We begin this week’s episode with BOBBY. He is in his room with ALEXIS and has just looked out the peep hole of his door to see that TRINA has unexpectedly stopped by for a visit.
BOBBY thinks - Oh shit! Not now!
ALEXIS - Is everything ok? Who is that?
(BOBBY quickly turns around.)
BOBBY thinks - Ok, think fast!
BOBBY - Uh...yeah...it’s cool...well...actually...no it’s not. For some reason, the sphinxmen are here and they aren’t supposed to be here.
ALEXIS - Oh really?
BOBBY - Yeah so I don’t know what they want. Just give me a second and I will find out what they are here for. I’ll be right back, just hold that last thought.
ALEXIS - Well hurry up.
BOBBY - I will.
(BOBBY steps closer to ALEXIS and very gently kisses her on the cheek.)
BOBBY - I love you Lexi.
(ALEXIS smiles and looks down. There is another knock on the door.)
ALEXIS - You’d better get that.
BOBBY - I’ll be right there!
(BOBBY opens the door just enough so he can slide out. He then stands with his back up against the door in case ALEXIS looks out the peep hole.)
BOBBY - Hey baby!
TRINA - Hi sweetie! I missed you!
BOBBY - I missed you too. What are you doing here?
TRINA - What? Is it a crime for a girl to come and see her man?
BOBBY - I guess not.
TRINA - Well can I come in?
BOBBY - Actually Trina, this is a bad time. You see, I have two of the sphinxmen inside. And they are fucking up on their history so I have a few hard lessons to teach. This may take a minute and it may get ugly.
TRINA - Oh, I’m sorry.
BOBBY - No problem, I know you didn’t know.
TRINA - Well listen, I really came by because I need you to do something for me.
BOBBY thinks - Damn, hurry up!
BOBBY - Sure, what’s up?
TRINA - I need you to come by my place.
BOBBY - For?
TRINA - So you can help me eat the dinner I am making for you.
BOBBY - Oh ha ha ha ha ha ha, that is funny. Ok sure, what time?
TRINA - Can you come by as soon as you finish with the line guys?
BOBBY - Yeah, I think I can do that. So I will see you then ok?
TRINA - Ok but please hurry. I want to spend some quality time with you.
BOBBY thinks - Oh God, not those two words again!
BOBBY - That sounds good to me. So I will be there as fast as I can when I am done.
TRINA - Great! And Bobby, I do love you.
BOBBY - I love you too baby.
(TRINA approaches BOBBY for a kiss. BOBBY is careful not to take his back off the door or his hand off the doorknob while they kiss.)
BOBBY - See ya later on.
TRINA - Bye sweetie.
TRINA thinks - This is going to work perfectly!
(BOBBY watches TRINA walk all the way down the hall and then through the door to the stairs. He sighs relief and goes back into the room.)
BOBBY thinks - Without question, I am the fucking man!
BOBBY - I’m back.
ALEXIS - I see. Come here.
(ALEXIS is sitting in the middle of the bed with her legs crossed. BOBBY smiles and joins her on the bed.)
ALEXIS - Where were we?
BOBBY - I think I was supposed to kiss someone, is that person still here?
ALEXIS - I don’t know, close your eyes and let me see if I can find her.
(BOBBY sits up and playfully closes his eyes.)
ALEXIS - I think I found her but don’t peek. Are you ready?
BOBBY - Ready!
(ALEXIS reaches back and slaps BOBBY across the face with all her might. She hits BOBBY so hard that he falls off the bed and hits his head on the floor. He grabs the side of his face in shock.)
BOBBY - What the hell did you do that for?
ALEXIS - What do you take me for Bobby, a fool! I heard that bitch Trina’s voice at the door!
(ALEXIS jumps off the bed and heads for the door.)
BOBBY - Alexis wait! Let me tell you what...
(ALEXIS opens the door and slams it behind her.)
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Changing scenes, we are now in the Alpha house. REGGIE, DONTE and TREY are there.
DONTE - Man, what’s up with your boys? They just left and haven’t tried to get back in contact with us!
TREY - Maybe they took our act a little too serious. Maybe they really think that they are off line.
REGGIE - I would think that I have been teaching them better than to give up so easy. But honestly, it is kind of surprising.
