This screenplay is copyrighted to its author. All rights reserved. 
This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express 
written permission of the author.

The People's Army

A screenplay written by Khaaliq J. Crouch
3/15/03

 
1Int-(Afternoon, September 14th, 2003) Kareem is being led down a 
prison walkway by two guards. He is emotionless.  He is about 6 feet 
tall, dark brown skinned with shoulder-length dreadlocks.  He is 
wearing a blue prison uniform with a white beanie on his head, similar 
to the ones worn by Muslims. He is carrying a folded, gray blanket with 
a roll of toilet paper sitting on top of it. The guards stop him in 
front of a cell with an inmate already inside.

First Guard
Hey, Jackson!  We got a celebrity coming in with you!

The man already in the cell, Jackson, lies flat on the top bunk looking 
through the bars.  

Second Guard
Open 36!

Cell number 36 opens and Kareem is motioned inside.

First Guard
Get his autograph for me too!

Kareem remains emotionless to the taunts of the guards.  He sits down 
on the mattress below Jackson and places his blanket and toilet paper 
next to him.  Jackson sits up.  Jackson is in his early twenties.  He 
is bald-headed and somewhat short.

Jackson
Yo, man, what the hell he talkin' about?

Kareem lets out a sigh.  He is quiet for a moment.

Kareem
 I couldn't understand him.  I don't speak pig.
Jackson laughs. 

Jackson
Why he call you a celebrity?  You a serial killer or something?  You 
blow up a national monument?

Kareem
Nah, man.  I'm not a celebrity.


Jackson
What's ya name, partner?

Kareem
Kareem Mosley.

Jackson sits up straight.  His expression is full of shock.

Jackson
Yo, you Kareem Mosley! You serious?

Jackson hops down from his bunk.  He is now looking at Kareem face to 
face.

Kareem
You know me?

Jackson
Yeah, man!  We watch the news in here.  We heard about you and The 
People's Army.  They never showed a picture of you, though.  That's why 
I didn't know it was you when you came in. I can't believe it's you!

Kareem
 I'm no celebrity.

Jackson
Man, I can introduce you to hundreds of brothers in here that would 
disagree with that.  You  like…a living legend.  You not just local, 
you national!  The things you was doin' here in D.C. made the news all 
the way in California where my cousins live.  You a celebrity!

Kareem (seeming frustrated)
I'm not a celebrity.  All I did was play my part in protecting my 
neighborhood. 

Jackson
Yeah, I hear you, man.  All I'm saying is brothers in here got a lot of 
respect for what you and The People's Army did.  The courage ya'll had 
inspired a lot of cats in here.  Some dudes was even talkin' about a 
boycott.    

Kareem
I  don't think they could pull it off.

Jackson
You'd be surprised at how crazy some of 'em are.


Kareem
I'm not talking about being crazy.  It's easy to be crazy.  I'm talking 
about having discipline.  Organization.  The ability to lead and be 
able to follow at the same time.  Being crazy won't do anything for you 
but get you killed.  Fast.

Jackson
Yeah, you right.  I seen a lot of brothers in here go crazy.  They 
might come in here to do 15 years or so.  Then one day all that time 
just starts to get to them.  They end up doin something crazy, like 
shank a guard.  End up on Death Row.

Kareem
So is that the kind of person you would let lead you?  Would you risk 
your life with him?

Jackson
Nah, man.  I wouldn't be stupid enough to die with him.

Kareem
But tell me this.  If he was an intelligent, respectable man.  An apt 
leader.  Would you be loyal enough to die for him then?

Jackson
Let me put it like this.  If the leader was you, then definitely.    
Cut to:


 2Ext.-  Kareem strolls calmly through the prison yard.  He is going 
nowhere in specific, rather walking aimlessly.  A prisoner approaches 
him.

Prisoner
Yo, you got a cigarette, my nigga?

Kareem has a look of disgust on his face.  He glares at the prisoner.

Kareem
First off let me tell you like I tell those racist cops: I'm not your 
nigga.  Have enough respect for me and yourself not to use that word.  
If you use it at all it better be aimed at the ones who gave it to us 
in the first place.  And secondly, no I don't have a cigarette because 
I don't believe in helping to kill myself.  It's hard enough for our 
people to stay alive, why would you want to help eliminate yourself?

Prisoner
Damn, man.  You could have just said no.  

The prisoner walks off looking bewildered. Kareem continues to stroll 
casually.    Cut to:

3 Int-(Morning, September 15th, 2003)  Kareem sits in the prison 
library reading an Encyclopedia.  Jackson walks in with another inmate.  
Jackson spots Kareem and leads his friend toward him.  They approach 
Kareem's table.  


Jackson
Kareem!  What's up, man? (To his companion) This is Kareem Mosley!  Yo, 
Kareem this is my cousin Stinky.

Stinky's face is full of admiration.

Stinky
Yo! You the leader of the People's Army?

Kareem
 More or less. (Looks up from his book) Should I ask why they call you 
Stinky?

Stinky and Jackson both laugh.

Stinky
Nah, I don't really stink or nothing', that's just a nickname I got 
when I was younger.

Kareem
So you used to stink as a kid then.

Stinky and Jackson laugh again.

Stinky
Yo, I can't believe I'm getting cracked on by Kareem Mosley!  This is 
wild!  I gotta call my moms and tell her Kareem Mosley was crackin' on 
me!  She gon' bug out!

Jackson
Yo, Kareem dudes is spreading the word about you, man.  A lot of 
brothers want to meet you, man.  Shake the hand of the black man's 
hero.  This cat named Ox, who basically is the man to know in here, 
already got word around that he got your back.

Kareem
I appreciate it, but it's not necessary.  A real man can stand on his 
own two.  

Stinky
So, I mean how did they get to you?  I mean from what I heard on the 
news, they didn't even know how to get to you.  They said you stopped 
going to public school.

Jackson
Word.  They said you had your whole project community on lock.  
Everybody was in on it.  Having your back.


Kareem
It's a lot more to it than that.

Stinky and Jackson sit down at Kareem's table.

Jackson
Tell us about it, man.  I mean, all we know is what they said on the 
news.  But I'd rather hear it directly from the man himself.

Kareem looks at the two young men.  He closes his book and leans back 
in his chair.  He scratches in between his dreadlocks.

Kareem
So, you want to hear the real deal, huh?

Stinky and Jackson (in unison)
Yeah!

Kareem
Let me start at the beginning.  The creation of The People's Army.    
(Fade out)

Fade in: Subtitle reads Washington D.C., 1999.

 4Ext.-(Early Evening, June 28th)A crowd of men, women and children is 
gathered in the front courtyard of the Victory Gardens housing 
projects.  They are all looking down at a teenage boy lying in a pool 
of blood.
Among the crowd is 15 year old Kareem, his best friend Poet, and 
Kareem's parents.

Mr. Mosley
Damn cops got another one.

First Neighbor
How you know it was them?

Mr. Mosley(pointing)

One of them dropped his badge.  It probably got knocked off while they 
were beating this boy to death.  


Kareem stares down at the boy's slain body in disgust.

Kareem
Somebody should beat them.

Mr. Mosley
They deserve worst than that.  It'll never happen though. 

In the distance is the sound of police sirens.  Eventually the police 
pull up in front of Victory Garden housing projects.

Mrs. Mosley
They got a lot of nerve coming here acting like they're trying to help.  
They know good and well who did this.

Two police officers get out of the squad car and approach the crowd.  
The majority of the crowd starts to walk away upon sight of the cops.  
The only ones left are  Kareem and his parents, and Poet.

First Officer
Where is everybody running off to?

Kareem
Away from ya'll!

Mr. Mosley throws Kareem a sharp look.

Mr. Mosley
Quiet, Kareem.

First Officer
Did you folks see what happened out here?

Mr. Mosley
The only thing we saw is what we're looking at now.  A young black male 
lying dead.

Second Officer
So none of you heard any commotion or anything tonight?

Kareem
Man, ya'll know what happened!  It was a cop!

Mrs. Mosley grabs Kareem's arm.  


Mrs. Mosley
What did I tell you about your mouth.

First Officer
Why would you think that, son?

Kareem
I'm not your son!  Do I look like you?  


Mrs. Mosley
Go inside right now, Kareem.

Kareem (Still looking at the officer)
Don't you see that cop's badge over there on the ground?  They did it!  
It's probably your badge!

Mr. Mosley
Inside now, Kareem!

Kareem, glaring at the police officers, starts to back up.  He turns to 
his best friend Poet.

Kareem
Man, let's go Poet.

Kareem and Poet walk towards one of the five buildings that make up the 
community.   Cut to:

5Int-(Early evening, June 28th)Kareem and Poet are sitting on a 
staircase in Building B, in which they live.

Poet
I hate cops. Yo, I wrote a poem about 'em.  It's called "If I had a 
gun…"

Kareem
Let me hear it.

Poet
It go like this.  Peep it:  If I had a gun/ Nobody I love would ever 
have to run,/Cops are supposed to keep us safe / so why we get scared 
when we see one?/  If I had a gun / I'd pull it out on a cop for fun,/ 
And laugh as he stands there stunned / in disbelief at what I done./  
If I had a ghat /I'd shoot it at a police officer's hat,/ hit him in 
his jaw with it / Until I hear it crack. / I'd be alive / and the cop 
would be the unlucky one,/ my life would be a lot easier / If I had a 
gun.  That's it.  Just a little short one.  Straight to the point.



Kareem
If I had a gun, there wouldn't be any problems.  Our neighborhood is 
scared.  That's why they picked us to beat on.  If we fought back they 
would think twice.

Poet 
If we fought back, then they'd arrest us.

Kareem
Nah, man.  These cops ain't interested in making arrests.  They get 
kicks out of killing us.

Poet
I don't understand why everybody is so scared.  They can bleed just 
like we can.

Kareem
Exactly.  It's like the adults don't understand that.  


Poet
Word, cause my moms be tryin' to calm me down cause I'm not scared.  
She want me to be afraid like her and my father, but I won't.


Kareem looks down at his hands.  He makes a fist.

Kareem
You know what?

Poet
What's up?

Kareem
It won't stop until we stop it.

Poet
I know, but like we just said everybody is scared.

Kareem
Nah, I don't mean we like the neighborhood.  I mean we like you and me.

Poet
You and me?  Just us?  Tryin' to fight the police? Come on, man.

Kareem
You ever notice something?

Poet
Notice what?

Kareem
Any time we watch a football game, or basketball game, or whatever, who 
do I usually root for?

Poet
Whoever you like.

Kareem
Nah, you not hearing me.

Poet
What you sayin'?


Kareem
Don't you ever notice that I go for whoever is the underdog?  Whoever 
has the odds against them?

Poet
Yeah, you right.  That's true.

Kareem
The team picked to loose has so much stacked against them, that they 
have to come out fighting with all that they have.  Win or lose, it 
doesn't matter.  You can't win if you don't try.  And really, it's not 
about if you win or lose, it's how you played the game.  I'd rather 
lose, knowing I did everything I could, than to play half-hearted and 
get defeated by my own fault.

Poet
True.

Kareem
We're the underdogs, Poet.  The police got the upper-hand.  Everything 
is stacked against us. They not only got guns, but they got the 
government on their side.  All we got is our courage and self-respect. 
I think I got enough of both to make a war worth while.  What about 
you?

Poet
You know I ain't scared.  If you serious and you wanna take on the cops 
for real, I'm with you.  My question is how do we do it?


Kareem
Simple.  We treat our neighborhood like a military compound.  Instead 
of sitting in the staircases cracking jokes, or watching t.v. in the 
house, we patrol our neighborhood.  We stay in constant motion, circle 
around all five buildings.  We see cops harassing somebody, we step in.  
We can carry whatever weapons we get our hands on.

Poet
I got like three baseball bats in my room.  Two wood, one metal. We 
could carry those.

Kareem
Yeah, that's good.  .

Poet
But, what if they shoot at us?  Them bats can't stop bullets!

Kareem looks down at his hands.  He then looks back up at Poet.


Kareem
You see how easily they beat and kill people around here, right?  

Poet
Right.

Kareem
So, who's to say we're not next in line?  Eventually, they'll get 
around to beating us.  The way I see it, if I gotta go down, I'm going 
down fighting.  That dude laying out there on the ground wasn't 
prepared to fight back.  He just took his beating, and that was it.  If 
we gotta go down, we going down fighting.  You wit me?

Poet
Yeah, I'm wit you.  If not me, then who?

Kareem
That's what I want to hear.  But, if we put some other cats in on it 
wit us, we need to be 110% sure that they ain't cowards.  I can't be 
trusting my life in the hands of a coward who won't have my back.

Poet
What about my brother?

Kareem
Godfrey? You think he would take us seriously?


Poet
If I came at him like you coming at me now, I bet he would.  

Poet and Kareem both sit silently.  They both look down at the steps, 
then simultaneously look up at each other.  Fade out:




6Int- Kareem's house (Evening, June 28th).  He sits in the living room 
with his father watching t.v.  On t.v. is the 80's classic Rambo.  On 
the screen we see Sylvester Stallone spraying a gang of men with an 
assault riffle.

Kareem( under his breath to himself)
I need one of those.

Kareem's father glances at him.

Mr. Mosley
You say something?

Kareem just shakes his head no without taking his eyes off the t.v. 
set.

Mr. Mosley
That's funny to me.  Earlier outside you had a whole lot to say in 
front of those cops.  Now  you got the hush mouth.  What happened?

Kareem
If they was in here I'd still be talking.

Mr. Mosley
How many times have I told you about showing out like that?  You think 
if you piss them off, that they'll hesitate to beat you like they did 
that boy out there?  You ever think about that?

Kareem
You ever think that If they piss me off, I might just beat them first?

Mr. Mosley stares at Kareem in disbelief.  He seems confused.

Mr. Mosley
Are you kidding me?  You really think you're that tough?

Kareem
No, I don't think I'm tough.  I think you expect me to be afraid like 
almost everybody else around here.  The problem is that I'm not afraid 
to fight back like you are, and you can't understand why.

Mr. Mosley
Slow up for a minute son, you're getting ahead of yourself.  Now, 
you're telling me that you're willing to fight the police, and it's due 
to courage.  And me not being willing to fight the police is because 
I'm scared?

Kareem
Basically, yeah.

Mr. Mosley grins and shakes his head.

Mr. Mosley
That's ridiculous, Kareem.  You know how I know?  Cause I been there.  
Done that.  Me and my friends tried that when we were younger.  Guess 
what?  I lost two of my best friends.  It took that for me to see how 
foolish we were.  It's foolish to think that the answer is to try to 
throw down with the cops.
 
Kareem
So, you should have kept on fighting!

Mr. Mosley
Didn't you just hear me, Kareem?  It's foolish!

Kareem
But, it's not foolish to sit back and watch?  And hope that eventually 
they'll get tired of beating us?  Hope they pick another neighborhood 
to mess wit?  That's foolish!

Mr. Mosley
So, what are you going to do, Kareem?  I mean you personally, what are 
you going to do?  Go out on a cop killing spree?

Kareem
Dad, what I can't understand is your logic.  You make it seem like them 
brutalizing us is just something we need to accept.  Like that's just 
the way it is.  Them using batons to beat in our heads until our skulls 
show is just something we need to get used to.  Them bashing our faces 
in, until it looks like our head was put through a meat grinder, is 
just the way it is.  But then at the idea of somebody laying a hand on 
them, you think it's foolish!

Mr. Mosley
No, I think it's foolish for you to think it's up to you to lay a hand 
on them.  Let me tell what's gonna happen if you do.  They'll tear into 
you so bad, it'll make it seem like they took pity on that boy out 
there.  I thought just like you do now.  Yeah, the apple don't fall too 
far from the tree. But I was lucky I made it out alive. Two of my 
buddies didn't. I'm not about to lose my son too. Cause let me tell you 
something, you're not special.  After your gone, you think the killings 
and beatings will stop?  Fat chance, son!  Wake up and get that 
nonsense out of your head!  We're victims!  Yeah, I know that.  I know 
we're being victimized.  But what have I always told you?  For as long 
as I can remember I've been telling you that violence only begets 
violence.  You trying to fight them could make things a lot worse for 
everybody else.  You ever think of that?  Or are you thinking too 
selfishly to take everybody else into consideration?

Kareem jolts up from the couch to his feet.  He is furious.

Kareem
Selfish?  How can you say I'm selfish when I'm ready to put my life on 
the line for my community?  I'm ready to be the first one to retaliate 
for all they've done to us.  I got the courage you used to have.  You 
just said you thought just like me.  So, you must know that fighting 
back is necessary.  So, how can you call me foolish and selfish?    As 
long as they know there are people who are terrified of them, they'll 
continue to do it.  If we would have fought back when them white people 
came and took us from Africa, we wouldn't be dealing with this now!  
Instead, out of fear, we laid down and took the abuse and obeyed them.  
And it's still going on today.!

Mr. Mosley puts a hand in the air to try and calm Kareem down,

Mr. Mosley
Alright, son, take it-

Kareem
But guess what, Dad?  I'm not laying down for them!  I'm gonna be that 
slave who won't  get on the ship with all the rest.  They gotta fight 
me to the death before I lie down for them!

Mrs. Mosley enters the room to see what the commotion is.  Mr. Mosley 
is now losing his patience with his militant son.

Mr. Mosley
Then I tell you what, go ahead!  You so brave, right?  You wanna start 
a slave revolt or something, let me see it!  Let me see if you really 
are as valiant as you claim. I wanna see how far you get with your 
attitude of solving things with violence!

Mrs. Mosley, seeing tempers flaring, steps in to play referee.

Mrs.  Mosley
What is all the fuss about?

Mr. Mosley
Your son thinks he can end police brutality by fighting cops.

Mrs. Mosley fixes her eyes on Kareem in disbelief.

Mrs. Mosley
Didn't your father tell you what happened to his friends when they 
tried that back in the  60's?

Kareem
Yeah.  But that was them.  This is us.

Mrs. Mosley
What's up with you today?  What was all that outside earlier?

Kareem
Somebody had to say something.  Everybody was thinking it, I was just 
the only one with the heart to say it.


Mr. Mosley
He thinks he's…Napoleon or John Gotti or somebody.

Kareem
No, I don't think I'm either one of them.  If anybody, compare me to 
Malcolm X.

Mr. Mosley
Oh!  So you think you're Malcolm X?  Well, I guess you plan on going 
out like him, huh?

Kareem
If need be.  I gotta go someday anyway.  I rather go out fighting for 
something I stood for, than to die at a white man's hand after I spent 
my life bowing down to him!.

Mrs. Mosley looks sternly at her son.
.

Mrs. Mosley
This conversation is done, and it better stay done.  Go in your room.  
Stay in there.

Kareem walks off down the hall and off camera.  Mr. and Mrs. Mosley 
stand in the living room.  They are quiet for a while, both shaking 
their heads in disbelief.

Mr. Mosley
I really hope this is just a phase he's going through.  I know he's 
done some bold things before, but I sincerely hope he's not serious 
about fighting cops.  Them pigs'll beat him to a pulp.  I seen it first 
hand.


Mrs. Mosley
Did you explain that to him?

Mr. Mosley
Yes!  You know how Kareem is!  He's hard headed.  You, know when we 
moved out of Georgia, I thought things would be better.  You know?  I 
thought it would be good for Kareem in D.C.  If I would have known that 
the police brutality around here was 10 times worst than in Georgia, I 
wouldn't have come here.  All I wanted was for Kareem to be able to 
grow up in peace.  I just wanted him to see something other than racism 
and violence.  And look what he's growing up in.  Walk out side and see 
people lying dead.  Right outside your window!  I honestly have to say 
that I don't blame him for how he feels about the cops.  I felt the 
same way at that age.  But he's dealing with a worse situation that I 
was.

Mrs. Mosley
He's going a little too far.  Did you hear him?


Mr. Mosley
Yeah, baby, I was standing right here beside you.  I heard it.

Mrs. Mosley
You think he mouths off to cops when we're not around?

Mr. Mosley
Well, I'm sure he probably has.


Mrs. Mosley
I don't want him talking like that.

Mr. Mosley turns his attention toward the kitchen.

Mr. Mosley
Yeah, me too, baby.  Say, what's the hold up with dinner?         Cut 
to:



7Int.-Poet's house-(Evening, June 28th)
Poet sits on the top of the bunk beds that he and his 17 year old 
brother Godfrey share.  Godfrey lays on the bottom bunk.  The room is 
dark except for the light streaming through the window from outside.

Godfrey
Fight the police?

Poet
Yeah, you heard me right.  Fight the cops.

Godfrey
Man, shut up and go to sleep.

Poet
I'm serous!  Don't tell me you scared.

Godfrey
What, of getting beat to death?  Nah, I'm looking forward to it.


Poet
I'm being serious.  If you scared just say so, and I'll drop it.

Godfrey
I'm scared.  Now shut up so I can sleep.

Poet
How you gon' be my big brother and I got more heart than you.

Godfrey
No, you got less brains than me, boy.  Keep thinking you hard, and 
watch how fast the cops put a bullet in your face and throw you in the 
river.

Poet
I should have known you would be a punk about it.

Godfrey
Who you callin' a punk?  You want me to come up there and show you a 
punk?

Poet
Oh, so you can fight your own blood, right?  But you won't fight a cop 
to stop him from spilling your blood, though.

Godfrey
Man, shut up and go to sleep.  You sound stupid.

Poet
Yeah, alright.  Stay a victim then.            Cut to:



8Int- Officer Kilborn and Sgt. Corbin ride in the police cruiser (late 
night, June 28th).  They are approaching Victory Gardens.

Sgt. Corbin (behind the wheel)
You know when Thomas beat that kid the another night?

Kilburn (Eating a sandwich)
Yeah, it was nice work!
Both officers chuckle.
Corbin
Indeed it was.  But the idiot dropped his badge out there.

Kilborn
You're kidding me.

Corbin
Fell right off his shirt.  The kid must have put up a little fight.

Kilborn
That makes me beat them harder when they resist, you know?  If they 
just lay there and take it, maybe I'll just bruise them real bad.  If 
they resist a little, I'll try to knock them unconscious .  If they 
resist a lot, I'll try to kill 'em.

Corbin
Me personally, I try to kill 'em regardless!

They both laugh.  Kilborn pats Corbin on the shoulder.  They appear to 
be very close comrades.

