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[The following epilogue was written by Daniela Atanasova, a third-year English Language and Literature student at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, as a response to The Piano Lesson, by August Wilson.]
Epilogue to August Wilson's The Piano Lesson (Three years later. Afternoon. BERNIECE is playing a score that sounds like a spiritual on the piano in Doaker’s living room. The door opens and a young girl enters wearing a school bag. BERNIECE ceases playing.)MARETHA
Go on playing, Mama…Was that a new one?BERNIECE
Yeah…I’ve been practicing it on and off since this morning. We’re performing it at next month’s concert. How was school today?MARETHA
My math teacher said I did surprisingly well on the test, so he might let me off the final exam.BERNIECE
That’s a smart girl!MARETHA
It wasn’t too hard. Math’s quite easy, but bores me to death. I’m so happy I won’t have to deal with equations again.BERNIECE
Don’t ask me about equations. Can’t help you there. All I could ever do was scrubbing and sweeping and cooking the dinner.MARETHA
No one cooks it better than Uncle Doaker, though. I miss him.BERNIECE
Yeah, the house is not the same without him.MARETHA
And, Mom, you play the piano beautifully, like no one else I know. Go on, play that song again. And then I’ll tell you about the books my literature teacher told us to read. She is white, you know, and really nice. Says I got talent…(BERNIECE smiles and starts playing again. But soon, a knock is heard on the front door. Maretha goes to see who it is and enters with WINING BOY.)MARETHA
Look, Mama, it’s Uncle Wining Boy!WINING BOY
Well, good day to y’all! Maretha, my love, you’ve grown so…and grown even prettier! Berniece, you gonna have to look after her, boys will be going crazy soon, I can see that.BERNIECE
Oh, Wining Boy. Just talking and talking as always! It’s so good to see you! Maretha, get that chair for Uncle Wining Boy.WINING BOY
Berniece dear, it’s true, a man can’t tell the difference between you two any more, she as pretty as you! And you as young as always. (Sits down.) Ah, the good old place.BERNIECE
(Laughs.) Can’t say it ain’t so…Lord, Wining Boy, it’s been a long time! Last time you were here was when we drove away Sutter’s ghost…I’d swear you people come all at once and make a row, and then go and forget about us for three years and more. How have you been? Would you like some dinner?WINING BOY
Sure, but later. I need some rest from that damn train ride. Forgot how long it takes. But where’s Doaker? Get the old fool here.BERNIECE
Doaker is…on vacation.WINING BOY
Doaker on vacation?! Boy, things have changed!BERNIECE
After thirty years in the railroad he done deserved it. He got a letter from Coreen to go visit her up New York. I think she must be sick or something, otherwise why would she suddenly remember to write, when he hadn’t heard of her for years. She used to be real proud, Coreen was.MARETHA
First he didn’t wanna go, but I convinced him. One needs some rest from time to time. And adventure too…It must be wonderful to see New York! I’m gonna go there soon, when I go to college.WINING BOY
College?!MARETHA
Yeah, I wanna be a writer!WINING BOY
Why, Berniece, you got quite some ambition to handle there. No one of our family has even gone to college or become a writer.BERNIECE
Well, I’ve always hoped she’ll have a better life. And her teacher says she got talent, and with her good grades she can get some scholarships.WINING BOY
But how are you getting by on your own? I thought you’d gone and married Avery and become a rich Ma’am by now. Is he still preaching?BERNIECE
I never said I was going to marry Avery. Besides, he’s now married to the widow who’s teaching Sunday school at his church. Avery’s the same as always. His church is doing well, though. Started a choir and all. I play the piano for them, and I even get paid. With that and the piano lessons I give, we’re doing fine. I don’t go to rich people’s houses to clean any more, praise the Lord! And Doaker said he’ll help out if Maretha goes to college. He done so much for us already.WINING BOY
That sure is good news! You ended up musician too, Berniece! We should play duets, if you are up to it. But jazz, not that church stuff! I wish I could help you out too, but, you see, I don’t have a cent. I have something else, though…I got me a woman, Berniece…BERNIECE
(Laughs.) Like that’s something new.WINING BOY
But, for real you know…When a man grows old, he oughtn’t to be alone. She is a kind heart, not like Cleotha…but kind. Gone tell me not to drink and gamble, but at least lets me play for her. She real nice, you should come down and meet her…BERNIECE
I’m happy for you Wining Boy! You should’ve brought her over…WINING BOY
Hey, how’s that Lymon kid doing?BERNIECE
Rambling around. Can’t hold on to a job. Haven’t seen him for a while. Maybe he’s gone and married some of his girlfriends. He’s got a new one every week.WINING BOY
He probably hasn’t found the right one. Or she hasn’t noticed him.BERNIECE
Anyway, Boy Willie called last week. Scared me to death as usual. He the same as you, disappearing for so long you almost forget about him, and then comes out of the blue, shouting as if he owns the place. Always been like that. I thought he would start about that piano again, but he didn’t. He wanted me to play for him. And went ranting about some new business he was going to start.WINING BOY
He a good boy. Something is bound to work out for him these days. But I’m glad you didn’t sell the old piano.BERNIECE
Yeah, Maretha didn’t take to it, but it sure done me a lot of good.WINING BOY
Well, come on, play us some blues.BERNIECE
Later. Let Maretha read to us now. Every evening she reads her books to me. They mighty fine, even the parts I don’t understand. Her father and her grandparents would have been proud.WINING BOY
I’m sure they would. Let’s see what you got, Maretha girl.MARETHA
Let me get my books!
(She runs up the stairs and the lights go down to black. The piano is heard playing in the background.)THE END
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I love offering prequel/sequel assignments as options for response papers because
1. Such exercises allow literature students to develop something creative without having to invest a large amount of time trying to come up with an original idea.Over the years, I have had many students tell me that they have never written anything creative (for example, a story, poem, play, or creative non-fiction) in their lives and that the creative response option offered them a opportunity to try something new.
2. If a student can create a plausible prequel/sequel to a piece of literature, then I can easily determine if the student truly understands the original work. Besides, it is always interesting to see a creative mind at work, even if the student is not a "creative writer" in the traditional sense.
I have had at least one student who decided to start writing poetry and continues to this day.
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Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. Rpt. in Literature and Society:
-----An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction, 4th Ed. Eds. Pamela
-----J. Annas and Robert C. Rosen. Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson-Prentice Hall,
-----2007. 809-879.
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