- Lyons enters from the street, knocks on the door, and calls for Rose.
- Rose calls from inside the house, telling Lyons to stop yelling – she's just gotten Raynell to sleep.
- Lyons says he's come by to pay Troy back the twenty dollars he owes him.
- Rose tells him to come inside and put the money on the table.
- He does so. As he's exiting, Cory enters.
- Lyons apologizes to Cory for missing his graduation – he had a gig and couldn't make it.
- Cory says it's alright.
- Lyons asks Cory what he's up to now.
- Looking for a job, Cory replies.
- Lyons tells him he ought to see if Troy can help him find one.
- Cory doesn't seem too excited by the idea.
- Lyons exits.
- Cory picks up the bat and practices his swing.
- Troy enters the yard.
- Cory stares at him for a second, then exits.
- Rose enters from the house, carrying a cake. She's taking it down to the church for a bake sale.
- Rose tells Troy that his dinner is on the stove and that Lyons left him twenty dollars.
- Troy tries to give Rose some money. She tells him to put it on the table.
- He asks her when she's coming back.
- Rose says it's none of his business and heads off to church.
- Troy sits on the porch and sings the song about Blue the hound dog while sipping on some gin.
- Bono enters.
- Troy says he hasn't seen him in a while.
- His friend tells him it's been hard to keep up with him since he got the promotion.
- Troy doesn't like driving as much as he thought he would, because there's no one to talk to.
- He asks Bono if he wants a drink.
- Bono says he can't; he's about to go play dominoes at Skinner's.
- He tells Troy he should stop by and play sometime.
- Troy says he heard that Bono bought Lucille the refrigerator she'd been wanting.
- Bono says he did, because he heard Troy finished his fence.
- Troy tells his friend that he'll be sure to stop by.
- Bono exits.
- Troy sips some more gin and sings about Blue.
- Cory enters.
- Troy is sitting in the middle of the steps.
- Cory tells his father he needs to get by.
- Troy says he ought to say excuse me.
- The argument escalates.
- Cory says Troy "doesn't count around here no more" (2.4.70).
- Troy goes off about how he pays for everything and provides for Cory.
- Cory tells Troy to get out of his way.
- His father yells at him to get out of the yard. He says he's through providing for Cory.
- Cory replies that all Troy ever did was hold him back and try to make him scared of him.
- He says he doesn't know how his mother puts up with Troy after what he did.
- Troy tells him to shut up about Rose.
- Cory taunts his father, saying he's too old to do anything about it.
- Troy shoves Cory and orders him to leave the yard.
- His son retorts that it isn't Troy's yard anyway – he bought it with Gabe's disability money, then kicked him out.
- Troy angrily steps up to Cory.
- Cory picks up Troy's bat and dares his father to get closer.
- Troy lunges at Cory.
- His son swings the bat and misses (strike one).
- He does it again and misses once more (strike two).
- Troy sticks out his head, daring his son to hit him with the bat.
- Cory can't bring himself to do it (strike three).
- Troy grabs the bat and they wrestle over it.
- In the end, Troy yanks the bat from Cory's hands.
- He starts to swing it at his son but thinks better of it.
- Troy orders Cory to leave.
- Ashamed, Cory starts to skulk off.
- "Tell Mama I'll be back for my things," he says to Troy (2.4.110).
- Troy replies, "They'll be on the other side of that fence" (2.4.111).
- Cory exits.
- Troy grabs the bat and taunts Death.