The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) Page #7

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- No, I have to go, dad.

Where are you going?

I'm going over to mom's, actually.

- Maybe I'll go with you.

- I don't know if that's...

That was the summer on Martha's vineyard

- with l.J., Maya, Paul, and Lori.

- We were staying at the knapp house,

- the one with that peculiar blind dog.

- Yeah.

And Matthew, you were making up

all of these card games, you remember?

And there was one in particular

where I asked if it was based on luck,

and you said it was based on "hope."

You "hoped" you got a good card.

And that's what we said all summer,

remember? "It's based on hope."

I was commissioned to make

"gilded halfwing" that summer.

L.j. was very jealous.

I had already sold a piece to the Whitney.

- Where do they keep that piece?

- It's not lost. They catalog these things.

- I didn't say it was.

- Harold, did you see?

Oh.

You still have one of the sketches

of "gilded halfwing."

- It looks good here.

- Yeah, Cody really admires it.

- He says it gives him ideas.

- I thought Cody was a gym teacher.

No, he taught Spanish at p.S. 182

and coached the soccer team.

Matthew, Cody's sons are coming

for dinner. I'm making a meatloaf.

Okay, good, I'm starving.

I told Matthew this seems

like an elaborate ruse

just to get his parents back together.

- You didn't tell me that.

- [Cell phone ringing]

Oh, this is Tony on facetime.

You mind if I...

Harold, do you want coffee

or a tea or anything?

- [Matthew] he has to go!

- Tea would be nice.

I can't have coffee after four.

[Matthew] hi, sweetheart!

And if you have a triscuit or something,

I'm also starving.

[Tony] hi, I'm playing

a game for a minute.

It's called all the animals are dead.

Do you want to see it?

Dad, would you rather have

a beard made of paper

or a beard made from a tree?

What's a beard made from a tree?

A beard made from a tree

is a beard which is like a tree.

- Like... leaves on a tree?

- Yeah, but like a beard.

- I'm in the middle of cooking.

- I guess a beard made from a tree?

- Me, too.

- Is this my buddenbrooks?

- I think this is my copy of buddenbrooks.

- I don't know.

Would you rather die from old age

or kill yourself?

- Old age, I guess.

- Me, too.

[Woman] did you give him regular milk?

- Victoria, I didn't know you were there.

- Of course I'm here.

He doesn't know

how to use the phone by himself.

[Tony] yes, I do.

- [Victoria] he can't have dairy.

- We don't know that for a fact.

- Yes, we do.

- [Tony] I'm gonna press the button now.

- Wait. I love you. Baby?

- I'm pressing the...

Tell him grandma says hi.

[Harold] me, too.

We were very thorough when we divided

the books, that I remember.

Me, too. Put it back, dad.

I've been looking for this edition.

You've lived without it now for 30 years.

I think you can manage.

You can take it, Harold, if you want.

I've mostly stopped reading fiction.

- I'll walk you to the car?

- I can stay a bit longer.

It's so nice to see you again, Harold.

I think the last time

was Matt's graduation.

You know...

There's something

that I wanted to say and...

I thought of calling or writing,

but I never did.

I have huge regrets

about how I was with Danny and Jean.

I was a kid myself in many ways and...

You were so angry with me,

I took your lead, frankly,

and we were starting over, we had Matt.

We didn't want to look back,

and that was understandable, but...

I wish I'd been more nurturing of them.

More generous.

More mothering, really.

I think they suffered in part

because of that and... I feel terrible.

Anyway, that's what I wanted to say.

Nice to see you.

It's called flirting when you're young.

I'm not sure what it's called

when you're over 70.

You're just up here.

She still has my drawing on her wall

next to the gym teacher's doodle.

Cody's a good guy.

Your mother is more comfortable ultimately

being with men who are half-smart.

Then she can dominate.

I was much too formidable.

After our separation and before Cody,

she was with a homosexual,

and before that, a man who had no foot.

Her fraudulent claims about

not reading fiction I find offensive.

She's masquerading as a populist

so as to not threaten Cody.

But it's a clever, yet bogus, subterfuge.

It's a shame your mother,

who knows better,

has succumbed

to this fashionable anti-art movement.

This is why we have

a republican congress.

I can't believe you took the book.

She said I could have it.

It was mine originally.

You have your keys?

She was clearly very happy to see me.

When it ended,

we weren't on speaking terms,

but now you see that big hug

she insisted on giving me?

You know, Maureen always said

that your mother was the love of my life.

- You gonna take the bridge or the tunnel?

- I thought you were leaving tomorrow.

That's why I drove

all the way into Brooklyn.

I'm staying a few days.

[Coughing]

I was around

all this plaster dust earlier.

We have lots of room.

Maureen is keen on seeing you as well.

You know, she's your stepmother

as much as Cody is your stepfather.

I told mom I'd stay here.

Maybe split half the time there

and half with us?

I'm not splitting the time

like I did at 15.

It was very important to me

after our separation

that I see you half the time.

I wanted to make it up

after Danny and Jean.

- Then make it up to them.

- I made a real effort with you.

Danny and Jean, I could've done better,

but I don't see anything significant

I could've done better with you.

- Really? Nothing?

- Oh, come on, Matthew.

You feel like that all was great?

Danny definitely got sh*t,

and Jean didn't even get sh*t.

But I got your focus, and that

f***ed me up in a whole other way.

Matthew, we never see each other.

Let's not fight.

I keep thinking I know

how to handle you now,

but then I see you and I get suckered

into your sh*t all over again:

Your career, your jacket.

And then, when I try to actually help,

like today, you won't listen!

I don't see how I could be

such a bad father.

- Look how successful you are.

- Right.

- I could never be the businessman you are.

- Okay.

I've said to Maureen,

"I don't know who Matthew takes after.

I certainly didn't know

how to make money."

That's right, I don't take after you!

None of us do!

You had to be

the only artist in the family!

It doesn't matter that I make money,

because you don't respect what I do!

What do you need my respect for?

The world respects you

because you make money.

[Grunts] I want to punch you in the nose!

I know you think you can treat me this way

because of your money.

It doesn't matter how much money I make!

You make me feel like a big piece of sh*t

because you don't care about it!

But you also actually do!

You're privately obsessed with it!

You know that I beat you!

I beat you!

I beat...

[Dr. soni] It's quite startling.

A collection of fluids

on the left side of his head

was shoving the brain clear to the right.

His brain experienced

so much pressure and irritation

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