The Sunset Limited

White: Not for me. No.

Black: (Rising) And what do you make of that?

White: I dont know. What am I supposed to make of it?

Black: (Crossing to kitchen counter) I dont know, Professor. I just tryin to find you some constituents out there somewheres.

White: Constituents?

Black: (Unplugging percolator and getting down cups) Yeah. You like that?

White: Is that a word they use on the streets?

Black: Naw. I learned that word in the jailhouse. You pick up stuff from these jailhouse lawyers and then it gets used around. Be talkin bout your constituents. Some other cat’s constituents. Your wife’s constituents. You use cream and sugar?

White: No. Just black.

Black: Just black.

White: Why do I have to have constituents?

Black: I aint said you got to. I just wondered if maybe you do and we just aint looked hard enough.

He brings the percolator and the cups to the table and pours.

Black: They could be out there. Maybe they’s some other drugproof terminal commuters out there that could be your friends.

White: Terminal commuters?

Black: Got a nice sound to it, aint it?

White: It’s all right.

Black: (Sitting) Nobody.

White: Nobody. No.

Black: Hm.

White: I’m not a member. I never wanted to be. I never was.

Black: Not a member.

White: No.

Black: Well. Sometimes people dont know what they want till they get it.

White: Maybe. But I think they know what they dont want.

Black: I dont know, Professor. I try and go by what I see. The simplest things has got more to em than you can ever understand. Bunch of people standin around on a train platform of a mornin. Waitin to go to work. Been there a hundred times. A thousand maybe. It’s just a train platform. Aint nothin else much you can say about it. But they might be one commuter waitin there on the edge of that platform that for him it’s somethin else. It might even be the edge of the world. The edge of the universe. He’s starin at the end of all tomorrows and he’s drawin a shade over ever yesterday that ever was. So he’s a different kind of commuter. He’s worlds away from them everday travelers. Nothin to do with them at all. Well. Is that right?

White: I dont know.

Black: I know you dont. Bless your heart. I know you dont.

They sip their coffee.

Black: You ride that subway ever day, Professor?

White: Yes.

Black: What do you think about them people?

White: On the subway?

Black: On the subway.

White: I try not to think about them at all.

Black: You ever speak to any of em?

White: Speak to them?

Black: Yeah.

White: About what?

Black: About anything.

White: No. God no.

Black: God no?

White: Yes. God no.

Black: You ever curse em?

White: Curse them?

Black: Yeah.

White: Why would I do that?

Black: I dont know. Do you?

White: No. Of course not.

Black: I mean where they cant hear it.

White: What do you mean?

Black: Maybe just under your breath. In your heart. To yourself.

White: Because?

Black: I dont know. Maybe they just in your way. Or you dont like the way they look. The way they smell. What they doin.

White: And I would mutter something ugly under my breath.

Black: Yeah.

White: I suppose.

Black: And how often do you reckon you might do that?

White: You really dont get to interrogate me, you know.

Black: I know. How often?

White: I dont know. With some frequency. Probably.

Black: Give me a number.

White: A number?

Black: Yeah. Say just on a average day.

White: I’ve no idea.

Black: Sure you do.

White: A number.

Black: I’m a number man.

White: Two or three times a day, I would guess. Something like that. Maybe.

Black: Could be more.

White: Oh yes.

Black: Could be five?

White: Probably.

Black: Ten?

White: That might be a bit high.

Black: But we can go with five. That’s safe.

White: Yes.

Black: That’s eighteen twenty-five. Can we round that off to two grand?

White: What’s that, per year?

Black: Yeah.

White: Two thousand? That’s a lot.

Black: Yes it is. But is it accurate?

White: I suppose. So?