This Christmas Page #2

Good things. Good things.

Except for the storm on its way.

Who said it don't rain in California?

Rains, fires, mudslides.

I think God don't like California.

- Hey, everybody. Merry Christmas.

- Hey!

Oh, my God. Look at my... Hey!

- Hey, Fred. How you doing?

- Hey. Now we can eat.

Welcome home, Mel.

Ma'Dere didn't tell me

you got leave. Hi.

I couldn't miss Mama's cooking.

I missed you.

Where's everybody? Where's Lisa?

- In the kitchen.

- Let me go say hi to her.

You go do that. Get in there.

You got a name, homes?

Devean.

Brooks.

Well, you know, she did

always like them articulate.

I'm about to go change.

I'll show you your room.

- Come on, get your bags.

- It's okay.

Y'all are punks, man.

- Devean Brooks.

- Brooks.

Can we join hands?

Bless, O Lord, almighty God...

...the Whitfield family and home.

May health, purity...

...goodness, meekness,

and every virtue, Father...

...reign on this Christmas holiday.

May all who visit here...

...be blessed with faithfulness

to thy law and thankfulness to God...

...the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

May this blessing remain

on this family, Father...

...this home

and all who dwell here, Father...

...through Christ, our Lord.

- Amen.

- Okay. Dig in, everybody.

- Yes, sir.

Pass that corn bread down here.

Macaroni and cheese.

- What...? Don't put that on your plate.

- I got peas.

No, that's turkey.

Everybody's good?

Okay, okay, everybody.

Let's do the family business first.

Here are the shares

of the profit from the cleaners.

Okay? Each one of you has your own.

There you are.

- Merry Christmas.

- Thank you, Mama.

You know you didn't have to do that.

We didn't expect anything.

- I do. Thank you, Mama.

- Oh, you're welcome, baby.

- Can you warm this up?

- Sure.

- It came out of the oven.

- He likes his food hot.

I'll put it in the microwave.

That thing's going off

like a drug dealer.

Well, if you must know,

it's my ladies.

It's Christmastime, and they wanna

spend time with a brother.

I know Baby better not be

bringing any babies in here.

It's time for me to have

that special conversation.

Too late.

Me and Joe already had it.

Yeah, I learned more

than I needed to. Trust me.

I'm gonna take this in the other room.

Excuse me.

Thank you, baby.

You mind?

- Thank you.

- Oh, you're welcome.

When you're finished...

...pass the plate over here

and I'll chew it for him too.

- Shut up, Kelli.

- So, Joe...

...what do you got planned

for the holiday?

Well, after breakfast,

Baby's gonna take the family photo.

We're gonna go buy the tree.

Then Christmas morning

we're going to church.

I didn't know your father

was a minister.

No, he's not. He's a deacon.

And he's not my father.

My bad.

Yeah, our father moved on.

I'm sorry to hear that.

No, he didn't die. He just moved on.

So, Devean...

...you and Mel go

to the same school, huh?

She goes to Spelman.

It's an all-girls school.

I knew that.

- No, you didn't.

- Yes, I did. I knew that.

- I go to Morehouse.

- So...

...how do you like attending

an all-black college?

- Don't start with that nonsense.

- I went to Princeton...

I went to Harvard. What's your point?

Can you let the man

speak for himself?

Go on. I just wanna know

what your experience is like...

...attending an all-black college.

- Ignore him.

I wanna answer. Morehouse has certain

foundational principles...

...by which its existence stands.

It includes an appreciation for the

ideas of justice, equality, democracy...

...humane treatment of all people...

...development of spiritual self

and community.

Sounds like you got it from

the mission statement.

I did. But that's also why I go there.

Not because it's all-black...

...but because it embodies

beliefs and traditions I value.

The fact that all the students

look just like me is a bonus.

- I like that, young man.

- Well said.

Well, Mel, your boyfriend has

a good head on his shoulders.

I hope some of his smarts rubs off

on my little professional student.

Stop, now. Mel's smart.

She's just, you know, slow.

- Getting her four-year degree in what?

- Seven years.

I've changed my major a few times.

Nothing wrong with that.

First a doctor, then a journalist.

Now what?

- Pre-law.

- Pre-law.

Mel's major is always determined

by whomever she's dating at the time.

Devean, what's your major?

- Pre-law.

- Damn.

Come on.

That is wrong on so many

different levels.

That was so good, Ma'Dere.

We have some sock-it-to-me cake.

You want some?

As tempting as that sounds, Ma'Dere,

I do have to make a couple more stops.

Let me see you out. Hold up.

- Bye, family.

- Bye.

Bye, Fred.

- That boy, he need to slow down.

- He does.

I know.

How many kids he have now?

- Six?

- Seven.

- Seven?

- Seven.

I'm gonna hurt him real bad

when we find him.

Not till we get that 25 G's

he owes Luther.

Or Luther will hurt you.

Don't let your temper

get you dead, man.

What happens

if he can't cover the bet?

It's on Luther, man. I wouldn't wanna

be Quentin Whitfield, though.

- We about to run a Boston on you.

- Believe that if you want to.

I think now is a good time for us

to discuss the dry-cleaner situation.

We have a dry-cleaner situation?

Ma'Dere's been running

the cleaners for 20 years.

What little money she makes

goes to maintaining this house.

Whatever's left over after that,

she gives us in these yearly cheques...

...that amount to, what, lunch money?

You spending way too much money

on lunch.

Look, we each own a percentage

of the cleaners.

I think it's a good idea if we sold it.

You trying to sell the cleaners?

- She wanna sell her portion, let her.

- Hey, I'll buy it.

You can't sell a percentage.

We have to sell all of it.

I guess you're sh*t out of luck...

...because we don't

have to do anything.

Well, we haven't been

doing anything.

And I'm the one that's keeping

the books.

How is Ma'Dere gonna maintain

this place if we sell?

Mel, she doesn't need

a place this big.

You trying to sell the house too?

Well, especially since Baby

is gonna be graduating soon.

I mean, he's gonna wanna

move out eventually.

Says who? I ain't going nowhere.

Please. All these little girls

chasing after you...

...you are gonna wanna get

your own place.

All I know is everybody here

but me came home for the holidays.

You sell this house and you ain't gonna

have a home to come back to.

It's that simple. I mean,

do what y'all want.

I got a date. I'm gonna holler at y'all.

Well, despite what Baby says, he is

gonna wanna move out eventually.

This place is just too big

for Joe and Ma'Dere.

I mean, they can get

a smaller place. Maybe a condo.

What makes you think Ma'Dere

wants to live with Joe?

Hello. He's been living with her

since you left for school.

- Joe's been living here?

- Where have you been?

Think you the only one

getting her freak on?

Okay, stop. My God.

That is too much information.

I can't hear about Ma'Dere

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