A Little Game Page #2

---

She's has a boy's first

name and a stupid last name.

I know it's

hard to do,

but sometimes you gotta

take a chance, man.

Yeah, I know.

No,

you should go for it.

It can't take too long

to learn, can it?

I've always wanted

to learn another language.

Just find

the right guy.

Pick the one you want

to learn from.

All the little league

coaches are good.

Go away.

You're still here.

Fine. Let's play.

I'll let you win...

for a while.

Costs five bucks.

I don't know

how to play chess,

and I don't usually

talk to strangers.

Not talking

to strangers is smart,

but not playing chess,

that's just stupid.

What's 25 times 14?

Something tells me

I'm about to find out.

350. I'm not stupid.

Fine.

But you're, like,

what, six years old,

and you don't know

how to play chess yet?

What kind of crappy school you go to?

I want to learn how to play,

and I'm not 6. I'm 10.

When I was 10, I was carrying

blocks of ice up 5 flights of stairs.

I don't think

that's possible

unless you're, like, 90.

Fine. My father

did that, not me.

But I certainly knew how

to play chess when I was 10.

Hell, I won the city

tournament when I was 10.

Why don't you use

that Google?

I hear it can

teach you anything.

I don't know.

I just had a feeling you

might be able to teach me.

Plus you're two blocks

from my house,

and you seem to have

some free time.

Well, kid, you gotta

play for something.

Any city kid knows that.

And these days,

I play for money.

Hmph.

Fashion show.

Fashion show.

Max, how come Mama isn't

home for dinner anymore?

Because she's working.

Why does she work?

So she can make money

for our family.

But Papa works, too.

Well, both Mama and Papa

have to work

so that we

have enough money.

Let's call Mama.

She's busy.

Then let's call Papa.

He's busy, too.

We should only call him

if it's an emergency.

Oh.

Then let's call Yaya.

All right.

Hi, Yaya.

I'm good.

Okay. Here.

Hi, Yaya.

Matia mou, what your

little sister doing awake?

It's after bedtime,

right?

Yeah, but...

What,

you have an excuse?

Sort of. I mean...

Matia mou,

what I'm going to say?

You're going to tell me

not to make excuses.

I'll put her to bed now.

Good girl.

And you don't stay up late.

Nothing good happens late.

Okay.

Matia mou, go.

Hi.

Hi.

How were the girls?

They were fine,

no problems.

Think they even

remember my name?

They love you.

Sweetie, could you please

remove my shoes at some point?

It's $5.00.

I get a dollar a week.

I'll pay you the rest

in two weeks.

At least you can do

a little math.

It's lucky for you

I'm such a softie.

But if anybody else

wants to play,

you scram.

You got it?

I'm not too worried

about that.

You hear me?

Yeah, I scram.

Whatever that means.

Okay.

I'm Norman.

What's your name?

Max.

What's with names

these days?

It's like roll call

at a tenement in 1920...

Max, Samuel,

Zachary, Nathan.

I'm gonna

call you Shmuel.

I don't know if you noticed.

I'm a girl.

Come back tomorrow,

Shmuel.

What?

You, maana, aqu.

Comprende?

Why are you

speaking Spanish?

Because you don't seem

to understand English.

And don't use that

Google to learn anything.

You told me before to use it.

You want to learn my way

or their way?

Who's "they"?

Everybody else.

I don't know.

Whose way is better?

You want

your money back?

Okay.

I won't use that Google.

Or that Bingo

or that Skitter.

I have no idea

what you're talking about.

Just don't.

I'll know if you do.

Now get out of here.

Come on. You can

help me with this.

Just play along,

okay?

Don't say anything.

Just look cute.

Hey!

Hey!

Look little sis,

it's Jeremy Lin!

No, I'm not.

It's Jeremy Lin, your favorite

person in the whole world.

You were so sad when he left

the Knicks, but here he is!

Look,

I'm not Jeremy...

Jeremy, it's so great

that you're here.

My poor sister,

she's been so sick.

Look, could you just

give her an autograph?

It'll mean

the world to her.

Look, uh, I...

Just one autograph to make

a sick little girl happy.

Okay.

Here you go.

Thank you so much, Jeremy.

Hang on a minute.

That's not how

you spell "Jeremy. "

You're not

really Jeremy Lin!

Now look what you've done,

fake Jeremy!

You've broken

my little sister's heart.

Are you happy now?

No. I... I was trying

to tell you I'm not...

Look, you gotta

make this right.

Give me some money so I could

buy my sister some candy.

I don't know

who you think you are,

impersonating

Jeremy Lin in public

and misleading

a little girl...

Here. Here...

Here's a five, okay?

Okay?

I saw a 10 in there.

Fine, 10.

Give me half,

or I'll tell your mom.

Here is two.

You didn't

have to do anything.

Give me half, or I'll

tell both your moms.

Fine.

Hey, how's that new

fancy-pants school of yours?

No way it's better

than PS 41.

I don't think

it's better,

but it's different.

Are the kids smarter?

No, but they're

more the same.

Of course they are.

They're all girls.

Yeah, but...

they're all

the same kind of girls.

Hey, look. It's

little orphan Annie.

Annie, I'd like you

to meet my friend Mel.

Except he's not really

a friend of mine.

And his name's

not really Mel.

I got

my allowance early.

Scram.

I was winning.

Bull...

...oney,

you were winning.

I was six moves

from checkmating you.

I was four moves

from checkmating you.

Oh, you couldn't beat me

if I gave you a bullwhip

and Jake LaMotta.

I've been beating that guy

since before you were born.

That's not very long.

Okay, since before

your father was born.

You got an answer

for everything?

Most things.

Great.

Lucky for you

I love kids so much.

Okay.

Let's get started.

What do you know

about chess?

Not much.

Do you know how the

different pieces move?

Not really.

Do you know what

each piece is called?

Not precisely.

Not precisely.

Do you know

anything about chess?

I know it's a good game

for smart people.

Now that is the first sensible

thing I've heard you say.

Okay.

This is called a pawn.

It's barely worth

the space it occupies,

a lot like a kid.

Like a kid, a pawn

can't move very fast,

only one space

at a time,

except for

its first move,

when it can go two.

Like a kid, excited at first, then lazy.

Lucky for me

you love kids so much.

You're a cocky kid.

Where'd you say

you're from?

Over there,

in the Village.

I grew up in Brooklyn.

Now Brooklyn's a place

yuppies move to.

I didn't think there

were any city kids left.

What are you talking about?

There are lots of city...

Just living in the city

doesn't make you a city kid.

These kids might as well

be in Westchester.

Their nannies

take 'em everywhere.

A city kid, he's cocky,

but not too cocky,

knows how

to play things.

And a city kid sees the

way it all goes together.

You know what

I'm talking about?

I think so.

Well,

we'll find out.

You know why all

the best players

are city kids?

No.

Because they're used to

different kinds of people

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes