Return to Montauk Page #5

Very smart. You must be a writer.

Are you Max?

Yes I am.

- I thought so. Thank you John.

I just have to pick up a few things.

Thank you.

Id love to be your valet.

- That would be great.

I cant believe were doing this.

Look at what youre wearing!

Its OK? Its a bit wrinkled.

Very hip.

I wouldnt advise you

to wear it in court. - Why not?

The accused always has to wear

a good suit. - Even if hes innocent?

Theyre all innocent

until the law decides otherwise.

Any more errands?

- Nope.

Have you ever been there since?

- Where?

Montauk.

Why?

Well thats where were going isnt it?

Come on

you said the far end of the island.

Does the cat minder sleep

in the apartment when youre away? - No.

Im just trying to piece it all together

your... know how you live.

Relax put on music.

Where is the music?

- You used to know cars.

Well Im a poor writer. Less than poor.

I dont have a car anymore.

This I dont believe.

No its true.

Im broke. Broke for now.

I don't read much. When I am writing,

I find reading a distraction.

I lock myself in a room.

I don't need other authors. And then,

in the evening I listen to jazz maybe...

Might be better if he didnt talk.

- Yeah.

And in between writing your own books,

what do you read?...

I went to college with him.

- Really?

What was he like?

There were a lot of guys like him.

They bored me.

They took you out on dates

and talked about themselves

and then told you it was your turn

you could talk about yourself now.

They knew that if they didnt let you

talk some you might not sleep with them.

Did you sleep with them?

Sure.

Did you sleep with that guy?

Did you sleep with the illiterate guy?

I think we fooled around a few times.

because it pays a very little attention

to the way the world really works...

I thought I was special

when you fooled around with me.

I never fooled around with you.

I was a very very angry

idealistic young person myself.

So I know whereof I speak.

At Budokan.

I want you,

I want you,

I want you, so bad...

I went through years

of needing to hear this song

and needing not to hear it.

We listened to it on the way

out there... and on the way back.

I have total recall.

Did you read what I wrote in the book

about our time together?

I only leafed through it.

Did you have a problem with it?

I was surprised.

Maybe more surprised about

the parts you invented.

I didnt invent much.

Were almost there.

This house I have to look at.

Its something I should have done

a few months ago.

One of my colleagues is selling a house

if someone offered him the right price.

I told him Id look at it at the end of

the summer and then I changed my mind.

Are you buying it for yourself?

My parents live in Dresden.

Theyre old

could come over and live here.

But I havent mentioned it to them

its just an idea I had.

I had a place once in Maine

but I got just a few good weekends

out of it so I sold it.

Its funny

I didnt use it when I had it

and then I missed it when I sold it.

Do you visit your parents?

I did a few times.

Then I decided never to go back there.

What happened?

Nothing special. I just

didnt want to be there anymore.

That was the part of you

I never understood.

You never understood anything.

Heres a sweater.

Thank you.

Hello?

Hello?

Lets wait a bit.

- Im not waiting.

They said theyd be here.

Dont trespass.

I really needed to look at it.

Thanks for coming along.

We can grab a bite on the way back.

We didnt have this before.

Your taste is deepening.

Stop it.

People are so unreliable you know.

I told him Id be here by noon.

Eighty miles for nothing.

Dont be angry.

- Why shouldnt I? - Its so American.

What does that mean?

All this efficiency!

Youre so relentless pedantic.

Is this East Germany

meeting its match in America?

Stop it or get out of the car.

Wheres your sense of humor?

Youre driving in the wrong direction.

It may be wrong

but thats where were going.

Thats good.... They cant get more.

IIl get some branches.

Hello?...

Bye.

TheyIl send someone tomorrow

to open the house.

On the Sunday?

I think I have to stay

somewhere out here.

I can drive you back.

Or drop you off at a bus

or theres a train too.

Im not going anywhere.

Sure this is not a problem?

An enormous one

but one I can handle

if you stop shouting at me.

No I mean Lindsey said

you have to be back tonight.

Yeah and you said

you have to look at the house tomorrow.

Let me call the tow truck.

OK thank you.

Theres 21.

Heres twenty...

Here.

- OK.

See you in a bit.

Yeah...

Look at that!

If we dont go now

its going to start to mist or rain

or itIl get dark.

I need a walk.

I need to call Rachel for the cats.

And...

we should get toothbrushes

and stuff. Maybe some boots.

Theres something different

about the hotel.

No.

Time has passed thats all.

The hotel is the same.

Its more imposing though.

It hasnt changed?

- Have you changed?

Yes I have.

In what way?

- In ways I dont want to talk about.

I take it you think

youre still the same.

Well Im older Im balder...

I dont mean that.

- Il know what you mean...

Yeah a table for two please.

OK lovely thank you.

See you later.

Last time we saw this restaurant

and thought it was too expensive

or else it was too full

do you remember?

I checked the name of it

and thought this time we would go there.

I cant remember

having any food at all last time.

We had bad chowder in some corner place

just down from here.

You hated it and I didnt finish it.

I dont remember that.

I said it was homemade.

And you said we were all homemade

and maybe that was

the worst thing about us.

What does that mean?

Thanks.

It was nice to be back at the library.

I couldnt make it.

Well the reading would have been

embarrassing with you in the room.

When I worked in the library

I loved the manuscripts

more than the books.

Kafka and Twain and Nabokov...

Werent you intimidated?

- No! - No?

No. On the contrary.

Seeing how everyone who wrote started

with ordinary things trying out

and when I saw those lines crossed out

whole pages...

No one was ever sure

of what they were writing

not when they started

not even the greatest.

They were not yet fully formed.

They had to work.

Once when I was a teenager

I learned an entire passage of Plato

to impress my father

only to be told that he knew it all

in the original Greek.

You never grow up.

For me it wasnt funny at all.

I know

I almost cried

when you told me for the first time.

I did?

- Yeah.

Thats how you got me.

I was so innocent.

Just give me a minute please.

When we drove out here

I wasnt sure how it feel.

I thought it was me who thought that.

In a way this could be

the next day after the last time.

Dont speak.

You used to say

that we were world champions.

At being happy.

The only thing that I promise myself

that if I buy it I cant sell it.

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