TREY - Did you talk to Bobby about it?
(The doorbell rings. REGGIE gets up to get the door as he is answering TREY’s question.)
REGGIE - I spoke to him about what was going on with them. And we talked about the party during nationals in Atlanta. But that was the last time I spoke to him.
(REGGIE turns around and answers the door. There is nobody standing there. But there is a gold envelope taped to the door. REGGIE sees it and looks down the street in both directions. He sees no one.)
TREY - Who is it?
REGGIE - I don’t know. I didn’t see anyone but this envelope was taped to the door.
DONTE - Look, it’s gold. A gold envelope?
REGGIE - Yeah.
(REGGIE sits down and opens the envelope. He pulls a folded sheet of paper out. The paper only has one word on it.)
PAPER - GUESS?
DONTE - What is it?
REGGIE - I don’t know. Somebody is playing games though.
(There is a knock on the door. This time REGGIE jumps up to see if maybe he can catch the person behind the pranks.)
REGGIE - Who is it!
(REGGIE opens the door. Once again, there is no one there. There is another envelope taped to the door. This one is black.)
REGGIE thinks - What the fuck?
(REGGIE looks all around, up and down the block. He sees no one. He slowly turns around to go back into the house.)
REGGIE - Hey, what the hell is going on?
DONTE - Nobody there again?
REGGIE - No, and another envelope.
DONTE - Well hurry up and open it.
(REGGIE opens this envelope and there is a single folded letter inside. He reads it out loud.)
PAPER - WHO’s.
REGGIE - Who’s?...What the hell is this stuff?
TREY - Keep an ear open for the doorbell. Next time they do it, ...
(The doorbell rings.)
REGGIE - Oh shit!
(REGGIE and DONTE both run to the door. They both swing it open and no one is standing there. But there is a white envelope there this time.)
REGGIE - Shit!
DONTE - Hey, I’m going to wait here a few minutes. Maybe that way, I will see the person doing this.
(REGGIE doesn’t answer but he opens the envelope as he walks back in.)
PAPER - BACK!
REGGIE - Back!
TREY - Back? Huh?
REGGIE - Oh wait a minute!
(REGGIE goes over and grabs the other two papers. He places them all together.)
REGGIE - Guess who’s back! That is what these are for. See? Together they say guess who’s back? But who the hell is sending little notes about being back?
(At that moment, the power in the Alpha house goes out. The lights go down and the television turns off.)
REGGIE - Shit! Now what?
(DONTE walks in and notices the power being out.)
DONTE - What the hell happened in here?
REGGIE - The power must be out on the block.
DONTE - It isn’t the block, I was just out front and nobody else’s power went out. Just this house.
REGGIE - What? What the hell is going on?
(The Bros are quickly startled as they hear noises from downstairs.)
REGGIE - Donte, is somebody downstairs?
DONTE - No. That is where the fuse box is, but who the hell is down there? Can you hear that...it sounds like...it sounds like they are singing! Listen!
The light of the world...
it beckons to me...
alpha’s light shining...
as bright as can be...
The light of the world...
it beckons to me...
alpha’s light shining...
as bright as can be...
(The Brothers run downstairs together. They have to run carefully because it is very dark with no lights working. They get to the basement and open the door.)
REGGIE - Who the hell is down here?
(All of a sudden the lights come back on. QUINTON, LARRY and JASON are standing near the fuse box. They immediately start to greet the big brothers.)
SPHINXMEN - Guess who’s back! Guess who’s back!
Guess who’s back! Guess who’s back!
Dropping the line, you know that’s whack!
And we aint going out like that!
SPHINXMAN JASON - And that’s a fact!
SPHINXMEN - Guess who’s back! Guess who’s back!
Guess who’s back! Guess who’s back!
Dropping the line, you know that’s whack!
And we aint going out like that!
SPHINXMAN JASON - And that’s a fact!
SPHINXMEN - Greetings Dean and Big Brothers too!
We know you missed us because we surely missed you!
But now it’s time to do what we gotta do!
And we aint scared, just ready to make it through!
(REGGIE smiles.)
DONTE thinks - How did they get down here?
SPHINXMEN - Because we know the Alpha train is about to leave the station!
We’re trying to get our tickets now so we can join the Alpha nation!
