Roots (1977) s01e03 Episode Script

Last on Roots.
Sold.
Your name, sir? John Reynolds, Spotsylvania County, Virginia.
Your massa give you a new name.
Massa say you name Toby.
Kunta.
Kunta Kinte.
Hey, Toby.
Look what I got from the kitchen.
I got Chains ain't right for a nigger, Fiddler.
Kunta never forget you.
Helped Kunta be free.
What it like to be free, African? You're going to learn to answer to your name! - What's your name? - Kunta Kinte.
What's your name? My name is Toby.
Hey, Toby.
Dip of water, Toby? No.
You sure? Here.
Well, when you feel the need, you know where to come.
Some things even an African nigger can't do without.
Nigger.
You, nigger.
I'm talking to you.
Get somebody to load the crate on the wagon.
You may be as dumb as hog fat, but you're as strong as an ox.
Nigger.
Keep loading.
You, big buck! When you got that wagon loaded, there's two more! I want to get started for market before nightfall.
Oh, Toby.
You work very hard for this boss man, huh? It'll only be for two days.
And I'll bring him back fit and fed and all in one piece.
I guarantee it.
No, sir.
Can't be done.
No one can guarantee that he'll be coming back.
He's got runaway blood in him.
I had to use a whip so many times on him, it's a wonder he's got hide left on him.
Too much spirit for his own good.
I don't want no trouble.
Toby be good nigger for Massa.
Good nigger.
Don't send Toby away.
Toby be good field hand, boss.
Good field hand, Massa.
It's all right, Toby.
It's all right.
You be a good field hand and you can stay here.
Toby stay.
Toby Stay.
Toby be good now.
Toby be real good.
You work real hard now.
Toby be good field hand.
Squire John, I do believe that this is the finest harvest celebration ever to be in the history of Virginia.
May well be, Miss Constable, may well be.
The tobacco crop's the finest ever.
No reason that the festivities shouldn't be in keeping.
My brother, William, there.
He has every cause to celebrate as much as any of us Reynolds.
The cash from this crop will pay him the money I owe him.
Every last pound, shilling, penny and farthing of it.
And to meet your brother socially is, indeed, a rare treat, squire.
A young lady usually has to be not at all well to be rewarded by the pleasure of Dr.
Reynolds' company.
Well, if I weren't the only physician in Spotsylvania County, Miss Constable, I'd have more time for society.
I suspect, Miss Constable, that if Providence hadn't chosen to take my brother's good wife and make him a single man again, there'd be far less illness among the young ladies hereabout, uh? Squire Reynolds, you are a caution.
Niggers just don't put enough toddy in here to wet the glass, let alone quench the thirst.
Excuse me, my dear, I'll correct the condition.
I'll join you, John.
Anne, Miss Constable.
I didn't want to discuss your debt to me in front of Miss Constable, John.
Family and financial matters ought to be private.
True, true, true.
That's very true.
But since you've raised the subject, tending my practice takes a great deal of time away from management of my property.
I need more field hands if I hope to entertain an idea of profit.
I have to have cash for that, John.
I must have the money you owe me.
Distrustful of your own brother, William? Distrustful of the amount you drink, let's say, and what it does to you.
So be it.
I drink too much and you worry too much and we'll both meet our Maker too soon, as a result.
I'll be much happier when I arrive.
Ah, Miss Constable.
Here you are.
Is Miss Constable one of your patients? Between the Hippocratic oath and accidents of birth, it's a rather hectic life I lead.
You mustn't be too harsh on John.
After all, he is your brother.
You mustn't forget that.
What I mustn't forget is he's your husband.
Toby? I'm all set to play to the hoedown.
Wanna come hear me? Toby? What you doing? When you gonna quit that? You know white folks don't like that kind of praying.
Look, sooner or later, you gonna have to forget that African stuff.
Make white folks mad and scare niggers.
- Fiddler scared? - I'm scared.
Sure, I'm scared.
Scared of snakes and lung fever and white folks.
Hope I ain't being too hard on the snakes and lung fever.
Papa, don't worry.
Toby be good nigger for Massa.
Sure.
That make me laugh, all right.
And I figure you got something in your head when I see you doing that.
Hey, what you got in your head? What's this? A safo.
- That some kind of charm? - Uh-huh.
Now, you see this rooster feather? This bring Kunta spirit.
Hair from horse make Kunta strong.
Bird bone, that bring me luck.
Why you need all that? I ask you why you need all this? How come, Toby? In the last wagon going out this afternoon, uh? I order two bottles and niggers be drunk.
Kunta be free.
No! You know what happen when a nigger run off, the master and the overseer be meaner than ever to the rest of us.
But they won't do nothing bad to you, Fiddler.
