[ Birds chirping ]
COREY: Now, Freeman Lake apartments sits on
nearly 14 acres.
We're actually on the site of a former plantation.
It was owned by a guy named George Pierre Tarrant.
He was a former slave, originally from Haiti,
and he was able to purchase this property
after a successful slave revolt uprising.
That's right.
Hey, Mom, wasn't my grandfather Haitian?
Yea, actually he was.
So after slavery was officially abolished,
the neighboring plantation owners
conspired against Mr. Tarrant.
They assassinated him.
And they tossed him into this lake.
Now, rumor has it that if you listen really closely,
you can still hear the cries and screams
of Mr. Tarrant's ancestors and his followers.
Is that supposed to be the selling point?
To me, it is. Given the times we livin' in.
Reminds us how much more we can do.
So the amenities include salt water pools.
You have a gym, basketball court,
tennis court, spa.
Got a clubhouse.
And every unit comes with its own washer and dryer.
So this is a very, very friendly community.
I mean, after all, you are in the South, so um...
-Southern hospitality. -...lot
Yeah, a lot of young people, um, families.
Got a good amount of seniors.
Um, got this amazing festival.
Candles, singing competition.
Baby.
-What's wrong. -What's wrong?
Oh, you don't have to worry about that.
Um...
No, we had, um, an older tenant that just moved out.
Uh, she was a pack rat, so she was a hoarder
and place got infected.
We had to get it fumigated.
And so that's what this is.
This will be down in a couple days, so...
-Did she die? -A.J.
No, no, it's fine.
No, Ms. Irma is over at a nursing home
in the neighborhood, so you can go visit, bring her soup.
That's all we do. It's a community, like I said.
Anyway, the apartment I want to show you is just over here.
You don't have to worry about it.
This is our typical two bedroom, two bathroom unit.
Each unit comes with its own washer and dryer.
And now we had a recent vacancy, so of course the walls will
be repainted, the floors will be done.
This unit also comes with a fireplace, outdoor patio,
brand-new appliances.
This is a ground floor unit, which means
that they typically go pretty quickly.
Long as I get my own room.
Yeah, sure.
Hm.
It's nice.
But something wrong?
I mean, is it me, or is it a little dark in here?
Well, like I said, it's on the ground floor,
so there are trees that block all the light.
But some people like the seclusion.
Yeah, I'm -- I'm real big on light -- natural light.
Okay, you know what?
I know the perfect place for you.
Perfect. Let's go, kid.
Is that the happy face?
There's only one face.
[ Chuckles ]
So this unit...
Arnez.
Are you done with that?
Yep, just finishing up.
You were supposed to have this done already, bro.
What about unit 116?
That's next.
That was supposed to be before this one, bro.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
Okay.
Anyway, I'm sorry, this is Arnez,
our head maintenance,
This is the Jones family.
Hi, Arnez. Nice to meet you.
Pleasure to meet you, too.
You need anything, let me know.
I'll help out if I can.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Get to it.
That's Arnez. You got to watch that one.
Listen, uh, so this unit recently vacated,
and it's not even listed yet.
Oh, my God.
-Corey, I love it. -I figured you would.
Oh, the feng shui is on point.
-Mm-hmm. -And there's natural light.
COREY: Exactly. I know you would love this place.
Now, I've got a co-worker in the office that's trying
to put her dibs on this for a family member.
But I believe I can work my magic and get you in this.
Now, this is going to be a little bit more expensive.
But you can -- you can make it happen, right?
I mean, that would be amazing.
Like I said, I, uh, I got some pull around here.
-Oh, yeah. -So, uh...
I will, you know, get the paperwork done
and, you know, just --
you don't have any, uh, warrants for your arrest, do you?
[ Laughs mockingly ]
No, Mr. Bennington, I don't.
Just saying that because, you know, I'm sure
you've stolen some hearts.
I-I'm --
I promise I-- I will keep this profession.
It's -- it's all right.
[ Chuckles ]
-It's teenagers. -Teenagers.
[ Laughs ]
Yeah, you get it.
I was...
All right.
I'm thinking tacos for dinner tonight, what you think?
Yeah.
Oh, we could watch that new Flix show you like.
That'd be fun.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
[ Sighs ] Come on, A.J.
I'm gonna need you to work with me a little bit here.
Put down your phone.
