Topdog/Underdog

Booth, “a black man in his early 30s” (11), is shuffling cards, rehearsing his three-card monte scam. He insults his imaginary mark as he “wins” and then packs up as the imaginary police approach. Booth’s brother, Lincoln, “a black man in his later 30s” enters dressed as Abraham Lincoln, including a stovepipe hat, a ragged frock coat, and whiteface makeup. Lincoln stands directly behind Booth, who startles when he notices Lincoln’s costume and draws a gun. Booth threatens that if Lincoln ever comes around “all spooked out” (13) in his Abraham Lincoln clothing, he’ll shoot him. Lincoln claims that he didn’t have time to change before catching the bus, and Booth complains, “I don’t like you wearing that bullshit, that shit that bull that disguise that getup that motherfuckinguise anywhere in the daddy-dick-sticking vicinity of my humble abode” (13). Booth pushes Lincoln to take the costume off, complaining that if Booth’s fiancée, Grace, saw him, she might “be standing outside right now taking her ring off and throwing it on the sidewalk” (14).

Booth goes on to tell Lincoln that he bought Grace a “diamond-esque” ring, but in a half size too small so “she cant just take it off on a whim, like she did the last one I gave her” (14).