You've got a library down here, I see.
James Baldwin, Thoreau, Elie Wiesel...
A History of God. What's that about?
Yeah, that's...
Judaism...
Islam, Christianity.
It's, like, three paths to the same god.
So when you get high, you come down here and read?
Yeah, I read. I listen to the radio.
And I think about things.
Try to educate myself.
- You went to college, didn't you? - Yeah.
Ohio State, for one year.
And I came back when Fran had Andre.
People say you played the stock market.
You taught yourself how to invest the money that you were earning.
I had this account at Charles Schwab...
up to about $150,000.
Then it got sold, and I could pick the stocks...
just by looking at the price-earnings ratio.
- You know what that is? - I don't know much about stocks.
Let me tell you something. There's a science to it.
You've gotta, first of all...
see how the company's doing.
And then you've gotta really check out what the projections are.
Gary...
you can get yourself back up if you set your mind to it.
Most definitely.
You ever tried to detox?
It's rough.
- It's real rough. - I spoke with Fran. You know she went in.
Fran's bed came open. She's in detox now.
Yeah, I heard that.
Now, she says...
detoxing is like having a bad flu for three or four days. That's it.
Maybe, Gary, you've made it out tougher than it is, in your mind.
No, it's different for different people.
You see, Fran don't fire up.
She snorts, man, so it's different.
But you've tried to detox?
My family, you know...
They took me down to Carolina, to my brother Dan's house, in Fayetteville.
They figured that if they could just get me out of Baltimore...
So, what happened?
There's a corner in Fayetteville, too.
There's a corner everywhere.
- Come on, man. - I'm on it.
Move that right there.
Y'all can't keep me waiting. Let's get a move on. Come on.
- I got fresh ones. - What you got?
I got some 2s, some females, right here.
Give me 2s. Put the females against the wall.
All right.
Dag!
One of them got me, man. Right through the basket.
You gotta take care. You know them bitches like to snack.
Damn!
Now, why your sister be grabbing my brother?
Hey, Cardy, what's wrong with you?
What would you do if you were snatched, trucked up, and tossed in a steaming pot?
You'd be doing all the scuffling you could, too.
- God! - I need a bushel of 32s.
- When do you need it? - Ten minutes ago.
I'm on it, Miss Mary.
Man, you gotta cook these right. These ain't any old crabs.
- These right here are 32s, baby. - We ain't got time for that, Gary.
You can't say that, man.
We make time for 32s.
Folks out there order 32s, they get our best.
Fuck the folks out there. Fuck these fucking crabs.
Elmo, you can't even call these crabs.
These are crustaceans.
Where'd you get these, Miss Ella?
A friend of mine. He got new things, so he's donating these.
So the kids can watch cartoons and stuff?
I was thinking we could have movie nights on Fridays for you and the guys.
- That'll work. - You still interested in a paying job?
Definitely.
I know the manager at the Checkers on Broadway and North.
She's hiring summer help.
DeAndre, if I put in a good word for you, will you follow through and apply?
Checkers?
Cool.
I'll call the manager, then.
- No! - Why not?
- 'Cause I'm tired of you playing me. - You always do better when I cop.
No, you do better. I usually wind up getting watered.
From now on, you worry about you, and I'll take care of me.
So now, with this little job, you for yourself?
Spiders, buy one. Nice spider bags.
See you later.
- You got spiders? - Yeah, spiders.
I'm busy, all right? I'll call you back.
- Dope fiends! - Hey, Curt.
- Hey, this look light to you? - Was it a family affair?
Dope fiends!
They got that little teenaged girl out there.
Gary, how are the crabs treating you?
It's good, man. It's like old times.
- Can you lend me $5? - Say what?
I got this guy bringing me $20 worth of coke in about an hour.
But if you can lend me $5 now, when he comes back...
I'll give you half the coke.
Damn, Bread, you all fucked up. Look at you.
Bread be tasting them pink tops like I don't know where!
- Who, me? - Come on, Gary.
- The coke got you right? - Me? I ain't high.
I ain't high. You know why? 'Cause I can't truly be high...
unless all my motherfucking friends is high.
I look around. I see my friends.
You know what I feel like doing?
What you feel like doing?
