Next Of Kin Page #3

SONYA, WE ARE HOME!

-HELLO.

-I'M YOUR SISTER.

-AZAH...

I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D BE HERE.

-ARE YOU STAYING IN MY OLD ROOM?

-NO. NO... A HOTEL.

-IT'S BETTER THAT WAY.

-IT'S BETTER... IT'S BETTER...

WHAT IS BETTER?

I SPEAK WITH YOU!

WHAT IS BETTER?

WHY YOU DON'T ANSWER?

LOOK, LOOK HOW SHE RESPECT ME!

-THE DINNER IS ALMOST READY.

-WHY YOU DON'T ANSWER TO ME?!

WHY YOU DON'T ANSWER TO ME?!

-GO BACK TO SLEEP, PA.

-I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP.

I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP!

-HE ALWAYS GETS LIKE THIS.

-YOU MAKE THIS MADHOUSE.

-LOOK AT ME, PA.

I'M PERFECTLY CALM.

-I'M CALM, TOO. I'M CALM, TOO.

BEDROS, WHO IS CALM?

SAY WHO IS CALM.

-IF YOU'D JUST LEARN

TO CONTROL YOURSELF...

-I AM IN CONTROL.

IF YOU LISTEN TO ME...

-WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO YOU?

-BECAUSE I'M YOUR FATHER!

( Armenian )

-I AM YOUR FATHER!

I AM YOUR FATHER!

-IT'S BEEN NICE MEETING YOU.

-YOU'RE LEAVING?

-WHY DON'T WE MEET TOMORROW?

-OKAY.

-SONYA, PLEASE, NO.

-CALM, GEORGE, PLEASE.

SHE WANTED TO MEET HER BROTHER.

-NO. PLEASE, SONYA.

Peter:

ANOTHER DAY OF DISCOVERY.

I WAS INVITED TO HAVE DINNER

AT THE HOME OF A VERY NICE

OLDER COUPLE:

WHO INTRODUCED ME

TO THEIR DAUGHTER.

THEY'RE AN UNUSUAL FAMILY.

QUITE DIFFEREN FROM WHAT I'M USED TO.

I'D LIKE TO SPEND

MORE TIME WITH THEM.

GET TO LEARN SOMETHING

ABOUT THEIR...

WAY OF LIFE.

THE WAY I SEE IT,

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG

IN PRETENDING...

AS LONG AS YOU'RE AWARE

THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

IT TAKES MORE EFFOR TO SPEAK WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND

THAN TO SAY, ''YES, DAD.''

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

-ALL WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SINCE

WE MET IS ABOUT DAD AND ME.

-SO?

-THERE ARE OTHER THINGS.

-LIKE WHAT?

-YOU AND YOUR PARENTS.

-WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

-WHAT WERE THEY LIKE?

-QUITE TYPICAL, I SUPPOSE.

UPPER MIDDLE CLASS.

NICE HOUSE.

THERE'S NOT THAT MUCH TO SAY

ABOUT THEM, REALLY.

-WHAT DID THEY DO?

-THE USUAL.

-AND THAT MEANS?

-THE USUAL THINGS

THEIR TYPE OF PEOPLE DO.

WHAT'S SO FUNNY?

-YOU SEEM VERY PROUD OF THEM.

-WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?

-DO YOU LOVE THEM?

-I SUPPOSE.

-YOU SUPPOSE?

-I DID LOVE THEM.

-BUT THAT'S ALL IN THE PAST.

-WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

-YOU'VE CAST THEM ASIDE.

-I HAD TO.

-WHY?

-IT'S OBVIOUS.

-NOT REALLY.

I MEAN, IF I DISCOVERED

THAT PA AND MA HAD ADOPTED ME,

I WOULDN'T TRY

TO FIND MY REAL PARENTS.

-YOU CAN'T SAY THAT.

-WHY NOT?

-WELL...

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO...

TO IMAGINE YOURSELF

IN THAT SORT OF SITUATION.

IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

ALL I CAN SAY IS THA I DECIDED TO FIND YOU

BECAUSE SOMETHING INSIDE ME

NEEDED TO. THAT'S IT.

-SO HERE YOU ARE.

-YEAH.

-HAPPY?

-NOT REALLY.

-WHY NOT?

-IT UPSETS ME TO SEE YOU AND

GEORGE ARGUING ALL THE TIME.

-I'M AFRAID THERE ISN'T MUCH

THAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT THAT.

-YES, THERE IS.

I'LL MAKE THINGS BETTER.

-NEVER?

-I DON'T THINK SO.

-THEN I MAKE YOU SOME TONIGHT.

AND RABBIT. YOU LIKE RABBIT?

-YES.

-OH... OH, IT'S OKAY.

WAS YOUR MOTHER A GOOD COOK?

-MY FOSTER MOTHER.

NOT AS GOOD AS YOU ARE.

-AH, YOU JUST SAY THIS.

-NO. I MEAN IT.

-WERE YOUR PARENTS MAD

WHEN THEY FIND OUT?

-FIND OUT WHAT?

-FIND OUT THAT YOU

ARE LOOKING FOR US.

-NO.

THEY WEREN'T THAT... EMOTIONAL.

-THEY ARE NOT LIKE US.

-DEFINITELY NOT LIKE YOU.

-DOES IT BOTHER YOU

WHEN YOUR PAPA SCREAM'?

-A LITTLE.

HAVE AZAH AND HIM

ALWAYS FOUGHT SO MUCH?

-NO. THEY USED

TO LOVE EACH OTHER.

THEY JOKE, AND GEORGE TAKE

AZAH WITH HIM EVERYWHERE.

BUT NOW...

I DON'T KNOW.

-THINGS WILL GET BETTER.

-DID YOU...

FIGHT WITH YOUR PARENTS?

-NO.

BUT WE DIDN'T DO THAT MUCH ELSE.

-WERE YOU HAPPY?

-I'M MUCH HAPPIER HERE.

-REALLY?

THEN WHY YOU DON'T STAY WITH US,

IN AZAH'S OLD ROOM?

-I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE

A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO BECOME...

TOO DEPENDENT.

-OH, I SEE.

-THAT WILL BE $7, PLEASE.

-OKAY, I PAY.

-NO, SONYA.

-WHY?

-IT'S A GIFT.

AZAH SAID SHE'D BRING THE WINE,

SO LET ME BUY THE BUNNY.

( singing )

-THIS WINE TASTE' LIKE SWEAT!

-I HAVE TO LEAVE.

-YOU HARDLY EAT SOMETHING.

-I HAVE A CLASS AT SEVEN.

-AZAH...

-IT'S IMPORTANT, MA.

-I MAKE SOME SANDWICH FOR YOU.

-WHY?

-TO TAKE WITH YOU.

-IT'S OKAY, MA.

-AZAH...

-NO.

-PLEASE, STAY.

-I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.

GOODBYE, PA.

-BEDROS, COME WATCH TV WITH ME.

-WHAT'S THE MATTER?

-I CAN'T STAND THIS ANYMORE.

IT IS LIKE SHE'S HIS ENEMY.

-HAVE YOU TRIED

TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT?

-WHAT USE FOR?

-IT MIGHT HELP.

-SOMETIMES, IT'S BETTER

TO KEEP QUIET.

IT WOULD BE BETTER

IF YOU WERE HERE, BEDROS.

HE MISS YOU.

SOME NIGHT', HE'S NOT ABLE

TO SLEEP...

BECAUSE HE'S THINKING OF YOU.

WHERE ARE YOU?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

SOMETIMES EVEN,

HE'S THINKING THAT YOU ARE

IN HIS HOUSE, WATCHING HIM.

HE WANTS SO MUCH

TO HAVE HIS SON.

HE NEEDS SOMEBODY

TO LISTEN TO HIM.

-I'M HERE NOW.

