she's going to smoke a cigarette. hey. oh, i got it on the street for a dollar. well, you know, it's pretty much your standard woolen hat. can i get that money from you? is that all you have? can you borrow some cash from your brother? well, i'm definitely gonna be gone for a couple of days at least, sheila. because my sister is not a bank, you know? i can't just show up and ask her for -- oh sheila can we just cut out the puerile crap?! i'll be back just as soon as i can. ok? i am not the kind of man that everyone says i am. i'll call you tonight. i love you. well. i think after this is over you should seriously consider moving back home. all right. definitely. sorry. how you doin', darryl? i'm just goin' to see sammy at dawson's. sure, yeah -- yeah, i was workin' out there for a little while. yeah, i've been all over the place. thanks, darryl. keep enforcing the peace. no, man, i'm reformed. thanks, darryl. sorry about yesterday -- i was studying the bus description. and i just. i got on the wrong bus -- i mean i missed my stop -- i'm glad to see you too, sammy. um. are you coming from work? yeah, no, it's just. you're dressed so formally. no, it's good. i thought i'd dress up too. yeah, this is the haute cuisine of garments. nothing, nothing. um. so how are you? how's rudy? yeah. -- i know, i haven't been -- yeah, i was up there for a while. yeah, i know i've been out of touch. oh, i been a lotta different places. um. i went down to florida for a while. i was doing some work in orlando. i've been all over the place. yeah. i didn't realize it'd been so long. well, i don't know. i got all these things i gotta do back in worcester. yeah, so i'm probably not gonna be able to stay more than a day or so. i'm kind of trying to keep to a schedule of sorts. it's a long and worthy story but i won't trouble you with it right now. who would i be expecting here? no, i was just wondering if we could get some more refreshments, actually. i've actually got to confess to you, sammy. that the reason you may not have heard from me for a little while is that i've been kind of unable to write. on account of the fact that i was in jail for a little while. well, i did a little time, i guess, in florida. for, uh, just for bullshit. it was just bullshit. i didn't do anything. does it occur to you that maybe i was wronged? well, could i please -- would you please let me -- i got into a fight in a bar down in florida. which i was not the one who instigated it, at all. but they worked up all this bullshit against me and they threw me in the pen for three months. i didn't write you because i didn't want you to get all upset about it. i just figured you'd figure i was on the road for a little while. i know it was stupid and i'm sorry. i really didn't mean to make you worry. but you know what? i can't run around all the time doin' stuff or not doin' stuff because it's gonna make you worry! because then i come back here, and i tell you about my fuckin'. traumas, and i get this wounded little "i've let you down" bullshit, over and over again, and it really just -- cramps me! like i just want to get out from under it!. and here i am back in this fuckin' hole explaining myself to you again! i mean, i realize i'm in no position to, uh, basically say anything, ever -- but it's not like i'm down there in some redneck bar in florida having an argument with some stripper's boyfriend and i suddenly think, "hey! maybe this'd be a good time to really stick it to sammy and get myself locked up for a few months." me too, man. i mean "welcome home." i'm sorry -- i'm sorry -- i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm sorry, sammy, i'm really sorry! sammy. um. i'm in the midst of a slight predicament. um. yeah. i'm broke. i gotta get back to worcester tomorrow. i got this girl there, and she's kind of in a bad situation? i just need to borrow some money. whatever you can spare. i'll pay you back. i'll pay you back, man. so do i, man. i know how they feel, man. sure. come on, sammy, can we not talk about that shit? um -- no, sammy. i don't. um, yeah. because i think it's ridiculous. because i think it's primitive, ok? i think it's a fairy tale. no. well, uh, i'm not really looking for anything, man. i'm just, like, trying to get on with it. thank you, sammy. i'm really gonna pay this back. where we going? well. do you not even want me to visit now? 'cause i can catch the bus at five o'clock if that's what you want. hi, is that malcolm?. hi, this is terry prescott?. i been trying to get ahold of sheila and there's no answer, and i was just wondering if she -- she what?. when?. well -- is she all right?. well, could i talk to her?. well, could you give her a message that i -- that girl i'm with tried to kill herself. she tried to kill herself. i think so. i don't know. send the money i guess. yeah, maybe that'd be a good idea. yeah. thanks. good night. yeah, me too, sammy. looks that way. put on your seat belt. what? well, when somebody slams into us and you go sailin' through the windshield, that's liable to be uncomfortable too. so put on your seat belt. i know. they're my parents too. well, yeah. your mom is my sister. so that means we have the same parents. hey. look. you hold it further down, you're gonna get a lot more power. you should be able to put that nail down with two or three hits. look: try it. well, the way you hold it is wrong. you can. that is depressing. he just never struck me as the marrying type, that's all. wild kids we used to know. not compared to your mom. you don't believe me? ask her. oh -- just readin' some of your compositions. um. because it's bad. don't ever do it. you know this