"Beverly weston: "life is very long..."" "ts eliot." "Not the first person to say it, certainly not the first person to think it." "But he's given credit for it because he bothered to write it down." "Now, if you say it, you have to say his name after it." ""Life is very long:" ts eliot." "Absolutely, goddamn right." "Violet." "My wife." "She takes pills, sometimes a great many." "The facts are:" "My wife takes pills and I drink." "That's the bargain we've struck, a little paragraph of our marriage contract..." "Rather than.." "Once more vow abstinence with my fingers crossed." "I've chosen to turn my life over to a higher power.." "And join the ranks of the hiring class." "It's not a decision with which I'm entirely comfortable." "I mean, I know how to launder my.." "Dirty undies." "Done it all my life, but I'm finding that it's getting in the way of my drinking." "Violet:" "Bev?" "Yes." "Did..." "You...?" "Oh, goddamn it!" "Are the police here?" "Could you come here?" "Oh." "Hello." "Johnna, the young woman I told you about." "You tell me she's a woman." "Wo-man." "Wo-man." "Whoa-man." " That I'm hiring..." " Oh, you hire women's now the thing." "I thought you meant the other." "To cook and clean, carry you to the clinic.." " Hello." " Hello." "I'm sorry." "Like this." "Yes, ma'am." "You're very pretty." "Thank you." "Are you an injun?" "Yes, ma'am." " What kind?" " Cheyenne." "Do you think I'm pretty?" "Like this?" " Like.." " Careful... careful...!" "I'm sorry, I took some..." "Medicine for my mumm..." "For my mus..." "My muscular." "For my muscular." "Why don't you go back to bed, sweetheart?" "Why don't you go fuck a fucking sow's ass?" "All right." "Oh.." "I'm sorry." "I'll be sickly sweet." "Sickly sweet." "I'm soooooooo sweet." "I'm soo.." "In-El-a..." "In-El-abrially sweet." "We keep unusual hours here." "My wife has been diagnosed with a touch of.." "Cancer and she'll need to be driven to Tulsa for her final.." "Chemotherapy treatments." "What kind of cancer?" "Ah, my God, I nearly neglected the punch line:" "Mouth cancer." "Do you have any questions?" "What pills does she take?" "Ohhh.." "Valium." "Vicodin." "Darvon, darvocet." "Percodan, Percocet.." "Xanax for fun." "Oxycontin in a pinch." "And of course, diluadid." "I can't forget diluadid." "My last refuge, my books.." "Simple pleasures, like finding.." "Wild onions by the side of a road, or requited love." "Oh here.." "Here, ts eliot." "Read it or not." "It's not a job requirement just for your enjoyment." "Here we go, round the prickly pear..." "Prickly pear prickly pear..." "Ere we go, round the prickly pear..." "August:" "Osage county." "Custom subtitle by -:" "D3xt3r:" "mom...?" "Mom.." "You didn't hear the phone?" "If it's your father, tell him to fuck off." "It's aunt Ivy, from Oklahoma." "Ivy?" "What's wrong?" "When...?" "What'd you tell Barb?" "I told her dad was missing." "Goddamn your father, for putting me through this." "Seen that office of his?" "He hired this Indian for some goddamn reason and now I have a stranger in my house." "What's her name?" "Johnna." "I can't handle this all by myself!" "I called Karen." "Oh.." "Yeah, what did she say?" "She said she'd try to get here." "She'll be a big fat help, just like you." "I need Barb." "What's Barb going to be able to do?" "What did you do to your hair?" "I had it straightened." "Why would anybody do that?" "I just wanted a change." "You're a pretty girl." "Why don't you wear makeup?" "Do I need makeup?" "Every women needs makeup." "Don't let anybody tell you different." "The only woman.." "Pretty enough to go without makeup was Elizabeth Taylor." "And she wore a ton." "Your shoulders are slumped and your hair's all straighten out.." "And you don't wear makeup." "You look like a lesbian." "Mom." "You could get a decent man if you spruced up." "A bit, that's all I'm saying." "I'm not looking for a man." "How many was that?" "I wasn't counting." "Is your mouth burning?" "Like a son-of-a-bitch." "My tongue is on fire." "Are you supposed to be smoking?" "Is anybody supposed to smoke?" "Are you scared?" "Course I'm scared." "And you are a comfort, sweetheart." "Thank God one of my girls stayed close to home." "In my day.." "Family stayed together." "Aunt mattie fae's here." "She means to come in here.." "And tell me what's what." "I don't know how Uncle Charlie puts up with it." "He smokes a lot of grass." "He does?" "He smokes a lot of grass." "I told vi, "take all those goddamn books he's so fond of.." "And make a big pile in the front yard and have yourself a bonfire."" "you don't burn a man's books." "You do, if the situation calls for it." "The man's books didn't do anything." "You get any ideas about just up and taking off, Charlie aiken, you better believe.." "That I'd have your.." "I'm not going anywhere." "I'm saying if you did," "I'll give you two days to get your head straight." "Then it's all going up in a blaze of glory." "Not that, you have any books lying around." "I don't think I've ever seen you read a book in my life." "That bother you?" "What's the last book you read?" "Beverly was a teacher;" "teachers read books, I'm in the upholstery business." "Ah, sweeheart." "Your daddy's done this before." "Just takes off, no call, nothing." "I told your mother," ""you pack that son-of-a-bitch's bags and have 'em waiting for him on the front porch."" "where's your mother?" "Upstairs." "He'll come back again, I know he will, he always does." "Beverly is a very complicated man." "Kind of like Charles." "Little Charles isn't complicated, he's just unemployed." "You don't think that little Charles and" "Beverly share some kind of..." "Complication." "You have to be smart to be complicated." "Are you saying our boy isn't smart?" "Yes, that's what I'm saying." "I'm sweating." "Why is it so dark in here?" "Are you sweating?" "Hell, yes, I'm sweating, it's ninety degrees in here." "Feel my back." "I don't want to feel your back." "Sweat is just dripping down my back." "I believe you." " Feel it." " No." "Come on, put your hand here." "Goddamn it - sweat's just dripping..." "Ivy, when did this start?" "This business with taping the shades?" "Been a couple of years now." "Do you know its purpose?" "You can't tell if it's night or day." "I think that's the purpose." "What were these people thinking..." "The jokers who settled this place." "Who was the asshole, looked at flat hot nothing and planted his flag?" "I mean.." "We fucked the Indians for this?" "Well, genocide, always seems like such a good idea at the time." "Right, you need a little hindsight." "If you want me to explain the creepy character of the midwest, please, the midwest." "This is the plains." "A state of mind, a spiritual affliction, like the blues." "Don't." "What are you doing?" "'Scuse me, dear... could I trouble you for another beer?" "Goddam it, she's not a waitress." "I'll get it." "I know that." "Then, get your own beer." "I don't believe you." "Watchin' a ball game, drinkin' beers." "You have any sense of what's going on around you?" "Am I supposed to sit here like a statue?" "You're drinking whiskey." "I'm having a cocktail." "You're drinking straight whiskey!" "Just..." "Have a little class." "I'm gonna grab a smoke." "You've encouraged that." "I haven't encouraged anything." " You admire her for getting hooked at fourteen, makes her seem even more mature." "Goddamn, it's hot." "Suppose your mom's turned on the air conditioner?" "You kidding?" "Remember the parakeets?" "The parakeets?" "I didn't tell you about the parakeets?" "She got a parakeet, for some insane reason and the little fucker croaked