Life Support Page #5

Oh yeah, well, you wouldn't

know it by the way she acts.

Aside from this Amare business,

when was the last time

- she even came over here?

- F*** you, Slick!

Ma!

She's sorry.

Yes, I am.

Sorry, baby.

I shouldn't have said that.

Come on.

Come sit down.

Come watch the game

with your mom.

- Here you go.

- Thank you, Daddy.

Come on, Slick. You love me

or you gonna stay mad at me?

I'm gonna do both.

Move over.

Viv, I mean that was my girl,

you know what I'm saying?

And we got pregnant

around the same time.

I got pregnant with Kelly

and then Viv got pregnant with Amare.

So, the kids grew up real tight.

He just doing crack and the rest

of that stuff right now, right?

- And he's positive.

- He has nobody to talk to.

- His parents are gone.

- And my mother

already threw him

out of her house

for stealing or something...

I don't know, some ignorance.

But, you know he's too young

to be out there, HIV positive,

you know, with all this stuff going on

and not have any family

other than my daughter.

Welcome to the United

Community Church of God.

My name is Sister Bernice.

It's so good to see you all here today.

Who would like to share?

Lunch will be served

promptly afterwards.

Hey, what's up?

People call me Ness.

I've been positive for two years.

I got the bug shooting H.

A few days ago, I go in the

drugstore to get my new meds.

The guy behind

the counter's cool

until he sees the prescription.

I know you know what I'm talking about.

The guy got all nervous,

put the paper up on the counter

like he was afraid

I was gonna touch him.

But I stay upbeat about it, you know?

Maybe I got the same type

of HIV Magic Johnson got.

He got it, put on 50 Ibs.

Got movie theaters

all across the country, you know,

put frappuccinos in the 'hood.

Did a commercial for Lincoln Navigator.

Maybe I got that same

entrepreneur strain of HIV

like Magic got, you know?

This HIV could be the kick in the ass I

need to get my life on the right track.

Well, you'd think with all the money

Mr. Bush is giving these churches

they'd at least be able to

afford some fresh vegetables.

Ana, how you doing, girl?

What's up, Ness?

I figured I'd find you here.

I liked your share.

Yeah, this n*gger will

say anything for a hot meal.

Yeah, I noticed.

Hey, look, you know Amare, right?

He owes you money too?

No no no, it ain't

nothing like that.

I ain't seen him

in a while.

Heard he was doing some

street business, though.

Hustling?

Nah, that's not his game.

Not that I know of.

Heard he was selling his

anti-wasting injections.

You know the bodybuilders

love that steroid sh*t.

Wait a minute. He left his pills

at my mother's house,

he's selling his 'roids.

Sounds like your boy's not planning

on sticking around much longer.

Why is he wasting his time

selling steroids?

Hey, if you're gonna die anyway,

you might as well do it

with a little bit

of money in your pocket.

That's a f***ed-up thing to say.

Hey, you might want to ask around

about Amare under the El on New Lots.

Them boys is trade,

but they into selling meds too.

All right, thanks.

Yeah. Wait, Ana.

Hook me up.

If I find out any more about

Amare, I'll get at you.

All right, I'm gonna

hold you to that.

Gotcha.

Don't let Sister Bernice

catch you with those.

Hey, how you doing?

My name is Ana Wallace.

I'm from an outreach group

called Life Support.

What's wrong with your feet?

Must be walking on them

too much, you know?

Anyway, I'm looking for this kid

right here. His name is Amare.

I thought you might know him.

- He's cute.

- Mm-hmm.

- Sorry.

- No?

I wish I did.

All right.

Well, thank you.

You think you could

help me out?

I need some money so me and my

boyfriend could get off these streets.

Well, I don't have

no money for you,

but I do work for

this HIV prevention

and support program.

Now, if you fit this profile,

we could definitely help you.

We got free testing,

free counseling services,

some condoms in the bottom

of that bag too.

Okay.

- What's your name?

- Andre.

All right, I'm gonna

be looking for you.

- Okay.

- Okay.

Miss?

You sure you can't

spare anything?

Here. $5.

Now you got more than me.

Don't spend it on no drugs, either.

I don't do drugs.

Okay, well...

call that number, all right?

- Tender?

- Mm-hmm.

Describe for me how the

sensations have changed.

They tingle like I got

frostbite or something.

- Has the Neurotin helped with the pain?

- I stopped taking it.

- Ana.

- How am I supposed to make it to work

and take Kim to school?

I can't even get past the bathroom.

All right.

I'm gonna replace it with Vicodin.

Try it. Let me know

if it works better.

Great. Another drug.

Look, we got to wrap this up.

I got to get to my daughter's

basketball game.

If you don't slow down,

you're gonna lose

the use of your feet,

- period.

- Well, what you want me to do,

lie in bed all day

thinking about dying?

We've been through this, Ana.

You got to take better

care of yourself.

This virus will make you

a cripple if you let it.

Thank you.

Hey, Ma, you should've seen it.

Kelly had 12 points

and a lot of assists.

Yeah, you missed it.

I got held up at the doctor.

I'm sorry, baby.

You should've seen

her hustling all over that court.

She made me so proud.

She's fierce.

She's really

getting good at this.

- Can I stay over with Kelly?

- Not tonight, Kim.

You'll see her this weekend.

- I need to talk to you about Amare.

- What about that boy?

Nothing, Ma.

It's between me and Kelly.

Fine. Don't tell me, then.

He's just in a little trouble.

I'm just trying to get him

into a shelter, that's all.

I'll wait for you in the car.

Come on. Let's go.

How could you throw

a sick boy out on the streets?

- That's just plain cruel.

- Grandma didn't throw him

- out on the street, Ma.

- She did, last summer.

He stole her pearl earrings, Ma.

You forget about that?

So, what?

You giving up on him now too?

- No.

- Am I out here wasting my time?

'Cause my feet hurt.

I don't need to go through this.

Look, that boy ain't thinking straight.

He's not taking his pills.

He's selling his steroids.

And being out there on the street,

- I mean, that's like a death sentence.

- I know that, Ma.

Did you know he was

selling his meds?

Nah. I mean I knew he was in trouble.

That's why I came to you for help.

All right.

But what about this

boyfriend of his? Michael?

I went by his studio,

remember?

He acted like he

barely even knew Amare.

Yo, Kelly!

Grandma's outside waiting for you!

Kelly, I really am sorry

I missed your game, babe.

Whatever, Ma.

- Hey, come here.

- Stop it.

Oh, someone told me the other day

I was supposed to use this.

Put that away.

- Speak of the devil.

- Ah.

Yo, so how come your Mom

be passing out rubbers and sh*t?

'Cause she works for

an AIDS outreach group.

- For real?

- Yeah.

Oh, that's some heavy

sh*t right there.

I couldn't do it... you know,

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