You gonna try again? I remember one time you got me moved out of my cabin where I had to sleep in the barn most of the winter.
And that ain't nothing bad like what they gonna do to you when they catch ya.
If they catch me.
Toby.
Kunta, there ain't no way to beat the law.
The law gets read in white folks' churches.
Niggers can't carry no gun, even no stick look like a club.
And you know the law say 20 lashes if you get caught without no traveling pass.
- Ten lashes-- - If you look a white man in the eye and 30 lash if you raise your hand to a white Christian! And the law say if they catch you lying, they cut your ears off! I know the law, Fiddler! I know the law too well! Then you ought to know that there ain't no way to beat the law! White folks live by it and niggers die by it.
Maybe this time I'll make it to the Calvert plantation.
Maybe I will find Fanta.
But it don't matter.
Seem like since they take me from my home and bring me to this place, the only time I get to be free is when I run away.
I tell you, Fiddler, sometime it seem like being alone and being free, they're all the same for a slave.
You don't be free.
You be dead.
Then I be free.
Fiddler? Fiddler! That be Luther, calling me to the hoedown.
I gonna celebrate the harvest.
I'm gonna play a hoedown like you never heard played before.
Them niggers be stomping and yelling and laughing and slapping their knees, so ain't nobody gonna see nothing.
Not even them wagons leaving for the market.
No.
But I really be celebrating seeing the last of one dumb African nigger.
Fiddler.
Goodbye, Fiddler.
I hope it be a good goodbye, Kunta.
Hope it be something.
Listen to them.
Mr.
Reynolds is too soft on them niggers.
Letting them enjoy themselves on a day like this while a white man's got to go to work.
Doesn't seem right that I gotta drive all night over the worst roads in Spotsylvania County, neither.
Sorry I couldn't let you one of my niggers to help you offload it, Mr.
McLuhan.
I don't take to letting niggers off the plantation.
This way, they don't know which way is the east, which way is east or the west.
Once I let one of these bucks go to the tobacco market, he'll know where that is.
Once he does, he'll figure out where someplace else is.
Next thing you know, he'll know which way it is to the north.
I understand, Mr.
Ames, I understand.
But sure would've been nice to have a good, strong buck along to help me offload at market.
Good evening, sir.
Come on, Ted.
MAN; Yeah.
Yeah.
George! This is Calvert's plantation.
The inn's at the next crossing.
I say we owe our rumps a rest.
I want that slave back, Mr.
Grill.
That's what I want.
Yes, sir, Mr.
Reynolds, but how do you want him back? Alive is one fee, dead's another.
Frankly, I'd prefer him dead.
Killing a runaway slave is easy enough, squire.
It don't make as good an example by my record.
Plus that you lose all your investments.
That's true enough.
Cost me 155 pounds off the block.
He's worth a lot more than that now.
And you wanna make sure that nigger stays put this time.
Mr.
Trumbull is right, sir.
You let him get away and every nigger on your place will be hightailing it the first chance they get.
All right, do what you have to do.
You'll find me a fair man with money.
Yes, sir, Mr.
Reynolds.
Mr.
Trumbull and I know what to do.
Well, we best be underway, squire.
Good day.
You want me to go with them, sir? Yes, I want you to go with them, Mr.
Ames.
But I don't think I'd like you to come back.
Mr.
Reynolds, I warned you about that Toby.
Yes, you did warn me.
- I warned you many a time! - Indeed, you did! But apparently, you forgot to warn Toby.
It's your job, your responsibility.
That nigger made a fool of you.
You be off my property by nightfall, Mr.
Ames.
Ain't nothing a nigger can do that don't make Massa Calvert's plantation better.
All right now, old fox.
Or weasel.
Or whatever you is.
You better get on out of here.
Here, now.
Whatever kind of hungry animal you is, you better get yourself on out here before sunup.
Nigger.
Nigger! This the Calvert plantation? Hey, you got one African girl around here named Fanta? Her name Maggie.
Now, you go to the barn and stay put.
I never seen you.
Remember that when they catch you.
I never seen you.
Fanta, here.
Fanta.
What they do to you? Everything.
- Oh - Hmm.
I don't understand that African talk no more.
Say it plain in English so I understand what you're saying.
What you mean, "Say it plain in English"? I put all that African talk clean out of my head.
I don't talk it.
I don't even think it no more.
- Fanta-- - No.
Maggie.
It's the name they give me.
It's what I go by.
Maggie.
What name they give you? Toby.
Toby.
It's a better name than some I heard about.
Take how we think.
Take how we call each other.
Damn.
The white man don't leave us nothing.
I I am young Massa Calvert's bed wench.
Any children come out of me supposed to be his, supposed to be brown.
