"Just a Dollar"
Grace: Look, I am going to address it today.
Spencer: Just addressing it is not enough Grace, it has been 5 years.
Grace: I’m sorry, I know I’m not being fair to you.
Spencer: It’s not fair to anyone.
Cindy: Is that “the lover man” mommy?
Grace: Cindy, what have I told you about listening to my calls?
Cindy: Sorry, but I miss “the lover man” mommy. He’s fun.
Spencer: Tell her I miss her too.
Grace: You might see him today.
Cindy: Yay, can my brother and daddy see “the lover man” mommy?
Grace: Yes baby, now go wake up your dad. It's almost time for school.
Cindy runs to tap her younger brother, Luke, alerting him that it’s time for their morning routine (an awaking tactic they call “Jumpstarting Daddy”). Both children, ages 5 and 7, sneak into the main bedroom. Luke, being the smallest and quietest, tiptoes to the far side of the bed. Cindy, the team leader, puts her index finger to her nose and mouth as she begins counting with her free hand. When she reaches four, they each lunge for an arm, imitating sparkplugs clamping to the battery of their family’s car most mornings. Their dad, John, jolts up and begins to crow like a rooster.
The kids in unison: No, that’s not the sound a car makes.
John: How would you know? I don’t see any cars here.
Cindy: We have one outside silly.
Luke: Precisely, and we’re kid-mechanics.
John: Then why don’t I hear a running car?
Luke: Because cars have tires.
John: I’m not a grandpa yet, so why are you telling dad jokes?
The trios chuckles
Cindy: Dibs on the handy bag!
Luke: No, you always get it.
John: How about you both try turning the key first.
The kids snatch the keys from the bedside table and race to the car. Grace cautions them to slow down. John labors into the kitchen to greet his wife. Grace reluctantly kisses him as she expresses her dismay with him riling up the kids. He nudges for a better kiss, assuring her they are in good hands. With all that stated, she rushes him out the door, so they won’t be late. He kisses her goodbye as the car finally starts and smiles saying, “See, today’s going to be a good day.”. She rolls her eyes and responds, “Yeah ok, Ice Cube.”. She watches as they depart down the street, then continues her conversation. John gets the kids to school with no time to spare. He releases them each to their respective teachers, who have already lined the students up for breakfast. Cindy’s teacher, Mrs. Langley, alerts him that once she submits drop-off attendance the kids are late, and frequent tardiness counts against their overall grade. He apologizes and thanks her for the update, as a parking authority officer reminds him of the 60 seconds or less school drop-off rule. He races to his vehicle to avoid a ticket, and heads to pick up Grace’s breakfast from their local deli. He stops and parks at the deli’s entrance, then hastily heads in. He is greeted by a cash register already rung to the tune of $8.55. The store owner’s son, Akeem, brings out one breakfast special plate, then proceeds to complete the transaction. John takes his receipt and races home to deliver Grace’s food before the start of his first shift. He enters the driveway, parks, and leaves the car running. He trots to the house, and while passing through the front doorway he calls out to Grace.
John: Sweet love, I’ve got your breakfast.
Grace: Don’t “sweet love” me.
John: What?
Grace: I’m not stupid. I know we're not rich, but we should be comfortable off your main salary alone. Nevertheless, here we are, with you working an extra job for crumbs so we can barely get by. The kids never see you awake. I can't remember our last date night or the last time you wore anything other than that uniform.
John: I'm trying to keep us afloat
Grace: By floating in a bottle or a pipe or whatever you do?
John: I'm sober, and I’ll prove it.
Grace: They don't test for everything, and you know that. I've had the numbers checked and it's not adding up. There's been over $15,000 unaccounted for in the past 5 years. I keep trying with you, but you've devastated this family for the last time. It’s best we end things now. At least now the kids are too young to see what you’re doing to them. They’ve literally made a game from you not being able to fix the car. They still love you, lets not ruin that.
John: I’m telling you I’m on the straight and narrow. I’m not doing any extra spending of any kind.
Grace: I've had the accounts checked and the only thing we’ve agreed to spend hard cash on is deli plates, 8 plates at $6.99. That’s easy to track. It doesn’t add up.
John: That's where you're wrong, It's $7.99 a plate. Check your math.
Grace: I grew up on this block, I know the price.
John: Apparently not.
