Waiting to Exhale Page #4

and look.

Fine.

GLORIA:
Hi. I'm Gloria Matthews

from across the street.

I was wondering, what do you know

about these people moving in here?

Well, the guy, in my opinion...

...seems to be nasty and ignorant...

- ...and bossy.

- Oh....

What about his wife?

Well, she....

She died a couple years ago.

This is one of the many precious items

she bought for him...

- ...that I'm making sure don't get broken.

- That's nice.

Why's he trusting you with it?

Well, I'm Marvin King.

Yeah. Your new neighbor.

- I was just fooling around.

- Oh.

- Nice to meet you, Gloria.

- Nice to meet you.

Well, I'd just like to welcome you

and your family to the neighborhood.

Thank you.

[CLEARS THROAT]

Unpacking. It could be hard work.

MARVIN:
Yeah, yeah, it certainly is.

I got a lot more to do tomorrow too.

WouId you like to have dinner

with us tonight?

It's just leftovers.

collard greens, corn bread,

some candied yams, potato salad...

...fried chicken, peach cobbler,

few slices of ham.

Mmm. Yum-yum.

Yeah, I would love to, Gloria...

...but I just got too much work

to do here.

Maybe another time.

Well, to be honest, I don't have

no business eating it myseIf, big as I am.

Hmm. Yeah, well, my wife

was a big woman.

I like that. I like a woman with

a little meat on her bones, you know?

Oh....

Well, I couId send a plate over

by my son, Tarik, for you.

Great. yeah. I'd appreciate that.

How old's your boy?

- Seventeen.

- Teenager.

He's gonna be leaving in June...

...I think.

college?

[EXHALES]

Oh, excuse me.

What did you ask me?

I said, Tarik....

Tarik, he's going to college, huh?

Oh. Um....

He wants to travel around the world

with Up With People.

- I'm just not sure I--

- Yeah, let him go. He's young.

Up With the People.

Yeah. Where's his daddy?

In california somewhere.

Look, Marvin,

I'll let you get back to your work...

...and I'll send that plate right on over.

Thank you. Thanks, Gloria.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, nice meeting you.

Hope to see you again soon.

Oh, God, I hope he's not

watching me walk away.

- All right.

- He's watching.

Grant the petitioner $3000 per month...

...until we're abIe to review

all newly submitted documentation.

Next.

LAWYER:
This is only round one.

Stay strong, Bernadine. Stay strong.

JOHN, SR.:
Look, I want this

to be over and done with.

MAN:
Let's take it step by step.

JOHN, SR.:
It's taking a toll on my kids.

You sorry son of a b*tch, John.

The mortgage is $5000 a month!

How are your children

supposed to live?

I told you to settle for the 300,000,

but you wanna play hardball.

All dogs don't go to heaven, John.

You think you can

get away with this...

...you lowlife, ass-kissing Uncle Tom.

You know, this....

This Uncle Tom stuff...

...it's really becoming a bit redundant,

don't you think, Bernadine?

Excuse me.

BERNADINE:
Scotch and soda, please.

BARTENDER:
Yes, ma'am.

- Here you go.

- Thank you.

JAMES:
Excuse me.

Is anybody sitting here?

No. No one's sitting there.

cognac, please.

BARTENDER:

Yes, sir.

My name is James Wheeler.

How do you do?

Your cognac, sir.

Thank you.

So do you have a name?

Bernadine.

Bernadine.

My, this is a pretty place.

But I have to admit...

...I haven't seen anything as splendid

as you since I've been here.

Okay, hold on, now.

Hold on.

You don't have to give me that look.

Look, I haven't seen the sun

for four days now.

I mean, it's been one meeting

after the other after the other...

...and now, I'm finished...

...so I decided to come downstairs,

have myseIf a drink...

...and in the morning...

...I look forward to returning home

to my lovely wife.

Salute.

So why are you sitting here all alone?

Okay. Wait now.

You don't have to answer that.

You don't know me. I mean, you don't

know me from a can of paint.

I'm all in your Kool-Aid

and don't know the flavor--

- I'm getting a divorce, James.

- Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

Yeah, well, it happens, huh?

And, you know,

it just occurred to me that...

...I've lost something

that once meant everything...

...and it hurts...

...and right now, I'm just--

I'm really pissed about it.

But you know what really gets me?

I didn't have plan B.

My marriage was supposed to last.

So I guess that's why I'm here.

I can tell you one thing.

Yeah, what's that?

Well, you are one brave woman.

You're bad.

- No.

- Oh, yes. Oh, yes.

- I hope you recognize that.

- No, I don't really feel like that, James.

Well, I mean,

you're sitting here all alone...

...ain't a black person in sight, and you

sitting here like everything is all right.

You know, your makeup is flawless--

Oh, co-- That-- come on now.

I mean, you've taken his best shot,

and you're still here.

- Splendid.

- You just know me so well, huh?

No, no, no, no. I don't know you.

But I do know a fighter

when I see one.

And I could tell that...

...with one look in your eyes.

What are you?

A psychiatrist or something?

No. No. I am a civil-rights attorney.

My practice is in Washington, D.c.

I'm going through something similar.

My wife is dying...

...of breast cancer.

Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry to hear that.

It's....

Bernadine,

have you ever watched someone dying?

I tell you, I mean,

watching her suffer just kills...

...a bit of me every day.

And the worst part is that I can't help

but remember all the plans we made.

You know, like we were supposed

to retire in St. Thomas.

You know,

out there by the beach.

She loves the water.

Get the coconut oil

and rub it all over her.

She is definiteIy....

I tell you, I just....

I just wish I couId have a piece of her

that I couId keep safe, you know?

Just something.

Something more

than a bunch of memories.

Anyway....

you look like you're out.

How about a...?

A refill?

- Yeah, okay.

- Okay.

She'll take another

of whatever it is she got.

- Scotch and soda.

- Ooh....

I'm scared of you.

[KNOCKING]

Well, hello.

Hello.

You look better than I remembered.

It's funny, you don't.

[SAVANNAH CHUCKLING]

But I guess you couldn't.

- Oh, it's good to see you.

- You too.

Well, I am producing my first segment.

It's only three minutes long,

but it is a start.

KENNETH:
That's good.

That's real good. I'm proud of you.

All right, let's cut the bull.

Are you gonna talk to me for real?

I have to apologize for thinking

I can just pop back into your life...

...after all these years.

Pop back? In my life?

Yeah.

I needed to see you.

All right, you've seen me.

Now I can leave. I can go.

Oh, man. There's so many things

I wanna say to you.

Is that right?

Things I've wanted to say ever since....

Well...

...ever since you dumped me.

Dumped you?

Can we revisit the real worId

for a minute, Kenneth?

- Yeah.

- You stopped calling me.

Oh, yeah, well,

it took me a while to get the hint.

- The hint?

- Yeah.

Well, what hint is that?

you never called me...

- I never called you....

- ...go anywhere.

Not even once.

Kenneth, you're the man.

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