Juanita

My name is Juanita Lewiston.

I work second shift here at Saint Pete’s.

Well, now they call it Fairdell Medical Center. Whatever.

Ain’t like nobody talked to me about a name change.

I’m still the one cleaning up the messes these bitches won’t clean up theyself.

-Hey, girl. -Hi.

Some of the patients are nice though. Like Ms. Berman here. She’s sweet.

But it ain’t like I love my job or nothin’.

It’s just work. Five-, six-day weeks.

2:30 in the afternoon, 12:30 at night.

Hey, and it ain’t like I’m-I’m sleepin’ and takin’ long bubble baths

in between time neither.

’Cause I have a family.

-Hey, Ms. Berman. -Hey.

This my grandbaby, Teisha.

Teisha, how’d I get to be a grandmama? Hmm?

That is something you don’t know, isn’t it?

You do not know that.

I’ll tell you how. Let me introduce you to my daughter, Bertie.

My mama told me to wait to have kids, and I did.

But I should’ve kept on waitin’.

I did the best I could, but Bertie, she dropped out of school,

had this one at 19, and then moved in here with me and Rashawn,

her brother by another father.

Rashawn just smart enough to where he ain’t got no job,

but he always got a pocket full of money.

He ain’t nearly damn smart enough for witness protection, know what I’m sayin’?

I’m a fuckin’ ghetto cliché.

And you are my little ghetto grandbaby doll, ain’t you?

-Look, it’s Swee’pea. -

Mom.

Mom.

-Mom! -What?

You smilin’ at the TV again.

Ain’t nothin’ wrong with smilin’.

I like Popeye and Swee’pea.

Ooh!

Teisha, you shit your britches, didn’t you?

-Ma, I’m going out. Can you keep her? -Uh-uh.

-No. This is my only night off. Come on. -But I ain’t been out in two days.

You ain’t goin’ out tonight neither. Come get your child.

But I’m dressed.

-Where the hell Rashawn? -He not here.

Look, she gonna go right to sleep, okay?

Then you can have this place all to yourself for once.

All right? I love you. I got to go.

-Teisha, your mama’s a ho. -

You know, right?

- Juanita. -Look.

Blair Underwood.

Ever since I met you, it’s like I’m-- like I’m breathing from a different place.

-It’s like a drum. -I just want to make you happy, baby.

Can I do that?

I’ve been working at this place for nine years.

My take-home is still $12.50 an hour.

Folks be talkin’ about, “Least you got a job.”

I understand that.

But I ain’t even got time to get nothin’ from Blair Underwood in my dreams.

-Vincent, Jacob, hey. -Hey, Juanita.

So fuck me for not countin’ my blessings.

How’s your other son?

Um…

R--

Starts with an “R.”

-Randy. -

He fine, Ms. Berman.

He in prison, but other than that, he doing real good.

-Well, that’s nice. That’s nice. -Yeah.

Oh, sorry, here. Yeah.

Okay. So has he made any new friends?

-No. -No?

But his triflin’ brother Rashawn probably be joinin’ him soon.

So there’s that.

Well, that’s great for both of ’em.

Yeah, they can move in together.

Yeah, and pick out curtains.

Oh! Oh!

Ms. Berman used to be a dancer.

She been to Europe a bunch of times.

Nighty-night.

I get in a workout on the yard every day

with some brothers that’s got my back.

I don’t get to play ball as much, ’cause that’s when I get to the library.

That’s good, baby. That’ll make the time go quicker.

- -

Ain’t nothin’ making time go quick in here, Ma.

I know that. But you’re using the time in a good way.

Yeah. Better than being a knucklehead, I guess.

That’s what I’m talkin’ about. You are a smart brother.

I’m proud of you, Randy. I believe in you.

Thanks, Ma.

Listen.

I was thinking that I might-- I might take a little trip.

I need to go away, Randy. There’s somethin’ I gotta do.

Where you gonna go?

I don’t know.

But sometimes I feel like,

if I don’t get out of Columbus, I’ll lose my mind.

