The Pawnbroker Page #4

a little about me?

It really doesn't matter.

No, I don't believe you

when you say that.

When I was a little girl,

I was fat and amiable,

and everyone liked me.

The boys used to think

I was a great sport.

I remember some of them

even told me solemnly

That I reminded them

of their sisters.

Well, in that odd category,

I went to lots of parties

And I had loads of friends

And there was nothing wrong.

Until one day I discovered

that I'd acquired...

A most excruciating malady...

Loneliness.

One day there was a young man.

We fell in love.

We got married.

He died. Like that.

His heart just stopped.

And I found out that loneliness

Is the normal state of affairs.

For most people.

My dear miss Birchfield,

How touchingly naive you are.

Oh! You have

discovered loneliness!

You have found out that the

world is unjust and cruel.

Let me tell you something,

my dear sociologist...

That there is a world

different than yours,

Much different, and the people

in it are of another species.

Now, I ask you a question.

What do you know?

I guess I'm out of my depth.

Oh, I would say so.

But what happened to me...

Is nothing.

No!

That's not so.

What makes you so bitter?

Bitter?

Oh, no, miss Birchfield,

I am not bitter.

No, that passed me by

a million years ago.

I'm a man of no anger.

I've no desire for vengeance

For what was done to me.

I have escaped from the emotions.

I am safe within myself.

All I ask and want

is peace and quiet.

Why haven't you found it?

Because people like

you will not let me!

Miss birchfield, you

have made the afternoon

Very tedious with

your constant search

For an answer.

And one more thing.

Please...

stay out of my life.

You shouldn't have done that.

What's the matter, uncle?

Don't you like wednesdays?

You shouldn't have touched it.

Well, it's done.

The boss wants you to sign these.

There'll be no papers signed today.

Look, maybe you don't understand.

I understand you perfectly.

I said no papers signed today. Leave

them, but no papers get signed.

The boss ain't going...

I said no papers get signed today!

Ok.

You're a tough man, Mr. Nazerman.

I mean, he looks tough, but...

Why don't you mind

your own business?

You know...

You worry me when you look

like that, Mr. Nazerman.

What-what is wrong with you?

Hmm?

I don't know.

Good afternoon, Mr. Nazerman.

Mr. Nazerman, for some days now

I've been trying to give an idea

Some sort of shape, a-a pattern.

Now-now, Mr.- Mr...

Socrates...

Socrates himself

Was on the very borderline

of drama, right?

Right, and look at Baudelaire.

Baudelaire and all his

strange, sacred mysticism.

And who knows?

Perhaps the marquis de...

Exactly what was it

That you came to pawn, Mr. Smith?

Pawn? Oh, of course.

To pawn.

I- I did bring...

I... I...

I had it somewhere.

Just stand still.

Stand still for a minute.

Now, think.

Just for once in your life,

Try to be rational

and think exactly

What you came in here to pawn.

I...

Nothing.

I had nothing to bring.

I...

I will miss talking to you.

What makes creatures

like that exist?

Why-why did you call him creature?

Because he's black?

No, not because he's black.

I don't care what he is.

I'm nondiscriminatory,

nonsectarian.

Black, white, or yellow,

they're all equally...

Equally what?

Scum. Rejects.

You're a mighty hard

man, Mr. Nazerman.

I mean, after all,

They are children of god.

Ain't they?

You believe in god, Ortiz?

I don't know, Mr. Nazerman.

But you believe in god,

And I make book on that.

I do not believe in god

Or art or science

Or newspapers or

politics or philosophy.

Well, then, Mr. Teacher...

Ain't there nothing you do believe?

Money.

All right.

Then you teach me

About money then, Mr. Nazerman.

All right, Mr. Ortiz.

Now, come here.

Firstly, money can increase

or decrease in value.

Secondly, money is risky,

but at a given moment,

One has some idea of its worth.

Thirdly, money can

buy you many things...

Comfort, luxury, relief from pain,

Sometimes even life itself,

And now you listen to me,

And you listen very carefully.

Next to the speed of

light, which einstein says

Is the only absolute

in the universe,

Second only to that, I rank money!

Well...

You believe me, that's

all you need to know.

That's what life's all about?

That's what life is all about.

You mean, money is the whole thing?

Money is the whole thing.

I'll see you later, Mr. Nazerman.

Please, please?

Please, please, listen to me.

Honey, I can get you the money.

I got some gifts I could sell.

Extras from the customers.

You know.

Baby, you don't need them others...

Tangee and buck,

most that Robinson...

They just poison.

Baby, nothing they do

for you won't hurt you.

Oh, please, please, let me chip in.

I can get it for you.

I know I can.

Money. Money.

That's the whole thing.

Sure.

Sure, honey, only no going

back to them others.

Oh, baby...

I'm just thinkin' of you.

Damn loot.

I'm going to get it.

I'm going to get it and fast!

Chico! Come. Sit.

How come you don't join with us?

I got some thinking to do.

Oh?

You know what I think?

I think you got

something on your mind

You want to talk about,

Or you wouldn't be here

in the first place.

You want I should romance you

a little before you talk.

Listen, you hear me, tangee.

I got nothing to say, see?

I just got to think.

I just got a lot of thinking to do.

All right.

Ain't nobody pressuring you.

And if...

If I decide to do anything at all,

I got to call the moves.

We had you figured for that.

And if the thing goes,

I say if...

There'll be no shooting.

Ok, man.

You need a piece,

but just for show,

Because shooting is trouble.

It's stupid.

We can do without it.

No matter what, understand?

If I decide to go ahead with it,

If...

I say when and how.

If.

I got some stuff to pawn.

We'll start off with this.

That's an expensive locket.

No sense in fooling around with it.

It's gold.

I'll give you $20 for it.

$20? It's worth at least 100.

Maybe it is, but not to me.

This locket was a present, a gift

From a man for a private session.

Pawnbroker... you got

it in your power

To make me a beat up old woman.

What makes you say that?

'Cause if my boss finds out

I've been messing

around in private...

He don't hold still for

nothing like that,

So if it was to get out to him,

He'd make me old before my time.

Hello.

Mendel is dead.

My father's dead.

Did you hear what I just said?

Yeah, I heard what you said, yeah.

Uh...

Just a minute.

Hang that up, would you, please?

Hello.

Papa is dead.

What am I going to do, Sol?

Well, you bury him.

There's nothing else to do.

Nothing?

Nothing. Nothing.

When you talk like that,

you're not human.

You want me to come cry with you?

Yes.

The hell with your crying.

I need someone to help me.

I can't come now.

I can't leave the store.

The store.

Big... important... store.

Where do you think

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