BEGGIN FOR CHEAP (COIN TOSS) THE RAILWAY SERIES
Renée A. Hermiz
EXT. A HARLEM STREET – DAY
SHERIE
sees STUBS, a man with stubs for fingers, pick up a
coin
from the ground with his stubs.
SHERIE
Dang,
Stubs, you can pick up stuff with
your stubs? Here, do it again.
Sherie tosses a coin on
the ground. Stubs picks it up.
SHERIE
Let
me see that again.
Sherie tosses another coin
down. Stubs picks it up.
SHERIE
Man,
it can’t be that hard. If I do that, are
you gonna give me all my coins back?
STUBS
You
ain’t gonna do that.
SHERIE
I
didn’t ask you if I could do it. I said are you gonna give me my coins back if
I do do it?
STUBS
Yeah
alright, I can agree to that cuz you ain’t gonna do it.
Sherie tries to pick up
coins with her knuckles but fails.
STUBS
See.
I told you, you couldn’t do it. I told
you, you ain’t gettin’ them coins!
SHERIE
There
ain’t no need to holler, Stubs. Damn, if
you can do that, you deserve all those coins.
INT. RESTAURANT - DAY
Stubs sits at one of the
tables Sherie is waitressing.
STUBS
Hit
me up with another cup, sista.
SHERIE
Another
cup of coffee? Stubs, are you gonna order anything else?
STUBS
Nah,
I got these here coins an’ I wan’ a cup
o’
coffee!
SHERIE
Aw,
come on, Stubs. You got those coins from
me. Man, I gotta make a living,
too. All you’re getting is refills. I only got two tables and you’re one of ‘em.
Stubs thinks.
STUBS
You
bring me some o’ that free bread, yet?
SHERIE
Bread? Aw, man, we don’t give out free bread, Stubs.
STUBS
There’s
free bread if I’m on my last cup o’ coffee.
Or I might just think about havin’ a few more cups.
SHERIE
Alright,
alright! I’ll get out that bread and
then you’re gone. Understand? Or you’ll
have stubs for toes, too!
STUBS
Already
got ‘em. Oh—don’t forget some more sugar
for my coffee.
EXT – A STREET IN HARLEM – DAY
Sherie walks home from the
train. A few dollars fly out of her
pocket. She runs to grab them, but Stubs
gets to them first.
SHERIE
Hey. Hey, thanks Stubs.
Sherie holds out her hand.
STUBS
Thanks
for what?
SHERIE
Ah,
c’mon, Stubs. Don’t play me like
that. Those are my dollars.
STUBS
What
are you sayin’ girl?
SHERIE
I’m
sayin’ those are mine. Man, that’s all I earned today.
STUBS
Nah,
nah … see, these dollars here fell out of my pocket.
SHERIE
No,
Stubs. They fell out of MY pocket.
STUBS
You
sayin’ I’m a criminal, girl? That I took
your dollars?
Sherie grabs the dollars
from Stubs’ stubs.
STUBS
What?
That ain’t right!
SHERIE
Hey,
life’s a coin toss. All’s I’m saying,
Stubs … You might be able to pick up my coins, but ain’t no way you’re gettin’
my dollars.
BLACKOUT.
