The Mother Who Was Once Denied

By Mary Bottom Tinsley

THE MOTHER WHO WAS ONCE DENIED

This play is based on (fiction and truth) a happily married Southern couple who are God-fearing people who encountered some happy times and some crucial times in life. Tom, the husband, became a nave and self-centered man who felt he could not deal with the tragic that caused the facial impairment of his wife. Minnie, the mother, suffered many heartaches when she was faced with the responsibility of taking care of two children and herself alone. The father, who had imposed domestic responsibility, as well as financial problems, upon her, decided to leave with the youngest child and moved to New York. Minnie wanted to work, but no one would hire her because of her face. She learned how to be patient and wait on the Lord, with a great determination to rise above all difficulties surrounding her during these difficult times. Fifteen years later, her child returns to visit her, with friends from New York. She admitted that she was ashamed of her mothers face and denied her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 5, 2009
• ISBN: 9781462835089

Book preview

Copyright © 2009 by Mary Bottom-Tinsley.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

PART 1

PART II

PART III

This play is dedicated to my husband

Rev. Edward Tinsley and our

Children

Jean, Deborah, George, Ronald and Terry

In Memory of our two Deceased sons

Norman & Gary

PART 1

Time                                                   Early fifties

Place                                   Louisiana / New York

Cast of Characters

Mother                                                      Minnie

Father                                                            Tom

Sister                                                              Pam

Brother                                                            Jim

Preacher                                        Reverend Spike

Gossiper                                       Sister Oral Mae

Member                                           Sister Medley

Member                                              Sister Jones

This play is based on a Southern family who has experienced some crucial times in life, but with the forceful determination to rise above all difficulties surrounding them.

Early Sunday morning, as Minnie moves about in the kitchen listening to the radio while preparing breakfast she realizes time is passing rapidly. She calls out to Tom.

MINNIE

Tom! Get up! It’s seven o’clock already.

TOM

Yes, Minnie.

MINNIE

(Finishes placing silverware and plates on table) Tom, Tom! Get up. Here, lately it seems so hard to get you up on Sundays.

TOM

All right, all right! I’m getting up. What’s so special about today?

MINNIE

You plan to go to church, don’t you?

TOM

Ah, Minnie, church this early?

MINNIE

No, I planned to send the children to Sunday school this early.

TOM

Well, go ahead and send them.

MINNIE

(In a loud voice) Tom!

TOM

Okay, okay! I’m getting up.

MINNIE

You get them up, get them dressed, and I will feed them and get them off to Sunday school.

TOM

Pam and Jim, get up! You are going to Sunday school.

PAM

All right, Daddy. (Comes out and speaks) Good morning, Mama. (Crosses over to bathroom)

MINNIE

(After minutes pass, she takes a couple of steps toward the bathroom.) Pam! Where is your brother? (No answer from Pam) Jim! Didn’t you hear your daddy call out for you to get up? Boy, you had better make haste and get out of that bed. (Talking to herself) It seems like everything is left up to me around here. (Stands with hands on hip and pauses) Here I am, working like a slave over this hot stove preparing breakfast, trying to see that everybody is up. (Pauses again) With all of my efforts, nobody appreciates me. (Placing food on table)

JIM

(Comes out rubbing the sleep from his eyes) Ah, Mama, we appreciate everything you do. I just want to sleep this morning. Every day I get up so early… school, school, school! School. (Pauses) school five days a week. Now here comes Sunday school.

MINNIE

Sunday school is where you learn all about God and his Son, Jesus.

JIM

(Leaning on elbow on corner of the table) I just don’t feel like going to no Sunday school. (Attempts to reach for bread on the table)

MINNIE

Ah… ah… boy! You had better go in there and wash your face and brush your teeth before you reach for anything from my table.

JIM

Mama, I am hungry. I be done starved before Pam come out of the bathroom. She is staying in there too long.

MINNIE

Pam! Goodness gracious, child, come on out of there. Your brother is waiting.

PAM

All right, Mama.

MINNIE

(Looks at the clock) My Lord, how time flies past.

JIM

Mama, that’s good. We going to be late.

MINNIE

It’s not good if you are late.

JIM

(Gets happy, claps his hands together) Ooh-wee, I can go back to bed after I eat.

MINNIE

Not this morning. Even though you are late, you are going anyhow, you hear me! It’s better late than never. You are starting today.

PAM

(Comes out of bathroom) Jim, I am out. Make haste so Daddy can go in.

JIM

(Snaps at Pam) Don’t rush me! You stayed in there a half of a day, and I don’t see a thing you done to yourself. Daddy is still sleep anyhow.

PAM

I thought you was hungry. Ain’t you starving by now? (Takes magazine to read, takes her place at the table)

Jim snatches magazine from Pam. Pam attempts to hit Jim. Jim runs to Mama.

MINNIE

(Yells at Pam) Pam, leave your brother alone! Tom, get up! These children are getting a late start because of you. Get up, Tom. Go on and get washed up, Jim. (Pushes him toward the bathroom)

TOM

(Yells from the bedroom) I guess that’s my fault that they are late, huh?

MINNIE

(Yells back) No, it’s my fault because I should have made sure you got up first.

Jim looks at Pam and sticks out his tongue as he returns to the breakfast table from the bathroom.

PAM

Mama, talk to Jim, your little angel. (Talks to Jim in a soft voice) You just wait until I get you outside. You can’t be clean because you didn’t stay in there long enough.

JIM

Mama, Pam going to hit me when she get outside. She just said it.

PAM

A big baby.

MINNIE

Leave him alone, Pam.

PAM

I ain’t bothering him yet.

JIM

Yes, she is, Mama. She just said she was going to get me outside. (Stick his tongue out again)

MINNIE

Pam, you better not bother your brother. You must take care of him. Brothers and sisters shouldn’t fight but take care of one another.

JIM

When are we going to eat breakfast, at twelve o’clock?

PAM

Mama, Jim is trying to be smart. Did you hear what he just asked you?

MINNIE

Pay him no mind, Pam. He is a baby.

Jim makes face at Pam. He attempts to take some juice.

PAM

Mama, your baby is just about to help himself to some juice.

MINNIE

(Slaps Jim’s hand) Wait, Jim, you know your daddy got to ask God’s blessings first.

JIM

Mama, Daddy takes a long time. I’m hungry.

PAM

Mama, maybe we should let Sunday school go until next Sunday.

MINNIE

Shut up, Pam. You are going to Sunday school today!

JIM

Is Daddy gonna get up today? Can’t I bless my own food?

MINNIE

No, you can’t bless the food, and yes, your daddy is getting up today. Matter of fact, he is going to get up right now! (Goes to their bedroom door) Tom, get out of that bed. I’ve been up since five o’clock. I done finished my supper for the evening, got the children in and out of the bathroom, cleaned the children’s shoes off and polished them, prepared a hot breakfast. Thanks to you, we will have to eat cold food.

TOM

Ah, Minnie, I worked hard yesterday. I decided to stay home today.

MINNIE

What if the Lord decided not to wake you up? There are so many who didn’t wake up this morning. Some woke up and couldn’t get up. You should thank God for the strength to get up.

TOM

(Jumps up, speaks in a loud voice) Goodness gracious! Minnie, why do you have to talk like that? All right, I am up, I am up!

MINNIE

Children, be patient, your daddy will be in soon.

Tom