Kilborn
So, what are ya feeling like tonight?

Corbin seems as if he is seriously pondering the question.

Corbin
I'm just in the mood for some good old fashioned head busting.  If they 
go unconscious they go unconscious.  If they die they die.  Makes no 
difference.  Cut to:


9Ext.- The police cruiser pulls into the Victory Gardens housing 
project.  The car is parked and the officers get out.  They walk into 
the community looking for a victim.


Corbin
And I want to know why the hell Thomas didn't call me.  I would have 
like to have gotten in on that one the other night.


Kilborn
He didn't call anybody.  He was just pulling in to make a u-turn, and 
sees a kid walking.  Decides to go for it right then.

Corbin
Well, he beat the hell out that little mongrel.  It's some of the best 
work I've seen since the Rodney King tape!.

They both laugh while they continue to walk.  Suddenly, Corbin stops 
laughing.  He points off about 30 feet in the distance.  We see a young 
black girl nick named Lady walking in the direction of the cops.

Corbin
What do we have here?  

Kilborn
Nice.  This is gonna be good.  I think I'm getting goose bumps!

They chuckle quietly.  They continue walking toward the girl, and she 
continues on toward them.  The finally are standing 10 feet apart.

Corbin
It's a little late to be out, don't you think?

Lady( With a sassy tone)
That's why I'm going home.

Kilborn
Whoa, watch the attitude.  That's what's wrong with you people, you're 
too touchy.  Maybe that's why so many of you have heart attacks.  Too 
high strung.  If that's not the reason it's definitely the fried 
chicken, right?

Both officers laugh.

Corbin
You like fried chicken, don't you?

Lady
Yeah.  What's funny about it?

The officers are falling over each other laughing.  Lady stares at them 
with cold eyes.

Lady
I ain't got time for this.

Lady attempts to walk past the taunting officers.  Corbin steps in 
front of her.

Corbin
Whoa, we didn't dismiss you.

Lady
Dismiss me?

Kilborn
That's right.  We're not finished here.  We're just getting started.  
But, I'll tell you how you can get yourself on home quicker.

Lady
How?

Kilborn( Looks at Corbin, smiles, then looks back at Lady)
Lift your shirt and show us what you got under there!

The two officers laugh again, but this time more devilishly.  Lady is 
not the least bit intimidated.

Lady
You better get out of here!

Corbin
Or what?  What are you gonna do?  What you gonna do if I do…this!

Corbin reaches out with both hands and squeezes Lady's breasts.  The 
officers laugh.  Lady slaps Corbin and backs up.

Lady (At the top of her lungs)
Im'a scream!   Cut to:

Kareem sits up in bed.  He has heard Lady's scream.  He knows something 
is wrong.  He hops out of bed and runs to his bedroom window.  Down 
below he can see Lady and the officers.  He turns and throws on his 
pants and jams his feet in his shoes.  He runs out of the room with no 
shirt.  Cut to:

Lady is still backing up from the cops.

Corbin
You stupid little tramp.  Oh, I'm gonna make you sorry you did that.  
Oh, I'm gonna make you real sorry.                                       
Cut to:

Kareem is running through the halls banging on doors as he passes them.  
He is waking everybody up.

Kareem
Get up!  Everybody outside!  Come on, wake up!  Come outside!       Cut 
to:

Officers Kilborn and Corbin are approaching Lady.

Corbin
Get over here you little baboon.  Get her Kilborn!

Right behind Lady, the building door flies open and out comes Kareem.  
His face is full of rage.

Kareem
What the hell are ya'll doin' to her?  Huh?

The officers are no longer approaching Lady.  She now stands beside 
Kareem.

Kilborn
I think you better go back in the building, and mind your business.

Kareem
This is my business!  As long as I live in this community, this will be 
my business! (Looking at Lady)  What happened?

Lady
He grabbed my breasts!

Kareem (Now looking back at the officers)  So you like to touch people?  
Come try to put your hands on me, then!  Any man can lay hands on a 
female.  Come lay hands on me.  I ain't no female.  I'll fight the both 
of you!


Corbin
If I were you, I'd take myself back inside.

Kareem
Well, if I was a filthy pig like you I'd get out of this neighborhood 
now!


Corbin
Oh, yeah?  Why is that tough guy?

Behind Kareem and Lady some of the building tenants are coming out of 
the door, sleepy and confused.  Among them is Poet with two baseball 
bats in his hands.  He approaches Kareem and hands him one.  More 
tenants file out of the building to see what all the commotion is.
The officers appear to be somewhat nervous now. 

Poet
Thanks for the wake up call.

Kareem
Yeah.  (Loud enough for the whole crowd to hear)  It seems these 
officers are perverts.  In cop terms, they're "sexual assaulters".  If 
we hadn't come out here to break this up, they might be rapists right 
now!

Kilborn
That's ridiculous.

Lady
Yeah, right! (Yelling) He grab my breasts!  And he called me a tramp!

The crowd erupts in multiple outbursts.  The officers are beginning to 
sweat.  Kilborn grabs Corbin's arm.

Kilborn
 Let's get the hell out of here.

They begin to back up. Kareem and Poet are walking toward them with 
bats in hand.  The crowd follows.  

Corbin
Hey!  You people better calm down, and go back inside!  And you two 
with the bats, don't try anything!  Don't make me draw my weapon!

Kareem
Go ahead!  Draw them!  Shoot!  You got enough bullets to kill us all?

The crowd, led by Kareem and Poet, back the officers up to their car.  
They hop in and speed away.  The crowd begins to shout and applaud at 
the same time.

Tenant 1
Good thinking by bringing us all out here!


Kareem
I hope everybody learned something tonight from what just happened.


Tenant 2
Yeah.  Don't be out here after dark!

Kareem (seeming frustrated)
No, that's not it.  I'm talking about how we came together and ran them 
off.  Didn't you  see that?  When they saw us united, they backed off.  
That's how we need to be at all times.  All times.  Unafraid.  Think 
about it.  If I had been afraid to do something when I heard Lady 
scream, she would be getting raped out here right now!  Right now, 
right here!  The cops would be taking turns at stripping away her 
purity!  Right here in her own neighborhood!  If we don't protect her, 
then who will?  Obviously not the cops!  The ones who should be 
protecting us are the ones we need the most protection from!  How 
horrible would you all have felt if in the morning if you heard that 
Lady had gotten raped out here, when all we had to do is come stand 
beside her?  We didn't even have to get violent, we just stood beside 
her.  Don't you get it?

The crowd is silent.  They are all taking in Kareem's words.

Kareem
  Me and Poet just discussed this today.  We're not afraid to fight for 
our neighborhood.  That's the only way to get some peace, if we can get 
any at all.  We have to do this on a regular basis.  Defend the people 
right here in our neighborhood. My father and some of his friends tried 
it in their neighborhood back in the 70's.  We're doing it here now. 
We're the new People's Army.  
Poet
Turn your fear inside out and stand with us.  Fight for what's yours.

Lady
I'm wit ya'll.  Ain't no cops gon' be grabbing on me ever again.  Not 
while I'm alive.

Kareem
That's what I'm talking about.  Stand up and fight, ya'll.  There's not 
much of an option in my eyes.  Stand up and fight or lay down and die.  
When I die, I want it to be at God's hands, not a cop's.  Think about 
that tonight when you get back to bed.  Sleep on it.

Kareem walks back inside the building followed by Poet and Lady.                   
Cut to:




9Int-(Morning, June 30th) Mrs. Mosley and Yvonne, a tenant of victory 
gardens, walk through the  grocery store together picking up items.  
Mrs. Mosley is carrying a shopping basket, while Yvonne is pushing a 
cart.


Yvonne
I heard about all that ruckus outside your building the other night.

Mrs. Mosley picks up a can of tomato sauce and drops it in her basket.

Mrs. Mosley
I don't see how you couldn't have.  I think everybody in all five 
buildings woke up.

Yvonne
Your son's name came up a lot.


Mrs. Mosley
Who you been talkin' to?

Yvonne looks at a bottle of bar-b-que sauce, but decides not to get it.

Yvonne
You know, just the regular gossipers.  You know word gets around fast 
in Victory Gardens.  Anyway, your son's name came up.

Mrs. Mosley (Looking directly at Yvonne)
So, what did they say?

Yvonne
They said that…he saw some cops about to rape a girl, and he got 
everybody outside.  The cops got scared and drove off.  You didn't hear 
that?

Mrs. Mosley
Yeah, I heard it alright.

The two ladies walk into the dairy section.  Yvonne gets a gallon of 
milk.

Yvonne
You getting milk?

Mrs. Mosley
No, but I will get some margarine.

Yvonne
No milk?  You got a growing boy at home.


Mrs. Mosley
He's lactose intolerant.  He's growing just fine without it.

Mrs. Mosley grabs a pack of margarine sticks and tosses it in her 
basket.  They move on from the dairy section.  They approach the meat 
section.  Yvonne reaches for a pack of chicken.  Upon seeing the price, 
she puts it back.

Yvonne
So, you must be proud.

Mrs. Mosley (Looking somewhat confused)
For what?


Yvonne
Your son!  The neighborhood hero!

Mrs. Mosley
Hero?  No.  Stubborn maybe.   But Hero?  That's a bit of a stretch.

Yvonne
Why is it a stretch?  He saved that girl the other night.  Who knows 
what those demons would have done to her.  You don't think he did a 
good thing?

Mrs. Mosley
You don't understand.

Yvonne
What's to understand?

Mrs. Mosley
Of course I'm happy that the girl was alright.  But, as far as Kareem 
feeling like it's up to him to go up against the law, no.  I don't 
think that's a good thing.  It doesn't take much for them to kill one 
of us as it is.  You know that.  Kareem showing out like he is…he's 
gonna make himself a prime target.  That's my only son.  My only child.  
I don't know what I would do if…

Mrs. Mosley turns her head.  She is getting upset at the thought of her 
son being murdered.  Yvonne puts a hand on her shoulder for comfort.  
Eventually Mrs. Mosley gathers herself and continues.

Mrs. Mosley
Your children are grown and out on their own.  You don't have to worry 
about what I do.  I 'm not going to let my son die trying to be a hero.  
So, no I don't agree he's a hero.  


Yvonne
But do you think that if the neighborhood fought back, like Kareem 
said, we could keep those cops out?

Mrs. Mosley (Looking at Yvonne in disbelief)
They're the cops, Yvonne.  Whatever happens in our neighborhood between 
us and them, it's our word against theirs.  Why you think after all the 
beatings and killings in our neighborhood, none of them cops ever went 
to jail?  Nobody cares.  They'd rather assume that we're in there 
killing each other.  And why not?  In so many black communities, that's 
the truth.  So it wouldn't be hard to believe that it's happening in 
Victory Gardens.

Both women get quiet for a moment.

Yvonne
You got a point.  But I still think Kareem did a good thing.

Mrs. Mosley (Frowns)
Yeah, yeah.  You ready to check out?                 Cut to:




10Int-(Afternoon, June 30th)  Poet and Kareem are in Poet's house in 
his room.  In the background, the song Psychology by Dead Prez is 
playing on Poet's cassette player.  We see the two boys; Kareem 
standing and Poet sitting on the bottom bunk.  Cut to:

A close up of Kareem wrapping duck tape around the handle of a metal 
bat.  He wraps around a generous amount, and then tosses the tape off 
screen.         Cut to:

The tape landing in Poet's hand.  In his lap he has the blade removed 
from a big kitchen knife and a large piece of wood.  He takes the tape 
and connects the blade to the top of the wood creating a weapon that 
resembles a spear.                      Cut to:

We see both boys now, both admiring their weapons.  


Kareem
You got the heart to use that for real?

Poet (Inspecting his weapon)
I wouldn't have bothered to make it if I didn't.

Kareem
Good.  .

Poet
Yo, what you think about Lady?


Kareem
What do I think about her?

Poet
I mean, you think she would really fight with us?  Or you think it's 
all talk?

Kareem
I don't know.  Just cause she a girl, don't count her out.  She said 
she slapped one of 'em.  That takes heart.  A lot of grown men around 
here won't even do that.

Poet
True.  Lady is a little rough.  It's crazy cause she's tough, but she 
still looks good!

Kareem
I know right!

They both laugh.

Poet
I might have gotten wit her, but…I don't know.

Kareem (Holding the bat up in front of his face)
She talks too much.

Poet
Most girls do!

Kareem
Yeah, but it's different with Lady.   She'll ask a question, and cut 
you off while you tryin' to answer it!  What's the point of responding?  
I just be like "I don't know" when she asks me something. Even if it's 
not a question. It don't matter what it is.  I just say "I don't know" 
out of habit.   She could be like "My head hurts."  I'll just be like 
"I don't know".

The boys laugh again.


Poet
I could come outside with a brand new watch on.  She'll be like "What 
time is it?" ; "I don't know".

The boys are cracking up.


The boys laughter is interrupted by Poet's father, Mr. Brown, opening 
the bedroom door.  

Mr. Brown
Somebody's at the door for you.

Mr. Brown turns and exits.

Poet
  Man, who is this?  Come on, we can go outside anyway.

The two walk out of the room weapons in hand.  They get to the front 
door and see Lady.  She looks down at the weapons in their hands.

Lady
What ya'll about to go do with those?

Poet and Kareem  (In unison)
I don't know!                                 Cut to:  


11Ext-(Afternoon, June 30th)Kareem, Poet and Lady walk through the 
courtyard of Victory Gardens.

Poet
I want one of them cops to come try something tonight.   I wanna cut 
one of 'em open.

Kareem
Nah, don't be asking for trouble.  We just trying to stop it.  We not 
asking for trouble.

Poet (Admiring his spear)
Yeah, whatever.  If one of those punk cops runs up on me, he's asking 
for trouble.  I'm not playin', either.  I'll kill one of 'em.


Lady
You will too, huh, Kareem?


Kareem 
Yeah, if need be.  If I got attacked.  But, I wouldn't just-

Lady
I probably could kill somebody if they was trying to kill me.

Kareem and Poet look at each other and smile.  Lady doesn't even 
realize how she just cut Kareem off.

Poet
So, you could attack a cop without hesitation?

Lady thinks about it for a second before answering.

Lady
Yeah.  Especially if one them tries to feel on me again.  I don't play 
that mess.  I can't believe he did that.  Why didn't ya'll use them 
bats you had?

Kareem and Poet look at each other.

Kareem and Poet( In unison)
I don't know!

They laugh.  Lady looks at both of them.

Lady
Why do ya'll keep doing that?

Kareem
It's a inside thing.

Lady
Oh, so that means I'm on the outside then?  That ain't right.  We 
supposed to be a little crew and everything.

Kareem
Forget all that.  We need to get serious.  We need to organize.  We 
need more than just us three, too. (Looking at Poet)  What's up with 
your brother?


Poet
Forget him.  He a coward, man.

Kareem
He  said no?


Poet
Yeah, he said no.   I'm ashamed to call him my brother.  That really 
pissed me off.  But truth be told, you always been more of a brother to 
me than him.

Kareem
That's cause me and you always think more alike.  You and Godfrey are 
opposites.

Poet
Like I said, forget him.  There's other people around here.  We could 
get Doo Wop.  You know he's crazy and up for anything.  Plus he got 
beat by the cops before.  He got a reason to get back at them.

Kareem
True.  Let's go get at him now.

The three walk into a building toward the back of the community.  They 
walk up to the second floor and knock on door number 14D.  It is Doo 
Wop's house.  They wait for someone to answer.  Inside they hear loud 
70's funk music playing.

Lady
Why do they call him Doo Wop, anyway?

Poet
I don't know.

Kareem knocks again but harder.  After a while the door swings open 
spilling the loud music into the halls.  At the door is a bald-headed, 
pot bellied man in his late 30's.

Man
What ya'll want?

Kareem
Is Doo Wop here?

The man looks them up and down.

Man
Hold on!

He slams the door closed.

Poet
Damn, Thicky Mouse didn't have to slam the door like that!

The three laugh.

Kareem
I know, right!  What's the matter wit ya boy R. Belly?

The three laugh again, but louder.  The door flies open.  It is the pot 
bellied man again.  The three quit laughing and throw on serious faces.

Man
What the hell ya'll laughin' at?

Poet
I don't know.

Poet and Kareem start laughing.


Man
Oh, ya'll some comedians, huh?  Talkin' about me, huh?

Poet
Nah, man.  We not talking about you.  We laughing about something that 
happened earlier.

Man
Must think I'm stupid, huh?  I know what you laughing at.

Kareem
We're not here trying to be disrespectful, sir.  We just wanted to see 
if Doo Wop could come talk to us for a minute.

Man
Yeah, alright.  Hold on.


He slams the door closed.  The three laugh quietly.

Lady
Why is he so rude like that?

Poet
He probably was eating.  You know how that is.


The three start to laugh.  The door swings open again.  The three 
straighten up, and see that it's Doo Wop. He comes out into the hall 
closing the door behind him.


Doo Wop

What ya'll doin' here, man?  I'm in there on the phone tryin' to talk 
to a female.


Poet
It's alright.  You ain't about to do nothing with that!

Doo Wop
Man, shut up.  Can't come in my building wit jokes and all that.  Might 
get hurt around here.

Kareem
Forget hurting him.  What you think about hurting the cops?

Doo Wop
What you talkin' about?

Poet
Talkin' about the cops.  You ever think about running up on one of 'em?

Doo Wop
After what they did to me?  You see this scar on the side of my face?  
Every time I look in the mirror I think about getting a gun and goin' 
out in a blaze with them cops, man.

Kareem
We feelin' like how you feel.  We planning on start a little protective 
unit for Victory Gardens.  We just gon' step in if we catch them 
beating on somebody.  We just set up look-outs, like the army.  

Doo Wop
Is that right?

Poet
What we came to you for, is to see if you wanna be down.  You got more 
reason than any of us.


Kareem
And, if you know anybody wit heart , bring 'em.  We need as many people 
as possible.  No cowards.  No half-steppers.  Either they're down, or 
their not.  No in between.


Doo Wop (rubs his chin thoughtfully)
I know a few dudes.  I'll see what's up and get back to you.  But as 
far as me, I'm down. Just say the word.


Kareem
I knew we could count on you.  I'll get back to you and let you know 
what's up.

Poet
In the meantime, tell that dude not to answer the door no more.

Lady, Kareem and Poet laugh.  Doo Wop doesn't.

Doo Wop
Yo, that's my pops, man.  You gon have to relax wit the jokes.

Lady, Kareem, and Poet turn and walk down the hall and off camera.   
Cut to:


11Int-(morning, September15th, 2003)We are back in the prison library 
with Kareem, Jackson and Stinky sitting at the table.  A loud noise 
sounds throughout the prison.  The guard standing at the entrance of 
the library steps inside.

Guard 3
Alright fellas, you know what that means.  Chow time!  Let's go!  Move 
it out, gentlemen!

Stinky
Damn, man.  You ain't even finished  the story yet.

Kareem
I'll tell you the rest.  Maybe tomorrow.

Jackson
Hey, that's a bet!  I gotta hear the rest of it!  Later, Kareem!

Stinky and Jackson get up and head out.  Kareem rises from his chair 
slowly.  He goes to exit the library and the guard stops him.


Guard 3
Hey, man.  Is it true what they said on the news?  You killed a cop?

Kareem
Why, is that what they said?

Guard 3
Yeah.

Kareem
What would be the point of me standing here and telling  you of all 
people, whether I did or did not kill some cop?

Guard 3
Look, man, I'm not trying to hassle you.  I'm not here to give you a 
hard time like some of the other guards.  I 'm just curious, you know?

Kareem
Let me ask you something.  Did you believe it when you heard it?

Guard 3
Well, I didn't know for sure.

Kareem
OK.  So, what if  I said I didn't do it.  And I asked you to go tell 
the judge who sentenced me that I didn't do it.  What do you think 
would happen?

Guard 3
Nothing.  He probably wouldn't care if you did it or not.

Kareem
Exactly.

Kareem walks past the guard and out of the library.			Cut 
to:



12Int-(Afternoon, September 15th, 2003)Kareem walks amongst a crowded 
area of prisoners playing cards, chess, and watching a television set.  
He makes his way to an area where there are pay phones.  There are 8 
pay phones against a wall that are all being used.  He stands waiting 
patiently.  Behind him comes Ox, one of the most feared and respected 
inmates in the prison.

Ox
Pardon me, black man.

Kareem turns his head to see who is talking to him.  He turns all the 
way around and faces Ox.  Ox is about 6'5" tall, and muscular. He has 
about 8 or 9 guys with him. Kareem doesn't say anything, he just looks 
at Ox and his crew.

Ox
Kareem Mosley, right?

Kareem
That's me.


Ox (extending his hand)
My name is Ox, man.  I been waitin' to speak to you since you got here, 
man.  Respect due for how you held it down for your neighborhood.

Kareem shakes Ox's hand.

Kareem
I appreciate that.

Ox
I love what you did, man.  And I can relate, because one of my uncles 
got shot down by a cop.  And I'm ashamed to say I didn't have the heart 
to go out and kill him.

Kareem
I hope you know it was about a lot more than killing.  It was about 
standing for something.  For ourselves.

Ox
Yeah, no doubt.  I just wanted you to know you got love in here, man.  
You need anything, and I mean anything, let me know.  (He looks behind 
Kareem at all the guys on the phones)  You waitin' to make a call?

Kareem
Yeah.

Ox( Turns to one of the guys in his crew)
Yo, Ty, snatch one of them clowns out this man's way.

Kareem
That's alright man, you don't have to do that.

Ox
Nah, don't worry about it.  You ain't gotta wait.

Ty walks over to one of the guys on the phone.  He snatches the phone 
out of his hand and hangs it up.  The guy looks at Ty angrily and then 
turns to see Ox and Kareem and the other guys all looking at him.

Ty (Staring the man down)
What? What you gon do?  Do something!

The man appears nervous.  Ox walks over to him.

Ox (Pointing to Kareem)
You see this man right here?  That's Kareem Mosley.  Get familiar wit 
his face.  You see him, you make room.  If you on the phone and you see 
him waiting, you get off and make way.  You heard?

The man, stiff with fear, nods his head.

Ox
Keep moving before I put the wolves on you.

The man looks over at Ox's crew, the wolves, and walks away.

