Left Long

Steel Fuses — Act I Scene VII

(The lights come up on the bodega. JUAN is behind the counter, flipping lazily through a newspaper. GERARD is stocking shelves. HE is wearing an apron over his clothes. The door opens and JUAN and GERARD look up. FRANKIE enters, in uniform, on patrol as project security. JUAN turns a page.)

JUAN
( without looking up )

Hey, Frankie.

FRANKIE

Sup Juan?

JUAN

Same ol', same ol'. You know how it is, ese. Stand around, check the inventory of the stuff I'm not selling – This is the life, eh?

FRANKIE

Yea. I know.

GERARD
( over his shoulder )

Man, shut up, Juan. You love this. And you know it.

JUAN

How ‘bout you worry about pricing those cereal boxes, eh there?

(JUAN pulls out a pricing gun from behind the counter and slides it towards the end of the counter, in GERARD's general direction.)

GERARD

Aw, dammit.

(GERARD unenthusiastically grabs the pricing gun off the counter. FRANKIE starts sifting through the chips again. GERARD and FRANKIE do their handshake – two pounds, left hands first, then right; then with forearms crossed at the wrists, they tap at the wrist; it ends with a kiss to a spot 3 inches from the wrist on the inside of the left forearm. GERARD lolls over to the cereal and starts picking up boxes and slapping on the tags.)

FRANKIE

Whutup, D?

GERARD

Whatchu think, dawg? I been workin'.

FRANKIE
( curious )

‘S it? Nothin' up?

GERARD

Nothin'.

FRANKIE

Son, there's always somethin' with you.

GERARD

Well… there was this one fly beatch came in a quick minute ago.

FRANKIE

No doubt, no doubt… Son, is you smirkin'?

GERARD

Yea, I am… digits, BEEEEEE-ATCH!

FRANKIE

Say word?

GERARD

Hellz yea, say word. God musta been feelin' like Jason Kidd up there, cuz he dropped an ill kinda dime on a nigga.

FRANKIE

Always basketball…

GERARD

Dawg, did it make sense? Hm… Yea, shut the fuck up. So, check it – I'm just workin', doin' my thing, and shorty rolls up in the store. She ain't dressed up or nothin' just rockin drawstring sweats and a zipper hoodie over a baby tee, but daaaaayum… I din't even know what to do with it, dawg. I almost blew on the spot.

FRANKIE

Dawg…

GERARD

You ain't seen her, Stut. FIIIIIIIIINE. F – I – N – E.

FRANKIE

Still gross, D.

GERARD

Yea, whatever. But yo, girl was kinda lookin' confused and whatnot and then said she needed some help findin' the milk, and I was thinkin', “Yo, errybody knows where the milk's at.” So I was like, “Aight then, girl wants up in it. I can deal with that.”

FRANKIE

True… true.

GERARD

So I all helped her out and whatnot, you know how I do. Real nice and slow, guided her down the aisle by the waist, even told Juan I could ring this one up, did it right. She asked if I had a pen, and I yoinked that shit straight from Juan ‘fore he even had time to react and hooked her up and ba-dow… digits.

FRANKIE

Solid, D.

GERARD

Son. It was ill… Angie ( pauses, savoring the name ) ‘S a beautiful name ain't it?

FRANKIE

Aight, now you trippin'. ( a beat ) You been thinkin' for me?

GERARD

Say word. Almost forgot. I'm game. You my boy. I'ma give your guy some face time.

FRANKIE

Good lookin' out.

GERARD

Yo, if he's really the guy, then I'ma be the one thankin' you.

FRANKIE

‘S aight, D. I gotta get back on detail.

(FRANKIE and GERARD do their handshake during the following exchange.)

GERARD

No doubt, kid. Catch you later.

FRANKIE

Peace kid.

(FRANKIE pays for his stuff and leaves. The lights fade on the bodega as HE EXITS and GERARD and JUAN return to their work.)

Scene VIII

(Lights open on the courtyard. MANI is chillin' on the bench, lazily watching the Js, who are somewhat drunkenly trying to dribble past each other with a basketball. JARROD signals to MANI.)

JARROD

Yo, Mani. Check this one out.

(JARROD begins dribbling frantically, trying to break JAMAL's ankles. He intersperses trash talk.)

JARROD

(continuing)

What? What? Where you at son? Huh? You like a pair of glasses, boy – I see clearly through you. What?

(JAMAL stays with him, but then trips over his feet sideways and falls on his face. MANI cracks up and JARROD starts laughing so hard, he forgets to pay attention to the ball, and it rolls away. It stops when it bumps into the feet of a group of girls who are walking by. JARROD goes after the ball with JAMAL tailing him. STEPHANIE steps over and picks the ball up. JARROD tries to keep the laughs down in an attempt to be smooth.)

JARROD

Hey, ma. Hook it up?

(STEPHANIE eyes him critically. JARROD swings an arm up to point.)

JARROD

(continuing)

The ball.

(SHE hands it to HIM. A beat passes while JARROD composes the line. )

JARROD

(continuing)

You know, I got somewhere for you to plant that onion.

(HE gives a nod towards her behind. STEPHANIE's face scrunches up in disgust. MANI is laughing to himself. SHE snorts, turns on a heel back to her girls, and THEY start walking towards stage left. MANI collects himself and strolls over to intercept.)

MANI

Ayo. Ladies.

(The girls' attention is gotten. MANI reaches them.)

MANI

(continuing)

I do apologize for my boy over there. He's feelin a lil' under the influence at the moment.

(HE makes a drinking gesture. The girls crack smiles.)

MANI

(continuing)

So, what say we cut the tape and hit rewind? Strike that from the record and whatnot.