Damn sure know that feeling.

Do what you gotta do.

Okay. Oh--

All right.

I don’t know when I’m gonna go, but when I do,

I will let you know.

-All right. - Time’s up. Wrap it up. Let’s go.

I gotta hang up now. There’s a lot of brothers waiting.

But you go on. And don’t worry about me.

-Oh, okay. -

I love you, man.

I love you too, Ma.

I gotta get back to work.

Hey, how’s--

What? Where you goin’?

I-I got some ideas.

-You don’t even know? -I ain’t decided.

Ma, you trippin’. That’s just some bullshit.

No, it ain’t. You need to get yourself a job.

You need to look out for her and this baby.

Ma, you ain’t goin’ nowhere. This ain’t real.

-The fuck it ain’t. Y’all grown! -

I ain’t gotta be up here waitin’ on you. You got to do for yourselves.

And I do not have to tell you where I’m going or when I’m comin’ back.

Matter of fact, I ain’t gotta do shit for y’all no more.

Oh, man. Get your baby.

Oh, shit.

I still don’t know where I’m going.

But after that, I better start packin’.

- Juanita. -

Oh, my.

So… Florida?

Absolutely.

But they got hurricanes down there, Blair Underwood.

-And half them folks can’t speak English. - Yes.

But Miami is exciting and very fish.

Yes, but Miami is exciting and very sexy.

Is that what that mean, baby?

Yes, I fell, my darling mama.

-Don’t call me “mama,” Blair Underwood. - Oh, right.

-I ain’t your mama. -Right. That’s my bad. I’m sorry.

-What the fuck’s the matter with you? -I don’t know. I don’t know.

All right. Check it. Come on.

What? What? Come on. There it is.

Ah! Don’t hurt yourself. Don’t hurt yourself.

So… So you really think Florida’s a good idea?

That I do. And speaking of good ideas…

-Mm-hmm? -I’m thinkin’ we might, um…

might try something a little different tonight.

-Oh. -What do you think about that?

What do you have in mind, Blair Underwood?

Well, I might, uh, do a little of this.

- -Mm-hmm.

-Uh-oh. -And then I might move this here.

Then I’m gonna work on this little bunion.

- -Ha!

I’m gonna work my way right on down the line.

-But before I go any further… -Uh-huh?

…there’s something I need to know from you.

-My safe word? - No.

-What I need to know is… -Mm-hmm?

…can you front me $50?

-What? -No, well, 60. Sixty would be perfect.

No, I cannot front you $60, Blair Underwood.

It’s not for me.

No, it’s for a project I’m doing with Denzel.

Parker, my-my neighbor.

So we need some seed money for this muffin truck idea that we’re developing.

Now, it’s a food truck, but just muffins.

Oh, no, no, no. I ain’t hearin’ this.

-Come on, baby. You know I’m good for it. -I don’t know that.

Yes, you do! Look, I’m here. I’m taking care of you.

Come on. All I ask is that you, you know, you take care of me some, that’s all.

-Take care of you? -Yeah.

You too?

I got three grown kids by two deadbeat daddies, Blair Underwood.

All right, I understand. You want some time to think about it.

-I don’t need to think about it. -It’s cool.

-I’ll be back. -When?

When you get your mind right about my proposal.

You believe this shit?

The only man I got just tried to borrow money from me.

And he ain’t even real.

I know one thing. I ain’t goin’ to Miami.

Matter of fact, let me just see

how far in the opposite direction I can get

from Miami damn Florida.

Excuse me a minute, darlin’.

-Where you gonna go? -West.

Towards…

West.

-How you gonna get there? -On the bus.

You just gonna get on a bus and don’t know where you goin’?

I-- I just haven’t decided yet.

Are you sick?

Did you catch the cancer from one of them patients of yours?

What if you get one of your panic attacks?

You can’t-- You can’t catch cancer.

Listen, my rent is paid up to the end of next month.

And Bertie is going to need a job, so--

Bertie been needin’ a damn job for a while now.

Instead of sittin’ there letting you wait on her…