We literally just saw one of the most amazing town houses,
and you acted like you had no interest in any of it.
It's like no matter what I do, I can't please you.
Hey, well, what do you want me to do?
Jump around like I'm happy here?
-Yes. Jump around, smile.
Show that you're happy, for God's sake.
-Happy? -Happy. Yes, A.J.
What, am I speaking a foreign language?
I mean, I have literally done everything that you've asked.
You wanted a nice house? That's what you're getting.
Your own room? Check.
A school with a good basketball team?
Double check.
Honestly, kid, what do you want?
I want to go home.
I don't care about some new house or some stupid room.
I have my own back in Baltimore.
And I don't play ball no more.
'Cause I ain't worried about no stupid team.
You wanted to be here. I didn't want to be here.
It's not what I want.
I just want to be back my family.
[ Beeping]
[ Cellphone vibrates ]
-Hello? -Hello, Ms. Jones.
Yeah, this is she.
COREY: This is Corey Bennington from Freeman Lake Apartments.
[ Laughs ] Hi.
How's that young man of yours doing?
He's adjusting. We're all adjusting.
Hoping to get situated soon.
COREY: Right. Listen, um...
I've got some good news and just a little bad news.
-Really? -Yeah.
Uh, were you not able to pull those strings?
No, no, no. That's -- that's the good news.
That's the easy part.
It's just that we have a very strict credit policy.
And it seems that your credit falls just below the limit.
-Really? -Yeah. So it's no problem.
But listen, if you have, um, another person who can be
a guarantor, maybe a family member
or a husband or...
Mr. Bennington, if there was a husband in the picture,
he would be on the application.
Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend.
No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get defensive.
Really. Look, um...
Just give me -- give me a day.
I'm sure I can figure something out.
Okay, we'll hold the apartment for another two days.
If you need anything else, just let me know.
Thank you.
All right.
JOJO: Hey, you've reached Jo. You know what to do.
Hey, Jo, it's me.
Give me a call back when you get a chance.
I have a favor to ask.
Love you, girl. Bye.
God.
Shit!
MAN: I want to applaud your bravery, right on the heels
of our recent pandemic.
Happy employees are productive employees.
For any society to thrive and move forward,
one must not allow fear to stand in the way.
But what about business?
Well, the most important part of business is its people.
No business can run effectively without them.
However, people don't work in a vacuum.
They have to work together to get their jobs done.
So it is vital that the employers
pay very special attention to the relationships
in the workplace and they manage them properly.
Why? Because it helps the business to run smoothly.
How many performers do we have in this group?
No actors, performers.
Artists, not nothing.
Oh, well, that's a shame because...
we act...
-[ Laughs ] -...in this class.
Or rather, I should say, we reenact...
[ Laughter ]
Nothing? All right.
So since this is a small group, before we really dove in,
I just want to go around and introduce ourselves.
Share with us a little bit about your experience
during the quarantine.
What did you discover about yourself?
What is that thing that you may
or may not miss from your recent experience?
[ Clears throat ]
Yes?
Oh, me, yeah.
Yes, I'm looking right at you.
Sure. Sorry.
Um, hi. I'm Samantha Jones.
My peeps call me Sam.
I am from Baltimore, Maryland.
I am 410.
I am a serious film junkie.
I love going to film festivals, walks in the park, jogging.
Quite simply, just snuggling with my son on the couch,
watching a good movie, and eating some hot kettle corn.
Nothing tops it.
And yet my favorite meal is a number one plain,
extra crispy waffle fries and a half and half
from Chicken Shack.
During quarantine, I spent a lot of time
in the kitchen, and it turns out I am an expert baker.
Who knew?
And I would say what I miss the most.
Affection.
There's nothing like a good hug.
End of my confession.
[ Laughter ]
You, sir. Good, sir.
-Me? -Yep.
Chicken Shack. Mm-hmm.
[ Chuckles ]
Hello. My name is Des.
I'm from up north, as well.
D.C. area.
By way of Detroit, Motown.
Let's see. What do I miss?
Uh...
I miss...I miss people.
And what have I learned?
I learned compassion.
Yeah, I learned to, uh, listen to people,
listen to what society is teaching us,
you know, how to make a change.
But, um...
I don't do Chicken Shack.
[ Laughter ]
-I mean... -What?
Yeah, right.
Come on, I consider myself a healthy eater.
