1. 1982.
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2. That was the year I turned 13.
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3. Before I was a comedian,
I thought the coolest thing
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4. that would happen to me
was being a teenager.
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5. I was going to have women,
money, stay out late...
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6. I thought it was going
to be the bomb.
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7. 'Sup?
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8. He's here!
Chris is here!
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9. Yo, Chris!
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10. Chris! Chris! Chris! Chris!
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11. Chris! Chris! Chris! Chris!
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12. Boy, was I wrong.
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13. Chris!
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14. Get in the bathroom and wipe
the pee off the toilet seat!
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15. Disgusting!
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16. Come on, y'all, let's go.
We got to move.
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17. When I was 13,
my mother convinced my father
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18. to move us out
of the projects.
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19. She always said, "'Project'
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20. "is just another word
for 'experiment.'"
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21. In a lab, the government
gives rats cheese.
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22. In the projects, the government
gives people cheese.
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23. Dad...
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24. can we stop at McDonald's?
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25. You got some
McDonald's money?
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26. Julius, the kids
have to eat.
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27. They ain't got
to eat McDonald's.
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28. We got some bologna in the back.
I'll pull over.
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29. My father Julius always kept
bologna handy just in case.
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30. We get one combo meal.
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31. Drew gets the burger.
Tanya gets the fries.
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32. Chris, you can
have the drink.
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33. One time, I just got ice.
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34. We moved to an apartment
in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn.
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35. Now, had we known
that Bed-Stuy
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36. would be the center
of a crack epidemic,
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37. I guess we would've picked
someplace else.
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38. Bed-Stuy even had
its own motto:
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39. "Bed-Stuy, do or die."
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40. Look at that.
Look at that, look at that.
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41. Those are some of the guys
that are going to die.
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42. If I ever catch
any of y'all
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43. spray-painting
on anybody's wall,
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44. I'mma put my foot
so far up your behind,
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45. you'll have toes for teeth.
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46. Get inside.
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47. That's my mother Rochelle.
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48. She had a hundred recipes
for whooping ass.
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49. Boy, I will slap the caps
off your knees.
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50. I will knock you
into last night.
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51. I will slap your name
out the phone book
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52. and call Ma Bell
and tell her I did it!
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53. That's my younger brother Drew.
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54. There's nothing worse
than having a little brother
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55. that's bigger than you.
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56. My sister, Tanya,
was the youngest
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57. and would do anything
to get me in trouble.
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58. Chris, clean that mess up.
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59. Tanya did it.
Uh-uh!
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60. Did I ask you that?
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61. Since I was the oldest,
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62. I had to be
the emergency adult.
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63. If you smell smoke, and you
think the house is gonna
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64. catch fire, get your brother
and sister and get out.
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65. If you smell gas and you think
the house is gonna blow up,
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66. get your brother and sister
and get out.
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67. If you smell smoke and your
brother catches on fire,
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68. get your sister
and get out of here.
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69. Fortunately,
the house never caught fire
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70. and neither did my brother.
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71. Mom, why is it
that Drew and Tanya
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72. get to go to school
in our own neighborhood,
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73. but I have to go all
the way to Brooklyn Beach?
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74. Brooklyn Beach was
a poor Italian neighborhood
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75. on the other side of town.
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76. It was just like Bed-Stuy:
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77. take away the gangs,
add the mob.
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78. Because the junior
high school around here
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79. is like a hoodlum factory.
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80. Now, those white kids,
they get an education.
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81. Not a Harvard-type education,
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82. just a not-sticking-up-
a-liquor-store type education.
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83. Hey, Dad.
Hi, baby.
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84. What's up?
Oh, what's up, Dad?
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85. Hey, Daddy.
Hey, baby.
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86. Tanya was
my father's favorite.
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87. What's wrong with
your oatmeal?
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88. Chris made
it too lumpy.
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89. And she knew it.
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90. You don't
have to eat it.
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91. I know you're not
gonna throw that away.
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92. Eat that.
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93. That's 30 cent
worth of oatmeal.
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94. My father always knew
what everything cost.
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95. That's a $1.09 in the trash!
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96. That's two dollars on fire.
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97. That's 49 cent of spilt milk
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98. dripping all over my table.
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99. Somebody gonna drink this milk.
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100. Uh, baby,
did you see this?
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101. Mm. Oh, I paid this.
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102. It says you paid half.
