This Christmas Page #3

getting her freak on.

I don't wanna intrude

in family business...

Then don't.

This was probably your idea, anyway.

You know, Kelli...

...I'm not gonna dignify that

with a response.

You don't have to.

You put her up to this.

- Oh, come on.

- So you think...

...I'm not smart enough

to come up with this?

No, you're weak-willed

and easily influenced.

- So you're saying my wife is stupid.

- I think she said "weak-willed."

I said, you sometimes allow

other people to think for you.

- So now I can't think for myself?

- You know what?

Why don't you concentrate

on the paprika?

Kelli, I know exactly where

I wanna put the paprika. Kelli.

Everybody just bring it down a notch.

It's not that deep.

The thing to do is just

to put in a family vote.

Well, we can't have a family vote

without the whole family.

Quentin isn't here, so there.

Dessert, anyone?

Go ahead, now.

Go, bougie. Go, bougie. Go, bougie.

That's my baby right there!

Come on, Devean.

Let's see what you got.

Come on, Mama.

He's here.

Quentin! Oh, my goodness.

- Hey, Mama.

- Oh, baby. You're home.

- Oh, look at you.

- Whitfield!

So I've been doing a lot of travelling,

you know, touring. I went to Japan.

I recorded an album out there.

It's been four years.

You haven't changed a bit.

You still look great.

- Don't blow his head up.

- Thank you, baby.

- You look good too.

- Thank you.

You didn't bring no luggage, man?

No, no. I just, you know...

I got another tour,

so I sent my stuff ahead.

So you're not gonna be

staying past Christmas?

Ma, I might make it back

before New Year's.

I'm just not sure yet.

Well, I guess I'll go up

and finish your room.

I wasn't expecting you to be home.

Lisa, take care of him, now,

till I get back.

Oh, my gosh.

You have got to see Baby.

- He's almost as tall as you.

- Get out of here.

- He really is.

- He's not short like you?

Oh, be quiet.

You won't believe

the stuff Joe has planned.

- Joe?

- Yes.

We have a big breakfast

in the morning.

And then the mens are gonna go

get the Christmas tree.

On Christmas morning,

we'll be going to church.

Church? You know I don't do church.

Come on, man.

So, what's that mean, man?

You don't do church.

Church ain't something you do.

It's a place you go to commune

in God's house.

I don't believe in God.

- Not in the traditional sense.

- Not in the traditional sense?

I mean, I'm a spiritual person,

you know.

I believe in a higher source. But...

- But you don't believe in God.

- I don't believe in your God, Joe.

Okay.

I'm gonna go let Ma'Dere

know I'm leaving.

- I'll see y'all.

- Okay.

All right. You do that.

- Good night, Joe.

- Good night. Drive safe.

- Why you gotta be like that?

- Whatever. Whatever.

- "You do that, Joe."

- He ain't my daddy.

How he come in?

We having a meeting.

- Come on, now. You know it's Joe.

- I don't care.

Quentin is the problem.

If Quentin says no,

Ma'Dere's not going for it.

The guy doesn't even live here.

Ever since Senior left,

he's got this weird hold on Ma'Dere.

Okay, well, Lisa,

you're his sister, right?

Talk some sense into the man.

I'm telling you, Malcolm. We've been

through this over and over again. I...

I don't know what it is, but it's like...

I don't know.

Same damn reason Joe and Ma'Dere

put on these charades...

...like Joe doesn't live here.

Oh, come on. You telling me

that Quentin doesn't know?

No. Quentin doesn't know.

Trust me. He can't stand Joe.

He's been that way

ever since he was a kid.

Like he thinks one day

Senior's gonna come back.

Hey. Hey, Lisa.

Lisa?

What?

Never mind.

You said your dad moved on.

What does that mean?

A little after Baby was born...

...Senior decided to go off and,

as Ma'Dere puts it...

...chase his dream of playing jazz.

He upped and left

and moved to Europe.

She wouldn't let Quentin Jr.

take up the saxophone.

She was afraid he'd leave too,

but she couldn't stop him.

- And did he?

- What?

Up and leave her?

First time he's been home

in four years.

A lot of phone calls and postcards,

but he's a wanderer too.

Senior's piano is in the garage.

She thinks that music is the root

of the evil that's taken her men away.

Hell, the rest of us are afraid

to even hum.

Look at that smile, girl.

I love to see you happy.

Well, it's because you are such

a good man, Joe Black.

You're a real good woman,

Shirley Ann Whitfield.

And beautiful too.

Okay.

- Tomorrow morning?

- First thing.

I'm gonna pick up a few things.

I'm gonna take off, but I'll be back.

Okay.

Merry Christmas, baby.

Malcolm.

Malcolm.

Malcolm.

Hey, baby.

I thought you had gone.

I was checking something

for your mother.

Oh, yeah? What's that, Joe?

Christmas lights, brother.

We might pick some up

when we're out tomorrow.

Okay.

- You know what?

- What?

I'm gonna tell you something

as a courtesy to Ma'Dere.

Now, I'm only here a few days. You

might wanna steer clear until I'm gone.

And I'm gonna say this

as a courtesy to you.

I'm here because your mother

wants me here.

If you got a problem with that,

you take it up with her.

I'll do that.

If I was here, Senior...

...I'd look after your old piano, man.

Yes, I would.

Hey, Kelli, girl. What you doing?

Just unpacking, Mama.

When you gonna settle down, child,

like your sister?

Where is this coming from?

I just love you.

I want you to be happy.

Well, I don't have a problem

settling down, Mama.

I have a problem settling for...

...less.

I'm just focused on my career

right now.

Long as you remember your career

is not gonna keep you warm at night.

All right. Night-night.

Night.

Need some batteries?

No, no. I'm not whispering.

No. No, everybody's cool.

Did you eat?

Okay, yeah, just meet me at the...

There's a club called the El Rey.

It's off Wilshire.

Yeah. Just take a cab there.

I'll meet you there in a little bit.

Yeah. Okay.

- Bad girl?

- Come here.

What are you doing?

In your mother's house?

Yeah. You're gonna get tore down.

- Hey. I thought you were asleep.

- No, I was in the garage.

I don't have my sax,

so I thought I'd play Senior's piano.

- That thing's still out there?

- Yeah.

It needs to get tuned,

but it still works.

- What you doing up?

- I can never sleep in a strange place.

This ain't a strange place.

It's your home. Pass a napkin.

You hear that?

Hey, you know,

Lisa wants to sell the dry cleaners.

- Yeah.

- Really?

- You agree with her?

- Oh, I'm only hearing it now.

I don't have an opinion on it.

Well, that's just like you.

Nothing matters. Whatever.

Right. Nothing matters

because this is the first time...

...anybody asking me

my opinion about it.

Well, you're never around

long enough...

...for anybody to ask you anything.

- Do you hear that?

- What?

I don't hear anything.

What are you talking about?

Don't nobody sleep around here?

- Where you going?

- Out.

Oh, no. Don't get stealthy on us.

Out where?

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