Life Support Page #3

People are not going to change

until they're ready.

So what you want me

to do, stop trying?

Uh-uh.

What I wanna do...

is go to bed.

Come on.

I gotta chill out.

Yeah.

Well, I met someone.

Okay. Okay.

But I can't... I haven't

told him yet and I can't tell him.

Yet.

But I... I've decided that...

I'm going to this weekend.

But it's that thing

of, you know...

- When to tell, how to tell?

- Yeah. How to tell?

- Do you kiss first and tell?

- I know, I know.

- I know, I know, sometimes...

- Do you shake hands and tell?

Do you hug? I mean, you know,

it's that... that scary part

of when to tell.

Sometimes, they, you know...

- I mean, rejection is hard.

- Yes it is.

They walk out the door.

You know you'll never hear from him.

They're never gonna call you.

And then some ask you for

the condoms and a dental dam.

"Go get it. Let's use it. "

It could go either way.

My thing was just

to come straight out and tell him.

- Yeah.

- You know? From the very beginning.

"I'm HIV positive. "

You know?

"What you wanna do?"

- I love that.

- I got some really crazy responses.

- Yeah.

- "I don't care. I use two condoms. "

"I don't think I can have

sex with you," he said,

"but I can eat

your p*ssy, right?"

- Oh my god!

- I was like...

"Hell yeah!"

Me and my partner...

he's really not into using condoms.

But if we have unprotected sex,

I mean, let alone

a pregnancy at my age...

but I don't want

another strain of the virus.

But he says that he can't

feel anything, I mean...

and actually, ladies,

- he kind of shrivels up when I say...

- Right.

..."Let's use the condom. "

- Have you ever tried putting

the condom on with your mouth?

- Girl, how you do that?

- Easy.

And it'll get him excited.

I don't think he'd shrivel up so much.

But no, seriously...

The number you've dialed

is temporarily not in service.

Simon, right?

- Yeah?

- I'm Kelly. Amare's friend.

Okay. How are you doing?

I'm good. I'm looking for Amare.

Have you seen him?

Yeah, I've seen him.

He was acting

all stuck-up as usual.

- When was this?

- A couple of days ago.

Said him and his daddy been

drinking Cristal at some fancy hotel.

Wait, you're not talking

about Michael, are you?

I don't know his name.

Owns some recording studio...

"Hatlantic" something.

All right. Thanks.

Bring that back.

It's hot right there

but it's missing something.

Take it back to the break.

You could still use more punch.

What's up?

Can I help you?

Yeah, I'm looking

for Michael Johnson.

That might be me. It depends.

Who am I talking to?

I'm friends with Amare.

My name is Kelly.

- Amare?

- Yeah. He told me about you.

I'm just...

I'm just looking for him.

Yeah yeah yeah.

I know who you're talking about.

- Fix that. Fix that.

- Word up, man.

Come on, let's talk out here.

It's all good.

So, I'm saying, where...

- Oh.

- Now, what did you come over here for?

L... I just came over

here looking for Amare.

I just wanna make

sure he's all right.

Well, he was passing out

flyers for me

a couple of days ago.

He seemed fine to me.

Well, has he been

staying with you?

- Staying with me?

- Yeah.

What are you talking about?

I barely know him.

No, wait a minute.

What are you talking about?

- I thought you were his boyfriend.

- Now are you deaf, dumb or blind?

I got a wife

and three kids.

Now I think you got me

confused with somebody else.

Now he works for me

off and on, but that's it.

Yo, man.

Are we gonna do this?

What did you say your

name was again, baby?

Now, fellas, you think baby's bad

enough to be in our music video?

- Oh, no doubt.

- She looks like

- she can drop it like it's hot.

- Yeah.

HIV is the leading

cause of death

for black women

ages 25 to 34...

the leading cause.

And if your man just came out of prison,

get him tested. You don't know

what he's doing in there.

All you know is what he tells you.

Carlos isn't gonna

take no test.

Well, then you need

to kick Carlos to the curb.

In the meantime,

get him to wear one of these.

I hate jimmy hats.

Well, then I hope

you like taking pills.

Because once you get this virus

you're gonna be taking

about 12 of them bad boys a day.

See? I know my man

ain't got AIDS.

- How do you know?

- 'Cause he ain't getting nasty

with no faggots

behind my back.

He loves my p*ssy.

Yeah, well, that might be true,

but that don't mean

he ain't creeping around.

Just ask Terry McMillan.

Now I've been living

with this virus for 10 years.

And no, my husband wasn't

creeping around with some other men...

or women.

He was shooting cocaine.

And so was I.

Now maybe I don't have

no excuse, but after this moment

y'all ain't got one either.

'Cause I'm standing here

telling you

this disease ain't no joke.

And I'm not going to

shut up about it.

I don't care

if y'all don't care.

If y'all stop dying,

I'll stop talking about it.

In the meantime...

got to use

your head, sisters.

Excuse me.

Can I ask you a question?

Yeah.

How do you suggest

I ask my man to take a test?

I mean, I don't know

how to go about that.

Well, tell me

a little bit about your man.

Does he go to the doctor?

His he that kind of guy? Or does he...

Uh, you, um...

Hey, baby.

We're in here.

- Hey.

- Hey.

So what, you decided

about the Liberty game?

Ma, I got practice every

day and homework every night.

Game's on Saturday.

You study on Saturdays too?

Look, I just came over

to drop these off.

Kim left them

at Grandma's.

Speaking of which,

you picking her up?

Oh sh*t. I gotta go.

Nice talking

to you, Kelly.

- All right.

- Yeah, right.

Watch the stove.

I got that sauce on low.

- Where is Kim at?

- Gymnastics.

New class over at BAM.

- Mm-hmm.

- What? I took you to gymnastics.

One class, Ma.

You forgot to pick me up.

So how's basketball?

First game's next week.

All right, then.

I'll be there.

Ma...

Amare's sister Tanya

kicked him out.

Are you hanging out

with Amare again?

Ma, I'm real worried about him.

- Because?

- Because...

he left his meds

at the house.

- This is not good.

- No, I know.

So today I went by

his boyfriend's job.

- Boyfriend?

- Yeah, some older guy named Michael.

He's supposed to be some

record producer or something.

He was a real a**hole.

I've been trying

to call his cell

but his sister

must have cut it off.

Is he getting high again?

I don't know. Maybe.

Well, he might

just be ignoring you.

I mean, he might

just be getting his high on.

Oh, is that something

drug addicts do, Ma?

I sounds like you're

asking me for help, Kelly.

Look, Ma, maybe you could just talk

to his sister or something.

Just help him get off the street.

He got a serious cough.

I've never seen him this bad.

Okay, babe.

I'll try and help you.

Where's Tanya working at?

Is she still over at that nursing home?

No, she works over

at the dry cleaner on Pitkin Ave.

All right. I gotta go.

And... thanks.

Call me when

you get home.

- Tanya?

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