You know, I mean, Chicken Shack's good, fast food.
It's decent, but it doesn't quite fit
my nutritional standards.
-Oh. -Although I do sneak in
a waffle fry every now and then.
See!
[ Laughter ]
I knew it. I knew it. No one can fully, fully resist.
All right. Who's next? You.
SAM: So you really tryin' to say that you don't
eat Chicken Shack.
-No. -That's unheard of.
-No. -Bye, guys.
-Like I said... -Bye.
I sneak in a waffle fry or two, but you know.
I knew it. Oh, my car's right here.
Oh, same here. Ah.
Northerner who drives. I'm impressed.
Oh, now you have jokes.
Yeah. It's not like we have much of a choice nowadays.
Yeah.
Oh, wow. Looks like you got a lot going on in there.
Uh...
Please don't judge me. Um...
I'm usually much better put together than this.
My son and I have been kind of living out of this thing.
And obviously laundry is at the top of our to do list.
No judgment. You guys all right?
Yeah, I mean, we literally just moved here like a week ago.
-Oh. Oh, wow. okay. -So...
Cool.
Yeah. I mean, I thought we'd have an apartment by now,
but we've had a few setbacks, and it's just been this --
Why am I telling you this?
Uh, must be my aura.
I mean, you know, it's all in the face.
Right, in the jaw line.
No, but seriously, I'm sorry to hear that.
Oh, no worries.
I mean, we have something in the works.
Just praying it comes through.
Oh. It will.
-I know. -[ Chuckles ]
All right, so you have my e-mail.
-Yeah. -I mean, when you get things
situated, you know, just let me know when...
-Oh, the project? -Right.
-Yeah. -Right, the project.
-Cool. -Exactly.
-All right. -All right.
Okay, have a good night.
-Drive safe. -Yeah, I will.
[ Engine starts ]
[ Cellphone rings ]
-Hey. -Hey.
-So how'd it go? -It was interesting.
MAN: So how do you think it's going to play out?
I don't know what to think of her yet.
MAN: Yeah.
But it's going to be more of a commitment than I thought.
-All right. -Hm.
All right. I'll see you later.
All right. Yeah, I'll see you soon.
[ Line ringing]
Hello, Samantha?
It's late. Everything all right?
Hey, yeah, Mom. I'm just calling in, checking in.
See how you're doing.
NANA: Checking in on me? Hmm.
Well, I'm fine. Just watching my shows is all.
Well, that's good. Sounds like you're relaxing.
But ain't it a little late? Shouldn't you be in bed asleep?
Then why did you call? To wake me up?
Mama, I'm just saying.
No, I don't think I should be in bed asleep, Sam.
I am grown and retired.
I spent 33 years working in that nursing home,
so I think I am entitled to go to bed
and wake up whenever I feel like it.
And I think so, too.
I am just saying that proper rest
and minimizing what you consume is important.
I mean, Mama, you need fresh air and productive things to do.
Are you finished?
Because right now Viola is getting ready
to come on Kimmel, and I gots to go.
Well, there is one thing I wanted to ask you,
if you have a second.
Mm-hmm. there it is.
I knew you wanted something. What is it, Samantha?
I need a guarantor for my apartment.
A guarantor?
For that bug infested place you found?
Bug infested place? Who told you that?
Who do you think, Sammy? My grandson.
Well, did he also tell you how amazing it is
and about the amenities?
Mama, it is literally like five miles from A.J.'s school,
right on Terror Lake Drive.
You have to see this.
Terror Lake Drive? Have you lost your damn mind?!
Moving in a place called Terror Lake such and such?
I can't sign off on that.
This is really irresponsible of you, Sam.
Now, you got my grandson all wrapped up in this.
Mama, it's not what you think. All right?
You truly need to see this to believe it.
It checks off all the boxes, and there's an extra room
for you to stay if you want to come visit.
Samantha, you know damn well I don't fly or travel anywhere,
not for anyone or anything.
And what did God say about this?
Have you prayed?
Because right now this all feels rushed.
-But, Mama, I don't have -- -I can't sign off on this.
I need time to think about this.
Look, we have 48 hours until your grandson
and I will be out on the street.
Mama...
Aren't you the one that always says that the devil stays busy?
Stop it. This ain't got nothing to do with the devil.
This is all you. And it's called poor planning.
