Blue Car Page #2

and celebrate, huh? The four of us.

- Have you sent Don a thank-you note?

- No.

Well, please do that.

He didn't have to help you get that job.

I'd like to read your story.

It's not a story.

- I thought you said...

- It's a poem.

Well, I would like to read it.

- Georgia in the contest too?

- Yeah.

Well, maybe her mom

can drop you off at Mrs Rand's.

I don't wanna go there, Mom.

Her house stinks.

Don't start.

Don went to a lot of trouble

to get me this interview...

...and if I get that job it'll be a lot more money

for all of us, so don't be a pill.

Wish me luck.

- Good luck.

- Good girl.

This is called "Blue Car".

"I rode my bike past our old house. "

"A rusty chair keeps your place

on the lawn. "

"Lily cuts holes in herself to hurt you,

but you just won't bleed. "

"Now she won't eat. "

"Since you left,

Mom doesn't say your name. "

"But even gone, I remember your face...

The way the sun stays bright

when I shut my eyes...

The way a torch whipping the dark

leaves a long red scar. "

"Some nights when I wake up,

I forget where we are. "

"From our apartment, I can't see

the stars or the horizon, only the road. "

"I know it goes to wherever you are. "

Miss Denning, do you have a second?

Sure.

Losing a contest

doesn't mean you lack talent...

...any more than... Than winning one

makes you Ezra Pound.

Do you understand that?

All of your life you'll be judged.

Some people will love you,

some will say you stink.

None of it matters.

The opinions of these judges,

your friends, your mother, me.

What matters is the condition of your soul.

That it remain intact.

And that you stay strong and

you keep doing the work no matter what.

- I will.

- No matter what.

I will. I have to go.

So, congratulations.

- I won?

- Yes, you did.

So now we have to talk

about how to get you to the finals.

Florida? Are you gonna be there?

Yeah, I'll be there.

OK? Ms Pound, you can... You can go.

I would actually be reporting directly

to Don, though Frank would be my boss.

So when do you hear?

Could be as soon as Monday.

I know you've been

picking up the slack lately.

How does a sperm get into the egg

to fertilise it?

- I have some books at home.

- I've read those books.

If the sperm is in the man's penis,

and then the egg is in the woman's uretus...

...how do they come together?

Did I give you permission

to borrow my blouse?

So how does the egg enter the uretus?

Do we have to have another talk

with Father Allwart?

No, thank you.

Then keep your hands

off of things that don't belong to you.

- How does the egg enter the uretus?

- Uterus!

Do you hear me?

Don't touch my things without asking.

"So our lives are difficult,

and perhaps unpardonable...

And the fey gauds of youth have,

as the old men told us they would, faded. "

"But still, it is morning again, this day. "

"In the flowering trees, the birds take up

their indifferent, elegant cries. "

"Look around. Perhaps it isn't too late

to make a fool of yourself again. "

"Perhaps it isn't too late

to flap your arms and cry out...

To give one more cracked rendition

of your singular, aspirant song. "

Is this where they have it?

Yep.

You can hold on to that, if you'd like.

- No lunch?

- No.

- Come on, here.

- Oh, no, thanks. It's OK.

No, no. I will be offended if you don't.

- What kind of bread is this?

- It's rosemary.

You've never had it before?

Tell your mom if she has any questions

she can call me.

Do you think

she'll be able to come with you?

I haven't asked her yet.

If your family can't afford to send you,

the school might consider...

We can afford it.

"Blue Car".

Do you think I could win?

The girl wants to win. Maybe I should

write that here on the application, huh?

Well, no, maybe I should change my poem.

Write about America,

write about something nice.

No.

You write what you care about.

Can you read me some of your novel?

- What do you mean, my novel?

- Georgia told me.

I'm not gonna copy you or anything.

Just for inspiration.

"In one creative thought,

a thousand nights of love revive...

...filling it with sublimity and exaltation. "

"And those who come together in the night,

in a rocking delight...

...do an earnest work, and gather

sweetnesses, gather depth and strength...

...for the song of some coming poet...

...who will arise to speak

of ecstasies beyond telling. "

"And though they err and embrace blindly,

the future comes all the same. "

It's beautiful.

- Sorry.

- No... What's up?

Can I have some money for lunch?

Meg, this is my son Rob.

This is Meg.

Hi.

Thanks.

I never realised he was your son.

That's my son.

Ready or not,

the future comes all the same.

Where's Mom?

She took me to the doctor.

- What did he do?

- The usual.

We met Don afterwards.

Did she get the job?

I don't look like anyone.

Not even myself.

He said not to indulge her.

When she gets hungry enough, she'll eat.

He's a quack, Mom. She hasn't had

anything but water in two weeks.

She's probably eating at school.

Maybe we could take her to Florida.

Over spring break.

It's a really good place for sick people.

I cannot afford the bills I have, Megan.

I can't take you on a vacation.

- Well, if you get the job, then...

- I'm not getting the job.

Angels don't fall out of the sky.

They emerge from within.

There is an angel within each one of you,

and he is your personal bridge to heaven.

This is the body of Christ.

This is the body of Christ.

Blessed are the pure at heart,

for they shall see God.

- I'm an angel.

- The Lord knows you are, my child.

The body of Christ.

The body of Christ.

Lily...

- Lily?

- Oh, God...

Honey?

Lily? Lily? Honey?

Is the hurt new? Yes?

I'm gonna get the nurse to fix it.

What do you think?

Mr Auster? It's Meg Denning.

I'm sorry to bother you.

Well, I just wanted to talk.

My sister's not doing very well.

Mr Kastran? I have a family emergency.

Is it OK if I go home early? My dad's here.

- Are there any customers upstairs?

- No.

- Go ahead.

- Thank you.

- Megan, she's gonna be OK.

- I don't know.

No, she will. She's in the hospital now, and

they're gonna take very good care of her.

It's OK. She's gonna be fine.

I wanna take her to Florida.

Everything's gonna be fine.

I'm not gonna listen to my mom any longer.

- You gonna be OK?

- Yeah.

Sorry if I got stuff all over your shirt.

It's not a problem.

Why are you so nice to me?

I mean, I'm glad.

Thanks for coming.

Anytime.

- Where the hell have you been?

- I forgot my backpack.

- Where were you?

- Work.

I called work.

They said that you left with your father.

How did you get home?

A friend.

I have been driving around for two hours

looking for you.

I called your father. He had absolutely

no idea what I was talking about.

You wanna go to Florida?

I can't even trust you two miles from home.

Get in there.

You can go to school and to work

and to the hospital. That's it.

You will come straight home after work,

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