SCENE 2

MARY-ANN

[READING] “…..Atticus said if I paid no‘tention to him, Jem would come down. Atticus was right”

CRYSTAL

That’s spot on Maize. Spot on. Near on four pages today and other than those high-foluting words we leave be, you got it pat.

MARY-ANN

My brother did same as Jem. Went up a tree and stayed for weeks. Thought he’d be a squirrel or someit.

CRYSTAL

Weeks?

MARY-ANN

Yep. Our eldest, Bobby, thought hows we should fetch him down, pull his legs or someit. But Pa said no,we should leave him til fall. He said everything comes down from trees in the fall. Even brothers.

CRYSTAL

And what happened?

MARY-ANN

He dropped down late July.

CRYSTAL

(Laughing) You know, these stories you tell could be a book by ‘emselves.

MARY-ANN

Like Scout’s?

CRYSTAL

Harper Lee’s. She’s the writer. Scout is just a character in the book. …

MARY-ANN

But she tells it, don’t she. Scout. She tell us the story. So’s it her story, right? Atticus would ‘ave told it different, and Jem and Dill. As I sees it Miss Lee wanted us to know Scout’s story and nobodys else.

CRYSTAL

I guess. But she ain’t real Maize. Harper Lee ain’t Scout and Scout ain’t Harper Lee.

MARY-ANN

She’s most real to me. Ain’t met anyone realer. Not recent anyways.

CRYSTAL

That can’t be true. What ‘bout your folks? And me, Maize? Ain’t I real?

MARY-ANN

I don’t mean nothin’ bad Crystal. Its just that Scout….well she’s like more than real….its like she’s me. Me, talking at folks from the book.

She thinks like me and I ‘member fighting everyone for bad mouthin or anything. And she’s got her Pa with her. She counts more than I ‘er did, but other than that she’s me.

CRYSTAL

She ain’t you. Maybe she’s what you wanted to be, that’s all.

She’s educated for one off, she was reading real early. You ain’t be reading at all. Makes a big difference that to someone. Reading. Makes ‘em a different person inside.

MARY-ANN

But she’s learnin’ me to read ain’t she? She’s puttin’ me right. Making me more like her. And that’s what I wanna be…more like her.

CHAIR PUSHED BACK, LEGS SCRAPED ALONG THE FLOOR

CRYSTAL

I think we need finish today.

MARY-ANN

Oh don’t be all steamed Crystal.I know you’re learnin’ me as well. You both are. Without you I couldn’t pick up her words.

I guess you’re sort of like Miss Lee. You’re brinin’ me and Scout together.

CRYSTAL

I ain’t no Harper Lee Maize. Just someone trying to get by, get through this stinkin place.Anyway, it’s showers time. Cranky will be along soon.

MARY-ANN

Maybe one day I’ll write my book Crystal. Once you taught me right and I got myself a pen. Mary-Ann Crowe, book writer.