The Savages Page #5

That's really great, Wen.

I, huh... I'm really proud of you.

You are?

Yeah, it's amazing. It's major.

It's, um...

I mean, maybe this is your...

your time, you know. Your year.

Look, how about we both work here

and ride out the holidays together...

and get lots of writing done,

and, you know, we... it'll be fun.

We'll inspire each other.

Uh, our own little writers' colony.

I'm really proud of you, Wen.

You stole painkillers from a dead woman?

- Mmm.

- Do they work?

Mm, mm, mm, mm.

Salud.

Bye.

Ihr saht den weisen Salomon

Ihr wiesst,

was aus ihm wurde

Dem Mann war alles sonnenklar

Er verfluchte

die Stunde seiner Geburt

Und sah

Da alles eitel war

Wie gro und weis

War Salomon

Und seht,

da war es noch nicht Nacht

Da sah

die Welt die Folgen schon

Die Weisheit hatte ihn

so weit gebracht

Beneidenswert,

wer frei davon

- You're in my apartment?

- I'm on your bed with Marley.

She's got one of your T-shirts.

Mm-mm!

It smells like you,

like, uh, lavender and sweat.

Genghis is here, too.

I'm totally getting a hard-on.

- Will you please...

- Sorry.

- How's Genghis?

- She's good. You want to hear her?

- Yeah.

- Come here, honey. Here you go.

Hello, bunny.

Oh, beast.

She misses you.

You giving her, her medication?

Yeah.

Did you water my plant?

Yeah, it's doing good.

- When are you coming back?

- After the holidays.

- Thank you for sending me my mail.

- Oh, no problem.

- Uh, Wen?

- Yeah?

I'm gonna be leaving town

next week for a week.

- I won't be able to take care of Genghis.

- Where're you going?

Uh, Toronto, to visit Annie's family.

It's her parents' 50th anniversary.

Wendy?... Wendy?

Did you lose your hard-on?

Wendy, come on.

How about I drive up and bring Genghis?

We could spend the afternoon together.

It'll be fun.

I know it's not much of an offer, but...

you know my situation.

Okay, now if we could all take a look...

at the second page of the blue handout...

you'll see a section called

"Creating Special Moments".

If you're ever at a loss for what to do

with your elder on visiting days...

this list can come in very handy.

Hello? Are you here

for the support group?

You have a family member with dementia?

Okay, well, you're in the right place.

Just grab a couple packets and welcome.

And there's room up front.

We won't hurt you.

You've probably been hurt enough already.

We're talking about activities you can share

with your confused elder on visiting day.

I culled that list from a terrific book.

You laugh, but I love this series.

When my mother was diagnosed

with Parkinsons, this was my bible.

ask your elder about the old days. "

Okay, now I know that sounds

pretty obvious...

but when you're dealing with dementia,

you have to work extra hard at this.

You can't just sit on the side of the bed,

asking questions.

Bring things in

to stimulate their memory.

Old movies are a terrific so...

Excuse me!

Uh, we... we haven't served

the refreshments yet.

Uh, photographs, that seems obvious.

Uh, movies from the-

from their era, again,

can also be very powerful.

Oh.

Is that your neighborhood, Dad?

Yep.

They got that right.

There she is.

- Who?

- You see her?

She's cooking my dinner for me.

- That bastard.

- That's the father, Dad.

- Hey, you son of a b*tch!

- Shut up. Will you shut up?

You shut yourself up!

It's my night!

- He'd always smack me around

- Dad, it's okay. Sit down.

You're in the way of the program.

Sit down.

- Go to hell, you goddamn old vegetable.

- You're an animal.

- Drop dead!

- Sit down. Dad, it's okay. It's okay. Just sit down.

This is supposed to remind him

of the olden days.

Look behind you.

- Why are they still showing this?

- This is their entertainment.

You can't judge it by today's standards.

You have to look at it

in a historical context.

I just thought Dad would like

an old movie. Bye. Thanks.

Thank you so much. Thanks.

Thank God we have that interview tomorrow.

Let's just take the stairs.

Thank you. Thanks.

They're gonna ask you

a bunch of questions...

and you're really gonna

have to concentrate, Dad.

- It's important.

- Okay.

- What's that?

- Gingko biloba... boosts brain function.

Want some?

Dad, open your mouth.

Mm.

It's like a pharmacy in there.

What are those?

Antidepressants. You should try some.

- I'm not depressed.

- Please.

You must be the Savages.

- Hi. Jon.

- Roz. How do you do?

- Wendy. Hello.

- Nice to meet you.

- Our father.

- Nice to meet you. I'm Roz Landis.

My name is

Leonard Michael Joseph Savage.

Okay. Lenny, can you tell me

what season we're in?

Cold.

And the season is?

Winter. What do you think?

And what is the date today?

November.

I don't remember the day.

Okay.

Can you tell me where we are?

What city we're in?

Put down "East Coast".

Boston.

- Boston, Mass.

- You can't help him, Ms. Savage.

- He has to be able to answer the questions himself.

- He knows where he is.

- Wendy.

- What?

- She's conducting a test.

- I know. I'm not an idiot.

Let her ask the goddamn questions!

What'd you say to them?

I said he was pretty good except

he goes in and out every once in a while.

"In and out"?

Wendy, the mars got dementia.

I know, but they only had beds

for people who are more independent.

I thought if we could

just get him in there...

Why are you wasting our time

on fantasies?

She said she would put him

on one of the waiting lists.

I mean, J... Jesus,

I'm just doing it for Dad.

Dad's not the one that has

a problem with the Valley View.

I'm just trying to improve the situation.

Is that a crime?

There's nothing wrong with Dad's situation.

Dad's situation is fine.

He's never gonna adjust to it

if we keep yanking him out.

And actually, this upward mobility

fixation of yours...

it's counterproductive

and, frankly, pretty selfish.

- Selfish?

- Because it's not about Dad, it's about you and your guilt.

That's what these places prey upon.

I happen to think it's nicer here.

Of course you do, because you are

the consumer they want to target.

You are the guilty demographic.

The landscaping, the neighborhoods of care...

They're not for the residents,

they're for the relatives...

people like you and me who don't want

to admit to what's really going on here.

- Which is what, Jon?

- People are dying, Wendy!

Right inside that beautiful building right now,

it's a f***ing horror show!

A... And all this wellness propaganda

and the landscaping...

It's just there to obscure

the miserable fact that people die!

And death is gaseous and gruesome...

and it's filled with sh*t

and piss and rotten stink!

Come on, Nana.

There. What do you think?

What's it do?

- Nothing. It's just something nice to look at.

- Oh.

- Hey, how you doing, Mr. Savage?

- Hi, Jimmy.

That's not Jimmy, Dad.

What the hell are you talking about?

- I'm sorry. He's... he gets a little...

- It's okay.

It's Howard, Mr. Savage.

I'm here to put you to bed.

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