A Thousand and One

(traffic rumbling, horns honking)

All right, mama. -(distant chatter)

-(jail cell opens) You look well.

Okay. I do?

Yeah, you do. You look nice.

It's a lot. -It is a lot.

Your back is gonna start to hurt.

You gon' get bigger. This ain't nothing yet.

Let me tell you right now, this ain't nothing, right.

Your feet gon' swell.

You like isolation, huh? They always do

this shit every fucking day! I'm tired of it!

You gotta talk to your baby. -WOMAN 2: Yeah.

What, you want a special invitation?

Get your ass in the line. Let's go!

Oh, shut the fuck up before I come over there!

(indistinct chatter in distance)

Ain't no damn way you coming back up in here.

-Why not? -Back up.

I was wondering why the hell you disappeared.

Rap sheet as long as the goddamn sidewalk.

I'm-a call the cops, you keep standing there.

All right, well, then give me my two weeks back.

-From a year and a half ago? -Then give me my job back.

You know what?

Here. Here-here you go.

That good enough for you?

Is that Inez?

-(horn honks) -(woman whoops)

How you doing, mama?

I thought you moved to another shelter.

No, you know, I was in Rikers.

They had me in there for boosting and shit.

Can't wait for you to get at this hair, though.

If I go get the dye, will you please do it for me next week?

I really missed you, girl.

Yeah, and apparently these roots, too.

-What you been doing? -(laughter)

-What she been doing? -Nothing, nothing.

Yes, the roots missed you, too.

Come on, Terry, hurry up!

Hey-hey-hey-hey.

You ain't getting nothing from the store

if you keep acting like that.

Inez, whatever happened to that scammer nigga

you was fucking with? You ever hear from him?

We missed you, yo.

-(woman laughing) Terry.

You don't hear me calling you?

You don't remember me now?

Just let me see your eyes, T, so I know you're not mad at me.

He not gonna answer.

I'm back across the street at the shelter.

And, look, I'm staying out of trouble this time.

I'm-a be around here for good now.

You hear that, T?

Just want to make sure you're doing okay.

Here. Get you another Icee.

Look, y'all keep this between us, a'ight?

Don't let nobody know I came by here.

Okay.

You're pretty. See y'all around.

Man, stop flirting with people.

Hey! Hey-hey-hey! None of that!

Get up. Get up. Okay, let's go!

Everybody, if you don't know how to act,

then we not coming to the park!

Turn around. Let's go!

I got the perms, the hairs, the weaves!

Fuck out the street! -Wash and dry!

-I know you want that hair done. -(horn blares)

Next time, I'm-a hit you!

Hey-hey-hey, ma-ma-ma-ma-ma!

-Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. -(horn honks)

Hold on. Slow down.

Hey, hey, you know you want me to do your hair.

Bitch, move!

What the fuck is wrong with you?

Thank you, baby.

Hey, come here.

-How are you? -(horns honking)

I want to take this French roll out and put me some length in.

Yeah, you know, I do braids for 75.

-Call me. -All right, I will.

My number's right there, right there.

A'ight.

I'm about to ask y'all a serious question.

Who is y'all best player of all time?

Bro, what?

-(tires screech, horn honks) -Michael Jordan!

Shawn. -Huh? Oh. Oh, hi.

How's your friend doing? I need to know he's okay.

Terry not here no more. Stop asking.

Well, figure out a better answer.

Now, if I tell you, what are you gonna give me?

-Here. -Thank you.

Now, what's up?

He at the hospital.

The hospital? Why? Wh-What happened?

Running from our foster mother.

Fell out the window, hit his head.

Let me see.

It hurt?

You know you could've died doing something like that?

What's wrong with the one I gave you?

It's corny.

All right, well, then buy your own fucking toy, then.

What you like?

Power Rangers.

Tell me more about your foster mother.

You like her?

She probably gone anyway.

When I was in foster care,

stuff like this happened all the time.

My sister used to look out for me.

But she ran away.

Where's she at now?

I don't know.

I can't find her.

My family's gone, boo.

You left me on the street corner?

Who would tell you something like that?

Why the fuck would they tell you some shit like that?

Get that out your head.

Hey, yo, what's up, ma? What you doing?

Pushing my way. Where you going?

(Terry imitates whooshing, laughs)

Wow, really?

Hold up. Hold up, hold up, hold up.

Want to split this?

Yeah.

Okay.

Um, T...

...I just wanted to come say bye.

Just-just for a little while.

Um, I think they gonna move you.

I don't know where yet,

but I'll see you soon.

Save my beeper number,

just in case,

till I find you, okay?

When?

I don't know yet.

Why you keep leaving me?

Well, that means you have bad luck,

because I'm about to do a karate kick!

Pow! Pow!

(woman speaking indistinctly over P.A.)

Would it make you feel better if you came to stay with me?

Just for a couple days?

Yeah.

All right, we gonna go to Harlem where I grew up at.

Yo, look how big this man's head is.

You want to see New York turn into the suburbs?

(pop music playing quietly over speakers)

-How's the pizza? -Good.

Where's my dad at?

He's gone.

But you wouldn't have liked him anyway.

I got somebody else in mind.

You miss your old friends?

They're not my friends.

Yeah.

Sometimes I feel like I ain't got no friends either.

Except you.

Ugh.

How much longer?

How much longer?

-(musical tone plays) We're sorry.

How much... -Terry, just give me a minute, please.

We gonna sleep out here?

-You want to? -No.