The River Why Page #2

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I was even born.

And even though his body...

was stuck

over the living room mantle...

his spirit haunted

every corner of my life.

What can you say after you've

spontaneously cremated...

your parent's prized fish

in the fireplace?

The only thing

that came to my mind

was "Good-bye. "

[starting engine]

For me, happiness

would never be found...

anywhere but on the banks

of a river anyway.

So I took the few

possessions I owned-

Bye, Gus.

and turned to the river.

And to a new life devoid of

every obstacle between me...

and my beloved

art of angling.

[soft music]

I will ask it plain

'Cause I just have

One way to speak

Help to make me strong

Because this world

Has made me weak

I remember

when I started out

There wasn't anything

Any man or any country

Any court or any king

That ever kept me

From my calling

Oh

No wall so tall

I could not scale

But now I feel

Like I am falling

Oh

Lord, don't let me fail

Let me run like

I'm a river

Let me travel

Like a trail

Lord don't let it fail

Let me run

Like I'm a river

Let me travel

Like a train

Let me run

like I'm a river

Let me travel

Like a train

Let me run

like I'm a river

Let me travel

Travel like a train

[soft cheerful music]

(Gus, off) There's just

nothing like the feel...

of a trout dancing

through the river...

making the pole pulse

like a heart in your hands.

It does to your hands...

what dreams of eternity

do to your heart.

And yet, I killed the trout.

It's strange to kill

your dance partner...

but that's what I did.

I did it because the world

is strange.

Because the world does not allow

you to make up your own rules...

based on how you would

wish things to be.

Because this is a world

where no matter who you are...

your happiness,

your survival...

is based on sacrifice.

Sweet, bleeding sacrifice.

Nice work, son.

[blows]

Very nice.

How many you got?

About a hundred.

I'll take 'em all.

Great!

[children shouting]

(man)

Hey! Stop!

Hey.

Howdy there.

(Gus)

Howdy.

Hi. My

name's Kernie.

And, uh,

this is Bernie...

and Marlene and Charlene and Darlene...

and this one right

here is Ernie...

except we call him

Hemingway for short.

I'm Gus.

Oh, yeah. Yeah,

yeah, we know.

Yeah, you live right up there, upstream

by the reef forest.

Hey, uh...

maybe,

do you guys...

want some fish,

smoked fish-

(kids)

Yeah! Yeah!

No, no, no. Don't grab, don't grab.

Well, while you guys

pick at that, I'm gonna...

move on

down the road.

Oh, wait.

No, no, no.

We got some stuff for

you. Just wait right here.

Hey, you like fishing?

If you ever want a lesson

or anything, you know...

you can just

come by my cabin.

[footsteps]

Here you go.

Oh, whoa.

These are brand-new,

so they're really good.

Wow, thank you.

Okay. Wow.

Hello.

Wow. This is really-

I don't- I can't-

Oh, no, no, no. It's good, it's good.

It's great.

You're fine.

Hi, I'm Gus.

Yeah, I know.

Thank you.

[engine starting]

(all)

Bye.

(Gus) Thank you. Nice meeting you.

[cow mooing]

Nice job, Rodney.

Alfred

I promise...

I'll eat

something else tomorrow.

[soft guitar music]

[engine humming]

[man, shouting]

Abe, are you out there?

Abe! Are you all right?

Hey, have you seen

a lone fisherman?

(Gus) Sorry. I haven't seen anyone.

Abe!

[indistinct shouting]

Abe!

(man 2)

Abe, where are you?

(man 1 )

Abe, come on!

[far away]

Abe!

[eerie music]

(Gus)

Oh!

[Gus, grunting]

(Gus) Oh! [splash]

[gasping]

[panting]

[coughing and panting]

[soft guitar music]

[panting]

(Gus, off) There's one thing

you can say about nature.

If you make one lousy rule

to describe it...

it'll contradict you even if

it has to bust its ass to do so.

And so what? If anybody ever

discovered the real laws of nature...

nature would rear back

and strike him dead...

before he could

pass on the news.

Jesus Christ.

(Gus) No. I think his name is Abe.

[groaning]

(Gus, off)

Maybe Abe knew.

Maybe he had just figured

the whole world out...

and was about to tell me

as I floated past.

But God caught wind of it and

stuck out His invisible foot...

tripped and drowned him.

If the fool only knew

how to swim.

[walla]

[engine starts]

[sirens]

Easy, friend.

Let's see if we can

thaw you out.

(man)

I am Titus.

Titus I rving Gerrard.

At your service.

Nice to meet you. I...

am simply Gus.

Simply Gus?

I don't think so.

Anyone who knows

the secrets...

to the catches

you made today...

is not simply anything.

There's no secrets

to those catches.

The trout I caught

on a wet fly.

The corpse I caught

on a soggy dry.

Yes, well...

you've done old Abe's

family some service...

by collecting his remains.

And since we're all bodily

destined for corpsehood...

and spiritually possessed

of immortal souls...

I see no reason to let the

proximity of corpses ruin our day.

If you think we're all

possessed by immortal souls...

I'd sure like

to see them.

Maybe you're looking

in the wrong places.

For clear vision.

Thanks.

M m-hm.

And uh,

thanks for the ride.

[soft guitar music]

(Gus, off)

A fisherman is dead.

Everyone I know

will one day be dead.

What can I do about it?

Death is the most natural

thing there is...

and we all have a knack for

it. The only question is...

when we'll master it.

Doesn't matter what we do...

or what we don't do.

This is no passing thought.

It's a gnawing emptiness

more real than the cold.

[soft sad music]

This is bullshit.

(Bill Bob) Ma tossed the

baby rabbit skeleton...

I had hanging in my closet.

Is that tonight's dreefee?

Yep.

I had to get a new one.

Whatever helps you sleep,

Bill Bob.

Gussy?

Bill Bob?

I thought it might make

you feel better...

to explain that you've

got a garden angel.

You mean guardian angel?

Nah. See, you think

you're alone.

But you're not.

You've got a garden angel...

that's your twin.

(Gus)

It's called a guardian angel.

(Bill Bob) No. I'm talking

about a garden angel.

It's like your shadow.

Dreefee.

(Gus)

Garden angel.

Gussy, garden angels

come from the ground...

like carrots.

When they first

come out of the ground...

into the garden world,

they're very old...

or hurt, or sick.

And the longer

the angels live there...

the younger and smaller

they grow

and happier and friendlier

they get.

When they get little little...

they disappear out of the garden

world and into our world...

and we trade places.

We what?

We trade places

with our twin.

We go there and our twin comes here.

We journey up and up

through a long black tunnel...

till we reach

the garden angel grounds.

Sprout up like carrots.

Trade back and forth.

Does knowing this make you feel

a little less lonely, Gussy?

Yeah, Bill Bob.

Thanks.

[soft lively music]

[whistling]

Oh, sorry.

Uh, I'm, uh-

[stammering]

Don't get scared.

I'm just- I'm just

a marmless misher-

I just came here

to go swimming.

Oops.

I gotta go.

You know, um-

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