WOLF: I can’t use it.

STERLING (holding the watch out to MEMPHIS and HOLLOWAY): Three dollars?
(He doesn’t get a response.)
That’s alright, I’m gonna keep it. I’m gonna keep it till it stop ticking. Whenever you see me I’m gonna have on this watch.

WOLF: Well, let me get on and make my day. I’ll see you all later. Hey, Risa . . .  keep smiling, baby.
(WOLF exits.)

STERLING (looking out the window): They got so many people lined up across the street I thought it was the surplus food line. I’m gonna go over and get in line with everybody else. Get my luck changed.
(To HOLLOWAY:)
You believe in luck? I was born with it. I was born with seven cents. My mama swallowed a nickel and two pennies and I come out with the nickel in one hand and the two pennies in the other. They say I was born with luck but they didn’t say what kind. I think it was bad luck. What you think?
(RISA enters from the back.)
(To RISA:)
Say, baby, give me another cup of coffee.
(To HOLLOWAY:)
You been over there to see Prophet Samuel?

HOLLOWAY: Yeah, I done seen him.

STERLING: I was over there talking to one man he say if you rub his head you get good luck. One man found twenty dollars on the sidewalk on his way out. I’m going over there. Might go through the line twice. Have double luck. That might not even be enough the way things is going. Might have to go through there three times.

HOLLOWAY: These niggers lining up over there to rub Prophet Samuel’s head cause they think that’s gonna make their hand itch and they gonna get some money. They don’t know to go see Aunt Ester. Aunt Ester give you more than money. She make you right with yourself. You ain’t got to go far. She live at eighteen thirty-nine Wylie. In the back. Go up there and you’ll see a red door. Go up there and knock on that.

HAMBONE (suddenly): I want my ham. I want my ham.

HOLLOWAY: Aunt Ester got a power cause she got an understanding. Anybody live as long as she has is bound to have an understanding.

HAMBONE: He gonna give me my ham. I want my ham.

STERLING: Somebody got his ham.
(To HAMBONE:)
Who got your ham, man? Somebody took your ham?

HOLLOWAY: He talking about Lutz across the street. He painted his fence for him nine . . .  almost ten years ago, and Lutz told him he’d give him a ham. After he painted the fence Lutz told him to take a chicken. He say he wanted his ham. Lutz told him to take a chicken or don’t take nothing. So he wait over there every morning till Lutz come to open his store and he tell him he wants his ham. He ain’t got it yet.