Long Ago – Not Long Ago

Listen to the Mockingbird

Mean Gene

Scene 11

(Early morning, coffee shop)

 

GENE

Tom you gotta help me out with this.  Understand that at no point did I even dream I’d be stepping on your toes or anything.

 

Augie comes to me, said he had a juicy setup for me and the kid.  Makes sense right?  Help the kid out, a little extra-curricular activity.  I know I should have checked it out.  I shouldn’t have just taken Augie’s word.  I was just excited about giving the boy a nice little enterprise.

 

So I can get him out Tom.  Really.  There’s not gonna be any need for hostilities or any of that.  Dumb kid had no idea.

 

How long have you had that operation in place anyway?  Never mind, none of my business.  Look, you just gotta know that if I’d a had any notion that it was one of yours, I never.  I mean I should have my head examined, right? 

 

I’m sorry about the bullshit on the phone the other night.  You scared me Tom.  I mean, you’re a bigshot now.  A lieutenant.  Probably gonna be chief of police in a year.

 

So let’s call it even.  I’ll get the kid out.  I’ll tell Augie to go fuck himself, and the whole place is back to being yours like nothing ever happened.  Worst case you had, what, five or six months taking a little hit?  What’s that to a bigshot like you?  I’ll keep tending bar, the kid goes back to being a regular high-school punk, I tell Augie to fuck off and you’re still running the show.

 

Fair enough Tom?  Tommy.  Come on, gimme something.  Crack a smile or toss coffee on me or something.  It’s all set.  It’s all worked out.  We can be friends again, right?  Okay, see you round.  I got the breakfast.

 

Fucking cop.   Fuck you.

 

(lights dim)

In C

Mean Gene

Scene 10

(Pequod’s, early evening)

 

(PHONE RINGS)

 

GENE

Pequod’s.  Lieutenant Finn.  Sure Tom.  What?

 

You heard this from who?  Nobody who?  Look Tommy.  The kid’s a good kid.  He knows better than to try something like that.  Well no, it ain’t like I gave him the rundown on regional territories.  So you’re worried he’s cutting into your end of things?  For shit sake Lieutenant, don’t tell me you don’t have your fucking fingers in every pie in the city.  Don’t tell me a flunky high-school kid is giving you fits because he ain’t.

 

So it’s personal is what you’re telling me?  Look, first off, I ain’t heard from Augie since before he went in.  Second, my kid’s a good kid and he ain’t doing a goddamn thing wrong and if you need to know for sure then put some of your rat-ass payoff detectives on him.  And third.  Fuck you is third.  Fuck you.

 

What the fuck is that supposed to mean Tom?  The kid is fine.  The kid is clean as a whistle.  Any of this bullshit you heard is from old-timers who just want to give me shit.  Because it has to be because my kid ain’t playing. 

 

Cool your fucking jets.  If he’s up to anything I’ll find out and I’ll deal with it.  Fuck Augie and fuck any other asshole who’s feeding you bullshit.  No.  Fine.  I appreciate the call Tom.  I do.  Thanks for the warning.

 

Shit.

 

(lights dim)

Mean Gene

I seen it myself Davey.  County was full of guys who thought they could get away with a little extra.  Hell, it wasn’t the cops caught them, it wasn’t anything judicial.  It was their own people turned on them.  You’re gonna sacrifice a guy who’s no good.  He’s no good to you.  You don’t owe him nothing if he’s no good to you.  So he stays put.  But the guys who are on the ball, who play right, hell, those guys Davey, they’re solid fucking gold kid.  Solid fucking gold. 

 

Even if a guy is the greatest guy on the planet nine to five, even if you’d trust him with the crown jewels, when the sun goes down and he starts thinking for himself, starts gumming up the works, then you get problems.  You stick with the program.  You follow the plan.  You do as your told and everybody gets along and makes out.  Got me?

 

Now I know me and you, we don’t, in the grand scheme, we really aren’t all that too familiar with one another.  And I’m sorry about what happened to Carmen, to mom.  She was a good lady.  Sometimes.  Lots of times.  Anyway, I’m sorry.

 

But my point being is that we’re in business together now.  A father-son enterprise.  Real nice if you think about it.  We stand to do well by one another, and we ought not to focus on what’s happened.  We worry about what we’re up to today, right?

 

That’s the thing with us, with people like us Davey.  These kind of shots, we gotta take em.  For real kid.  We don’t get those fancy breaks, those Michigan Avenue breaks.  You know?  You play it straight and the best you can expect, the absolute best, is driving a truck or running a diner or whatever.  Just look at Tinker.  Great guy.  Top shelf.  Beats his brains out days at a time, and for what?  For buck drafts and ten-cent chicken wings.

 

We ring four figures on a Friday night, and that’s great. He’s happy as a lark.  Bills are paid.  But you know, he’ll never come out way ahead like you and me can.  He doesn’t make the big play.  He goes by the book.  He’s got some kind of American dream thing.

 

We know better Davey.  I know better.  I had time to think about it.  To realize why it’s a waste of time.  You gotta grab this one.  By the balls kid.  Grab it.  These kind of chances.  They don’t happen to the ham-and-eggers.  With this play, we come out way ahead.  You hear me kid?  Stay smart.  Follow the plan and we’re all set.  It’s gonna be great Davey boy.  It’s gonna be fucking beautiful.  By the balls.  It’s gonna be beautiful.