I feel like sharing my shit
Curt...
how long have we been tight?
- You gone and lost your natural mind. - Here you go. That's...
for you.
And Blue. Blue, baby. And this...
This is for you, okay?
And not just 'cause this happens to be your domicile.
Sexy!
Rita, this for you. Same business, okay?
All right. See, now...
- I feel right. - Come on, Gary.
I will leave you all now.
Come on over here.
I'll give you half when he comes back.
We got to shoot this shit. Come on.
- What's today's date? - Come on, Gary.
The date? I don't know.
I got this case coming up in the city court, man.
Man, what's that about?
I got in this beef with Ronnie Boice.
She said I hit her.
Well, you better get with Ronnie.
You give me $5 now, but you get $10 later...
when he comes back with the coke. You see what I'm saying?
- But I didn't hit her. - She said you did.
Tell her, Ronnie.
He didn't really hit me.
You alleged that he did in the charging document.
You're saying you gave a false report? I have to tell you, if that's the case...
the State's Attorney's Office will charge you with false report.
I just wanna drop the charges. It wasn't no big thing.
I'm assigned to the domestic violence unit, and I can assure you...
the state of Maryland regards domestic violence as a very big thing.
- You can't drop the charges. - I didn't hit her.
If you refuse to testify, you'll be held in contempt.
And if you get on the stand and lie, I'll charge you with perjury.
And if she tells the truth, you'll charge her with false report?
- I'll consider a plea. - Plea to what?
Common assault. Two years, all but six months suspended...
supervised probation and mandatory counseling for spousal abuse.
We're going to court, love.
- Who got shot? - Bryan.
Bryan who be selling them burn bags?
I knew that boy was gonna catch a bullet behind that Arm & Hammer shit.
You can't be out here selling shit that ain't. You know what I'm saying?
Somebody will take it serious and come back on you.
Yes, Lord.
What did he look like when they put him in the back of the ambo?
He was breathing. He wasn't smiling or nothing.
- Boy looked like he always do. - But he gonna make it?
Shit, Bryan gets his ass shot twice a year, whether he need to or not.
Motherfucker ain't dead yet.
Oh, God. What happened?
You know Bryan Mathis?
- No, I don't think so. - He got in an argument and got shot.
He'll probably be all right, you know.
- I'm gonna see you tomorrow, right, Blue? - Tomorrow?
The kids really enjoyed it last time.
I guess.
And it's good for them to know this ain't all there is in the world.
- I'll see you tomorrow. - Okay.
Hey, you, come here.
Jesus, let me see those arms.
Dave.
Check this out.
- Man, you look like fucking Popeye! - Holy shit.
Bobby, take a picture of this pretty motherfucker.
The shit you see when you ain't got a right.
That's one triflin' motherfucker.
You got something to say?
What up, cuz?
- Ain't nothing. Where you headed? - Down to McHenry Street, to see my girl.
- Reeka? - No, Chanel. Peaches' cousin.
Oh, you with her now?
It's summertime. I'll be with all of them before winter comes.
- What's Reeka say to that? - She don't know.
Even if she knew, she got her own shit to answer for.
I know she been messing with Tae. And that nigger Dwayne, too.
She a little freak.
I don't think she let Tae mess with her.
Man, she ain't even supposed to be dancing with his ass.
I'm locked down in Boys Village, and she all over Tae? Man, fuck that!
You're right, Andre.
All mad and shit.
Don't even play me like that.
There's something I wanna show your ass for a minute.
What, nigger?
Inside, I got something.
Up in there?
Man, this smell like piss in here.
Dinky, where you dragging me at? I gotta be somewhere.
Right up here.
What the fuck!
Yeah, bulletproof vest, Cuz.
Snatched it from a police car on Gilmor Street when we had that jump-out.
We can use this shit on the corner, man.
At least we can if you plan on getting back on the corner anytime soon.
Where your.25 at?
- It's on the shelf, in the closet. - Let's test this motherfucker out.
- I'll put it on. You shoot me. - I ain't shooting your ass.
Come on, man. I mean the vest.
This is supposed to stop .9s and.44s, right?
You shit.
Ain't nothing gonna happen...
except maybe you put me on my ass, or some shit.
