Fat Ham

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes references to assault, murder, racism, and anti-gay bias. In addition, the source text uses offensive terms for mental health conditions, replicated in this guide only in quotes.

Juicy blows up balloons while his cousin, Tio, lies on a folding table nearby, watching pornographic videos on his phone. Juicy chides Tio for not helping him with the decorations, while Tio brags that he could perform pornographic feats himself, debating whether he should set up an online account. Juicy is disgusted by Tio watching pornography in the open.

Tio comments on the air of tension and they talk about Juicy’s uncle, who goes by Rev. Rev and Juicy’s mother have just married at a courthouse that afternoon, though Juicy’s father, Pap, has been deceased for only a week. Tio praises Rev for his ability to swiftly woo Juicy’s mother, Tedra, but Juicy does not wish to discuss his uncle. Suddenly, he remembers he promised Tedra he would string Christmas lights and rushes into the house to retrieve them.

While Juicy is inside, Pap’s ghost appears to Tio. He wears a bedsheet with holes cut out for the eyes. Tio asks the ghost if it is Pap, and Pap nods, then exits the stage.

Juicy returns and asks Tio to help him untangle the string of lights. Tio tells him what he has seen. Juicy is full of questions, wondering what Pap wants and whether he will return. Tio has no answers. He insists that the experience has made him nervous, and he leaves to use the bathroom.

While Tio is gone, Pap reappears. Juicy is unafraid of his presence and full of retorts to each of Pap’s comments. Pap grows increasingly angry and forceful in his orders as they talk. He berates Juicy for attending a distance-learning university and for eating a candy bar, cautioning him that the “sugar” (diabetes) runs in his family. In their back-and-forth, Juicy reveals that Pap had been in prison when he died and was incarcerated for killing another man. Another inmate killed Pap on his way to dinner.

Pap orders Juicy to avenge his death by killing Rev. Pap, a former butcher, instructs him to kill Rev in the same manner that pigs are slaughtered. Juicy is confused by Pap’s request until Pap explains that Rev paid the other inmate to kill him so that Rev could marry Tedra. Juicy is full of questions about precisely what Pap is asking him to do, but Pap leaves just as Tio reappears.

Juicy begins to tell Tio what he has seen, but Tedra enters. She is wearing a wedding veil and, having just come from the courthouse, asks Juicy and Tio to congratulate her. She asks Tio to run out for beer and ice, as she has invited some people over to celebrate. When she enters the house to change clothes, Juicy tells Tio of his father’s instruction to kill Rev. They discuss whether Juicy is capable of murder. Tio asks whether Juicy loves his father, and Juicy acknowledges that this is not an easy question to answer. Tio points out that Juicy is steeped in generational trauma, as both his father and grandfather have been incarcerated.

While they discuss Pap, Rev enters with the meat smoker. Tio leaves to buy the beer and Tedra reenters, carrying potato salad. Rev sings and compliments Tedra on how good she looks. He angrily asks Juicy why he is dressed entirely in black and orders him to change into festive clothing. While Juicy is inside the house, Tedra laments that she and Rev have spent all Juicy’s tuition remodeling their bathroom. Tedra feels bad, knowing how important the courses are to Juicy, but Rev has no sympathy. She reminds him that they’ve been approached to sell their barbecue restaurant to a chain, which she feels is a good idea. Rev will not consider it.

Juicy reenters, but Rev disapproves of the frilly scarf he wears. He orders Juicy to spar with him despite Tedra’s protests that Juicy is not a fighter. When they finish, Juicy and Tedra talk about Rev. Juicy promises he will try to get along with him, though he is skeptical that Tedra really loves him. Tedra insists that it is easier to be with Rev than to be alone. She reveals to Juicy that she and Rev have spent all his tuition money but vows to find a way to replace it.