Ox (To Kareem)
Here you go, black man.  You got a calling card number?

Kareem walks over to Ox and the vacant pay phone.


Kareem
Nah.  I'll just call collect.

Ox
Nah, man.  I told you I got whatever you need.  ( Looks over at Ty) Ty, 
come put in ya card number for him. (Looks back at Kareem) Im'a get you 
your own card, man.  You need something else, just ask.

Kareem
I appreciate that.

Ty comes to the phone, picks up the receiver, and dials his card 
number.  He waits for a few seconds, then hands the phone to Kareem.

Ty
You in there.  Go ahead and dial your number.

Kareem
Thank you.

Ox
We'll let you make your call now.  Like I said, just let me know what 
you need, alright?

Kareem
I'll do that.


Ox
Stay up black man.

Ox and his wolves walk off.  Kareem turns around and dials Lady's 
number.  It rings four times and then we hear Lady's voice.

Lady (V.O.)
Hello?

Kareem
Why you sound so dull?

Lady (V.O.)
Kareem?  I was just thinking about you!

Kareem
Good timing, huh?

Lady (V.O.)
No.  I been thinking about you around the clock.  You already know 
that.

Kareem
I miss you too, baby.  And my baby boy.  How is he?

Lady
He's fine.  He's in there sleep now.  He misses his father.

Kareem
I know.  You don't know how much it's eating me up inside that I can't 
be there.

Lady
It's eating me up just as much.  I mean, what if your appeal doesn't 
come through?   What if you actually have to stay in there for the 
whole sentence?  30 years is too long, Kareem!

Kareem
I know 30 years is a long time.  Believe me I know.  That's why I'm 
trying to have faith that my appeal will work out and my sentence can 
be at least lessened, if not overturned.  If not, the soonest I'll be 
able to go up for parole is in like 10 years or something.  Poet is 
just as guilty as me.  He should be in here, too.
Lady
.  Poet has gone crazy.  Did you get to speak to him those three months 
you were in the county jail?

Kareem
I couldn't get in touch with him.  Why, what do you mean he's gone 
crazy?


Lady
He's abusing the power you left him with.  Now that's he's in charge of 
everything, he's not leading them right.

Kareem
What is he doing?

Lady
Crimes.  The army is making money off of crimes.  He set up an account 
to put the money in.  From what I hear they have like $15,000 in there.  
All from crimes.
Kareem
What kind of crimes?

Lady
He's sending them out to rob  people.  They go and find white people 
and hold them up with guns.  He's sending them to hold up convenient 
stores. Steal cars, and sell them to the chop shop.   Making them kill 
for money.  He's recruiting young guys based on whether or not they 
have the heart to kill a  person.   These young boys are actually 
killing people!  Because Poet told them to!

Kareem
Are you serious?

Lady
I couldn't joke about it.  He's making things worse.  A lot of  them 
have been arrested.  Some even got killed in shootouts with the police.  
Ever since you left…

Kareem
You know, deep inside I always knew if something happened to me, Poet 
would mess up everything we worked to build.  He's not a thinker.  He 
just acts.

Lady
The police have been swarming Victory Gardens.  They come in people's 
houses without warrants.  They wave their guns around and scare the 
older people and the children.  It's gotten terrible.

Kareem
Lady, you have to come see me.  I have to see you.  And my boy.

Lady
I know.  I'll see if  I can get somebody to bring me up there.


Kareem
No.  Take a bus. I want you to come up alone.  Just you and K.J.

Lady
OK.  I'll try to come this weekend.

Kareem
Alright.  I need this visit.

Lady
How are you holding up?

Kareem
I'm good.  Believe it or not I have somewhat of a celebrity status in 
here.

Lady
Really?  Already?  You only been there a few days!

Kareem
I know.  Apparently, they watch the news in here, so…

Lady
Oh, so they know about everything.  So, have a lot of guys been talking 
to you?

Kareem
Yeah, they have.  Two guys wanted to know everything about me and The 
people's Army.  I was in the library basically telling my life story.  
They-

Lady
You didn't tell them anything crazy about me, did you?

Kareem
No.  What's crazy to tell about you?


Lady
I should hope nothing.
They laugh softly.

Kareem
I miss you, Lady.  It probably sounds corny, but I really do.  

Lady
It's not corny, Kareem.  Your feelings aren't corny.  I miss you too.  
You're my man.  I need you.

Kareem takes the phone away from his ear for a second and puts it 
against his chest.  He is full of emotion.  He looks up at the ceiling 
trying to gather himself.  He puts the phone back to his ear.

Kareem
Listen, I-

Lady
You put the phone on your chest, didn't you?

Kareem
What?

Lady
You took the phone off your ear and put it against your chest.


Kareem
How did you know?

Lady
 I heard your heartbeat.

Kareem
You could hear it through the phone?

Lady
Of course.  You know you probably have one of the strongest and 
steadiest heartbeats in the world?  I used to love to just lay on your 
chest and listen to it.  It was like an African drum.  So strong.  It 
was rhythmic.  The rhythm would put me right to sleep.  Now I have 
trouble sleeping at night.

Kareem
I'm sorry.  I hope you forgive me for not being there.  

Lady
It's not your fault, Kareem.  All you did was the right thing.  It's 
just that unfortunately the law doesn't see your side of it.  I don't 
blame this on you.

Kareem
Thank you, Lady.  Listen, I'm gonna go ahead and go now.  We'll be 
heading to the cafeteria for dinner in a while.  


Lady
I'm glad you called me.  I can't wait to see you.

Kareem
Me too.  You take care of yourself out there.  Kiss little Kareem for 
me.

Lady
I will.

Kareem
And if you see Poet, tell him I tried to get in touch with him. 

Lady
Ok. I will.  Take care, Kareem.  I love you.

Kareem
I love you too.

Lady
Bye.

Kareem
Bye.

Kareem hangs up the phone.  He stays there for a minute staring 
aimlessly.  He then turns and walks off.				Cut to:


13EXT- (Afternoon, September 17th, 2003) Kareem walks out in the prison 
yard alone.  He walks past the basketball court and spots Jackson and 
Stinky playing.  They notice him too.  They leave their places on the 
court and bolt over to him.

Jackson
What's up Kareem?

Kareem
Nothing much.  I'm just walking and thinking.

Stinky
What's on your mind?

Kareem stares at Stinky for a moment, and them turns his attention back 
in front of him.

Kareem
Personal things.  I'm not going to go into all of that.


Jackson
Hey, that's cool.  You need us to fall back and let you think alone?

Kareem
Actually, yeah.  I do.

Jackson
No problem, man.  Hey, we'll catch up to you later!

Stinky
Yeah, and finish that story.

Kareem
Yeah.  We'll get back to it a little later.

Jackson
Bet.  We out, man.  Peace.

Stinky
Peace, Kareem.

Kareem
Alright, fellas. Later.

Jackson and Stinky run back to the court.  Kareem keeps on strolling by 
himself.            Cut to:


13INT-(Afternoon, September 20th, 2003) Lady and their 1 ½ year old son 
wait at a table in the visiting area.  The area is full of inmates 
sitting at tables with their loved ones.  Lady looks impatient.  The 
little boy is standing up eating a potato chip.  Lady looks up and sees 
Kareem being led into the visiting room by a guard.  Upon seeing 
Kareem, Lady beams with a smile from ear to ear.  Kareem returns the 
same.

Lady
Look, K.J., it's daddy!

The little boy sees his father and begins to smile and laugh.  He 
shouts something that sounds like "Da-Da".  Lady stands up.  As Kareem 
nears the table, K.J. runs to him.  Kareem picks up his son and kisses 
him on the cheek.  He squeezes him tight.  He walks over to Lady and 
they all hug together.

Kareem
I'm so glad you came.

Lady
We missed you so much!

After awhile they let each other go and Kareem sits in a chair next to 
Lady, with K.J. in his lap.  He is looking at his son.

Kareem
What's up, little me! You got big, junior!  I think you got a little 
more solid since I saw you last!

K.J. looks up at his father smiling.  Kareem kisses him on the 
forehead.

Lady
Yeah, he has gotten a little manly over the past few months.

Kareem
And you look good.  As always.

Lady( blushing)
You look good, too.  I like the way you look with your dreds hanging.  
I'm so used to seeing you with them pinned up.  I didn't even realize 
they were that long.

Kareem
Yeah.  Can't have any hair pins in here.  I like them like this, too.

Lady
You look very handsome.

Kareem
Thank you.  So what's been up?

Lady
Not much has changed since we spoke last.  Poet is still doing crazy 
things.  The other night, he told some young boys to shoot at the 
police station.  Of course, trying to prove their loyalty, they did it. 
There were some cops outside.  Two got injured and one died.  

Kareem
I seriously need to talk to him.  He's defeating the whole purpose of 
the army.  We're supposed to protect ourselves.  He's sending them out 
to die.  He's turning them into what the media has been trying to label 
us as: a group of terrorists.  

Lady
Exactly.  And I tried to tell him that myself.

Kareem
What did he say?

Lady
He said that with you gone, they had to send a message that the army 
was still standing strong.  His way of sending that message is turning 
the army into…a bunch of terrorists, like you said.

Kareem turns his attention down toward his son in his lap.  K.J. is 
starting to fidget.  Kareem allows him to stand up. 

Kareem
You know, that's always been Poet's mentality.  He's always been a fan 
of violence.  My whole point of wanting our own army was to defend 
ourselves.  Not  to go out causing trouble.  I knew he and I were 
drifting apart. Especially with what happened to Doo Wop. And then, 
when I started to get into reading a lot, and he didn't, I saw little 
changes in him.  I was educating myself, and he was constantly thinking 
about what new weapons we could get to fight the cops.  I would try to 
encourage him to pick up a book  and learn something.  All he wanted to 
do was talk about killing cops.  His mind was set on pure violence.  I 
saw it coming.

Lady
All that hard work you put in to organize the army.  Everything you 
tried to teach them.  It's all being erased now by Poet.  He's 
reckless.  The cops are more desperate to get to him than they were to 
get to you.  They look at him like  he's an enemy to the whole country.  
Like Saddam Hussein or somebody.  It's that bad.

Kareem looks over at K.J. who is reaching for something under the 
table.  Lady looks at him too. 

Lady
What you doin' under there, man?

K.J.'s head pops back up.  He looks at his mother innocently.

Kareem
I want you and little me to get out of Victory Gardens.  It's not safe.

Lady
It wasn't safe to begin with, Kareem.

Kareem
I know that.  But from what you're telling me, it's a lot worse.  I 
can't help but feel responsible.


Lady
If anything, you should only feel responsible for giving the people in 
the neighborhood some sense of security.  Some courage even.  All this 
that's going on now is Poet's fault.

Kareem
But it's stemming from something I created.  The People's Army was my 
idea.  I built it up from nothing.  Me.  And now look at what happened.  
My father told me a long time ago this would happen.  I finally 
understand what he meant when he called me selfish.

Lady
Selfish?  How are you selfish?

Kareem
My father told me way back then.  He told me I wasn't thinking about 
the people in Victory Gardens.  He told me I would make things worse 
for everybody else.  He told me, after I was gone the violence would 
continue.  He had already been in my shoes, and saw the results of all 
this.  He was right.  I couldn't see it then, but I do now.  I was 
selfish.

Lady
Are you kidding me?  You actually are calling yourself selfish?  After 
all you did for those people?

Kareem
All I did in the end was make the situation escalate.  I could have 
prevented all of this.   I was thinking about myself.  What I didn't 
like.  What I thought was and was not right.

Lady
So, what about that night you saved me?  Huh?  When those cops were 
about to rape me?  That was selfish?  Huh?  I guess it would have been 
better to just go back to sleep and ignore my screams, right?  Let them 
rape me until I  blacked out, and then leave me in the gutter 
somewhere!  Don't you tell me your selfish!  You are the most unselfish 
person  I ever met!  Nobody else would have done that for me!  You came 
to my rescue when nobody else would have.  Now, people in that 
neighborhood have courage because of you!  They  would still be scared 
to death right now, if it wasn't for you.

Kareem
A lot of them would still be alive if it wasn't for me.

Lady
How can you say that?  Weren't people getting killed before the 
People's Army?  Weren't they?  Wasn't it you who said you'd rather die 
on your feet than live on your knees?  Huh?  Stand up and fight or lay 
down and die.  Didn't you say that?  You honestly don't think starting 
the People's Army was a good thing?


Kareem
I don't know anymore.  I just didn't plan on it being this way.

Lady
I don't think anybody did.  But you can't read into the future. And 
you're not supposed to. All you can do is live one day at a time.  You 
had to do what you had to do for that time.  All you could do is hope 
things improved for tomorrow.

Kareem
On that note, all I can see is that those people are suffering today, 
for what I did yesterday.  You understand?  I can't help but feel like 
I failed as a leader.  What kind of leader deserts his people?  I 
should have known better.  I must have let my guard down in some way.  
A leader should never do that.

Lady
You know what else a leader should never do?

Kareem
What?

Lady
Give up.  You can't expect those that you lead to stay strong if you 
show signs of weakness.  You're stronger than that.  I think this whole 
situation with you coming here is just hitting you hard.  You want to 
be on the outside making things right, and that's understandable.  But, 
as a strong leader, you are being put to the ultimate test of mental 
strength by being in here.  If you can hold your head high and take 
what you have to, and survive it, you set an example.  You remind them 
why they chose to follow you.  You have to survive, Kareem.

Kareem looks at K.J. again.  K.J. is looking off into the distance at 
something.  Kareem grabs him and sits him back on his lap.

Kareem
All I want to do is be with you and K.J.  That's all.  I don't want to 
battle the police anymore.  I want to be alive to raise my son.  And I 
want my son to stay alive so that I can raise him.  I don't want the 
People's Army to still be around 12 or 13 years from now for little me 
to join.  It's a battle we can't win.  Not the way were trying to win 
it.  It all makes sense now what my father was trying to tell me. He 
said that violence only begets violence.  He couldn't have been more 
right.

They both are silent for awhile.

Lady
Just know that I love you, and I'll support whatever you want to do.

Kareem
That's what I needed to hear.  Thank you.

Kareem leans in and kisses Lady.  They both look down at K.J. and 
smile.   Cut to:



14INT- (Evening, September 20th, 2003)Kareem sits on his bunk reading 
The Autobiography of Malcolm X.  Jackson is on the floor doing push-
ups.  He finishes and jumps to his feet.

Jackson
Whew!  That got a brotha's arms burning!

Kareem looks up from his book at Jackson and grins.

Kareem
Do you read much?

Jackson leans with his back against the bars.

Jackson
Nah, not at all.  That's probably why I did so bad in school.  I never 
liked to read.  It  was boring to me.  Maybe if I had learned to like 
it,  I might be more than I am.  I might have done something important 
with my life, like you did.

Kareem
In case you didn't notice, I'm in here just like you.

Jackson
Yeah.  But at least it was for something worth being here.  You know 
what I'm in here for?

Kareem
What?

Jackson
Accessory to armed robbery.  

Kareem
Is that right?

Jackson
Yeah, man.  I was with my cousin Stinky and this crazy dude name 
Roderick.  We was all in Rod's car when he pulled up to a gas station.  
He got out and went inside.  All of a sudden we hear gun shots.  Rod 
come running out with a gun and money in his hands.  We in the car like 
'What's goin' on?'.  We speed off.  Like 10 minutes late we got like 
four cop cars following us.  Rod driving like a madman, doing like 90 
through red lights and everything.  Finally, he gave up and pulled 
over.  Me and Stinky got arrested with him.  He got 15 years, and me 
and stinky got 5.

Kareem
That's a shame, man.  

Jackson
You telling me!  We didn't do nothing.  We didn't even know Rod was 
about to go do that.  We would have gotten out of the car and ran if we 
did.   We ain't no criminals.  We don't belong here.

Kareem
You're right, you don't.  That's the law for you.  They're quick to 
lock us up for any little thing, and then turn around and complain 
about having to spend tax payers money to provide for us.  If the laws 
were more sensible, the prisons wouldn't be so crowded.  Instead they 
lock up people like you for no reason.  The prison is full of people 
who just happened to be there with a person when they committed a 
crime.  They shouldn't get locked up for just being there.  If that's 
the case, anybody who witnesses the crime should get locked up then.  
It doesn't make any sense.

Jackson
Exactly!

Kareem
And if you want to examine it even further, you could conclude that if 
the government came up with solutions for people living in poverty, 
instead of trying to act as if they don't exist, then maybe people 
wouldn't feel the need to commit some of the crimes they commit.  If 
people are starving, living in a community of abandoned businesses, 
living in pure poverty, what other solution can they come up with?  
There are no places close by to get jobs.  They have families to feed.  
Of course if a man is struggling in a world where the rich get richer 
and the poor get poorer, he's gonna feel the need to do whatever he has 
to in order to survive.  The less you have, the less you feel you have 
to lose.  You know damn well that nobody wants to be poor.

Jackson
I know  I don't.  I hate it.


Kareem
Who wouldn't?

Jackson moves off of the bars and hops up on his bunk.  He leans over 
the side and looks down at Kareem.

Jackson
Hey, you think you could finish the story now?

Kareem
Without your cousin?

Jackson
I can tell it to him.  He'll be alright.

Kareem laughs to himself.

Kareem
Alright.  I don't plan on repeating it though.


Jackson
You won't have to.  I'll take care of Stinky.

Kareem
Where did I stop at?

Jackson
You was talkin' about your friend Doo Wop.

Kareem
He's not a friend anymore. But, yeah, that's where I left off at.  So, 
basically around that time we were just gathering guys from the 
neighborhood.  And we grew quick.  We went from me, Poet, Lady, and Doo 
Wop, to having about 20 members.  The cops recognized we were there, 
but they still came around.  That year in the fall, most of us didn't 
go back to school.  Our parents didn't even know.  We would go to 
building D and hang around.  Building D was where Doo Wop lived.  It 
was the worst building out of all five.  Almost everybody who lived in 
it was on drugs.  So, we could go there and our parents wouldn't see 
us.  Doo Wop's parents didn't care whether he went to school or not.  
That became our meeting place.  It's also where Pharaoh lived……                                     
Cut to:



15INT-(Afternoon,October 9th, 1999)Kareem and The People's Army are 
spread out in a hallway in building D.  Poet, Lady, and Doo Wop are 
present.  Some of them are sitting on the steps, some are leaning on 
the wall.  There are about 20 people present.  Kareem stands leaning 
against the wall.


Kareem
We need a new place to meet, man.  This hallway smells like piss.

Poet
You knew that before we started meeting here.

Kareem
Where else can we go?  I don't know about ya'll, but I ain't goin' to 
school.

Lady
At least school don't smell.

Kareem
How you figure?  The school system stinks worst than anything  I can 
think of.  The textbooks are full of half truths.  Ya'll don't know 
that?    All that they teach about the pilgrims and Indians being 
friends.  Like the Indians just gave away America.  Man, please.  White 
people been taking away from minorities since…forever.  They don't tell 
you how the Indians tried to befriend the pilgrims. They made them a 
feast and everything.  And what the pilgrims do?  Gave them blankets 
infested with measles.  On purpose.  Killed them.  Raped their women.  
Took over their land.  That's not what ya'll read in the history books 
though, huh?

The army is silent.  Doo Wop clears his throat.

Doo Wop
Where you get all that from?

Poet
He got it from Pharaoh.  The old cat from upstairs.

Doo Wop
The dude who fought in Vietnam?

Kareem
Yeah.  Ya'll probably think he's just a crazy old man, but he's smart.  
He reads a lot.  

Lady
So, what else did he say?  

Kareem
A lot.  You should come wit me to see him.  

Lady
I don't know about all that.  Why don't you take Poet?

Kareem throws Poet a look of contempt.

Kareem
He don't…he doesn't want to go.

Poet
You heard that?  You heard him correct hisself?  For the past month, 
ever since he started hanging with that old man, he been trying to talk 
proper.  Like he went to Harvard or something!

Everybody laughs quietly.

Kareem
So, that's funny?  Cause I'm trying to speak proper English, that's 
funny?  You'd rather I sound ignorant?

Poet
Nobody said all that.

Kareem
Not in so many words, but that's what you mean.  Your problem is that 
you're happy not knowing anything.  That's not me though.  That's where 
we're different.

Poet stands up.  He slowly walks over to Kareem.  They are about 3 ft 
apart.

Poet
You tryin' to say I'm stupid?

Kareem takes his back off of the wall and stands toe to toe with Poet.  
The army watches the two of them, anticipating a brawl. 

Kareem
No, I'm trying to say you let your mind chill too much.  You don't 
think.  How come whenever somebody tries to share knowledge with you, 
you act funny?

Poet
I don't act funny if I think it's worth learning.  But what makes you 
an expert on everything all of a sudden?  What, cause you sit around 
wit a old man?  You smart now?  You think you better than me?  Than us?

Kareem steps forward and decreases the space between them.  Their noses 
are almost touching.  They can smell each others breath.

Kareem
Hell no I don't think I'm better than ya'll!  We all in the same boat!  
I'm here living in poverty wit everybody else?  Am I not?  I'm watching 
my back from the cops like everybody in this hallway.  But that doesn't 
mean  I can't try to better myself.  And since ya'll are my people, why 
wouldn't  I want to help you better yourselves? Remember when we talked 
about everything being stacked up against us?

Poet nods his head.


Kareem
Well, why wouldn't we want to gain as much knowledge as we can to try 
an even it up?  Why let them keep the upper hand on us?  What, it's 
wrong for black people to speak properly?  Oh, I guess if a black man 
comes around speaking properly, he's talking like a white boy, huh?  
And if a white boy talks in broken English, he's trying to be black, 
right?  That doesn't offend you?  That's alright to you?

The army is again silent.

Lady
It's just that…that's what we grow up around.  Everybody talks slang 
around us.  Even our grand parents don't speak English right.

Kareem
That's because it's been this way for generations.  The further you go 
back, the worst it gets.  Back in the slave days they didn't even allow 
us to learn how to read and write.  Why you think they didn't want 
that?

Poet
They wanted us to be stupid.

