Nino approaches his window. NINO SER...

Nino approaches his window.

NINO SERGIO! SERGIO! Come here for a sec. GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! Come on up. I got some things I need you to get. NO! NOT LATER, CARAJO! NOW! Christ with this damn kid...

Nino plays music.

ESO! THERE YOU GO!

SERGIO ANTONIO ORTIZ, a chubby young man in his twenties, enters: disheveled manner, ragged jeans, untucked shirt, worn-out sneakers, loads of gel in his hair... He carries a folded piece of paper in his back pocket. He watches Nino for a moment then turns off the music.

SERGIO Hey, pop. NINO Who said you could turn off my music? SERGIO I said hey, pop. NINO You the one payin’ rent? SERGIO The whole neighborhood hears you screaming like a lunatic. NINO Then let them hear. (Shouting out of the window) I’M CELEBRATING LIFE, GOD DAMN IT! SERGIO Get out of there! You know the sun doesn’t do you any good. NINO Ay, please... A man who grew up in the countryside... EL CIBAO. Miles of fertile earth. Plátano trees and freshly killed game. Since when is a man like that allergic to the sun? SERGIO Remember the last time your skin got all- NINO You do the blessing? SERGIO Come on, pop. Every time we go in and out this house we have to cross ourselves? This ain’t no church. We not even practicing Catholics. NINO Says who? I read my bible. SERGIO The Watchtower isn’t the bible.

Nino smacks him across the back of the head.

NINO Shut your damn mouth and cross yourself! SERGIO I told you to quit it with the hitting- NINO CROSS YOURSELF! SERGIO Alright! NINO In the name of the father, the son- SERGIO I got it.

Sergio half mumbles the prayer.

NINO What are you muttering over there? Loud and clear! Sometimes them saints like to pretend they hard of hearing. SERGIO What’s that smell? NINO A little somethin’ somethin’ I cooked. Grab yourself some. SERGIO I’m not hungry. NINO Of course you not hungry. Look at you. Always eating garbage from the streets. As fat as a buffalo. SERGIO You take your blood pills? NINO Piece of shit pills... SERGIO Your problem. NINO I took ‘em. SERGIO You have to take the rest in an hour. NINO If I even remember. SERGIO You have to. What day you take what, the amount, what time... I’m not gonna be here anymore.

Sergio hands him a pillbox.

SERGIO Here... NINO Looks like a coffin for mice. SERGIO This one’s for the blood pressure. This one’s in case the blood pressure pills mess with the liver. This one’s in case the liver pills mess with the stomach. This one’s in case the stomach ones mess with your vision. This one’s in case the vision ones mess with the lungs. And these three-

NINO So your balls don’t fall off from so many God damn pills. SERGIO I’ll write everything down so you don’t forget. NINO You leave tomorrow afternoon then? SERGIO Yeah. After the... NINO After what? SERGIO Everything’s pretty much packed. NINO You dyin’ to get out of here, aren’t you? SERGIO A change of scenery is always good. NINO Don’t you take anything of mine. SERGIO I don’t want anything of yours. NINO You haven’t even showed me this so-called apartment. SERGIO It’s close to school. NINO Okay, but where exactly? SERGIO Bedford Park. The Bronx. NINO Christ almighty, muchacho... That area ain’t nothin’ but black thugs and Dominican trash fresh off the boat. Pray you don’t get mugged or shot. All you hear in them news is someone over in that hole getting murdered every five minutes. SERGIO I happen to like it. NINO Of course you like it. Just as stupid as your mother. SERGIO Mom has a name. NINO What trains run by that joint? SERGIO The 4 and the D. NINO Mm... Pretty far from here. SERGIO Far enough. NINO Don’t be asking me for no money after you leave.

SERGIO I’m sharing the apartment with two other people. That and the part-time I have is plenty. NINO Part-time... Yeah, right. You’ll be back. SERGIO I won’t. NINO Get me a drink. SERGIO Please. NINO What? SERGIO You want something, you say please. NINO How about you please shut the hell up and get my drink! Stupid idiot. Move!

Sergio prepares the drink.

NINO And listen... Just one cube, you got me? I don’t want a clear head.

Nino coughs and seems short of breath.

SERGIO You alright? NINO What? I can’t breathe in my own house now? The drink. Where’s the ice?

Sergio grabs an ice cube from the kitchen.

