She's Gotta Have It

Peace and blessings.

My parents have decided to spend the holiday with my father's parents.

I couldn't go because my boss, Ms. Raqueletta Moss,

wouldn't let me off work yesterday, so here I am in the Republic of Brooklyn.

To me, Thanksgiving is about appreciating family, love, and life.

I give thanks to the most high for a great

mom and dad, who definitely let me do me

and be me.

They have supported from the get-go me being an artist,

to express who I am and who I hope to become through my art.

The way I see me, as opposed to how others see me.

Of course, Thanksgiving is also a grim reminder

of this country's genocide of our native peoples,

the forced occupation slash takeover slash total bogarting of their land.

Much like how modern gentrifiers have bum-rushed hoods

all across God's formerly green planet.

In any case, happy Thanksgiving.

May you share it today amongst beloved family and friends

in these very interesting times we all live in.

- Speak. - Señor Afro Boricua.

Enter.

- Happy Thanksgivin'. - Happy Thanksgiving.

- Oh, Junior's! - That's right, baby, world famous.

Mm.

And, uh, I remember you tellin' me this is your favorite Prince album.

- So, you do listen to me. - All the time, girl.

Mm.

Maybe we can get a little quickie in before the turkey?

- No haps. - You know I'm hungry for you.

And thirsty too.

Please, mami? Please, mami? Please, mami?

Mami, mami, please?

Por favor.

Chill, chill.

Who be that?

- Speak. - Delivery.

- After dessert, henceforth and perhaps? - Enter.

Okay.

I'll get it.

Oh! My mans!

Have a blessed Thanksgivin'.

The vino is here.

Nola.

Who's this? Who are you?

- And who are you? - Um...

Jamie, this is Mars. Mars, this is Jamie.

Thanks for the wine.

- Speak. - C'est moi.

Enter.

- Bonjour. - Bonjour.

Aw! These are so beautiful. Thank you.

Uh...

Jamie, Mars, this is Greer.

Greer, Mars, Jamie.

Um... I am gonna go finish getting dressed.

Why don't you gentlemen hang your coats up, uh, maybe get acquainted?

Yeah.

Mars Blackmon.

Mr. Jamie Overstreet.

I'm Greer Childs.

- Didn't I... - ...see you...

...at Nola's art show?

Aw, hell no!

Before we bless the food...

anyone who wishes to exit may do so now.

It's all L-O-V-E.

Let's bow our heads.

Dearest heavenly Father...

creator of heaven and Earth and everything in-between,

the one who keepeth truth forever,

thank you for your grace, mercy, peace, and truth in our lives.

We all have so much to be thankful for. Through Christ's merciful name we pray.

- Amen. - Greer?

Thanksgiving to me is...

being grateful for...

never getting my face punched in,

scratched or scarred in any way, shape, or form.

I'm also thankful for my black father,

who taught me how to get in where I can fit in,

in this...

racist country.

And my white mom...

who loves me no matter how painfully tight the fit is.

God bless us all. Amen.

Amen! Let's get it!

Mars? Your turn.

Don't mind if I do. Dear God Almighty, majestic, magnificent.

I'm thankful...

that my big sister Lourdes

hasn't thrown me outta her Fort Greene project apartment.

Thank you, God, for blessin' me with my many skills...

in this culture known as hip-hop.

I'm so thankful for my black father, Monty. May he be restin' in peace.

Love you, Pops. And my Puerto Rican moms, Lucy.

To all my peeps who don't think I'm crazy

because of my dysfunction-junction,

you know, my dyslexia,

and let's give a big thanks

to the hostess with the mostest,

the most gracious beautiful-ostess...

- Nola D to the Darling. - Yes.

- We done? All right? Great. - Amen. Yeah!

Dear Lord...

Heaven help us all.

This clown is gonna have the nuclear code.

We could all be blown to kingdom come.

To smithereens.

On a more selfish note...

I would like to thank you for...

leaving me without a record even though I've been arrested.

I give thanks for being awarded the Catlett Prize

in recognition of my art.

- Amen! - Amen.

Mangia. Let's eat. Yes, let's eat.

Excuse me. My bad.

- Mm. Delicious. - Mm. Damn, girl.

This... is exquisite.

Dopeness. You know what I'm sayin'?

Speakin' of post-us, did I ever tell you about the time I told Barack Obama

to run for office to be the first black

president of the United States of America?

- Okay, seriously? - No, you haven't, Mars.

Oh, I thought I did. Walkin' down Fulton Street, by Junior's...

and this young cat comes up to me, askin' me for directions to the A train.

And it hits me like a bolt of lightnin'.

Bang, bang! I'm like, "Oh, snap! Barry..."

That's what they called him back in the day. I said, "Barry...

my mans, my brother... you know you the one.

You gonna be the 44th president of these Estados Unidos ."

- You knew the year as well? - It's a gift.

Am I... the only one...

who feels it blasphemous to tell lies at the Thanksgiving table?

- Who you callin' a liar? - I'm calling you a liar.

- You callin' me a liar? - Gentlemen!

It's Thanksgiving.

Hussein...

That's Barry's middle name.

...won his first term, I took the dollar bus down to D.C.

I'm walkin' to the White House to see my brother,

and the service secret don't wanna let me in!

Mm.

Yo, how you gonna do me like that?

- Coldblooded. - Coldblooded.

I contributed a pretty penny...

a pretty penny to both of his presidential campaigns,

and I've had the great honor and pleasure

of golfing...

Really?

...with the commander in chief on Martha's Vineyard...

on the Farm Neck golf course, more than once.

Have you both also graced the covers of...

international style and fashion magazines the world over,

as I have?

- And? - So?

And so, I'm a model, obviously,

but, also, a top photographer.

You would love the pictures I've taken of our lovely hostess.

Greer.

- Am I not speaking the truth? - Eat.

Why did you invite me to this... turkey fiasco?

What do you mean? It's Thanksgiving.

I know that.

- Should I pack you a doggy bag? - Can I help?

No, thank you.

You good? You quiet over there, bro.

How's the wine? Straight from Martha's Vineyard.

- Would you pass me the cranberries? - Got it, baby. My man, my man, I got it.

- Thank you. - Oh! I'm so sorry, babe.

- I got it. You've done enough. - My man, hold on. Nola.

- It's fine. - Damn.

Come on, girl. We good, though. That gives the salad flavor.

Mars, it's okay.

- You sure? - Yes.

- You sure? You sure? - I'm sure.

- She's sure! - My man, I didn't ask you.

Why don't we try and have a good meal? Nola's taken the time to make this meal.

- Let's shut up and eat. - Who you tellin' to shut up?

- Wanna take this outside? - Okay.

We can take it outside.

No, no, no one needs to take it outside.

My knuckles is fresh.

- Straight out the freezer. - Is anyone ready for dessert?

I'm still workin' on this turkey.

- You know I'm ready for dessert, baby. - Today is my cheat day.

- I would love to indulge in a dessert. - Good.

- Today's your cheat day? - Today's my cheat day.

- What you cheatin' from? - I'm cheating from...

- Hairline? You cheatin'. - ...creating this amazing body.

- Hairline's cheatin'. - Something you don't know about.

That shit ran away from you, son.

- Is this what you brought us here for? - This is not...

To endure insults over a delicious meal served by our gracious hostess.

- What happened to your eyebrows? - What happened to my eyebrows?

- How you got a one on your eyebrows? - What is a "one on your eyebrows"?

First of all, how both y'all hair matchin'?

Y'all got ready together? Before y'all came here?

Mars, you are on one today.