I would ask Boo to do it, but he's always fucking up.
Probably put one in my eye or some shit.
You serious?
What, are you scared?
- Holy shit! - Did you hear that?
- What? - Sounded like gunshots.
No kidding. In West Baltimore?
Oh, shit.
You all right?
Wait.
Just don't be fucking with no kryptonite, and we're cool, yo.
Andre, you crazy shit.
That shit hurt a little bit, man.
If you know what you're doing...
you can find one of these penny stocks on the NASDAQ.
You pick the right one, ride it to the top of the market and sell it.
Let it come down, then you buy it, ride it up to the top again.
You know, just keep flipping it like that.
Right there. It's just finances. It's easy.
Does he know what the hell he's talking about half the time?
Who, Gary? He knows.
- About them stocks and all? - Gary had all kinds of money and stocks.
I seen the statements they sent him.
He definitely knows.
Cardy, let me talk to you.
- What's up? - Can you let me owe $10?
- You can't wait till payday? - Man, you know how that is.
Come on, I'll pay you back Friday.
I ain't got it. If I did, I'd give it to you.
Your ma's gonna hear us.
Where she at?
She in detox.
DeRodd, get up. What are you doing? Come on.
You're sleeping on the sofa tonight.
Ma called Scoogie.
She wants us to come by on Saturday. She said visiting is at 2:00.
She know we about out of money?
She said, "Get some from your father. Tell him he needs to help out."
All right.
- Who's she? - None of your business. Keep going.
Are we gonna visit ma?
Yeah, Saturday. Go ahead.
She said we should bring chocolate.
Why does she want chocolate?
Why do you ask so many damn questions at 2:00 in the morning?
Get down them steps, come on.
I got things to do.
These are 24s. I asked for 32s. What's going on here?
- Working man again? - My new career in seafood preparation.
- Come on in. - No, man. It made me sick when I did it.
I'm surprised you can do it, seeing as we both got the same allergy.
You get used to it, I guess.
You know I've been taking care of DeRodd and me while ma's in detox.
Scoogie been helping out some, too.
Yeah?
Ma gave me her DSS card, and I've been only using it a bit at a time for food.
But what I'm saying is, we ain't bent...
we're flat-ass broke.
She tell you to come to me?
I heard you was working security.
Hey, Fran. I'm running late.
DeAndre needs some new clothes. Could I borrow, like, $500?
- What? - He done grown out of his other clothes.
- He can't be growing that fast. - Come on. You know you've got the money.
Everybody knows, and they all got their hands out.
- You're too soft. - You're counting on it, ain't you?
I'm saying with the neighborhood. But this is your son.
I want to see her.
Why is it white people smoke Marlboros and black people smoke Newports?
- What's up with that? - I don't know.
Hey, boy!
You look good.
You look great, Fran. Really, look at you.
I done already gained six pounds, and the food ain't even that good.
I ain't been straight like this since, shit, high school, man.
Yeah, you're the girl I remember.
Wait a minute, now. Don't go there!
But I'll tell y'all something else. The rest of the people in here...
I mean, the people in recovery...
honey, they're screwing like rabbits.
- Damn, Ma. - Not me, the rest of them.
It's, like, you get clean from drugs...
and the rest of you starts waking up, you know?
Fran!
They only give us one hour a day in the rec yard, and they watch us like hawks.
Now, you brought my chocolate, right?
Yeah, baby.
Okay.
When the counselor gets to shooing everybody inside...
I want you to toss it over the fence in the corner over there, all right?
They don't let us have chocolate. They say that's a drug, too.
- It is. - Hell with that.
I ain't about to give up dope, coke, and Mr. Goodbar all at once.
Hell, no.
I can't get over how good you look, girl. Look at you.
Come here.
I could talk to some of the people inside here...
and get you at the top of the list for a bed in the men's dorm.
- I could do that, Gary. - Okay, people.
Time to go inside.
I'm gonna quit. I'm gonna do it.
Ready? All right.
Come on, then.
Let's go, y'all, come on.
You bring DeRodd this weekend. I miss my baby.
You look good, Ma.
You look real good to me, too, Dre.
It's like I'm seeing you for the first time in a long while.
