Next Of Kin Page #2

INTO THIS ROOM.

HI, SONYA.

HI, GEORGE.

AREN'T YOU GONNA HUG ME?

ARE YOU AFRAID THAT I WON' LISTEN TO YOU EITHER?

DO YOU THINK THA I'LL FIND YOU IGNORANT?

THAT I'LL BE EMBARRASSED

BY YOUR ACCENT?

WELL, I AM.

YOU'RE JUST A LOUS Y FOREIGNER,

A LOUS Y PEASANT!

NO WONDER PEOPLE DON' TRUST YOU... YOU SMELL!

-GEORGE! GEORGE!

-DON'T HIT ME, GEORGE!

GO ON, HIT YOUR SON

AS HARD AS YOU WANT!

Dr. Sarah:
DID EVERYONE

HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY

TO LOOK AT THE TAPE

FROM OUR LAST MEETING?

GOOD.

WELL, LET'S STAR WITH YOU, PETER.

WHAT DID YOU THINK

OF WHAT YOU SAW?

-WELL, I THOUGHT YOU DID

A VERY GOOD JOB.

-WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

-WELL, OF POINTING OU WHAT THE PROBLEMS WERE.

YOU DISPLAYED A GREA SENSITIVITY. VERY POLISHED.

-AND WHAT DO YOU THINK

THE PROBLEM IS?

-OH, THAT'S OBVIOUS:

I'M JUST BORED.

-NOW PETER, DON'T SAY THAT.

-NO. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME.

-DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THINGS?

-YES.

-SO WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO?

-WELL, I THOUGHT I'D, YOU KNOW,

GO AWAY FOR A WHILE... BE ALONE.

FEEL LIKE I'M RESPONSIBLE.

-I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

WOULD YOU BE WILLING

TO FINANCE SUCH A TRIP?

-WELL, NOW I DON'T KNOW...

-YES, OF COURSE.

-GOOD.

I'D LIKE YOU TO KEEP A DIARY

WHILE YOU'RE AWAY.

HAVE YOU EVER KEPT ONE BEFORE?

-NO.

-IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WRITTEN.

YOU CAN SPEAK I INTO A TAPE RECORDER.

PRETEND YOU'RE TALKING

TO A STRANGER,

TELLING YOUR THOUGHTS

TO SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW.

THEN, WHEN YOU RETURN,

WE CAN ALL LISTEN TO THE TAPE

AND DISCUSS IT. OKAY?

-SURE.

-HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF WHERE

YOU'D LIKE TO GO?

-MY NAME IS PETER.

I'M 23 YEARS OLD

AND I'VE LIVED AT HOME

ALL MY LIFE,

WATCHING MY PARENTS

DISLIKE EACH OTHER.

FOR A WHILE, I THOUGHT THAT WAS

A PRETTY EXCITING THING TO DO.

BUT IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO,

IT'S ALL BEGUN

TO GET ON MY NERVES.

SO WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING INSTEAD

IS SPENDING A LO OF MY TIME PRETENDING,

JUST TO GET MY MIND OFF THINGS.

LATELY THOUGH, MY MOTHER HAS

CAUGHT ME AT IT A COUPLE OF TIMES.

I THINK IT REALLY BOTHERS HER.

SO ONE DAY, WE ALL WENT TO SEE

THIS FAMILY THERAPIST,

AND WITH HIS ENCOURAGEMENT,

I DECIDED TO TAKE THIS LITTLE TRIP.

SO HERE I AM.

LOOKING BACK ON OUR SESSIONS

AT THE CLINIC,

I'VE COME TO REALIZE SOMETHING:

I ENVY THERAPISTS.

IT MUST BE REALLY EXCITING

GETTING INVOLVED

WITH ANOTHER FAMILY,

TRYING TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS.

WHAT CAN BE MORE SATISFYING

THAN GIVING DIRECTION

TO OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES?

IT MUST GIVE ONE

A REAL SENSE OF PURPOSE.

FOR 23 YEARS,

I'VE BEEN RAISED

AS MY PARENTS' PRIDE AND JOY.

BUT THAT'S GOTTA END.

I WANT CONTROL NOW.

HELLO... IS THIS

THE DERYAN RESIDENCE?...

YES. UH...

THIS IS GOING TO COME AS

SOMETHING OF A SURPRISE TO YOU,

BUT... I'M YOUR SON...

NO, NO. NO, I'M NOT JOKING...

YES, YOUR SON...

BEDROS?

YES... WELL, I'D...

I'D LIKE TO MEET YOU.

-WE' WAITING SOMEONE.

-I KNOW.

-BEDROS!

-BEDROS!

BEDROS. BEDROS.

-BEDROS.

-YOUR HAIR USED TO BE DARKER.

-DID IT?

-AS BLACK AS YOUR MOTHER.

-YOU'RE SO SKINNY.

IT USED TO FILL MY FINGERS.

SKINNY LIKE YOUR GRANDFATHER.

DON'T YOU THINK, GEORGE,

HE LOOKS LIKE HIS GRANDPA?

-MORE LIKE HIS UNCLE.

SO YOU KEEP YOUR NAME,

HEY, BEDROS?

-YEP.

-YOU'RE PROUD OF IT.

-OF COURSE HE'S PROUD.

-YEAH, BUT SOME CHANGE THEIR NAMES.

-NOT OUR SON.

-BEDROS...

ARE YOU HAPPY TO SEE US?

-YOU BET.

( praying )

WE THANK FOR THIS MEAL

AND THE RETURN OF OUR SON BEDROS.

GOD, HE GIVE HIS SON JESUS

TO BE KILLED TO PAY FOR SIN.

AMEN.

-AMEN.

-SONYA, BEDROS...

BEDROS, WELCOME.