And we know that it’s a test because big brothers are always testers!
So we’ll just keep your lights off for the rest of the semester!
Or take us back and we will pledge real hard!
And represent A Phi love on the Ahpla campus yard!
(The SPHINXMEN begin to whisper.)
SPHINXMEN whispering - And we aint scared, just ready to make it through!
And we aint scared, just ready to make it through!
And we aint scared, just ready to make it through!
(REGGIE looks at DONTE and TREY. They are both smiling in admiration. REGGIE drops his head and smiles to himself.)
REGGIE thinks - These niggas shut down the power in the Alpha house! This is funny!
SPHINXMEN whispering - And we aint scared, just ready to make it through!
And we aint scared, just ready to make it through!
REGGIE - Line!
SPHINXMEN - Yes Dean!
REGGIE - Follow me. Let’s go finish pledging.
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We next find IVY PRESJINA who is on the phone with SOROR FERGUSON. IVY PRESJINA has just revealed to SOROR FERGUSON that she is indeed on line and pledging Alpha Kappa Alpha.
SOROR FERGUSON - You’re name is Ivy Presjina?
IVY PRESJINA - Yes big sister!
SOROR FERGUSON - You said those things from experience? From your heart?
IVY PRESJINA - Yes big sister!
(silence)
SOROR FERGUSON - Presji...I mean...Ivy Presjina, it has been a long time since I have pondered on those things. A very long time. But you brought back things for me that...
(silence)
SOROR FERGUSON - ...you have touched my heart today. I remember those things, everything you said. I went through it all. Those memories, fond ones, were hidden in the corners of my mind and heart and I got so wrapped up in other things, I pushed those memories aside.
IVY PRESJINA - Big Sister, I mean no disrespect. But Mona is going to get the pearls that you and I hold dear to our hearts. She could not possibly understand a word of what I said to you just now, nor will she ever. Unless she is brought in differently. But the way it is happening now is wrong.
(silence)
IVY PRESJINA - I know this is difficult. Mona is a nice girl. But even she deserves to gain our sisterhood the way that we did.
(silence)
IVY PRESJINA - Big Sister, because it is more than likely far too difficult to remove your own daughter from the process, I present to you this option.
SOROR FERGUSON - What is that?
IVY PRESINA - Go to her room and look in her trunk. She has your paraphanelia. She was wearing it when I went to her room that day. The same paraphanelia that you pledged so hard for. The same paraphanelia that you wanted to pass on. She had it on leisurely not doing a thing for it!
SOROR FERGUSON - And if I don’t find it?
IVY PRESJINA - If you don’t find it, then I will welcome Mona into this sisterhood with open and loving arms. I will put aside the feelings that I have that she does not deserve this and I will treat her as any other sister, with love and respect.
(silence)
SOROR FERGUSON - And if I do find the paraphanelia?
IVY PRESJINA - Then you and I both know that you have a job to do. Not an easy one, but one nonetheless.
(silence)
SOROR FERGUSON - Ok, I will check it out. And if what you are saying is true, then I will act accordingly.
IVY PRESJINA - Thank you Big Sister Ferguson, that is all that I ask.
SOROR FERGUSON - And Ivy Presjina, thank you. Thank you for helping me to remember a few things that were lost in the memory of an old soror.
IVY PRESJINA - Big Sister, thank you for deciding to begin a chapter here at Ahpla and for laying the foundation and the groundwork so that women like myself could one day pledge and be a part of it.
(silence)
SOROR FERGUSON - Goodbye Ivy.
IVY PRESJINA - Good bye Big Sister Melinda Ferguson of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated!
(click)
IVY PRESJINA screams - Yes! Yes!
SOROR FERGUSON thinks - My Mona may not be ready. Lord why does it have to be this way? I may have to remove my baby from the process.
(SOROR FERGUSON wipes her eyes.)
SOROR FERGUSON thinks - Let me clean myself up. I can’t get down to the campus until next week anyway for the line crossing. I will check Mona’s room then and if I find...
(SOROR FERGUSON closes her eyes to hold back the tears of inner pain.)
SOROR FERGUSON thinks - If I find the paraphanelia, I will stop Mona from crossing into Alpha Kappa Alpha!
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