(HE gives off perfect pleading/“give-it-a-shot” body language. The girls exchange glances and STEPHANIE turns towards him.)

STEPHANIE

Aight, papi. Run it back.

(MANI extends a hand to shake.)

MANI

They call me Mani.

(MANI raises her hand to his lips and kisses it. HE brushes the backside of her hand with his thumb, and glances down at the ground, then looks up with a killer smile.)

MANI

(continuing)

What's your name?

STEPHANIE

Do you always run game this silly?

MANI
( cocky, but in jest )

Only cuz it works.

STEPHANIE

Stephanie. ( a beat ) Nice to meet you, Mani.

MANI

My pleasure. ( he winks, a beat passes ) I'd like to call you sometime.

STEPHANIE

Oh would you?

MANI

Yea. Gimme digits and I'll work something out.

STEPHANIE
( taken aback )

Say what?

MANI

Just playin'. ( a beat ) Promise. I'ma go clubbin' day after next. I'll holla.

STEPHANIE
( somewhat skeptical )

Yea… don't play like that.

MANI

It's straight. For real.

(STEPHANIE regards him skeptically for a moment, then fishes in her purse for a pen and a scrap of paper. SHE writes down a number and hands it to him. MANI takes it and points at her then makes an “I'll call” gesture and winks. SHE turns back to her group and EXITS with them stage left. MANI watches them exit and then returns to the bench where the Js are waiting.)

JAMAL

Dawg, you did us again.

JARROD

Word, son. That's some bullshit.

MANI

Huh? Whatever, fellas. It wasn't even worth it.

JAMAL

Negro, please. You just tryin' to leave your boys hangin' is all.

JARROD

Yea, we see how it is, dawg.

MANI

Nah, yo. I ain't tryin' to do y'all wrong. It's just… Nah forget it, yo.

JARROD

Yea, forget it. ( a beat ) Yo, forget this .

JAMAL

Word, son. Let's bounce.

JARROD

No doubt. ( to MANI ) See you ‘round, guy.

JAMAL

( understated, as they EXIT, stage left )

Punk ass.

MANI
( without looking towards them )

Whatever, yo.

(MANI sits on the bench, leaning back. Then shifts forward, resting his elbows on his knees, with his head in his hands. HE rubs the top of his head, and then looks forward for several seconds; palms pressed together, index fingers resting from his chin to his nose. Then HE leans back, sighs, and gives a quick shake of the head.)

MANI

(continuing)

Shit is busted. I gotta get outta here.

(HE pushes off his knees, gets up and exits stage left. The lights fade on the courtyard.)

Scene IX

(The lights open on the courtyard. FRANKIE is strolling on patrol, swinging his flashlight back and forth. GERARD enters stage left.)

GERARD

Yo, Stut!

(FRANKIE swivels around and sees GERARD.)

FRANKIE

Whutup, D?

(FRANKIE and GERARD do the handshake.)

GERARD

Just got off from work, figured I'd catch you ‘fore I went up.

FRANKIE

Good lookin'.

GERARD

Anything happen?

FRANKIE

Nah, it's been quiet.

GERARD

I hear that. ( a beat ) So what's the deal with your guy? If I'ma give him time, I wanna know when.

FRANKIE

Yea. Tomorrow good?

GERARD

Yea, man. That's straight. ( a beat ) I think I'ma head.

FRANKIE

Aight. Peace kid.

(HE gives GERARD a pound. GERARD begins to walk away. A beat passes.)

FRANKIE

Yo, D.

(GERARD stops and turns back.)

FRANKIE

(continuing)

Thanks.

GERARD

No prob. Sleep right, dawg.

(FRANKIE and GERARD do the handshake during the following exchange.)

FRANKIE

Peace.

GERARD

One.

(HE EXITS. FRANKIE watches him walk off.)

FRANKIE
( to himself, hopeful, trailing off )

I hope he can deal with this…

(HE swings his flashlight ahead of him and EXITS stage right, whistling softly. Lights fade on the courtyard.)

Scene X

(Lights open on the practice court. It is the wee hours of the morning. There is a spotlight on a basketball that rests in the middle of the court. The rest of the lighting is dim, coming from the building and street lights.

After a few seconds, A MAN ENTERS. Shadow and the night combine to mask his identity. HE looks both ways, confident that no one is looking, and walks out onto the court.

HE looks up at the rim, at the ball, and at the rim again. HE tentatively walks over and picks the ball up. HE holds it with both hands and slowly rotates it in his palms. HE tucks it in the crook of his arm and glances up at the hoop. HE recoils from the glare of direct moonlight, and shields his eyes with his other forearm. HE brings the ball back into his palm and spins it. He takes a dribble. Then another. HE gradually speeds up and begins crossing the ball over and moves on to other various dribbling techniques.

After a bit, HE pulls the ball up into a shooting pose. HE hesitates – moonlight playing across his face – and then shoots. The ball drops right into the net. HE half-smiles, to himself. HE grabs the rebound before the ball can bounce twice, and begins to take jump shots from various spots around the court.

Lights have begun to go on in building windows, even though the ball has not hit the ground twice, even after a miss. As HE starts to warm up, HE mixes moves in with the jumpers. Heads begin to poke out of building windows.

THE MAN grabs a long rebound, and without thinking drives the lane. HE takes two steps and claps his hand loudly on the metal backboard as he makes the shot, the echo of skin on steel ringing through the quiet night.)

ALICIA

Hey! Hey! Aren't you…

(THE MAN doesn't stick around to hear the end of the question. HE reflexively looks in the direction of the yell and then bolts offstage. The ball bounces in place before rolling to and then coming to a rest against the fence.)

ALICIA

(continuing)

( defeated )

…that Maniac guy?

Curtain
End Act One