Grace: Oh, I don't? Let's go, because I'm sick of the lies.
John: Go where?
Grace: To the deli.
They load up and travel to the deli. Once they arrive, they’re met by a surprised cashier, the store owner Mr. Minn. He embraces Grace, or Gracey as he refers to her, and notes his excitement to see her. Grace, suppressing her rage, smiles and indulges in pleasantries. Once she’s satisfied his urge for an update on her life, kids, and marriage she asks for the kitchen menu. Mr. Minn heads to the back to retrieve it. As they wait, a man holding a manilla folder walks into the deli. From their optical exchange alone, John can tell the man and Grace are familiar with each other. However, before John could address the two Mr. Minn emerges with a menu.
Mr. Minn: I’ve found it, it’s been so long since anyone has asked, I’m not sure if all the recipes are still available.
John: Right, and it seems your prices are out of date as well.
Mr. Minn: No, we pride ourselves on that price being consistent and affordable. We even have a slogan, “Minn’s deli plate, if it’s not $6.99, it’s $7.48.” because of taxes you see.
Grace: What excuse do you have now?
John: There is no way. Here is the breakfast receipt for $7.99 a plate.
Grace: Mr. Minn, why the extra charge?
Mr. Minn: I don't know Gracey, I don’t normally work the register. It should still be the same price. Akeem, come here my boy!
Akeem: What's up pops?
Mr. Minn: Why was Gracey’s husband charged $7.99 for a plate this morning.
Akeem: Gracey, long time no see girl. You know how it is. That’s the tourist and transplant price big dog, charge it to the game. You saw it and bought it. It’s just a dollar you'll live.
Grace: Just a dollar we buy 8 plates a day. Are you insane? He has to work a second job because you're scamming us over $3,000 a year
Akeem: Aye, what can I say? Quit living outside your means. It's just a dollar.
Envelope Man(Sebastian): Exactly, baby either way he doesn't deserve you.
John: Baby?
Grace: Stop, everybody just stop.
Sebastian: No, grace you’ve been standing still waiting on him from too long. He can't even afford an extra $1 to keep you and the kids fed.
John: I work 2 jobs to provide for my family. We don't need anything from you, especially your ignorant opinion about something that’s not your business.
Sebastian: Grace is my business.
John: What?
Grace: We met when you were in jail. I put him on the back burner for the kids to have their dad, but it felt like you kept messing up and I didn't want to see them let down again.
John: So, I never had a chance.
Sebastian: She gave you more than an enough chances. Now it's time for a real man to be by herself side permanently.
John: May you both live a lovely life together. You deserve each other.
Grace: So, you're just done that easy?
John: Easy? You’ve been back and forward between me and this man for years. On top of that, you choose to tell me this on the day I get off parole. 5 years free today and this is your gift to me, so yes it's that easy. And you know what? You and your “real man” can have the apartment. I have a house for me and the kids lined up.
Grace: A house?
John: Yes, because you're right I'm not rich, but I know how to sacrifice. I've been eating once a day for 5 years and saving the money I would've spent at the deli. Altogether it’s about 12k I put 10 down and I'm renting for $2100. I was planning to surprise you.
Sebastian: Good for you, but you can't take her kids.
John: Those are my kids. I feed them, I clothe them, I take them to school, I give them my last, and then I do it all over again. She doesn’t even have a job.
Sebastian: Sounds good. We’ll see you in court.
Seven months later, John sits in his cars reeling in disgust. “I can’t believe I got shafted like that.”, he says to his mother, Marcy, over the phone. “What happened?”, Marcy asked. In his aguish John mocks the Judge, “Maybe if you weren't trying to right your wrongs, after destroying your family and hiding money from your wife, she wouldn't have to seek out more genuine connections. It's the court’s ruling that she gets the home and custody of the kids. You will be made to pay child and spousal support according to your 2 salaries and that is final.”. “I don’t even want to talk about it mom”, states John. After saying their goodbyes Marcy hangs up, and John heads to Grace’s house for his first court appointed weekend. When he arrives, Sebastian opens the door.
Sebastian: Come on in pal.
John: I’m good. Really Grace? I got the house, and I haven’t even seen what you’ve done with the kids’ room. And he’s already living here?
Grace: He’s not living here yet, and that’s none of your business.