after two days." "So, she went to the pet store and raised hell, and they gave her another one." "That one died after a day." "Then, she went back and they gave her a third parakeet." "That one died too." "So, the chick from the pet store came out here to see just what in the hell this, serial parakeet killer was doing to bump off these birds." "And?" "The heat." "It was too hot." "They were dying from the heat." "Jesus." "These are tropical birds, all right?" "I mean, they live in the fucking tropics!" "Mom?" "!" "It's Barbara.." "It's Barb." "Barbara!" "Oh my gosh!" "You." "Come give me some sugar." "Bill, look how skinny you are!" "Will you look at this one?" "Come here and give your aunt mattie fae some sugar!" " Hi, Charlie." " Hey bill, you've dropped some weight, haven't you?" "Look at her boobs!" " Last time I saw.." "How was the flight from Denver?" "You looked like a little boy!" "Barbara?" "Hey, mom." "I'm here!" "Barb..." "Barb.." "Barb.." "It's okay, mom.I'm here." "Saturday morning." "The Indian girl made us biscuits and gravy." "We ate some, he walked out the door, this door right there." "That was it." "He just left...?" "Uh, huh." "I went to bed Saturday night, got up Sunday mornin' still no Beverly." "I didn't make much of it, thought he'd gone out on a bender." "Why would he do that?" "When, he can drink at home." "Unless, you were riding his ass." "I never said a word to him.." "About his drinking, I didn't." "I never got on him about it." "So, Sunday, still no sign of him..." "That's when I got worked up about that, safety deposit box." "Because.." "We kept an awful lot of cash in that box, some expensive jewelry." "I had a.." "Diamond ring in that box appraised at over seven thousand dollars." "Wait, wait, wait, I'm missing something." "Why do you care about a safety deposit box?" "Your father and I had an arrangement." "If something were to ever happen to one of us, the other one would go empty that box." "Vi, you sure there wasn't some incident that triggered his leaving, some event." "Like a fight?" " Yeah." " No." "And we fought enough..." "You know... but no." "Maybe he needed some time away from you." "Oh, that's nice of you to say." "Hey, it's no crime." "Marriage is hard." "Under the best of circumstances." "So.." "Nothing?" "No, 'see you later, I'm taking a walk'?" "Mmmmhm." "Good old unfathomable dad." "Oh." "That man." "Oh.." "What I first fell in love with, you know, was his mystery." "I thought it was sexy as hell." "You knew he was the smartest one in the room, knew if he just said something..." "Knock you out." "But no, he'd just stand there, little smile on his face..." "Not say a word." "Sexy." "You can't remember anything unusual..." "He hired this woman." "He didn't ask me, just hired this woman to come live in our house." "Few days before he left." "You don't want her here?" "I have an Indian in my house." "You have a problem with Indians, Violet?" "I don't know what to say to an Indian." "They're called native Americans, mom." "Who makes that decision?" "It's what they like to be called." "They aren't any more native than me." "In fact, they are." "What's wrong with Indian?" "Why can't you call people what they wanna be called?" "Let's just call the dinosaurs "native americans" while we're at it." "She may be an Indian, but she makes the best goddamn apple pie I ever ate." "He hired a cook." "It makes no sense." "We don't eat." "And now you get biscuits and gravy." "Kind of nice, huh?" "That is nice." "Nice for you, now." "But, soon you'll be gone, never to return." "When was the last time you were here?" " Don't get started.." " Alright!" "I don't care about you two." "But, I'd like to see my granddaughter every now and again." "Well, you're seeing her now." "But your father." "You broke his heart when you moved away." "That is wildly unfair!" "You know you were Beverly's favorite;" " Am I going to have to separate you two?" "Don't pretend you don't know!" "I'd prefer to think my parents loved all their children equally." "I'm sure you'd prefer to think that santy claus brought you presents at Christmas, too." "If you'd had more than one child, you'd know a parent always has favorites." "Mattie fae was my mother's favorite." "Big deal." "I got used to it." "You were your daddy's favorite." "Broke his heart." "What was I supposed to do?" "!" "Colorado gave bill twice what he's making at tu." " Why are we even getting into this?" "You think daddy wouldn't have jumped at an opportunity like that?" "You're wrong there." "You never would've gotten Beverly weston out of Oklahoma." "He gave me his blessing." "That's what he told you." "Yeah.." "And now, you're going to tell me the true story, some terrible shit he said behind my back?" "Alright, everybody's on edge.." "Beverly didn't say terrible things behind your back - vi, come on!" "He just told me he's disappointed in you because you settled." "He thought you had talent, as a writer." "Daddy never said anything like that to you." "What a load of absolute horseshit." "Horseshit." "Horseshit?" "Oh, horseshit, let's all say horseshit." "Say horseshit, bill." "Horseshit." " Are you high?" " Excuse me." "I mean literally." "You taking something?" "A muscle relaxer." " You listen to me." "I'll not go through this with you again." "I don't know what you're talking about." "These fucking pills?" "Calls at three am about stars in your backyard?" "This isn't.." "It isn't same thing." "I didn't have reason then." "So, it's okay to get hooked now because you have a reason." "I'm not hooked on anything." "I don't want to know if you are or not," "I'm just saying.." "I'm not gonna go through it again." "I'm not." "I'm in pain!" "Because of your mouth?" "Yes, because my mouth burns." "I have got.." "Cancer in my mouth." "And it burns, look." "Look." "And it burns like a... bullshit." "And Beverly's disappeared and you're yelling at me." "I'm not.." "You know, you couldn't come home when I got cancer." "Beverlys disappeared.." "You rushed right back." "I'm sorry." "You know where I think he is?" "I think he.." "I think he got some whiskey, a carton of cigarettes, and a couple of good spy novels... and.." "I think he got out on the boat." "And steered it to a nice spot, close to shore like he likes em." "And he's fishing, and reading and drinking, maybe even writing a little." "And, I think.." "He's gonna walk through that door.." "Any time." "Mom?" "Mom, the sheriff's here." "What?" "Wha..." "Hey, sweetheart." "Go back to bed." "What about aunt Ivy?" "I guess we'll stop on the way." "Christ, I have to call Karen too." "Why the fuck am I brushing my hair?" "Izza story." "Barely's back." "Gizza cig..." "Cigezze?" "Cig-zezz, cig-zizz..." "Ma'am?" "Gizza cig..." "Cig-zezz, cig-zizz..." "Some cigezze?" "Cigz, cig-aa.." "Archa-Tex?" "I'm inna bottom of them." "It's good beat, right?" "Barb...!" "From the day I.." "The day.." "Beverly.." "And then.." "And then you're here.." "And Barbara, you're here, and Beverly, and then you're here, and then.." "You're here.." "I used to go out with that boy." "That man." "What man?" "The sheriff?" "In high school." "He was my prom date." "You're kidding." "Day of the prom, his father got drunk and stole his car, stole his own son's car, went somewhere, Mexico." "Deon showed up at the house." "He'd been crying." "Confessed he didn't have a way to take me to the prom." "So, we got a six-pack.." "And broke into the chapel, stayed up all night talking and kissing." "And, now here he is, showing me." "It's so surreal." "Thank God we can't tell the future." "We'd never get out of bed." "Listen to