Scene 8
Outside a maternity
ward in Richmond, Va. five months later. VERNA and DIXIE ANN are in front
of a window behind which we assume are rows of newborn babies. DIXIE ANN
is holding her fingers to the window.
DIXIE ANN
Hi, precious! Oh, you are
beautiful!
You
are the most beautiful baby in the entire hospital, isn't she, Mama?
VERNA
She's a very pretty baby.
DIXIE ANN
There are lots of pretty
babies. She's beautiful. And just look at that full head of hair!
You know what Jolene told me. She said the nurses singled out Etienne and
took her from room to room, and said, "Ya wanna see a beautiful baby?"
VERNA
I'm sure that went over just
great with all the other mothers.
DIXIE ANN
In a few days, Precious,
I'm takin' you back home and you're gonna be all mine.
VERNA
Dixie Ann, are you sure
you wanna go through with this.
DIXIE ANN
Why do you keep sayin' that?
VERNA
Because it's a terrible responsibility.
I don't mean just raisin' the baby. I mean the lie.
DIXIE ANN
I know what you mean. You've
certainly told me enough times. Well, it's too late now, isn't it? The
birth certificate has my name on it, not Jolene's.
VERNA
What difference does that
make? Your birth certificate had my name on it, and I wouldn't have
hesitated to give you up for adoption if I had known all this was gonna
happen.
DIXIE ANN
Very funny.
VERNA
And Clois?
DIXIE ANN
To hell with Clois!
VERNA
But he's got to continue
the lie just as much as you do.
DIXIE ANN
Mama. I never told you this.
But Clois and I haven't---you know---been intimate for longer than I care
to remember. You see, he…he…
VERNA
Impotent? Is that the word
you're searchin' for?
DIXIE ANN
I wasn't searchin'. He wasn't
when we got married, but somewhere…I don't wanna talk about it.
(back to the window)
Precious darlin', we're
gonna take you out o' Richmond in just a little bit. We're gonna go on
the Silver Meteor. That's this wonderful choo-choo train… You see, Mama,
in a strange way, Etienne is mine.
VERNA
What are you talkin' about?
DIXIE ANN
You wouldn't understand.
No one would.
(turning back to the glass)
Precious, you should
see
the bassinet I got for my little sweetheart. It's light pink and has these
adorable little yellow and green clowns…
(SHE continues speaking
as the music of "True Romance" drowns her out. VERNA stares at her daughter
with a deeply troubled look.)
LIGHTS DIM