used to be my room? no. no. i wasn't even born yet. no. i know. unfortunately he didn't fight in vietnam either. not really. we had some friends in common, i guess. i didn't like him very much. well, he wasn't very likable. i don't know. he was always -- he always had to be better than you at everything. you know. like if you were all playing basketball or something, everybody's havin' like a friendly game and he's like ready to kill somebody if his team didn't win. or like if you told like a joke or a story, he always had to tell a better one? kinda gets annoying after a while. plus it was pretty scummy how he split on your mom and you. he was a prick. probably still a prick. fortunately for you though, your mom is like, the greatest. so you had some bad luck and you had some good luck. you mind if i ask you a personal question? do you like it here? i mean, in scottsville? why? i know, i know, but it's so. there's nothing to do here. no there isn't, man! it's narrow. it's dull. it's a dull, narrow town full of dull, narrow people who don't know anything except. what things are like right around here. they have no perspective whatsoever. no scope. they might as well be living in the nineteenth century because they have no idea what's going on, and if you try to tell 'em that, they wanna fuckin' kill you. i don't know. you're a good kid. do you know you have an enormous leak from the upstairs hall? yes. yes. it's just -- the problem is that the pipe is corroded all the way along the length of the hall. so every time i put in a new piece it starts leaking further down. why? he's not gonna do anything different than what i'm doing. no we're not. shut up. nice to meet you, bob. what's your idea of the whole night? what's your feeling about bob? i have bad news for you. do you know how to play pool? well, we're not allowed to watch any more tv, so it's this or nothing. but if we run into any trouble, let me do the talking. i got a hundred bucks here says me and my nephew can beat anybody in here. only we gotta get the next game 'cause he's gotta be in bed by ten o'clock. just hit it nice and soft. nice and soft. god damn, rudy. i thought you said you could play. boys, it's all over but the cryin'. ohhhh! it's all yours, baby. just make sure to hit it really gentle. but firm. and hit it a little low so you get some backspin. don't even hit it. just kiss it. i mean tap it. firm but very, very softly. and don't shoot until you know it's going in. ok? that was great! ssh! don't move. it's them! go! go! go! wait a minute, gimme your jacket! what are you doing? um -- we were just out doing some star-gazing, and, uh, rudy lost track of the time. which i totally warned him about. you are a bad kid. hey: i think it's ok. just don't tell her where we went, 'cause she'll be really mad at me. ok? hey -- i'm not kidding, rudy. do whatever you want. no. you can! i don't know. get out of the car. you're going to carol's house and i'm going home. because if you're such a baby you gotta tell your mommy about us playin' pool when i totally asked you not to, and i gotta listen to her shit all day, then you're goin' to the baby-sitter's so you can stay at the baby house. you know what? don't even fuckin' talk to me. just get out of the car. where were you? kind of a late dinner, ain't it? fine. yes, the fucking plumber came. what's the matter with you? you want to smoke some pot? wow. are you going to? well. bad sign. what? jesus christ, sammy! uh, well, that's not really his problem, sammy. his problem is that he's like totally sheltered because you treat him like he's three, instead of eight, so that's how he behaves. i think he shouldn't have to run and tell his mommy every time he does something she might not like, for one thing. i mean i took him to play pool! it was a little clandestine thing we did for fun! it wasn't like a big secret, i mean who cares? i was actually trying to be nice to him. but he's so freaked out that he disobeyed your orders that he has to fuckin' squeal on me and i have to listen to your fuckin' shit all day when i didn't even fuckin' do anything! well. that. is a perfect example of what i'm talking about. darryl told you? like what? yeah, where are you going? yeah, where? listen. listen. i'm sorry i said you squealed on me. i was totally out of line, and i really owe you an apology. did you hear what i said? you know who this is for? that's right, my little friend. hello. we're going fishing. i'll get it. well. i'm not really sure why you're here, ron. i mean, i realize i haven't exactly been a model citizen since i got here, but compared to how things have been goin' for me lately, i thought i was doing pretty well. and i also find it kind of discouraging that you seem to think i need some kind of spiritual counseling or what have you, so much so that you're willing to disregard the fact that i don't believe in any of this stuff at all -- i mean it's really kind of insulting. how would she know? i didn't realize i was smiling. great job you got. well -- you mean -- like, me personally, my individual life? well. i'm not sure -- what do you mean? it's important to me. i guess. and like, to my, you know, the people who care about me. well, i don't think. i don't particularly think anybody's life has any particular importance besides whatever -- you know -- whatever we arbitrarily give it. which is fine. i mean we might as well. i think i'm as important as anybody else. i don't know: a lot of what you're saying has a real appeal to me, ron. a lot of the stuff they told us when we were kids. but i don't want to believe something or not believe it because i might feel bad. i want