Glassland Page #3

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Never saw him again. Never.

I waited long enough...

that people began to feel sorry for me,

till I felt sorry for meself.

I could not look that child

in the eye from then on, ever.

When they brought him off

to me, I refused to hold him.

No, I didn't want him.

He was nothin' to me.

Only somethin' that came out

of me and ripped my life apart.

I felt sick...

that he lived off me for nine months.

The thought of it still makes

me shiver to this very day.

I didn't want him.

And there I was, John... 27, alone,

with two children...

and a thing.

The weird part is, you know,

now people began to pity me.

Me ma and da, friends, my sister.

No one would return my

calls. No one wanted to help.

And I got a new friend.

A silent friend.

A friend that would never

talk back to me or hurt me.

A friend that was always there for me...

and made things better,

even if it was just for a little while.

I would go missing for days, and

no one would come looking for me.

Only you, John.

You always came looking for me.

Even when you were a baby.

You still do.

The thing you don't realize, John, is...

I have no one to dance with me anymore.

I'm alone and will be

for the rest of my life.

I'm tired now, John.

I'm gonna get some sleep.

[sighs]

[John] We need to get you help.

You know what I told you.

I think we've found

someone that can help you.

But you're gonna have to trust me.

[wipers squeaking]

[seat belts latching]

We need to go inside,

Ma. We're late as it is.

I'm not goin' in.

Please.

I'm not doin' it. Can't.

- Just give it a go.

- No.

- Please, Ma.

- No, John.

- It's none of their business.

- Well, it's my f***ing business, all right?

It's my business, and

I'm f***in' sick of it!

I'm sick of cleaning up your vomit!

I'm sick of dragging you in off the

doorstep like a f***in' animal every night!

It's embarrassing me! It's embarrassing me!

I'm sick of watching you walking around

that corner to work every morning...

and not knowin' whether

you're gonna come home...

or whether I'm gonna find you in two weeks

face down in a f***in' ditch somewhere!

And I can't live like that

anymore, Ma! I'm sick of it!

I'm f***in' sick of it!

Sick of it! Sick of it!

I will not f***in' do it anymore!

You're breakin' my heart every f***in' day,

and I can't take it!

I can't take it, Ma!

The woman that I live with in that house...

is not my mum.

She's not my mum. She's a stranger.

And I won't live there with her anymore!

I want you to watch this.

Okay?

Now, that woman is not my mother.

[Jean] Give them to me!

My mother laughs and

smiles. She's full of life.

- That is not my mother.

- Mind your own f***ing business!

That is a f***in' animal and an impostor.

And one that I will not live with anymore.

[Jean screaming]

But I want my mother back.

I need her.

You're breakin' my heart every single day.

I need this to stop,

Ma. We need it to stop.

So if you get to bed tonight

without takin' a drink,

you're saving your life.

And I'm gonna help you.

I'm gonna be here for you.

Be here for a week,

and I'm on 24-hour call.

If you need me, just ring up here,

and we can talk.

Because I've been there.

What we're gonna do is

just a wee exercise...

just so we can fold in

with each other a bit more.

I'll introduce myself...

first-name terms only.

I'll introduce myself,

and you say, "Welcome."

And we'll go round the room,

and everybody just say your name,

and we'll welcome you, okay?

So my name's Jim.

- [all] Welcome, Jim.

- Thank you.

[sighs]

[door closes]

[chattering on TV, faint]

[Jim] John, your mother's dyin'.

But I know you know that.

She's got a disease that's killin' her...

and wants her on her own, drinkin'...

drinkin' herself to death.

This is a terrible disease that she's got.

And the irony of this disease is it

tells her she doesn't have a disease.

Her body's telling her she's dyin'.

It's telling the world that she's dying.

And her brain is tellin'

her to keep on drinkin',

that they don't understand.

Sure, what do they know?

It's mad.

It's baffling and cunning.

But there's hope.

There's hope, man.

Especially in your mother.

Do you know how I know?

'Cause she walked in through that door.

Now, I know you probably

cajoled her and threatened her...

and blackmailed her to get her here.

But if she didn't want to walk

through that door, she wouldn't have.

You couldn't have made her, so

there has to be some willin'.

And that's the cornerstone

of her recovery...

her willingness.

We've got hope, man.

So we've got a chance.

And here's the borin' bit.

This place is government-run.

We're on a

bread-and-water diet.

They got us on a drip feed.

I can only keep her here for, like,

seven to eight days at the very most.

And I promise you I will do that.

And I'll give her all the

facilities that we have got.

But she's got to find somewhere

else after those seven days.

I can't afford it.

I'm trying really hard. I'm trying

to get the hours at work, but I can't.

They're just not there.

I'm just spinnin' my wheels. That's it.

It's like every day is the same day.

I'll help you.

I'm gonna make phone calls for you.

I'll rattle cages. I'll see what it'll do.

But most of the work has to come

from you, brother. I'm sorry.

You've gotta find it from somewhere.

What about any health insurance?

No.

Nobody you can ask a favor of?

Not anymore.

[chattering on TV]

[phone vibrating]

[vehicle approaching]

[door opens]

[door closes]

[tapping]

[over earbuds, faint]

[laughing]

Mmm.

[Jim] Listen, I had a

phone call from a mate.

He's got a private clinic

in the outskirts of town.

And he's got a room free.

Twenty-eight days as well.

That's if you still want it.

All right, great.

- It's free?

- No.

Nothing's free with this bloke.

It's eight grand,

and that's the mate's rate as well.

I know, man, but he needs to

know by the end of the day.

That's her only hope. John,

honestly, I've tried everywhere.

Look, it's not much.

- I can't.

- I want you to take it.

- I can't.

- Just take... take the f***ing thing, will ya?

Just take it.

I always put a wee bit

aside for people who need it.

You're a good man, John.

You've been of loving

service to your mother.

I really appreciate that.

I know what you're going through.

And I wanna help.

Okay?

[rain pattering]

[line ringing]

It's John here.

I was wondering if you

had any work going tonight.

[man] I said I'd text you if

I had something, didn't I?

- Yeah, well, I know, but I'm...

- [woman laughing]

[chattering, laughing]

I said I'd text you.

Yeah.

We need the money.

What's going on?

Look, I just need something to

tide me over for the week, okay?

I'll pay you back as soon as I can.

I haven't let you down

in the past, all right?

- And I wouldn't be ringing you if I wasn't stuck.

- How much?

- Eight grand.

- Eight?

Yeah.

Can I trust you to do

some real work for me now?

[sighs]

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