I can touch you so you feel better.
But we can't be with each other, not like we want.
White man don't even leave us, us.
Fanta.
Fanta.
Ch Fanta, I want you now.
I need you.
As long as we keep the sun on this side in the morning, then we know we're heading north.
That where freedom be.
Say yes, Fanta.
I can't stay in this place much longer.
- How far away? - I don't know but it don't matter.
If north where it is, then we just keep going till we reach north.
Now, please, Fanta, come with me.
Let's go now.
What you gonna do once you get to freedom? I'll find a job, I'll make money.
What job you gonna get? What white man's work you know how to do? They ain't got no tobacco, they ain't got no cotton.
They ain't got nothing up north for a nigger to pick.
Come with me now, Fanta.
Come.
Maybe we can get away from this place clean, together.
Maybe all the way back to our home.
Ch Been a long time.
My father, Omoro, close to 50 now.
Grandma Nyo Boto, she'll be 68 if she's still living.
My baby brother, he already finished with his manhood training-- You talking crazy.
No, we can make it, Fanta! Now, I told you! My name is Maggie! A clear win! Two lengths, I should judge.
Or more? Ten pounds, that was the wager.
Come on, pay up.
Wouldn't want me saying Lord Calvert's son doesn't pay his debts.
- Ten pounds, coin of the realm.
- Mmm-hmm.
You'd do for one of His Majesty's tax collectors, Thomas.
Good day to you, sir.
Hope you no objection to us taking our ease at your trough? No, no.
Drink your fill.
Looks as though you've come a long way.
That we have, sir.
Chasing a runaway, we are.
Seen any nigger might fit the bill, lately? Fanta, now you know ain't no toubob can make it through the woods like Mandinka! You know it's the truth! We stay away from people, away from the main roads, away from houses, we can make it.
We can make it to the north and be free! Maybe then we can find some more runaways, Fanta.
- No! - Fanta! No, now I'm here! And I'm gonna stay here! - You gonna stay a slave? - I'm gonna stay alive! I'm gonna stay warm instead of cold.
I'm gonna stay fed instead of starved.
I'm gonna stay.
I'll do what they say long as I can suck breath.
A dead nigger ain't help nobody! Least of all a dead nigger! - But, Fanta, you can't mean what you say-- - Oh, hush! I mean it! I mean every last word of it.
Now just get on out of here and leave me be.
It's already daylight.
Now just get on out of here and leave me be! Let me talk with you, now! - Let me talk with you, woman! - No, leave me be! No! No! I don't want to know about nothing! Now this is where I is! And this is where I'm gonna stay, long as Maggie, who's that you got in there with you? You know that nigger? ls he one of yours? Never saw him before in my life.
Trumbull, that's him.
Ha! - Ha! - Ha! Damn nigger! Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, you'll live, but fixed so as you'll never run again.
Or No! Well, the lad's made his choice.
Toby.
Toby.
Toby? Toby? Fanta! It's delirium.
Fanta.
- Bell, that foot is still festered.
- Yes, sir.
Ah Slave catchers.
No better than animals.
Worse and cruel just for the pleasure of it.
And stupid.
One swipe of the ax and they ruin a valuable piece of property.
Well, I never thought this boy would linger for - What is it, three weeks? - Yes, sir.
Well Nothing more to be done, except wait for the fever to break or to kill him.
I'll tend him, Massa.
I made a poultice.
Boiled elderberry leaves and sulfur.
At least it can't do any harm.
And I sent that mulatto girl, Genelva, to fetch some more muslin rags to pack him with.
Fanta.
Luther has to drive me to Janesburg.
Pox is killing half the troops and British chain-shot taking the rest.
Mr.
Harlan.
If this boy dies before I get back, you shroud him and bury him right then.
And get Cassius and Hannibal to start digging a grave now, just in case.
Lord knows what sickness he's got in him.
- You understand that? - I understand you, Doctor.
I'll take care of it.
Slave catchers.
Castrating butchers.
What're you doing out here? I was just worried about Toby, Massa Doctor.
Me and him was friends back when we belonged to your brother.
I'm a patient man, Fiddler, so I'll tell you one more time.
I own you.
You, Toby, Genelva, all of you.
I would've thought by now you'd understand that.
Yes, sir, Massa, we understand.
A crippled field hand, a mulatto wench and a half-dead old fiddle player.
Well, that's a fine way my brother has paying his debts.
That's the truth, Massa.
Mr.
Harlan, I'm sure I told you to find something for this mulatto girl to do.
I know Genelva since she be with your brother.
She's no good for the fields, Doctor, and you don't need her in the house.
About the only thing she's good for is breeding.
Yes.
Babies might be worth something.
Luther, you're to have no more truck with her.