Gary, while I'm in here, you could think about giving DeAndre a little boost.
At least till the end of the month, okay?
All right, I'll see y'all later.
Long time coming?
Yes, Lord.
Look here, I'm giving you $300.
This here for DeAndre.
Next time I see him, I better see some price tags hanging.
'Cause the days of me paying for your drugging are over.
You think I'm playing?
Listen, I'll say it again.
No way we're getting back together, if you keep messing with that dope.
Who said shit about wanting to get back together?
So you want to kick?
Definitely, I need to.
Clonidine. One patch a day.
It'll help with your nausea and the overall malaise.
All right?
Is there anything stronger I can get, like a painkiller?
Not on an outpatient basis.
We can only give you clonidine and some Tylenol, if you like.
You want some Tylenol?
- Tylenol 3? - No, regular.
You're testing my patience. I don't need to take your ass to the doctor.
- I'm sick of you. - Every time I look, it's the same old shit.
- What you bringing with you? - Death row and a pink top.
Some antibiotics for Rita. Here you go, sweetheart.
- Some what? - Antibiotics.
What kind of antibiotics?
One of my little cousins had a throat infection. Those is what's left over.
How do you figure antibiotics for a throat infection gonna help her arms?
Why're you getting so upset?
- You need to see a doctor. - I know.
Don't say, "I know." Your arms is getting worse and worse.
I don't want you to catch a blood infection or something...
'cause you don't want to leave the house.
I wasn't gonna say nothing, but your arms do look raw.
- I'll go to the hospital and get it checked. - When?
Damn, all of a sudden you act like you know what's best for everybody.
You know what? I was just saying.
And I heard you.
You're not mad at me trying to help you.
Keep saying the same damn thing over and over.
Hey, Scalio, can you give me a shot, man, please?
You know what I'm saying?
Why you get to stay here and get blunted while your cousin do all the work?
I got him the connect.
That's his package. I didn't even vial it up. Yo, Tae.
So you ain't Big Daddy Kane no more?
No, man. I leave that alone.
My ma's in detox, I got to look out for my little brother and all.
Everybody run dry tonight.
Just as well. Some of the district are about to roll up.
Hey, right here, Black.
We got a nice little corner down here, man.
Police ain't deep down here.
Not like Fayette Street.
Ain't no Bob Brown, ain't no Stompin'.
Motherfucker, Bob Brown.
Yes, Lord!
Here come the drama.
You ain't got to pretend.
I ain't pretending about shit.
And you ain't got to tell her to run away, neither.
'Cause I don't give a damn who you run with.
'Cause I'm done with your ugly black ass.
That ain't what you said the other night.
Fuck you, Andre!
Fuck you back. All I'm doing is sitting with the girl.
You're a liar.
You think I ain't been hearing about you and Chanel?
Hearing ain't knowing.
Fuck you, Andre.
Come on.
Let me go. You were sitting over here with her.
So, you done with Reeka now?
Man, Reeka be back.
When the weather turn cool, Reeka be right back waiting for me.
Chanel, come here.
Let me see that blunt, man.
How are those spider bags today?
I thought you was on that clonidine.
- Not working? - They work a little.
But I'm definitely getting by on this. Tapering off.
Tapering off?
So who got those spider bags?
See my man in the alley.
All right.
Tapering off.
Either you quit drugging or you don't.
Tapering off, bullshit.
We need a bushel of 32s.
Why am I out of 18s? Didn't I ask for 18s ten minutes ago?
You're killing me here.
Got 32s coming in.
Put them on three.
Damn, Gary, you make the rest of us look lazy.
You told the Unit Chief?
I'm Quality Control, this is my job.
No, man, your job is to look out for the people that you work with...
not to make more work for the guys that share your union hall.
You ought to be satisfied they just let you wear that yellow hat.
Damn!
I'm working hard, right?
I've had four McCullough boys work for me, and all of them were workers.
- Cardy's the best sorter I got. - That's what I'm saying.
I had your son in here two months ago. That was a different story.
No offense.
But I work.
I got no problem with you.
The thing is, I can't wait every Friday to get paid.
I need to get paid every day, cash.
Gary, we pay everybody Friday.