Now, you should have thought about this before you packed up
and moved all those miles away.
You know what, Mom, I'll call you back.
I got to go.
MAN ON TV: We don't have a lot of time.
We should get moving.
We good to go?
-Come on. -Yeah.
[ Cellphone rings ]
-Hello? -What's up, partner?
We got the spot.
I'm sorry, who is this?
Oh, uh, it's Sam from class.
I'm sorry. I got your number from Blackboard,
where we post our assignments.
I hope that's not too much.
No, no, you're good. You're fine.
So you got the spot, huh?
Yeah.
So listen, I mean,
I know you told me your schedule is a little crazy,
but, um, I was hoping that if I paid you
that you would help me move a few boxes.
[ Laughs ]
So no wonder you went through all the trouble to call me.
It is not like that. Well, not exactly anyway.
Look, I was going to call you about the project anyway.
To be honest, I usually would never ask for help.
But, Des, I don't really have anyone else.
I'm just messing with you. It's all good.
Yeah, of course I'll help you out.
I got, um, tomorrow morning, early tomorrow morning.
Is that good for you?
SAM: Done, perfect.
Des, you are a lifesaver. Thank you so much.
Look, um, I got to go,
but I'll text you the address, okay?
-All right. -Thank you again.
All right. Bye.
Yeah, no problem.
[ Chuckles ]
Hey, Munchy. You comfy?
Yeah, I'm good.
-You sure? -Mm-hmm.
You know, you could come lay in bed with me,
or you could lay in your own room.
You don't have to be on the floor.
Ma, I'm good.
SAM: Lift your head, baby. Lift up.
[ Sighs ]
I love you.
I love you, too, Mom.
[ Sighs ]
Oh, where's this go?
Uh, that goes in my bedroom.
-All right, cool. -Thank you.
Hey, young brother, you like your room?
Young brother?
Carry this blue box, please.
Come on.
What are you doing?
[ Chuckles ]
Resting.
You definitely gave me my workout for the day.
Ah, yeah.
I feel horrible.
I hope lunch made up for the manual labor.
I'm just messing with you.
It was no problem at all.
And lunch was delicious.
Okay.
Come here. Sit down.
SAM: Yeah. All right.
What are we doing?
We're taking in this fresh air.
Appreciating the moment.
You found an apartment within one week of moving here.
[ Both laugh ]
You probably haven't even stopped to take that in.
[ Sighs ]
True that.
This is beautiful.
[ Shower running ]
[ Sam screams ]
Shit!
[ Gasps ]
Hey, honey, we're going to be late.
I need you to finish that up
and go start the car for me, please.
Hey, Arnez, this is Samantha in unit 5.
I woke up this morning to discover
that we have no hot water.
So if you could please just stop by and give that a look
when you get a moment, I'd really appreciate it.
Thank you.
We're going to be so late. Put your seatbelt on. Let's go.
[ Engine starts ]
-Mom, watch out! -Oh, shit!
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Shit. Are you okay?
-Morning. -Corey?
I could have killed you. Are you okay?
-I am so sorry. -It's not your fault.
I-I should have been paying attention.
I -- I get in a zone, and I don't --
I don't always pay attention.
SAM: Wait, you live around here?
Yeah. Yeah, I live over here.
What, you think y'all the only ones that can enjoy
all these amazing amenities.
Ma, he is fine. Come on.
I'm sorry. We're running late.
It's okay. I see.
You've been busy unpacking, huh?
I don't want to be late for school.
COREY: I'm fine. Listen. I'm gonna finish my run.
And, uh, maybe I'll see you on the trail.
Yeah, maybe. I saw -- I noticed that trail yesterday.
It looks beautiful.
Oh, yeah, it's beautiful.
Mom, come on. We got to go.
-Well... -Maybe I'll see you.
Yeah, as you can see...
I can text you if you want.
Wait. How?
I mean, I don't have your number personally.
I could get it from the office, and, you know.
I mean, e-mail you. Whatever.
Yeah. No, I mean, I'm sure I'll see you around,
or I could just come to the office myself or something.
Sounds good to me.
Just put some ice on it or something.
I am so sorry, Corey.
Oh, my God.
Baby, get in the front seat.
No, I'm good.
So now I'm your chauffeur.
[ Engine starts ]
Mom, what's going on?
I don't know, Munchy.
What the hell is going on?