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The Saint of Fort Washington (1993)
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Let's go! Let's go! We got the building coming down! Everybody move it out! We got the building coming down! Everybody out! Let's go! Move it out! If you're in there, you better get out! Let's go, folks! Move it out! Move it out! We got five minutes! Outside! Get those boxes out! This building's coming down! We got to move! Come on now! Let's go, folks! Move it out! Bobby... Come back over here. This here's the story of that little black boy who go into the jungle... What's his name? Sambo. Little black Sambo, only not particularly black, nor he white, 'cause this not the story you're accustomed to, understand? This here the honest to god, up to date, unexpurgated version. Now, Sambo, he go into the jungle wearing this brand new red jacket and his brand new blue pants and purple shoes, and he carrying his brand new green umbrella to protect himself from the fierce jungle sun. And one by one, them tigers come and steal away each of them various items of clothing until Sambo, he got nothing left. Then they begin to fighting amongst themselves to see who is the grandest tiger of them all. Now, this here where the story diverts, 'cause Sambo, he not interested in putting back on any of them clothes the tigers threw off. No, siree. This Sambo, he walked out of that jungle 100% naked. But he got something even more precious than that red jacket and them blue pants and his purple shoes. What he got is his own naked self, and no one, no way, going to take that away from him. That's my story. Shine you up real fine, my man. This window going to be positively radiant 'fore I'm through. Yeah, it makes my heart jump for joy to see such radiance. What about you, mister? Your little heart going pitty-pat, pitty-pat? You under no obligation whatsoever, my man... But we do accept gratuities. Thank you kindly. Is that your baby? Is he yours? Yeah, he mine, only he not a he. It's a she. I'll hold her. The following prepare to board a bus for Roberto clemente... Gloria wise and children. Bus Van 24 for transportation to Roberto clemente. Thank you. Watch yourself. This say Gloria wise and two children. You a member of the family? No. I'm a friend. You're in the wrong place. This is a family shelter. You got to go back downtown to ft. Washington. I heard that! That look like my blanket. What the hell you do, boy? Hey, you take my picture? Yeah. You got no common sense, tuning in on a man like that? I ain't no fly on no fucking wall! My image ain't for sale! Let me have it! What, what, what? That film! There's no film. There's no film. Hand it over. It's empty. See? What do you mean? There's no film in this camera. How come you take a picture that have no film? I'm a photographer. Yeah, and I'm the lone ranger, only I got no horse. Next! Put your bag up. You never been in here before? I was a pharmacist. I ran into some difficulty. Sign in over here. Hey! You hard of hearing? Hard, but not of hearin'. Empty out your pockets. Nothing in my pockets. Nothing up my sleeves. Turn around. Haven't we been through this routine? You know the story. I don't know no story. Turn around. I was in nam. I got shrapnel in my legs. O.k. Move along. Thank you kindly, brother. Don't need no help. Son of a bitch ball buster. He knows it's shrapnel. Son of a... Thank you kindly. You don't mind if I save it for a rainy day? I don't mind. Good. 'Cause I got something better just now. I'm holding on to a little piece of the universe. You believe in god, boy? Sometimes. Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometime he here. Sometime he not. Right now... He here. Yeah. Yeah. This here is the closest thing to god you'll find in this place, boy. Want to touch him? Nah. You never know. You might get struck dumb with religious faith. It ain't in the touch anyhow. Boy, it's... It's in the taste. This here little pill made by Mr. Johnson & Johnson, they god's true representative on earth. It ain't the churches or them synagogues or the pope. That's just propaganda. It's the pharmaceutical companies. Yeah... Mr. Johnson & Johnson separating this black man from his pain. Hallelujah! Don't get me wrong, boy. I seen worse. Seen a lot of misery in nam. This is child's play compared to that. What's your name? Matthew. I'm Jerry. Where you from, Matthew? I'm from... The Bronx. Belt parkway. Yeah. I'm from bed stuy. You never been