Imperial Dreams Page #3

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I bust back!

I hit a kid, Cuz.

A f***ing ten-year-old kid.

Look at Day, man.

Handsome.

[Gideon] Day.

Come here, man.

- You got some rocks, Day?

- Yeah.

[PA] Now serving A051

at window number six.

Your problem is you owe over 15 grand

in child payment support.

How does that make sense?! I only got $85.

Mister, don't raise your voice at me, OK?

How was I supposed to pay child support

when I was in jail?

I can't issue you a state driver's license

if you don't pay this outstanding amount.

- That's all.

- Wait.

I gotta get a job to pay child support.

To get a job

I have to have a driver's license,

but to get a driver's license

I still need to pay child support.

- I'm confused by it as well.

- Right.

It's a messed-up system.

There's a website that you can go to.

Wi-Fi this and Wi-Fi...

Look, I don't have a computer, man.

You're gonna have to help me out on this.

Well, why don't you go to Social Services

and tell them about it?

You can get your child support payments

either reduced or annulled over there.

My baby mama didn't file

for no child support.

She didn't file for it.

She's on AFDC.

The county files child support for her.

So you can't give me my driver's license?

No, sir, I cannot.

All right. Thank you. Come on, let's go.

[Gideon] I got your laptop.

[engine revving]

Hey! Hey, G!

Hey, G, get the f*** out of here, Cuz!

Brandy niggas are coming in the car, man!

Hey, come on, man! Niggas in the car!

Hey, come on! Leave that sh*t!

[engine revving]

[tires squealing]

Come on, Son.

[gunshot]

[gunshot]

[gunshot]

[gunshot]

[engine revving]

[gang member] Go, go, go!

- [doors slamming]

- [engine revving]

G.

G.

G.

[siren approaching]

Come on, D, man.

[distant siren blares]

- It's gonna be OK.

- OK.

[gasps]

[mutters] F*** both those niggas, man.

F*** both those niggas.

My f***ing nigga, man.

[whimpers]

[sighs]

He OK from last night?

I don't know.

Oh, Deacon. This is my brother, Bambi.

Oh, blessings, brother.

I'm guessing you two aren't twins.

- [laughs]

- We have different fathers.

Well, take some food home.

We've got plenty of leftovers.

Yeah, thanks.

Oh, uh... Deacon, can I ask you something?

Is there any way you can give my brother

some hours? He's a hard worker, sir.

I'd love to help, but we're just not

getting enough events lately.

[Wayne] OK, thanks.

But if anything changes, just let us know.

At least, man,

we'll go to Uncle Shrimp's

and we'll pay our last respects.

All right?

I was thinking.

When this all blows over, do you think

it's cool if we ask Shrimp for a loan?

He's gonna want something in return.

We could split the money, man.

We ain't doing it.

[siren burst]

[soul music playing over stereo]

[chattering]

- I love you.

- Don't go.

Look, you're cool here.

- Love you.

- I love you, too.

[knocking]

[Shrimp sniffs]

Are you all right?

[Shrimp] I should have told Gideon...

[sniffs]

how hot these motherfuckers are

when they hit you.

You know, that's the real pain.

[sniffs]

The heat...

when they inside you.

That burn.

[sniffs]

F*** this, man.

Let's go get these motherfuckers.

[breathes deep and exhales]

Yeah. Nigga, what did you do?

Did you go soft in jail?

It's just not me no more.

It's not me, loved one.

[sniffs] Right.

[gun chamber spins]

[loading bullets]

[engine revving]

- [gunshots]

- [tires squealing]

- [screams]

- Hey!

Hey. Shh.

Shh. Shh. Shh.

It's OK. It's OK. I got you.

I got you. I got you.

[screaming continues]

Day. Day, I got you, man. I got you.

It's OK.

It's OK. Shh. Shh.

You call your son Angel Boy...

cos in the bricks, the softer the name,

the harder the man.

But Gideon was hard.

You were hard.

And your daddy was hard.

And look at us.

Deceased, derelict, departed.

And you swear...

Angel Boy won't end up a savage.

Dead, smiling on a T-shirt.

He won't work the corner.

He won't work the curb.

He won't want to be the emperor

under this dark Imperial highway.

Because monarchs are not elected

around here.

They're made with a gun.

And they reign only until it rains...

all over.

[Wayne] I was reading up

on self-publishing, right?

Maybe we could convince one of these

big Baptist churches to back you.

Give you some up-front money

for speaking engagements or something.

Man, I'm sleeping in a car with my kid.

I need an apartment first.

Bro, we need something, man.

Man, get a credit card or something.

- Man, I tried.

- Try harder.

They denied me.

Look, for now, will you just

look after Day for a few hours?

I gotta go downtown. I have some business.

Book business.

All right.

Can I help you?

Yeah. Is there anybody

I can slip some pages to?

Oh, we can't accept unsolicited materials.

I got printed in McSweeney's, page 44.

You should check that out.

Uh... It's loosely based on my life.

My parents weren't around, so I was raised

by killers and thugs at my uncle's house.

Crazy, right?

When did you start writing?

I taught myself while I was in jail.

I've been in and out since I was 12.

I had to write to stay sane.

OK. Um...

Look, I can't promise you anything,

but um... leave your pages

and make sure you keep your contact info

on them and I'll see what I can do.

The e-mail's good, right?

- Sure.

- Yeah, I got it in there.

- Here's the office info.

- All right. Thank you.

Janine.

You got a sister's name. You part black?

Thank you, Janine.

[Wayne] Here he comes, ma'am.

Are you Daytone's father?

Yeah. What's going on.

I'm Miss Price

from Child and Family Services.

I was called out

on a parental-negligence case.

Your son was outside alone

and cut his arm pretty badly.

The police had no idea who to call.

- [Bambi] Are you OK?

- Yeah.

I hope his being unsupervised

isn't normal.

No, ma'am.

Well, I have to file an official warning.

I take it this is where you live?

Yeah.

Well, call me.

We have resources if you need any help.

Thank you.

I'll make sure he's properly supervised,

I promise.

Good. I'll be checking on you.

Yeah.

[mutters]

Yo, my bad, Bro. I-I was on the phone.

He was outside playing.

All of a sudden,

that Social Services lady just showed up.

What was you thinking, man?

This is the last thing I need right now!

They give these warnings out

to scare people.

Wayne, you f***ed up, man!

Relax, Bro.

Relax?!

That's my son!

I was trying to help you out, dumbass.

Get the f*** out of here, man!

Man, you get the f*** out!

This is my place!

You just don't get it.

You think cos you wear a tie

it's all good?

So I should worry about what you think?

Nigga, go back to your car.

I got a home.

Oh, OK.

- I ain't f***in' with you.

- You ain't gotta f*** with me.

Yeah, best believe that.

Come on.

Come on, man. Come on. Come on.

[Bambi] Sit back.

[Day hums]

Will you stop? Stop. Stop.

[Day continues humming]

Hey. Stop.

[Day continues humming]

Hey. Hey.

- Hey.

- [humming stops]

What do you want?

What do you want?

Cos you gotta figure that out.

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