Cindy: Why are you mad at “the lover man” daddy. Did he hurt mommy?
Grace: It’s alright baby.
John: Why is she calling him “the loverman”?
Grace: When they me she said her daddy was a bad prison man, and he'd beat him up if he hurt her mommy.
Sebastian: And I told her I'm a lover, not a fighter.
Grace: And I said that's right, he's my loverboy. And she said but he's a man mommy, "that's your loverman".
John: All this in 2 years grace?
Grace: They gave you 5-10, and I was alone. We were alone. You missed her first day of school, you missed the play dates, you missed
John: Ok
Grace: No, don't cut me off. I asked, no I begged you to stop after she was born. I told you we could manage. I would get a better job.
John: Grace you could barely walk. The hospital bills weren't cheap. We needed somewhere to stay.
Grace: They could've waited. But you wanted to feel like the man. You didn't want to owe anybody, not even this family.
John: Whatever.
Grace: That's it just run from the truth. I'm done chasing you.
John: I just came to see my one and only child.
Grace: Don't do that. It's not his fault. He's a child, and he loves you.
John: Now who's running, you had an affair and got pregnant by some dude as soon as I got jammed up.
Grace: It wasn't like that. I needed work, I met him on the job. I didn't have a car. He helped me when I was vulnerable. When you weren't around.
John: If it wasn't like that, why hide the pregnancy from me and try to act like he was mine. You used him as the excuse for not coming to see me. And if it wasn’t for “Mr. Loverman” finally coming to take back care of his child I’d be paying child support for him too.
Grace: I would have said something. Eventually.
John: Just send my daughter out.
The little boy comes out from behind the wall with a tear-soaked face.
Luke: So you don't want me any more daddy?
John: You knew he was right there.
Grace: He needs to see who loves him.
John: I put clothes on his back. I put him on the bus his first day of school. When I picked up a part-time shift to feed him, I dropped him off at school every day. I love that boy with all my heart Grace, but I won't help you lie to him.
Grace: Grow Up John, he's a child. You have no right to abandon him over the mistakes we made.
John: You ain't got nothing to say mister real man loverman? You know what, just stay out the way like you’ve been doing.
Sebastian: What.
John: You heard me. I might not have been as straight laced as I should have been, but I take care of mine.
Grace: You're just some bum ex-con, and I had you taken off child support because it wouldn’t be worth the gas it took to cash the check. Yeah I use premium guy, and Grace and our kids will have a premium life.
John: Man just give me the kids.
Sebastian: No, I don't appreciate the state of mind he's exhibiting right now Grace. You know he's a maniac prone to making rash decisions.
John: It's my weekend. I get one a month. And this is the first month. Let's not start already man.
Grace: Maybe they should get used to seeing less of you. Well shouldn't be much difference. Surprised you had enough energy to make it here.
John: You can't do this Grace.
Sebastian: I think she can, and it sounds like she just did.
John: I'm calling my lawyer.
Fredrick(the lawyer): John baby, I sorry about the case. We’ll get them next time.
John: Yeah right. Fred, she's not even releasing the kids.
Fred: Why not?
John: Because her boyfriend said so.
Fred: Ok, we can bring this up in our next custody hearing.
John: I want my kids now Fred. It's my day.
Fred: That's a sticky situation, it'll be better to wait it out. I'll be sure to inform the judge of her lack of cooperation. You just have to keep a level head.
John: Ok.
He retreats to his car as the 5 year old boy runs after him crying, "I'm sorry daddy.". His 7 year old daughter tries to run through the doorway but Sebastian picks her up. She scratches his arm. He yells, “ouch!” and calls her a brat as he lets her down and she runs off. Grace reprimands his language and asks him to leave.
Sebastian: So you want some bum?
Grace: I didn't say that, and I wish you'd stop calling him that. I just don't think you're ready to be a co-parent or cohabitant.
Sebastian: Because I called her a brat? I’m bleeding!
Grace: I didn't say we were done. I just think things would smooth over quicker if you went to your house.
Sebastian: Ok Grace but this isn't right. He's the problem, not me.
Cindy: Daddy, I don't won't to stay with the loverman.
Luke: Me either.
John: I know, and I'm sorry. You guys deserve better from us. None of this is your fault.
Grace: John, could you just take them both this one weekend?
John: Of course