Kareem
Exactly!  They wanted us to stay stupid.  We were easy to control like 
that.  They were scared that if we ever educated ourselves we would end 
up out-thinking them and take over.  And now that we can read and 
write, they hate it.  So, now they have to just try and deny how much 
we really know.  But the more we learn about ourselves and the world we 
live in, the stronger we are.  Why you think those cops beat on us?  We 
scare them mentally, so they want to scare us physically.  So, we've 
shown the world that we're not mentally scared of them.  If we fight 
back and show we're not physically afraid either, what else can they do 
to us?

Poet
Nothing.  They can't do anything.

Kareem
You get my point now?

Poet
I get you, man.  You got a good point.


Kareem
You're my brother.  We're all brothers.  I would never call any of you 
stupid.   I would be calling myself stupid

Poet and Kareem shake hands and smile.                                                            
CUT TO:



16EXT-(Afternoon, October 9th, 1999)Pharaoh sits on the floor in his 
home.  He is in his early fifties with a full, gray beard, and a curly, 
gray afro. He has some candles lit on the table, and some incense 
burning.  The place has a bohemian feel to it.  On his walls are many 
portraits and pieces of art work.  On one wall is a portrait of Bob 
Marley.  On another is the famous picture of Malcolm X looking out of 
his window with an assault rifle in hand.  Next to it is a picture of 
the African continent with a black fist in the center. Pharaoh is on 
the floor reading a book called The History of Negroes in America.  
There is a knock at the door.  He glances at the door for a few seconds 
before making an attempt to get up and answer it.  He sets his book on 
the floor face down to save the page he was reading, and gets to his 
feet and to the door.  Without asking who it is, he unlocks it to see 
Kareem and Lady.  

Kareem
Hey, Pharaoh, what's up, man.  Did we disturb you?

Pharaoh
Nah, blood, just reading a little.  What's up?

Kareem
I just wanted to come by and see how you were, man.

Pharaoh
Oh, alright then.  (Looks at Lady) Who's your girlfriend here?

Kareem looks at Lady quickly and then looks back at Pharaoh.  He feels 
embarrassed that Pharaoh assumed Lady was his girl.

Kareem
Oh, no, no, no. man. We're not together.  Not like that. This is just 
my friend.  This is Lady.

Lady throws Kareem a look like she does not appreciate how much he 
wanted Pharaoh to know that she wasn't his girl.  Pharaoh picks up on 
it.

Pharaoh
You say it as if there is something wrong with this young lady?  She's 
beautiful, don't you think?

Kareem looks at Lady who is already looking in his direction.  He's 
feeling uncomfortable.  He looks back at Pharaoh who is waiting for a 
reply.  He looks back at Lady, who is waiting as well.  He shrugs his 
shoulders.

Kareem
I mean…she's not ugly.

Lady does not approve of Kareem's response.

Lady
I'm not ugly?  What is that supposed to mean?  I'm not ugly, but I'm 
not beautiful either?  That's what you mean?  Be real about it, Kareem.

Kareem is searching for words.  The only time he gets tongue tied is 
around fiery females like Lady.  Pharaoh chuckles slightly and then 
puts his hand on Kareem's shoulder.

Pharaoh
What you have to understand about women is that they don't like half-
hearted compliments.  If a woman cooks you a meal and asks you how it 
is, you can't say "It's alright", or "It's OK".  They want you to say 
it's delicious!  You gave her a half-hearted compliment.  "She's not 
ugly" is the wrong response.  You should be able to tell that by the 
look on her face.  Now, one more time.  Think before you answer, but be 
honest.  Either yes all the way, or no all the way.  Do you agree that 
she is beautiful?

Kareem looks at Lady.  He's is somewhat reluctant to let Lady know his 
opinion.  He finally speaks up.

Kareem
Honestly…yeah, I do.  She is beautiful.

Lady smiles an ear to ear smile. Kareem feels embarrassed.  Pharaoh 
smiles.

Pharaoh
Look how happy you made her.  Remember that.  Women love a good 
compliment.

Lady pushes Kareem's shoulder.

Lady
Yeah, remember that.

Pharaoh
Why don't you come inside for awhile.  Let's chat a little.

Kareem and Lady comply and walk inside.  Pharaoh closes the door behind 
them.  Lady looks around at the place.  It is her first time being 
here.  Kareem, being used to it, comes into the living room and takes a 
seat on the floor by the book.  He picks it up.

Kareem
Is this good?

Pharaoh enters the living room and takes a seat on the floor across 
from Kareem.

Pharaoh
Yeah, blood.  It's definitely valuable information.  If you want, I'll 
let you borrow it when  I finish.

Kareem sets the book face down back on the floor.  

Kareem
Yeah, I'd like to read it.

Lady is still standing up looking around.  She turns her gaze down to 
the floor at Kareem and Pharaoh.  She is not used to sitting around on 
the floor. 

Pharaoh 
You're not too good to cop a squat on my floor, are you?  After I 
convinced him to admit you were beautiful, and put a smile on your 
face.  You mean you don't want to sit around with me on my floor?

Lady smiles.  She casually makes her way to the floor and sits directly 
next to Kareem.

Pharaoh
Thank you for blessing us with your presence.


Lady
Your welcome.

Pharaoh
So, what have you two been up to lately?

Kareem
Same old same old.  Patrolling around.  Trying to keep everybody safe.

Pharaoh nods his head.  At the same time he reaches for one of the lit 
candles on the table and uses it to relight one that has blown out.

Pharaoh
I commend your bravery, Kareem.  I didn't really elaborate on it when 
you first told me what you and your friends were doing.  I really think 
it's a noble thing.  Unlike what I was fighting for in America's army.   
I wish I would have had a little more sense around the time I joined.  
You wouldn't believe the kind of person I was back then.

Kareem
You weren't that messed up, were you?

Pharaoh
I was extremely messed up mentally.   I was dangerously messed up.  I 
didn't have an interest in who I was as a black man, and where I came 
from.  Dig this, I hated black history month.  You know why?  Because 
their were white kids at school who knew more about Martin Luther King 
and other important blacks than I did.  That made me angry.  It was my 
own people!   I should have been more knowledgeable, but I wasn't.  I 
didn't pay attention to anything.  Not even my parents.  They were 
always trying to educate me about things, but I didn't want to hear 
them.  So when I turned 17, I basically joined the army to escape from 
home.  Not a smart choice at all.

Lady
What was it like?

Pharaoh
My first thoughts were that it wouldn't be too bad.  I mean, I was 
thinking I would get to travel around the world for free.  Learn how to 
shoot a gun.  I thought it would be cool.  How wrong I was. My problem 
all my life was that I had a hard time taking orders.  So, I end up in 
the army.  Didn't make a bit of sense, but that's where I went.  I had 
to deal with white drill sergeants yelling in my face.  And when they 
yelled, spit came out.  And they called us 'boy' and 'maggot'.  I think 
somehow it was supposed to motivate us, but all it did was piss me off.  
I dealt with it though.  I became a good soldier.  

Kareem
Did you kill anybody over there.

Pharaoh looks at Kareem, and then off to the side.  He seems to be 
reliving the experience in his mind.

Pharaoh
Yeah, I killed some.  One thing that didn't bother me then, but haunts 
me now, is that I killed people over there for a country that was 
killing my people over here.  I didn't stop to think about who or what 
I was fighting and killing for.  I was told to kill, so I killed.  
There was another young brother on the front line with me named Darryl.  
He got wounded bad, and I had to carry him away from danger.  I went 
back and killed some more, then had to carry another guy who had gotten 
shot.  You have to understand how quickly bodies were just dropping all 
over the place.  30 people could get killed in 30 seconds.  Anyway, 
after all was said and done, they gave me a purple heart for my 
bravery.


Lady
Can we see it?

Pharaoh
Afraid not.  I no longer have it?

Lady
What happened to it?

Pharaoh
Well, after I got home I thought all would be well.  I was wrong.  I 
came home to no job, no place to stay.  My parents, who were against me 
joining in the first place, wouldn't let me come back home.   The 
government was giving me a crummy check every month.  Barely enough to 
keep food in my mouth.  I was living at a flee bag motel.  No job.  No 
skills or education really.  I would spend my check on the first of the 
month.   I would pay for my room, buy a few groceries, and  some 
alcohol and cigarettes.  I spent most of my time waiting for the first 
of the next month.  I went into depression.  One day I was looking 
through some of my things and I saw my purple heart.  The sight of it 
disgusted me.  I had earned it by putting my life on the line for a 
country that hated me and anybody who looked like me.  I went out back 
and threw it in a dumpster.

Kareem and Lady are silent for a moment.  They look at Pharaoh seeing 
him reliving the moment in his mind.

Kareem
So, when did you start reading?

Pharaoh
Well, it came shortly after that. I wasn't doing anything with myself 
but wandering aimlessly.  I would walk around during the day, and get 
drunk in my room at night.  I was in a dangerous condition.  I didn't 
have anything to lose.  I remember one day I was walking behind this 
woman.  A black woman.  I was feeling anxious and…just out of control.  
Suddenly I just decided to snatch her purse.  I did it and ran.  I 
ended up running inside of a building to lay low.  Come to find out the 
building I ran into was a library.  At first I just stayed by the 
entrance waiting to see if anybody was going to come in looking for me.  
Then  I started to look around at some of the books.  I found a book of 
poetry.  Even though I always hated reading in school, one thing I 
could always tolerate was poetry. I actually liked it.  So, I sat down 
and started to read it.   I ended up reading the whole thing right 
there in the library.  And when I put it back on the shelf, I had the 
urge to read something else.  I found a book called Native Son.  I 
started to read it.  The librarian told me the library was closing 
soon, but I didn't want to stop reading it.  So,  I went up to the 
front and got my first library card and checked it out.  I brought it 
back to my room and read it all night.  I didn't even think about 
drinking.  I just read.


Kareem
When did you move to Victory Gardens?

Pharaoh
I came to Victory Gardens in…'78.  By that time I was in love with 
books and I had strengthened my state of mind.  I had a little factory 
job and a little car.  I had a life.  I was ready to get out of that 
dirty motel, but I didn't have a lot of money for rent.  I just 
concluded that I was going to have to live in the Projects.  The good 
ol' P.J.'s.  I knew I didn't want to move out of D.C. cause this is my 
home.  I wanted to stay in D.C.  I found Victory Gardens and moved on 
in.

Kareem and Lady are hanging on Pharaoh's every word.  He is charismatic 
in his demeanor.  Lady shuffles her legs into a more comfortable 
position.  In doing so, her leg presses up against Kareem's.  They look 
at each other for a second, and she quickly moves it.  Pharaoh notices 
the exchange between them and grins to himself.  Lady tries to return 
the attention to Pharaoh.

Lady
So, were the cops back then like they are now?

Pharaoh scratches his beard and thinks for a moment before answering.

Pharaoh
Yes and no.  Yes, there was some police brutality going on when I got 
here.  But, no, it wasn't as bad as it now.  It's gotten terrible.  
Nobody was getting killed by cops over here back then.  Just harassed. 
Maybe they would mace you a little for no real reason.  But, no, nobody 
was dying.  It's gotten ridiculous.  All this is going on a few miles 
from the President's door step.  

Kareem
He doesn't care about us.  We're a burden to America.  Minorities in 
general.  We're America's problem.

Pharaoh
But we weren't a problem while we were picking their cotton in their 
fields.  We weren't a problem when we were afraid of them and called 
them master.  You know?  We weren't a problem when they could rape our 
women at will.  Or when we were bought and sold like cattle.  We were 
OK by them then.  Once all that dissipated, we were useless to them.  
Now we're burdens.  We became a problem when we started learning how to 
make something out of ourselves.  When we learned that we weren't put 
here to serve white people.

Kareem
That's why I'm doing what I'm doing.  We come too far to let ourselves 
to be brutalized like this.  If we sit back and  accept it, we might as 
well go back to being slaves!

Pharaoh
You hit it right on the head.  You're exactly right, young blood.  I'm 
glad to see we have some young cats out there with some sense in their 
heads.

Kareem
The problem is, that a lot of our parents can't see that.

Pharaoh nods his head understanding Kareem.  He runs his fingers 
through his curly gray hair.

Pharaoh
And what that is some left over slave mentality.  Some people still 
have that slave mind.  That they have to accept what's going on.  That 
they don't have any business standing up to white people.  That this is 
just how it is.  But we know that's ridiculous.

Lady
Parents act scared.  They don't think there's any reason to try and 
fight for their rights.  They just want to lay back and hope things get 
better.  But they won't.

Pharaoh
You're damn right they won't.  You have to make them better for 
yourselves.  Nobody is going to give you anything.  Even if it's 
something that you have a natural right to, like living in peace.          
Quick cut to:


INT-(Afternoon, October 9th, 1999)Kilborn and Corbin are riding in the 
squad car.  Corbin is behind the wheel and Kilborn rides shotgun.  They 
aren't going anywhere in particular, just cruising.

Kilborn
This country would be a lot better if we had left those monkeys in 
Africa.  Or as I like to call it, land of the apes!

They both laugh at the crude comment.         Quick cut back to 
Pharaoh's home:

Pharaoh
You have to understand that they actually enjoy brutalizing us.        
Cut to Squad car:

Corbin
Nothing like putting my old faithful night stick to one of 'em.  I get 
a rush!  Hearing them scream like that!             Cut back to 
Pharaoh:

Pharaoh
Back in the days, we only counted as 3/5 of a human being.  And even 
today, they don't even look at us as people.  They treat us like we're…       
cut to squad car:

Kilborn
Animals!  That's what they are!  Pure and simple.  They should all be 
put in cages like the animals they are!       Cut back to Pharaoh:

Pharaoh
We're a threat to them!  So, instead of acknowledging our capabilities, 
they'd rather treat us like we're still uneducated.  Like we're…       
cut to squad car:


Kilborn
So stupid!  All of them!  They're dumb as a bag of bricks!  I didn't 
know it was possible to be that damn stupid!  Really!          Cut to 
Pharaoh:


Pharaoh
We know that's not true though.  So we gotta act like it.  We have to 
stop letting our brothers and sisters, who do act stupid, carry on like 
that.  We have to pull one another up.  We have to advance and grow 
together.  We have to come together like fingers on a hand and make a 
fist.  That's the only way we'll survive.  If we don't unite and fight, 
there's no guarantee that we won't return to slavery.  If they know 
we'll allow it, what's to stop it?               Cut to:


18Ext.-(Late Night, October 9th, 1999) Lady and Kareem are patrolling 
through Victory Gardens together.  They pass by Doo Wop and two other 
guys who are also patrolling.


Kareem
You run into anything?

Doo Wop
Nah.  You?

Kareem
Everything is calm.  For now anyway.  Keep ya eyes open, though.  You 
never know when they might show up.

Doo Wop
Yeah, we on it.

Kareem
Holler if you run into 'em.

Doo Wop
A'ight.

Doo Wop and the two guys go on their way.  Kareem and Lady resume 
walking and talking.

Lady
So, let me ask you something.

Kareem
What?

Lady
And I want you to tell the truth, Kareem.

Kareem
About what?
Lady looks at him for a second.  He stares back at her.

Lady
When we was at Pharaoh's house.  And you said I was beautiful.  You was 
for real?

Kareem smiles shyly and looks away.  He turns his attention to the 
metal bat in his hand.  He continues to stare at it while he speaks.

Kareem
Yeah.  Why?  You thought I was just playin'?

Lady is blushing a little.  She shrugs her shoulders.

Lady
I didn't know if you was or not.  That's why I asked.

Kareem does not respond.  He continues to study his bat.  Lady 
continues.

So, if you really thought that how come you never told me?

Now Kareem looks up at Lady.

Kareem
What was I supposed to say?  I mean, why would I just come up to you 
and be like "Yo, Lady you look good."  I mean, what would you have said 
if I had told you that?

Lady smiles widely.  She has a child-like smile.

Lady
I might have told you I thought you were cute.

Now Kareem smiles and blushes a little.

Kareem
What! You would have said I'm cute?

Lady
Yeah.  But, that's if you would have come to me and told me I was 
beautiful.  Since you didn't,  I can't tell you that you're cute.

They both look at one another and smile.  Lady laughs.

Kareem
It's too late now, you already said it.  I knew you thought I looked 
good, anyway.

Lady
What!  What you mean you knew I thought you looked good?

Kareem
I did.  I see you peeping me out!

Lady
Oh, whatever!


Kareem
Nah, for real.  Every time I bend over to pick something up, you got 
your eyes right on my back pocket!

The two laugh.  They are leaning on one another, and seem to be more 
comfortable with touching one another.

Lady
Whatever.

Kareem's face gets serious.  He pulls Lady's arm to stop her.  

Kareem
But, seriously, Lady.  No jokes or nothing, I really do think you're 
beautiful.

Lady
And I really think you're cute.

The two look into each other's eyes and share a tender moment.  Kareem 
breaks out in a grin.

Kareem
I know you do!  You can't help it!

Lady laughs.

Lady
Whatever!  I can't believe I fell for that!  Trying to be all sweet.  

Kareem
Sweet?  Who, me?

Lady
Yeah, you.


Kareem
Girl, please. I know I ain't sweet. I don't even put sugar in my Kool-
Aid.  But, I do think you're fine!

Lady smiles to herself.

Lady
I know you do.                             Cut to:




19INT-Poet's House (Night, October 9th, 1999).  Poet sits on the top 
bunk of his bed with his legs dangling off the side.  He has his 
homemade spear in hand.  We hear the toilet flush, and seconds later in 
walks his older brother Godfrey.  Godfrey approaches the beds waiting 
for Poet to move his legs so that he can get on the lower bunk.  Poet 
does not move.  He does not even look at Godfrey.  Godfrey gets upset.


Godfrey
Man, you better move your legs before I break them!

Poet looks up from his weapon slowly.  He is not intimidated.

Poet
Yeah, right.  Don't be threatening me.

Godfrey
What?

Poet
You heard me.  What, I'm supposed to jump cause you say so?  

Godfrey
You really think you hard, huh?  Cause you and your little friends walk 
around wit ya little sticks and bats or whatever.  You think you can 
beat me?

Poet jumps down from his bunk and stands face to face with his brother.  
He tosses his spear back up on the top bunk.  He stares his older 
brother down.

Poet
Yeah,  I can beat you!  Without a stick or anything else.

The two stand face to face, glaring at one another.  

Godfrey
I tell you what.  You that hard?  Do something!  I dare you!

Poet
You ain't even worth the effort, man.  Believe me, if I really wanted 
to hurt you like that, you wouldn't be standing up you'd be getting up.

Godfrey laughs out loud.  He isn't taking his younger brother 
seriously.


Godfrey
Yo, where you get that line from?  A Shaft movie?  You sound stupid.  I 
wish you would get the nerve to do-

Godfrey's sentence is interrupted by a flying fist to his jaw.  Poet 
punches Godfrey in the mouth, and then tries to put him in a head lock.  
Godfrey dodges the head lock and pushes Poet away.  Godfrey catches 
Poet off balance from being pushed, and throws a punch to Poet's face 
that sends him to the floor.  Poet tries to get up quickly but Godfrey 
knocks him back down.  Poet, on his knees, attempts to tackle Godfrey 
at the legs.  Godfrey again maneuvers his way out of it.  Poet jolts to 
his feet and throws a punch at Godfrey.  He misses with the wild punch 
and hit's the wooden edge of the bunk bed.  His hand is hurt.  Godfrey 
puts Poet in a headlock from behind and holds him.  Poet tries to 
wiggle himself free, but Godfrey is much stronger than he is.  He 
becomes exhausted from trying to break free.  He gives up struggling, 
while Godfrey holds him in place.

Godfrey
You crazy!?  Huh?  You tryin' to fight me?  You crazy!?  Say something 
now!  Why you so quiet?  Huh?

Suddenly the door opens.  It is the boys' mother, Mrs. Brown.  She is 
horrified to see Godfrey holding Poet in submission.  His cheek is 
puffy and his lip is bleeding.

Mrs. Brown
What are you doing to him?

Godfrey (Letting go of Poet)
He came at me!  Ask him who started it. (Looking down at Poet who is on 
one knee)  Who threw the first punch?

Poet is silent.  He wipes the blood from his lip and looks at it.  He 
turns his gaze up at his brother towering over him.  His rage returns.  
He jolts up in a split second with a punch to Godfrey's nose.  
Immediately he follows it up with a second punch.  Godfrey is knocked 
back on his heels.  Poet attempts to charge Godfrey, and Godfrey 
quickly throws out a punch to Poet's eye that stops him in his tracks.  
With his vision now impaired, Poet falls back down to one knee.  Mrs. 
Brown is hollering for the boys to stop.  She grabs Godfrey before he 
can pounce on Poet.

Mrs. Brown
Stop that!  What is the matter with ya'll? (Looking at Godfrey) Why are 
you fighting him like he's your age?

Godfrey
He came at me!  You just saw it for yourself!  Didn't you see that?


Mrs. Brown
You're older Godfrey!  You can't be fighting him back like he's your 
age!


Godfrey
He's not a little boy!  He may be two years younger, but he ain't that 
much smaller! 

Mrs. Brown
You know you're stronger than him!  You know good and well this ain't a 
fair fight!


Godfrey
Than he should know that!  I didn't start with him, he came and punched 
me!  I ain't about to let him punch me in my face just cause he's 
younger!

Poet gets back up to his feet.  Mrs. Brown checks out his bruises.  Now 
he has a dark bruise under his eye.  His mother tries to touch his face 
and he pulls away.

Poet
I'm alright.  He's not that strong.

Godfrey
See?  There he go again.  Running off at the mouth.

Poet
Shut up!

Godfrey
Or what?  You wanna try me again?

Mrs. Brown (To Godfrey)
Hush!  Stop taunting him.  That's probably why he punched you in the 
first place.  You always trying to provoke him.

Godfrey
Ma, I did not provoke him!  He wanted to try me so I let him try.

Poet puts on his shoes and shirt and jacket and walks to the bedroom 
door.

Mrs. Brown
Where you goin'?

Poet
Outside.

Godfrey
Where you goin'?  To get Kareem or somebody? Bring him back with you.  
He can get knocked out too if he want.

