

Waitress

Would you like something to drink?

Byron

You mus' be new here (he turns around to give her the once over). Well, I have bin coming here since the conception of dis' place, and I bin' drinking the specials of de week ever since.

Waitress

Well, the special this week is carrot juice and soursap, ... we are out of soursap.

Byron

My wife has been trying to get me to try de ting' and tonight I am going to give her the wish she desires.

(the waitress is summoned from behind the counter).

 

Squid

I does always laugh to myself when I see how you turn on the English language whenever somebody new meets you.

Byron

First impressions ma' boy.

Ginny

Is de wine, as soon as he start sippin' dat ting, he tink he is de reincarnation of a great a Shakespearean actor.

Tessy

I tink we gettin' off 'a de subject. I want to know more about how Byron hopes to finance his new business.

Squid

You don't have to be psychic to know what he's up to.

Byron

All a'you don't even know what business I want to start, but you ready to stop me.

Tessy

Look Byron, we are just trying to be practical. You are not a man of great learnin' and experience, a black man in dis' country to try to be legitimate has two chances, slim and none. You have to beat great odds just to get notice, den you have to beat reality just to have a few crumbs from dis' society.

(Byron reaches into his pocket and takes out a piece of paper)

Byron

Dis is my certificate dat say I can try to get my piece of de pie.

Squid

Where you get dat' from? You didn't tell me you were going to school.

Byron

I was going to school on the job watching these tapes at night. Being a security guard give me a lotta free time. (the waitress returns with his food) Dis look good! I wish you all would order and enjoy some a' dis good food. All a you got me feelin' dat I have dis delicious plate in front of me, and I don't want to follow protocol and wait for you food to come before I dig in!

Squid

(To the waitress) Give me some curry goat with rice and peas, and to drink give me a Red Stripe, please.

 

Tessy

Squid, you know beer and wine does always set you off. I would like it if you would have something else to drink.

Squid

Here you go again, running my life, I am not a child Tessy, don't tell me what to do (under his breath).

Ginny

Don't you two start nothing on dis night. I want to hear how my husband graduate and how he plan on startin' his new business.

Waitress

May I suggest something for you ladies? Maybe some oxtail soup, a salad and a piece of pound cake at the end of the meal? (the women nod their heads in agreement).

Ginny

(Picking at some of Byron's food) So tell us how you managed to get dis' certificate Byron.

Byron

Well, it was simple. All I did was watch videos, you know on Channel 24? You can graduate if you do the work, just like you went to school.

Squid

You goin' into the video business 'den?

Byron

No! I go leave dat to de fellas dat do dat best, like New Age Record. As a matter a' fact, he's one of my first customers. I went to him with my plan and he was one of my first customers. I am going to be a Security Consultant. Every night I was going off to work, I was goin' to school. A friend of mine, Myer Lowenstein at work, gave me the idea and the videos to watch. He even used to cover for me while I was "in class". Dat is why it does burn me up when I hear people, and my own black people, try to come down on de Jews, dey not all alike. (he shakes his head). There is alot more good a'dem dan bad. I'll tell you dat (he takes a sip of his wine). I'm getting emotional because he's the only one who never look at me funny when I told him I want to do dis ting.

Tessy

I bet he's not going to be the one dat going to give you de cash to start.

Byron

Sometimes encouragement is better dan any money you can get to have a successful business.

( The waitress returns with the food and places it in front of her customers )

 

Squid

New Age Record you said? He's a good one that Sky.

Byron

You don't have to tell me, he's a black man dat support de community. I think dis is one of these black people dat make me tink it possible to start ma' own business.

Ginny

He's been in business a long time and still going strong. I have a girlfriend that got a thing for him.

Byron

If it's Janet you talking about, she can forget it, he's all business. You know how you can tell? He still deh'. Some people does start a business and gone two weeks later.

Tessy

What mek' you so sure that you're not going to suffer that same fate?

Byron

Because I hope I am going to have my family with me.

Ginny

But Byron, we don't know nothing about no security.

Byron

Neither did I, before I come to dis country.

Squid

You need more dan New Age Record to make a living.

Byron

The owner of dis place is supporting me and I got lot of places I gun' go to.

Squid

I can't see how you could compete against dese white people. You know black people only go with de' tried and de' true.

Byron

You talking about black people and you doin' de same ting.

Squid

But I is a black man and me and me wife co-sign for your house and we don't want to be stuck with two mortgages.

 

Byron

What makes you tink that I want to mortgage the house? I am not asking anyone to take any risks, all I want to know is if I can count on my family.

Squid

If it's not going to put us in debt, I can't see any major problem. You know you're going to need a few things to start.

Byron

Like an Accountant?

Squid

Wait a minute Byron. I know what you gettin' at, but I have my hands full wid all de people at church dat ask me for free advice, and de workload at work... I don't tink I can do you and your business justice.