to believe it because i think it's true or not. i'd like to think that my life is important. or that it's connected to something important. yes. i believe that. so sammy, what example will you be setting for us tonight? we're not going fishing. i think you should go fishing with father ron. well, i'm not takin' you. i'm not mad at you. i just, you know, after all that religious conversation, i just realized it's probably not so good for him to be spending so much time with someone like me who doesn't believe his life is important in the scheme of things -- i'm serious. i would, sammy, i just don't think it'd be good for him. yeah. we really shoulda been out here around seven or eight a.m. two-thirty. yeah, your father was good at all that stuff. he knew everything about the woods, everything about fishing, everything about hunting and everything about cars. if he wasn't such a pain in the ass he would've been a lot of fun to be around. i doubt it. how would you know? did you ever meet him? were you ever curious to meet him? well, he doesn't live very far from here. no -- i lived in alaska. your dad lives in auburn. far as i know. we could look him up in the phone book. wanna try? ok -- but -- i'm sure i don't have to say this, but i'm not kidding, man: don't -- tell -- your -- mother. well -- we're right here. come on. there he is. yeah. ring the bell. hi. we're looking for rudy? an old friend. hey, rudy. hi, i'm terry. and this is rudy. rudy, meet rudy. nice to meet you. ok if we come in for a minute? what do you mean what am i doin' -- well we just wanna -- all right, all right. i just wanted the kid to see you -- man, you are really -- i just wanna -- you know what, man? you're still a fuckin' asshole. i just came down here to talk to the guy and all of a sudden he starts shovin' me! you're a lyin' fuckin' piece of shit. this is such bullshit. he started the whole thing and you're arresting me? you don't have to say anything, sammy. what do you mean? i don't know how to behave around an eight-year-old? i think you don't know how to behave around an eight-year-old. what do you mean, get my own place? you mean in scottsville? why would i do that? why don't i just leave, period? well -- no, you know what? i'll just go. i don't know. i just want to get out of this town. and if you've got any sense when you get old enough you'll get out of here too. your mom's gonna live in this town for the rest of her life, and you know why? because she thinks she has to. don't ask me why, but that's the truth. she thinks there's all these things she has to do, but you want to know one thing about your mom? she's a bigger fuck- up than i ever was. i mean, i know i messed up. you think i enjoy getting thrown in jail because i wanted you to face that prick your dad like a little man and see what kind of a guy he is? i know i got a little carried away, and i lost my temper just a little bit -- which is not the end of the world either, by the way, just for future reference --and now she's kickin' me out of my own house because -- you know, because i fucked up a little bit. which i totally admit. i was like -- totally ready to admit that. well, thanks, man. but i, uh, i can't really take care of you. yeah, i'm just gonna stay at ray's till i take off. yeah. well, that's what i wanna do, so -- no -- i'm just gonna take off. i'll see you later. ray's house. no -- i'm leavin' tomorrow. there's a bus at nine. yeah -- i don't know. i mean -- all right, all right. i'll come by in the morning. yeah -- no -- i'll be there. all right. hey, how's it goin', man? sorry i'm late. so rudy. if i write you a letter, will you write me back? ok, well, that's gonna be pretty nice for you, because i write a pretty goddamn interesting letter. all right. well, say good-bye. no, i got a few bucks. aren't you gonna be late for work? oh, well, i didn't really have a concrete plan yet. i have to go back to worcester and get my stuff. well. yeah. you know. thought maybe i'd try to show my face. let her brother have a crack at me. no. i'm just kidding. i just thought. just thought i'd check up on her. anyway, after that, i don't really know. i've been thinking about alaska a lot. i still got some friends out there. i don't really know. anyway, i'll write you. sure, sammy. of course i will. you know that. nothing too bad. but i gotta tell you, i know things didn't work out too well this time. but it's always really good to know that wherever i am, whatever stupid shit i'm doing, you're back at my home, rooting for me. come on, sammy. everything's gonna be all right. comparatively. and i'll be back this way. of course you will, sammy. you never have to worry about that. i do know where i'm going. i'm going to worcester and i'm gonna try to see that girl. and then depending on what happens there, i thought i'd try to see if there's any work for me out west. and if there is, i'm gonna head out there for the summer and try to make some money. and if there isn't, i'll figure something else out. maybe i'll stay around the east. i don't know. i really liked it in alaska. it was really beautiful. you just -- it made me feel good. and before things got so messed up i was doin' pretty well out there. seriously. but i couldn't stay here long, sammy: i don't want to live here. but i'm gonna stay in touch. and i'll be back. 'cause i want to see you and i want to see rudy. i'll come home for christmas. how about that? we'll have christmas together. come on, sammy. you can trust me. come on, sammy. look at me. look at me. hey, sammy. remember when we were kids, remember what we always used to say to each other . . .? remember when we were kids?