Camera Three

Why didn't I think of that?

Scene:

A tight two-shot: MAN sitting at counter of diner having coffee, facing camera.

(VOICE OVER)

Some mornings you sit there and look back over your life and you can't help but wonder (smacking his forehead):

Hey! Why didn't I think of that?"

CUT TO:

MAN

You don't like the way your life worked out, you should do something about it.

(Coffee slides in)

You should start the day with a good cuppa coffee.

The coffee will wake you up, get your motor running.

(He pulls out his cigarettes)

The cigarette is for having along with the coffee.

So, with the coffee, you also have a smoke.

(He lights up, takes a huge cheek-hollowing drag.)

Good huh?

Nothing like a cigarette when you're just hanging out.

Even when you got nowhere to go and nothing to do, at least you can always smoke a cigarette. Especially when you got nowhere to go and nothing to do.

You got your cigarette.

You go everywhere together, you're pals.

Unlike all your other friends, your cigarettes are always there when you need 'em.

You're always doing something when you're having a smoke.

You're not just sitting there doing nothing having a cuppa coffee.

You're also "having a smoke".

People respect a guy who can afford to sit around all day and smoke like this.

(He demonstrates elaborate smoking technique)

There nothing like a cuppa coffee and a cigarette.

Maybe a cupla donuts.

On the house, of course.

(Donuts slide in)

I'm not just anybody comes in here to bum smokes, like some guys.

They all know me in here.

They let me have the donuts.

All I want. The ones that don't come out right.

They're a little twisted or something, you know, they can’t sell 'em.

They give 'em to me.

I don't care if they look weird.

They're free that's all I care.

Donuts are great.

A donut is like a food bomb going off in your belly.

Cupla buttermilk bars, glazed thank you very much, six or seven cups of coffee, you're good for the day.

Me, I usually have coffee, a ‘cupla smokes in here, then I go down to the Mission for the free lunch spread for the unemployed.

I don't like to go in there with more'n two smokes, 'cause guys are alla time trynta hit me for smokes.

Why me? I ask 'em.

What do they think I am, made of cigarettes or what?

I tell 'em go find a guy's gotta pack!

Who am I Santa Claus for crying out loud?

I hate that shit.

Hey, I'd like to help 'em out and shit, but I only got a cupla cigarettes left myself.

How'm I gonna get by with no smokes?

You think I'm gonna sit here and drink coffee with... nothing?

Or what?

A guy oughta be able to have a cigarette and a cuppa coffee without a lotta ruckus and people jumping down his throat for crying out loud.

I know I had a cigarette in here somewhere.

I had a job once.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not sittin’ here at 8:30 on a weekday ‘cause I want to.

Necessarily...

I'm..uh..outta work right now. I’m between jobs.

I used to work.

I worked for years at a time.

No, really! I had a job!

Everyday I'd get up and go to work.

I'd be there for eight, sometimes nine hours, then I'd go home.

Maybe watch a little TV, have a cupla beers.

A good night’s sleep, I’m back at the job in the morning.

It was great, working.

I'm glad I did it.

I don't work now.

I..er..I lost my job,

I didn't lose it, exactly. I know where it is.

I just don't go there anymore.

My services are no longer required is how they say it.

Even if you wanna work, and hey, who doesn't?

You can't find a job.

If you don't work, you still sit around waiting for good shit to happen to you.

It's great...really...

'Cause even if I don't work, good shit could still happen, right?

I may get hungry but there will still be guys somewhere with jobs and money and cigarettes.

Those guys still holding onto their hopes.

Somewhere, there's guys with nothing but hopes because they ain't got any dough, and if you ain't got'ny dough, you BETTER have hopes.

Some guys lose their dreams when they lose their jobs.

Their hopes wind up in the garbage.

A guy can get tossed out too, along with his dreams.

All kinds of stuff gets lost in your life.

Stuff gets lost...

Jobs get lost...

People get lost...

Dreams go into the garbage.

Things just kinda....

It all gets lost sooner or later.

I don't worry about it.

I don't whine about it anymore.

I figured out a long time ago that no matter what you might want or dream about or hope for, things can just happen to you.

Some good things, some bad.

There's nothing you can do about it.

So sit down, have a cuppa coffee.

You wouldn't happen to have an extra cigarette on you, would you?

END