in one of these shelters, have you? No, I'm... Best take care of your property, otherwise you going to come up short, boy. First thing they do, once you close your eyes, is creep up and remove the sneakers. Next thing they do is jiggle your pockets, see if you got anything valuable inside. This place filled with bull daggers, knife orders... Junkies... All sort of weirdoes. Drifting off now, boy. Yeah. Sweet little old painkiller working its magic. Aroo! Aroo! They're holding on to their dreams, Matthew. Only thing they got left. You sweet meat, boy? Hey, you're the fucking watch. Hold out on old Leroy, man. Next time things be worse. Oof! Kitty cat, I'm always where the money's at. Meow! Hey, Matthew! Hey, Matthew! Come here. Take my picture! Come over here. Take my picture! Come on, Matthew! Get over here. Let me see that fucking camera. That better be American made, now. Let me see that. Nah, nah. Come on, man. Come on. How you guys doing? Hey, John, how you doing? Let's look. How you doing, Matthew? Good. How you doing, John? Me, I'm good, man. I'm working for my uncle. Driving his limo. My sister asked me about you the other day. How's she doing? Cindy? She's doing good, man. She got engaged. Some motherfucker down in sheepshead bay. You know, I wrote her some letters, but she never got back to me. Something happened with my mail. Yeah, I don't know. Something... Hey, Matthew. When you were in the hospital, did they give you shock treatment? Or like drugs? Some. No, I don't take drugs. This dude in school... When he gave away his overcoat. Gave away his money, his mother's jewelry. Do you need some money? You guys need some cash? No, no, no. Matthew, Matthew, I don't need it. I don't want your... I was just asking... I don't have much money on me, but I know where you could get some. I don't have much, but I know guys that do, and... Yeah. I'll see you guys around. Yo. Take care, man. Take it easy, Matthew. Thanks for the advice, Matthew. Mom? Mom? She's not home. Do you know where she went? Florida. Won't be back till spring. This key doesn't fit. She changed the lock. Why did she do that? I wouldn't know. She asked me to water the plants and pick up the papers. Can you let me in? Can't. Why? I'm her son. I'm her son. I got no authority. We have you residing at the Jefferson arms on west 44th street, Manhattan? There's no hotel there, just rubble. Well, then the checks will eventually be returned here. Why can't I be given the check directly to find another apartment? That's against state policy. Find an apartment. Notify us. We'll send the checks directly to your new landlord. I got to find a place tonight. I'm not going back to the fort Washington armory. The computer needs to be reprogrammed once the checks are sent here, and that takes time. I'm not going back! Then there's the question of documentation. What kind of documentation? We need verification from the Jefferson arms management. There is no Jefferson arms management! I'm trying to tell you there's no Jefferson arms management. There's no Jefferson arms! It doesn't exit! You owe me a check for $408. I mean, I'm not crazy. You owe me a check, you know. Hey, hey, hey, the sandwich man is back, y'all. The sandwich man is back. Check this out, man. 50 cent apiece. Check one out, man. No. No, thanks. I got Danish, man. A quarter apiece, man. Yo, sandwiches, man! Yo, sandwiches, man! Liverwurst and danishes. Hey, y'all pay attention. You got an extra smoke on you, bro? Cigarette? Yeah, cigarette. Thank you. Thank you. Meow, kitty cat. I'm always where the money's at. Don't you know the bowery rate of exchange, boy? No. We here in Washington heights... That's on the northern tip of the island of Manhattan... But we still operate at the bowery rate. I don't know it. 20 cents, baby. Two thin dimes a smoke. These are my loosies. I the loosie representative around here, you understand? Now you're setting a bad example. Are you taking unfair advantage of this black man? How can a man compete? You giving it away for nothing. It takes years to establish a rate of exchange, and you destroying it in one night. Now you declare economic war on me, I declare it right back. You strike first, now it's my turn. Leave him alone, little Leroy. Who the fuck said that? It's Jerry. It's none of your business, old man. Anything reaches my ears, that touches my eyes is my business, Leroy. The man's entitled to give away his goods if the man wants to. He's nothing to you. What you