American Fable Page #4

and he doesn't know who you are.

- I'm in.

- You can call me any time.

- Well..

I've got chores to do.

- Vera, I can help you.

- You're strong, Martin.

You could be a real warrior..

If you wanted to be.

- You remember Vera, Gitty?

- I got you a burger, Gitty.

- Say thank you.

- Thank you.

- He was a farmer.

That company paid rebels

to burn down farms..

And they bought them

for pennies.

- Hmm.

- So what happened

to the farmers?

- They became soldiers.

- I got pregnant with Martin

when I was in high school.

Abe was going to play

professionally, things change.

- What am I?

- Gitty, what are you doin'?

- What is this, a chess set?

Hmm..

You want to play?

- I don't know how.

- I can teach you.

- From here?

- Well, you have a good point.

- Maybe I can come down.

- Can you fit

through that hole there?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

Be careful.

Careful.

Careful.

- I'm trying.

I figured out your riddle.

- You did?

- Yeah.

- I swallow up all before me

and all that is behind

and everyone... Who is watching.

What am I?

- You're time.

- Very good.

- Did Martin do that?

- Oh..

Yes, he did.

Let's play.

Hmm..

Okay.

Let's just set these up.

- I know a few riddles.

- Yeah?

- What do you call a cow

with no legs?

- Uh, I don't know. What?

- Ground beef.

- That's pretty good.

We're missing a piece.

- Here.

- What's this?

- I found it.

- Okay, now, bishop

goes like this, diagonally.

This is your rook.

Your rook goes up and down.

- Okay.

- This is my favorite one,

the horsey, or the knight.

He can jump over people.

Let's see.

We've got some good books here.

- Oh, yeah,

those are due in two weeks.

Oh, okay, I'll make a note

of that in my calendar.

Yeah, there are some

good stories in this book, too.

- Do you know any good stories?

- You know what? I do.

Once when I was a little boy,

about your age

my parents sent me away for

the summers to the country.

We'd play out in the fields

and every day

there was this plane

that would cruise overhead

same flight path, every day.

It was an old plane very slow

looked like a big,

giant, beautiful dragonfly.

Then one day,

the plane crashed..

Just about 100 yards

in the next field.

The boy ran over to the plane

and pulled the pilot out.

And seconds later

the plane burst into flames.

The pilot was very grateful

and said to the boy

"you can have whatever you want.

Whatever you desire,

it's yours."

- What does the boy say?

- Well, he thinks about it

for a minute

and then he says,

"I want a grave stone."

- Why does he say that?

- I don't know,

why do you think?

- Hmm..

- You sleep well?

- Hey, Gitty.

- Dad!

Thank you so much, Jonathan.

It's working.

- What's that, kiddo?

- Oh, nothing, dad.

- Well, what road is that?

Oh!

Oh..

Oh, gosh darn it! Uh..

Hello, my dear.

Can I talk to your mom?

Oh, I'm Ethel. Yeah.

- From church? Yeah.

- Yes, exactly.

- Okay. Um, mom?

- How are you?

- Oh, I'm good.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

- And your dad's doin' okay?

- Yeah, he's much better.

- Great.

Oh, something happened

to your mailbox.

Oh, hi! I'm glad to see

that you're doin' better.

I'm Ethel.

- Hi, Ethel, I'm... I'm Abe.

It's nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.

- Oh, and you look fantastic.

Oh, boy, wouldn't you know it..

I got the old squad car

and there's no treads

on those darn wheels,

but I can pay for it.

- You.. You hit..

Oh, you hit the mailbox?

- Oh, yeah, I did.

- Oh.

- You know what, it's okay,

it's okay.

We'll take care of it.

- Are you sure?

- Absolutely.

- Yeah, we got it.

- Oh, thank you. Oh..

Well, nice house you got here.

Well, uh,

gotta go deliver the papers.

Oh..

Your paper.

- Thanks.

- Okay.

And please let me know

if you ever need anything.

Alright?

- Okay.

- Alright. And so sorry

about the mailbox.

- Oh, it's okay. It's good.

- Alright.

Okay, talk to you soon.

- Okay.

- Hi, dad.

- Hey, Gitty.

- Dad, you want to hear

a riddle?

- Do I want to hear a riddle?

Yes, I want to hear a riddle.

Definitely.

- Okay..

I swallow up what is

before me, what is behind me

as well as anyone

who is watching.

What am I?

- I don't know, baby. Um..

- Guess, dad.

- I'm tryin', I'm tryin'.

Uh..

- Guess.

- I swallow up what..

A big fat cow.

- No, dad.

- No.

- No.

- Not a cow?

- Just guess.

- I don't know, Gitty,

you stumped me.

- Dad..

Why don't we ever go places?

- What do you mean?

- Like..

Like Sydney..

Auckland, London..

Timbuktu.

- Well..

Who would take care of the cows?

- Haven't you ever wanted

to go places?

- Maybe, but no matter what

anybody tells you, Gitty

this is the best place on earth,

right here.

This is home.

- Okay.

- That's the second time

this week you've beaten me.

- I know you let me win.

Here.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

Why aren't you married?

- I'm just not.

- Why don't you have any kids?

- I just don't.

- What did you want to be

when you were my age?

- Hmm.

When I was your age,

I wanted to be a musician.

I loved to play anything

with strings.

- Why a musician?

- Life without music,

is a mistake.

- Hmm.

Can you tell me another story?

- Why don't you pick a story

from one of these books?

There are

some wonderful stories in there.

- "William Butler Yeets."

- Yates, is from Ireland.

He's a wonderful poet. Pick one.

- "The second coming.

Turning and turning

in the widening gyre.."

- It's pronounced "jyre," here.

Let's see.

"Turning and turning

in the widening gyre.."

- "The falcon

cannot hear the falconer.

"Things fall apart,

the center cannot hold.

"Mere anarchy

is loosed upon the world.

"And everywhere, the ceremony

of innocence is drowned.

"The best lack all conviction

"while the worst are full

of passionate intensity.

"Surely some revelation

is at hand.

"Surely the second coming

is at hand.

"The second coming

"hardly are those words out

when a vast image

"out of spritus mundi

troubles my sight.

"The darkness drops again

"but now I know that

20 centuries of stony sleep

"were vexed to nightmare

by a rocking cradle.

"And what rough beast,

its hour come round at last

slouches towards Bethlehem

to be born."

- Huh.

What the..

What is that?

Oh..

Poop.

I says to Hank, I says

"I'm sure they're aware

that there are strangers

pokin' around on their property"

and he tells me

that I shouldn't be

checkin' it out for myself

but I didn't wanna be

botherin' you all.

- You're not botherin' us,

but we really haven't

had too much of a problem

with trespassers around here

so, thank you.

- Yeah, except you.

- Martin, that's enough.

- Funny, though, um,

I thought for sure

that I heard a voice

near the silo.

And... and that truck outside,

is that yours?

- I've heard voices

near the silo.

There's a man who lives there

and he grants wishes.

- Hey, shut up, shrimp.

- You will have to forgive

our daughter

she obviously

has a active imagination.

- It's true.

- Gitty, shut up.

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