SERGIO Did you finally get some sleep? NINO What are you talking about? SERGIO You told me you were seeing things, remember? NINO I didn’t tell you I was seeing things. I’m not a psycho like your mother. SERGIO Her name is Norma. NINO AB-NORMAL is more like it! What I said was that I felt somethin’ strange.

Nino attempts to light a cigarette.

SERGIO Your stomach hurting again?

NINO Not that. It’s like... Somebody watchin’. SERGIO Who? NINO I swear with these piece of shit lighters... Not worth a piss. SERGIO The doctor said you need to stop- NINO Here. See if you can fix that....

Sergio shakes and flickers the lighter then attempts to light up Nino’s cigarette.

NINO Oye pero watch it! You gonna burn off my chin? SERGIO Seriously, pop.

Sergio lights up the cigarette.

SERGIO Your pajama shirt is crooked. NINO Crooked? SERGIO The buttons. Let me fix- NINO It’s fine. SERGIO You’re cold. NINO I’m good. SERGIO A block of ice- NINO Que te heche pa’ allá, coño! Get away!

Loud, hip hop music pours in from the streets.

NINO Ah pue’. Here we go with them black thugs and their gangster music. SERGIO You play yours they play theirs.

Nino leans over the window.

NINO TURN THAT SH#T DOWN! THIS AIN’T ONE OF YOUR GOD DAMN AFRICAN JUNGLES!

SERGIO Get out of there!

The music dissipates.

NINO Bunch of monkeys. SERGIO What is it you want me to buy so I can go and get it? NINO Buy? SERGIO You were yelling out the window for me to-- NINO Oh. Right. SERGIO Why don’t you just let Dennis do it? That way he gets use to it. I’m not gonna be here- NINO Pack of Marlboros. Red box. And careful, ‘cause last time you got the white. SERGIO I didn’t get the- NINO You got the white. SERGIO I got the white. NINO Here...

Nino grabs his wallet from his pajama pocket.

SERGIO You have your wallet in your PJ’s? NINO You know Dennis be taking my money. SERGIO He takes it because you give it to him. Bet you don’t even know where he is. NINO Of course. He’s looking into that GED thing. SERGIO And you believe that? NINO Five, ten, twenty. And grab me a can of sardines in olive oil, a pack of Gilletes, two dollars worth of plátanos, some sausage to make a locrito tomorrow, ya know? Oh, but the “campesino” brand, you got me? SERGIO This isn’t enough to buy all that stuff. NINO Well then you put in the rest. Aren’t you all independent now with an apartment and a part-time job? SERGIO Fine. NINO Come here.

Nino hands Sergio more money.

NINO Bring back the change. SERGIO Yes. NINO And a receipt. SERGIO Right. NINO And don’t you get anything from them Dominicans downstairs. Bunch of thieving hicks. SERGIO Okay. NINO OH! Get over to Yubeiki’s and put five bucks on a pair. 19... with 44. Maybe I’ll finally hit somethin’. I mean, sh#t, if the spirits are gonna show me numbers in dreams what the hell is the point of them coming out backwards, right? SERGIO You’re the one that keeps betting on them- NINO Run the numbers by me. SERGIO 19 with 44. Be right back- NINO What is that? SERGIO Hm? NINO That thing sticking out of your pocket. SERGIO Oh. Nothing. NINO You better not be up to anything crooked. SERGIO I’m not Dennis. NINO I asked you a question. SERGIO My friend asked me to draw him. NINO Draw... So that’s why you wanna leave? So you can go back to that bullsh#t? SERGIO It was just something quick- NINO Let’s see.

SERGIO It’s nothing- NINO Let me see!

Nino snatches the paper from Sergio’s pocket.

NINO This looks like Jesus Christ. SERGIO Come on-

NINO You drawin’ boys that look like Jesus Christ? I don’t want no faggot kids, ya hear me? SERGIO Oh my God. NINO I told you there’s no future in this doodling crap.

Nino crushes the paper and throws it away.

SERGIO Don’t throw my stuff away. NINO It’s garbage. SERGIO I thought you liked art. NINO Excuse me? SERGIO You’ve had that thing hanging up there for ages. NINO That’s nothing. SERGIO It’s a painting. NINO It’s somethin’ else. SERGIO What is it then? NINO When are you graduating with this so-called business degree? SERGIO I don’t know. I have core classes to finish. NINO You need to speed it up. SERGIO Uh huh...