( Armenian )

-IT USED TO BE YOUR FAVOURITE.

-I DIDN'T HAVE TEETH THEN,

DID I?

-I MASH IT.

I MASH IT LIKE PUDDING.

YOU ATE IT ALL UP.

YOU NEVER MAKE A MESS.

YOU WERE SUCH A GOOD BABY.

WASN'T HE, GEORGE?

-HUH? HUH.

-YOU NEVER CRIED.

EVEN WHEN YOU'RE SCARED

OR YOU'RE HUNGRY, YOU NEVER CRY.

-EVEN WHEN I HIT HIM,

HE NEVER CRY.

-SO... DID YOU HAVE

ANY OTHER CHILDREN?

-WE HAD A DAUGHTER.

-AND YOU GAVE HER UP, TOO?

-WE DON'T GIVE YOU UP.

WE HAVE NO CHOICE.

NO MONEY, NO DOCTOR...

NO FRIENDS, NO HOUSE.

WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO?

LET YOU STARVE?

-I'M SORRY.

I DIDN'T MEAN IT THAT WAY.

-IT WAS ONLY THING TO DO.

-SO... WHERE IS MY SISTER?

-SHE LEFT HOME.

-WHEN?

-TWO MONTHS AGO.

-DOES SHE KNOW I'M HERE?

WELL, I'D LIKE TO MEET HER.

-SHE WILL NEVER COME

INTO THIS HOUSE AGAIN!

( Listening to himseIf )

IT'S A BIT ODD, ACTUALLY...

BEING IN A STRANGE CITY

LIKE THIS.

I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THAT VACATIONS

WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE

A WHILE TO GET USED TO.

THAT AT FIRST, YOU MIGH FEEL LONELY... HOMESICK.

BUT I DON'T FEEL LONELY AT ALL.

NOT THAT IT WOULD

BOTHER ME THAT MUCH.

I MEAN, AS AN ONLY CHILD,

YOU'RE SORT OF BORN

INTO FEELING THAT WAY.

AND I FIGURED OU A LONG TIME AGO

THAT BEING ALONE WAS EASIER

IF YOU BECAME TWO PEOPLE.

ONE PART OF YOU WOULD ALWAYS BE

THE SAME, LIKE AN AUDIENCE.

AND THE OTHER PART WOULD

TAKE ON DIFFERENT ROLES,

KIND OF LIKE AN ACTOR.

SO THAT WAY, I COULD

KEEP MYSELF PRETTY AMUSED,

BY WATCHING MYSELF PLAY

THESE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS.

BUT YESTERDAY:

WAS A REAL EYE-OPENER.

BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME,

I ALMOST COULDN'T TELL

WHICH SIDE OF ME

WAS TAKING ON WHICH PART.

AND THAT WAS:

A BIT SCARY AT FIRST.

BUT I'M BEGINNING TO LIKE IT.

-SOME OF THESE RUGS

ARE 100 YEARS OLD.

-THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL.

YOU MUST BE PROUD TO SELL THEM.

-SURE.

MAYBE YOU BE PROUD

TO SELL THEM, TOO.

BEDROS, YOU WILL

BECOME MY PARTNER.

FATHER AND SON.

-WELL, I'LL... I'LL HAVE

TO THINK ABOUT IT.

-SURE. SURE, YOU WANT TO THINK

ABOUT IT... NO RUSH. NO.

BEDROS, LET ME

TELL YOU SOMETHING...

I INHERITED FROM MY FATHER...

I HAVE SO MUCH MONEY

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.

-IT IS FOR MY MOTHER.

I SWEAR IT'S FOR MY MOTHER!

-I GO TO CALL THE POLICE.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO?

THEY PUT YOU IN THE JAIL.

-I WON'T DO IT AGAIN.

PLEASE, SIR!

-THEY TORTURE YOU.

THEY BEAT YOU WITH STICKS.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

-YES.

-SURE?

-YES.

-PROMISE ME YOU DON'T DO AGAIN?

-YES.

YES.

-GO.

IF YOU WANT THEM TO REMEMBER,

YOU SCARE.

BEDROS, I WILL

TELL YOU SOMETHING.

I LOVE THIS COUNTRY.

YOU KNOW WHY?

AT HOME, I HAD TWO STORES. TWO.

I INHERIT FROM MY FATHER.

I HAD SO MUCH MONEY

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

YOU KNOW HOW I HAD THAT MONEY?

I BRIBE.

I BRIBE POLICE, I BRIBE JUDGE...

EVERYONE.

IT'S THE WHOLE NEW WAY

TO SURVIVE THERE.

IT WAS LIKE A NIGHTMARE.

I WASN'T HAPPY.

ONE DAY, I WAKE UP AND I SAW

EVERYTHING TAKEN FROM ME.

MY HOUSE, MY MONEY, MY STORES...

EVERYTHING.

THE BASTARDS MAKE ME WAI THREE YEARS

TO GET OUT OF THAT HELL.

THREE YEARS!

I COME HERE WITH NOTHING.

NO MONEY, NO HOUSE... NOTHING.

SO I WORK.

I WORK LIKE A DISHWASHER,

TAXI DRIVER... YOU NAME IT.

FINALLY, I MAKE SMALL MONEY

AND I BUY THIS STORE.

I KNOW, THIS IS A SMALL STORE

IF I COMPARE WHAT I HAD THERE.

BUT YOU THINK I AM MISERABLE?

OH, NO. NO, I AM VERY HAPPY.

YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE

IF YOU START WITH NOTHING,

EVERYTHING YOU EARN

FILLS YOU WITH PRIDE.

NO BRIBES. NO LIES. NO FEAR.

OH! BEDROS, WE ARE LATE,

SONYA WAITING!

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