Red Hook Summer Page #4

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beating and banging in God's name.

Rolling with that...

You know,

you need to know your history, son.

l know it.

Let me tell you about your daddy, then.

l know him.

This was some time ago,

long before you come to yourself.

l might be old, but l know a thing or two.

And your daddy is not such a bad fellow...

He's dead like Grandma!

-ls he?

-He died in Afghanistan!

Lord have mercy. Bless his soul.

l didn't know, son. l'm so sorry.

But, you know, you have a father in heaven.

Where is He? ls He here?

ls He here?

ls God here?

What's your point, Silas?

You're making friends with the devil,

talking about God that way.

l wanna go home.

l didn't come up here to work all day,

run around with big, dead church rats

and be around these people.

l have a nice house in Atlanta.

Around nice people, too.

Silas.

You starving yourself.

l'm not hungry.

l'm not talking about food.

l'm talking about starving yourself

of the Lord's good nourishment.

Starving yourself of your history.

That's worse than not eating.

Anybody can eat.

(FARAWAY PLAYlNG)

Your father is weirder than Cee Lo Green.

l hate it here. l want to come home.

ls he spanking you?

No, he's starving me. He took all my food.

Come on now, Silas.

l know your grandfather is not starving you.

Your grandfather is a good cook.

He cooked at all those church functions

l grew up going to.

Every single Sunday.

He gave me the same eggs

and scrapple two days in a row.

Well, you should have eaten it the first day.

l didn't want to eat it the first day,

l wanted my food!

That's your grandfather.

You've got to respect him, okay?

-He has to respect me, too.

-(SlGHS)

He's got you in church every day, huh?

-Yes.

-(CHUCKLES)

Yeah, l remember what that was like.

l was raised in the church, you know.

So why didn't we go to church?

Well, because it's too early.

(BOTH CHUCKLlNG)

ls it as hot up there

as it is down here in Hotlanta?

No, but it's hot.

Yeah?

Well, listen, summer's gonna fly by, okay?

You'll be home before you know it.

So just... You gotta compromise with him,

he's old-school, okay?

All right.

All right. Now stick your...

Stick your lip back in.

Come on. Smile for me. Let me see.

The bottom lip, stick it in now.

-Come on.

-lt is in.

(LAUGHlNG)

Give me a chat-kiss.

All right.

Wait, l want to ask you

something before we go.

You've got to be honest with me, okay?

Don't lie to your mother.

l'm not.

You messing around

with any of them fast-ass project girls?

No, ma'am.

Hmm.

You know,

there's something you do when you lie.

The left side of your face there

twitched a little bit.

-You being truthful with me?

-Yes.

All right.

-Keep it zipped up!

-Um... What?

You heard me! l know what y'all be doing.

Texting and sexting and all that crazy stuff.

-(SNlCKERS)

-Oh, now you laughing?

Uh-huh. See, l know when you're lying now.

l'm not lying.

You better not be lying to me.

l'm not.

All right.

We gotta get off this iChat now.

So... Miss you.

l miss you, too.

Love you.

Love you, too.

Tell your grandfather l said hello.

Sure.

l already told you,

starving yourself of God's nourishment

is a sin unto yourself.

Every sin has its price.

Sweet food for folks who do God's work.

You don't like me.

l don't like myself sometimes, son.

l'm going to work.

You put in some work

over there at Lil' Heaven.

And we'll make a deal

about your sweet things.

And you're right, l do not like you.

l love you.

(TILL THE END PLAYlNG)

SlLAS:
Hurry up!

CHAZZ:
Hold still.

Ow!

Flik, hold still when

l'm combing your fro-hawk.

lt's as long as your granddaddy's sermons.

What do you know about my granddaddy?

l know a lot about your granddaddy.

l know that he likes my mom.

l see the way he looks at her

when she walks down the aisle.

l see the way he looks at her

while she's sipping her tea.

Boy, you got some deep roots. Deep.

Ow!

(TILL THE END CONTlNUES PLAYlNG)

l double-dare you.

Bite your lip, Mr. Potato Chip.

Hold up, hold up. lt's not like that.

No, no, not again!

You are not doing this to me again!

(GRUNTlNG)

l know you live in the projects!

l know your face!

Hey, lady!

(lMlTATlNG MlCHAEL JACKSON'S LAUGH)

-Damn it!

-(YELLlNG)

Shamone!

Hey!

My grandfather's gonna kill me!

You're so short on luck it isn't even funny.

Who told you to draw a heart

and get us into trouble?

You took my picture!

l thought you liked-ed me.

l never told you l liked-ed you,

since you're so ugly, you can break mirrors.

l wouldn't talk.

You're a fro-hawk-headed,

doodle-face country boy.

You need a knife to get the dirt off your face.

With a face like yours,

your mom should start over.

Go back to Atlanta, you dead-rat-eating...

Girl, where you been?

Showing Flik the 'hood.

-(WHlSPERlNG) Stupid.

-Shut up.

Girl, move!

Flik, why are your Nike's in the sink?

What?

Boy, l don't stutter.

Why you sucking wind like that?

That inhaler costs a ton of money.

You using it up?

What y'all doing?

Running around all wild and crazy? No.

And why are some of the potato chips

and drinks missing?

Somebody's been messing around

in the pantry.

Anybody know who?

The Lord will strike you down if you lie.

God hates a liar!

Well, Sister Shirley,

l was trying to get the place

ready for Old Timers Day

and l had a sudden hankering for some pop.

And then l needed some chips

to salt up my mouth,

since l had all that sloppy sweet in my jowls.

So l sent them over to the Fairway

to replace the stuff.

And l told them to keep it on the low-low.

You know, hush-hush,

because l didn't want you thinking

that l had been, you know,

sipping that essence.

lf you get my drift.

You understand what l mean.

Whatever! Chazz, when you done here,

-you bring your little fast behind on home.

-Mmm-hmm.

No tickie, no tackie.

All right. Payback time!

Shake a leg. Shake a leg.

Let's get a-working, get a-working.

Let's go, boy. Let's go.

(GROWLlNG)

Let's get out of here, boy.

Ho! Grab that... Hurry up, come on.

Boy, the world be going round and round,

and the white man still ahead.

Them Germans got every goddamn thing.

They make good stuff over there.

Cars. Houses.

Them French, too.

Oh, them Frenchies make good stuff.

Wine. Cheese. Champagne.

What do we make?

Rap records!

Hell, niggas buying lKEA right up the street.

Hell, l-key-yo-ass to Rikers lsland.

Eighty percent unemployment around here.

Now, see, if niggas had bought Apple,

they'd be rolling by now.

And l told them that!

Way back in the year of our Lord, 2003.

Could have got it for $7 a share.

Now it's 334 goddamn dollars!

But niggas don't wanna listen!

lf she's so mad at him,

why is she helping him?

-Answer me.

-Deacon Zee's her brother.

That drunk's your uncle?

You make me sick.

Stupid!

(l WANT TO BE READY

PLAYlNG ON ORGAN)

Oh! Hey, children.

(SlNGlNG) I want to be ready

l want to be ready

l want to be ready

To walk in Jerusalem just like John

John said the city was just four-square

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