Leaves of Grass Page #2

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(Daisy with twangy accent)

Oh, hey.

What you

got there?

Oh. It's a new article

on Billy and a few he

wrote his self.

Thank you.

You know,

I've been thinking.

Maybe, maybe your daddy

wanted to get killed.

Sh*t.

I got

this picture of him

running toward

a machine gun nest

'cause he'd

rather die that way

than come back to Little

Dixie and grow old to

stare through a window.

Well, seeing

how he was on about

every drug imaginable

I wouldn't spend my time

trying to figure out

what was in his head

over 30 years ago.

Do you remember

him at all?

I remember smelling weed

for the first time on him.

Well, that's certainly

had its impact.

Daisy, why don't you

come home and live with me

and Colleen for a while?

Colleen and me.

What's your version

of proper grammar?

Rhythm, maybe.

Don't duck the question.

You're 12 years younger

than anyone in here.

This is ridiculous.

I like it here.

I can do what I want.

I'm not eager to get stranded

when you get yourself killed

or taken back to prison.

Momma, Colleen's pregnant.

You don't say.

I've been dyin' to tell ya.

Well, I'm happy for you.

You're gonna be a grandma.

Are you gonna be a husband?

I ain't Dad.

Your father was a freaked out

genius who wasted his life.

You coulda done anything.

Got a higher IQ

than your brother

and he just passed you by.

I, I ain't, I ain't tryin'

to keep up with Billy.

I ain't him and he ain't me.

Momma, I, I like

who I am just fine.

You think I'll see him

again before I die?

I think it's gonna take

one of us dyin' to get him

to come back down here.

Well.

Nice settin' with ya.

[Sighs]

(Bill)

Thanks.

(Sorenson)

Gorgeous.

Oh, this is, uh,

this is wonderful.

I, I, I almost

never eat out

in Providence.

You know,

now and then

Federal Hill.

But nearly enough.

Your book

on Marcus Aurelius has

the community astir.

Oh, thanks.

Which press was that?

Oxford.

(Levy)

They did

your translation

of The Menaechmi.

(Bill)

They did.

They've been terrific.

Plautus. How

do you find the time?

Well, uh, I don't

have a life.

[Chuckles]

[Uncomfortable chuckles]

I read some

biographical material

on you last week, Bill.

You, uh, you come

from humble beginnings.

I do. Yeah.

Where was

it? Omaha?

Oklahoma.

Oh, why don't you,

uh, why don't you

have an accent?

With some considerable

effort, I lost it.

And you, your father

was a bootlegger?

It was my

grandfather, actually.

Fantastic.

Why fantastic?

(Sorenson)

I don't know.

So many of us were

trained for this life.

Fancy private schools,

parents in academia.

I, I'm always astounded

by those who've made

their own way.

Oh, thank you.

I, uh, my family

is a bit

eccentric.

I found

discipline in books.

Well, you're probably

wondering why Dean

Sorenson is here.

Bill, we'd like to offer you

a position in the law school.

You can't be serious.

(Sorenson)

We wanted to incorporate

more philosophy into

the curriculum

And when we got wind

of your hesitancy

in transferring

up from Brown and Classics,

we had the idea of letting

you create your own institute

for our law students.

[Chuckles]

I, uh,

I don't even know

how to begin to respond.

That is such

a precipitous offer.

Savor it.

Digest it.

Moments like this

come too seldom in life.

I, uh, I'll say.

(Levy)

We all want

you here, Bill.

You've crafted

your career diligently.

It makes absolute sense

as your next step.

You've a dollop

of cioppino.

Honey, that's about

as good as it gets.

Thank you, baby.

[Plucks guitar]

Look how sexy you look.

I do not.

You do! How long

the doctor give me?

Wait til I'm done

with the dishes.

Well, push that, damn,

put your metal to burn.

Bring electric.

[Phone rings]

I'm thuggin'

and comin' at ya.

[Plucks guitar]

Hello?

Well, can I ask

who's calling?

Can I ask

what this is about?

Because I'm the girlfriend

he's fixin' to marry is why.

Who is it?

Some fellow named Pug?

Oh, sh*t. I'll take it

in the back there.

This better not be...

It a man

about a truck.

Hey, Brady!

Hey, Pug, how...

(Pug)

You talk to my guys

down there, Brady?

Uh, yes we did.

They told you

I needed an answer.

Yes, sir, they made that

pretty clear. I was

hopin' th...

I wanna see you

tomorrow evenin'.

Well, tomorrow

night's gonna be...

You heard me, Brady!

[Hangs up]

Oh, sh*t.

(over phone)

Yeah?

Bolger?

Say, Buddy.

Pug just called me.

What, called you his self?

Yeah, he wants us up there.

Well, does he want us to...

No, he wanna see us.

You gonna change your...?

No, I ain't changing

my mind one bit.

I don't like this

at all, Brady.

Well, we just goin' have

to be ready to deal then

and come what may.

Well, you know me,

I'm gonna be up

there with ya.

I'll see ya'.

[Phone rings]

Hello?

Sorry. Lo... Who?

No, I, uh,

hold, hang on,

hang on, hang on.

How did you get this number?

Hi! Did that man

get a hold of you?

He did, yeah.

He said it was

an emergency so I...

You did the right

thing. Thanks.

[Clears throat]

Was there something else?

Is everything all right?

Well, my brother's

been murdered.

Bill, that's awful.

I didn't even know

you had a brother.

How?

He got shot with a crossbow.

I beg your pardon?

They're inexplicably

popular where I come from.

Was it an accident?

No, 'cause then

it wouldn't be a murder.

Oh, I, I don't even

know what... When was

the last time you saw him?

Um, it had been a long time.

What will you do?

Well, I suppose

I have to go home.

What brings

you to Tulsa?

Pardon? Oh, uh,

a family matter.

I was gonna say

because, nobody visits

Oklahoma, you know?

It's one of the states

where you either live there,

or you got business there.

But you don't

see people coming

for the attractions.

Right.

What do you do?

I, uh,

I write and teach.

I'm a professor.

Of?

Classical philosophy.

There's not

too much use for that

these days. Right?

Humanity hasn't changed

that much, actually.

You have family in Tulsa?

No. No. Idabel.

Little Dixie.

Uh, I hope it's not tragedy

that brings you back.

It, it is somewhat.

I'm sorry.

Thanks.

I'm an orthodontist.

Was.

I mean, will be again.

Have you had work done?

No. No,

actually, I haven't.

Well, I can,

I can tell.

You got a nice

face though.

Thanks.

Ken Feinman.

Bill Kincaid.

You have kids, Bill?

No.

I'm starting out

all over.

You know.

People don't realize it,

but it's, it's tough

to break in.

You get most of your

business through your

kid's school, church,

The synagogue in my case,

you know. But it's tough.

I mean, the cost

of a practice these

days is just, uh,

it's downright

humiliating. Honestly.

It's downright humiliating.

Yeah, I believe you.

We were living in Manhattan.

But, uh, I grew up in Tulsa.

So, you know,

we just moved back.

Are there a lot

of Jews in Tulsa?

That what everyone asks.

But, but there are.

You know, it's a,

it's a small community.

But very cohesive.

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