I know, but me getting all that cash at once is not so good for me.
I think if I got a little at a time, like at the end of every day...
I'd do much better.
I say you better leave that damn dope alone.
It's only gonna hurt you.
I'm trying. Come on, I am.
I mean, getting all that money on Friday at one time is just too much temptation.
$40 cash when you punch out.
Appreciate it. Thank you, Miss Mary.
- I'm looking for the manager. - She's not here right now.
She told me to come on Monday, fill my application, and get my uniform.
The shift supervisor's here. You want to talk to him?
- Can I help you? - I was supposed to come in today...
put in my application, start working here.
I'll take your application. You can come back for the interview.
- All right. - Have a seat at the table.
I need two number 3s.
I just need you to fill this out.
Here's a pen.
What? What you looking at?
You may have to cut your hair.
I don't think so.
Have a seat and fill that out.
Then bring it to me.
Got something in your pocket?
Could you get my hat?
That's bullshit.
Yeah, girl, I know.
Hold up.
- What the hell he want? - Same as he always wants.
You need to quit smoking them blunts.
- Why you ain't tell me you're pregnant? - How you know?
He needs to know. He the baby's father. Y'all need to talk.
She can't keep no damn secrets.
- Why you ain't tell me? - Please.
You out here messing around with all these other girls.
So I just say, "He don't need to know."
- How you even know it's mine? - Go to hell!
'Cause you know I ain't been with nobody else.
- What about Tae? - Tae and me is just friends.
I ain't been with him.
If he tell you otherwise, he lying.
You gonna have the baby?
My aunt and me talking about going down to University Hospital.
Get an abortion.
- Whatever. - Yeah, whatever.
Let me know.
But it costs $200.
Least you could do is pay for it, since you're responsible.
I'll see what I can do. You my girl.
Chanel is your girl.
What did he say?
I told him I need $200 for an abortion.
You gonna get an abortion?
No, and even if I was, University Hospital will give you one for free.
- So why you say that then? - $200, girl.
Stupid-ass.
$400?
That's what she said University Hospital is charging her.
And they make her pay before she gets the abortion?
I guess.
Andre, where in the hell am I gonna get $400?
Scoogie?
Shit!
You sure she don't want to have this baby?
No, she's having an abortion.
- She say that? - I say that.
It's her body. She's gonna do what she damn well pleases.
How many times did I leave you condoms on that dresser...
and tell you not to be messing around without using protection?
Forgot.
Come on, Ma.
Look...
tell Reeka to come talk with me. You bring her on Saturday.
$400.
$600?
Scoogie, that's how much he's saying it costs.
Be real, Fran, where am I gonna put my hands on $600?
You know what I think?
I think you're gonna be a grandma.
That won't be so bad, either.
- Sorry, Fran. - No, it's cool.
I'll talk with you later, okay?
Empty your pockets, put it in the tray, and step through.
So, why'd you bring your mother?
Why you bring yours?
She was worried, she asked to come.
- Thinking it might help if she was in court. - Yeah?
Mine asked to come, too.
Place them in the tray. Step through, ma'am.
No, it wasn't like that at all. I mean, she...
We got into an argument.
Because of that, you know, things got out of hand.
And you struck her, did you not?
No, I didn't hit her.
I don't hit women, especially.
Then why would she say you hit her, Mr. McCullough?
Many people have arguments. You don't see them going to the police...
to have the other person arrested, do you?
Do you, Mr. McCullough?
Could you repeat the question, please?
Why would Ms. Boice go to the trouble...
to report to the police that you assaulted her, if you didn't?
She got mad, we had a fight.
About what?
What were you arguing about?
Money.
How much money?
A few dollars, I don't remember.
You're saying that Ms. Boice made up a story about you hitting her...
because of a few dollars?
And he hit you where?
Mount Street.
No, I mean exactly where did the blows strike you?
Mount Street, between Baltimore and Fayette.
Where on your body were you hit by Mr. McCullough?
Upside my head.
'Course I gave as good as I got.
Who hit who first?
Look, I don't know. I don't remember. It might have been me hitting him.
I don't really remember.
See, I told you it wasn't nothing. You worry too much.
I'm just glad it's over.