butting in for? He's something to me. He a relative. What the fuck you mean? You full of shit. He's my son. He white. You talking skin tone? You mother fucking right I'm talking skin tone. What the fuck you think? Skin tone mean shit, little Leroy. He blacker than you, matter of fact. He's my son. His name's Matthew. Come on, Matthew. We got to go now. You've seen enough TV. O.k. How come you said that? How come I said what? You know, you said that I was your son. It come to me in a... Dream the other night, boy. We were in Africa a couple of hundred years ago. Slave traders burned down our village. They tried to take you from me... Only we fight them. Yeah... You get shot... Die in my arms. Don't worry, boy. It was only a dream. Hot. Don't you know anything, boy? You got to test the water before you step in. The last thing a homeless man can afford to be is conspicuous. Now, if you're inconspicuous, sit in the dunkin donut or Wendy's or Roy Rogers, nurse a cup of coffee for an hour or two... That a lifesaver come inclement weather. What's your story, boy? I don't have a story. Hey, every man got a story. You born on this planet, ain't ya? Yeah. Then you got a story. There the story. Hey. What's the matter? I embarrass you? No. Homeless men can't afford to be embarrassed. I show you something. This... My story. This here called the American dream. Is this your family? Wife, little girls, only they ain't so little anymore. They 13 and 14, respectively. Where are they? Are they... Queens. She remarried. That... that my house and cars in the background. Arthur and I had a produce market. He a Vietnam vet, same as me, only he sell, I buy. I traveled through all five boroughs, parts of Jersey. Buy big, red, juicy, beefsteak tomatoes, sweet bean cherries. Meantime, he pissing everything away on the horses. Lose the business, house, cars, my family, everything inside of two months. Hey, you see that fellow over there? He think everything okey-dokey. Check don't come in, he only a couple of months short of homelessness. Hey, I, I do have a story. I imagine so. I had four breakdowns, one after the other. Yeah? Yeah, I was, I was hospitalized between the ages of 17 and, 20. I was hospitalized between the ages of 17 and 20. That ain't a crime. No, I'm, schizophrenic. Who call you that? Doctors. Doctors. Why'd they say that? Because, I don't know. Because... I... I hear voices, you know? There's nothing wrong with hearing voices. Yeah? What about Joan? She hear voices. Joan? That Saint Joan. They don't call her schizophrenic. They call her a Saint. What about Moses? What about him? He hear voices. He hear a voice. He don't hear that voice, there'd be no judeo-Christian tradition. Honest to god, Matthew. Moses come down that mountain, doctors asked him what'd he hear? He say... "Thou shalt not kill!" "Thou shalt not commit adultery!" They say, "yeah, Moses?" You hear that? Voices say that?" They shoot him full of thorazine, lock him up, throw away the key. If it wasn't for voices, we'd still be pagans, Matthew. Still be sacrificing lamb, sheep, even human beings. We'd be a race of sacrificers. Maybe you ain't schizophrenic. Maybe you're just... A Saint. Hey, rosario! How's it going, my man? Going good, man. What's up? Can't complain, can't complain. I'm going to get busy, Matthew. Go on in. How come you fine-looking ladies are hiding your beauty behind a dirty windshield? That's no good. The world needs beauty. It's starving for beauty. Am I right, rosario? You right, Jerry. Gracias. A rolls. Roll, roll. Yeah, roll. Hey, Arthur! You been in touch with your broker recently? No, I haven't seen the man. I understand the stock market is going to take a nosedive. We could lose everything we got! Could end up on the streets. If we're not careful. Maybe we should diversify. What do you think? That makes good sense. Yeah... Mutual funds. Hondo! I see. I see. See you later. We're just trying to make a buck. Come on, fellas. Get off the bridge. Get out of here! Get moving. Next time we haul you in. Let's get out of here. What, are you funny or something? What, are you funny? Get out of here! Get moving! Take your friend with you, all right? Don't come back! I'm gonna take a load off, Matthew. Achin'...deep. You wanna try? Go ahead, boy. Nothing to it. Come on! Come on! Don't use that shit. Use this shit. Yeah. This is good. Hey, you got a cigarette? Yeah, I got a smoke. I'm sorry. You got to be nice, polite. Like I do. You're under no obligation