Poet does not respond.  He opens the bedroom door and exits.         
Cut to:


20EXT-(Late night, October 9th, 1999) Poet walks alone, still furious 
about the fight with his brother.  He is going nowhere specifically,  
Just trying to cool off.  He ends up behind building E, the furthest 
building from the front.  Behind building E is an alley that leads out 
to the street.  Poet begins to walk down the alley, when at the end of 
it a police car slowly rides by.  He keeps walking.  Suddenly, the 
police car backs up and the officer inside stares down the alley at 
Poet.  Poet notices him, but does not turn away.  Even without a weapon 
in hand, he is unafraid.      Cut to:


We see Poet from the view inside of the police car.  We hear the 
officer say:

Officer( To himself)
All alone, are we?                  Cut back to:

We see from Poet's angle the officer stepping out of the car.  Poet 
stops walking.  He stands facing the officer with an animalistic 
expression on his face.  The officer approaches him.

Officer
Where ya headed, fella?

Poet
None of your business.

The officer stares at Poet as if he doesn't believe what he just heard.

Officer
Excuse me?  You wanna repeat that?

Poet
I told you to mind your business.  You catch it that time?

Officer
You're uh,…pretty brave to be all alone.

Poet
You're alone too.

Poet and the officer are standing about 10 feet apart, staring each 
other down.

Officer
So, tell me something.  What makes you so brave?

Poet
I'm not scared of you.  But, you're the brave one.  Coming here alone.

Officer
Oh, right!  I heard a little something about a little gang you guys 
started over here.  Yeah, that's right.

Poet
It's not a gang.  It's an army.

Officer (Taking a few steps toward Poet)
I don't give a damn if it's an Olympic basketball team.  I'm not 
impressed at all.  If anybody wants to get out of hand, I'll bury every 
last one of you.  You're all a waste of space, if you ask me.  I should 
do this city a favor and wipe out all of you in here.

Poet
Yeah, I'll bet it's real easy with a gun and night stick.  You probably 
can't fight worth a damn.

The officer laughs.   He takes another couple of steps toward Poet.  
They are about 4 feet apart now.

Officer
That what you think?  (Pulls his gun out of the holster)  That I need 
this? (Sets the gun on the ground off to the side)  And this?  (Takes 
his night stick and tosses it to the side)
I don't carry any mace.  So all I have left is my fists.  What do you 
think now?

Poet
I think you just messed up.

With the same speed he used to attack Godfrey, Poet throws a staggering 
punch to the officers jaw.  The officer stumbles back.  Drawing upon 
some of the rage reserved for Godfrey, Poet leaps on the officer and 
sends him to the ground.  He proceeds to kick and stomp on the officer.  
In an instant, the officer catches Poet's foot and knocks him off his 
feet.  The officer gets to his feet, grabs his night stick, and then 
leans over Poet.  He presses the night stick firmly against Poet's 
throat and begins to choke him.  Poet is fighting as much as he can, 
but like the fight with Godfrey, he is again over powered.  The officer 
continues to choke Poet as Poet continues to fight for air.


Officer
You people don't get it, do you?  You don't fight cops!  It makes us 
angry!  This is what happens when we get angry!  People get hurt!

As the officer continues to choke Poet, we hear footsteps.  Suddenly, a 
metal bat hit's the officer in the back of his head.  The officer 
loosens his grip of the night stick on Poet's throat, and falls off 
onto the ground.  We see Kareem with the bat in his hand, and Lady 
standing behind him.  Kareem extends his hand and helps Poet to his 
feet.  The officer gets to his knees, dizzy from the blow to the head.  
Poet notices that the officer is about to grab his gun on the ground.

Poet
Get his gun!

Kareem looks to the side and sees the gun.  Before the officer can get 
all the way up, Kareem runs over and snatches it up.  The officer, in a 
frenzy, charges at Kareem.  Kareem, in a panic, fires the gun and hit's 
the officer square in the forehead.  Blood, brain, and skull fragments 
explode from the back of the officers head.  His body drops instantly.  
Kareem, Lady, and Poet all stare in shock at the deceased officer.  
Kareem's hand loosens and the gun falls to the ground.  His eyes are 
wide open.

Kareem
I can't believe I just did that.

The three are stunned looking at all the blood on the ground.

Poet
You ain't have no choice!  It was him or you!  That's self-defense!  
That's what we all about, right?  Defending ourselves, right?

Kareem does not respond.  He and Lady both are still looking down at 
the officer.

Lady
Oh, my God!  I can't believe…Oh, my God!  Is he dead?

Poet throws Lady a look.

Poet
Hell yeah, he dead.  You don't see his brains everywhere?  You think he 
alive after that?

Lady doesn't respond.  Poet walks over and picks up the gun Kareem just 
dropped.


Kareem
What are you about to do with that?

Poet
Take it and hide it!  We can't leave it here for evidence!  Come on, 
ya'll, we shouldn't even still be standing here!  Let's go!

Poet turns and starts running up the alley back into Victory Gardens.  
Lady begins to follow, but stops when she sees Kareem still frozen in 
shock.

Lady
Kareem, we need to go!  I know it looks bad, but we need to go!

She gently grabs his arm.  Kareem begins to back up, still looking at 
the dead officer.  He then turns around and they run off.                                           
Cut to:


21INT-(Night.October 9th, 1999) Kareem lies on his bed looking up at 
the ceiling.  He is still shaken up about killing the cop.  Slowly, he 
sits up in bed.  He rises and goes to his window.  He stares out the 
window for a few moments, then turns back toward his bed.  He stops in 
front of his bed and drops to his knees, placing his elbows on the edge 
of the bed and putting his hands together.  He is about to say a 
prayer.  He closes his eyes.

Kareem
God, I…I don't even know what to say.  I'm scared.  I'm real scared.    
I…I didn't mean to kill him.  But I did.  God, I hope you know it 
wasn't intentional.  I hope you forgive me.  Even though he was an evil 
man, I know I was wrong for taking his life.  I pray you forgive me.  I 
pray you have mercy on me.  Amen.

Kareem remains on his knees for a few seconds longer, then gets up and 
climbs back into his bed.                                            
Cut To:


21INT-(Morning, October10th,1999)We close in on a t.v. set.  On the 
screen is a reporter standing at the entrance of Victory Gardens.  She 
reports:

Reporter
I am standing in front of Victory Gardens, a housing community that has 
been the scene of many unsolved murders.  Up until now, all those 
murdered inside the community were residents.  Many of the residents 
fault crooked police officers for those murders.  Well, now it seems 
their might be something to that accusation.  Earlier this morning, 
around 3 a.m., the body of officer Dale McHenry was found right here in 
Victory Gardens.  Officer McHenry was shot one time, through the head.  
Police are uncertain of what exactly took place.  They are uncertain at 
the time about whether the assailant was a resident here or not.  I 
spoke with some of the residents to get their reactions.

We see the reporter stop a woman and push the microphone in her face.

Ma'am, do you have any comments about the murder of officer Dale 
McHenry?


Woman
I don't know anything about it.  I didn't see anything.  All I want to 
say is that after all the murders that took place in this community 
over the years, it's a shame that you choose to come now and cover this 
one.  If it wasn't a police officer, nobody would care.

The reporter seems lost for words for a moment.  She stares blankly 
trying to figure out how to respond.

Reporter
Alright, ma'am, thank you for your comments.

The woman looks into the camera for a moment, and then walks off.  The 
reporter continues.

Once again, we're reporting live from Victory Gardens, where officer 
Dale McHenry was killed from a single shot to the head.  There is no 
information as of yet as to who or why.   We're talking with some of 
the residents to get some of their responses.  Let me see if we can get 
a response from some of the teenage residents.

She approaches a group of boys.  It is Doo Wop and some of  his friends 
from Building D.  She pushes the microphone in his face.

Excuse me, could I ask you guys to share your thoughts about the 
officer that was murdered right here in your community.
Doo Wop takes center stage next to the reporter.  He takes the 
microphone from her and holds it in his own hand.

Doo Wop
Yo, let me tell you what's up, man.  I know it sounds sad and all that 
cause he got shot, but how many people over here do you think he 
probably beat on?  Or maybe even killed?  Somebody gets beat down in 
here like every month.  Like clockwork.  So, now that it's a cop 
instead of one of us, now everybody is concerned? That's crazy, man.  
This is a message being sent out to all those other cops that like to 
come in here trying to kick us  around, man.  The People's Army ain't 
havin' that, man.  We ain't having that.  The People's Army was built 
to protect Victory Gardens from crooked cops like him, and that's what 
happened.  I ain't saying I know who did what, but I know any other cop 
better think twice from now on.

The reporter is even more speechless than before.  Her eyes are wide.  
Her lips seem as if they want to move but don't know how.  She attempts 
to pull the microphone away from Doo Wop, but he pulls it back.

Doo Wop
Hold on, now.  You asked me to speak, let me speak.  I wanna add that 
what happened last night was just an eye for an eye.  Leave us alone, 
man.  We ain't bothering nobody, so don't bother us.  Them punk cops 
know who I'm talkin' to!  Them punk cops who jumped me last year.  
Three cops.  Three grown men jumped me.  I was 15.  Punched me.  Hit me 
wit a night stick.  Maced me all in my face.  All for nothing!  They 
didn't even arrest me!  They couldn't, because I didn't do anything!  
Check and see if I got a police record.  I don't.  All I got is this 
big scar on my face that they left me with.  So, I ain't got no 
sympathy for no cops.  Period.  Tell them to come holla at us!  The 
People's Army!  My man Kareem, the General of the Army. We ain't 
scared!

He pushes the microphone back to the reporter.  He and his friends walk 
off.  The reporter looks in the camera with a blank expression.

Reporter
Well, some…strong viewpoints from the younger residents here in Victory 
Gardens.  From what I gather, there's some kind of…band of young people 
here  called The People's Army with a grudge against police officers.  
Maybe that could be a starting point for these detectives.  It's 
definitely worth investigating.  Maybe even questioning whoever Kareem 
is.  From that young man's words, Kareem apparently is the leader of 
this band of disgruntled youths.  He referred to him as the General.  
Uhh, we'll follow this story up at five with further details.  I'm 
Karen Clarke, channel 12 news.

We cut from the view of the t.v. to Poet sitting on the couch watching 
it.  He is in disbelief at what he just saw.  He gets up and leaves out 
the house.      Cut to:

22INT- (Morning, October 10th, 1999) Kareem is coming out of his house.  
He closes the door and locks it.  He turns to walk down the hall and 
sees Poet walking toward him.  By the look on Poet's face, he knows 
something is wrong.

Kareem
What's up, man?

Poet
You ain't just see the news?

Kareem
The news?  What happened on the news?

Poet
They out there right now!  I think they about to leave, but they just 
was on t.v. live!  Asking people about what happened last night.

Kareem's face gets tense.  He is becoming nervous again.

Kareem
For real?

Poet
You ain't gon' believe who got on camera!  Yapping his mouth!

Kareem
Who?


Poet
Doo Wop!  She interviewed him!

Kareem
What did he say?

Poet
He told her about The People's Army!

Kareem
What all did he say?

Poet
He said that the cop got killed for killing people over here.  That The 
People's Army ain't having that, or something.  Basically, he let her 
and everybody watching know that The People's Army was the ones who 
killed that cop. Then he said, he don't know who did it, or whatever.  
Then at the end, he said "Kareem, the General of the army".

Kareem
What?  He said my name?

Poet
Yeah, he said your name!  On t.v.!  The cops is out back right now 
investigating, and meanwhile he up front on camera saying the People's 
army did it, and you the leader!  How stupid can he be!

Kareem
I knew we shouldn't have put him down with us.  He always running his 
mouth!  Now they got my name.  They probably trying to find me now!  
Why would he even get on camera and say my name like that?

Poet
He's stupid.  That's why.  He ain't got no sense, man.  He gon' get us 
all in trouble.  We can't have him around us no more.  It's too risky.  
What's gon' happen next time we have to fight a cop, and the news comes 
back?  He gon' give them my name?  Nah, man.  I can't have that.  He 
gotta go, man.

Kareem
I hate to have to push him out like that.  He's down for the cause, he 
just talks too much.

Poet
I'll take care of him.      

Kareem
Just talk to him.  Get his mind right.

Poet has a malicious look on his face.

Poet
Yeah, I'll get him right.  Trust me.                      Cut to:




22Ext-( Night, October 10th, 1999) Poet and another member of The 
People's Army named Shawn walk through Victory Gardens.  They walk into 
the back entrance of Building D.  

Poet
Alright, listen.  I'll go up and get Doo Wop and bring him back down.  
You stay out here off to the side.  Wait til you see us come all the 
way out, you heard?

Shawn
Got you.

Poet turns and runs inside the building.  He goes to Doo Wop's door and 
knocks on it.  After a few seconds, a girl around 11 years old opens 
the door.  It is Doo Wop's sister Mika.

Poet
Yo, where ya brother at?

Mika
He in here.  Why you wanna know?

Poet
Just tell him to come to the door.  Don't worry about why.

Mika
You ain't gotta get no attitude!


Poet
Just get him.


Mika
Hold on.  (Yelling in the background) Wop! Get the door!

Doo Wop comes to the door yawning.

Doo Wop
What's up, man?  I was in there knocked out.

Poet
Well, wake up.  I need you to come patrol wit me.

Doo Wop
A'ight, let me get my boots on.  Hold up.

Doo Wop disappears, but returns quickly with his boots on.

Let's be out.

They turn and start to walk down the hallway.  

Poet
So, you ain't camera shy, huh?

Doo Wop
What?

Poet
I said you ain't camera shy.  I saw you on the news.

Doo Wop
Oh!  Yeah, you seen me represent!  I  represented for the army!  Now 
everybody knows!

They begin walking down the  back steps.

Poet
Yeah, and they know Kareem's name.  What's up with that?

Doo Wop
Don't even sweat that.  I ain't say his whole name.


Poet
It don't matter.  How long you think it'll take the cops to find out 
his last name and where he lives?  Not that long at all.  You shouldn't 
have said anything.

They reach the bottom of the steps an walk out the back door.  Behind 
Doo Wop we see Shawn coming closer.  Doo Wop does not see him.

Doo Wop
Hold on, P.  You talkin' like I said your name, or something.

Poet
You might next time.  I can't take a chance!

In an instant, Shawn grabs Doo Wop from behind.  He jabs a blade into 
Doo Wop's neck.  Blood spills out.  Poet  unzips his jacket and pulls 
out his homemade spear.  He rams it into Doo Wop's stomach.  He grinds 
it around to make sure that it does serious damage.  Shawn has his hand 
over Doo Wop's mouth so no one can hear him scream.  He continues to 
stab Doo Wop in the neck non stop.  Blood is squirting in his face.  He 
stops stabbing.

Shawn
Shut up!  Stop cryin'!  Take it like a soldier!

Poet  (Looking directly in Doo Wop's eyes)
You messed up, man!  We ain't want to do this!  You forced it on 
yourself!    What you said on the news didn't help us. And if you ain't 
helping us, than you only hurting us!  

Poet pulls his spear out of Doo Wop's stomach.  We see dark blood 
spilling from Doo Wop's stomach area.  Shawn lets go of him, and he 
falls to the ground in a pool of blood.  Shawn and Poet turn and run.                          
Cut To:




23INT-(Night, October 10th, 1999) Kareem sits on the couch in his 
living room watching the news.  On t.v. is more coverage of the 
murdered police officer.  Kareem watches in an uneasy manner.  Mrs. 
Mosley walks into the living room.  Kareem's eyes are glued to the 
screen and he does not even notice she has entered the room.  Mrs. 
Mosley looks at the t.v. and then at Kareem.

Mrs. Mosley
I can't imagine that you're too bothered about that.

Kareem (Looking up at his mother)
Huh?

Mrs. Mosley
I said I can't imagine that it bothers you too much.

Kareem
What, about the cop?

Mrs. Mosley
Yeah, about the cop.  I'm sure you and your friends probably enjoyed 
hearing about it.

Kareem
No, not really.

Mrs. Mosley
Yeah, right.  I know all about you and…your…army or whatever you call 
yourselves.  I know that you're disobeying what your father and I told 
you about messing with those cops.  We know.  All I can say is that 
you'll get it soon enough.  You'll understand.  All I can do is pray 
that one of them doesn't kill you, and you don't kill one of them.  
Remember this, Kareem.  While those cops may be cruel, unjust, vicious 
and every other evil thing in the book, it's not any of our place to 
decide what they deserve.  You understand what I'm saying?  Leave that 
up to God to determine their punishment.  Believe me, they will get 
what they have coming to them.  But, don't mess up your life trying to 
be the judge, jury, and executioner.  Alright?

Kareem
Yeah, I hear you, ma.  I'm not out to punish anybody.  I just want my 
neighborhood to be safe.  All I want is for people in Victory Gardens 
to come together.  You know?

Mrs. Mosley
Yeah, and that's great.  There's other ways  you can do that.

Kareem
Like what?

Mrs. Mosley
Like…You ever think about doing some kind of activity with some of the 
kids in the neighborhood?  Like, doing something like they do in the 
big brother's program?

Kareem
Nah, I never thought about that.

Mrs. Mosley
You should.  They look up to the teenagers around here.  Try to show 
them some positive things.  Be a mentor, you know?

Kareem
Yeah, I hear you.  

Mrs. Mosley
Think about it.

Mrs. Mosley turns and walks out of the living room.                       
Cut To:


24EXT-(Afternoon, October11th, 1999) Kareem sits on the steps of 
Building B, in which he and Poet live.  He is surrounded by about 10 
elementary school kids from Victory Gardens.  He has a big bag of fun 
size candy bars in his hand.

Kareem
Alright, so how many of ya'll like candy?

The kids simultaneously shout "Me!"

Kareem
Alright then.  I got this big bag of candy right here.  I don't want 
any of it for myself.  Hopefully, I can give it all away to ya'll.  All 
you have to do to get some candy, is answer a question I ask.  Is that 
cool?

The kids simultaneously shout "Yeah".  One boy speaks up.

First boy
Is the questions hard?

Kareem
You mean are the questions hard?  Well, it all depends on how much you 
know.  Hopefully, you'll learn some things you don't know.  Alright?  
You ready?

The kids
Yeah!

Kareem
Alright.  Who can tell me…who Harriet Tubman is?

The kids are quiet.  They are all looking at one another trying to see 
who will answer.  None of them know.

Kareem
Come on, now.  Nobody knows who Harriet Tubman is?

Some of the kids shake their heads no, while others just stare blankly.

Kareem
I can't say I'm surprised.  They don't teach much about black history.  
Especially in elementary school.  Anyway, you wanna know who she is?

The kids
Yeah!

Kareem
Alright.  Well, she lived during slavery.  It was a horrible time for 
our people.  We were forced to work out in hot fields picking cotton.  
The slave masters treated us like animals.  They fed us whatever 
leftovers they didn't want.  They beat us with whips on a regular 
basis.  They bought and sold us.  Separated our families.  Imagine if 
we all were slaves today.  One person bought your mother.  One person 
bought your father.  And somebody else bought you.  Would you like 
that?

The kids
No!

Kareem
Of course you wouldn't.  You love your family, you wouldn't want to be 
taken from them.  But that's what happened to us.  We were separated 
from one another and forced to do work for no pay.  A lot of us died 
from diseases because we didn't have any medical treatment.  It was 
horrible.  I'm sure every last one of the slaves dreamed of running 
away and being free.  Most were too scared they would be caught.  Many 
who tried to escape were shot by overseers.   So, the slaves were 
afraid.  But there was one woman who had the courage to go after the 
freedom she was entitled to.  It was Harriet Tubman.  So, she began 
what was called the underground railroad.  It wasn't a real railroad, 
with trains and everything.  It was a special route she took to lead 
slaves to freedom.  She brought them from the south up towards the 
northern states where there wasn't slavery.  She risked her life going 
back and forth to bring more  and more slaves to freedom.  She was a 
hero.

The kids are quietly absorbing the lesson.

Remember her name.  She's an important part of our history.  And who 
knows who…Martin Luther King Jr. is?

Second boy
I do!

Kareem
Tell me something about him.


Second boy
He…he was a speaker.

Kareem
That's true.  He gave speeches.  Do you know what he gave speeches 
about?

Second boy
Umm, he…wanted people to be nice to each other.

Kareem
That's right!  He wanted everybody, of all races to come together as 
people.  He wanted to get rid of violence and racism.  He spoke about 
us all being able to live among each other in peace and harmony.  
That's good!  Here take a piece of candy.

The boy digs into the bag.  He pulls his hand out with three candy 
bars.

Hey, I said a piece.  Take one!

The boy puts two of the candy bars back.  Suddenly the building door 
swings open and Poet walks out.  He stands behind Kareem and the kids.  
Kareem turns around.

What's up, man?

Poet
Chillin'.  What's going on out here?  You a camp counselor now?

Kareem
Nah, man.  I'm  sharing knowledge with them.  Stuff they won't learn in 
school.

Poet
Yeah, that's cool.

Kareem
Who remembers who Harriet Tubman is?

The kids shout out "Me! I do!".  Kareem points to a girl.

You.  Tell my friend right here who she is.

Girl
She…was a slave.  And the slaves used to get taken from they family.  
And she…helped them runaway in the north and be free.

Kareem
Good job!  Here, take some candy.

The little girl happily steps forward and pulls out a candy bar.

Poet
That's cool, man.  Listen, I need to talk to you for a minute.

Kareem
About what?

Poet
I can't say it right here.  It's a private matter.

First boy
It's about a girl!

All the kids laugh.

He got a girlfriend!

The kids continue to laugh.

Kareem
Hey, leave him alone.  That's not true. He does  not have a girlfriend.

The kids laugh again.

Poet
Man, come walk wit me for a minute.  Before I throw one of these little 
kids in a head lock

Kareem
A'ight, man.  Be easy.  (To the kids) Here, ya'll can split the candy 
up.  Don't fight over it.  Make sure…matter of fact, (Points to the 
little girl) I want you to be in charge of giving everybody one.

He gives the bag of candy to her and stands up.  He and Poet walk off 
as the little girl begins to pass out candy to the other anxious 
children.

Kareem
So, what's up?

Poet
The last two days have been hectic, man.  You know?


Kareem
You know I know.

Poet
I tell you I got into it wit my brother?

Kareem
Nah, what happened?

Poet
What always happens.  He think he can talk to me however he want to.  
So I got in his face.  He tried to clown me, so I punched him in his 
face.

Kareem
For real?  

Poet
Yeah, man.  Then he swung at me.  We was just in there rumbling.

Kareem
I meant to ask you why your eye looked kind of dark.