You're too old.
We'll find a young buck to breed her with.
Yes, sir, Massa.
Bell told you to go fetch, girl.
You best get to it.
- Luther, we're late for Janesburg.
- Massa Doctor, Toby? Fiddler, I've no idea whether he's gonna live or die.
If he dies, he'd only have himself to blame for it.
I want you to know that I don't hold with what they did to him.
But a slave who runs off doesn't warrant any prizes either.
Luther.
You ain't gonna die.
Bell ain't gonna let you die.
A-ha.
You alive! Ain't that fine? Slave catchers.
That's right.
We figured they catch you, maybe they kill you dead.
But you ain't.
But look what they do to me, Fiddler.
Look what they did to me.
What kind of man would do that to another man, Fiddler? What kind of man? Why didn't they just kill me? Why they don't just kill me? Maybe they did.
Toby.
Uh We at Dr.
William now.
We belong to him.
We ain't at the squire's no more.
How come? See, see Massa Reynolds just couldn't get his price at the market for the tobacco.
So, you see, the money that he owed to Dr.
William Well, we the money that he owed to Dr.
William.
That's how he paid it off.
With us.
Tell me now, Fiddler.
What kind of massa this new man? He's the best, that's what he be.
I been his cook for years.
He's a good massa.
She's the one see you through the fever.
Better part of a month.
I'm Bell.
He figure 'cause he got half a foot, he ain't a whole man no more.
Hmm.
Well, you can just tell your friend, Toby, that half a foot don't make a man no less a man.
Unless, of course, he want to be.
There's something for him over by the stove.
And if he wants to eat from now on, he can just walk on over to my kitchen door.
You can't run no more.
You tried, more than most.
But you can't run no more.
That's all there is to it.
If I can't find a way to run, then I just lay here and die.
I just lay here and die.
These for you.
The Massa Doctor say I doesn't do no sparking with Luther.
He say we can't even talk with one another.
I heard.
And Massa means what he says.
Now, he catch you fanning your tail around Luther, you'll find yourself sold quick.
Ain't that way with me and Luther, Bell.
We loves one another.
Luther's real gentle with me.
He ain't like them young bucks.
They just wanna push and shove.
But Luther, he likes me just to talk to.
- Sometimes we just-- - Still, Massa's got his rules.
Well, we just see to it he don't catch us, that's all.
Then you just looking for trouble.
You talks like a woman don't care nothing about men.
Oh, I care, honey, I care.
I just haven't found a man I wanted in 10 years.
What about Toby? Toby? That fool runaway nigger.
What makes you think I care about him? Oh, just the way you been fretting whether he live or die.
Whether he walk or not.
Sure ain't acting like a woman don't care nothing about a man.
You know, maybe it's been so long since you seen a man you really wanted.
You just done forgot what it feel like, Bell.
You're a smart gal, Genelva.
Keep eye on them loaves.
Don't make them burn.
I see you found the crutches.
Here's a pair of Massa's old boot.
I asked him for 'em, and he gave 'em to me.
Ain't gonna need no boots again.
Never.
I fixed them, see? I stuffed the toe so's the boot'll fit snug.
Now, you try 'em.
If it ain't right, I'll just pull some of the stuffing out or put some more in.
No! I seen that ugly stump already.
Now, don't be more foolish than you gotta be! Woman, don't you know nothing? Don't you understand nothing? I ain't gonna need no boots again, 'cause I ain't gonna walk again.
Never! Well, you throw them out then.
'Cause I ain't gonna.
Fiddler say you come from Africa.
Say you always bragging on it.
Don't brag.
Ain't no need to brag.
Fiddler say even when you ain't saying nothing, you thinking proud.
Real proud about being a African.
Yeah, I'm Mandinka.
I'm Mandinka fighting man.
You surely are some brave Mandinka fighting man, Toby.
- What you fighting now? - Woman, why don't you shut your mouth! I don't see why I have to do that.
I can say anything I want.
And you sure can't do nothing about it, can you? Fighting man.
You gonna do it.
I think you gonna make it.
Lord be praised, Toby.
You gonna walk.
Woman, I told you, my name ain't no Toby.
I am Kunta Kinte, son of Omoro and Binta Kinte! A fighting man from the village of Juffure! I gonna do better than learn to walk.
I gonna learn to run! Damn it! I gonna learn to run.
Jump over the broom into the land of matrimony.
Next on Roots.
Kunta Kinte's first American descendent is born.
Gonna call her "Kizzy.
" Amid the passion of the old South Last night I dreamed I wanted to be a darky.
What you gonna do? You ain't gonna leave, is you, Toby? This is your home.
No.
It's not my home.
Roots.
The triumph of an American family continues.
English - SDH