I think the best thing for both our children is just to part ways.
Who in the hell are you talking to?
You child ain't no better than anybody else's...
and the whole world can see that.
Always thinking your family is so high and mighty, and churchgoing.
Shit!
- You ain't gotta listen to this. - You ain't better than nobody.
Your child is out there, scrambling and scraping, same as everybody else...
and you want to tell me what's best for my child?
- I'm going to be praying for you. - I don't need your goddamn prayer.
Stop! Let her be. You better talk to your mother.
You gonna pray for me? You'd better pray for that sad-ass motherfucker.
Come on, girl, bring your drug ass on.
I ain't going through this anymore, I'm telling you that right now.
I'm not gonna have nothing more to do with her, Ma.
See that?
See what?
The minute one of them try to break free...
the others just snatch him right back down.
What are you talking about, man? The crabs?
All of them.
In that mess together, all of them...
just thinking about themselves.
If they get to thinking...
they might see that they gonna rise or fall together.
You sound like you're preaching, Gary. They're just crabs is all.
All I'm saying is that when I had it, I shared it.
I shared it with my family, friends...
with people in the neighborhood who came with their hard-luck stories.
All I'm saying is that when I had it, I shared it.
But you know how people treated me? Like one of those top-of-the-barrel crabs.
When I was ready to make my move, they snatched me back down.
Come on, people was proud of you, man.
Your folks was always talking about how smart and hardworking you was.
They were just talking about how much money I was making.
But there wasn't no real pride.
There wasn't no real love.
I thought, when I fell...
that people would like me more...
for being like them.
Hey, Ma.
You need any money for any groceries, gas or electric?
We just paid the gas bill, but something's always coming up.
There.
Gary, where are you going?
I'm going downtown.
I love you.
Thank you.
Which is better?
- Excuse me? - This one has more iron.
This one seems to have more of everything else.
- It all depends. Your iron poor? - I'm just poor.
If you're not iron deficient, these are probably better.
Look here, chief. I'll take these and a couple of your protein bars up front.
- Cool, got you covered. - Thanks a lot, man.
How you doing?
My name's House, and I'm an addict.
I wanna tell you something about the corner.
Never say never...
about that corner. Am I right?
Yes, that's right.
I never thought I would steal from my mother. Never.
But my thoughts told me one day that the toaster my mother had...
the one that used to burn the toast...
was mine.
So I took it.
And I rolled out...
went out to the corner, nobody asked me.
They didn't care where it came from.
Sold it. Went back. Stole something else.
Just kept stealing from my mother, because it's, like...
I couldn't stop.
The corner dominates.
Oh, yes.
It takes more, and it gives nothing back.
It took from my relationship with my own. It destroyed it.
But I was loyal to the corner.
I was so loyal to that corner...
that nothing stood in between me and the activity that went on there.
See, in order to be a part of the corner, you got to participate.
You can't be out there stumbling and fumbling, 'cause you gonna miss it.
You gonna miss your blast. See, my whole makeup...
my whole day, consisted of one thing...
I needed a shot.
If I stole from my mother...
your mother, your mother, it made no difference.
Because all I wanted to do...
was put something in me.
If you think you live with some morals...
or you got some kind of principles to govern your life, step up on that corner...
and I guarantee you...
in a short period of time, it'll take all that and flip it.
See, the strip won't flip.
And you're gonna go from being a person...
who thinks your life is governed by some rules, to being ruled.
That's the reality of the corner. It cares nothing about you.
It don't care where you come from. Your color. Your age.
Your religion.
It's big enough to take us all.
Any day now.
I'll take one for Schindler's List.
You're in the right place.
- Here's your blankets. - All right.
Now some rules.
Rules?
No drinking and drugging. You will be dismissed for the night.
Anyone caught loitering around the building will be dismissed for the night.
The second time around, take you to the director.
Your bunk is over there in the corner.
I saw Joe Layney the other day...
- riding around in a new automobile. - Oh, yeah. Joe's doing good.
Motherfucker was just as much a dope fiend as any of us.
Now he's in college and shit.
Anybody know when Blue's getting out?
Joe Layney.
Yes, Lord. He's proving this shit ain't gonna kill us all.
What was that?