Poet
Yeah, man.  He hit me in my eye.  He ain't got no problem fighting me, 
but he scared of cops though. I don't get it.  If you scared, you just 
scared.  If you not, you not.  You can't be both.

Kareem
That's crazy.  So, what happened when you went to talk to Doo Wop?

Poet
That's what I wanted to talk to you about.  It's all taken care of now.

Kareem
So, what did you tell him?

Poet
There wasn't a whole lot of talking at all, really.

Kareem
So, what you mean it's taken care of then?  What happened?

Poet
We just took care of it.

Kareem
We who?

Poet
Me and Shawn.

Kareem
You and Shawn?

Poet
Yeah, me and Shawn.

Kareem
You and Shawn took care of it how?

Poet
You haven't heard anything yet?

Kareem
About what?  

Poet
About Doo Wop.

Kareem looks at Poet hard.  He is already assuming the worse.

Kareem
Man, what the hell did you do to Doo Wop?

Poet
Come on, Kareem!  You know what happened to Doo Wop.  He's gone, 
alright?  No more problems from him.

Kareem
You killed Doo Wop?  What's the matter with you?

Poet
Shhh!  Keep your voice down, man!

Kareem
What's the matter with you?

Poet
What did you think was going to happen?  Come on, now!  We supposed to 
be an army right?  So, in my eyes he was a traitor!  It's almost like a 
spy selling secrets to the enemy.  He gave them your name on t.v.!  
That doesn't bother you?

Kareem
Yeah, it bothers me.  But, not enough to kill him!  We've known him 
since we were as young as those kids back there.  And you kill him?  
Just like that?

Poet
That's right!  And you know why?  Cause we're not kids anymore.  We 
dealing with real issues now.  Doo Wop wasn't built for this.


Kareem
Who are you to decide that?  You didn't tell me anything!  How can you 
just kill a member of the army, and not even consult with me!

Poet
You know why?  Cause I knew you would say no!

Kareem
Yeah, I would have said no!  The whole point of the army is to protect 
one another.  What sense would it make to kill somebody in our army?  
All I wanted you to do was talk to him and tell him he was out of the 
army.  That's it.  He didn't deserve to die!


Poet
You know, for a General, you don't have an iron fist.

Kareem
General?  What you talkin' about?  I ain't no General.

Poet
Don't act.  You know everybody looks at you as the leader of the army.  
Even though we started off being equals.

Kareem
I never called myself the leader.  We are equals.

Poet
Nah, man.  It's your show, man.  They follow what you say.  They'll 
listen to you before they listen to me.  Believe me.  I'm like…Robin.  
So, you know that makes you Batman.

Kareem
Come on, man! What you talkin' about Batman and Robin?  Nah, man.  We 
more like…Bert and Ernie.

Poet
From Sesame Street?  You comparing us to them?


Kareem
Yeah!  They were equal.

Poet
So I guess I'm Ernie and you Bert.

Kareem
What?  How you figure you get to be Ernie?

Poet
Because, I'm shorter than you.

Kareem
So?

Poet
Ernie was shorter than Bert.

Kareem
Nah, man.  I 'm Ernie.

Poet
What!?  How you figure you Ernie?

Kareem
Cause Ernie was cooler than Bert.  

Poet
Whatever, man!  I ain't neither one of them.  I think they were gay 
anyway.  

Kareem
True.  I don't know any grown men that sleep in the same room with 
their beds right next to each other!  

Poet
It's strange, right?

The two laugh.  Kareem's face gets serious again.

Kareem
But, seriously though, Poet.  I'm still upset about what you did.  You 
should have talked to me first.  You can't just make decisions like 
that.


Poet
Oh, so now we back to this.  Listen, man, it's done.  It's over with.  
He's gone.  I know you wanted me to ask your permission first.  Like 
employees ask their bosses if they can do something.  But, you ain't my 
boss, Kareem.

Kareem
I never said I was!  All I'm saying is, come talk to me before you do 
something drastic.  Because whether you think so or not, when you do 
things like this, it affects me and everybody else in the army.  You 
get me?

Poet stands with his back straight and his feet together like a 
soldier.  He puts his hand to his forehead in a salute.

Poet (In a sarcastic voice)
Yes, sir!

Kareem glares at Poet.  He does not find his sarcasm humorous.  Poet 
stares back at Kareem for a moment, then walks off.                                      
Cut To:



25INT-(Late night, September 20th, 2003) We see Kareem lying on his 
bunk yawning.  Jackson is above him looking down anxiously.  He is 
waiting for Kareem to continue with the story.

Kareem
I've been talking for a good while.  I'm tired, my brother.  

Jackson
Ahh, man.  You goin' to sleep?

Kareem
Yeah, man.  I'll finish it later.

Jackson
Man, this is killing me!  Every time we get into it, and it gets to a 
good part, we gotta stop.  Man!  You should write a book about your 
life.  

Kareem
An autobiography?

Jackson
Yeah, a autobiography. 

Kareem
I don't think so.  I'm only 19.

Jackson
That doesn't even matter.  You got a lot to talk about.  You been 
through more in 19 years than a lot of people been through their whole 
lives. Most people live boring lives.  Nothing ever happens.  Same old, 
same old.  But, this stuff you telling me is interesting.

Kareem
Yeah, I hear you.  Anyway, I'll finish it later.

Jackson
That's a bet!

Both men are silent.                                                              
CUT TO: 


26INT-( Afternoon, September 21st, 2003) Kareem sits at a table playing 
chess with an old man named Bear.  He and Kareem are friendly with each 
other.  Kareem watches as Bear moves a piece across the board.

Kareem
You know I wish I would have discovered this game a long time ago, 
Bear.

Bear
When did you learn how to play?

Kareem
About two years ago.  There's this guy named Pharaoh that lives in my 
building.  He put me on to it.  He put me on to a lot of good things.

Kareem moves a piece across the board.  Bear, waits a few seconds, and 
then moves his King and takes one of Kareem's pawns.

Bear
I hope you ain't tryin' to blame it on him for you losing!

Kareem and Bear laugh.

Kareem
Not at all.  I'm not a sore loser.  If I do all I can, and I still 
lose, then I just lose.  You can't win every time.

Bear
Shoot, I can!  And If I don't, I be ready to fight!

The two laugh again.  Suddenly a guard appears behind Kareem,

Guard
Come on.  You got a visitor.

Kareem looks at Bear confused.

Kareem
I'm not expecting a visitor.  I wonder who it could be.

Bear
Man, don't ask no questions.  Just be happy somebody came to see you, 
man!

Kareem stands up.

Kareem
I'll catch up to you a little late on, Bear.

Bear
Alright.

Kareem follows the Guard off camera.                                   
CUT TO:


27INT-(Afternoon, September 21st, 2003) Kareem enters the visiting 
room.  He looks about anxiously through the crowded area.  He sees a 
hand go up.  His eyes focus.  He sees Poet.  He has a somewhat 
reluctant expression on his face.  Poet stands up.  Kareem slowly walks 
over to the table where Poet awaits.  He finally reaches it.  They look 
each other up and down.  Poet smiles.

Poet
What's up, man!  You can't speak?

Kareem
I can speak.  I can't find the words at the moment, but I can speak.

Kareem sits down.  Poet then sits.  They look at each other.

Poet
How you holdin' up?

Kareem
I'm alive.  That's the best I can tell you.

Poet
Yeah, I hear you, man.  What's wrong?  You don't seem like you want to 
see me right now?  You mad?

Kareem
No, not mad.  More or less disappointed. 

Poet
Disappointed about what?

Kareem
About what?  About you.  

Poet
Why?  Cause we kept running and you got caught?

Kareem
No.  Not even that.  It's what you're doing out there.

Poet
What am I doing out there?  Tell me in your own words what you think 
I'm doing out there.

Kareem
You're destroying the army.

Poet
How am I doin' that?

Kareem
I heard about what's going on out there.  You're sending them out to 
commit crimes?  What point is that serving?

Poet
It's serving to feed them!  That's what.  Ain't no jobs around there.  
You know that.  If there was, maybe some of us wouldn't have it so bad.  
But there ain't.  We gotta eat.  All we doing is like…some Robin Hood 
type stuff.  Take from the rich, give to the poor.  That's all.

Kareem
And killing people?

Poet
Shh! Cops, yeah.  

Kareem
Why are you in such a hurry to turn them into murderers?

Poet
I'm testing their heart.  Everybody who joins has to go out and run up 
on a cop.  They don't have to necessarily kill him, but sometimes they 
do.  This way we can weed out those punks who are tryin' to join.

Kareem
From what I understand, a lot of them don't even get the opportunity to 
enjoy being a member.  They're going to prison!  They're killing cops 
to get membership in the army, then they're going straight to prison 
for the rest of their lives.  That's ridiculous!

Poet
Casualties of war.  That's all it is.  What can I say?

Kareem sits all the way back in his chair.  He looks at Poet with 
disgust.

Kareem
You know, I knew this would happen.

Poet
What you talkin' about?

Kareem
I knew that if I ever got killed or came here, that the army would fall 
apart.

Poet
Is that right?

Kareem
You damn right it is!  You remember when you called me the General and 
I denied it?  Well, I agree with you now.  I am the General.  You don't 
have leadership abilities.  That's obvious.

Poet gets to his feet.

Poet
No, you got it confused.  You  used to be the General.  I got that job 
now.  You're done now.  It's my time.  I'm about to make it an army for 
real.  I got them trained right, now.  Unlike you, sitting around 
telling black history facts and all of that.  Acting like you so smart 
or somethin'.  Forget all that.  That ain't gonna help them keep a cop 
from beating them to death.  I showed them how to fire guns.  How to 
make weapons.  Real army stuff.  You wasn't no General, and we wasn't 
no army until now.  You was just a fake Malcolm X, trying to call 
yourself leading us.  Man, please!

Kareem gets to his feet.

Kareem
You think you're doing something special? You ain't no leader!
Poet
Ain't?  Did you say ain't?  What happened to the proper English? I 
guess you lose that act when you get upset, huh?


Kareem
You know what?  I'm not even about to let you take me there.  You go 
ahead and do what you want.  I'm in here, so I can't do a whole lot 
about it.  But in a year, if you're still alive, come see me.  Let me 
see what you have to say then.  After the whole army is dead or in 
prison.  You're not a leader, Poet.  I'm a leader.  You were always 
jealous of me.  They chose me out of the both of us to be the leader.  
You didn't like it, but you knew why. You're just a substitute now.  
And I understand why you can't handle it.  You can't send a boy to do a 
man's job.

Kareem turns and walks off and out of the visiting area.  Poet is left 
standing by himself.  He looks to the side at a prisoner who is looking 
at him.

Poet
Turn around, man!  Ain't nobody call your name!                        
Cut To:



28INT-(Evening, September 21st, 2003) We see Kareem in line in the 
cafeteria.  He waits patiently.  He sees Ox's right hand man, Ty, 
walking toward him.

Ty
What's good, Kareem?

Kareem
What's going on, man.

Ty
Ain't nothing, cousin.  Yo, why you way back here in line?  Come on, 
man.

Ty taps the person in front of Kareem on the shoulder.  The man turns 
around.  Ty motions for him to move out of the way.  He does.  Ty moves 
forward and does it to the next guy.  He moves too.  Ty keeps on doing 
it until he has moved all the way up to the front.  Kareem hesitates 
for a moment, and then follows.

Kareem
I could have waited, man.

Ty
Nah, never that.  Let me explain something to you.  There are two 
groups of people in here: people who Ox like, and people he don't like.  
He don't like that many dudes in here.  But he like you.  That means 
these other dudes gotta show you the same respect they show Ox.  You 
feel me?

Kareem
I feel you.  I appreciate it, man.

Ty
Don't even worry about it.  Enjoy your food, man.  And just come 
straight to the front next time.

Ty walks off, and as he goes he glares at all the guy who are now 
behind Kareem.  Kareem grabs a tray and extends it for the server.  The 
server places two slices of roast beef, a pile of mashed potatoes, and 
a dinner roll on Kareem's tray.  Kareem is satisfied and begins to walk 
off, when the server holds his tray.  He gives Kareem an extra slice of 
roast beef and smiles.

Kareem
Thank you.

Kareem walks off and looks around for somewhere to sit.  He sees 
Jackson sitting at the end of a table by himself.  Jackson sees Kareem 
too.  He smiles and motions for Kareem to come join him.  Kareem walks 
over to Jackson's table and sits down.

Jackson
Didn't I tell you when you first got here that you had a lot of love in 
here?

Kareem
What?

Jackson
I saw what Ty just did for you.  I wish I had it like that.  I gotta 
fight to keep people from  taking my place in line.  You got it made, 
man.

Kareem
I wouldn't go that far.

Jackson
I would.  You don't have nothing to worry about in here.  If Ox is on 
your side, it's like you can relax and breathe easy. Now, me?  I have 
to be on guard like everybody else.  Think about it.  When was the last 
time somebody tried you in the shower?

Kareem
Never.


Jackson
For me, it was four days ago.  When was the last time somebody pulled 
you off the phone so they could use it?


Kareem
Hasn't happened yet.

Jackson
 Never will happen to you. It happened to me yesterday.  When was the 
last time some guys ran up on you and took your cigarettes?

Kareem
I don't smoke.

Jackson
Well, I do!  And it happened to me this morning.  You see what I'm 
trying to say?

Kareem
Yes and no.  I understand that your saying that being associated with 
Ox gives me immunity.  I get that.  But, what I'm saying is that's no 
reason for you to get mistreated because you're not associated with Ox.  
You're a man.  Stand up on your own two.  I never asked Ox for a thing.  
In fact, I've tried to let him know that his help wasn't necessary.  He 
insists.  But, Ox or no Ox, I'm a man.  I'm my own man.  When you stand 
up like a man and carry yourself like a man, you get respected as a 
man. So, even without Ox, nobody would have tried me in the shower.  
Nobody would have pulled me off the phone.  And if I did smoke, no one 
would have taken my cigarettes. I'm a man.  You give a man his respect.

Jackson is quiet for a moment.  He nods his head.

Jackson
I hear that.  I've tried to stand up for myself in here.  I got jumped 
for it.  Ever since then, I just try to lay low and stay alive.

Kareem
Well, what you don't realize is that you can't just fight back once, 
and think it's over.  You have to continue to fight whatever is 
opposing you.  Day in and day out.  It's not an easy battle, but it's 
worth the fight in the end.  Things will only get worse if you do 
nothing.

Jackson
Yeah.  See, that's that People's Army mentality right there.  I don't 
have that, man.  I'd be a lot better off if I did.  I wish I could have 
been in the People's Army with ya'll.

Kareem
You sure about that?

Jackson
Yeah, man.  Why not?

Kareem
I know it sounds cool and everything. Things were turning in a 
different direction as time passed.  So, many things happened.  Poet 
and I were still friends, but something was missing.  There was a 
tension between us after he killed Doo Wop.  I think in a lot of ways, 
Pharaoh kind of replaced the bond I had with Poet.  And Lady and I 
became intimate.  In…March, of 2001 she told me she was pregnant.  That 
changed a lot about my attitude, you know?  That made me really want 
to…just grow up.  Be a man.  You know?  My parents were a lot more 
supportive than I had expected.  It was actually a pretty pleasant 
time, because we went through 2001 without a whole lot of problems from 
the cops.  In December, when it was time for my son to be born, it was 
the only time I can remember that I was ever terrified.        Cut To:


29INT-(Afternoon,December 5th, 2001) Kareem and Lady sit on the steps 
in Lady's building, building C.  Kareem sits on a step directly below 
Lady.  Kareem has a little afro, and Lady is twisting it into little 
dreadlocks.

Kareem
How are they looking?

Lady
They look nice on you.  I like these better than the afro.

Kareem
You always have something to say about my 'fro.

Lady
Because, you don't really do anything to it.  You just let it be all 
over.  At least now it's in some kind of order.

Kareem
Yeah, we'll see if I keep them in or not.

Lady
Why wouldn't you? 

Kareem
I might not like them.

Lady
So, you would rather have it back in an afro?

Kareem
Nah.  I'll probably keep them in.  Probably.

Lady
Anyway.  So, are you ready to be a father?

Kareem
Ready?  I don't know if I can be completely ready.  I'm anxious to see 
my son, though.  I'm definitely ready for that.

Lady
I think you'll be good as a father.  You're not immature or anything 
like that.  You have a lot of good things to pass on to him.  That 
makes me feel good to know that.  

Kareem
Is that right?

Lady
Umm, hmm.  I love the person that you are.  And when he gets older, 
some girl will love him for the person he is.  I smile every time I 
think about that.  He's going to be a good man.

Kareem
Yeah.  I just hope we can get out of Victory Gardens.  Soon.  I don't 
want him to grow up here.  He shouldn't have to come up in all of this 
craziness.  I'm out there fighting now so he won't have to.  You know?

Lady
Yeah.  I been thinking about what it would be like to live somewhere 
else.

Kareem
Me too.

Lady
Where were you thinking about?

Kareem
I wouldn't mind living in Florida.  It's nice weather all the time.  
Little Kareem could grow up near the ocean, you know?  See something 
beautiful.  There's not a whole lot of beauty around here.

Lady
I was thinking more around the lines of somewhere outside the country.


Kareem
Outside the country?  Like where?

Lady
Maybe, like an Island.  Like the Caribbean or somewhere.

Kareem
You must have some money tucked away I don't know about.

Lady pushes the back of Kareem's head playfully.  She continues 
twisting his hair.

Lady
I'm just saying it would be nice. I doubt we'll make it there.  It's 
just a nice thought.

Kareem
You know, even if I myself couldn't get  there, I would be happy if he 
could.  Florida is more realistic.  He can still see the beauty of the 
ocean and beaches, you know?  Maybe he can see that this is actually a 
beautiful world we live in.  Plus, my parents were talking about they 
wanted to move there in a few years.  We have family down there.

Lady
Really?  I didn't know that.

Kareem
I just found out myself.  I never even met them before.

Lady
It would be nice if we could go to Florida with K.J.  It would be a lot 
better for him down there.

Kareem
We can get there.   It's not impossible.  As long as we stay together, 
we can go anywhere.  You know?  I want us to grow old together like 
Ossie Davis and Ruby D!

They laugh together.  Kareem continues:

Seriously, though.  We can do it.

Lady
I know, baby.         

Kareem tilts his head up and Lady leans down to kiss him.  They smile 
at each other.     Cut To:


30INT-(Evening, December 5th, 2001)  Poet, Shawn, and another member of 
the army named Will are all in Poet's room.  Poet sits on his brother's 
lower bunk, while Shawn and Will stand off to the side.  


Poet
This bat and knife stuff is getting old, man.  We need real weapons.

Shawn
Guns!

Poet
Exactly.  Carrying around these bats is wack, man.  You don't see the 
real army going to Iraq with bats, right?  Cause that's stupid!  We 
need guns, man.  Serious ones.  I'm talkin' like…assault rifles.  
Something that could wipe out a whole police line.  You see me?

Shawn
Yeah, them joints that shoot like five bullets a second.  They'll have 
to get the marines, national guard, air force, and everybody else to 
stop us!  

Will
We need to get some bombs.  That's what we need to get.

Poet and  Shawn look over at Will.

Poet
Nah, you going a little too far.

Shawn
For real!

Poet
We could get grenades though.  Bombs is too much.  I could see myself 
throwing a grenade, though.

Shawn
Yeah.  We could throw them at the cops from windows.  They won't even 
know where they're coming from!

Poet
Yeah, yeah.  I like that.  All we gotta do is find a source, man.  

Shawn
And the money.

Poet
Don't worry about the money.  I know how we can get that.

Shawn
How?

Poet
I'll tell you later.  Let's figure out if we can get the guns first.  
Then we'll worry about the money.

Will
I got a cousin in the Marines.  He might be able to get me some.

Shawn
You think so?

Will
It ain't guaranteed, but I can see.

Poet
I don't think he will.

Will
Why not?

Poet
Because, he's in the army.  Dudes in the army are usually dedicated to 
the army 100%.  If he sneaks some weapons to you, he can get 
discharged.  He won't risk that so that you can have some guns.  Forget 
that.  I think we should go to the pawn shop.

Shawn
The pawn shop?

Poet
Yeah.  The man who owns it is my father's friend from back in the day.  
He got guns in his pawnshop.  

Shawn
So, how you know he'll sell us some?

Poet
I don't know that he will, but it's worth the try.  He know what's 
going down in here.  He hate cops too.  We got a better chance of 
getting them through him than Will's cousin.

The three get silent.                                     Fade Out:

Fade in:  31INT-(Evening, December 18th, 2001) Lady is in a hospital 
bed giving birth.  We see her huffing and puffing.  Kareem is holding 
her hand.  He is dressed in O.R. scrubs.  Lady is sweating profusely. 
Her hair is a mess.  Kareem is there trying to give her strength, but 
he is extremely afraid.

Kareem
Come on, baby!  Push!  Push him out, baby!  Come, on!

Lady
Ahhhh!  Oh,…he doesn't…want to!

Kareem
Come on, push!  The sooner he comes out, the sooner we can try to get 
to Florida, baby.  Push him!  Come on, baby!  Push!

Lady continues to huff and puff, and push with all her strength.  
Moments later:

Doctor
I see his head!  Give me one last push.  One good one!

Lady takes a deep breath and pushes with all her might.  Her face 
reveals the pain she is in.

Lady
Ahhhh! Oh,…I can't push no more!  It hurts!

Doctor
Here he is!  He made it!  Finally!

The doctor holds up little Kareem.  He is all bloody and wrinkly.  The 
doctor grabs a pair of scissors and turns to Kareem.

Would you like to cut the umbilical cord?

Kareem is close to fainting.  

Kareem
I can cut it?

Doctor
Sure.  If you're up to it.  You look a little dizzy.

Kareem
No, I'm alright.  I'll do it.

Kareem steps forward and takes the scissors from the doctor.  His hand 
is shaking slightly.  He places his other hand on top of it to steady 
the scissors.  He snips the cord.  All the doctors in the room applaud 
him.  He smiles.  A nurse cleans off K.J.  She lays him on a weighing 
table.  

Nurse
8 lbs, 4 ounces!  He's a big boy!

She picks K.J. up and hands him to Kareem.

Here.  You can take your son over to meet his mom.

