Everyday Black Man Page #4

lt's ''Brother Malik''.

And l ain't going to cost you

a damn thing.

The drugs will come in

through the store

and will go out through the bakery,

as l told you before.

As long as you got people in place

that are clean and on time,

we're all good, Darcy.

We're getting a little uppity,

ain't we?

-l'm just trying to run a business.

-Business!

Yeah, business, and you're

making me look like we're working

for the motherfucking

crack addicts of America.

You're going to have everybody

around here sniffing our ass.

Now, it's a respectable store,

l'm a respectable businessman,

as is Brother Yusef here.

And we need you

to start sending us

some motherfucking

respectable-looking people.

Fine.

l'll give you a week.

lf you don't sell all that dope

by then, l'm taking my sh*t,

and you can practice

being Brother Malik

somewhere else, n*gger!

Yusef.

We know who controlling

that clown yet?

Nunh-unh.

l got a line that say he's working

with some foreign dudes, though.

You gotta hurry that up, Yusef.

The quicker we drop

that motherf***er, the better.

He's trouble.

Loud, fat, and f***ing trouble.

MALlK:
How many boxes

you supposed to bring me?

Lonnie told me to bring you this box.

Darcy!

Who the f*** is Lonnie?

He works for Darcy.

You know where this cat stay?

Yeah. On 7 3rd.

And he worked for Darcy at that

7-Eleven over there on 83rd.

Darcy know this n*gger Lonnie

is trying to get over on him?

-Darcy said that he's expendable.

-That's what he said?

[ Laughs ]

-l thought Lonnie paid you.

-He paid me for the boxes.

So, what you got

your hand out for?

l gave you the information.

Now pay me.

l like him.

What you think about him?

-He'll do.

-Okay, he'll do.

Friday.

Friday, 'cause no--

no payments today, Shorty.

Friday, you come back.

8:
00 sharp.

You run deliveries for me.

You got a watch?

My mama got one.

Your mama got a watch?

Use your mama's watch.

Be back here. 8:
00, Friday, sharp.

-No bullshit?

-No bullshit.

Just get out of here.

l like that little n*gger.

l like him, too.

Ain't you supposed to be sweeping?

l had to take out the garbage.

The trash is out.

Go back in.

You need to keep an eye on him.

lt ain't him l'm worried about.

Don't worry about Moses.

Ain't going to be no problem

with Moses.

We just need to figure out

what makes Brother Moses tick.

There we go.

There's the candy.

Sweet.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, it's good.

But motherfuckers like Lonnie

are a problem.

Come on, n*gger.

Lonnie is just a robot for Darcy.

Why are you even tripping on him?

But that's the point.

This n*gger Darcy

need to know who's in charge.

And we need to show him who's in

charge, and not the way he expects.

-What are you talking about?

-We wait.

l mean, the n*gger expects us

to make a move soon, anyway.

He wants us to f*** up

so he can take over.

So what we do is we wait. Better yet,

he would rather us get in a war.

Maybe we get taken out,

he takes over the whole shebang.

-Right?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That n*gger's stupid like that.

Maybe add a nosy n*gger or two

to the body count,

make it more interesting.

Then, we're

''black in business'', homey.

About time.

Yeah.

We don't have enough people

who care.

So l really appreciate that.

WOMAN:

Thank you.

Thank you.

Can l help you with something?

l said, can l help you?

Oh, l was looking for Claire.

Claire Brown.

She left early today.

ls everything all right?

She had to check

on her grandmother. What--?

And you are?

Oh, Moses.

-Moses.

-Stanton!

Yes.

l should have known.

Mary has told me a lot about you.

l'm Gloria.

Gloria Johnston.

The new principal.

l see somebody's

been talking to you, too.

Just a bit.

l've been meaning

to stop by your store.

Ah, it's not all that.

Oh, that's not what l heard.

l heard you have the best fruits

and vegetables in this town.

l wonder who you heard that from.

And now you have a bakery, too.

Well, it's-- that's not up yet.

We're working on it.

lt's a work in progress.

We're getting there.

Well, Claire seems to be quite taken

with your business partner.

Mmm, Brother Malik.

Yes.

She's young.

l'll just say that.

She seems to think that you're

making a-- a difference here.

Oh!

Well, this place was

in such bad shape when l came

that almost any attention is better

than what it was getting before.

l don't know.

There're so many kids

that need my help here.

Maybe Claire was right.

Maybe this system's

never going to work here.

l don't know

if that came from Claire.

Well, it makes sense

no matter where it came from.

l guess that's right.

Well, the school day may be over,

but my work is just beginning.

Okay.

lt was nice to finally meet you,

Mr. Stanton.

And you, too, Miss Johnston.

Next time, you stop at my office,

get a hallway pass.

Otherwise, my rent-a-cops

will stop you.

l was looking for them.

l figured you guys would have pretty

much round-the-clock service.

Budget cuts.

We're down to two.

Two?

We need a police force

with all the gang violence

going on around here,

but the superintendent says,

''Things aren't bad enough yet.''

So, for now

it's just overworked rent-a-cops.

Well, l'll check in.

Good.

Bye.

Oh, Moses, was there something

you wanted me to tell Claire?

No.

My bad.

l was just being foolish, is all.

Don't even mention l was here.

[ Monitor beeping ]

Shauna, is that you?

No, Mary. lt's Moses.

l thought l saw her earlier.

No, Mary.

Did you tell her?

Tell her what?

l ain't got much longer.

You promised me you would tell her.

Shh.

Don't you be worrying about me.

Everything's going to be fine.

Just rest.

She's getting older, Moses.

Too old.

She's got to know that there is

somebody else in this world for her

other than me.

She's got to know

that she ain't going to be alone.

She won't be alone.

She cried for you, Moses.

She don't remember it,

but she cried for you.

Like l said then,

she was better off.

A child ain't never better off.

You remember that.

Mary, you can't

leave her like this. Don't.

Mary.

Mary.

[ Flatline ]

Mary.

Mary, you can't leave her, Mary.

Mary.

She's gone, baby.

[ Sobbing ]

No.

Reverend James.

Yes, Brother Moses?

Thank you, sir.

lt was an honor.

She was a good woman.

You know, she's gone,

but the church is still here.

Go with God.

Yes, sir.

l'd like to thank you, too,

for all that you've done.

Ain't no need for that.

We're partners. All right?

You treated Claire like family,

so l will, too.

l want you to know,

l do appreciate everything.

The flowers,

helping us to set up these things,

and serving as pallbearers.

No ''thank you'' needed, again.

Anybody close to you

is close enough to me. Okay?

-Thanks.

-All right.

Thank you.

l think l'll walk Claire to the car,

Brother Moses.

She seems a little upset.

Thank you.

l missed you at the cemetery.

l just had to make sure

everything was ready here.

l can't thank you enough

for offering your own doors.

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