whatsoever, but... We do take gratuities. Hey, thanks a lot. Appreciate it. Thank you. And it's a body Though the war has gone Them lights of death You will find him His father's sword He has girded on And his white hat Slung behind him... I bring home 24 bucks today, Matthew. How'd you do? I don't know. I lost count. Well, start again. I get distracted. You do it. Your money, Matthew. A man got to take responsibility for his own money. I can't do it. What do you mean, you can't do it? That money ain't goin' to bite you, boy. It made of inanimate matter. Something gets in the way. What gets in the way? Thoughts... Voices, I don't know. Something always in the way, Matthew. No such thing as clear sailing. You just don't know how to navigate. I'm going to show you. No, no. I can't. Go ahead. Start again. It's just anxiety, boy. Ain't no goddamn schizophrenia. Ain't nothing gonna snatch you away from yourself. I promise you that. It'd have to get past one badass black man. Go ahead. Count. 16.50. 16.50, and, this. 16.50. Good. Drink up, boy. You earned it. You passed your first hurdle. 16.50... not bad. First day on the job. A homeless man can do okay... If he works 7 to 12 hours a day washing windshields. I know a lady willing to rent me a railroad flat on the lower east side. It's not bad. In fact, it livable. It's only, 350 bucks a month. How about it? We can go our separate ways or we can... Pool our resources and rent us an apartment. Where are we going to get that kind of money? We'll work hard, boy. In a month and a half, we have ourself a down payment. Promise. Honest to god. What do you say? Yeah, okay, alright. Yeah. We get a roof over our head, we're on the first rung of the economic ladder. Yeah... Lift up your shirt. This is our first deposit, boy. Meow. Kitty cat. I'm always where the money's at. Come and run your eyes up and down my body like that, boy. Your white eyes against my black skin send chills up my spine. I'm talking to you, motherfucker. Now ain't you got no manners, turning your back on me like that? Nobody turns his back on little Leroy, boy... Nobody. Now, the way I figure it, your white eyes on my black body has got to cost you something. I say maybe... 2 or 3 bucks. What you say, Caesar? I say at least 5, little Leroy. I think you're selling yourself short. Yeah, I say you're right, Caesar. Maybe more. Maybe 10. We got a problem here? You fucked up. I'm gonna teach you a lesson once and for all, Mr. Jerry. I'm always interested in lessons, little Leroy. This gonna be readin', writin', or arithmetic? Arithmetic, motherfucker? Get some of this. Come on. You want it? Get that! God bless you, motherfucker. Play pussy... Get fucked! You fucked up my arm, man! Shit! I'm going to fuck you up, man! I'm going to fuck you two up! Hey... Hey, this here my truck, boy. J and t produce market. I told you. This is where I used to carry my produce. It's alright. Come on. Get in. Come on. Come on. Yeah. Hey, this ain't no setback. I promise you that, boy. Hey, hey. We're safer on the streets. Matter of fact, we're a thousand times safer than in one of those shelters. No, I'm not gonna... I'm not gonna do that. What, like if I don't do it...? What's the matter? What's the matter with you, boy? You listening to them voices again, is that it? You listening to them pill-white fucking anglo-Saxon voices? What are they telling you to do? What are they talking about? He's gonna track us down, you know, and... I can't go see my mother, you know? She's in Florida. You hearing me? Where are you? I can see poison fruit. Poison fruit? Yeah. You come back here, Matthew. Don't you disappear on me. I need you. No, no! You're mad at me. I ain't just Jerry's voice... Talking... You understand? We're partners, ain't we? I need you. Stop. Just Jerry's voice talking to you, you understand? Is my voice calling you? I need you. Where are you? Jerry? Yeah. I'm here. Yeah? Yeah, I'm here. Yeah, I'm here. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Morning. This service better than the Hyatt regency. I figure... I'll extend my vacation... Stay here a few more weeks, Matthew. This fella's name is Billy Sweetwater. He half-black, half cherokee. We were in nam together. Billy got a sweet old station wagon. Maybe he'll rent it by the day. What are we going to do with it? Buy some produce, Matthew. Bing cherries, green beans, iceberg lettuce. All we got to do is pull up to any corner in Manhattan and sell it out of the back of the wagon. Hey... He calls it esmeraldo. He treat her like a woman though he spell her name like a man, that account he high on that loco weed. Billy can fix a car faster than you can take a piss. You stay here. He's suspicious of strangers, okay? What did he say? He say soon as we got a roof over our head or a legitimate apartment, he willing to do business with us. I tell him we're back inside of six weeks. Matthew, traffic jam. We strike gold, Matthew. A dime, Matthew. A dime. Why, that's no better than slave labor. I thought we fought the civil war to escape these wages. Thank you kindly, ma'am. May all your children be white! No, no! I don't want you to. Don't. I'm working my way through school. I'll bet. What school is that? The school of hard knocks. Very funny. Sometimes we call it the school of hard yucks. Hey, tell her your joke. My joke? The one about the fish. The fish? Yeah. Where do fish keep their money? I have no idea. In river banks. Alright, alright. Here. Th-thanks. I got a... and I said the joke right. It's river banks, right? Thanks a lot. May all your children be white. That's it for today. Yeah. We'll wait it out. Make no money today. The gem is, all ye citizens The system's a curse... I got almost $17. That's good. Not bad, considering the weather. Yeah. Got a surprise for you. For me? What is it? Open it. What is this? It's film, boy. It's the real thing. I know what it is. I didn't ask for it. I figured if you're a photographer, you'd want some. Jerry, I don't want any film. It's none of your business. Where the hell you going, boy? I don't know. I'm going somewhere. I don't know where. Hey, I didn't mean nothing by it, boy. You don't want the film, get rid of it. Flush it down the toilet as far as I'm concerned. We ain't going to let a roll of film get between us. Come on, Matthew. One of my pictures was in a national photo magazine. That don't surprise me none, boy. You got a genuine talent. How do you know? You never saw my pictures. Don't need to see them. Got an instinct. Once I got sick, started hearing voices... Nothing came out right. You're young yet, boy. Give it time. You okay? Fine. It's nothing. It's the weather, that's it. S-Son of a bitch. What's the matter? Run out of pills. Run out of these little god damn painkillers. Got to go to the v.A... And get some more pills. Appreciate it, boy. Here. Yeah, that feels good. Yeah. Once we get us an apartment of our own, we're going to rent that station wagon. I know a fella on staten island sells green beans by the bushel. Know another fella this side of the verazano bridge that sells iceberg lettuce. All we got to do, boy, is pull up on any street corner in Manhattan, sell that produce right out of the back of the wagon. One, two, three loads a day. Honest to god. Hey, we going to make us an economic recovery, Matthew. Yeah. That's better. Yeah. This feels great. I'm not going back to the shelter. We never going back there. Let's ride the "a" train all night. How's fort Washington? We can't go back there anymore. Run into some trouble. You on the streets? Yeah. Been sleeping in the truck, only they tow it away. Listen, man, why don't you shack up my place? We wouldn't want to inconvenience you, rosario. Fuck that. Tamsen and I, we going to be in galveston in a couple of days. Something smells good. What you cooking, spits? Cooking hoppin' John. Red beans and rice is very nice. You're going to want some twice. It ready when you be, rosario. I always ready. You got enough for my friends Matthew and Jerry? Yeah. Got plenty. Plenty. This here's spits. He share the place with us. Actually, he here before us. Been here ever since they condemned the building. Hey, it's okay my friends stay a couple of days? Sure. Make yourself to home. I'll go get a couple of more bowls. Appreciate that. How's tamsen doing? She's sleeping soundly. Hey, where you fellas been hanging out? Fort Washington, but we on the streets just now. I was at the Atlantic shelter before here. Biffin Avenue? Wake up one morning, got nothing in my mouth. Can you imagine some fella walking around with my old teeth in his mouth? That's cold. You got to be real bad off to steal a man's choppers. Hey, young blood. Come on, get some of this good stuff here. No. Don't be shy. Got more than enough to get through the winter. All a body need is a sack of rice and some wild horses. Who's smoking? Eat some of this, mamita. Give me a drag. That's my limit. Trying to keep her safe and sound. Who