WEST: That’s a poor man’s casket. What you call a pauper’s casket. He wouldn’t look right laying in a bronze or silver casket.

RISA: I hate to see him in a welfare casket. Like his life ain’t meant nothing. How much one of them other casket’s cost?

WEST: You talking about a seven-hundred-dollar difference. The welfare don’t pay but three hundred and fifty dollars. That don’t even cover laying him out. I’m laying him out for free. I’m gonna lay him out for two hours tomorrow and take him on out there and bury him. You talking about a bronze casket you talking about seven hundred dollars. At least.

RISA: Ain’t you got some other caskets over there?

WEST: I don’t get them for free, woman. I call the company and order the casket, they send me the bill. We talking about a seven-hundred-dollar difference.

RISA: I wish I had seven hundred dollars to give you. I’d lay him out in a gold casket.

WEST: Now you talking about a seventeen-hundred-dollar difference. People don’t understand. I got overhead. I got seven cars I got to keep up. Got supplies I got to order. How much you think that embalming fluid cost? I got all kinds of bills. People owe me money and won’t pay me. It ain’t all like everybody think with Mr. West.

RISA: I ain’t said nothing about that.

WEST: You talking about why don’t I lay him out in a different casket. That three hundred and fifty dollars barely cover my expenses. You can’t put nobody in the ground for three hundred and fifty dollars no more. I bury him in a different casket I’m out seven hundred dollars. I try to tell these niggers to keep up their insurance.
(STERLING enters.)

RISA: Sterling, Wolf was looking for you.

STERLING: Naw, he ain’t. I’m looking for him. Nigger owe me twelve hundred dollars. Come on, let’s go to Vegas. I got me a grubstake, I might get lucky. These niggers ain’t got no money around here. Come on . . .  take off that apron. How you doing, Mr. West?

WEST: Fine.

STERLING: Say, Mr. West . . .  you ever been to Vegas? You ought to let me take you to Vegas and teach you how to gamble. We can make us some money.

WEST: I was gambling before you was born. Give me some sugar, Risa. I ran two or three crap games. Sold bootleg liquor and ran numbers too. The only thing you get out of that is an early grave. I know. I seen it happening. I looked up one day and so many people was dying from that fast life I figured I could make me some money burying them and live a long life too. I figured I could make a living from it. I didn’t know I was gonna get rich. I found out life’s hard but it ain’t impossible.