I said, this shit ain't gonna kill us all.
Somebody's always gonna see the other side.
You feeling it?
They say them pink tops are pretty good.
I went to see this movie.
The one about what they did to the Jews in the war.
You went to see a movie?
Lord, what they did to them people.
What kind of dope fiend goes to the goddamn movies?
The Germans decided that they weren't human no more. They just said:
"No, you ain't human like we human," and when they said that...
hey, man...
it just got easy for them to do all kinds of dirt.
By the end, all the Germans could do was get rid of them. Kill them all.
'Cause you know, they couldn't see them being anything better than rats or bugs.
That sounds like a miserable-ass movie.
But it was real, all right?
And I'm sitting there, and I'm watching this movie.
And I'm realizing...
that it's happening again.
How do you mean, Gary?
Man, we're sitting here, day after day, making ourselves a little bit less human.
And the world's happy to see it. It seems like they're happy to see it, man.
I mean, when I was making money, it didn't matter...
'cause I was still a nigger.
Now that I'm sitting up here, getting high with y'all, it's still the same.
You talk some crazy shit, Gary.
Don't you see what I'm saying?
The Germans made the Jews into niggers. That's what that was about.
That's what this is here, except we're doing it to ourselves.
It seems like the world just can't wait for us to finish...
until we all end up dead.
Man! Just shut up and shoot dope.
Really.
Oh, girl! Look at you.
That's Francine.
Saturday, I'll be a month clean.
Hey, now. One day at a time.
Damn, Fran. You don't even look like yourself.
Come here.
So you're home now?
- I feel like I ain't got no home. - What you mean?
Baby, run up and get anything you need.
We're gonna stay up at Scoogie's till we get a place of our own.
Bunchie, I can't go up in there.
Stevie, you got a quarter?
I'm gonna call this number they gave me about one of them Section 8 houses...
over on Lexington.
Fran, good to see you. Looking good, girl.
She look good, don't she?
Yeah.
We'll see how long it'll last.
Mom's back.
- Where she at? - Out front.
- Scalio, what's happening? - Bread fell out, up inside Andy's house.
He on the couch. His eyes all rolled back in his head.
He ain't breathing right.
- What was he chasing? - Spider bags with them pink tops.
Doing a lot of coke, man. Fat Curt's up there with him now.
Don't even think it, motherfucker.
They still working on him, right?
Can't get him stabilized. That's what I heard the man say.
Oh, man. Bread.
- He's gonna be all right, Curt. - He looks real bad.
All my friends is gone. All of them.
Blubber, Hooch. All of them gone. Me be the last.
That was Bread who fell out?
- What was he firing? - Spider bags with pink tops.
Man, I got to get me some.
If it knocked Bread on his ass, that shit got to be right.
Hey, stranger.
Look what I brung you.
So I get them charges took off your ass, now you don't want nothing to do with me?
That's some rotten-ass shit!
Charge had no business being on me in the first place.
As many times as I got your ass high, now you wanna do me like this?
How long you think this little Crab House shit gonna last?
This is the last time that I'm gonna say it, Ronnie.
We ain't together no more...
and I don't wanna see you no more.
Motherfucker.
It's like this every night on Vine Street, isn't it?
- What was it like when you moved in? - Nice and quiet.
- That was when? - 1955.
Were you the first black family to buy a house here?
One of them.
- And what happened? - Nothing.
Got along with people, black and white.
And the black families moving in, they own their homes?
They wanted the same things as everyone else.
But the whites moved out, did that bother you?
Some.
Because I wasn't raised to think about black and white.
I got along with everyone.
Then, after a few years, all the whites were gone.
A lot of black families moved out as well, out to Woodlawn, Catonsville...
out to the county. As soon as people get enough money, they move out.
But you raised 15 children in this neighborhood.
But the neighborhood, the drugs, it's only gotten worse.
And even in this family, as strong as it is...
- you have a child, like Gary, who... - lf it was up to me...
I'd get rid of all of this. Stop it cold.
How would you do that?
All these people selling these drugs...
I'd get them down at the penitentiary, all of them.
I'd run that gas chamber till all this here stopped.
Gas chamber?
What, all of them?
You mean that?
I didn't think so.