I know.
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103. I gave you all the money.
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104. How come you only paid
half the bill?
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105. I cannot even believe that
you're asking me that.
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106. I'm asking you
a question.
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107. I'm trying to find out
what's going on—
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108. No, you're not.
You're questioning my judgment.
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109. You act like there's not a big
red bill sitting on the table.
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110. Okay, fine.
You do it, then.
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111. I will. I am. Fine.
Okay. Good. Fine.
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112. My parents taught me love
is never having to say:
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113. "Kiss my ass!"
Where the stamps at?
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114. I was never cool growing up.
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115. The coolest thing about me
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116. was this pair
of white sneakers I had.
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117. Oh, no, no, no.
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118. You are not going to school
in those sneakers.
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119. Believe it or not,
there was a time
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120. when you couldn't wear sneakers
everywhere.
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121. Why? Everybody else
wears sneakers.
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122. Because you look raggedy.
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123. And plus,
you have an assembly today.
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124. Boy, you done lost your mind.
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125. My mother hated raggedy.
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126. She always said it's better
to be poor and neat
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127. than rich and raggedy.
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128. I think she said that
because we were poor.
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129. Here.
Wear Drew's good shoes.
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130. I hate these shoes.
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131. Everybody will make fun
of me at school.
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132. You've been going there
for a week.
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133. You don't know everybody.
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134. I was the only black kid
at the school.
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135. They know me.
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136. This is so embarrassing.
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137. How come he's
wearing my shoes?
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138. 'Cause you only have
one pair of feet.
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139. Chris, don't fool around
after school.
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140. I need you to be here
to let Drew and Tanya in, okay?
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141. You won't be here?
I got to work today.
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142. But you know the drill.
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143. Yeah, yeah,
I know, I know.
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144. Daddy's gonna be asleep,
don't wake him up till 5:00.
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145. That's right. Chris.
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146. You got your bus pass?
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147. Yeah. Um...
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148. somewhere around here.
Mm-hmm.
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149. You keep on.
You lose this bus pass,
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150. and your behind is gonna be
walking to school.
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151. Oh.
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152. Here's two dollars for lunch.
Thanks.
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153. All right.
Now, be good.
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154. I will.
Bye, Mommy.
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155. Bye, baby.
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156. Hold your sister's hand.
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157. Don't go in the street.
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158. Keisha was the girl next door.
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159. At 13, I didn't know
a lot about sex,
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160. but I knew she had something
to do with it.
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161. Hey, Drew.
Drew?
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162. What's up, Keisha?
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163. You know her?
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164. Yeah.
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165. Drew was so cool,
he got girls at 10
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166. that I couldn't get
until I was 30.
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167. Listen, when y'all
get to the house,
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168. don't ring the bell
or knock on the door.
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169. Just wait, okay?
Whatever.
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170. What if I have to go
to the bathroom?
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171. Go at school.
That bathroom is so nasty.
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172. Listen,
if you wake up Daddy,
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173. he's gonna punch me
square in the face.
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174. And if he does that,
I'm gonna punch you in the face.
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175. And then he's gonna kill me
and wind up in jail.
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176. Now, do you want Daddy
to go to jail?
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177. No.
No?
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178. All right, then!
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179. Even when my mother got mad,
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180. she still made
my dad's dinner.
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181. have this on my mind.
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182. vegetables, potatoes,
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183. and his favorite:
a big piece of chicken.
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184. I had to take two buses
to school every day.
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185. Was the junior high school
across the street
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186. really that bad?
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187. Much like rock and roll,
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188. school shootings were also
invented by blacks
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189. and stolen by the white man.
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190. My first bus
was the 26.
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191. I read the newspaper
every single day.
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192. I learned more
on the way to school
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193. than I learned at school.
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194. My next bus was the 44.
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195. I was the only black person
on the bus.
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196. And nobody would sit
next to me.
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197. I mean, nobody.
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198. If you think she's mad now,
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199. wait till her daughter
brings home O.J.
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200. My mother thought
going to a white school
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201. meant I would get
a better education
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202. and I would be safer.
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203. Wrong!
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204. That's Joey Caruso,
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205. a little thug with a big chip
on his shoulder.
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206. You know,
I managed to avoid him
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207. before I wore these shoes.
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208. Nice shoes, Bojangles.
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209. Bojangles?
