The word from the street
TONY
“You know that the Rogers Video store is closing, the one at up at Howard Park? Nobody’s in there most of the time anyway. ”
Folks just don’t like big-name stores on this street. Well, except for the banks and the coffee places. Everybody needs them.”
TONY
“Thanks [for the coffee, Phil]. This is the first one I’ve had in 3 days.”
PHILIP
“Where were you?”
TONY
“Mostly at Mike’s place. I just pay him some rent and his girlfriend is cool with it.”
PHILIP
“What’ve you been eating … you haven’t even had a coffee in 3 days?”
TONY
“Nope. Noodles, mostly.”
PHILIP
“What do you do while you’re at Mike’s?”
TONY
“Well, other than sleeping, I do stuff that needs doing around the house and I watch TV and some other things. But my favourite is old-time radio on AM900. You can’t beat the Lone Ranger.”
TONY
“Phil, could you spring me for a coffee this morning? I’m flat broke; I didn’t even have dinner last night.”
TONY
“So last night I was up at The Local, and this woman I’ve never seen before just asks me if I want anything and I tell her some food. So the chef cooks me up this hamburger, huge, about 2 inches thick. Was that good.
“Then her boyfriend comes up from the washroom and he asks me the same question pretty much. So I tell him I’d like a drink. So he goes and gets me a some drink with alcohol so I’ve got to tell him no thanks. So I said to him: ‘I prefer my drink black with cream and sugar.’ He couldn’t believe that I don’t drink alcohol. So he bought me some coffee, and then they both just disappeared.
“Sometimes I think I am weird.”
TONY
“You got a buck?”
PHILIP
“Sure.”
TONY (Tony goes outside; he returns 10 minutes later.)
“Now I’m human again. I needed that first cigarette. Now I’m getting myself a coffee.”
Homeless Man Speaks 