Prelude to a Kiss Page #5

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I'm sorry. I'm gonna have to

defer to her wishes.

I can't believe this!

You're just gonna take her word?

It's difficult for me to believe,

knowing Rita the way that I do,

- that this is about as quabble or a tiff of some kind.

- You don't know her!

You don't know the first thing

about her. That's the absurd part.

You don't even know

your own flesh and blood.

I'm sure you're right,

Peter.

Rita was a communist.

Did you know that?

Thats he was in a communist

or socialist party? Then all right.

Here's something else

you didn't know.

We didn't go out for a yea r. We didn't

go out for anything like a year.

You only see

what you wanna see.

- She's lying to you now, Dr. Boyle.

- Let go, please.

She may know certain facts,

but that's from reading

Rita's journals.

Watch her.

Watch the way

she sits.

- Her eyes.

- See a doctor, boy.

Watch the way she listens

to everything we say.

It isn't her!

The way she chews,

for Christ sake.

I'd like to leave now.

- Open your eyes!

Look, I'm not

equipped for this.

I'm sorry.

I'm not attracted to you.

What are you, nuts?

I don't think that's

the issue here.

Have a seat.

Come on.

- You' re just- - If I thought

that you really were here, Rita, I -

What's the name- okay- of the guy

you went out within high school?

Wait. The one who wanted

to run away with you.

If I can't remember his name,

then you can't remember it either.

- John.

- Oh, Rita.

You're not

imagining me.

This just

does not happen.

Tell me about it.

All right.

Think.

Let me see his wallet,

please. May I?

Thank you.

- Becker. Is he Dutch, do you know?

- Is it a Dutch name?

You were the one that said

you lived there, Rita. Jesus!

Well, they don't speak Dutch.

I can't exactly ask.

I'm trying to keep alow profile in case

they find out I'm really a girl. Okay?

Who is it?

- Hi, Ms. Blier.

- Don't worry.

What?

What's wrong?

My name is

Barry Sanford.

Your dad apparently walked up

to a couple of young gentlemen...

- I got lost.

- downtown...

and asked them

what city he was in,

and they were kind enough

to call us at the hot line.

I'm home now, so-

I work with the Madison Street

Crisis Intervention Center.

We just wanted to make sure

that he got home safe.

Oh, uh, come in, please.

I'm Leah. This is my husband, Jerry.

- Hi, Larry Sanford.

- What can we get you? Come on in.

Something to-

You're sure?

Yes, thank you.

You told me you were

going for a walk.

Did you take

the train again?

I got lost,

I told you.

Your dad's gonna be

fine, Mrs. Blier.

- Why did you take the train?

- Please.

Daddy.

Did you want to

go somewhere?

I'm going to lie down.

Don't wake me up.

You want me to go

with you?

You wanna lie down,

I'll stay here.

This is how he gets.

Two weeks ago, we had to go pick him up

in Lake Forest.

Why? Did he know

someone there?

N, not that

we're aware of.

He doesn't always

get this way.

- Lately.

- He just takes off.

Is your father

involved in any...

activities that might

bring him into the city?

He isn't involved in anything. We keep

telling him to take an interestin life.

Is your father

suffering from any...

mental or neurological

disorders?

He hasn't been him self

since my mother died last fall.

He had to move in

with us, and-

This has been

coming on for a while.

What has?

I'm not saying

he can't stay here.

He struggled for so many years

just to make ends meet.

Then when he was ready

to retire, boom.

We'd just gotten

my mother buried.

We found out he has

lung cancer a few weeks ago.

He always complains,

so I didn't-

I guess I didn't

take it serious,

and cirrhosis he's had

for years.

I can't put him away.

He doesn't even have

a year to live.

You know?

If you knew the man

he used to be-

He was a-a self-starter,

area I fighter.

- I'm sorry, Mrs. Blier. I -

- Oh-

I think I left the gas on

in the kitchen...

in the center.

Well, should

I call someone?

No, no.

I'm so embarrassed.

The fire department?

- I apologize.

- I'll drive you.

- No.

- Yes.

Uh, no.

I have a car.

It's just up the street.

I'll be fine, thanks.

I'll call.

So what did she say?

Nothing.

- Am I sick?

- No.

This is me, Peter.

Remember?

You have lung cancer

and cirrhosis.

She said she thought

you had a year to live.

Wow.

The next six days

were the worst,

the strangest,

of my life.

We moved back and forth

from room to room.

We called her parents.

No answer.

The next day, the same.

And the next.

I called Rita's Aunt Dorothy

in Cincinnati.

She had no idea

where they were,

and wanted to know

why I didn't know.

I told her

Rita and I had split up.

Trust me.

The car's gone.

Mom never turns

the lights out, ever.

- They're not here.

Then why are

we whispering?

Some suitcases

are gone.

I miss your face.

How soft it was.

I miss it too.

Your hair was so great.

Oh, come on.

And your little white feet.

What?

You don't like these?

At night I could feel

the loneliness...

coming off both of us

like heat.

It was as if we'd been

married forever, suddenly,

without the sex.

Rita and I, mean while,

kept up the pleasantries.

The old married couple

we'd become.

Time's up.

Rita.

What?

You know,

if you think

how we're born,

and we go through

all the struggle of growing up...

and learning

the multiplication tables...

and the nam e

for everything.

The rules.

How not to get runover,

braid your hair,

pig Latin.

Just all the effort.

Then getting a job,

probably something

you don't even like doing...

for not enough money,

like tending bar.

And that's if you're lucky.

That's if you're...

not born in Calcutta...

or the U.S. without money.

Then there's your marriage,

having your own kids if-

You know.

And they're going through

the same struggle all over again.

Only worse, because...

somebody's trying to sell them

crack in the first grade by now.

And all this time,

you're paying taxes,

your hair starts

to fall out,

and you're wearing

six pairs of glasses...

which you can never find.

And you can't recognize

yourself in the mirror.

And if you live long enough,

you finally get to watch everybody die.

All your loved ones-

your wife,

your husband.

Your kids, maybe.

And you're totally alone.

And as a final reward

for all this,

you disappear.

No one knows where.

I don't want you

to die, Rita.

I don't want me

to die either.

And I'm going to.

So are you.

But...

we got to have this.

I mean,

what a trip...

meeting you...

and being in love,

falling.

It was bitchin'

for a while.

And okay.

So this isn't such

a turn-on, I admit, but-

I adore you.

- What?

My hearing.

No, I'm serious.

I said you would've

hated Jamaica.

Trust me.

Come on.

Call again.

I mean, he's always saying,

" Oh, you know-

Wow, you have got to come

to this club, the Aquamarine. "

- Have you been there?

- No? Oh, you're kidding.

It 's actually pretty cool. They've got all

these different bars and huge fish tanks.

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