King Hedley II

King is watering his seeds. Stool Pigeon enters the yard with two jugs of water. He is sure that terrible changes are afoot, and that God brought Aunt Ester home to him before wreaking havoc on his wayward people. King tells Stool Pigeon that he is going to be one of Aunt Ester’s pallbearers. Stool Pigeon quotes from the Bible about people making graven images and worshiping idols. He thinks that Aunt Ester was the only one who saw the truth, and now that she had died, the community will no longer have the benefit of her wisdom. Now more than ever, he is sure, the people need wisdom. Stool Pigeon thinks that she died from grief, that the hundreds of years of Black history in America became too much for her to bear.

Mister enters the yard and asks if the lights are still out at King’s and Stool Pigeon’s. Stool Pigeon tells him that the lights went out all over the city when Aunt Ester died. Mister has sold two more refrigerators. He asks if King has seen Pernell’s cousin, and King responds that he’s been looking for him, but hasn’t found him yet.