Exchange of Wor(l)ds

Characters:
Panhandler: A young man of about 30 years of age. 
Passerby: A young man of about 25 years of age.

(On the streets. Unkempt Panhandler accost passerby).

-Hey man, do you happen to have some spare change?
-No, sorry,
-Look, I’m not a bad guy, but yeah I’m homeless right now. I could really use your help. Nickels, quarters, they add up. All I need is a dollar so I can go buy a sandwich-
-No, sorry, I don’t have any,
-Come on man, what’re you wearing that cross for!
-Look man, I’m really sorry, but
-What d’you think, you’re representing God?! Christians are s’posed to give and help and charity and shit! So what you doing man, wearin that if you can’t even help a fellow guy.
-It was a gift ok, stop hassling me. Now look, I have to get going,
– Fine you get going, back to your HOME and JOB and yeah,
-Sorry?
-You heard me! I can see you judging me, and your girlfriend’s fuckin AFRAID of me!
-What djou expect, you followed us for half a block now!
-You listen the fuck to me man, you look at me man, all you see is some fuggin street native!
-Ok well WHAT do you expect me to do ok, I can’t give you all my money!
-What, do you think I’m gonna spend it on crack?!
-Yeah, maybe,
– You know what, I WENT to school here!
– Yeah? Sure you did. What happened then.
– Fuck you man, I was livin away from home for the first time! I lost my job! Got laid off! Couldn’t pay my rat assed landlord neither, so I get evicted! I told him I’d pay when I got the money, but like he believed me. Then my girlfriend cheats on me and gets fuckin pregnant! She comes cryin back to me that it’s mine but it’s not, but she expects me to pay for it. Then she goes and is living with her mom now.
-Well that sucks man,
-HHraugh, you think you know what it’s like?! You don’t know NOTHING bout street livin. I remember school man. Christ, I miss those days.
-So why can’t you go back now then. Get a job somewhere and save.
– You think I can just walk into Subway and get hired? You’re fuckin crazy man! LOOK at ME! I’m native and on the street! I can’t do NOTHIN!
-And you think complaining about it is going to fix everything- or begging… aggressively,
-Come on man, I know what it’s like on that side! I USED to be like you, I used to get asked for money! Can you believe it…
-So what’s it like then-
-Hruh?
-Being homeless down here,
-Hruagh!, it fuckin sucks man. There aren’t no showers down here! Sleeping in corners, then the fuckin racist cops come and write you tickets, give you warnings for being there. I don’t have nowhere else to go!
-There are shelters though, aren’t there?
-Well yeah man, there’s a hostel around here too, but they fill up you know, they’ve got regulars.
– What about soup kitchens?
– Yeah right,
-So why don’t you just take better care of yourself and see what happens?
-WHAT? I just told you man, I don’t got a place to GO!
-So go apply for a job then!
– I told you! Fuck, typical white shit- not listenin at all! They’re all racists! I don’t have no permanent address! I can’t get hired! I”VE TRIED!
-Oh yeah, I’m sorry man,
-Yeah YOU be sorry, -Man, I would love to teach you about what this life is like. Just to switch spots with me for a day, live in my shoes.
-Er, ya I don’t think so,
-Yeah cuz you’re afraid. Just like any other white person down here. I see the looks I get, god damn- and I think, school was right,
-..what do you mean-
-I was taking arts, you know, at the Grant Mac- I had this one class, the teacher he said one day, meetin aliens makes you look at the world different; man I believe it. I see it every day, I see other people do it all the time. They’re aliens to me, I’m an alien to them.
-Oh. Well here’s 5 bucks ok.
-Fuck you man. I feel sorry for YOU!
-What are you TALKING about!?,
-Yeah I feel sorry for you, some skinny assed rich white boy with his Daddy’s big car. Makes me tell him my life story, and you go and give me a big fat FIVE DOLLARS. I don’t want your fuckin money!
-Fuck off, I’m leaving, don’t follow us,
-… I just want some respect.