Kareem stares down at K.J.  A tear rolls down his cheek.  He smiles 
staring at his new born son.  He walks cautiously over to Lady.  She is 
exhausted, but delighted to see her child.  Kareem gently places K.J. 
in her arms.

Lady
Oh, he is handsome!  He looks just like you, Kareem!  

Kareem
He's a little me!  I can't believe he's here!

Lady
Oh, my God!  He's so beautiful!

Lady kisses K.J.'s cheek.  Kareem bends over and places his head on 
Lady's shoulder.  They stare at K.J.  He is not crying at all.  He 
merely stares back at them.

Kareem
What's up, little me?  How you feelin', man?

Kareem gently grabs K.J.'s hand and shakes it.

I'm your father.  Yeah, I'm daddy!  And this (Points to Lady) is your 
mother.  You can call her ma-ma.  This is where you been living for the 
past 9 months!

Lady laughs.  She looks up at Kareem.

Lady
Kareem, I love you so much.

Kareem
I love you too.

They kiss each other.                                                                       
Cut to:

32INT-(Late night, December 31st, 2001) Kareem, Lady, and K.J. are at 
Kareem's house with his parents.  They are bringing in the new year 
together.  Kareem and Lady sit on the couch.  Mrs. Mosley is sitting in 
a chair holding K.J. while Mr. Mosley stands over her shoulder admiring 
his grandson.

Mrs. Mosley
He is so adorable!  What a handsome young man!

Kareem
He looks just like his daddy.

Mr. Mosley
Yeah, and you look just like yours!

Kareem
I was just about to say that, you didn't let me finish.

Everybody laughs.  

Mrs. Mosley
Oh!  Look at him!  I think he just smiled!

Lady
He smiles all the time.

Mrs. Mosley
Really!

Kareem
Yeah!  We was watching House Party the other night at Lady's house.  
Robin Harris said something funny, and K.J. was rolling around on the 
floor cracking up!  He gave himself the hick-ups and everything.  I had 
to turn the movie off and go get him some water!

Everybody laughs.  Mrs. Mosley points to the television.

Mrs. Mosley
They're starting the countdown.

We close in on the t.v.  We see the apple waiting to drop in times 
square.  They all begin the countdown.

Everybody
…9,…8,…7,…6,…5,…4,…3,…2,…1...Happy New Year!

They all get up and begin hugging each other.  Mrs. Mosley passes K.J. 
to Kareem, and she hugs her husband. 

Kareem (To Lady)
Happy New Year, baby.  I hope we'll always be together to bring in each 
new year in the future.

Lady
Me too, baby.  I love you so much.

Kareem
I love you too.

They kiss.  Kareem turns his attention to his son in his arms.

You ready for 2002, little me?  Huh?  You ready?       Cut To:


Kareem, Lady, and K.J. are in Kareem's room going to sleep.  K.J. is in 
a small crib fast asleep.  Kareem and Lady are on the bed.  Kareem is 
asleep.  Lady is lying with her head on his chest.  She is awake.  She 
is listening to his heartbeat.  She closes her eyes and smiles.  She 
reopens her eyes and gets up from the bed to check on K.J.  She adjusts 
his blankets and kisses him.  She gets back on the bed and lays her 
head back on Kareem's chest.                                             
Cut To:


33Ext-(Afternoon, March 4th, 2002) Kareem is walking into Victory 
Gardens with a bag of pampers in his hands.  He has just returned from 
the store.  He is walking into building C to bring the pampers to Lady.  
He sees Poet, Shawn, and Will.  They approach him.

Poet
Big daddy!  What's up, man?

Kareem
Chillin', man.  

Poet
I see you got the diapers in your hands.  You like being a father, man?

Kareem
I love it.  I never thought it could be like this.  For real.

Shawn
We ain't seen you in awhile.



Kareem (Holds up the pampers)
This is why!  I'm doing the family thing, man.  I got a son to look 
after.

Poet
Yeah, that's all good.  I respect that.  But, what about Victory 
Gardens?  How long has it been since you looked out for it?

Kareem
Why, are there problems I don't know about?

Poet
Nothing that serious.  But it would be nice if you patrolled with us 
sometimes.  I understand you got a family now, and I respect that.  But 
you could patrol with us at least once a week.  This is your army, 
isn't it?  It was your idea.  You organized it.  Now, you telling me 
you abandoning it?

Kareem
I'm not abandoning nothing.

Shawn
That's not what it looks like to me.

Kareem
Hey, you can shut the hell up.  I don't care what it looks like to you.  
Who do you think you are?  I didn't even put you in.  You got in 
through Poet.  But, don't think I can't put you out.  You better keep 
your mouth shut around me.

Shawn doesn't respond.  Poet smiles to himself.

Poet 
(To Shawn) Fall back a little, man.  I got this.  (To Kareem)
He ain't tryin' to get out of line with you, Kareem. All we sayin' is 
that we want you to come back to patrolling with us.  That's all.  I'm 
not talkin' about 7 nights a week.  Just come with us one night a week.  
Play your part, that's all.  But, take care of family first.  That's 
important, man.  Listen, we about to be out.  Come see me when you get 
a chance,  I got a lot to fill you in on.  And say hi to the wife and 
kid for me.

Poet smiles.  Kareem does not.  Poet, Shawn, and Will start to walk 
off.  As Shawn passes Kareem, Kareem glares at him.

Kareem
Don't say nothing' to me when you see me.

Shawn stares back but does not reply.  The three walk off.                      
CUT TO:

34INT-(Afternoon, March 4th, 2002) Lady and K.J. are sitting on the 
couch in Lady's house.  They are alone.  Kareem opens the door and 
walks inside.

Lady
Look who's back, K.J.!  It's daddy!  Say hi to daddy!

Kareem sets the pampers on the table and sits down next to Lady, who 
has K.J. in her lap.  Kareem reaches for K.J. and Lady hands him over.  
Kareem holds K.J. up in the air.

Kareem
What's up, little me?  You alright?  You take care of mommy while I was 
gone? Huh?  You gotta protect her when I'm not around.  You know that?

Lady
Yeah, he protected me.  Nobody can hurt me as long as he's around.

Kareem
Good job, son!  Good job!

Lady
So, Kareem, I have a question.

Kareem brings K.J. out of the air and down to his lap.

Kareem
What's up?

Lady
How and when are we gonna save up money for Florida?

Kareem sighs deeply.

Kareem
Yeah, I been thinking about that.  I mean, you know I been going out 
trying to find a job.  There's not a whole lot of work around here, you 
know?  It's rough out there.  It hurts me, you know?  Here I am a 
father.  Supposed to be the man.  Head of the household.  I don't even 
have any money so we can get a household for me to be the head of!  
It's frustrating. 

Lady massages his shoulder to comfort him.

Lady
I know, baby.  Don't stress out.  Everything will work out.  We just 
have to stay strong and keep faith.

Kareem
It's so hard.  I want to provide for my family, but I can't!  I have to 
borrow money from my parents.  You gotta borrow money from your 
parents.  It shouldn't be this way.

Lady
Well, we weren't really prepared for this.  K.J. was a surprise.  A 
pleasant surprise, but a surprise just the same.  Now all we can do is 
adjust to the situation.  As long as we stick together, nothing is 
impossible.  Remember that?

Kareem nods his head.

Who said that?

Kareem
I said it.  I know, baby.

Lady
And it's true.  We'll make it.  We'll get out of here.  We'll have 
enough money to move to Florida.  It'll all work out.  Have faith, 
baby.

Kareem
I do.  Believe me I do.  (He looks down at K.J.)  I'm doing this for 
you, son.  I want you to have a better chance than me and your mother.  
You can't understand a word I'm saying right now, but that's okay.

Kareem and Lady laugh.                                                    
Cut To:




35INT-(Evening, May 25th, 2002) Kareem sits on the floor with Pharaoh 
in his apartment.  Incense are burning as well as candles.  The usual 
atmosphere.

Pharaoh
So, how you been, blood?

Kareem
Good, man.  Good.

Pharaoh
Everything alright with the family?

Kareem
It's a good as I can make it, for right now.  You know?  It's kind of 
rough raising a child when you're broke, but we're working on it.

Pharaoh
Hang in there.  Once you do get everything together, you'll be glad you 
kept on fighting.  Having a family is a beautiful thing, man.  Even 
though it's rough at the moment, I hope you can still see how great it 
is.

Kareem
Yeah, I definitely do.  Just being with Lady and K.J. makes all my 
problems fade away, you know?  When I'm with them, I'm laughing and 
smiling for hours.  Then, as soon as I leave them, my stress comes 
back.  I go out and patrol with the army, and I'm not happy.  I'm 
missing my girl and my son.  How can I tell Poet and the rest of the 
guys that?  I can't!  They're already on my back about not coming 
around that much.  I'm trying to be a soldier and a father.   It's hard 
to balance, you know?

Pharaoh
Yeah, I hear you.  You can't really live in both worlds.  On one side 
is the army.  You created it. You brought it to life.  You're the 
leader.  So, therefore they'll always expect you to be a part of 
everything that goes on.  But that's not possible now that you have a 
family on the other side.  You have a son, now.  Your dedication is to 
that family before that army.  And I'm quite sure Lady is completely 
against you going out and risking your life with the army now, right?

Kareem
Yeah, she is.  And, really, so am I.  I mean I still believe what I 
believed before.  I still want this community to come together and 
unite.  I want that for black people in general.  And I was all for 
going out in a blaze for what I believed in.  I was more than ready to 
die for my beliefs. But, now that my son is here, I don't want to leave 
him in this world without a father.

Pharaoh
Yeah.  And that makes perfect sense.  Sure it's honorable to die for 
your beliefs.  But there's nothing wrong with living for them, either.

Kareem
Yeah, I know that.  Poet and the rest of them don't.  They act like I'm 
going soft.  Like I'm afraid now.  Like I wasn't the only one with the 
heart to come up with the idea of fighting those cops back.  You know?  
A lot has changed about me, but I'm not afraid.  There have only been 
two times in my life when I was afraid:  The night I shot that cop, and 
the day my son was born.  That's it.  And that's because in one 
incident I was taking a life out of the world, and in the other I was 
bringing one into the world. 

Pharaoh
I hear you, blood.  As, long as you keep your priorities together.  
Family first.  And if Poet is a true, blue friend he'll respect that 
and let you do your thing.

Kareem
He claims he respects it, but…

Pharaoh
You ever think of just stepping down and giving him the leadership 
spot?  You could do your family thing without any hassle . I don't 
imagine he would mind being in power like that.

Kareem
Nah, man.  Poet is too impulsive.  I hate to talk negatively about him 
because he's basically my brother.  But, Poet is not much of an 
intellectual.  The way you can look at it is that the two of us 
combined form one leader.  You know?  Like, I'm the brains and he's the 
brawn.  But, brains always overpowers brawn, so therefore they look at 
me as the sole leader.  But, in actuality,  I don't have to do a whole 
lot of commanding or anything.  I instructed everybody on what to do a 
while ago.  They know to stay on patrol without me having to check on 
them.  That's why, in my mind, I feel like there's no reason they 
should need me out there that badly.  But, they act as though they 
can't function if I'm not there.  I don't get it.

Pharaoh
I think he recognizes…what you said.  That you're the brain, and he's 
the brawn.  I think he knows that if a serious situation should arise, 
he won't be able to construct a strategy like you would.  You know?  He 
might be a little afraid to lead all alone.  

Kareem looks down at his hands in deep thought.

Kareem
I don't know, man.  Sometimes I wonder if I should have even started 
all of this.

Pharaoh
In my opinion, you didn't have a choice.  It was destined to be.  
Everything that is meant to be will be.  You understand?  What you 
started was something good.  It's something that this neighborhood 
needed to feel safe.  And they do!  People feel a lot more comfortable 
at night knowing you young cats are out there watching out for them.  
You know?  Before the People's Army, everybody pretty much locked 
themselves in the house by 7.  Now, they feel free to move about as 
they please.  And it's because of you and the army.  You did a good 
thing, Kareem.

Kareem
If you still feel that way in about five years, I'll be convinced.

Pharaoh smiles.                                                        
Cut To:



36EXT-(Night, May 25th, 2002) Poet stands outside of Building D with 
Shawn and 4 other members of the army.  Poet is upset.

Poet
It don't even make sense!  We all supposed to be out here, on lookout!  
How that happen if we all on our job?  You tell me?

Shawn
A lot of dudes don't be on it like they should be.  They patrol for a 
few minutes and then go back inside. 

Poet
So, basically, tonight it's only us 6 looking out.  There's 23 of us, 
why is there only 6 of us on patrol!

Poet is in an outrage.  Kareem comes out of the building.  They all 
turn and look at him.

Kareem
What's going on?

Poet
Man, where the hell you been at?  We been looking for you!

Kareem
Whoa, slow up.  What happened?

Poet
Will got killed!  That's what happened!

Kareem
Where was everybody?

Poet
Probably inside, like you!

Kareem
Wait, when did it happen?

Poet
Like, an hour ago!  They choked him to death behind building E.  Right 
where that cop tried to get me!

Kareem
Damn, man!  You mean to tell me it's only you 6 right here?  That's it?

Poet
Yeah!  Now you see why I be telling you to come out and patrol?  Dudes 
see you ain't even out here, they feel like they ain't gotta come out.  
Now look what happened!  Will would have still been alive right now!

Kareem is silently taking in the news. 

Kareem
Alright, man.  Here's the plan.  I'm calling a meeting, man.  Ya'll get 
the word around that we meeting right out here tomorrow night at 10.  I 
need to talk to everybody, man.  That doesn't make sense that nobody is 
coming out to patrol.  6 people can't protect the whole neighborhood, 
man.

Poet
It's not all their fault.  They following your example.  You the 
leader, right?

Kareem does not respond.  Poet and the guys walk off leaving Kareem by 
himself.     

Cut To:


36INT-(Morning, March 26th, 2002) Kareem sits in his living room 
watching television.  Mr. Mosley enters.

Mr. Mosley
Morning.

Kareem
Good morning.

Mr. Mosley
I guess you heard about your friend.  The one who got killed last 
night.

Kareem
Who told you?

Mr. Mosley
Yvonne called and told your mother.  I think Yvonne was his god mother.  

Kareem
Yeah, I heard.

Mr. Mosley
So, what are your thoughts?

Kareem looks at his father, and then turns his attention back to the 
t.v.

Kareem
My thoughts are that I don't want to talk about it.

Mr. Mosley sits down on the couch opposite of Kareem.

Mr. Mosley
Is that right?  Well, I'm not really surprised.  You uh,…you never were 
able to really tell me what was on your mind.  Always ball up when I 
try to talk to you.  Tuck yourself away like a turtle or something.  
Why is that?  Tell me.  What is it?

Kareem looks at his father.  

Kareem
You know why?  Because whenever I have shared any of my feelings or 
beliefs with you, you step on them.  You try to point out the wrong in 
it.  You're not a supportive father.  You're constantly against me.  
Now you tell me.  Why is that?

Mr. Mosley
Kareem, I'm not supportive because you make a lot of bad decisions.  
Like this whole thing with the army.  Come on!  You really expected me 
to jump up and down and hug you when you told me about it?  I mean, 
honestly, Kareem.  How could I support a thing like that?  I didn't 
support that because I love you.  I didn't want to see you get hurt.  
And that goes for a lot of other decisions you made.  Like when your 
mother and I first found out you weren't going to school anymore.  We 
didn't say a whole lot about it, because we know you.  We can't walk 
you to school to make sure you go.   You're a few months away from 
being an adult.  What can we do now?  It's your life, we can't 
determine how you live it.  All we can do is guide you.  But, you have 
always been determined to do what you want to do.  So, this isn't new 
to us.  You weren't a bad son, just a stubborn one.  You don't like 
authority.

Kareem
I don't like when people who are supposed to be on my side, would 
rather go against me.  That's what I don't like.

Mr. Mosley
Everything won't always go your way, Kareem.  Sometimes you have to go 
with the flow.  You understand?  You take what comes your way.  You 
can't control everything.  Haven't you ever heard the expression "God 
give me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, change the 
things I can, and the knowledge to know the difference"?

Kareem
Yeah, I've heard it.  But, maybe the things I think can be changed and 
the things you think can be changed are different.  
Mr. Mosley
I absolutely agree with you.  

Kareem
That's probably the only thing you agree with me on.

Mr. Mosley laughs.

Mr. Mosley
Listen.  I know I'm tough with you at times.  It's out of love.  It's 
tough love, is what it is.  I don't want you to go out, like your buddy 
last night.  Or like any other of the young guys who got killed around 
here over the years.  I want you to survive.  And I'm glad to hear that 
you and Lady want to move to Florida.  If your mother and I can make it 
ourselves, we can be one big family down there.  That would be nice.  I 
guarantee you and I would have a better relationship.

Kareem
Yeah, it would be nice.

Mr. Mosley gets up to his feet.

Mr. Mosley
If it's meant to be, it'll be.

Mr. Mosley exits.                                                             
Cut To:


37Ext-(Night, March 26th, 2002) Kareem stands in front of building D 
with all 23 members of the army in front of him.  Poet stands beside 
him.

Kareem
So what do ya'll think the People's Army is here for?  What's our 
purpose here?  I thought it was to protect one another?  Am I wrong?  
If ya'll don't remember, I'll remind you.  We're supposed to protect 
each other! Each one of you wants to know that everybody else out here 
has your back, right?  So, that means that you have to have everybody 
else's back, too!  Where is Will at?  Anybody seen him today?  No?  
That's cause he's not here anymore!  He's dead!  Cause we didn't have 
his back!  We let them kill him, right here!  In his own neighborhood, 
where he should have been guaranteed protection!  Why wasn't anybody 
around to look out for him?  Where was everybody?

Kareem pauses to see if anybody will respond.  They are all silent.  He 
continues:

We weren't with him, I know that much!  So, now, there's a new plan.  
From now on, we're forming permanent units.  I'm putting together units 
of  4's and 3's.  You'll patrol with the same unit every night.  If 
anybody doesn't show up to patrol, I want to know about it.  If you're 
not out here, you better have a damn good reason.  If you're not there 
to patrol more than three times, I'm taking you out of the army.  
Period.  Nobody out here will associate with you.  You won't exist to 
us.  You're not guaranteed protection from the army anymore.  Anybody 
have a problem with that?  Let me know now.

Everyone is silent.  Kareem moves his head from left to right looking 
over the army.

Look around you.  You're surrounded by your brothers.  We're brothers!  
Protect your brothers!  Be your brother's keeper!  That's the only way 
we'll all stay alive.  P.A.!  Forever and a day!  Say it with me!

The army repeats "P.A., forever and a day!" in sync with Kareem.

That's our new motto.  We need to let them punk cops know we're not 
going away.  We're not scared.  They've obviously been getting the 
message, because it's been awhile since they tried something.  But, 
what happened last night just proves that the problem still exists.  
So, we can't start relaxing.  It's far from over.  The war is still on, 
ya'll.  P.A.!

The Army
Forever and a day!               Cut to:




38INT-(Afternooon, September 12th, 2002) Kareem and Poet sit in the 
hallway of building B in which they live.  Kareem sits with his back 
against the wall, and Poet sits with his back against the opposite 
wall.

Kareem
I think they're scared.  They don't even hardly ride by anymore.

Poet
They're not scared.  They're waiting.  For us to slip up.

Kareem
We can't slip up.  Last time we slipped up, we lost somebody.  No more 
slip up's.

Poet
You know, I don't see you being around for that much longer.

Kareem
What are you talking about?

Poet
I get the feeling that you won't be around here for that much longer.  
I don't know.  I'm just getting the feeling that you gonna leave in a 
minute.

Kareem
That's true.

Poet
I knew it.  I know you, man.  I could feel it.  It was like you were 
distancing yourself from the army a little bit.  I knew it.

Kareem
Me and Lady want to move to Florida.  My parents too.  I want my son to 
grow up in a better environment.  You know?

Poet
Yeah, I feel that.  But, what about the army?  It's done, or what?

Kareem
No, it's not done.  It can go on without me.  They don't need me to 
direct everything they do.  Just keep on patrolling.

Poet
But, if you're not here, they won't take it seriously.  They'll only 
listen to me but so much.  They take you more serious than me.  
Especially after you killed that cop.  They knew you were for real 
after that.  Maybe if I go out and kill a cop, I'll get a little more 
power.  I don't know.

Kareem
It's not about killing a cop, man.  Just step up and show leadership.  
Show them you can pull things together when they feel lost and 
confused.  That's all. 

Poet
Yeah, right.  It ain't that easy.  I ain't worried about it, though.  
Whatever happens, happens.   I won't change.

Kareem
So, you think I've changed?

Poet
Definitely.  But, I can understand it.  I mean, you have a son now.  I 
can respect that.

Kareem
You can respect it, but do you?  Do you really?

Poet
Yeah, man.  I respect that.

Kareem
You don't act like it.  You try to make me feel guilty about spending 
more time with my family than the army.

Poet
Well, I thought the army was your family, too?  Didn't you say we're 
brothers?  All of us?  P.A., forever and a day?  Remember?

Kareem
Yeah,  I remember.  But, I still have to look after my son and my girl.

Poet
And I understand that.  But, did you think about what would happen once 
you had a family in the beginning?  When we first sat right in this 
hallway, and you told me you wanted to start the army.  Back then, were 
you planning on it being temporary?  Just until you had a child?  Then 
you would leave?

Kareem
No,  I wasn't thinking about that then.  What I was thinking, was that 
I wanted Victory Gardens to be safe for all the children coming in the 
future.   I wasn't expecting to be a father so soon.  But, what can I 
do now?  He's here.  And I don't regret it at all.  I love my son to 
death.  He's the most important thing in my life right now.  Him and 
Lady.  The army comes second to them.  If you can't understand why, too 
bad.  If you have a problem with that, tell me now.

Kareem and Poet stare at each other.  Poet smiles to himself,

Poet
Nah, no problem.  You got it, man.  I understand.  Just be aware 
though.  The army is watching you.  Their taking note.  They don't see 
you out there patrolling with them.  They're taking note.  They're 
talking amongst one other.  I wasn't going to say anything, but I think 
you should know.  They're saying you've changed.  The think you're a 
hypocrite.  Standing back and sending them out to do the dirty work, 
while you're safe in the house.  They don't like that, man.  Why you 
think I been telling you for awhile now, to come out and patrol with us 
more often?  I didn't want things to get ugly.  I didn't want them to 
turn on you.

