A Love Song for Bobby Long Page #7

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she wore that dress.

It looks just as pretty on you.

I gotta go.

Glad you came, honey.

Why didn't you tell me

your mama was a singer? That's so cool.

I don't know. It was a long time ago.

You want a drink? I'm ready.

Jesus. Are you anxious to get home?

Unless you and Purslane

don't want me around anymore.

You finally figured us out.

- What's the verdict?

- I got a kidney infection.

They gave me some medicine.

Said I got to dry out.

What about the toe?

It's just a fungus. Got goop.

You're a lucky man.

You're gonna be all right.

Of course I am. But what if I wasn't?

What do you mean?

I saw you with Purslane on Christmas Eve.

- Are you sleeping with her, Lawson?

- No. How could you think that?

Because she's becoming more fetching

every day.

Because she's a young woman.

She's got a crush,

and we both know how nice that is.

- She's a kid, Bobby.

- She's 18.

My wife was 18 when I met her.

It was love at first sight.

Nothing happened. That night...

things had gotten a little out of hand...

and I think she was

kind of frightened by it all.

She was feeling a bit lonely and cold.

Well, my guess is

that she wasn't the only one.

Just remember, she's Lorraine's daughter.

- You're jealous.

- Absolutely.

Sh*t, I ain't worth this much.

F***, no.

Winter never feels truly at home

in New Orleans.

An unwelcome visitor

that shows up long enough...

to remind us of what we're missing...

and leaves us just in time

for us to forget again.

Spring, and we're still here.

How about we grab a bottle of wine...

and go down to the river like we used to?

What do you think of that?

Remember that very generous girl

who used to skinny-dip?

- What was her name?

- I don't know.

She's born-again now.

Think we'll still be living together

in heaven?

If we make it to heaven,

then everybody will be there...

and I'll have my pick

of goddamn debauchers:

Byron, de Sade, Hemingway.

I'll be more fun

than all of them whiners put together.

Yes, I guess you would.

- I really think Pursey can get financial aid.

- Will you forget that?

She's gonna go off to some fancy school

after we taught her everything she knows.

We'll still be sitting here

getting older and uglier...

and any spring could be our last...

God damn it, I wanna go to the river now.

Why are you such a dramatic old bastard?

"I just want to breathe in every day.

"Happiness makes up in height

what it lacks in length."

- Robert Frost.

- Come on.

You know damn well she'll miss us

if she leaves.

If she leaves, she's gone.

Final chapter. End of story.

I want to go to the river now.

But I need peace and quiet.

I got so much to do...

to pull off this graduation. I gotta write

a short story, or poem, or something.

I can't think of anything.

- I'm gonna blow the whole thing.

- I know you.

- You'll be fine.

- I'll see you later.

Hey, babe.

I've been waiting for you all day.

Lee, what are you doing here?

How did you find me?

You smell nice.

Aren't you gonna ask me in?

I drove all night.

And I got you this.

This place really looks like you.

All those lady magazines...

I don't read those anymore.

I don't have the time.

What are you doing now? You waitressing?

No, I'm... It's none of your business.

Man, you must be doing okay. No rent...

and this place definitely kicks ass

over the trailer.

- Lee, what do you want?

- What do you mean?

I just came up here

to make sure that you're safe...

- once Lorraine's fool friends get the boot.

- What are you talking about?

Those guys

that you had to share this place with.

How do you know who I live with?

Some lawyer sent you a letter.

Which you, of course, opened.

Their year is almost up...

and I've been trying really hard

to better myself.

- I've missed you so much...

- This letter says as of July 1...

- I'm the sole owner of this house.

- Yeah, I know.

You didn't know that? Jesus Christ, man!

- Those f***ing scumbag losers lied...

- They are not losers. They're my...

- They're your what?

- You cannot call them losers.

You think that... I have a real life now.

I go to school...

- A real life?

- Yeah.

As opposed to the piece-of-sh*t life

that we had?

And I guess you got some real men

in your real life, too.

Men who lie to girls

so they can have a roof over their heads?

- F*** you!

- Or what?

Are they getting something else

for their trouble?

They used you, Purslane.

- Just like they used Lorraine.

- Get out.

That's just fine!

I came all the way up here to see you!

You're in school now.

That's some funny stuff.

I want you

to remember something, Purslane.

A weed is just a weed...

no matter how pretty the flower.

That's just f***ing brilliant, Lee. Get out!

What the hell is going on?

She must be cleaning or something.

She locked the door.

Pursey, open up, honey.

Pursey, it's us.

Pursey, honey, open up.

- You locked the door.

- God damn it, I told you this would happen.

No. Oh, God. How?

Let's go. She needs some time.

Two goddamn days and no one's seen her.

She asked for the weekend off.

The trail is exhausted.

Ray said she came in early this morning.

Used the phone.

- She snuck past us?

- Probably on purpose.

You have not been very supportive

in this ordeal.

You're staying with me, aren't you?

You're welcome to go elsewhere.

I can rectify this.

Tomorrow she goes to school.

I'll set the alarm. Get up early.

Talk to her on the way.

Work this whole thing out.

We don't have an alarm.

Sweetheart, we've been waiting for you.

What do you think?

It's all your favorite colors.

And guess who helped?

We had Ray, and Ike, and even Earl.

It'll probably add value to the selling price,

so thanks.

Don't know why you have to go so soon.

We'll still be friends.

It's them I wanna get away from.

You know they didn't mean to hurt you...

Why don't you start off in the kitchen?

I'll finish this.

"My sweet Purslane...

"I am getting well and can't wait to see you.

"Time seems to stand still in these places...

"but somehow too much of it has passed,

and there's so much to say.

"I write to you always, but

never have the courage to send my letters.

"I want you to have them now

to give you our history.

"I'd like you to know your daddy...

"and to know that only I'm to blame for

the fact that he doesn't already know you.

"I wrote this song for you both."

Honey, where do you want me

to put your glasses?

What's wrong?

How could you talk about her all the time

and never tell me this?

Is this true?

"Your singing touched my soul.

Bobby Long."

I always suspected, but she never told me.

I loved her first.

And Bobby got here,

and all hell broke loose.

Bobby was still married.

He never even knew how she felt.

She worked so hard to get clean.

And when she did, she came home

for a big show at the Howlin' Wolf.

This show?

The date's right.

She said your grandma would bring you up.

You never did show. He never did, either.

Boy, she was devastated

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