are you? Matthew. If I'd known you was inviting company over, I would've put out the clean linen. Tamsen from buffalo. That's why she got a sense of humor. There's nothing funny about buffalo. Ran away from buffalo. My sister did before me, too. We met on the street. Yeah, in front of the 42nd street library. He come up to me and say, "want to see my tattoo?" And I say, "not particularly." You say worse than that, but I show it to you anyhow. Yeah. We was really close. We spent the whole summer in battery park. Remember, rosario? I remember. We saw a shooting star fall from the sky one night. Yeah. I made a wish on that star. Pretty soon, it's gonna come true. Picking up the tickets tomorrow, mamita. We going to be working the 24-hour shift at Teddy's place. It's a 24-hour truck stop and diner. Tamsen gonna cook. I pump gas. That's the arrangement. What's the matter? The baby moved. It moved? Yeah. Again. Feel it? No. There. That's it? Yes. That's my baby? Like to give you a going-away present, rosario. Like to give you the best damn spit shine ever. The spirit willing, but the flesh say no go, rosario. It's okay, spits. You've done enough already. Why don't you lay on your hands, Matthew? Maybe it'll help. What you mean? My leg hurting me on account of shrapnel. Matthew lay on his hands, pain go away. It go away? Not entirely, you understand. It go away temporarily though. That good enough for me. I... i can't do that. It... it don't hurt to try, boy. Something's happening. My hands. I can bend them. They don't hurt. Let me see that. It's like a miracle. Let me see. It worked. Spits, man, that's unbelievable. We're not gonna wait till after you're dead, Matthew, like the rest of them saints. You understand? We'll take care of you now. You're Saint Matthew. You're Saint of all the homeless people. Two tickets to galveston. Hey, hey, let me take a picture. You finished the roll. That's good, boy. Hey, w-what do you say, you want to get them developed? Come on. Pop, pop, pop That cold gets in your body, it never leaves. I'm bleeding. What? My god, spits. I'm... I'm bleeding. My god. Come on. You lie down here. I'll go get somebody. I don't wanna lose the baby. You're not gonna lose the baby. Now you just stay here. You hear? I'll be right back. Spits! God. Spits! Tamsen. I... I'm looking for tamsen. Come on. It was a boy, rosario. It was a baby boy. Hey, rosario, take a load off, man. I tell you we take care of you. You're in no condition to work. I got to work, man. You don't understand, man. I got to do something. Take your hands off my car. It's okay. I clean it up nice. I don't want you touching the car. You hear me? I hear you. You don't have to pay. It's your lucky day. I do it for free. Why don't you get a job, you fucking bum? What did you say? What did you call me? I'm trying to make a living, and you call me a bum! I'm a bum! A bum! Hey! Hey, rosario! Get out of there, rosario! Rosario, get your ass out of here! Get out of here. Get out of here! Alright. Get out of here! You guys come and see us. Maybe we'll do that, rosario. I'll come out and see you and your babies one of these days. I imagine you're going to have two or three. What do you imagine, Matthew? I imagine, like, five. Yeah. He got a better imagination. We going to miss you guys. My hand's stopped working, boy. I don't believe no... Doing no good. Where you going, Jerry? Somewhere. I got to keep moving, boy. I got to keep moving. I can't... I can't stay still. Don't make it through the night like this, boy. I need something. What do you need? I'm burning up, buddy. I'm... I need, damn pain killers. Jerry. Where you going? You son of a bitch. You son of a bitch! No, Jerry. Let me go. Let me go. Let me go! You're crazy. It's alright, boy. Okay, it's alright. What are you doing, boy? Come on, Jerry. Get up. It's rush hour. I'm tired. Leave me alone. Come on, Jerry. Get up. We're losing money. Go away, Matthew! One day more or less don't matter. It matters, Jerry. We don't want to lose the apartment. The woman's waiting. She's got the keys. What apartment? It was just a pipe dream anyhow. What are you talking about? Come on, Jerry. What are you talking about? This our reality. What you see is what you get. What about the station wagon with the fruits and vegetables? We're almost there. I'm going to sleep. You're just going to lie down there and die, Jerry? You're giving up. You... you're giving up, Jerry. I ain't up to it. I'm telling you something. Go