-BEDROS, YOU KNOW

WHAT I MISS MOST?

-WHAT?

-TO HOLD YOU LIKE A BABY.

-YOU STILL CAN.

-OH, YOU' JUST BREAK MY BONES.

-NO, I WON'T. HERE.

PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND ME.

( she's humming a IuIIaby )

( he hums aIong with her )

-WELL, THIS IS IT.

-IT'S HUGE.

-I'M LOOKING FOR SOMEONE

TO SHARE IT WITH.

IT'S QUITE CHEAP.

-REALLY?

-BUT THERE IS NO HEATING.

-OH.

-THINK ABOUT IT.

AND THIS IS MY ROOM.

-AND THESE ARE YOURS?

-UH-HUH.

-THEY'RE GOOD.

-THANK YOU.

DO YOU RECOGNIZE HIM?

IT'S ONE OF THE FEW THINGS

MA KEPT.

YOU WERE BEST FRIENDS.

-ALAS... POOR TEDDY.

-YOU KNEW HIM?

-QUITE WELL.

-THIS IS YOU.

-WOULD YOU SAY I'VE CHANGED?

-A BIT TALLER MAYBE?

OTHERWISE,

THE SPITTING IMAGE OF PA.

-IS THAT A COMPLIMENT?

WHEN'S THE LAST TIME

THE TWO OF YOU TALKED?

-IN COUNSELLING.

-IN WHAT?

-WE WENT TO SEE A COUNSELLOR.

-YOU'RE JOKING.

-NO.

-HOW DID YOU GET GEORGE TO GO?

-MA CONVINCED HIM THA IT WAS FOR A CHECK-UP.

-HE BELIEVED HER?

-HE ALWAYS DOES.

-DID IT HELP?

-WHAT?

-THE COUNSELLING?

-WELL, OUR COUNSELLOR

SEEMS TO THINK SO...

ALTHOUGH THAT COULD BE HIS

RATIONALE FOR GETTING BEAT UP.

-BY GEORGE?

-HOW DID YOU KNOW?

-I GUESSED.

HIS TEMPER.

-OH.

I SUPPOSE IT ALL CULMINATED

THIS ONE DAY,

WHEN HE CAME TO PICK ME UP

FROM SCHOOL.

I WAS IN THE MIDDLE

OF AN ART CLASS:

WHEN HE JUST WALKED

INTO THE STUDIO...

IMAGINE THE SHOCK. I MEAN,

THERE I WAS, HIS DAUGHTER,

IN FRONT OF A NAKED MAN.

HE RIPPED UP:

EVERYONE'S DRAWINGS,

AND THEN THREATENED

TO KILL THE MODEL.

IT WASN'T FUNNY THEN.

-WHAT HAPPENED?

-HE TOLD ME TO GO BACK WITH HIM.

I REFUSED.

-MOVED OUT?

-FEW MONTHS LATER, YES.

YOU'D STAY IN HERE.

-HAVE YOU CONSIDERED WHA WE'VE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY?

-WE TALKED ABOUT A LO OF THINGS, YESTERDAY.

-ABOUT DAD AND YOU.

-WHAT'S THERE TO CONSIDER?

-WELL, I WAS WONDERING

ABOUT THAT COMMENT HE MADE.

-WHICH ONE?

-''THIS WINE TASTE LIKE SWEAT.''

I WAS WONDERING WHAT WOULD HAVE

HAPPENED IF YOU'D AGREED WITH HIM.

-WHY WOULD I DO THAT?

-TO APPEASE HIM.

-APPEASE HIM?

I WOULD HAVE FELT LIKE A LIAR.

-BUT YOU WOULDN'T NEED TO.

-OF COURSE I WOULD.

-COULDN'T YOU THINK

OF YOURSELF AS AN ACTOR?

-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

-WELL...

A LIAR IS SOMEONE

WHO DOESN'T SPEAK THE TRUTH.

AN ACTOR DOES,

BUT IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S VOICE.

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