HELENA: You okay?

THE GIRL: Jus’ let me sleep, I say I fine, whot number I is?

HELENA: Whot number whot?

THE GIRL: Whot number wife? He say dere is a rainkin’.

HELENA: Ah, ah… number four, you number four.

THE GIRL: Whot number is she?

HELENA: Tree.

THE GIRL: So who Number Two?

BESSIE: How you gon’ read all dat ting? It go’ tek up all your eyesight, mek you blind.

HELENA: You stupid. You no go blind from too much book.

BESSIE: How you know? You no read!

HELENA: You no read either!

BESSIE: Number Four, you tell us, can you go blind from book?

THE GIRL: I not sure, but I neva heart of dat.

BESSIE: Dat don’t mean it not happen.

THE GIRL: I tek ha arms and he tek ha legs, she still bleedin’ and bleedin’, ha eyes still looking up, I no look at ha no more. We drop ha in de riva and I pray, I pray dat God bless ha soul, dat He no blame me for whot dose-men do. But it my fault she dead, and she tell me, “Devil bless you,” and now I can’t even see my moda no more! I cursed. I got dis sin on me and I gon’ go to de devil straight.

BLU: … i seen pictures, gemini, of oceans that are actually blue. waters so clear you can stand waist deep, look down and see your feet. not like any ocean i’ve ever been to. light reflects off the top of the water and you can see the sand on the ocean floor.

EME: there are some things you can’t erase. i’m their father, soledad. it’s tattooed in skin. homemade tattoo gun. made the motor with a walkman, held together with rubber bands to keep the needle from jumping. three small dots. you can barely see them but they there. family. brotherhood. the streets. those streets are home.

HAILSTORM: where you goin?

BLU: joined the military.

HAILSTORM: have you talked to your ma ‘bout this?

BLU: i’m grown.

HAILSTORM: what you thinkin?

BLU: healthcare. education. benefits. they don’t sell that shit at the corner store you know.