 

(lights dim)

Mean Gene

Scene 9

(Gene’s apartment)

 

GENE

Listen Davey.  This ain’t small time.  This ain’t like selling ditch weed to suburban kids.  What I’m saying is that this has got to be your call.  I want you to have full understanding.

 

From my take, it seems real flawless.  Augie says all you’re gonna do is move stuff, not even on school grounds, unless you see that as a good opportunity.  You’re dealing with people we already know are on the level, up and down the line.  Augie says everything is real straightforward.

 

Again, Davey, I want this to be your call.  I mean, hell, I’d a had a play like this at your age, who knows how much dough, how much high rolling.

 

I envy you kid.  I really do.  I mean, we stand, you stand to clean right up.  You’re a smart kid Davey.  I could tell that about you the moment I saw you.  I don’t know this little fucker for shit, but I can tell he ain’t no dumb-shit at least.  That’s why I told Augie we’d play ball.  That’s why I took the liberty.  Because you’re smart and you’re gonna play this super smart and super cool.

 

It’s all about that Davey.  It’s about being cool and close to the vest, you follow me?  Sometimes you speak up, and sometimes you keep your goddamn mouth shut.  This is one of those times to keep it shut.  I don’t mean like you can’t talk, I mean talking like, you know, going with the flow.  I mean eyes and ears, kid.  Eyes and ears.  So just keep your fucking mouth shut and do your job and you’re gonna be in great shape.  Unbelievable shape.

 

And see, I’m gonna share a secret for you, a way to make sure you can’t go wrong.  It’s like this.  You just worry about what you been told to worry about.  You just need to stay smart.  Which you already are, which is why I ain’t worried in the slightest.  Don’t get cute.  Don’t get goofy.  You stick with the program.  You follow the plan and all you have to do is cash in.

Mean Gene

SCENE 8

(Gene’s apartment, late night)

 

(PHONE RINGS)

 

GENE

Yeah.  Augie!  Well goddamn partner.  I thought you forgot all about me.  Why ain’t you been in Aug?  You know I’m back at Pequod’s.  Absolutely pal.  We got a special just for fat-ass spics on parole.  How long you been out?  Nice.  Nice.  Getting the lay of the land again.  Good man.

 

It’s steady.  A few of the old timers drift in.  They look beat to hell.  No.  Not like the old days.  I push drinks is all.  Tinker won’t even let me give beers away Aug.  Guy’s a fucking respectable citizen.

 

Sure.  I can talk.  I mean it Aug.  It’s me.  What’s up?  What, you got an offer I can’t refuse?  Don’t worry about Finn.  Finn ain’t shit.  He ain’t worth shit.  Fucking guy.  His fucking career.  No, what’s the story?  Some commerce?

 

What?  Davey?  Yeah.  Yeah, he’s at Ignatius.  Gonna be a sophomore, again.  Takes after his old man, yeah.  He’s a punk Aug.  Grass and ass.  Grass and ass.

 

What are you saying?  Look, the kid’s a fuck up, but he’s not stupid.  No, he has lots of friends.  All kinds.  Why don’t you tell me first and I’ll tell him.

 

Are you fucking serious Augie?  Are you out of your goddamn mind?  You want to bring my kid on?  That school’s already controlled.  You go there and do it yourself.  Not my fucking kid, asshole.

 

What do you mean?  You mean hundred.  A hundred you mean.  You mean thousand?  Jesus fuck.  That’s a lot Augie.  I’m doing the math.  I’m doing it.

 

Okay Aug.  Okay.  Come by this weekend.  We’ll talk about it.  Don’t sweat Finn.  Finn’s a fucking joke twice over.  No, keep Davey out of it until we talk.  I’m serious Augie.  Until we talk.  Understand?  Fine.  Okay.  Lemme watch my fucking show.

 

(lights dim)

Mean Gene

Scene 7

(Pequod’s, morning)

 

GENE

(SHOUTING O.S.) 

No.  Take all those boxes from the top of the cooler.  Right.  All the paper towels and move them next to the cage.  Don’t gimme a fucking look kid.  Don’t fucking test me.

 

Try pouring concrete you don’t like it.  Goddamn punk.  Stinks like reefer and Puerto Rican snatch.  Earn a goddamn honest living one goddamn day.  Giggly cunts calling all the time.  Good thing you’re good looking kid.  Get away with a lot more shit that way.  I know.  Get away with a lot more shit.

 

(SHOUTING O.S.)

No, goddamn it Davey.  Get the goddamn ladder from the back.  Sonofabitch!

 

(PHONE RINGS) 

 

Pequod’s.  Yeah Tink.  Yeah.  No.  I got him sorting out behind the coolers right now.  He’s doing fine.  Sure.  What’s that?

 

What do you mean?  Is the count off?  So what’s the beef?  Lemme understand this right.  You’re bawling me out because the bills had the wrong color rubber band?  I know.  I know.  Every hundred gets green.  Every five gets red.

 

So fucking what.  So is anything missing?  No.  So why are you busting my goddamn balls about a rubber band?  Relax yourself Tinker.  Yeah.  See you in a bit.

 

(lights dim)