Ballast Page #2

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- What you doing?

- Playing Xbox.

Xbox?

What's up, little man?

All right, yo, man, you know

you owe us some money, right?

Huh?

You owe us some money, man.

All that stuff we've been giving you, man,

you ain't never paid me back for it.

I do drops for you, and then plus

I just gave you 40 yesterday.

That's the point.

Go back where you got the 40 from

and get more.

Everything will be straight.

Where she keep it anyway?

- Who?

- Your mama.

She ain't got no money.

- Hey, don't lie to me, man.

- I ain't lying to you.

I got it from somebody else.

- Who?

- A dude down there in Marks.

Well, until you get your money

from over in Marks, I'm taking this sh*t.

This sh*t too.

- Man, you can't take my mama's stuff.

- Get the f*** off of me.

I said get the f*** off.

Get the f*** off of me, nigga.

Yo, man, you owe us a hundred bucks,

man, you get your stuff back.

Let's go, man.

Let's go.

Try to catch up with those guys.

You're f***ed, b*tch.

Hey, baby, come on. We're late.

James, where you going?

James, did you forget

about basketball sign-ups?

I don't wanna do it.

Why not?

Close that door.

Come here.

What's wrong with you?

What happened to your face?

You got in another fight, didn't you?

Damn it, James.

You're not even in school now.

Come on.

We'll talk about it in the car.

Come on.

I'm already late for the lawyers.

Well, fine then.

I'll come back and pick you up

after I get back, okay?

And then we'll go

to basketball sign-ups.

Damn it.

What can I do for you, Ms. Sykes?

Recently, someone I know died

and left me and my son something...

and he left it on a piece of paper...

and I wanted to know

how to go about legalizing it.

Is it a will?

No. It's a letter.

Is it from the deceased's attorney?

No. It's just a letter from him.

Do you have it with you?

Yes.

But...

I don't have any money...

and I plan on selling what it was left...

that he left us, but...

How much is this gonna cost?

My hourly rate's $200.

Well, how long do you think

something like this may take?

I can't tell you that for certain

until I see what you've got there, ma'am.

Well, how much would it cost me

just for you to read it?

Not a penny.

I'll get your money today. I promise!

There ain't nothing in there.

You took it all last time.

Got more anywhere?

I'll give you money if you need it,

but you have to tell me what it's for.

Just give it to me!

If it's to buy drugs,

I ain't giving you any.

Just give it to me!

Not for that.

You're all f***ed up now, aren't you?

You want me to shoot you?

You can shoot me if you want.

I'll shoot you!

I don't care.

I'll shoot you, motherfuck!

Motherfuck!

James, what's wrong?

What's going on with you today?

Come here. What's wrong?

Come here.

Tell me.

I need a hundred dollars.

You need a hundred dollars for what?

I broke somebody's TV.

You broke somebody's TV. Whose?

Sit down. Sit down.

And when do you have to have it?

Fast.

Like today?

James, I ain't got that kind of money.

All right.

Maybe we can go to the ATM

and see what we've got...

and we'll figure out

what we can do about the rest.

Come on.

Get away, Mom! Get away!

Boy, what is wrong with you today?

Damn, James.

- Go around, mom. Mom, go around.

- Look at this fool here.

- Who is this?

- Go around, Mom.

James, what is going on?

- Get away from 'em.

- Get away from who? Who is that?

Get away from 'em, Mom.

Mom, look out. Look out.

Mom, get out! Mom, get out!

Jarrel, car! Come on, man.

Sweetie, you gotta tell me what is going on.

Sweetie... Talk to me, sweetheart.

Tell me what's going on.

Tell me!

This is our house. I got the papers to say so.

So stay the f*** away from here!

Look. We ain't gonna be here long.

So you stay away from us,

and we'll stay away from you.

And I'll let you know

what we're gonna do about it later.

- About what?

- The house!

- What about it?

- Selling it!

You can't sell that house.

I can do what I want.

He gave it to us.

You delivered the letter.

You don't know what it says?

This is all one property.

You can talk to my smart-ass lawyer

about that.

And we'll figure out what we're

gonna do about the store later.

The store?

What are you doing to me, Marlee?

What am I doing to you?

This is your fault.

If it weren't for you and your brother,

I wouldn't be in this situation.

Now, stay the f*** away from us!

Stay away from him.

You got my keys?

And don't go anywhere

until I get back from work.

He fired me.

He said I couldn't work this way.

I had to take a sick leave.

And I've already had too many,

so I'm out!

He said I couldn't work like this

'cause it's disturbing for the clients.

Like the motherfuckers

even know I'm there!

I'm invisible to them!

I'm so sick of this sh*t!

Mom?

- Hi, Mr. Dixon.

- Hey, Lawrence.

I was wondering

if I can have Juneau back now.

Good boy.

I'll see you tonight.

Whoa.

Who dog?

Juneau.

Where you get that?

Up there. There's another one.

- You gonna make another one?

- Uh-huh.

For me?

Yep.

Sweetie, sit down.

Go on. Sit down and eat. I'll do this.

Is that Lawrence's dog?

And my dad's.

James, we can't afford to feed no dog

right now, especially theirs.

Come on. Out, out, out, out.

Out, dog, out. Out.

Who are you and you and you?

- I'm Little Bo Peep.

- And we're her sheep!

Are we gonna get more stuff to eat?

Mom?

I have to get another job.

When?

It's for groceries.

My mom only has three dollars.

Does she know you're here?

No. She's sleeping.

So what do you like to eat?

This too?

Take what you want.

We're gonna have to go to Simpson's

for perishables.

Anything?

$33.99.

Where'd that box come from?

- I got it for us.

- Where?

Lawrence gave it to us from his store.

I told you not to talk to him.

- So what we gonna do about it?

- What?

- The store.

- Sell it. I don't care.

Well, how would that work?

You gonna buy our half out from us?

We sell it to someone and split the money.

Someone will want it.

Then what you gonna do?

What about the house?

The same.

Sell both?

No one's gonna buy

one of these houses by itself.

The property's only worth

something intact.

This ain't no more

of your manipulating sh*t?

I'm just trying to do what's right

about my child.

I don't need this sh*t right now,

Lawrence.

Do whatever you want.

Juneau. Juneau. Juneau.

My dad was a deejay or something?

We had a show at WPPK.

Remember that old radio tower on

Money Road out by you guys?

- Uh-huh.

- That was it.

So why aren't you still doing it?

We had to work the store

when daddy got sick.

Do you take the dog on walks?

Sometimes.

Could I take him on a walk?

You better put this leash on him.

If he scents a deer, he'll strike out.

You can come if you want.

If you're almost the same person...

and have the same feelings as my dad,

did you love my mom too?

No.

Did she love you?

No.

Why not, if you're the same as him?

We're not exactly the same.

What's different?

Little things. I'm a half inch taller.

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