The Visitor Page #2

That was my mother in Michigan.

If I don't call her every day,

she thinks something happened to me.

Yeah, I'll have a bit. Thanks.

You sure you won't have some?

I don't drink.

She's a good Muslim. I'm a bad one.

Are you finished?

Yes. Uh... can I help you?

No. Please.

It's the least I can do.

Well, thank you for dinner.

It was very good.

- You're welcome.

- Thank you.

So what's the conference about?

Economic growth

in developing nations.

That's us. Syria, Senegal.

So have you written some books?

Three, and I'm working on a fourth.

- Four books.

- Mm-hmm.

Wow. That's great.

My father was a writer. A journalist.

Is he still writing?

No. He died before we left Syria,

almost nine years ago.

Sorry.

Me, too.

- Tarek.

- Mmm.

Mmm. We have to go.

I have a gig.

Walter, you can come if you want.

Oh, no. I've got some work

I have to get done. Thank you.

Okay. Well, maybe another time.

Okay.

- Bye.

- Good-bye.

You know, you are very sexy

when you're mad at me.

Hello?

If you don't mind, I think I will come.

Cool.

Let me get my coat.

Hohh!

He's very good.

Yes.

- The whole band's very good.

- Yes.

I'm sorry, guys.

Yeah, well, let's go.

Very good.

Really? You liked it?

Yeah. It was very good.

I was not sure.

I thought it's too loud and you know.

Tarek?

Oh.

Hi.

Sounded good, Walter.

I'm sorry. I...

No. Don't be sorry.

That's what it's there for.

I was lying

on my bed, listening to my music,

and then I was, like...

what's that crazy rhythm I'm hearing?

Sit. Come on. I'll show you.

Just put your feet flat on the ground.

Now take the drum

between your legs like this.

Now you want to take

the inside edge off the ground

with your ankles, like this.

Great.

You're okay?

Okay.

Okay.

Now, Walter, I know

you're a very smart man,

but with a drum

you have to remember not to think.

Thinking just screws it up. Okay?

Okay.

Now, give it a couple of bangs.

Not so hard. You're not angry at it.

Okay. I'm sorry.

Okay.

Better. Did you think?

No.

Good.

Now, one more thing, Walter.

You listen to classical music,

so you think in fours.

Dah, dah, dah, dah.

This is an African drum,

so we're gonna be playing in threes.

Tak tak tak.

You have to forget your classical.

Leave it behind. Tak tak tak.

Come on, follow me.

Tak tak tak.

Tak tak tak.

Don't worry. Start again.

Good.

Don't worry.

Again.

Good.

You got it.

Go...

- I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

- Don't worry.

Don't worry. Go again.

Good.

That's it.

Now, keep it going, and I'll do this.

There you go.

Hohh!

Hello.

Hi.

Is Tarek home?

Uh, no. He, uh...

he went to look at another apartment.

Are you okay?

Yes.

Tarek's been giving me drum lessons,

and I was just practicing.

Don't worry. I'll keep my pants on.

What?

Nothing.

It's just that earlier, uh...

No, nothing.

Which is due, in large part,

to the delay in African infrastructure

and the slowdown on steel imports.

Hey, Walter!

How did the presentation go?

Oh, fine. Thanks.

Cool.

- You ready?

- Yeah.

Let's go.

- Can you grab this drum?

- Yeah.

Okay.

You might want to take off

your, uh, name tag.

Oh, okay.

You hungry?

Yeah, I'm starving.

You like shawarmas?

Yeah, I like sharmas.

Shawarmas.

Here. This is for you.

For letting us stay.

Oh. Thank you.

It's Fela Kuti. You know him?

Nope.

- You don't know Fela?

- No.

Then, Walter, you're in for a treat.

He started the whole Afrobeat movement.

Oh, and his drummer, Tony Allen,

was just... whoo, scary, man.

You want to play drums,

you have to listen to this.

Okay. I will.

Ooh.

Did you make these?

Yes, I made these.

Ooh.

- How much?

- Which one?

Mmm...

this one.

That's $35.

Will you take 30?

No. 35.

Okay.

My daughter will think this is very cool.

Where are you from?

Senegal.

Oh, I was in Cape Town

two summers ago.

It is so beautiful.

- Thank you very much.

- What's your name?

Uh, Zainab.

Zainab!

So pretty.

- Thank you.

- Your change.

How far is Senegal from Cape Town?

About 8,000 kilometers.

I told this guy yesterday

I was from Israel.

He asked if I ever visited the Holy Land.

Hey, look who it is!

- Zev.

- What's up, Tarek?

How are you, man?

Good, man.

Hey, honey.

Hi. Hi, Walter.

Hi.

Her stuff is great, right?

Beautiful.

She made me this.

It's very nice.

So Walter and I

are goin' up to the park

to play for a little bit, okay?

Tarek. Remember I told you

we have to pick up

my new table today?

He said he'll only hold it for today.

Oh, I know, I know. No problem.

Tarek, you always say "No problem,"

and then you are late or you forget.

I know. I... I will not be long.

We will go up and play,

and we'll come back to help you.

It's a promise, habibti.

It's always habibti

when you want to win, huh?

Good-bye.

Bye.

He closes at 5 p.m., Tarek.

No Arab time.

No, not Arab time.

Real time, habibti.

Don't habibti me, man.

What does habibti mean?

Habibti? It means "beloved one."

Does she know that?

I always wanted to play down here.

It's supposed to be good money.

Why haven't you?

Maybe we could do it together...

split the profits.

What do you think?

I think I'll just watch.

Come on, Walter, it's easy.

You just wait until you feel it.

Yeah, let's go.

Oh...

That was fun, right?

Oh, yeah.

How are your hands?

They're...

Oh, sh*t. We have to get home.

Zainab's gonna kill me.

I'm on Arab time again.

What is Arab time?

It means I'm late by an hour.

All Arabs are late by an hour.

It's genetic. We can't help it.

I think that's our train.

I'm gonna need a token.

No, I got you. I got you.

Here's our train. Come.

Here, I got you. Let...

I'm stuck, man.

Here, take it.

This way, please.

What are you doing?

NYPD.

Step this way, please.

Police? What do you want?

You jumped the turnstile, man.

I did not jump it. I paid.

Sir, he... he paid... Please.

But he paid...

Sir, stand over there!

Got anything else, Tarek?

No. Where you from?

I'm from Syria. Why?

What's in the bag?

It's my drum.

Put this back in your pocket, please, sir.

Step over here.

- Why? I'm sorry...

- Step over here, please.

What did I do?

Oh, come on. Come on.

- I don't think that's necessary.

- Yeah, well, we do.

You can come down to the station

- and make a statement if you want.

- But he didn't...

Sir! That's all I'm saying!

Now, step back,

or we're gonna take you in, too.

Where are you taking him?

Walter, take the drum.

Tell Zainab what happened,

but don't let her come.

I will call you.

Don't let her come.

Where's Tarek?

He was arrested.

What?

Yes.

In the subway.

Arrested?

It was just a misunderstanding.

They said he'd be

released later tonight.

How could this happen?

He knows better.

He wouldn't do anything wrong.

No, he didn't.

He didn't.

I'm sure it'll be okay.

No, it won't be okay.

No, I went down to the precinct

and made a statement.

That doesn't matter.

We are illegal.

We are not citizens.

And when they find out, they're going to...

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