Unconditional Page #2

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Hey, all right,

girl goes down in flames.

All right!

homework time!

So what have you been up to?

I mean, I saw on your card

you're like a children's

author or something now.

No, I stopped writing

a couple years back.

What's up, Bernard?

I'm thirsty, Papa Joe.

All right, I got you, big man.

Let's go.

Got a lot of catching up to do.

Yeah, we do.

Hey, Denise.

Yeah?

Tell Joe I'll be right back.

Okay, baby.

Yo! You got the OG

holdin' it down out here!

Yeah!

Boy, don't ever let me catch

you wearing this again.

You hear me?

Go home, Macon.

Hey, I'm sorry, all right?

Boy, get inside that house!

Miss Crawford?

Oh, please, sit.

Detective.

So what were you doing

down there?

I was checking on a couple kids

that I'd helped get to the ER.

Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, the hit-and-run,

girl from the projects.

I heard about that.

While I was in The Commons,

I saw a guy that matched the

description of Billy's killer.

He had a red hoodie,

and he was a mechanic.

You a detective now?

You do understand that

we questioned every mechanic

and chop shop operator

in a five-mile grid?

Here's a news flash for you...

all the bangers

wear red down there.

You're grasping at straws,

Miss Crawford.

Look, I'm no racist,

but I am a realist.

This is The Commons.

They throw a party if a boy

makes his 21st birthday,

because he's defying the odds.

Did you ever play

with pit bull pups?

They're so cute, cuddly.

Then they grow up.

They become what nature

intended them to be.

They can't help it.

I think about those kids

you picked up,

and I wonder

what they might become.

You might take solace

in this thought.

The man that killed your

husband's probably already dead.

Thank you, Detective.

So you started your new book?

Oh, no, it's just an idea.

It's nowhere near ready.

Well, I would love to hear.

I'll be nice.

Come on.

All right.

But it's rough.

Once upon a time,

there lived a little oriole

named Firebird,

and Firebird just lived

for the sunshine.

He would bask

in that glow for hours.

But when the rains would come,

he would complain to his mama.

He wanted to know why

God gave the storms power

to take away the sun.

And his mama would

just smile at him and say,

"You'll know someday

when you take a walk

on the clouds."

Now, over and over again,

the rains would come,

and over and over again, little

Firebird would complain to his mama.

Until one day,

a huge storm rolled in,

and his mama had

a different answer.

She said, "It's up there

waiting for you.

You just have to see it

for yourself."

Now, little Firebird

was scared.

He hadn't used his wings

much at all.

Yet he went up

into the great unknown.

But instead of answers,

he was met with lightning

and thunder and a howling wind.

He feared

it would rip him apart.

He was about to turn back

when it happened.

He broke through the clouds,

and there it was,

more beautiful than ever.

And in that moment,

it all became clear.

No storm could

take the sun away.

The sun was always shining.

It was as constant

as his mother's love.

He just needed to take

a walk on the clouds.

Firebird.

Well, that's not bad

for a start.

You gotta write this, Sam.

Excellent work

this time around, guys.

I'm really,

really proud of you.

I will be posting

your names in The Commons,

so everybody can see

how wonderful you all are.

First up, a man

who flat-out rocked it,

who came up in four classes,

Snuffy.

Great job. Great job.

Bernard.

Peach, Chloe, Keisha,

Trent, and Willis.

Excellent work.

You owe me some of that.

Oh, really?

Enlighten me.

Five "A"s, baby.

Is that right?

Yes, sir.

Hmm...

Never saw any proof, Einstein.

'Cause I don't want

my name up on that board.

Mmm, and why is that?

Got my reasons.

Well, I'm sure you do.

But until I see that card

and you let me post your name,

I'm gonna assume you're

doing what you do best,

which is running

a hustle on me.

I ain't hustling you, man.

Then bring me

that card, player.

You show me what you made of.

This is stupid.

Well, well, she lives.

Y'all got time

for a quick story?

Yeah!

Yeah!

That woman back there,

she saved my life once.

Y'all want to hear about it?

Yeah!

Yeah!

I thought so.

Hi-yah!

You scared away my bird friend.

He was the main character

in my new story, see?

Oh, yeah?

What's this one about?

'Bout this little bird

who finds out

God even cares about sparrows,

and then he's happy.

Why you always messing with all

that drawing and story stuff?

Why you always wearing

your pajamas in public?

For the last time, these are

not pajamas, all right?

Come on.

Where are we going?

Someplace special.

You'll see.

What's all this?

This is my training ground.

I am gonna be

a samurai warrior.

Uh, Joe, I don't think

that there are any...

I know, I know.

There ain't no black samurais.

I am one of a kind.

Ahh.

Gonna train hard,

gonna fight hard,

gonna save the world.

I'm gonna be big, Sam.

Huge.

Writing stories

is still cooler.

Ain't busting up Jimmy Landry's

face good enough for you?

Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Hyah!

Stay back, Sam.

I... I got this.

Don't... Don't do it.

Hi-yah!

Joe!

What about my dad?

Is he coming?

No, baby.

He ain't gonna be

able to make it.

Grandma?

Yes, sir?

How come my dad don't love me?

Well, aren't you

just a pretty thing?

You got a visitor, Joe.

Come on over here, miss.

Look here.

Hey.

Made you something.

"Samurai Joe."

That's what I'm talkin' about.

I was thinking...

You can survive a snake bite,

you can survive

just about anything.

I mean, you're invincible,

and you're strong enough

to make it on your own.

Ain't nobody that strong, baby.

And you ain't got to be,

'cause you're never

on your own, Joe.

You're never alone.

died that night

if Miss Sam hadn't

been there with me.

How many y'all coming up

without a father?

it's tough sometimes,

but one thing my grandma

told me that day was

that sometimes

life can be cruel,

sometimes life can make you

sad or angry,

maybe even want

to hurt somebody,

but no matter

how hard life gets,

you're never alone.

I got some good news

and some bad news.

What do y'all

want to hear first?

Okay.

Bad news is food truck...

it's not coming tomorrow.

The good news is

it already came!

all this, Joe?

happens when you just ask.

Truth is my neighbor, Denise,

came up with this whole thing.

I'm just...

just doing my part.

Hey, I'm sorry

I disappeared on you.

How come she doesn't talk?

She used to.

She's been through quite a lot.

She wants you to come along.

So where's it at?

Where's what at?

You still owe me a quarter.

Are you serious?

Oh, that is an amazing drawing.

Did you do that?

Wow, we have

a little artist here.

Always drawing

them dumb things.

She ain't never even

seen a real one before.

There's nothing dumb

about a horse now.

They're the most

amazing animals on earth.

That one looks

just like mine, Cricket.

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