away. No, I'm not going away. I'm never going away. Get up. Why can't you... Are you crazy or something? What's wrong with you? We're going to work, get some money, and get that apartment. You out of your fucking mind? Come on. Let's go, Jerry. Come on. God damn, boy. You're a fucking slave driver. Come on! Fucking slave driver! Come on, Jerry. Just trying to make it, not take it. Hey, thanks a lot. This is your world. We just live in it. How you doing, Jerry? I'm doing alright now, boy. I... i appreciate it. I saved your ass. You saved mine. That's the way it's going to be. Yeah. I've got to get back to the park! I've got to feed the pigeons. Walk yourself in there. I've got to feed the pigeons. The pigeons are going to starve if I don't feed them. We'll feed them tonight. Relax. No! Let go of me! I am not going! Let go of me! You have any I.D.? I.d.? Yeah. Identification. Where you live? We don't have an address just yet. We're working on it, though. Where are you going to sleep tonight? Wherever. In the streets? Just now. Get in that Van. There's a cold weather alert. We're just going to take you a shelter for tonight. I don't want to go to a shelter. Listen, the men go to the fort Washington armory. I'm not going. You can't stay out here. It's below freezing. You can't stay out here. We're okay. Let's go. Wait a minute. I'm talking to you. We ain't broken no law. We can do this easy, or we'll use force. We ain't going to no shelter. This is a free country, okay? This is a free country, hear? Take it easy. Take it easy. Jerry. Hey. Jerry. Jerry. Matthew! I don't want to go. Get him up there. Jerry. Jerry! Cuff him. I'll get the radio car. He's not a criminal. Alright, guys. Let's go. Come on. Move it. Let's get on in there. Inside, fellas. Let's go. Where your daddy, boy? He desert you? I got to go. You don't want out of this. I got to go. It's cold out there. Come on, now. You want to keep your sneaks, put them away, or somebody's going to come calling. What's your name? Jason. I'm Matthew. This place is no picnic. Watch your things. Meow! What the fuck, man? Kitty cat, I'm always where the money's at. That's a mighty fine ring you got there, boy. It's going to look nice on my pinkie. Take your shit off, or I'm going to cut it off. Take it off, boy. Help! Who you fucking with, motherfucker? Who the fuck you fucking with? Help! Help! Help! What the fuck is this? I'm going to take your shit now, motherfucker. Leave him alone! Get the fuck back to your cot, Leroy. Why you fronting for his white ass? I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. Do what I say. Get back to your cot. You made a big mistake, boy. You fucker. Chill. Going somewhere, boy? You ain't going nowhere. Meow! No. Hey, man. That's it. Are these babies? Yep. Little homeless babies. How come there's so many? We wait a few days until there's a good-sized load. Otherwise, it ain't worthwhile going over. Where you taking them? Potter's field over on hart island, just off long island sound. There anyone you know? Yes. A relative? My son. I'm sorry. I'd like to see the funeral. There is no funeral. We just place them in the ground and cover them up with earth. I'd like to be there. I wish you could take you, but it's against city regulations. You mean I can never visit the grave? I'm sorry. There are not words To speak of There are not words To say There are not songs To sing on These days like today There's only time To carry These darkest hours Far away There's only hope To cling to On days Like Today Should hang our heads in shame What we've done in god's name Should hang our heads in shame Only ourselves to blame Don't you worry, boy. I'm right here now. Yeah. I'll never forget you. We a team. Right, Matthew? My sweet Matthew. I'll remember you, boy. I... i got... I got something for you. Hey, your pictures come back. Nice and sharp. You take a real beauty. Here's... Tamsen. Hee hee! It's just... sorry. It's... ...spits. Yeah. Yeah. Here me. Yeah. Nice talent. I'm moving on now, boy. Nothing's going to stop me, Matthew. Not god nor man. I promise you that. Going to miss you... Son. My own. My very own. I'm starting over now, boy. Have a nice evening. Nothing's going to stop me, Matthew... Man nor god. I get by 'cause you with me. So long I be, you be... And that our story. Why a lovely lady like you hide behind a dirty windshield? The world needs beauty, lots of beauty, ma'am. Thank you kindly. |
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