Hey. Uh, you just now coming here from leaving this morning? Yeah, I had to go to football practice. Yeah, what? Yes, sir.
You know, I ain't but two seconds off you no way. That garbage sitting in there overflowing, you ain't done none of your chores, now you come in here talking about, yeah. I was just getting ready to do my chores now, Pop. Your first chore is to help me with this fence on Saturday.
Everything else come after that. Now, get that saw. We're gonna cut these boards. Hey, Pop.
Mm? Why don't you buy a TV? What I want with a TV?
What I want one of them for? Hey, everybody got one. Earl, Babe Bruh, Jesse. I ain't ask you who had one.
I said what I want with one. So you can watch it. They got lots of things on TV.
Baseball and everything. Yeah? We could watch the World Series. Yeah, how much this TV cost?
I don't know. They got them on sale for about $200. $200?
That ain't that much, Pop. No, that's just $200. You see that roof you got sitting over your head at night?
Let me tell you something about that roof. It's been 10 years since that roof was last hard. See now?
Now snow come this winter, sit up on that roof like it is, it's gonna seep inside, just gonna be a little bit, you ain't gonna hardly notice it. Then the next thing you know, it's going to be leaking all over the house. Then the wood rot from all that water, and you're going to need a whole new roof. Now, how much do you think it costs to get that roof fixed? I don't know.
$264 cash money, see? While you be thinking about a TV. I got to be thinking about the roof or whatever else go wrong around here Now if you had $200, what would you do fix the roof or buy a TV? How about TV and when the roof started to leak if you need to fix it? I fix it Where you gonna get your money from you don't spit it on TV You're gonna sit up in there and let that water run all over your brand new TV.
No pop you got the money I know you do where I got it at, huh in the bank. You want to see my bank book? You want to see that?
$73.22 I got sitting up in there. You don't have to pay for it all at one time You could put a down payment on it and carry it Not me. I ain't gonna owe nobody nothing if I can help it. Miss a payment, they come and snatch it right out your house, then what you got?
Huh? See? Now, when I get $200 clear, I'll buy me a TV.
Right now, when I get $264, I'm gonna get that roof fixed. Oh, Pop, come on. You go and get you $200 and buy you a TV if you want to.
I got better things to do with my money. I can't get $200. I ain't never seen $200.
I'll tell you what. You get $100, I'll put the other $100 with it. All right, I'm going to go get it. I'll show you. You're gonna show me how you can cut these boards right now.
There you go. That's $200 worth. Can I ask you a question? What the hell you got to ask me?
Mr. Stowicki the one you got the questions for. How come you ain't never liked me? Like you?
Who the hell said I got to like you? What law is there say I got to like you? Want to stand up in front of my face and ask a damn fool-ass question like that? Talking about liking somebody. Come here, boy, when I talk to you.
Straighten up, goddammit. I asked you a question. What law is there say I got to like you? None.
All right, then. Don't you eat every day? Answer me when I talk to you.
Don't you eat every day? Yeah. Nigga, as long as you in my house, you put a sir on the end of it when you talk to me.
Yes, sir. You eat every day. Yes, sir.
Got a roof over your head. Yes, sir. Got clothes on your back. Yes, sir. Why you think that is?
Because of you. Hell, I know it's because of me, but why do you think that is? Because you like me. Like you.
I go out of here every morning. I bust my butt putting up with them crackers every day. God, I like you. You're about the biggest fool I ever saw.
It's my job. It's my responsibility. A man is supposed to take care of his family.
You live in my house, fill your belly with my food, put you behind on my bed because you're my son. Not because I like you, it's because it's my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you. Now let's get this straight right here and now before I go along any further.
I ain't got to like you. Mr. Rand don't give me my money, come pay day because he like me, he give it to me because he owe me. Now I don't give you everything I got to give you, I give you your life.
Me and your mama worked that out between us and liking your black ass wasn't part of the bargain. Now don't you go through life worrying about whether somebody like you or not. You best be making sure they're doing right by you. You understand what I'm saying? Yes, sir.
Then get the hell out of my face and get on down to that A&P.