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210. That's not what
your mother called me
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211. when I was tap-dancing
in her drawers last night.
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212. I know you think I'm crazy,
but if I let him
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213. get away with that,
he'd be doing it all year.
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214. Now, I couldn't beat him,
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215. but I thought maybe
I could out-black him.
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216. What?
Did I stutter?
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217. Do you know who I am?
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218. You step on
my shoe again,
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219. and I'mma tell you
who I am.
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220. I don't play that.
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221. I'm from Bed-Stuy, boy.
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222. I'll bring half of
Marcy up in here.
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223. I will beat
your butt so bad,
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224. you're gonna need
crutches in your sleep.
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225. Hey, this might work.
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226. You know what else
I'm gonna do—
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227. What's your name?
Chris.
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228. I'm Dr. Raymond,
your new principal.
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229. Now get off my feet.
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230. That's funny?
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231. That's not funny.
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232. What's your name, son?
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233. Caruso.
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234. Fix yourself up
next time you come to my school.
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235. See those shoes?
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236. They say something.
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237. They say, "I'm a student.
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238. I want to learn."
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239. I want more of that...
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240. and less of this.
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241. Don't bump into me again.
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242. Even though Caruso
was messing withme,
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243. getting embarrassed
made him even madder.
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244. So you know what's coming next.
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245. This isn't over, nigger.
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246. Oh, he got away with calling me
nigger that day.
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247. But later in life,
he said it at a DMX concert
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248. and almost got stomped
to death.
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249. Hey, are you really from
Bed-Stuy, do or die?
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250. Yeah.
You ever been shot?
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251. No.
Well, at least not yet.
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252. I'm Greg.
I'm Chris.
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253. Greg Wuliger
wasn't my first choice
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254. for a friend,
but mutual ass-kicking
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255. seemed to bring
people together.
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256. Cool shoes.
Thanks.
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257. You know, if that
was the new principal,
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258. who was the old one?
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259. I didn't touch her!
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260. I don't know what you're
talking about. Ask anybody.
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261. Mr. Palmer was accused
of doing something
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262. we can't tell you about
because of the network censors.
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263. The school settled
the lawsuit out of court,
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264. and he's not allowed
to teach anymore.
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265. If he moves to your
neighborhood,
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266. you'll get a warning.
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267. Back at home, my father
should have been in bed,
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268. but he'd rather
lose sleep than money.
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269. What are you doing?
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270. I'm paying the bills.
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271. See? It says $40,
I'm paying $40.
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272. And that's exactly why I don't
let you pay the bills.
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273. Where are you going?
To work.
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274. Is Chris gonna be home
in time to wake me up?
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275. Can I see in the future?
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276. What's wrong with you?
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277. Probably can see in the future.
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278. By lunchtime, I was starving.
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279. I'm gonna go
get a hot dog.
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280. I'm gonna get
a slice of pizza.
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281. Got my money...
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282. Give me back my bus pass.
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283. You want it?
Take it, you little...
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284. After school, Satchmo.
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285. After school, I had a plan.
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286. Th-This is crazy.
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287. Man, it's a school fight. School
fights only last a minute,
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288. 'cause somebody always
comes and breaks them up.
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289. All I have to do is get
in the first punch,
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290. somebody'll stop it.
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291. Fight! Fight! Fight!
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292. What're you waiting
for, Corn Bread?
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293. This'll be over any minute.
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294. Is somebody
gonna stop this?
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295. Wait! Wait! Wait!
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296. Wait for me!
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297. Thank you. Thank you, yeah.
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298. Come on, ma'am, come on.
I got a schedule. Let's go...
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299. Wait! Wait! Hold up!
Hold up! Wait!
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300. There's a kid
trying to catch...
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301. Yeah, yeah, I know, I see...
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302. Wait, wait,
wait, wait— Ow!
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303. Bet you don't get me tomorrow.
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304. I bet I do.
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305. You do...
Yeah, go sit down.
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306. Cut that out, you bunch
of hoods! Back off!
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307. I was still hungry,
but I was almost home.
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308. What could go wrong now?
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309. Daddy!
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310. Daddy! Daddy!
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311. That girl's trying
to get me killed.
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312. Daddy! Dad—
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313. Girl, you don't want
Daddy to go to jail.
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314. I told her to quit.
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315. I have to go to the bathroom.
I told you to go at school!
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316. That bathroom is nasty!
