Black or White Page #7

you went and got,

doesn't give you the right

to give me that look.

There it is again. I mean it.

Now I'll get Daddy on the phone

and he'll tell you what's what.

Giving me a look.

Oh, is that what you want?

You want a call coming in

from your dad? You know what?

Let me just get him on the phone.

You know what, Rowena?

You're damn hard to take.

Always have been.

And I have to say this,

you're not getting any goddamn easier.

I was going to the water well

one day for my mother.

It's a everyday activity.

So I was walking back to my village

and I could hear something in the bushes

and I turn around and a gazelle

was headed in my direction.

- I gotta take this.

- Of course, of course.

I started to...

Well, of course,

I started to run very, very fast.

What's up?

They've refiled

under a different chain.

- What?

- It's Reggie's complaint now.

Filing for full parental custody.

- No, how can that be?

- Gets worse.

They submitted to the court a copy

of a check Reggie cashed for $25,000

made out from you.

It's gonna play really badly

if you were trying to bribe him

to walk away from his daughter.

I think you better come in tomorrow.

We need to discuss this as a group.

It's about to go real bad, real fast.

All right, thanks.

So I'm running very, very fast

with having these three gazelles

chasing me down.

- Did not know what to do.

- Are you OK, Papa?

Yes, I am.

Duvan, I was thinking maybe...

you could teach me a language.

Sure. Which language?

I don't know. You just pick.

Papa, are you being silly?

No. I think he is being very serious.

I think he needs to learn a new trick.

It wasn't a goddamn bribe, all right?

He asked for the money.

I gave it to him in the hopes

that he'd get his act together.

- Whatever it was, it was a bad move.

- Mm-hm.

Yeah, puts us in a tough situation.

We need to think about

how this is gonna play in court.

Play in court?

You got a young black kid

who's cleaned up his act,

he's got a sweet little mother

and her little niece,

and all the little cousins,

and here comes Mr. Big...

Big ol' white guy with a checkbook,

bossing everybody around.

That's the story

they're gonna tell right there.

This isn't about black and white,

all right?

This is about right and wrong,

all right? He's a drug addict.

Look, we know that, Elliott.

And she's gonna know it

before we're done.

You just, you gotta keep your cool.

This isn't gonna be one of those times

where you can just bulldoze

through everything, Elliott.

- What did you just say to me?

- Hey, Elliott, hang on.

We're all on the same team here, guys.

He destroyed my daughter, Eldridge.

He destroyed my little girl.

I'm not gonna let him

do the same to my granddaughter.

We're gonna go in there and we're gonna

remind this judge who Reggie Davis is.

We're gonna use his criminal record.

You're gonna need to bring it up

every third sentence.

We're gonna make this guy

wear it like a badge!

You start attacking this kid

- and the game is already over.

- Oh, for the love of God.

- He's not a kid.

- Look, Elliott...

He's 30 years old.

Nobody is arguing with you here.

It's just the world we're living in.

We're just not gonna get away with

making it about him.

If it isn't about him,

then it's gonna be about me.

- Eloise!

- Mr. Elliot, I am here.

Mr. Elliott, her father came.

He took her and he say

he will bring her back by dinner.

But I didn't know what to do.

It's OK.

Hey!

What the hell are you doing?

Don't you ever come into my house again

without my permission. You hear me?

And don't you come anywhere

near that girl again anywhere,

unless I have plenty of warning

about it, you understand?

- She's my daughter, man.

- Did you hear what I just said?

Yeah, yeah, I hear you.

Good.

- What the hell was that about?

- I got no idea.

All right?

I was up there having some laughs

and the dude came out of nowhere

and attacked me. All right?

I told you,

he's a special kind of crazy.

You told me you had permission

to go get her.

- I got permission from the maid.

- The maid?

Mama, I just...

...I just wanted to be with her.

What the hell were you doing up there

with them if you wanted to be with her?

Why aren't you over there with her,

baby?

I don't know.

So sweet of him to bring Eloise over

for a crack-smoking field trip.

But she has to get home now

and do her homework.

There's no crack-smoking going on,

Elliott.

Just beautiful music. Don't come here

talking to me about crack-smoking.

Your son had no right to come in

and take her from my house.

He told me you gave him permission.

Well, your little angel lied, all right?

I'm gonna file a motion

with the court tomorrow

and get a restraining order against him.

He's a junkie.

- My son is not a junkie.

- He's a crack junkie, Rowena.

- He never got over his daddy dying.

- Oh, please.

He's overcome that now, but...

He's gonna shine, Elliott.

Just wait and see.

He's gonna shine.

He's gonna make us all proud.

Well, you must've been pretty proud

when he paid you all back then, right?

What are you talking about, Elliott?

The $25,000 check

that you're all worked up about.

You know, the bribe?

That was for debts, Rowena.

How much of that did you see?

How much did any of you see?

You live in a blind spot

when it comes to your son.

Yeah? Why don't you just run on home

and have yourself a drink?

Good idea. You know, I think I will.

My son is not a junkie!

And you're a drunk!

- OK, thank you!

- Just run on home,

fill your bathtub with whiskey

and just soak in it.

Have yourself an old drunk man's

bubble bath!

- Got it!

- Good!

- Papa!

- What?

A plus!

Wow! An A plus. Look at that!

Someone's been doing their homework.

Someone's been doing their homework!

Too fast.

- Hey.

- Hey.

I was out walking by, saw the light on.

What are you doing?

- Um... Learning French.

- Why?

Well, it's either that or get drunk,

I guess.

That's the most insane thing

I've ever heard.

- Yeah.

- Going to AA isn't easier than trying

- to learn that sh*t? Gotta be kidding.

- OK, all right.

Let me put some pants on, all right?

Come on in.

Kristen! Where's your brother?

I told him

I wanted to get to court early.

Give that judge a pretty picture

to look at.

Here.

Reggie!

All right, brother.

Just having a cigarette,

trying to get my head together.

You know, the truth is, Mama, I don't

think I can handle this, all right?

Jeremiah just need

to get it put off or something.

What are you talking about?

It's too much, all right?

I can't sit up there

in front of a judge and a jury.

There's no goddamn jury, boy. Wake up!

You got to go in there

and fight for your daughter.

Look, I can't do it! All right?

I can't do it.

Now she need to just

stay up there where she is.

Look, I wanna do it, Mama. I do.

I keep trying, but I can't.

All right? Jeremiah said it himself.

I'm not right that way.

There's something missing.

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