The Soloist Page #3

I said that if he made

a full commitment to music,

if he really, really gave it all he had,

the whole world would open up to him.

And he did. He really did.

Go see if Martha's rollers are ready.

They should be on the kitchen table.

Okay, Mama.

Miss Florence, I'll be back in 10.

He ain't gonna get no sleep.

He gonna kill that little girl

before he kills everybody...

$10,000! I told him he gotta buy me

something real pretty. Real pretty.

Before long, it got so that was all he did.

No more football, no more baseball.

Just music.

Day in and day out.

The whole world

was changing around him.

And that was all he did.

Music.

Hey, you awake?

You know what I hear

when you play your music?

I hear the voice of God coming...

I'm serious.

You got something special here, baby.

A way out.

There is a whole world waiting for you.

"Points West" by Steve Lopez.

Nathaniel was shy in our first encounter.

Period.

He took a step back

when I approached him to say

I liked the way his violin music

drowned out the jackhammers

on Grand Street. Period.

Nathaniel's first instrument

was the cello.

Strangely, he has never had

any training on the violin instrument.

He has never had... Period.

He has never had

any training on the violin.

He switched to the latter

after winding up on the streets.

One day, I asked him

about his hopes and dreams.

"That's easy," he said.

"I'd like to get these other two strings."

Dear Mr. Lopez,

this morning I read your article

about the street musician

and was deeply moved.

This cello is one I used for 50 years,

until arthritis got the better of me.

Please pass it along to Mr. Ayers

with my prayers

for his health and safety.

- Nathaniel!

- All I'm trying to do

is work as hard as I can

to clean up the tunnel.

- Hey! Nathaniel!

- But they don't want me to help them.

I won't have it, you know.

- Don't want to have this degradation...

- Are you out of your mind?

...because they just won't respect

that Beethoven...

What are you doing?

...and I try to tell every one of them,

I won't have this nastiness...

- Nathaniel!

... this degradation, I won't have it.

Don't!

Don't! Don't!

I'm not going to have this nastiness

in this tunnel. This degradation.

Good.

Remember when I said

I was gonna write about you?

Well, I did.

When people heard that you were

just playing with two strings,

some of them thought you might want

something better to work with.

No. I can't cover that.

You don't have to pay for it. It's a gift.

- I'm sure it's a very beautiful instrument.

- Free and clear.

People are very, very generous.

But, look, here's the deal.

It's not safe for you to have something

this valuable on the streets...

You don't have to worry

about that, Mr. Lopez.

I've been mugged 14 times.

I will fight to the death

to protect this instrument.

Right, that's my point exactly.

So, apparently there's a place

that's a couple of blocks down

that's called Lamp.

- I can't go... No, I can't go there.

- And I... Hold on.

I can't go... No, I can't go there.

- They smoke cigarettes.

- I talked to the guy.

- He says you can keep it there.

- They drop the butts on the ground.

They do it to torment me. They just...

They do it to torment me.

That's the deal. You wanna play this,

you gotta do it there.

- I can't do that.

- Oh, yeah.

Except for this one time. Take it out

and give it a test drive or whatever.

- So I can play it here?

- For a couple minutes,

and then we're gonna bring it to Lamp.

Laying in there like a pig in a blanket.

Only... Only the greats.

Really, only the greats.

Yo-Yo Ma, Jacqueline du Pr,

and the coolest cucumber of them all is

Janos Starker.

Gotta put rosin on your bow.

It's just like feeding a parakeet.

A bow needs rosin

just like a police car needs prisoners.

So pack it up. We'll bring it to Lamp,

you can get back at it.

I haven't really gotten a chance

to know her yet.

- So...

- I'm not saying you can't play.

- You can. Just not here.

- This is the perfect music environment

- for playing music.

- This?

- No.

- Yes.

This is a sidewalk, okay?

- That's the deal. We made a deal.

- No, no, no. You'll break the bridge.

- You'll put water in it, you'll drown her.

- That's what I'll do?

- It will be ruined.

- Why would I damage it?

- I gave you the damn thing.

- It won't play right ever,

- because, Mr. Lopez, you'll ruin it.

- I'm not going to...

I'm not gonna see you

get killed over this.

You don't know what you're doing.

Let me put it away myself.

Then put it away.

Thank you.

Because when you start

a relationship with somebody...

- Don't make a big deal of it, okay?

- It is a big deal.

In a minute,

you'll have it set up down at Lamp

and be playing like you never stopped.

- Right?

- It's brand-new, this relationship.

- I don't want this relationship to end.

- Do you know where it is?

- No, I can't do that.

- Just leave that there. I'll drive you.

I have my cart there.

I could get it in my cart.

What are you doing?

You're gonna let go.

- Just let your fingers go.

- Does anyone...

Does anyone see

what he's doing right here?

- He's stealing it.

- I'II... I'll meet you there.

San Julian and 6th.

All right?

- I'll drive. You walk.

- I know where it is...

See you in a half hour?

For cash money

I got speed, man.

I'm good.

Jesus.

Fine.

Tennis shoes.

Oh, boy.

One at a time. One at a time.

The pusher. Ten cents.

- Say, hey, is David here?

- Yes?

I'm here for David.

- Who?

- David.

David? I can go get him.

Thanks.

David!

Hey.

- Hi.

- Hi. You a volunteer?

Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times.

- Don't be scared. Come in.

- Thanks.

Every staff has a key,

so if he does come by and I'm not here,

then anybody can get it for him.

- Well, he'll be here.

- Okay.

He said he was coming.

Can you sign in for me?

- Sure.

- Thanks.

- Afternoon.

- Hi. How are you?

I mean, it's tired.

It's like they can't find the medication

that's right for me, you know?

- You know what I'm trying to say?

- Yeah.

When they put me on lithium,

it was like a portion of my brain

was fully functional.

You know what I mean?

Because it's like when I take

the lithium and everything,

it totally eliminates

the voices in my mind

when they first start rising up,

you know, and it stops them, right there.

I don't like that,

because they just stop them.

Because, see, sometimes

those voices comfort me.

And when they comfort me,

if they give me all this lithium,

then I no longer have the voices

to comfort me.

You understand what I'm saying?

Do you feel what I'm saying to you?

- You mind if I sit here?

- Not at all.

All right.

- I'm Steve.

- I'm Steve, too.

Oh, boy. Hi.

- I knew I picked the right spot.

- Yeah, you're good.

So are you a new Lamp staff, or...

- No. I'm just waiting for somebody.

- Okay.

I just try to keep Leeann happy.

He is a bright spot in my life.

We value the same things.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes