|
|
(We open at Louie's. Louie and Sach are putting up silver and blue tinsel garlands around the store. Butch and Chuck hungrily eat potato latkes. Whitey is working on the TV set.)
*Slip sits at the counter, reading the newspaper.*
Rachel: (She's polishing what looks like an elaborate candelabra) This is going to be the best Hanukkah ever!
Butch: (Between bites of potato latke) The best Christmas, too. It's already snowed an' everythin'!
Louie: Be careful, Sachula. We want to get the garlands over the booths just right. Don't want them falling into people's food.
Sach: I know what I'm doin'! I've decorated our apartment every Hanukkah, right Chief?
Butch: How often did the blue crepe paper fall down in his room?
Slip: *Without turning around* Too often.
Sach: You guys just don't have any appreciation for good interior decoratin'...hey! (The tinsel falls on his head. He waves his arms around.) What happened? I can't see! I'm blind!
Louie: Sachula, don't do that! You'll rip the tinsel!
*Slip sighs, nonplussed.*
Duke: (He comes in) Hey, guys. How's... (sees Sach) you might want to fix that there, Sach. (He pulls the tinsel garland off of his eyes)
Sach: Dukey! You found my eyes! It's a Hanukkah miracle! (He literally jumps right into Duke's arms) I love you! (He kisses him. Duke drops him.)
Duke: Please, Sach. Let's not get that affectionate in public.
Louie: Hi, Duke. How are you today?
Duke: Actually, I came to ask the boys a favor.
Butch: A favor?
Slip: *Turns around* What's up, Duke?
Duke: Well, it's like this. My new girlfriend Sarah, she works at the Boy's Rec Center a couple of blocks from here. She needs help with the Christmas festivities, and she needs someone to play Santa Claus.
Butch: (Grins) We could help!
Chuck: Yeah, we'd love to help!
Duke: How about you, Whitey? There's a radio there, and a TV. You could find shows for kids to listen to and watch on both.
Whitey: Sure!
Sach: Please, Chief? I don't celebrate Christmas like you do, but I love playin' with the kids!
Slip: Sure, we can help the kids out.
Louie: I think it sounds very nice. Sally will help me finish the decorating when she gets back from Christmas shopping.
Duke: (Grins) Any volunteers to play Santa?
Sach: How about the Chief?
Butch: Yeah! He has his own Santa belly!
Slip: Wait a minute. I said we'd help. I didn't say I'd be Santa.
Chuck: Awe, come on, Slip! The rest of us are too skinny!
Slip: So use a pillow!
Chuck: Slip!
Duke: I think you'd make a great Santa, Slip.
Slip: I dunno.
Duke: Why don't we go there, and you think about it?
Whitey: Yeah, Chief. Let’s go
Louie: You can do some errands for me, too. I need someone to get my end-of-the-year tax papers to Luke Ling at his office above his parents' restaurant.
Slip: Sure, Louie.
(They all grab their coats and head out. The streets around them are teeming with people, their arms laden with packages or grocery bags. Cars rush by them. Every store is festively decorated with evergreens or lights or blue and white garlands for Hanukkah.)
Sach: (Sniffs and sighs) I love the Bowery durin' the holiday time!
Butch: It's just so darn festive out here!
Slip: Nutin' beats these holidays.
Sach: (Sniffs) I smell potato latkes from six different kosher delis...an' I'm gonna try them all after I get my Hanukkah money.
Butch: I smell the Christmas tree lot next to the hardware store.
Sach: How 'bout you, Chief?
*Slip is too busy gazing around at the decorations.*
Butch: City sure looks nice, doesn't it, Chief?
Slip: Yeah, it does.
Sach: (He sniffs) Guys, I smell...I smell... (grins) ...fried shrimp rice and won-ton soup!
Slip: *Turns to Sach* You an' yer stomach.
Sach: Come on! (He leads them down the street. When they turn a corner, the world suddenly changes, too. The Christmas greenery and Hanukkah lights give way to decorations of red and gold. The signs are all written in various forms of Korean and Chinese. Men stand on street corners, selling poultry, meats, Oriental vegetables, and other Asian delicacies. Sach stops and sniffs at one vendor before Slip grabs his arm.)
Butch: Guys, wait up! (The other three quickly join them.)
