Riding the Bullet Page #2

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What is it?

It's my mom. She's in the hospital

down in Lewiston. She had a stroke.

Sh*t. I'm sorry, Alan.

What about Toronto?

You guys go ahead.

I got to make sure my mom's okay.

Look, Ma!

I got a gold star, Ma.

What's the matter, Mama?

Oh, baby.

What?

It's gonna be okay, sweet pea.

Why are you crying?

It's your daddy.

A loving husband, a good father,

a generous friend....

It's just you and me now, baby.

Alan and Jean Parker against the world.

No!

-Thanks for the ride.

-Not a problem, man.

-Where you headed?

-Down to Lewiston.

I can take you up to Hampton Center, man.

Far out. Thanks.

-You want to get high?

-No, that's okay.

What are you, a narc?

No, I'm not a narc.

No, because if you're a narc,

you'd have to say you're a narc, right?

What's in Lewiston?

I've gotta see my mom in the hospital.

Sh*t. What is she, sick?

No, she hangs out there,

pulls tricks for a few extra bucks.

Kind of a hobby.

She had a stroke.

That's a drag. My mom died in a hospital.

Heavy sh*t. She had lung cancer.

She weighed like 75 pounds when she died.

Thanks for sharing that, a**hole.

I feel much better now.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, I ain't.

She was a real DAR b*tch, you know.

Her and my dad really big on oppression.

Sieg heil, that whole thing.

Actually, my mom's

Another Mother for Peace.

Oh, that's cool. Were you in the service?

No. Student deferment. You?

F***, no, man.

They tried to drag my ass to Vietnam.

I'm not going down there, man.

I'm not going to go get killed. I dig life.

"Give peace a chance," right?

I'll tell you what, pretty soon all the over-30s

are going to be six feet under.

Then we'll see. Did you go to Woodstock?

-No.

-You missed out, bro.

Righteous weed, skinny-dipping,

naked chicks.

Here, take this.

What the f*** was that?

What a trip, man. Are you all right, brother?

-What's with the wig?

-Sh*t, man!

Hey, man. Sh*t.

-This yours?

-Listen.

You know, they called me a baby killer

I'm no f***ing baby killer.

I'm not gonna be a part of that war machine.

Look at me. I'm one of you.

You're not one of me,

you weekend hippie a**hole.

-And you're a shitty driver.

-What kind of attitude is that?

Where are you going, man?

Where's that joint?

Mom?

What the f*** are you looking at?

Come on, let's move along.

Move along, please.

Hey, Alan, you need a ride?

What is it, hon?

How did Dad die?

He was killed in a car accident.

You know that.

Yeah, I know, but I never really knew how.

How did it happen?

He was coming home one night...

from a meeting he had out in Castle Rock.

And his car ran out of gas...

on Route Two, you know...

the middle of nowhere.

He was just walking down the road...

when someone just ran right into him.

When they finally found your daddy,

he was still holding on to the gas can.

I honestly don't know what I'd do

if I didn't have you.

Do you remember him?

Not so much.

I wish you could.

You're so much like him it scares me.

You get on up to Orono

and make me proud, okay?

Be careful, Al.

All right, son, let's perambulate along.

Nothing to see here.

Hello?

What do you want?

Who are you?

Dad?

She lied to you, you know.

-Hop on in, son. It's bugger-cold out there.

-Thanks.

I'm heading on down to Bowdoinham.

He trying to catch something?

You know, my wife Aleka, bless her soul,

she used to say...

I would end up in a ditch with a knife

in my back picking up hitchhikers.

But every time I see

a young fellow like you...

standing on the side of the road,

I think of my younger days.

I appreciate it.

Yeah. Where you headed, son?

Central Maine General Hospital

down in Lewiston.

-Yeah.

-My mother had a stroke.

I'm sorry to hear that.

-They think she'll be okay.

-Yeah.

Stroke's what claimed my Allie,

not four years back.

She just started babbling stuff,

not making a lick of sense.

After a while she just sort of

petered out, you know.

I miss her terrible.

On long drives,

I can still see her face sometimes...

sitting right there where you are.

Damn!

You know, I'd take you all the way,

but I promised my brother Ralph...

that I'd take him

over to that nursing home in Gates.

His wife's up there,

she's got that forgetting disease...

what do you call it,

Anderson's or whatever it is.

-Alzheimer's.

-Alzheimer's, yeah. That's the fellow.

Still, I suppose I could take you all the way.

Don't let him.

There's something wrong with him.

You don't have to do that.

I can get a ride from Gates easy.

Damn, damn truss!

Damn rupture!

You know, pardon my French...

but if you stick around

this old world long enough...

after a while all your works

start falling apart, you know.

It just seems like the longer you live...

the more God wants to kick you in the ass.

Still, it's good that you dropped everything

to go see your mom the way you're doing.

She's a good mom.

Okay, Mrs. Parker.

Well. This must be little Al.

Alan. Who are you?

This is Mr. Dalrymple from the ADC.

I think I have everything

I need for now, Mrs. Parker.

-Good. We'll be in touch.

-Thank you.

-Thanks for the coffee and cookies.

-You're welcome.

-Son.

-Goodbye!

-What's ADC?

-He says it's Aid to Dependent Children...

but I think it's Awful Damn Crapheads.

Gotta pucker up

and smooch his white heinie...

just to make sure he writes a good report,

so we can get an extra $50 a month.

-What?

-"Awful Damn Crapheads"?

It's just you and me against the world, Al.

Mom?

It got so my Allie...

didn't even know her own name.

She had that look in her eye,

like she's saying, "Let me out of here."

I mean, if she could think of the words

to say. You know what I mean?

Mom?

There's nothing we can really do for her.

She's going to need someone to care for her

for the rest of her life.

That's your job,

which means quitting school, of course...

and any semblance of a life

that you may have had.

Yeah. I know what you mean.

Look at that.

Look at that harvest moon, son.

Ain't she a corker?

Make a wish on it, boy!

I wish my mom knows me

when I walk into her room.

That her eyes would light up

and she'd say my name.

I wouldn't f*** with wishes if I were you.

Remember The Monkey's Paw?

I wish my Allie was here.

Oh, to hell with Ralph.

Why don't I just take you right on down

to Lewiston with me, son?

Just take you right on down there with me.

What would you say?

Don't do it!

It's another 20 miles of the stink of piss...

and weaving across lanes

till we get hit head on by some Mack truck!

He's dying, man! Can't you smell it?

-What do you say, son?

-No, that's okay.

You take care of your brother. He needs you

as much as my mom needs me.

To hell with Ralph! To hell with him!

I'll take you right to the hospital door...

even though we never met before.

What do you say, son?

What do you say? I'll take you right there!

No, it's okay.

Thanks. I can go out that way.

I can get a ride in no time.

Yeah, best you do that.

Get a ride outside of town.

Nobody would give you a ride inside town,

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