A Single Man: Making of a Single Man Page #5

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It's kind of pagan.

- I'm Jim.

- I'm George.

Pleased to meet you Jim.

I'm sorry, I'm supposed to meet some

friends but I can't find them.

I just needed to get out of the house

but the lure of a cold beer got to me.

Do you live hereby?

Canyon.

- For how long?

- Since 38.

- Where are you from?

- Colorado.

I really like it here.

It's close to beach.

I think I might stay after

I'm discharged.

I don't know, maybe

I'm a bit of a pagan.

- After you.

- No.

Sorry.

- Well, hello.

- Hi.

Do you buy me a drink?

I think I'm taken.

Too bad, too bad.

Do you want another beer?

Patrick, a bottle of scotch and

a pack of Lucky Strikes to go, please?

Patrick, cancel that.

Well, hello Mr. Potter.

Hello, sir.

- What are we drinking?

- Scotch.

Okay.

I come here all the time. I live just

around the corner, but then you knew that.

On Camphor Tree Lane.

You're still carrying that around.

One must always appreciate

life's little gifts.

So, what are you doing here?

- Just out for a ride on my bike.

- Is that all?

I don't know.

Were you looking for me?

Maybe. I don't know.

I feel like my head's

stopped up with stuff.

What kind of stuff?

Like, the stuff you were talking

about today in class.

That is definitely not important.

No, it is important.

Your class is great.

But somehow we always seem

to get stuck talking about the past.

The past just doesn't matter to me.

- The present?

- I can't wait for the present to be over.

It's a total drag.

Well, tonight is the exception.

What?

Tonight, yes!

The present, no!

Let's drink to tonight.

Tonight.

So if the past doesn't matter and

the present is a total drag.

What about the future?

What future?

Cuba might just blow us up.

Death is the future.

I'm sorry.

I don't mean to be depressing.

It's not depressing.

It's not depressing, it's true.

It may not be your immediate future

but it's what we all share.

Death is the future.

You're right, I guess.

If one is not enjoying one's present

there isn't a great deal to...

...suggest that the future

should be any better.

Yeah, I've thought that before.

But the thing is you just never know.

Look at tonight.

Actually...

...I feel really alone most of the time.

- You do?

- Yeah.

I've always felt this way.

I mean we're born alone, we die alone.

And while we're here we are absolutely,

completely sealed in our own bodies.

Really weird.

Kinda freaks me out to think about it.

We can only experience the outside world

through our own slanted perception of it.

Who knows what you're really like?

- I just see what I think you're like.

- I'm exactly what I appear to be.

If you look closely.

You know the only thing that has made

the whole thing worthwhile...

...has been those...

...few times that I've been able to really,

truly connect with another human being.

I had a hunch about you, sir.

- You did?

- Yes, sir.

I had a hunch you might

be a real romantic.

You know, everyone

keeps telling you that...

...when you're older, that you'll

have all this experience.

Like it's some great thing.

That's a load of sh*t.

I think I've actually just

gotten sillier and sillier.

- Really?

- Absolutely.

So, all your experience is useless.

No, I wouldn't say that.

As our friend Mr. Huxley says:

Experience is not what happens to a man.

It is what a man does

with what happens to him.

- Let's go swimming.

- Okay.

- What?

- It was a test.

I thought you were

bluffing about being silly so...

...I said to myself I'll suggest doing

something completely outrageous.

And if he resists, if he even hesitates

then I know he's full of sh*t.

Well, I wasn't.

Were you?

Hell, no!

Come on sir.

I'll help you down.

Let's go.

Come on, sir.

Sir?

Sir?

That's enough for now, sir.

- I'm fine.

- I'm cold. Come on.

Can we go back to your place, sir?

Of course.

Where else?

- Where else.

- Are you out of your mind?

- What's the matter?

- You can't get home like that!

We're invisible, don't you know that?

You know sir, they ought not

to let you out on your own.

You're liable to get into real trouble.

I excel at it.

Your forehead is bleeding.

The bathroom is just down the hall

if you would like to take a shower.

Aren't you taking a shower too, sir?

I'm fine. I'm English.

We like to be cold and wet.

First, I think that we need

to take care of that cut, sir.

Do you have any band-aids?

- Going camping, sir?

- I'm fine, really.

Stay there.

I'll be right back.

Sit up.

Tilt your head back.

Well sir, I'm afraid this

time you don't have...

...the excuse of mescaline

to explain your band-aid.

I think we should get you

out of those wet clothes.

Yes, sir.

- You're not too cold?

- I'm great.

- Would you like a drink?

- A beer, sir. If you have one.

I'm afraid that's all we have.

Two beers coming up.

- You live here all by yourself, sir?

- I do now.

I used to share this place with

a friend. He was an architect.

Man, guys my age dream about the

kind of setup you've got here.

I mean, what more can you want?

You get to be left alone and

come and go as you please.

Is that's your idea of the perfect life?

What's the matter, sir?

Don't you believe me?

If you're so keen on the

idea living by yourself...

...where does Lois fit into this plan?

Lois? What's she got to

do with anything?

I got the impression that you

and she were together.

Not really.

She is kind of cool and...

...we're good friends but...

I think what you really want to

ask me is if we sleep together.

- And do you?

- We did. Once.

- Why only once?

- I didn't say only once, I said once.

Come on, the last thing I want to

talk about right now is Lois.

What time is it?

My watch seems to have stopped.

Do you want me to go?

You must be kidding.

Go, get us another beer.

Is that an order, sir?

You're damn right it is.

Pathetic.

Did you say something, sir?

Why are you here?

Why did you get to the office and

ask secretary for my address?

I just wanted to see you

someplace other than school.

Why?

Sometimes I think I'm crazy cause I see

things so differently than everyone else.

I feel like I can talk to you.

To be honest sir, I was also

worried about you today.

Me?

What's to be worried about?

I'm fine.

I'm...

I'm fine.

A few times in my life I've had

moments of absolute clarity.

When for a few brief seconds...

...the silence drowns out the noise...

...and I can feel rather than think.

And things seem so sharp...

And the world seems so fresh...

...as though it had all

just come into existence.

I can never make these moments last.

I cling to them...

...but like everything they fade.

I've lived my live on these moments.

They pull me back to the present...

...and I realize that everything is

exactly the way it was meant to be.

And just like that it came.

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