Get on the Bus Page #9

...I'd run out of fingers.

So what made you quit, Jamal?

Went to my best friend's funeral.

Now, I done buried a lot of homies...

...but my boy, D,

was like a brother to me.

And it wasn't like

I wanted to go out and kill...

...every Blood in the 'hood.

I guess I wanted

one of them to smoke me.

So I went up in their 'hood.

Where I come from, that's suicide.

There wasn't a Blood in sight.

That's when I realized I'd just

pull the trigger on myself.

Next thing you know...

...I meet Jindai.

She breaks it down to me...

...on how Allah has a plan

for my life...

...and how he could use me.

Because nowadays, brothers just

kill each other on a glare.

She made me realize...

...how lost I really was.

And that...

...killing myself...

...wasn't gonna end that cycle.

You know what will

end the cycle, Jamal?

Locking up somebody like you

behind bars.

Of course. You gotta make

your quota, don't you?

Someone just like you

murdered my father.

Excuse me.

You can rationalize it all you want.

Living in the 'hood is no excuse...

...for taking the life

of another human being.

Damn! Damn!

Be cool. Be cool.

Sh*t.

All right, everybody, be cool. I hope

y'all remembered rule number three.

What's going on here?

Nothing, officer. I kept it under 60.

We've been asked to beef up

surveillance around here.

A lot of boys been smuggling drugs

through our state.

- What does that have to do with us?

- You tell me.

Excuse me, officer.

I'm Officer Rivers, L.A.P.D.

We're just taking a bus to DC.

- L.A.P.D., huh?

- That's right.

I hate to break it to you,

but this is Knoxville.

- I just thought...

- I know what you thought.

Take a seat.

Mike! Bring him in!

See what you can find, Bruno.

If any of you are holding

any illegal substances...

...now's the time

to confess your sins.

Bruno here has one hell of a nose.

Look underneath that seat.

Yeah.

Find anything?

Check him. You got him?

Back there. Look up above

those racks too.

Anybody carrying anything? You?

Are you really asleep?

You sleeping?

What about Uncle Remus?

Back there.

How about you?

- Clean?

- Clean.

Okay, boys.

Been my pleasure.

If you find yourself

in Knoxville again...

...and need law-enforcement

assistance...

...be sure and look us up.

Good evening.

- F*** Knoxville!

- Damn troopers!

- Kiss my ass!

- Be cool till we get out of here.

- What's on your brain?

- Nothing.

Just tripping off how Mom told me

you could drive anything.

You name it, I can drive it.

Car, bus...

...truck, tractor...

...boat, motorcycle...

- A plane?

- That's something I haven't done.

That's what I'll do.

I'm gonna be a pilot.

Pilot, huh?

Soon as I get out of high school...

...I'm going straight

to the Air Force.

Might even make a career out of it.

Why planes?

You know, planes kill people.

People get killed in grocery stores,

don't mean I should stop eating.

No, it don't.

You're just like your mama, I swear.

You most definitely

got that mouth of hers.

Want to hear something funny?

What's that?

She told me I was just like you.

Can't wait to tell her she was wrong.

No way, Jeremiah.

You're not off the hook.

What made you wanna go to the march?

What made me wanna go?

Yeah, that's the question.

Well...

...I missed the March on Washington

in '63.

Missed it? You didn't go?

I wanted to go. I intended to.

But I'd just got this

good-paying job with a company...

...and I didn't want to lose it.

You know, go along to get along,

play it safe, make no waves.

People at the office

asked me about...

...Malcolm X, Martin Luther King.

I said I didn't even know them cats.

The truth of the matter is,

I didn't believe in...

...troublemakers and rabble-rousers.

No, sir.

White man had me

in his hip pocket 100 percent.

And that was all right with me.

Soon I was getting a raise every year,

just like everybody else.

And got my little office

down in personnel.

My own office. Yep.

Bought this great big house

out in the suburbs.

Cars for me and my wife,

college for the kids, the whole thing.

Paid down on this expensive boat.

When I was at the company...

...I trained a lot of people,

mostly white, some women.

And every one of them

got promoted over me.

That should've told me something.

But it didn't.

Not me. I had it made. Oh, man.

Everybody from the president on down,

the whole company...

...Ioved good old faithful...

...quick-with-the-jokes-and-smiles

Jeremiah. Oh, man...

...they integrated me

lock, stock and barrel.

And I loved it.

Thirty-three years...

...with the company.

I never missed a day.

And then

they had this big merger.

Instead of giving me the watch

I'd been waiting for...

...they gave old Jeremiah

the pink slip.

"We regret to inform you...

...that your services

will no longer be required."

Now, I didn't see

how they could just...

...throw a man away.

I couldn't accept it.

So I went to the new management...

...and put on a show

that you wouldn't believe.

I talked more trash...

...showed more teeth...

...kissed more white ass...

I begged that man...

...for my job.

And I got it.

Thirty percent reduction in pay...

...no benefits...

...but it was a job.

It was mine.

Two years ago...

...a lot of loose Japanese

money coming in...

...hostile takeover,

some kind of stuff.

Company got lean and mean for the

new world order of the 21 st century.

Downsized my black ass

right out the door...

...and then locked it.

Threw away the key.

No job...

...no future, no nothing.

Of course, I had to get stupid.

I took to drinking.

I lost my wife, cars, house...

...children...

...credit...

...my good name.

Now, all my worldly possessions

and the rest of my life is in that bag.

As a matter of fact...

...if something good...

...don't happen to Jeremiah,

and soon...

...well, he's gonna...

That's why I'm going to the march.

I gotta go.

Yes, sir, you'll make this march

or you'll die trying.

You're looking at the co-star...

...of Denzel's newest flickity-flick.

I got the part!

What, no congratulations?

Congratulations. Now why don't you

sit down and shut up?

You think that's funny?

I'm rather amused, but poor Denzel!

Your girlfriend thinks that's funny.

- F*** you.

- Are you sure?

- What?

- Sure you want to f*** me?

That waitress in Memphis

slipped you her phone number.

You must be feeling butch.

Hear that,

Randall Royal-if-you-don't-mind?

Your boyfriend may

give up his membership.

Give me some respect!

I told you to stop riding my ass!

- Or what?

- Or I'll bust your ass!

They are bigger a**holes than him.

- You had your Wheaties this morning!

- Hope you had yours, b*tch!

- You call me b*tch?

- Sounded like it.

I know you didn't!

Let's just calm down.

How's this for a b*tch?

Cut that sh*t out!

- Come on, break it up! Break it up!

- Take it outside.

I'll pull this bus over

and throw both your asses...

No!

Let's go.

The "Thrilla in Manila," baby.

Whup his motherfucking ass!

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