Nino smacks Sergio across the back of his head. NINO COÑO, don’t “uh huh” me, you hear?! Don’t you “uh huh” me! SERGIO Alright! NINO Piss me right the f##k off with that stupid “uh huh.” Sounding like a God damn caveman. You told me you were gonna stop with that faggot bullsh#t but I still see little pencils and scraps of paper scattered all over.
SERGIO Jesus- NINO You wanna stay in that piece of sh#t job the rest of your life? Is that it? A collection agency? No benefits? Don’t you come knockin’ when you need somethin’. SERGIO I’m not gonna knock- NINO I already told you to find a nice gringa in school to help you out.
SERGIO Blond hair and blue eyes, right? NINO Damn straight! She can hook you up with a good job. SERGIO Because only white girls can hook me up? NINO Better than the trash you hang with now. Always pregnant. Breeding like fuckin’ hamsters. A baby in each arm and one bakin’ in the oven. Bunch of whores. Didn’t even finish high school. Can’t even read. SERGIO You can barely read. NINO Listen, you son of a... I didn’t come from that piece of sh#t country to raise gangsters, you got me? SERGIO Uh huh- I mean yes. NINO Look at you. Hunched over. Slouched. Pathetic. Don’t even carry yourself like a professional. Look at that face. Ay, dio’ mío, that face. Who’s gonna hire that death mask? SERGIO You done? NINO Oh, I’m just gettin’ started. SERGIO I’ll see you later- NINO Don’t you take a step! SERGIO Man... NINO Dressed like a bum... Shirt undone, sneakers that look like two giant turds... And how many times have I told you to stop combing your hair like somebody took a piss on it. I’m surprised you don’t have it in an afro. Always hangin’ around those monkeys.

SERGIO They’re African American. NINO They’re black thug criminals. All of ‘em. SERGIO What is your deal with black people? You black. NINO Mira, coño! I got Spanish blood! SERGIO From who? Your fourth cousin twice removed? NINO You are really stretching the limits of my patience today, aren’t you? SERGIO God almighty- NINO What you should be doing is following in Julio Cesar’s footsteps. SERGIO Who? NINO Your brother. Julio Cesar. What, you forget? May not be from the same mother but you still related. SERGIO And when was the last time that person even called you? NINO “That person” knows how to do things right. He finished school. Graduated in three years. Says he’s gonna be a teacher. And you... You over here doodling boys that look like Jesus Christ. SERGIO Is he moving back from Texas? NINO I don’t know. SERGIO He should. NINO What for? SERGIO Well, since he’s so good at doing things... Maybe he can help. NINO Help with what? SERGIO You didn’t tell him what was going on? NINO Nothing is going on.

Pause.

NINO Hurry up before it gets late. SERGIO They called from the hospital last night.

NINO Last night? SERGIO On my cell. I told them to call you directly but- NINO Idiots. That’s what they are. SERGIO It was late. You were sleeping. NINO Why did they call so late? SERGIO To talk about last week’s tests. NINO Milking me for every dime they can get. They can kiss my ass. SERGIO It’s not that. They want you to... NINO What? SERGIO You know... NINO Do I look like a mind reader? SERGIO They want you to go to the hospital in the morning to take that thing out of your stomach. Before it spreads. NINO Spreads? SERGIO In your body. NINO In my... SERGIO Right. NINO Tomorrow morning? SERGIO They caught it early enough and think if you- NINO So soon? SERGIO They wanna do surgery to see if- NINO Tomorrow morning? SERGIO If they can’t take it out- NINO Am I gonna die? SERGIO No no no. Let me explain-

NINO What else did they say? SERGIO They’re supposed to call back with a check-in time. NINO You tell me this now? SERGIO I was waiting- NINO For what? SERGIO To see if your disability got approved. They were supposed to call today- NINO Wait a minute, wait a minute. Disability? You told people at work I’m sick? SERGIO You can’t keep cleaning offices- NINO I’m not sick. SERGIO Then what are you? NINO MOTHERF##KER! DEATH IS NOT COMING IN THIS HOUSE, YOU GOT ME?!

Nino hurls various things at Sergio.

Pause.

SERGIO I’m not cleaning up your mess.

Sergio leaves.

END OF SCENE

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