me." "Die after me, all right?" "I don't care what else you do, where you go, how you screw up your life, just..." "Survive." "Please." "Holy shit, that's Karen." "Do you remember your aunt Karen?" "Kind of..." "That must be this year's man." "I spent so much time in our bedroom, pretending my pillow was my husband.." "And did he like the dinner I just made and where were we going that winter on vacation.." "And then, he'd surprise me with tickets to Belize and we'd kiss." "I mean I'd kiss my pillow!" "And then I'd say that I'd been to the doctor that I am.." "Maybe, I was pregnant." "I know how pathetic that sounds now, but it was innocent enough." "Then real life kicks in, things don't work out like you planned." "They never do.." "And then, that pillow was a better husband than any real man I'd ever met;" "and you punish yourself and tell yourself it's your fault you can't find a good one." "I don't know how well you remember Andrew." "You remember Andrew?" "No, I remember him." "I loved him.." "So intensely, so, the things he did wrong, were just opportunities for me to make 'em right." "When he'd cheat on me or called me a cunt," "I'd say, "no, love is forever, this is just an opportunity for me, to make an adjustment in the way that I view the world."" "and thank God, one day I looked in the mirror and said, "moron,"" "and I walked out." "But, one day.." "Finally I said," ""it's me." "It's just me." "I don't need anything else, I can live my life with myself."" "and, that's how I got my license, I threw myself into my work, sold a ton of houses, and that's how I met Steve." "That's how it works, Barb." "Ah, he's ten years older, but he is such a thinker, and he's such a good man." "He's such a good heart and he's good for me." "I guess, the best thing about him, for me, is that now.." "What I think about is now." "I live now." "My focus, my life, my world is now." "And you can't plan the future." "You just can't." "Cause as soon as you do, something happens, some.." "Terrible thing happens.." "Like your father drowning himself." "That's exactly what I mean." "You take it as it comes, here and now!" "Steve had a huge presentation today for some big-wig government guys who could be.." "Really important for his business and he's put together for months now, but.." "As soon as we found about daddy, he just cancelled his meeting." "He has his priorities straight." "And, you know what the kicker is?" "Do you know what the kicker is Barb?" "What's the kicker?" "We're going to Belize on our honeymoon!" "Is it always this hot?" "Usually, it's hotter." "That's hard to imagine." "How old are you, about, seventeen?" "Fourteen." "Fourteen, right..." "You know what I was doing when I was fourteen?" "Cattle processing." "Know what that is?" "It doesn't sound good." "Slaughterhouse sanitation." "That's disgusting." "I wouldn't recommend it." "But hey." "Put food on the table." "Get it?" "What's that smell?" "I don't know?" "It's probably, that stop thrash can over there?" "Nah, that's not what I'm smelling." "What are you doing?" "Do I smell what I think I smell?" "I don't know, what do you smell?" "Is that... pot?" "You smoking pot?" " No." " You can tell me." " You a little dope smoker?" " No!" "Then you are in luck." "Because, I happen to have some really tasty shit." "Here we go!" "No pinots, but they had some decent California merlots." "Ahh!" "Look at me!" "Look at me." "You're beautiful, mom." "I was beautiful." "Hah.." " Not anymore." " Oh, now..." "You're still beautiful." "One of those lies we tell to give us comfort." "Women are beautiful, when they're young and not after." "Men can still preserve their sex appeal into old age." "Not those men like you see with shorts, and little purses around their waists." "Lord.." "Lord." "Some men can maintain a weary masculinity." "Women just get old.." "And fat and wrinkly." "I beg your pardon?" "I'm still very sexy." "Thank you very much." "Yeah, you're about as sexy as a wet cardboard box, mattie fae." "You and me both." "Look, wouldn't we be better off all of us, if we stopped lying about these things, and told the truth?" ""Women aren't sexy when they're old."" "I can live with that." "Can you live with that?" "What about Sophia loren?" "What about Lena horne?" "She stayed sexy till she was eighty." "The world is round." "Get over it." "Hey, try this dress on." "I'm sorry, I won't." "You don't know how to attract a man." "I do." "That's something I always.." "We just buried my father, I'm not trying to attract a man." "I'm not talking about today, dummy, I'm just saying.." "This is something.." "I have a man." "All right?" "I have a man." "You said, you weren't looking for a man." "And I'm not." "Because I have one." "Now will you leave it alone?" " No, I won't leave it alone." " No, let's not leave it alone." "I wish you both could see, the brainsick looks on your faces." "Who is it?" "Nobody." "Forget it.." "Tell us, is he someone from school?" "How old is he, what's he do?" "I'm not telling you anything.." "You have to tell us something!" "No, I really don't." "Are you in love, Ivy?" "I..." "I don't..." "I'm..." "No, we maintain the accounts offshore, just until we get approvals." "What.." "To get around approvals?" "To get around approvals until we get approvals." "There's a lot of bureaucracy, red tape.." "I don't know how much you know about Florida," "Florida politics." "Only what I read and that's.." " Right, right, this kind of business in particular." "Charlie?" "Picking up little Charles." "Give." "Me." "The wine." "Is that what you were in such a hurry to get home for?" "What the hell's on TV that's so important you?" "Phantom of the opera, 1925." "They're showing it with the scene in color restored." "Cool." "Let me make sure I've got this." "When you threw a fit.." "About going to the store with your dad..." "Hey, look at me." "And you were so distraught over the start time of your grandpa's funeral." "Was this your concern?" "Huh?" "Getting back here in time to watch phantom of the fucking opera?" "I guess." "Christ." "Phantom of the opera, huh?" " Huh-uh." " Hi, doodle." "Doodle." "Hey, baby." "I want to show you our old fort." "Man, the air in here just doesn't move." "I'll hook you up, later." "I'm sorry, dad." "No need to apologize." "I know, mom's mad at me." "Don't worry about her." "What did she say?" "Your mother, she says what she says." "I set the alarm." "I did." "I know you did." "I loved Uncle bev, you know that." "Just stop, apologizing." "I missed his funeral!" "Ah, its.." "It's a ceremony." "It's ceremonial." "It doesn't mean anything compared to.." "What you have in your heart." "Hold on, comb your hair." "Uncle bev, must be disappointed in me." "Your Uncle bev has got bigger and better things ahead of him." "He doesn't have time for spite." "He wasn't that kind of man, anyway." "Hey," "hey.." "It's okay." "Just..." "I know how things are." "I know how they.." "Think about me;" "and something like this..." "You want to be there for people," "I'm sorry I let you down, dad." "Hey, you haven't let me down." "You never let me down." "Now listen..." "You're wrong about these people, they love you." "They love you." "Some of them, haven't gotten a chance to see what I see." "A fine man, very loving, a with a lot to offer." "Now take this." "Give me my comb." "I love you, dad." "Love you too, son." "Phantom of the opera?" "You don't remember what it was like to be fourteen?" "She's old enough to exhibit a little character." "But, that's something you normally learn from your parents." "That's a shot across my bow, right?" "I