Harlem Duet

The scene opens with the sound of urban blues and the voice of Marcus Garvey. Billie, Magi, and Amah are in Billie’s apartment, where Magi complains to Amah about the upcoming holiday season and subsequent Valentine’s Day. Amah invites her to celebrate Kwanzaa with her family, but Magi isn’t keen on the idea of a seven-day holiday. As she leaves, she warns Amah not to mention anything about Othello’s plans to marry his new girlfriend. Billie finds Amah inspecting her makeshift science lab. As she prepares to treat and style Billie’s hair—her main reason for the visit—she tells Billie that a package came for her that morning and that she placed it near the chemistry set. Billie tells her not to touch anything, as some of the ingredients could be lethal, and that the delivered package likely carried an Egyptian rejuvenation tonic. Amah speaks of Jenny and how much she misses seeing her Aunt Billie, but Billie says she isn’t ready to resume their weekly visits.

The sisters-in-law recall happier days, including the day they moved to Harlem: it was the same day in 1990 that Nelson and Winnie Mandela visited the neighborhood.