Scene two picks up the next day, Saturday morning, as Rose is singing and doing chores, and Troy tells her she shouldn't waste her money playing the lottery. Troy looks for Cory to help him build a fence in his yard, but Rose tells him that Cory has gone to football practice. Gabe, Troy's brother who received a head injury in World War II, enters carrying a trumpet, firmly believing he is the Archangel Gabriel. Gabe mentions that he has fruits and vegetables that he has been trying to sell. He thinks Troy is mad at him for moving into Miss Pearl's house recently, but Troy claims he is not. Troy offers Gabe some food, and Gabe tells Troy that he has seen his name in St. Peter's book, meaning he will go to heaven someday. Gabe claims his name isn't there because he already died. Rose tells Troy that she's worried Gabe isn't eating right and implies that maybe he needs to be in a mental institution, but Troy doesn't want to lock his brother away. It's clear that Troy feels guilty about the three thousand dollars that he got for Gabe's injury, which Troy used to buy his house; however, his wife assures him that he has used the money to help take good care of Gabe. Instead of working on the fence, Troy decides to go off and listen to the baseball game, so he leaves.

     Scene three takes place four hours later. Cory returns home from practice, and Rose instructs him to go inside and start on his chores. Then Troy returns, apparently not having watched the baseball game, and tries to hit on his wife, but she rebuffs him. Troy then calls to Cory to help him work on the fence, which they begin to do. Cory asks his dad why he doesn't buy a television that way they could watch baseball games together, but Troy explains that it's too expensive, and they need to spend their extra money on a new roof. They talk a little about the baseball game and how Troy doesn't think they give the African American players as much playing time. Troy then mentions he heard that Cory is being contacted by a recruiter to play college football. Troy does not feel that football should be Cory's priority. He thinks Cory needs to focus on something more realistic, such as working. He asks him how often he is working at the A&P, and Cory admits that he had to temporarily quit his job due to football. Troy is outraged and demands that Cory get his job back. In response, Cory wonders why his father doesn't like him. Troy goes on a tirade explaining that he doesn't have to like him, he just has to support him, and Cory shouldn't go through life wanting people to like him; instead, he should want people to respect him. He ends by sending him off to the A&P. Rose comes out and explains that Cory just wants to play sports like his father did, but Troy points out that sports didn't get him anything. Troy refuses to admit that he tried to get involved too late and that times have changed since then. Rose tells him that Cory just wants his dad's encouragement and love, but Troy says he doesn't have time for such frivolities. He needs to focus on providing food and shelter for his family; he doesn't have anything more to give.