Little Manhattan Page #4

since she was born...

...and the adopted

three-year-old sister...

...rescued from an orphanage

in Beijing.

And me.

My family's on a one-way ticket

to The Jerry Springer Show.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Um, is Leslie around?

Uh, yeah.

Les, your date's here!

She's coming.

I'm her...

...husband.

Only 20 more minutes

of video, okay, hon?

Bedtime soon.

All right.

Good night.

Adam, Ronny.

Ronny, Adam.

- You guys met?

- Yeah, yeah, we met. At the door.

Okay, good. Shall we, uh... Let's...

See this divorce thing...

You guys have fun.

Thank you.

Okay.

...it's a very difficult

situation for everyone.

This isn't anybody's

fault, you know.

It's not anybody's fault.

It's just that

your father and I...

...are a lot more different

than we thought.

They're just very

different people.

Even though

I was just nine and a half...

I totally took it like a man.

Now, I'm not saying

I'm some latch-key kid.

I mean, I don't want

to make it seem...

...like my parents are

irresponsible, either.

But, for a year now...

I've been able

to roam the city.

Well, okay...

...not really the city-

nine square blocks.

The planetarium to the north...

Riverside Park to the west...

Central Park to the east

and 72nd Street to the south.

In those blocks,

I own this town.

Rosemary lived on 81 st Street...

...near the park, a few yards

north of my territory.

When I started, you know...

...casually riding

past her building...

I was heading

into some uncharted waters.

It was summer break.

Our next karate class wasn't

for three days.

Do you know

how many Telescos there are...

...in the Manhattan phone book?

Two.

Telesco's.

One's a butcher shop...

...down in the Village.

Rosemary?

Nah, there's no

Rosemary here.

And trust me...

This is Frank.

...the other was

not her, either.

Hi. Is, uh, R-Rosemary there?

You're the kid that called

a half an hour ago.

What was I to do...

...except loiter and hope.

Uh-oh, her doorman's

looking at me.

Oh, my God, there she is.

I didn't have

a contingency plan for if...

...I actually saw her.

Just go up to her.

Go, go. Say hi to her.

She looked so busy.

I- I'll talk to her another day.

Coward. You fool.

How could you be so weak?

I- I'm not weak. I'm only human.

What was I going to say?

I was in the neighborhood?

That's pathetic.

No, you're weak,

and you're pathetic...

...and you're going to be alone

your entire life.

Who cares?

I'd rather be alone than endure

this misery and torment.

Whoa!

ooh!

Hey, watch it, child!

Gabe?

Oh, uh, hi.

How's-How's it going?

I was just, you know...

...in the neighborhood.

Don't you live

in the neighborhood?

Well, 73rd & West End.

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