missed something." "Really?" "Instilling character." "Our burden as parents." "I got that part." "And you really haven't been much of a parent lately, so it's tough to.." "Just because you and I are.." "Struggling with this gordian knot it doesn't mean.." "But her fourteen-year-old self might view it differently." "Might consider it "abandonment"." "Oh, come on, she's a little more sophisticated than that, don't you think?" "Pretty fucking sophisticated, the restored whatever from phantom of the opera, I know that makes your dick hard.." "Barbara..." "Precocious little shit." "I'm not defending her." "I am not blaming her." "I'm on your side." "..Selfish sonofabith!" "Be a father!" "Help me!" "I am her father, goddamn it!" "Her father in name only!" "I have not forsook my responsibilities!" "It's "forsaken," big shot!" "Actually, "forsook" is also an acceptable usage." "Oh, "forsook" you and the horse you rode in on." "You don't fight fair." "I've seen where that gets me!" "Grow up!" "While you're dyeing your hair and going through your fifth puberty, the world is falling apart and your kid can't handle it!" "Our kid is just trying to deal with this goddamn madhouse you've dragged her into." "This madhouse is my home." "Think about that statement for a second, why don't you?" "Jean is here with me because.." "This is a family event." " Jean's here with you because she's a buffer.." "Between you and the shrill insanity of your mother." "Y'know, you'd have a lot more credibility if you had any credibility." "You're a easy mark." "You're so goddamn self righteous, you know that?" "You're so.." "Surely you must've realised.." "When you started porking pippi longstocking you were due for a little self-righteousness, just a smidge of indignation on my part." "Maybe, I split because of it!" "Is this your confession, then, when you finally, unload all?" "Hmm?" "You're thoughtful, Barbara, but you're not open." "You're passionate, but you're hard." "You're a good, decent, funny, wonderful woman, and I love you, but.." "You're a pain in the ass!" "One for me." "One for the girls." "Mom's casserole." "They said you overslept." "Maybe I purposely accidentally overslept." "I don't know." " I'm so sorry." " Please." "I know you had one of the worst days of your life and.." "I'm sorry that I wasn't there." "We don't have to do that with each other." "You're breaking our rule." "They're on to me." "Not us, just me." "I told them I was seeing someone." "I didn't tell them who." "I just wanted you to know, in case it came up." "What?" "Charles..." "I adore you." "Pass the casserole, please?" "My casserole's coming." "I'll eat some of yours, too." "Mom?" "!" "Let's eat!" "Oh, there he is." "I wanted to put you at a kid's table but they wouldn't let me." "Where do you want me to put this?" "Hi, little Charles." "I want you to meet my fiance Steve." "Goddamn it...!" "O-pah!" "You goddamn clumsy goofball!" "Mom, I'm so sorry." "All right, nobody's hurt." "What about me?" "I'm hurt." " It's not a party, until somebody spills something." "That's my casserole!" "Let it go, mattie fae." "I'm so sorry." "Who wants chicken?" "Jean, you didn't get any chicken." "I don't eat meat." "You don't eat meat." "Okay." "Mom!" "Just put it on his plate for him or he's liable to burn the house down." "All right, mattie fae." "Barbara..." "Will you put this?" " Over there." " Yeah, sure." "Mattie fae:" "That's so nice." "Karen:" "So, sweet." "I see you gentlemen have all stripped down to your shirt fronts." "I thought we were having a funeral dinner, not a cockfight." "Someone should probably say grace." "Barbara?" "Uncle Charlie should say it." "He's the.." "Patriarch around here now." " I am?" " By default." "Okay." "Dear lord..." "We ask that you.." "Watch over this family.." "In this sad time, o lord..." "That you.." "Bless this good woman and.." "Keep her in your.." "In your..." "Grace." "I gotta to take this." "Work.." "It's very important." "In Oklahoma." "Yeah.." "We ask that you watch over.." "Beverly, too, as he..." "As he..." "As he makes his journey." "We thank thee, o lord, that we are able to join together, to pay tribute to this fine man." "In his house, with his.." "Beautiful daughters." "We are truly blessed in our fellowship, our togetherness, our... our.." "Fellowship." "We thank thee for the food, o lord, that we can.." "Share this food..." "And replenish our bodies with..." "Nutrients." "We ask that you help us.." "Get better." "Be better people." "We recognize now more than ever the power, the..." "Joy of family." "We ask that you bless and watch over this family." "Amen." "Amen." "So, sorry folks." "Let's eat." "Barb, you have any use for that sideboard?" "That sideboard there, you have any interest in that?" "It's so pretty." "No." "I mean, why?" "I'm getting rid of a lot of this stuff and I thought you might want that sideboard." "No, mom, I..." "I wouldn't have any way to get that home to Colorado." "Maybe, Ivy'll take it." "I have something like that, remember." "Clearing all this out of here." "It's really pretty." "I want to have a brand new everything." "I guess I'm just sort of..." "Not prepared to talk about your stuff." "Suit yourself." "The food is just spectacular." "Johnna cooked this whole meal by herself." "It's what she's paid for." "Y'all did know she's getting paid, right?" "Jean, so.." "I'm curious, when you say you don't eat meat, you mean, you don't eat meat of any kind?" "Right." "Is that for health reasons, or...?" "When you eat meat, you ingest an animal's fear." "Ingest what?" " It's fur?" " Fear." "I thought she said..." "How do you do that?" "You can't eat fear." "Sure you can." "I mean.." "What happens to you, when you feel afraid?" "Doesn't your body produce all sorts of chemical reactions?" "I don't know.." "Does it?" " It does." " Yes." "Adrenaline, and, and..." "Your body goes through a whole chemical process when it experiences fear." "And cortisol." " Don't you think an animal experiences fear?" "You bet it does." "I used to work at a cattle processing plant, lots of fear flying around that place." "So, when you eat an meat, you're ingesting all that fear it felt when it was slaughtered to make food." "You mean I've been eating fear, what, three times a day for.." "Sixty years?" "This one won't have a meal that doesn't meat in it." "I guess it's the way I was raised, but, somehow it just doesn't seem like a legitimate meal 'less it has some meat somewhere." "If I make a pasta dish of some kind, he'll be like," ""that's fine for an appetizer, but where's the meat?"." "Isn't that some TV commercial, the old lady says, "where's the meat?"" ""where's the beef?"." ""Where's the meat?" "!" " where's the meat?" "!"." ""Where's the meat?" "!" "hey, where's the meat?" "!"