I Never Sang for My Father Page #2

I have no appetite.

This is the way it's been.

Here we are.

Six to one.

Damn it!

But you always ask for a lemon peel.

But twisted over it, not dumped into it.

It's all right.

It's all right. Well...

To your smiling Irish eyes.

He hasn't changed a bit, has he?

I like to get a rise out of them.

If they kid with me,

I give them a good tip.

If not, straight 10 percent.

Now, what's the matter?

If you want to make a fool

of yourself, go right ahead.

It's lovely, dear.

Thank you.

I don't know how he can stand

listening to those

westerns hour after hour.

I think he always wanted to be a cowboy.

He won't listen to

the things I want to hear.

Down in Florida there was

only one TV in the lounge,

and he rode herd on it.

And then he'd go

to sleep in three minutes.

Still, he's a remarkable man.

Good old Mom.

What a shame that children

can't see their parents

when they're young

and courting and in love.

Gene!

Come and watch this one.

It's a real shoot-'em-up.

I'll be down in a minute, Dad.

Now, tell me about California.

Well, I liked it a lot.

It was good for you to get away

for a while, from your apartment,

and memories of Carol. Mother.

I told you about the woman that

I met in California, Peggy.

The doctor with the children.

I'm thinking of marrying her.

Well, she sounds like a lovely woman.

And people would expect a man

your age to marry again.

And she has her practice out there.

And her children, they have their

friends and their schools.

Well, there are still trains and planes

and Alice comes on from Chicago once

or twice a year with the children.

Your father and I can

take care of each other.

He makes the beds, which is the

only work I'm not allowed to do,

and I'll remember

where he put his checkbook.

I'm sorry it's worked out like this.

We're fortunate to have had

you so near us for so long.

Have you told your father?

No.

But I think he's guessed from my letters.

He says if I went out there to live,

it would kill you.

Why can't he say it would kill him?

Because he thinks it wouldn't hold you

or mean anything to you.

I'll talk to him.

He'll make a dreadful scene, but...

No, no, no. You've always

done that for Alice and me.

I'll do it.

What? What?

Where's your mother?

She's upstairs.

She's gone to bed.

Dad.

This is a good one.

This fella can really handle a gun.

Dad, I want to talk to you.

Just a minute.

Well, I'm going.

So soon?

We see so little of you.

I'm up at least once a week.

I'm not complaining.

But there never seems to be any time,

and when you are here your

mother does all the talking.

Well, "All's lost, all's spent"

"when we our desires get without content."

"'Tis better to be that which we destroy"

"than by destruction

dwell in doubtful joy."

Well, we'll get a chance to talk, Dad.

Maybe you can come down into town in

a couple of days and, have lunch.

I'd like to talk to you.

That's a wonderful idea.

You set the date.

I'll call.

Can't tell you what a comfort it is

knowing you're just down in the city.

Don't know what we'd

do without you, Gene.

No hat or coat?

No.

Still chilly.

You should be careful.

You're coming up for your

mother's birthday, aren't you?

Yes.

It'll be my party.

And, Gene...

Remember what I said about California.

Good night, Dad.

Be careful. I noticed you were

inclined to push it a little up there.

You make a full stop at the end of

the driveway and then turn left.

There's a lot of traffic out.

Take the first left

and then the second right!

Good night, old man.

Hello, Norma?

It's Gene.

A couple of days ago.

Listen, would you like

to come out for a drink?

Okay. Good.

I'll see you in about

10 minutes, all right?

Bye.

Just once.

Just once I'd like you

to come see me, and after...

Afterwards, smile.

Thanks.

You start feeling guilty,

and then that upsets me,

and pretty soon the whole

thing gives me the willies.

I'm sorry.

What are you feeling so guilty about now?

That you're going to get married

and you're here with me?

I don't know, I just

always feel like I'm using you.

I don't think of it as using.

Back when Carol was dying, when you

first came running up those steps,

I was pretty damned touched

by the whole thing.

You make it sound great.

Somewhere you must hate me.

Bad.

Coming to you like this...

"Hello, are you going to be in?

I want to come over."

Still, when I

get all... I...

So? So, other men

go out on a binge.

You come to me.

Frankly, I like your way better.

It's friendlier.

I... I get so fed up with

being treated like a child,

I mean, like an ungrateful child,

by that senile

old man. I...

I sit there and watch television

with him for hours while he sleeps.

Then, when I'm going, he says,

"We don't ever get to see you."

Why can't your sister do

some of this babysitting?

She's in Chicago and banished away.

I told you.

For marrying a Jew.

I hate him.

I hate hating him.

I hate what it does to me because

when I'm around him,

I... I...

Somehow I shrink.

Well, you'll be going away soon.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And for some damn reason I feel

guilty about leaving them.

Arguing with each other.

He was a big man in that city.

He was the mayor.

He was the president

of the Board of Education.

And a lot else.

Now they don't know he exists.

All his contemporaries are dead.

Who reads the bronze plaques

on school buildings?

A forgotten man in an ungrateful city.

Now I'm going to walk out on him, too.

For some reason or another that

depresses the hell out of me.

It's a lousy world, my friend.

Yeah.

Only you want to set it all right.

Make it like in the story books.

Love eternal, beyond death.

Grandma and Grandpa with the

kiddies gathered around them.

And sex always an

expression of abiding love.

Grow up?

No.

Don't change.

Hello.

What is it, Dad?

Holy Jesus.

I'll be right up there.

Excuse me. Mrs. Garrison's room, please.

Room 507.

Thank you.

I'm her son.

Is Dr. Mayberry around?

No, but he saw her an hour ago.

He seems to think everything is going

just as well as can be expected.

Thank you.

Dad? Dad.

Gene.

Am I glad to see you!

You seen your mother? Yes, I have.

That doesn't sound any better, Dad.

Well, I... I've had a shot.

After your mother got settled here,

I went down to the doctor's

office and had a shot.

I just don't understand it.

I was getting breakfast...

You know, I've been

getting the breakfasts.

When suddenly I heard your

mother scream, "Tom! Tom!"

I went running up the

stairs, and there she was,

stretched out on the floor.

"Nitro, nitro," she whispered.

You know, we've got

it all over the house.

I gave her the nitro,

and I called the doctor

and the ambulance,

and here we are.

She had such a good time in Florida.

She... She worried

about my cough,

but she had a good time.

Dad, these things happen.

I suppose I could have seen

more of her down there.

But she only wanted to play bridge.

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