A Love Song for Bobby Long Page #6

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Christ, he had me so convinced

of my own grand destiny...

I may have fallen a little in love myself.

We hung out all the time.

There was a woman who I wanted to marry.

Her friend fell for Bobby pretty hard.

He started spending more time with us

than he was at home.

One night,

their youngest had a Little League game.

It was a double-header.

So I convinced him to have drinks

with the girls first.

Said I'd go to the game with him later.

He kept on saying he had to leave.

Somehow one drink became two,

and then three.

And then...

this idiot, the dean's nephew...

came in and announced...

that he was sleeping with my girlfriend...

and everyone knew but me.

I went after him.

He took a swing.

Bobby stepped in...

and he cracked Bobby's face wide open.

Bobby went crazy.

He beat up that kid pretty bad.

It'd just gotten so late.

I knew Ben would be waiting.

But when we got there, he was gone.

Everyone was.

He should never have been by himself.

He was just a little boy, and it was so dark.

There's too many people...

in such a damn hurry on that road.

There's no way

a driver could have seen him.

I mean, he was so little.

And, God, he worshipped his dad.

Juliette told Bobby to leave

and never come back.

She needed a better man.

That's how she put it.

So you came here?

Seemed like a good place to write.

It was far away...

good universities.

Bobby could start over.

I thought I should be here with him.

I mean, if it wasn't for me that night...

things might have...

I don't know what happened, really.

We read too many damn books.

There's something about this city.

That's all.

You should get some sleep.

I made you breakfast in mattress.

Thank you, ma'am.

Have we heard from the man yet?

No. Should we get him up first?

Can you give me that shirt, please?

Thank you.

Nice hat.

Get up, old man.

I hear we gotta take you to a doctor.

And get that off your pecker.

What do you care?

You're slicing it up, anyway.

It doesn't mean I want my book

getting the clap.

I had the urge to read something likable

about myself.

Find anything?

Not really.

I didn't mean to mess things up

between you and Georgianna.

I didn't mean what I said.

Oh, Christ.

Last night was a blur.

I don't know what was said.

And I don't want to remember.

- Come on.

- Good, presents. Yay!

Merry Christmas!

It was our home that night, all of ours.

We both knew we should tell her the truth...

but every day felt like the wrong day.

And Christmas is as good a day as any

to believe in fairy tales.

That night reminded Bobby and me

of a time in our lives...

we'd both chosen to forget until she arrived.

It felt good to remember...

if just for a little while.

I'm so full.

- Me, too.

- Me, too.

I wish it would snow.

- Me, too.

- Me, too.

But I love the rain.

- Me, too.

- Me, too.

Come on, man. You gotta piss sometime.

Christ, I can't do it

while you're watching me.

I've seen you piss a thousand times.

Well, suddenly I am shy, okay?

Piss right now.

Christ, it's probably nothing, man.

I've lived long enough anyhow.

Lord, it's cold.

It's clear. I pissed clear.

Like hell you did. Don't lie to me.

So it was a little pink. I'm not going.

You got any short stories

you haven't destroyed by fire or scissor?

My English final, I gotta write something...

and read it in front of the entire class,

and there's no exceptions.

- F***!

- So you're doing okay in English.

I'm doing okay reading English.

I'm not a writer.

- What the hell are you wearing?

- What do you care?

It's Lorraine's.

You just let her stuff collect dust in there.

You'd rather freeze

than wear your mama's clothes.

This robe and the person who wore it...

is worth more than a hundred people

who don't appreciate them.

Is something wrong?

- You gonna tell her?

- Tell her what?

We gotta take Bobby to the doctor.

He's still pissing blood.

He's been putting it off for weeks.

Okay.

I hope you're not wearing

them lady underwear.

I most certainly am. They're good luck.

Besides, they're gonna

take them off anyway...

and put one of them

backless numbers on me.

Everybody's seen my peter.

That's right.

Everyone just wants to see your peter.

And my ass.

Let's go.

What did I tell you?

Goddamn string draped over my ass.

Where's Bobby? I made him

that andouille gumbo sh*t he loves.

They needed him for some more tests.

- Is he all right?

- They think so.

They just gotta look at his toe

and make sure.

Well, then, maybe you might wanna

invite Georgianna over for dinner.

I think she's working.

Is there an occasion I don't know about?

I have a date.

Really? That's a first.

I figured it was about time I got a life.

Great to hear it.

- Is that a new dress?

- Yeah.

Well, sort of.

I mean, Bobby's right. There's no reason

to let Lorraine's clothes collect dust.

She was really tiny.

You should have seen me trying to zip it up.

Just make sure it stays zipped up.

I'm a big girl, Lawson.

I have been for quite some time now.

Hey, is that an SAT application?

Yeah. My guidance counselor gave it to me.

I meant to throw it out.

What?

If she thinks your grades are good enough

for college, you go to college.

- Well, college costs money.

- There's financial aid.

I might have to go away.

You might.

- I have to go.

- Isn't he picking you up?

No. I'm meeting him somewhere.

You can't walk home

from the streetcar alone.

- Call me at Ray and Ruthie's and I'll...

- No, I'll get a ride.

Besides, you should spend time alone

with Georgianna.

You haven't stayed over there

since before Christmas, right?

You said you wanted to see more

of the New Orleans music scene.

I figure this is a good place to start.

- I know him.

- Really?

Hey, sugar, what are you doing here?

My friend Sean brought me.

Sean, this is Junior.

Great to meet you.

I've seen you play around, man.

You are great, man. Really, really great.

How come I didn't know

you were a badass sax player?

Well, I don't play much anymore, you know.

I mean, I don't have...

Don't got the lungs for it.

- How's Bobby?

- Better than you sound.

- You sitting in again, or what?

- Tiny, there's somebody I want you to meet.

This can't be that sweet baby girl, Purslane.

- You don't remember me, do you?

- No, sorry.

When your mama used to play here...

she used to sit you right over there

on that stool.

And you was so cute.

See, my job was to keep you

full of Shirley Temples.

You remember that?

With Junior.

You used to play with Lorraine back then.

You were in the band, weren't you?

Yeah, she and Junior was our best night

here, when they wasn't bickering.

Little Purslane.

Look, you come back

and see old Tiny again, all right?

And the Shirley Temples on the house.

See you later, man.

You were really in Lorraine's band?

Of course I was.

I mean, everybody was at that time.

That's just how it was.

Lorraine and me...

we were close at one time.

I remember the last time

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