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317. Listen. We're going in.
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318. But once we get in, I don't
want to hear any noise.
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319. None.
Do you understand?
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320. Yes.
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321. My father always
slept in his uniform.
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322. That way, when he woke up,
he'd be ready to go.
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323. I know how
to pay bills.
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324. I can pay the bills...
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325. You may not think messing up
a pair of $40 shoes
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326. is such a big deal,
but you have to realize
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327. that my father's car
only cost $65.
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328. I had to get those shoes clean.
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329. For the first time that day,
things were going all right.
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330. All I had to do now was keep
everybody quiet till 5:00.
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331. Dad...
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332. Dad.
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333. Time to get up.
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334. It's 5:00?
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335. Yep.
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336. It's not 4:59?
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337. Nope.
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338. No...
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339. What job am I
going to?
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340. You're driving a truck.
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341. Hello?
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342. Hey, hey, baby.
It's Mommy.
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343. Is your father up?
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344. Yep.
Good, good, good.
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345. Take his plate
out of the refrigerator
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346. and put in the oven for him.
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347. What plate?
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348. The one with
the big piece of chicken.
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349. Haven't I told you
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350. do not eat
the big piece of chicken?
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351. But I was still hungry.
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352. My mother wasn't mad at me,
she was
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353. looking out for my father.
You see how big he is?
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354. She didn't want him
to go to work hungry,
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355. 'cause if he goes to work
hungry, he'll be grouchy,
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356. and if he's grouchy, he might
call his boss "cracker,"
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357. and if he calls
his boss "cracker,"
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358. then we're living
in the projects again.
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359. But do not eat the biggest
piece of chicken.
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360. Do you understand?
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361. At least you didn't
mess up your school shoes.
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362. Now come over here
and give me some sugar.
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363. Now go to bed.
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364. Rochelle.
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365. What?
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366. Look, I'm not trying
to tell you what to do,
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367. but I'm working hard trying
to pay for this place.
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368. You know that.
Just because you make money
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369. doesn't mean you know
how to spend it.
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370. You got to know how
to work the system.
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371. What system?
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372. The debt system.
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373. I run this house like they run
the country: on a deficit.
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374. Rent is due on the 3rd.
I don't pay it till the 9th
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375. because you don't get
your check till the 7th.
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376. If you pay
the light bill now,
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377. I won't have money
for the groceries,
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378. the rent would be late and then
you'll have to work overtime.
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379. You want to work
overtime again?
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380. No, I don't think so.
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381. If we don't owe people money,
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382. we won't have any money at all.
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383. Um...
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384. Uh, why didn't you
just say that then?
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385. Because you didn't ask.
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386. Baby.
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387. Don't "baby" me.
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388. Come here. I'm sorry.
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389. Okay?
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390. Who told you to open
the mail, anyway?
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391. Come here, pookie.
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392. No, last time you said
"pookie," I got pregnant.
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393. You my pookie.
You always my pookie.
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394. No pookie.
Okay, little bit of pookie.
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395. Love you.
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396. I love you too, baby.
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397. My dad always checked on us
in between jobs,
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398. his night job
and his late-at-night job.
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399. Dad?
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400. Hey, man.
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401. I thought you were asleep.
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402. I'm sorry I ate
the big piece of chicken.
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403. That was 89 cent
worth of chicken.
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404. What, you didn't get enough
to eat at school?
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405. I was still hungry.
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406. Now I'm still hungry.
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407. Look, next time,
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408. eat a little something
extra at breakfast, okay?
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409. Okay.
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410. Here.
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411. Now don't go pulling
this money out.
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412. Somebody'll try to rob you.
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413. Don't tell
your mother about this.
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414. Everything okay at school?
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415. I didn't tell him
about the fight.
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416. My dad went to school
during the Civil Rights era.
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417. After hoses, tanks and
the dog bites on your ass,
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418. somehow Joey Caruso
didn't compare.
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419. Yeah, it was all right.
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420. Good. I'll see you
in the morning.
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421. My father wasn't the type
to say, "I love you."
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422. He was one of four fathers
on the block.
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423. "I'll see you in the morning,"
meant he was coming home.
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424. Coming home was his way
of saying, "I love you."
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425. Unplug that clock, boy.
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426. You can't tell time
when you sleep.
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427. That's two cents an hour.
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428. What the hell happened
to my towel?
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