." "That's pleasant." "I thought, the services were lovely." "Yes, weren't they?" "Preacher did a fine job." "I give it a... ehhhhh!" "Really?" "You thought so?" "Great, now we get some dramatic criticism." "Too much talk about poetry and teaching." "He hadn't written any poetry, to speak of since '65." "He never liked teaching worth a damn." "Nobody talked about the good stuff." "Man was a world-class alcoholic, more'n fifty years." "Nobody told the story about that night he got wrangled into giving a talk at that tu alumni dinner..." "Drank a whole bottle of Ron bocoy white rum, don't know why I remember that, and got up to give this talk, and he fouled himself!" "Comes back to our table with this great.." " Yeah, I can't imagine why no one told that story." "Well, he didn't get invited back to anymore tu alumni dinners." "I can tell you that." "I don't know much about poetry, but.." "I thought his poems were extraordinary." "And your reading was very fine." "Thank you." "Who are you?" "This is my fiance, Steve, you met him at the church." "Steve heidebrecht." " Hide-the-what?" " Heidebrecht." "Hide-a-burrr... it's German." "Well, germanlrish, really.." "That's peculiar, Karen, to bring a date to your father's funeral." "I know the poetry was good, but I really wouldn't have considered it date material." "He's not a date, he's my fiance." "We're getting married on new years, in Miami, and, I would love it, if you can make it." "I don't really see that happening, do you?" "Steve." "That right?" "Steve?" "Yes, ma'am." "You ever been married before?" "Yes, ma'am, I have." "More then once?" "Three times, actually, three times before this." "You should pretty much have it down by now, then." "Right, right.." "I had that one pegged." "Didn't I?" "I mean, look at him, you can tell he's been married." "I went outside to show Steve the old fort and it's torn down!" "That's been gone for years." "I was so sad!" "What is this now?" "Our old fort, where we used to play.." "Cowboys and Indians." "Daddy said rats were getting in there." "Karen!" "Shame on you!" "Don't you know not to say cowboys and Indians?" "You played cowboys and native Americans, right Barb?" "What are you taking?" "What pills?" "Oh, leave me alone." "Uh-oh!" "What is it?" "What is it?" "What's the matter?" "You okay, Uncle Charles." "Uh-oh!" "I got a big bite of fear!" "Fear never tasted so good." "It's pretty good once you get used to the taste." "I'm shakin' in my boots!" "I do catch her eating a cheeseburger every now and again." "No, you don't!" "Double cheeseburger, bacon, extra fear." "Mom, you are such a liar!" "No stop." "You are!" "Y'know, if I ever called my mother a liar?" "She would've knocked my goddamn head off my shoulders." "You girls know there's a will." "Mom..." "We took care of it some time back." "We don't want to talk about it." "I want to talk about it." "What about what I want to talk about?" "Does that count for anything?" "Bev made some good investments, believe it or not, we had money for you girls in his will, but.." "We talked it over after some times passed and decided to change things, leave everything to me." "We didn't get around to taking care of it legally, but.." "You should know he meant to leave the money to me." "Okay." "Okay." "Okay?" "Okay." "Karen, okay?" " Yeah, okay." " Okay." "But now some of this furniture, some of this old shit you can just have." "I don't want it, got no use for it." "Maybe, I should have an auction." "Sure, an auction's a fine idea." "Some things, though, like the silver, that's worth a pretty penny." "But, if you like I'll sell it to you, if you like." "For cheaper'n I might get in an auction." "Or you might never get around to the auction, and then we can just have it for free after you die." "Barbara..." "You might at that." "Bill?" "I was wondering, you reading those poems.." "Which ones did you.." "Choose in the end to read?" "Well I.." "Bill, where are you living now?" "You want this old sideboard?" "I beg your pardon." "You and Barbara are separated, right?" "Or, are you divorced already?" "No, we're separated." "You thought you could slip that by me, didn't you?" "Nobody slips anything by me." "I know what's what." "Your father thought he's slipping one by me too, right?" "What is the matter with you?" "I'm sorry you two're having trouble, maybe you can work it out." "Bev'n I separated a few times, course we didn't call it that." "Help us, with an illustration from your storybook marriage." "Truth is, you just can't compete with a younger woman." "It's just one of those unfair things in life." "Is there a younger woman involved?" "You've said enough on this topic." "Yes." "There's a younger woman." "Well, y'see?" "Odds're against you there, babe." "Mom believes women don't grow more attractive with age." " Oh, I disagree, I.." " No.." "I didn't say they "don't grow more attractive,"" "I said they get ugly." "And it's not really a matter of opinion, Karen dear." "You've only just started to prove it yourself." "You're in rare form today, vi." "Well, the day calls for it, doesn't it?" "What form would you have me in?" "Hmm?" "I just don't understand why you're so adversarial." "I'm just truth-telling." "Some people are antagonized by the truth." "Everyone here loves you, dear." "You think you can shame me, Charlie?" "Blow it out your ass!" "Three days ago..." "I had to identified my father's corpse." "Now I'm supposed to sit here and listen to you viciously attack, every member of this family." "Attack my family?" "!" "Have you ever been attacked.." "In your sweet spoiled life?" "!" "Tell her 'bout attacks, mattie fae." "Tell her what an attack looks like!" "Settle down, mom." "Don't tell me to settle down, goddam it!" "I'm not a goddamn invalid!" "Am I to be abided now." "Have I been passed over?" "!" " C'mon, honey.." " This woman.." "Came to my rescue when one of my dear mother's many.." "Gentlemen friends was attacking me, with a claw hammer!" "This woman has.." "Dents in her skull, fro hammer blows." "What do you know about life on these plains?" "What do you know.." "About hard times?" "We know you had a rotten childhood, mom." "Who didn't?" "You don't know!" "You do not know!" "None of you know, 'cept this woman right here." "And that man we buried today!" "Sweet girl, sweet Barbara, my heart breaks for every time, you ever felt pain." "I wish I coulda shielded you from it." "But if you think, you can fathom for one solitary second.." "The pain that man endured in his natural life, you got another think coming." "Do you know where your father lived from age four till about ten?" "Do you?" "Do you?" "No." "In a Pontiac sedan." "With his mother, his father, in a fucking car!" "Six fucking years in a car!" "Now, what do you want to say about your rotten childhood?" "Jesus." "That's the crux of the biscuit." "We lived too hard.." "And then rose too high." "We sacrificed everything!" "We did it all for you." "Your father and I were the first in our families to graduate high school." "And he wound up, an award-winning poet." "You girls, just.." "Given a college education, taken for granted, no doubt." "Where did you wind up?" "What did you do?" "What did you do?" "Who are you?" "Jesus!" "Jesus, you worked as hard as us, you'd all be president." "You never had real problems." "So, you got to make all your problems yourselves." "Why are you screaming at us?" "Just time we had some truth's told 'round here." "Damn fine day, to tell the truth." "Well, the truth is..." " I'm getting full." " Amen." "There's dessert, too." "She baked pies." "They look so lovely." "I got a truth to tell." "It speaks." "What is it, son?" "I have a truth." "Little Charles...?" "I.." "Charles, not like this, please..." "The truth is..." "I forgot to set the clock." "The power didn't go out, I I... forgot to set the clock." "Sorry, mom." "I'm sorry, everyone." "Excuse me..." "I... just.." "Scintillating." "I gave up a long time ago..." "Little Charles is your project now." "Charles." "His name is Charles." "Poor Ivy." " Poor baby." " Please, mom..." "She's always had a feeling for the underdog." "Don't be mean to me right now, okay?" "I am not.." "Everyone's got this idea.." "I'm mean all of a sudden." "Please, momma." "I'm just telling the truth." "You're a drug addict." "That is the truth!" "That's what I'm getting at!" "Hey, everybody." "Everybody listen..." "I am a drug addict." "I love drugs." "Specially, pills, specially