Kareem
If they turned on me, then it just means that they weren't loyal to me 
anyway.

Poet
Maybe they feel you not being loyal.  Try to see things from their 
point of view.  You know?  That's all I'm saying.  If you're still 
willing to fight for the cause, show them.  Let them see your face more 
often.  They think you just sending them out to do the work that you 
don't want to do yourself. I know that ain't true.  But, they don't.  

Kareem
What can I do about that?  I mean, what would you do?  You the leader 
of the army, and you got a family to lookout for.  What would you do?

Poet
I would make sure I cover everybody.  The army is family, too.  Right?

Poet stands up.

P.A., forever and a day, right?

Kareem does not respond.  He looks away from Poet.  Poet walks off.       
Cut To:



We see a shot of Kareem, Lady, and K.J. on the floor.  They are playing 
as a family.  The song "Warrior Song" by Nas plays as we cut from shot 
to shot.    Cut To:

Next shot of a P.A. unit of 4 patrolling with bats in hand.  They pass 
by another unit of 3.  They stop to shake hands, then keep moving.     
"Warrior Song" still plays.   Cut to:

A shot of Pharaoh in his living room on the floor.  He is stretched out 
reading a book with a candle lit next to him.   Song still plays.          
Cut To:

Shot of Poet, Shawn, and 2 other P.A. members standing in the alley 
behind building E where Will was murdered.  A police car rolls by at 
the end of the alley that leads to the street.  They slow down.  Poet 
and the rest stare at the officers.  The cop car speeds off.  Song 
still plays.     Cut To:

Shot of Kareem sleep on the bed with K.J. on his chest.  Lady lies next 
to him, awake.  She stares at him and K,J.  She leans over and kisses 
both father and son on the cheek and then lays back down.  Song still 
plays.      Cut To:

A shot of Poet and Shawn in Poet's room.  Poet reaches under his 
mattress and pulls out a gun.  He shows it to Shawn, who is impressed.  
He allows Shawn to hold it.  Shawn smiles as he points it at the wall.  
Poet takes it back from him.  Song stops.  Cut to:




39EXT-(Night, June 4th, 2003) It is over a year later.  Kareem walks 
with Poet through Victory Gardens.  They both carry bats.

Poet
At least the news cameras ain't been back since March.  They want to 
come down here just because Shawn threw a grenade at a cop car.  The 
cop didn't even die!

Kareem
Of course they came down here.  They want to know where he got the 
grenade.  The president wants to know.  That's serious, man.  The 
president getting involved?

Poet
I know.  He on t.v. talking about we're a group of teenage terrorists.  
He talkin' about sending a SWAT team in here.  What they gon' do when 
they get here?  Shoot us all?  Please.  

Kareem
I didn't think it would get this bad.  The president got on national 
t.v. talking about what we're doing in Victory Gardens. And they said 
my whole name!  I don't know how, but they found out my last name. All 
Doo Wop said was my first name, and now they know who I am.  They said 
my whole name! On national t.v.!  Everybody in America saw that. My 
parents don't even want to really talk to me right now.  It's serious, 
man.  Too serious, if you ask me.

Poet
The only reason he said anything about it, is because it's going on 
right here in D.C.  If it was in…Milwaukee or something, he wouldn't be 
that worried about it.  Since it's a few miles from the White House, he 
feel like he gotta say something.

Kareem
It's going to make things around here real hot. Watch.

Poet  taps Kareem's arm and points off to the side.  A cop car pulls up 
in the front of Victory Gardens

Poet
It's already hot

Kareem
Here we go.

The cops get out of the car and start to approach Kareem and Poet.  
Kareem and Poet stand there waiting to see what the cops will do.  The 
officers come within 8 feet of Kareem and Poet.  It is officer Kilborn 
and another officer.

Kilborn
Can I ask you gentlemen why it is your walking around with those bats?

Kareem
The same reason you walk around with a night stick and gun.  
Protection.

Kilborn
Is that right?  Well, that's a problem.  See, we are allowed to carry 
them.  By law.  You are not allowed to walk around with weapons.  By 
law.

Poet
We can carry bats if we want to!  Ain't no law against carrying a bat!  
You ain't see us use them as a weapon.  Not yet.

Kilborn
Is that some kind of threat?

Poet
I don't make threats.  

Kilborn
You just make trouble, right?

Kareem
Nobody is making trouble but you.  We haven't done anything wrong.  Why 
are you even here?

Kilborn
Don't I know you?

Kareem
I doubt it.  

Kilborn
Yeah, I do.  You didn't have those…dreadlock things on your head 
before, but it's you.

Poet
Look, man, what the hell you want here?  What's the problem?

Kilborn steps forward and gets into Poet's face.

Kilborn
Let me tell you something.  I don't care who you all think you are.  
That mouth of yours is gonna get you in serious trouble, my friend.  I 
got another squad car about 3 or 4 minutes behind me.  They're coming 
to back us up.  Just in case you guys wanted to get out of line.  So if 
you want to get out of line, we can put you back in it.  Fast.


Poet
Don't talk about it, be about it.  

Kilborn looks over at his partner in disbelief.


Kilborn
You really that tough, my friend?

Poet
Try me out and see.

Kilborn looks at his partner again and laughs.  Suddenly, he throws a 
quick punch to Poet's jaw.  Poet stumbles back.  The officer tries to 
leap at Poet, but Poet swiftly swings his bat and nails Kilborn in the 
ribs.  Poet tries to hit Kilborn again, but he catches the end of the 
bat.  He tries to pull it away from Poet.  The other officer moves 
forward to assist Kilborn.  Kareem swings his bat and hits him square 
in the side of his head.  The officer stumbles and falls flat.  He is 
unconscious.  Kilborn looks back and sees his partner on the ground.  
He lets go of the bat and goes for his gun.  Kareem sees him and swings 
his bat and crushes Kilborn's  forearm.  Kilborn grabs it in pain.

Kareem
Let's go!  Come on, before he shoots!

Poet
I don't care!  He wanna shoot, I can shoot too!

Poet throws his bat to the ground.  He lifts up his shirt and pulls out 
a 9 mm gun.  He aims it at Kilborn.  Kilborn raises his hands in the 
air.

Kilborn
I'd be careful with that if I were you.

Poet
Shut up!  It's my time, now!  How you like it? (To Kareem) Yo, let's 
handcuff him!  (Back To Kilborn) Throw your handcuffs over here!

Kilborn
No way in hell.

Poet cocks the gun and points it directly in Kilborn's face.

Poet
Say something stupid like that again and see what happens!  Keep acting 
like you don't see what I got in my hand!  Give me ya cuffs!

Kilborn reluctantly takes his handcuffs off and hands them to Poet.  


Kareem
Yo, let's move, man!

Poet
 Hold up, I'm about to cuff him real quick.  Just so he know how it 
feel.  Hold this.

Poet passes the gun to Kareem.  Kareem reluctantly takes the gun and 
aims it at Kilborn.  

(To Kilborn) Put your damn hands behind your back!  I ain't playin'!

Kilborn obeys and puts his hands together behind his back.  Poet goes 
behind him and cuffs him.  He finds the key on the officers belt and 
takes it off.

Kilborn
You're going away for this, my friend.  You're gonna be sorry!

Poet
The only thing I'm sorry about is that I haven't shot you yet!  That's 
the only thing I'm sorry about!  Matter of fact, give me the gun, 
Kareem!

Poet grabs the gun out of Kareem's hand.

Kareem
Man, forget that!  Let's go!

Poet
Hold on!  (To Kilborn) You know what?  It's late.  I'm tired.  We gotta 
go.  Night, night.

Poet fires the gun twice in Kilborn's chest.  He fires three more 
times.  Kilborn lays dead.

We hear sirens.  We see the backup unit arriving.  The car jerks to a 
stop. Two officers get out with weapons drawn.  Kareem and Poet turn 
and start running.  Poet drops the gun accidentally.  He attempts to 
stop and get it.  An officer fires a shot at them, and Poet decides to 
just keep running.  Poet and Kareem see Shawn and his unit running over 
to see what is going on.

Shawn
What's up!?

Poet
Run!  They shootin'!

Shawn and his unit begin to run as well.  Kareem is at the back.  They 
run towards the back of Victory Gardens.   The officers are chasing.  
One of the officers fires another shot.  The boys run hard and fast.  
The officers are hot on their trail.  The boys reach building E.  
Coming from the alley is another P.A. unit.  When they see the boys 
being chased by the cops, they begin to run too.  They boys are running 
down the alley heading out toward the street.  We see Shawn and Poet's 
feet slip at the same time.  They slip on some broken glass, but catch 
their balance and keep running.  Kareem reaches the broken glass and 
slips.  He falls on top of the broken glass.  The others don't notice 
and keep running.  Kareem is lying face down in glass.  His hands and 
face are scratched up and bleeding.  He grimaces in pain.  The officers 
put their guns to his back.  

Officer 1
Don't move!  Don't you even breathe!

Poet and the rest are now gone out in the street.  The first officer 
puts his gun away and handcuffs Kareem.

Officer 2
I'll go after the rest.

Officer 1
No!  We got him.  We got our shooter!  We'll get to his friends through 
him!

Kareem
I didn't do it!

Officer 1
Oh, yeah?  We'll see about that.

The officers pull Kareem to his feet.

Kareem
I didn't do it, man!  Get off me!

Officer 2
If you didn't do it, I guess you won't have a problem telling us who 
did then, right?

Kareem doesn't respond.

Officer 1
Looks like your face got scratched up.  

He slaps Kareem in the face where the scratches are.  Kareem grimaces 
again..  Fade out:





Fade in:  40INT-(Night, June 4th, 2003)Kareem is at the police station 
in an interrogation room.  The song "Who Do You Believe in" by Tupac 
plays over the scene.  We see the officers in Kareem's face asking him 
questions.  He stares straight ahead and does not respond.  Music 
continues as we cut to:

Lady at home looking out the window looking concerned.  She's heard the 
gunshots and is worried.  K.J. stands at her legs.   Music continues as 
we cut back to:

The officers are still in Kareem's face.  They are furiously asking 
questions.  Kareem does not acknowledge that they are in his face.  He 
refuses to answer any questions.  Music continues as we cut to:

Poet, Shawn, and 7 other P.A. members.  They are still running out on 
the streets.  They keep turning to look behind them, but don't stop 
running.  Music continues as we cut to:

Mr. And Mrs. Mosley are looking out of their window as well.   They are 
also worried about Kareem.  They embrace.  Music continues as we cut 
back to:

Kareem in the police station.  They take his mug shots, then pull him 
off screen.  End music.  Fade out:


Fade in:  41INT-(Evening, September 21st, 2003)  We are back in the 
prison.  Kareem and Jackson are walking out of the cafeteria.

Kareem
That's it.  In a nut shell.

Jackson
Damn, man.  That's messed up that they kept on running after you fell.  
I know you was mad.

Kareem
Yeah, of course.  That showed me that the loyalty I thought was there, 
really wasn't.

Jackson
That's deep, man.  After all you been through, you still one of the 
most positive brothers I know.  I like that, man.  You know what?  You 
should volunteer to teach one the self-development classes in here.


Kareem
They let inmates teach?

Jackson
Yeah.  If they feel you're a good fit for it.  I personally think you 
are.

Kareem looks as if he is thinking about it seriously.         Cut To:

42INT-(Afternoon, December 10th, 2003) Kareem stands at the front of a 
small classroom in the prison.  There are about 16 inmates sitting in 
chairs looking up at him.  He has been talking to the inmates, and they 
are all hanging on his every word.  We see Ty sitting in a chair 
towards the back.  Kareem continues:

Kareem
So, what I'm saying is, that it's never too late.  It all comes down to 
what kind of attitude you have.  You think negative, you'll only get 
negative results.  You think positive, you'll get the results you're 
looking to get.  Don't let your stay here be wasted.  Don't just lay 
around, life weights, play cards or whatever.  Definitely don't get in 
any trouble that will get time added on to your sentence.  It might 
sound lame, but check out the library.  Look in some of the books.  
Find something that interests you.  Look into the Law books.  A lot of 
brothers have gotten appeals from doing their own research in the law 
library books.  I'm serious.  Look into it.  You're here incarcerated 
right now, in the present.  It doesn't have to be your future.  It's up 
to you, fellas.  Never too late.

We hear a loud buzzing noise.  The inmates get up. It's time for lunch.  
As they file out, Ty comes up to Kareem.

Ty
You happy one of your homeboys is coming?

Kareem
What?

Ty
One of your homeboys from the army.  You ain't heard?

Kareem
No. What did you hear?

Ty
It was on the news this morning.  You didn't see it?

Kareem
No, I had to meet with the warden this morning.

Ty
They said he threw a grenade at a police station.  They caught him like 
two months ago.  He's coming here in the morning.

Kareem
Who?  Did they say his name?

Ty
They said it was the new leader.  Don't you know him?

Kareem
Yeah, I know him.                           Cut To:

43INT-(Afternoon, December 11th, 2003) Poet walks out into the prison 
yard.  He looks around as he walks.  He is expecting to spot Kareem 
somewhere.  He keeps walking and he finally does.

Poet (To himself)
If it isn't the man himself.

Poet approaches Kareem, who is on the other side of the prison yard.  
Kareem doesn't see him coming.  Kareem is standing talking with 
Jackson.  Poet comes up right beside Kareem.

Poet
Big man!  

Kareem turns to the side.  He is shocked to see Poet standing there.

Kareem
Don't walk up on me like that, man.

Poet
Be easy.  You act like I'm a stranger!

Kareem
You are, more or less.  I don't know you anymore.

Poet
Stop acting sensitive, man.  Let the past go.  I ain't got beef with 
you.

Kareem gets in Poet's face.

Kareem
I got a big beef with you.  I'm not playing with you, either.  I'm 
warning you now.  Stay out of my way.

Poet
Or what?  What you gon' do?

Kareem
You really want to find out?  Because I don't think you do.

Poet
Who you supposed to be?  You think you backing me down cause you been 
locked up a few months?  You supposed to be a hard convict?  Please.  

Kareem
Don't test me.  I'm warning you.

Poet
No, I'm warning you.  Forget what I said.  I got a serious beef with 
you.  I have for awhile now.  I was willing to let it go, but you wanna 
be like this?  It's on.  I'll see you around.  You know I will.

Kareem
You better get out of my face, right now!

Jackson watches anxiously.  Poet just smiles and backs up.

Poet
You know I'll see you!

Poet backs up and walks off.

Jackson
Who was that?

Kareem
That's Poet.

Jackson
That's Poet!  When did he get here?

Kareem
Today.  He's already becoming a problem.  He won't stop either.  Until 
somebody stops him.                    Cut To:

44INT-(Evening, December 14th, 2003) Kareem is on the payphone.  He is 
talking to a member of the People's Army named Curry.

Kareem
Listen to me closely.  I want to know how much is left in the army 
account.

Curry
It's like…10 G's.  Why?

Kareem
I want you to get it out.  I already know Poet put you in charge of 
keeping up with the account, so don't say you can't.  

Curry
But, for what?

Kareem
I want you to take it and give it to Lady.  It's for her and my son to 
get out of Victory Gardens.

Curry
I can't do that.  Poet would kill me

Kareem
First of all, how can he kill you in prison?  Second of all, he's not 
leading the army.  He had you all under the impression that he was 
taking over, but you all had it wrong.  I'm still leading.  You hear 
me?

Curry
Yeah, I hear you, but-

Kareem
Why would you accept Poet as a leader?  Do you honestly think he can 
lead the army better than I did?  I created the army!  I am the army!  
You understand me?  There is no army without me!  It doesn't exist!  
You get me?

Curry
Yeah, I got you.

Kareem
So, again.  I know you are in charge of the account.  Why, I don't 
know, but you are.  I want you to take it out.  Keep a thousand for 
yourself.  Give the rest to Lady.  If anybody asks about it, you tell 
them Poet needed it to pay his lawyer.  You got me?

Curry
Alright, man.  It don't sound right, but alright.  

Kareem
Give it to her tomorrow.  You know she lives in 12C, right?

Curry
Yeah, I know.

Kareem
Bring it to her tomorrow.  Alright?

Curry
Alright, man

Kareem
Alright, man. Peace.

Kareem hangs up the phone.  He picks it right back up.  He dials in his 
phone card number.  He waits a few seconds and then dials Lady's 
number.

Lady
Hello?

Kareem
Hey, baby,  It's me.

Lady
Hey, baby!  How are you?

Kareem
I'm good, I'm good.

Lady
It's so good to hear your voice.  You just don't know.

Kareem
Believe me I know.  But, listen, I can't talk long.  I just called to 
give you some good news.

Lady
What?  What is it?

Kareem
A guy named Curry is coming by there tomorrow.  He's going to give you 
a bag with like 9 or 10G's in it.


Lady
For what?

Kareem
For you.  And K.J.  I want you to go with my parents to Florida.  Go 
down there and get settled in.  Find yourself a little job.  I know 
you'll be more than welcome to stay with my parents.  They already 
found a place.  They'll let you stay until you find a job.  Then you'll 
have the money to put a down payment on a house or something.  We'll 
work it out.

Lady
We'll work it out?  How can we work it out?  You're not here with me.  
I can't leave without you1

Kareem
Lady, listen to me.  You're not leaving without me.  I'm not with you 
now as it is.  I want you to go down there and get everything together.  
So, when I come home, I won't have to come back to Victory Gardens.  
Plus, it's about K.J.  You know I don't want him there.  I need you to 
be strong and do this, baby.  I know I'm asking a lot, but you have to 
know that it's for the best.

Lady
But how can I visit you?  You'll be so far away!

Kareem
You can take the Greyhound bus.  You can take a train.  That's not 
important.  What's important is that you get K.J. down there.  Remember 
what we talked about?  About how much we would love for K.J. to be able 
to grow up down there?  To be able to go to the ocean whenever he 
wanted.  See something beautiful.  You remember how much we wanted 
that?

Lady
Yeah.

Kareem
Well, this is our chance!  We have to take it, Lady.  I know it doesn't 
seem right because of the circumstances, but it is right.  Trust me.  
Take him to Florida.  Let him meet some family members that I haven't 
even met yet.  Let him have a good childhood.  I have a chance of 
getting out right before his 12th birthday if I make parole.  I have 
faith I will.  I just need you to be strong, baby.

Lady
It's gonna be too hard, Kareem.

Kareem
No it won't.  Come on, now.  You're stronger than that.  You know I'm 
always here for you to talk to.  Plus my parents and the rest of my 
family will be right down there with you. It'll work, baby.  Have 
faith.

Lady
Oh, man. I wish you could come.  I really do.

Kareem
So do I.  I'll get there soon, baby.  But, listen, I have to go.  Talk 
to my parents and let them know what's up.  And be expecting the money 
tomorrow, alright?  And kiss little me, and tell him daddy loves him.

Lady
I will.

Kareem
And you be strong.  Be the strong woman I've always known you to be.  I 
love you, Lady.

Lady
I love you too, Kareem.

Kareem
Talk to you soon.

Lady
Okay.

Kareem
Bye.

Lady
Bye.


Kareem hangs up the phone and walks off.                                               
Cut To:


45INT-( Afternoon, December 15th, 2003) Kareem is again in the prison 
yard with Jackson.  They are walking and talking.


Jackson
So, she's gonna move out of the neighborhood?



Kareem
Yeah.  He's supposed to bring the money to her today.  I called her 
yesterday and told her. I have to call her later today and make sure 
she got it.  

Jackson
That's good.  I'm happy for you, man.  Don't even worry about it, 
you'll be with them in no time.

Kareem
I'm counting on it.  Florida sounds a lot better than this, you know?

They chuckle.  Suddenly an inmate runs up behind Kareem.  It's Poet.  
He comes up behind Kareem.  He grabs Kareem and slits his throat with a 
razor.

Poet
P.A., forever and a day, homeboy!

Poet let's go of Kareem and his body hit's the ground.  Blood spills 
out of Kareem's neck like an overflowing bathtub.  He gasps for air on 
the ground.  Poet runs.  Jackson looks down at Kareem in shock.  He 
kneels down to him.

Jackson
Yo, Kareem!  Yo, man!  Come on, man!  Come on, you alright man!  You 
not hurt that bad!  Come on, you gotta get up!

Inmates in the yard are all watching the scene.  Poet is running across 
the yard.  Jackson looks and sees Ox across the yard.  Ox is looking at 
Kareem on the ground.  Jackson hollers out to him:

That dude right there did it!  The one running!

Ox sees Poet running.  Ox is standing with about 10 of his wolves.  He 
points to Poet, and in an instant all 10 take off after him.  Poet 
looks back and sees them.  He runs harder.  As he runs past an inmate, 
the inmate sticks out his foot and trips him up. Poet falls flat on the 
ground.  He tries to get back to his feet, but the wolves catch him.  
In rapid movement, they all jab at Poet with sharp weapons.  They 
circle all the way around him so that you can't see what's going on.  
Then all of a sudden they disperse in different directions.  Poet lies 
on the ground with his torso full of holes.  Each one is gushing out 
blood.       We cut back to:

Jackson leaning over Kareem. Kareem is still gasping for air.

Jackson
Look it's over, man!  You said it wouldn't be over until somebody got 
him.  They got him!  You ain't got worry about him!  Come on, Kareem!  
Don't go, man! Breathe, man!

Kareem suddenly stops gasping.  He lies dead.  Jackson falls backward 
onto the ground, full of emotion.  We see the guards finally making 
their way into the prison yard.        Fade out:

Fade in: Sub-title reads: Five years later.

 We hear the song "Better Dayz" by Tupac. We see a shot of Lady walking 
on the beach with 7 year old K.J. He is running in the sand barefoot.  
Mr. And Mrs. Mosley are right behind them.  We see smiles on all of 
their faces.  K.J. runs to the shallow part of the ocean and jumps in.  
He splashes around happily.  He leaps up and runs back out onto the 
sand and wraps his arms around Lady.  Mr. And Mrs. Mosley walk arm in 
arm, smiling.  Lady reaches out for K.J.'s hand.  He happily extends 
it, and they walk hand in hand down the beach.  Credits roll over the 
scene.


The End.

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