A Hundred Streets Page #4

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like, it's not a poem

or a rap or anything.

It's... I just got some

sh*t to say, you know?

Well, whatever it is,

it's spoken like

a true professional.

Yeah, well,

I've been writing.

Them headphones are hard,

you know?

Better than mine,

at least.

Well...

What are you listening to?

Here you are.

Hey, what?

Nina Simone, yeah?

All right.

This is my mom's

kind of sh*t, you know.

"Please don't

let be misunderstood."

Written for her in 1964.

I was 10.

I say what you need

is a room of one's own,

somewhere to write,

somewhere where you

can be inspired.

I think it's high time

you joined me on the beach.

Hey, it's me.

Um, I just called

to check you're okay

and say sorry

I was a bit harsh

the other night.

Oh, yeah, and Evie

wanted to say hi.

- Go on.

- Hi, daddy.

Where are you?

I miss you, daddy.

And Leo's being

a real pain.

He took one of my hair clips

and put it in the bin.

And now I can't find it,

and he won't help me

look for it.

Okay, Evie,

that's enough.

Call us back

when you can, okay?

Hey, who's that?

Say, granddad,

you look like

you trying to get to

home or something?

Listen, you got the time?

Uh, no.

Come on, you must have

a cigarette for me

or something

or I can get a split.

Or a chip.

Listen, pops.

My guy.

Don't worry,

we're not going to,

like, steal your sh*t.

Just being, um, friendly.

Sorry, I didn't get that.

Oh, he's taking the piss.

Friendly. Anyways,

what you listening to?

Let me check these out.

No. I don't think so.

Oh, hey, man's got

a new iPod n'at.

Man's up to date

with his sh*t.

Up to date.

Say, we give this guy

a dre beats or what?

Yeah, f*** it.

Come on.

Trying to diss me, pops?

- Yeah?

- Let him go!

Yeah, eff him up.

What are

you doing? Stop!

F*** him up.

F***ing dissing me, pops?

Stop him! Stop!

Let it go, bruv.

Let it go.

Why'd you stop recording?

Daniel'll be proud.

F*** that, man! Beat!

We gotta go, bruv!

F*** this old f***.

- I won!

- My turn.

There you are.

Bells, bells,

could you just take

that in for one sec?

- I'll be a minute.

- Hey.

What are you doing?

I'm sorry.

You've not been

taking my calls.

Yeah, I've been busy.

You can't just turn up here

without a warning.

I know. I know. I know.

You know that.

But I just put

together some photos,

old-school style,

and I thought

you might like it.

That's really sweet, Jake.

I've just got too much

to think about right now.

Yeah.

We've always been

so good together,

you know?

And we missed

our chance before,

and I just don't want

us to miss it again.

What's happened?

Emily, you're not

back with him.

I love you.

I think I've always

loved you, probably.

Since the first time

that I met you.

Jake, please.

Don't. Please.

I did... I warned you.

It's just too complicated.

And you know my

life's more than just

kisses and playlists.

I'm sorry.

Hey, I've been looking

all over the place for you.

You didn't say...

Hey, what the f***?

Ah, some kids, you know.

They wanted my headphones.

It was my own fault.

It was late.

It was getting dark.

What'd they look like?

Just kids.

And... and you're not

hunting them down.

Nah, man...

That's not your

life any longer.

You've been to hospital?

No. I'm all right, honestly.

No, it's just cuts.

Bruises, you know, just...

Thirty years

in one square mile.

Not so much

as a stolen wallet.

But in the greater

scheme of things,

doesn't really

matter anyway.

"A thousand

landmarks perish

"a hundred streets

grow strange

"with all the dreams

they Cherish

"they go the ways

of change

"and whatso towers may tumble

"whatso Bridges fall

"whatso statues crumble

"of folk both

great and small

"the oldest thing

in London

"he changes not at all."

I wasn't sure if

i was going to see you

until your next

misdemeanor.

So I've been...

Carrying this around.

There's a phone number.

Call that person and

tell them I sent you.

Thanks.

And breathe, remember.

Yeah.

Hey, go get yourself

checked out, okay?

Breathe from deep within.

All right.

See you later, yeah?

What's this then, bruv?

Move, man.

Was that a

love letter, fam?

My business.

Your business

is my business, cuz.

Big man Jules wants

to see you anyways.

What?

Why's he telling you?

What you been saying?

Nothin', fam.

I'm just a knucklehead.

Remember that.

Best go see him, though.

Okay,

then, Kingsley,

what monologue are you

going to do for us today?

It's called the bush.

It's... it's from

the Australian film

animal kingdom,

but I kind of made up

my own version,

if that's

all right, I mean...

Yeah!

Sounds perfect.

Okay.

You know what the

blocks are about?

It's about dirty towers

that have stood firm

for two generations,

and kids who'll die

before they grow old.

Grim towers

and hopeless kids.

And everybody knows

their place in the

scheme of things.

Everything, everyone, sits

in the order of the blocks.

Now, some survive

'cause they're strong,

and there are those

who are weak,

but they survive

'cause they're being

protected by the strong.

See, because of the

circles I move in,

I thought I was

one of the strong ones.

But I'm not.

I'm one of the weak ones.

And the only reason

I've survived

is 'cause I'm being

protected by the strong.

Run like Kingsley.

Long time, brother.

Yeah, man. We saying

you good, yeah?

Mmm.

Sit down then.

We've been hearing you got

some issues and you want out.

All of a sudden

you're better than us?

Yo, no, man, come on,

it's not even like that...

- So, what is it like then?

- Yo.

Give the man

a minute, Vincent.

He just got here.

But they're

not strong anymore,

and they can't

protect me now.

But in life,

you always have an out.

The thing is,

the less you have,

the higher the price

you have to pay.

A boss needs to

keep control, yeah?

And if you lose respect,

that's a problem, innit?

Yeah.

Bad for business.

Now, I know you got

yourself pinched,

but I also know

that your boy Daniel

has been talking

to the police.

And so what do you say?

Am I dealing with,

like, a little coup

from within here?

No, no, no.

No way.

Look, I've known Daniel

my entire life.

He's a lot of things,

but he ain't no snitch.

It's a fact, and

this ain't some

muggy 9:
00 to 5:00

where you can just

hand in your notice.

You can try

and leave this life,

but this life

will never leave you.

Very poetic.

Thank you, Vincent.

Hey, look, I've got a soldier

who's ready to step up.

Nothing will change

for you, man.

I can vouch for him.

All right.

All right.

Got a very simple

proposition for you.

The weed on your path

to a better life

has to be gone.

You understand?

You still got

that gun I gave you?

Kind of.

Someone's looking after it

for me, innit?

Well, someone better

give you it back.

We won't meet this new man

till Daniel's gone.

Am I clear?

Am I clear?

Am I clear on the price

i have to pay

to leave

my old life behind?

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