Sach: Chief, can I buy one of those little buns with the red bean stuff in the middle? I love those!
Duke: Sach, don't. You get to eatin' that stuff, we could be here all day.
Slip: Yeah, we're on a mission.
(They finally pull Sach away to a building decorated like a Chinese padgoda. A young Asian man stands in front, decorating the windows with holly and red and gold swags of silk.)
Luke Ling: (Grins) Hey, fellas! What brings you down here?
Sach: Your ma's great won ton soup!
Duke: (Shakes his head) Actually, we're doin' somethin' for Louie.
Luke Ling: I figured Sach's stomach wasn't all of it.
Slip: Nah, only most of it.
Butch: (Looks around the brightly-decorated Chinese restaurant) Wow, this place looks great!
Chuck: Nice job, Luke.
Luke: Thanks. So, what's the other thing you're here for?
Slip: These. *holds out Louie's tax books* Louie's taxes.
Luke: Ahhh. (Nods) That's right, it is that time again. (He takes the books) I'll guard these with my life. I know how Louie feels about them. I'm just glad he gave some Chinese kid looking for a job that didn't involve making dumplings a chance. I love my parents' restauraunt, and they're great cooks, but I'm better at the business side than the cooking side. My brothers and sister can handle that.
Sach: And I'm glad they do! Your folks make the best dumplings and won-ton soup in town!
Duke: We'd better move on. We'll see you later, Luke. Merry Christmas!
Luke: Yeah, fellas. But around here, it's mostly "Happy New Year!"
(The Boys head back outside. Butch grins as they make their way back to the Bowery.)
Butch: I like visiting Luke. He's a nice guy, and his parents' restaurant is really neat!
Sach: I'm gettin' hungry just thinkin' bout their fried wontons!
Duke: Ok, guys. The next order of business - getting a tree for the Rec Center. The kids will be decoratin' it today.
Sach: (Shrugs) I don't normally decorate the tree, but if it's for the kids...
Butch: I'd love to! Slip, Whitey, n' me found a great tree for our place!
Slip: *Slight smirk* Eventually.
Butch: It wouldn't have taken us so long if you weren't so picky, Slip.
Slip: Yeah.
Duke: (Points out the tree lot they passed earlier) You won't have to be so picky this time, Slip. The kids won't notice if the tree is perfect. All we need is branches big enough for little fingers to put ornaments on.
Butch: We didn't care if the tree was perfect, either.
Sach: (He grabs the first tree he sees) How about this one, Chiefy?
Slip: Well... *frowns a bit*
Chuck: Sach, don't ask him. Hey, Slip, why don't we let these guys choose a tree, huh?
Duke: (Nods) Besides, I'm the one working at the rec center.
Butch: Please, Chief? I'm sure we could pick a good one!
Slip: Yeah, go ahead.
Butch: (Grins) Oh boy! Come on, Whitey! You too, Chuck! Let's go find a tree!
Slip: Go on, Chuck. You can supervise them.
Duke: And I'll help.
Sach: (Shakes his head as Duke follows the others) Look at those guys! They're so into this! I know we always call Butch a kid, but I never really thought that way until I saw him runnin' around here.
Duke: (He sees Whitey and Butch hold out a tree to Chuck to approve of) They're having a great time.
Sach: I like the menorah, but I sorta think these trees are pretty too. (Turns to Slip) Hey Chief, did you help decorate the tree at our place, too?
Duke: Good. You can help the kids decorate.
Slip: *Nods* Yeah, I helped.
Butch: (They hurry over with a tree) How about this one, Chuck?
Chuck: Oh, that's a nice one!
Butch: Come on, Whitey. Let's go buy it!
Duke: (He joins them) I have the money. (They go up to the teenagers sitting next to a cash box) Here you go, fellas.
Teenager #1: Thank you, sir. (Hands Duke his change) Merry Christmas!
Duke: (Nods) Merry Christmas! (Turns to the others) Let's get this to the Rec Center. Who wants to help me haul the thing? Slip?
Slip: I'll help ya haul it.
Duke: Great! You get the trunk. I'll take the front. (He hefts the front half. Slip takes the back half. They head off, with Whitey, Butch, Sach, and Chuck trailing behind them, as we fade out.)