downers." "Y'see these little blue babies?" "These are my best fucking friends, and they never let me down." "Try to get 'em away from me;" "I'll eat you alive." "Gimme those goddamn pills.." "I'll eat you alive, girl!" "Holy shit!" "Barbara, stop it." "Hey, now, c'mon!" "Give that to me!" "Goddamn you..." "Goddamn you.." " Sit down." " Okay." "Pill raid." "Remember this?" "Remember how it goes?" "Search everything!" "Every closet..." "Every drawer, every shoebox." "Karen, call Dr. Burke." "You can't do this!" "This is my house!" "This is my house!" "You don't get it, do you?" "You don't get it." "I'm running things now!" "Why'd Dr. Burke write her so many prescriptions?" "Didn't he know?" "It's not just him." "She's got a doctor in every port." "And you knew, this was going on again?" "I'm sorry about you and bill." "Me too, Barb." "You think, it's temporary or.." "Who knows?" "We've been married a long time." "Now what?" "Dr. Burke:" "The chemotherapy and radiation, coupled with the overuse of.." " Pain medications." " Right.." "And without the benefit of more thorough testing, an mri or ct scan," "I believe your mother is suffering from mild cognitive impairment." "Mild cognitive impairment?" "Brain damage." "It may be time to consider placing her in a long term care facility." "I know I'd feel more comfortable if I know, she was receiving that level of supervision." "And, where would you have us put her?" "A psychiatric hospital?" "Well, Beverly's gone." "Well, not so much as "gone" as "dead," but I see your point." "Legal guardianship, for you and your sisters, with my recommendation.." "So you're thinking, if the three of us cooperated with this, commitment end-around, we'd be less likely to sue your ass?" "I'm sorry?" ""mild cognitive impairment?"." "Are you fucking kidding me?" "All right?" "Know whose name is on these bottles?" "Do you?" "Your mother's a very sick person." "We've a whole bucket of these with your name on it." "Evidence for the medical board." "Let's go." "I thing we're done." "Pull the car over." "We'll be home in a minute." "Pull the car over." "I'm going to be sick." "Mom." "Mom?" "Mom?" "!" "Mom!" "Mom!" "Mom!" "Wait!" "Mom!" "What are you doing?" "Where the fuck are you going?" "There's no place to go." "I'm sorry." "Honey, please?" "No, it's important I say this." "I lost my temper at dinner and went too far." "Barbara." "The day, the funeral..." "The pills." "I was.." "Spoiling for a fight and you gave it to me." "So... truce?" "Truce." "Yeah, sure." "Now, what?" "How do you mean?" "Don't you think you should consider going back to a rehab center?" "I can't go through that again." "I can do this." "You've.." "You took all my pills, right?" "All that we could find." "Well..." "I don't have that many hiding places." "Now.." "Mom, come on." " You wanna search me?" " No." "If the pills are gone, I'll be fine." "I just need a few days to get my feet under me." "I want you to know, you're not alone." "If you need any help." "I don't need help." "I wanna help." "I don't need your help." " Mom?" " I don't need your help." "I've gotten myself.." "I know how this goes." "Once all the talking's through, people go back to their own.." "Nonsense." "I know that." "So, don't worry about me." "I'll manage." "I get by." "Remember when we checked her in the psych ward, that stunt she pulled?" "Big speech.." "She's getting clean, making this incredible sacrifice for her family, she's let us down but now she'll prove she's a good mother." "She smuggled darvocet into the psych ward.." "In her vagina." "There's your greatest generation for you." "She's giving this speech to us while she was.." "Clenching a bottle of pills in her cooch." "I've never heard this story." "Did you just say "cooch"?" "The phrase "mom's pussy" seems gauche." "You're a little more comfortable with "cooch," are you?" "What word should I use to describe our mother's vagina?" "I don't know, Barb." ""mom's beaver"?" ""Mother's box"?" "Oh God, Barbara!" "One thing about mom and dad." "You have to tip your cap to anybody who can stay married that long." "Karen." "He killed himself." "We don't know that, for sure." "Is there something going on between you and little Charles?" "I don't know that I'm comfortable talking about that." "Because, he's our first cousin." "You know." "Give me a break." "You know you shouldn't consider children." "I can't anyway, I had a hysterectomy last year." " Why?" " Cervical cancer." " I didn't know." " Neither did I." "I didn't tell anyone except Charles." "That's where it started between us." "Why not?" "And hear it from mom the rest of my life?" "She doesn't need another excuse to treat me like some damaged thing." "You might have told us." "You didn't tell us about you and bill." "That's different." "Why?" "Because it's you, and not me?" "Ecause divorce is an embarrassing public admission of defeat." "Cancer's fucking cancer, you can't help that." "We're your sisters." "I don't feel that connection very keenly." "I feel very connected, to both of you." "We never see you, you're never around, you haven't been around..." "I still feel that connection!" "I can't perpetuate these myths of family or sisterhood anymore." "We're just people, some of us accidentally connected by genetics, a random selection of cells." "When did you get so cynical?" "That's funny, coming from you." "Well, bitter, yes, but "random selection of cells?"." "Maybe my cynicism came with the realization that the responsibility, of caring for our parents was mine alone." "Don't give me that." "I participated." "Till you had enough and got out, you and Karen both." "I'm not criticizing." "Do what you want." "You did, Karen did." "And if you didn't, that's not my fault." "That's right, so don't lay this sister thing on me, all right?" "When I leave here I won't feel any more guilty than you two did." "I can't believe your world view is this dark." "You live in Florida." "You're thinking of leaving?" "Yeah." "Charles and I are going to New York." "What are you going to do in New York?" "We have plans." "Like what?" "None of your business." "What about mom?" "What about her?" "You feel comfortable leaving her here?" "Do you?" "You're going back to Miami, right?" "Yes." "I can't stay." "There you go, Barb." "You want to know what we're doing about mom?" "Karen and I are leaving." "You want to stay, that's your decision." "But nobody gets to point a finger at me." "Nobody." "My three girls, all together." "Hearing you just now gave me a warm feeling." " You had a bath?" " Yeah." "You want something to eat?" "Some coffee?" "I'm fine." "Honey, thank you." "I'll bet, this house must have heard a lot of weston girl secrets." "I get embarrassed just thinking about it." "Oh... nothing to be embarrassed about." "Secret crushes, secret schemes." "I can't imagine anything more delicate, or bittersweet." "Some part of you girls I always identified with..." "No matter how old you get, a woman's hard-pressed to throw off that part of herself." "That smells so good." "It's apple." "You want some?" "Sure, I do." "Hey, did I ever tell you the story of Raymond quails?" "That's a boy I had a crush on when I was thirteen or so." "Rough-looking boy, beat-up jeans and messy hair." "Terrible underbite." "But he had these beautiful cowboy boots, shiny chocolate leather." "He was so proud of those boots, you could tell, the way.." "He'd strut around, all arms and elbows, puffed up and cocksure." "I convined myself that I needed to get a girly pair of those boots;" "and I was sure if I did that that he'd ask me to go steady." "You know, he'd see me in those boots and say "that's the gal for me."" "oh, gosh!" "So, I found the boots in a window downtown, and, I just went crazy!" "Praying for those boots, I'm rehearsing the.." "Conversation that I'd have with Raymond when he saw me in my boots." "Must've asked my momma a hundred times if I could get those boots." "" Vi, what do you want for Christmas?"" ""momma, I'll give all of it up just to have those boots." bargaining.." "So, she started laying little hints around about box a package under the tree.." "She had wrapped up, about the size of a boot box, real nice wrapping paper." ""Now, vi, don't you cheat and don't you go in there before Christmas morning."" "little smile on her face." "Christmas morning, I was up like a shot, boy, under the tree, I was tearing the paper..." "There were boots in there, men's work boots, holes in the toes, chewed up laces and.." "Caked in mud.." "Caked in mud and dog shit." "Lord, my momma laughed for days." "Please, don't tell me that's the end of the story." "Oh, no." "That.." "That's the end." "You never got the boots?" "No, huh-uh." "My momma was a mean.." "Nasty-mean old lady." "I suppose that's where I get it.." "From." "You're not nasty-mean." "You're our mother and we love you." "Is the coast clear?" "Never very." "What are you watching?" "Television." "Can I watch it with you?" "I wish you would." " Are you mad at me?" " Nope." "I was trying to be brave." "I know." "I just..." "I want everyone to know that I got what I always wanted." "And that means..." "I'm not a loser." "Hey." "Hey." "You're my hero." "I wrote this for you." "Sit down." "Well, I've never been a man of many words." "And, there's nothing I could say that you haven't never heard." "But, I'll sing you love songs till the day I die." "The way I'm feeling, I can't keep it inside." "I'll sing a sweet serenade whenever you're feeling sad." "And, a lullaby each night before you go to bed." "I'll sing to you for the rest of your life.." " Liberace!" "You beter get yourself together, we have to get home and take care of those damn dogs." "They've probably eaten the drapes by now." "I'm sure the house is fine." " Oh, look, honey, little Charles has got the TV on." "This one watches so much television, it's rotted his brain." "I'm sure that's not true." "What was it I caught you watching the other day?" "I don't remember." "You do so remember, some dumb talk show about people swapping wives." "I don't remember." "Too bad there isn't a job where they pay you to sit around watching TV." "C'mon, mattie fae.." "Y'know he got fired from a shoe store?" "Mattie fae." "We're gonna get in the car and go home." "And if you say one more mean thing to that boy.." "I'm going to kick your fat Irish ass.." "Onto the highway." "What the hell did you say to me?" "You kids go outside, would you please?" "I don't understand this meanness." "I look at you and your sister.." "And the way you talk to people and I don't understand it." "I can't understand why folks can't be respectful of one another." "I don't think there's any excuse for it." "My family didn't treat each other that way." "Maybe that's because your family..." "You had better not say anything about my family right now." "I mean it." "We buried a man I loved very much." "And whatever faults.." "He may have had, he was a good, kind, decent man!" "And to hear you tear into your own son." "Not even a day later that dishonors Beverly's memory." "We've been married thirty-eight years." "And I wouldn't trade them for anything." "Ut if you can't find a generous place in your heart for your own son," "we're not going to make it to thirty-nine!" "I didn't mean to eavesdrop." "I froze." "That's..." "You have a cigarette, hon?" "No, I quit years ago." "So did I. Just sounded good to me." "I thought at dinner..." "At that horrible dinner seemed like, something might be going on between Ivy and little Charles." "Do you know if that's true?" "I'm not sure.." " Just." "Is it true?" "Yes." "It's true." "Okay." "That can't happen." "This is going to be difficult, uh..." "Ivy and little Charles have always marched to their own..." "And I'd expect this to be toughest on you.." " Barb...?" " They're in love." "They think they are." "I know it's unorthodox for cousins to get together, at least these days." "They're not cousins." "Beg pardon?" "Little Charles is not your cousin." "He's your brother." "He's your blood brother." "Half brother." "He's your father's child." "Which means that he is Ivy's brother." "Do you see?" "Go away." "We're just going to..." "Go away!" "Now!" "Go away!" "All righ.." "Alright." "You and dad." "Who knows this?" "I do." "And you do." "Uncle Charlie doesn't suspect?" "We've never discussed it." "What?" "We've never discussed it." "Okay?" "Did dad know?" "Yes." "Y'know, I'm not proud of this." "Really." "You people amaze me." "What, were you drunk?" "Was this just some.." "I wasn't drunk, no." "Maybe it's hard for you to believe, looking at me, knowing me the way you do, all these years." "I mean, I know to you, I'm just your old fat aunt mattie fae." "I'm more than that, sweetheart, there's more to me than that." "I don't know why little Charles is such a disappointment to me." "Maybe he, well, I don't know why." "I'm disappointed for him, more than anything." "I made a mistake, a long time ago." "Okay?" "I paid for it." "But the mistake ends here." "If Ivy found out, it would destroy her." "I'm sure as hell not gonna tell her." "You have to find a way to stop it." "You have to put a stop to it." "Hold it." "Don't let it out." "That's a kick, huh?" "If you won't look, there's no point in showing them to you." "Okay, okay." "I'll look." "You're gonna get us both in trouble." "I'm white and over thirty." "I don't get in trouble." "Oh my God..." "Oh, my God!" " Goddamn it!" " Stop it!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "What is wrong with you?" "Steve!" "What happened?" "She was messing with Jean?" "Baby are you okay?" "Jean, what are you doing up?" "Do I need to call a doctor?" "I don't know." "Johnna, what's going on?" "He was messing with Jean, so, I tuned him up." "Messing with, what do you mean, messing with?" "He was kissing and grabbing her." "I'll murder you, you prick!" "You know how old that girl is?" "She's fourteen years old!" "I didn't do anything!" "Are you out of your goddamn mind?" "Just back off, Barbara!" "That son-of-a-bitch is a sociopath!" "What is the matter with you?" "Will you please stop freaking out?" "Why don't you start at the beginning?" "What are you even doing up?" " Sweetheart, we need to know what went on here." "Nothing "went on."" "nothing, okay?" "Can we not turn everything a federal case here?" "Okay.." "I came down smoked a little pot." "Smoked a little pot and.." "We were just goofing around and then everything just got a little bit crazy." "What have I told you about smoking that shit?" "!" " Then johnna just chose to attack him with a shovel?" "Just tell me what he did!" "He didn't do anything!" "What's the big deal?" "The big deal, Jean, is that you're fourteen years old." "Just a few years younger than you like 'em." "I hate you!" "What's the matter with you?" "Jean." "I can do without a speech." "Where is he?" "Out at the car." "We're leaving." "Back to Florida, tonight, now." "Me and Steve, together." "You wannna give me some grief about that?" "Now you wait goddamn it." "You better find out from Jean exactly what went on.." "Before you start pointing fingers." "Because, I doubt Jean's blameless in all this." "And I'm not saying that I blame her.." "Just cause I said she's not blameless, it doesn't mean I've blamed her." "I'm saying she might share in the responsibility." "It's not cut and dried, it lives where everything lives, somewhere in the middle." "Where the rest of us live," " everyone but you." " Karen..." "I'm no angel myself." "I've done some things I'm not proud of." "Things you'll never know about." "And, I may even have to do some things I'm not proud of again." "Cause, life puts you in a corner that way." "Anyway.." "You have your own hash to settle." "Before you start making speeches to the rest of us." "And, come January..." "I'll be in Belize." "Doesn't that sound nice?" "I'm taking Jean with me, heading back to Colorado in the morning." "You're never coming back to me, are you, bill?" "Never say, never." "But no." "And I'll probably never really understand why, am I?" "Probably not." "Where are bill and Jean going?" "Karen, left too?" "Yeah." "Is mom clean?" "She's moderately clean." "Moderately?" "You don't like moderately?" "Then let's say.." "Tolerably." "Is she clean, or not?" " Back off." " I'm nervous." "Oh Christ, Ivy, not today." "I have to tell her, though." "We're leaving for New York tomorrow." "I don't think, it's a good idea." "For you and Charles to take this any further." "Where is this coming from?" "There's lot of fish in the sea." "Surely you can rule out the one single man in the world you're related to." "I love the man I'm related to." "Fuck love, what a crock of shit." "Love.." "People can convince themselves they love a painted rock." "Looks great." "What is it?" "Catfish." "Bottom feeders, my favorite." "You're nearly fifty years old, Ivy, you can't go to New York, you'll break a hip." "Here, eat your catfish." "Oh, you're infuriating.." "I'm not the one, who's fucking my cousin." "I have lived in this town, year in and year out, hoping against hope someone would come into my life.." "Don't get all Carson mccullers on me." "Now, wipe that tragic look off your face and eat some catfish." "Howdy, mom." "What's howdy about it?" "Look, catfish for lunch." "Johnna!" "You hungry?" "Ivy, you should smile." "Like me." "Mom needs her lunch, please." "I'm not hungry." "You didn't eaten anything today." "You didn't eat anything yesterday." "I'm not hungry." "You're eating, do what I say." "Everyone do what I say." "Why aren't either of you is dressed?" "It's not like we're sitting here naked." "Right, we are dressed." "Or, should we be dressed up?" "Right, cos you're coming over for fish?" "I'll eat in my room." "That's fine, thank you." " Eat." " No." "Eat it, mom." " Eat it." " No." "Eat it, you fucker." "Eat that catfish." "Go to hell." "That ain't cutting fucking ice with me." "Eat that fucking fish." "Mom, I have something to talk to you about." "No you don't." "Barbara..." "No you don't." "Shut up." "Shut the fuck up." "Please... what's to talk about?" "Forget it." "Eat that fucking fish." "I'm not hungry." "Eat the fish, bitch!" "Barbara...!" "Okay, fine, fuck it, do what you want." "I have to tell you something." " Ivy's a lesbian." " Barbara..." " No, you're not." " No, I'm not..." "Yes, you are." "Did you eat your fish?" "Barbara, stop it!" "Mom, please." "This is important." "Eat your fish." "Eat your fish." "Eat your fish." "What the fuck!" "I have something to say." "Are we breaking shit now?" "Huh?" "'Cause I can break shit!" "Hey, see, we can all break shit." "Charles and I.." "You don't want to break shit with me," " muthah-fuckah.." " Charles and I." "Johnna?" "!" "Little spill in here!" "Barbara, stop it!" "Mom, Charles and I.." " Little Charles." " Barbara..." "You gotta say little Charles or she is not gonna know who you're talking about." "Little Charles and I..." "Little Charles and I are..." "Little Charles and you are brother and sister." "I know that." "What?" "No, little Charles and I.." "I've always known that." "I told you, nobody slips anything by me." " Mom..." " Don't listen." "I knew the whole time bev and mattie fae were carrying on." "Charlie should have known too, if he wasn't smoking all that grass." "It's the pills talking." "Pills can't talk." "Your father tore himself up over it, thirty some-odd years, but.." "Beverly wouldn't have been Beverly if he didn't have plenty to brood about." "Mom, what are you about?" "Better you girls know now though, now you're older." "You never know when someone might need a kidney." "Why in God's name did you tell me this?" "Hey, what do you care?" "You're monsters." " Come on now!" " Monsters..." "Who's the injured party here?" "Ivy, listen..." "You will never see me, again." "Mattie fae told me, I didn't know what to do." "I was trying to protect you." "We'll go anyway, we'll still go away." "This is not my fault." "Mom told you!" "It wasn't me, it was mom!" "There's no difference." "Ivy.." "Ivy!" "Ivy!" "We couldn't let Ivy run off with little Charles." "Just wouldn't be right." "She'll be back." "She's a sweet girl, Ivy, and I love her to death." "But.." "She isn't strong." "Not like you." "Or me." "You knew about daddy and mattie fae?" "Oh sure." "Sure." "But, I never told them I knew." "But your father knew." "He knew I knew." "But, we never talked about it." "I chose the higher ground." "If I'd had the chance, there at the end," "I would've.." "I would've told him, "I hope this isn't about little Charles, cause you know I know all about that."" "if I'd reached him at that motel, I would've said," ""you'd be better off if you quit sulking about this ancient history."" "what motel?" "I called over there on Monday after I got into that safety deposit box." "But it was too late, he'd checked out." "How did you know where he was?" "The note." "He said I could call him over at the country squire motel." "He left a note?" "And I did, I called over there on Monday." "After you got your money, out of your safety deposit box..." "We had.." "An arrangement." "You have to understand, for people like your father and me, who never had any money, ever, as kids," "people from our generation, that money is important." "If you could've stopped daddy from killing himself, you wouldn't have needed to get into your safety deposit box." "Well, hindsight's always twenty twenty, isn't it?" "Did the note say he was going to kill himself?" "Mom?" "If I had my.." "Wits about me, maybe I might've done it different." "But.." "I was, your father and me both, we were..." "You were both fuckedup..." "You were fucked-up..." "You are fucked-up." "You'd better understand this, you smug little ingrate." "There's only one reason Beverly killed himself and that's you." "Think there's any way he would've done what he did if you were still here?" "No, just him and me, in this house, alone in the dark, abandoned, wasted lifetimes devoted to your care and comfort." "Oh, yes.." "You stick that knife of judgment in me, go ahead, but make no mistake, his blood is just as much on your hands as it is on mine." "He did this though, this is his doing, not ours." "Can you imagine anything more cruel, to make me responsible?" "Why?" "Just to weaken me, make me prove my character?" "So, no." "I waited, I waited to get my hands on that safety deposit box." "But, I would have waited anyway." "You want to show who's stronger, bev?" "Nobody's stronger than me, goddamn it." "When nothing is left, when everything is gone and disappeared," "I'll be here." "Who's stronger now, you son-of-a-bitch?" "!" "You're right, mom." "You're the strong one." "Barbara?" "Barbara?" "Oh, Barb?" "Barbara?" "!" "Barbara?" "Ivy?" "!" "Ivy, you here?" "!" "Johnna?" "!" "Johnna?" "!" "Johnna?" "!" "And then you're gone, and Beverly,"