Imperial Dreams Page #5

---

who killed Gideon.

- Any of these guys look familiar?

- I don't know, man.

Point him out.

- I don't know.

- You don't?

Come on, man. What the f***?!

Don't know nothing?

- Throw his ass out, Hernandez.

- You don't know?

- We know what to do with his ass.

- Get out.

Look, man, a crackhead took my son.

I've been running, trying to find him.

Out of all the niggas in the hood,

y'all pick on the nigga

trying to do the right thing.

Come on!

Y'all niggas are supposed to help me.

She took my son, man!

F***!

Throw his ass out to me, Hernandez.

What were you thinking?

Free to go.

That car of yours looks pretty lived in.

It's not the best place for a kid.

[distant rap music and chattering]

Is Tanya here?

- What's up, man?

- Is Tanya here?

Yeah, she's here.

[rap music blares]

[woman humming]

What you doing?

Protecting him.

- Are you OK?

- Yes.

- Are you hurt?

- No.

[Tanya sobs]

Are you OK?

Get yourself cleaned up, Ma.

OK.

[gun cocking]

Close the door.

- Uncle...

- Yeah, I know.

I raised your black ass.

How dare you...

hit me in my face...

and hold a gun to my f***ing head?

I ought to blow your f***ing head off

right now.

Then what, loved one?

Huh?

What about Day?

You know what, nigga?

There are reasons...

why we are...

the way we are.

So, what, nigga?

I'm the bad guy in this story?

Just keeping it real.

I had to raise you to be a soldier...

cos that's the only way

you was gonna make it out here.

Respect.

But I gotta go my own way.

Why are you so motherfucking hard-headed?

Yeah. [chuckles]

Hey.

In the hood,

you carry truth in your heart...

while reality stays stashed outside.

Your heart says, "Don't kill."

The hood says, "Kill."

Your heart says, "Think before you act."

The hood says, "React."

But you're all alone when one of those

reactions lands you behind bars,

going over every little thing

in the darkness.

And it's easy to recognize your truth

in retrospect.

What's hard...

is being true in the moment.

Even if it kills you.

[mouse clicking]

[chatters]

Come on, get down.

Give me ten. All right?

- Yeah.

- Go down from ten.

One, two...

[Day grunts]

[laughs] Oh, damn!

You know how he's gonna do

when he's 18, man.

You gonna be a beast!

You good. You good.

You good. You good, Day.

- OK.

- Yeah. Good work.

Why are you so happy, man?

- That Janine girl.

- Yeah?

Sent my stuff to some agents, man.

Yeah.

- I got a shot.

- [laughs]

- Beautiful, Bro.

- It's crazy. Crazy.

[vehicle pulling up]

Bambi.

Hey, man, we gotta talk.

What now?

Remember Miss Price?

From Child and Family Services.

Mr. Jones, can we have a moment?

You lied to us.

We know you don't live in these projects.

We've got evidence of you

breaking our policy

by allowing Day

to be in several unsafe situations.

Hi, Day.

You remember me?

Where do you sleep at night?

OK.

Being homeless doesn't help your case.

Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to remove

your son from your custody.

[stammers]

I can take care of him.

Mr. Jones, Day needs to be in

a stable environment right now.

Take these.

- Uh... I've got some relatives.

- Then we can meet.

- I have relatives.

- Then we can meet.

We have family.

Are y'all really gonna do this now?

Are you really gonna f***ing do this now?!

- He can stay with my grandfather.

- F***!

Day, come on, baby.

- You see this?!

- This is bullshit.

- He's gotta go.

- Y'all are doing this?

He's gotta go. I know you hate this.

I know you hate this, but maybe

it's best for you if you're alone.

OK, I got you. Miss Price?

I just want you to know,

I would do anything for my son.

What do you need me to do?

What do I have to do for my son?

Let's just keep in close contact

about your relative taking custody, OK?

Because that is an option.

But right now, he has to come with me.

All right. I...

I just need a moment with my son.

Just a moment, all right?

Go ahead.

God damn.

Hey.

Hey, man. Um...

Um...

Dad ain't gonna see you for a while,

all right?

OK.

But I... I'm gonna visit you, OK?

Yeah.

All right.

Be a man.

Read them books, all right?

I'm gonna see you real soon.

OK?

[sighs]

I love you, man.

I love you, too.

Man...

- You're good?

- Yeah.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

All right.

Come on, Day.

You'll get him back.

- Yeah.

- Huh?

Yeah.

You'll get him back. You'll get him back.

- [whimpers]

- You'll get him back.

F***.

Hernandez, you see this, man?

You see this, man?

- Is this what you wanted, man?

- It's not what I want.

Come on. Come on.

Wait.

Why don't you get in?

Imagine this.

You half wake up.

Take a breath.

Smile.

It feels good.

You go to swing your legs off the bed.

Then you realize...

they're gone.

The pain is physical.

That's what it feels like...

when you lose your kid.

An old lifer once told you...

"All men suffer loss."

But you know now

that not all losses are the same.

Only the ones that stop you from

ever fighting again make you a loser.

Make you go back to what's easy.

What you know.

Do you get Day this weekend?

Yeah, I get to take him out

Monday morning. Wanna roll with us?

Yeah, love to.

[Wayne] Can you believe I'm leaving for DC

next Tuesday?

Living in dorms.

All the other losses

just serve to strengthen you.

Prepare you for what's ahead.

- [Wayne] Is this where he lives?

- Yeah, he's in that second building.

And you're just thankful that Angel Boy

inherited your fighting spirit...

to help him navigate his foster forest.

And though this loss is devastating...

you know... that in time...

you'll both be baptized as winners.

We may not have

A decent home to call our own

And we may not

Oh, no

Be remembered when we're gone

But we have

We have

Listen

We have

To call our own, own, own

And every time

Oh, yeah

We can't hurt to see our way

But just remember

Always remember, baby

That tomorrow is another day

But we have

We have

There's no doubt about it, baby

We have

To call our own, own, own

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah

There may be time

When we feel like we'll have to cry

But just remember

Always remember, baby

We can make it if we try

For we have

We have

Listen, baby

We have

To call our own, own, own

To call our own, own, own

To call our own, own, own

To call our own, own

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes