Black Girl (1972)

Peggy Pettit: Billie Jean

Quotes 

• Mama Rose : [Billie Jean is sulking in her bedroom. There is a bump at the door]  Open this door, girl!

  [Billie Jean opens the door to see Mama Rose carrying groceries across the room to the kitchen] 

  Mama Rose : Billie Jean, ain't I tell you to keep this door open? Now open that other door!

  Billie Jean : [opening Kitchen door to let Mama Rose through to set bags on the counter]  Oh Mama, sometimes I be in here undressing and Mr. Herbert just walk in here without even knocking.

  Mama Rose : [putting groceries away throughout]  You don't be undressing all the time. You keep these doors locked, Billie Jean. And who you think you're talking to? Besides, Mr. Herbert done seen plenty kinds of whatever you trying to hide.

  Billie Jean : If Mr. Herbert was married to Ma Dear, that would be different, Mama. But he ain't no kin to nobody in this house.

  Mama Rose : Now that ain't none of your business, Billie Jean. As far as you concerned, Mr. Herbert pay half the rent on this house and he's a roomer here.

  Billie Jean : If he a roomer, how come he ain't got no room to himself?

  Mama Rose : Now that ain't none of your business, Billie Jean, who my mama has in her room. You keep your trap shut about it, or get out and get a place of your own.

  Billie Jean : You're mighty funny when Netta's momma went crazy and she ain't have no place to stay, you opened your big heart and welcomed her in this house. How come I got to get out...

  Mama Rose : [Facing her]  BECAUSE Netta's got sense enough to stay in school and get something in her head instead of her tail.

  Billie Jean : [At this, Billie Jean walks back into her room where she sees two kids at the door sticking their tongues at her]  You ugly bastards!

  [She chases them out and slams the door] 

  Mama Rose : [Running in the room and grabbing Billie Jean]  Girl, do you want me to get a stick and beat all the black off of you? Now you must have forgotten what a good beating feel like. Now you better snap out of whatever it is that's on your mind, you hear me?

  [Billie looks away for a second, then Mama Rose drags her to the bed and sits her down] 

  Mama Rose : Don't you roll your eyes at me. This ain't Dear you playing with, you understand me?

  Billie Jean : Yes ma'am Momma, I wasn't rolling my eyes at you.

  Mama Rose : And Dear better not come to me no more and tell me you sassed her or Herbert or it's gonna be woe be onto you.

  Ruth Ann : [coming in mad]  Billie Jean, what did you call my baby?

  Billie Jean : He was sticking his tongue out at me.

  Ruth Ann : That don't give you no right to call him no bastard! A bastard is a child that ain't got no daddy and my child got a daddy!

  [she walks away] 

  Mama Rose : She's just smelling her piss, that's all. Now you're getting your tail out of here tomorrow and finding yourself a job.

  [Rose starts to go back to the kitchen] 

  Norma : [Standing at the door]  She already got a job, Mama.

  Mama Rose : Already got one? Where?

  Norma : At the Groovy Bar and Grill down on Second and Ward.

  Mama Rose : At the Groovy Bar and Grill? Doing what?

  Billie Jean : Doing that ballet dancing

  Billie Jean : It ain't no ballet dancing.

  Norma : P-A-L-L-E-T is pallet, ain't it? Well, B-A-L-L-E-T gots to be ballet.

  Billie Jean : It ain't even that kind of dancing.

• Mama Rose : Billie Jean, have you started this mess yet?

  Billie Jean : I just worked three nights.

  Mama Rose : Well, how come I'm just now hearing about it?

  Norma : I thought she had done told you about it, Mama. It's a job. I didn't see no reason for her to be hiding no job unless it's something else she doing.

  Billie Jean : I was gonna tell you, Mama.

  Mama Rose : [almost mocking her]  Well, you were gonna tell me?

  Billie Jean : After I got my first week's pay and...

  Mama Rose : You ain't gonna see no week at that place, Billie Jean! Now you know I don't approve of that... that dancing mess no how! And shaking your tail at the Groovy Grill of all places? Now you know I didn't raise none of y'all like that!

  Norma : Ain't no man don't wanna look at no ballet dancing no how. They wanna see some Strip tease, baby.

  Billie Jean : Billie Jean, how much is you getting for this mess?

  Norma : $3 a night, Ma.

  Mama Rose : $3 a night!

  [she crosses into the kitchen] 

  Billie Jean : But I get tips, Mama!

  Mama Rose : TIPS? I don't care how many tips you get, Billie Jean! You better dip your ass over there sometime today and get what that man owes you!

  [Crossing over to the living room side] 

  Mama Rose : And I better not ever hear of you going to a place like that again unless you got a husband to take you in one!

  [Facing her at the door] 

  Mama Rose : That truant officer walk in here, you out of school and under 18, he'll take you right on off to reform school and then they'll make me pay a fine!