WOLF: That’s alright. Pay me next week.
(STERLING takes the bag and shoves it in his pants.)
What you got there, Risa? That look like some of Prophet Samuel’s flowers.

RISA: They ain’t his no more.

STERLING: Let me spend my last two dollars. Give me two dollars on seven eighty-one straight. Seven eighty-one . . .  right, Risa? If that come out me and Risa getting married.
(He picks up his gas can and starts to exit.)
Risa, fix me up a plate of them short ribs. I’ll be right back.

(STERLING exits.)

MEMPHIS: I give that boy three weeks. You hear me, Holloway? Three weeks. And he gonna be laying over there across the street or back down there in the penitentiary. You watch. Three weeks.
(RISA sets Wolf’s beans in front of him. The phone rings and WOLF goes to answer it. MEMPHIS beats him to it.)
Hello? . . .  Wolf don’t work here!

WOLF: What you do that for, Memphis? That’s my livelihood.

MEMPHIS: This my restaurant. I told you about taking numbers out of here. This is a legitimate business. This ain’t no number station. Go on down to Seefus . . .  give people the number down there. Risa . . .  get these dishes cleaned up.

WOLF: Here you go, Risa . . .  let me get out of here before I get in trouble.
(He drops the money for his dinner on the counter.)

MEMPHIS: You gonna do more than get in trouble if you messing with me.

WOLF: See . . .  I ain’t said nothing to you now, Memphis. You starting something?

MEMPHIS: This my place, nigger! This my place. How you gonna have people call you at my place?

WOLF: I ain’t told nobody to call me. People know I be here and they trying to catch me. I get messages everywhere I go. Nobody else don’t say nothing about it.

MEMPHIS: Well, go on and get them, cause you ain’t getting no more here.
(WOLF exits. MEMPHIS smells something.)
What’s that burning? Risa?
(MEMPHIS crosses behind the counter.)
Risa, watch you don’t burn these short ribs. You got the fire way up high. What you doing back there?

RISA: I’m getting the food ready.

MEMPHIS: That don’t take all day. Them short ribs need some more water. Put some water in there.
(RISA goes to put some water in the short ribs.)
Turn the fire down and get on down to the store and get some corn meal. Where’s the corn meal? How you gonna make muffins without corn meal?
(WEST enters.)
Hey, West.