Columbus Day Page #5

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I think the real deal

here is that he wants

to show up and kill you.

Yeah, I'm working that part out.

I'm serious, John.

I'm worried about you, man.

He don't feel good.

Max, I'm at Echo Park.

Gonna meet at the bandstand.

Bandstand?

- Yeah, it's the gazebo thing covered in ivy.

Listen, tell Espinosa

to get the money,

come downtown

to Grand and First.

You're gonna call him in half

an hour and tell him where to go.

He's got 10 minutes to get there.

Tell him I got 3 shooters

on the roof surrounding him,

so he's gotta come

unarmed and alone.

He won't come alone.

At least he'll

have to hide his guys.

John, tell me you know

what you're doing.

I know what I'm doing.

If I don't see you,

I'm gonna have a beer for you.

I'll call you back.

I gotta handle some business.

Gotta go soon.

Won't come back.

You keep that for a while.

Does your daughter like you?

I don't think so.

If I was your kid...

I would like you.

Thanks.

I don't think

my mom likes me.

Oh, sure she does.

I'm sure she loves ya.

Mm, that's what people say.

But...

when she's watching

Wheel of Fortune,

I'll ask her,

"Why can Ariel talk

when she's a mermaid,

but not when she's a person?"

And she'll say,

"Shut up, Antoine."

Well, I'm--I'm sure

that's 'cause

she's got stuff on her mind.

That doesn't mean

she doesn't love you.

How do you know?

Well, because I'm a parent.

Parents know these things.

There's a parent-child,

uh, bond.

It doesn't matter

what they do,

you just love 'em.

It's instinct, ya know?

That's the b*tch

of it all--

it doesn't matter

what you did or didn't do,

and nothing...

nothing changes that,

nothing.

I need a bahoo!

There.

I need this one.

- All right.

Hello?

Alana, hey, it's your dad.

I'm kind of busy right now.

Well, but--hang on.

- Come here, let's get out.

There's some things

that I want to tell you,

just some things that

I want to ask you.

Is this a speech?

No, but I... but I know

what I want to say.

I know that every time I call...

there are, uh...

things that I--

I want to ask you

that I don't know

about you,

and I, uh, just thought

maybe you've got

the same list.

And I thought,

"What if I just call

and let you ask?"

I ask you and then what?

Nothing.

You just--you just, uh...

listen.

Anything.

Yeah, that's what I'm--

Why'd you leave?

Guess that shows

how much you care.

I want to go.

No, no, no--

When you were, like,7--

um, me and your mom

had a really bad fight.

I threw something,

or she did--I don't remember.

It was really loud,

and, uh, she left.

Sh-she slammed the door,

and I sure don't blame her,

but... well, you--

you came out.

You were crying

really, really bad.

Like--like someone cut you,

you know,

just screaming and...

Do you remember you had--

it was--still--

I still remember the pink,

uh... pajamas,

you know, with the rabbits

on your feet.

You were crying,

and you were asking me

to help you, and I...

couldn't do anything.

So you just left.

You know,

you keep thinking

it'd have been better

if I'd... stayed,

but, uh, unhappy

and together's pretty ugly.

I had unhappy anyway.

I know, I--

- No!

There's

no going back.

No, no, no, not back.

No, just, um...

That's all I'm saying, right--

just right now.

Are you asking me

to have hope?

Yeah.

Listen, don't cry.

I'll do whatever

you want, okay?

I want you

to take care of me.

I want to be 9 years old,

and I want you

to take care of me.

I'm sorry. I'm...

I'm very, very sorry.

Hey.

Hey, listen,

I'm gonna come visit.

I'm gonna--

I'm comin'!

Well, I'm not gonna

cook a pot roast.

You don't have

to do anything.

Um...

I'll just come there

and, uh...

I'll stay in a hotel,

and we'll...

you know, I'll buy you dinner.

We'll make dumb jokes, you know, like I do.

- Well--

We'll try one day and we'll see.

Just because you're

swooping out of the darkness

doesn't mean that everything

is getting better.

No, no, yeah.

Yeah.

And Dad?

- Uh-huh?

If you don't show...

that's it.

Okay.

I mean...

that's it.

I'm coming.

Okay.

They're pretty, aren't they?

Yeah, they got names?

Nah.

That wouldn't be fair.

Fair?

Yeah, can't name 'em all.

What's your name?

Pigeon man.

Everybody just calls me--

"Hey, pigeon man."

"What's up, pigeon man?"

No, no, your real name.

I'm John.

Paul.

You ever have kids, Paul?

Yeah, 2 boys.

They were both killed in Vietnam.

Thinking about taking

a trip over there

and find out what that

was all about.

You know Antoine?

I see him here occasionally.

I wouldn't say I know him.

Antoine's father,

he's not around,

and the mother

works all the time,

so he needs someone

to, uh, look out for him,

someone to talk to.

You know, he's a good kid,

but he's gonna go crazy

in this p-park if he's all alone.

Look, I don't know. I--

- Just someone to talk to.

That'd be nice,

wouldn't it?

Yeah, it might be.

Paul, I'm gonna give you

a thousand dollars.

No, no, it's for the kid.

It's, uh, it's

just for the boy.

Um... ice cream, comic books,

maybe you take him to the

movies sometime, you know.

What kind of ice cream

does he like?

He likes, uh, chocolate.

Probably likes everything.

He likes the sprinkles on.

Hey, thanks.

Well, this is it.

You want to, um...

take, uh, the ride

on the paddleboats?

Okay? Okay.

Hello?

It's over.

I'm breaking up with you.

You're breaking up

with me?

Yeah, I just did.

Johnny, don't you want

to think this over?

I'm not sure, you know,

bein' mean's really

the right thing to do,

but feels kind of good.

Well, f*** you!

You know, you don't

know how to love.

You live in a prison.

I'm not listening.

You tell it to the warden.

I'm over the fence

and heading for the trees.

F*** you, a**hole!

What was that?

- And f*** you, too!

We've got something.

Water.

Lots of it.

We've got MacArthur Park,

Echo Park...

T.G.& R., how may I

direct your call?

Hi, Alice, it's me.

I was wondering, um...

what you thought if,

um, we got back together.

Did Cheryl get herpes?

I hope not from you.

Listen, I'm serious.

I'm changing.

John,

you're a criminal.

Well, I'm not anymore.

When was the last time

you stole something?

I, um, I-I-I--

Listen, listen.

I have an opportunity.

Think about this, uh--

quit that job,

get on the airplane with me.

We'll go visit our daughter.

We can get back

together again, start over.

John... I haven't been

in a long-term relationship

in 6 years,

and for a dollar

above minimum wage

I am answering phones

and bringing coffee

to people with real lives.

There is no such thing

as a new start.

It is not that easy.

I'm not sayin'

it's easy.

I'm just--just saying

think about it.

Don't worry, John.

I'm not the only

lonely woman in town.

You'll find someone

to starch your boxers.

Good-bye.

Wanna go back now?

Yeah, but I'm tired

of pedaling, so...

enjoy yourself, all right?

I don't like you.

- I'm gonna have a sea nap.

You don't like me?

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