The Squid and the Whale Page #6

- I liked Errol Flynn.

- Errol Flynn.

- That's all?

- And...

...I was glad she let me leave the party

to watch the movie.

She and I loved that movie.

It's like....

It's like we were pals then,

and we'd do things together.

We'd look at the knight armor at the Met.

The scary fish at the Natural History museum.

I was always afraid of the squid

and the whale fighting.

I could only look at it with my hands

in front of my face.

When we'd get home,

after my bath, she'd go through...

...all the different things we saw

that day at the museum. And....

And we'd get to the squid and the

whale, and she'd describe it for me.

Which was--

It was still scary...

...but it was less scary.

Anyway, it was fun.

It was fun to hear about it.

Did your dad live at home back then?

- Yeah, why?

- You didn't mention him.

Where was he during all of this?

He was....

I don't know exactly. He was....

He was downstairs, maybe.

He didn't ever come to the museum.

This was before my brother was born.

It was before....

It was earlier.

Hello?

Hello?

- Not now, Bernard.

- Why not?

I'm just not, okay?

- Put me in your mouth.

- Walt!

- Hi.

- Hey, Walt.

Hi.

I'll be right out. We can hang out.

- Hi. Is Walt here?

- No.

I'd like you to come to my house.

- lsn't it Mom's night?

- Yeah, but I'd like you to come over.

I have to put on my shoes.

Come in, I guess.

- Place looks different.

- She got some new furniture in Maine.

That was my TV. I bought that TV.

That's my Jude the Obscure.

- Wanna take it?

- No.

She still has some of the books you wrote.

Dad, why are you taking me

to your house on Mom's night?

Just a minute.

Hi.

Frank let me in.

I didn't realize you were here.

- I'm here. It's Monday.

- I'd like to take him for just tonight.

I'll give you two Thursdays in a row

or something.

- Mom.

- It's my night. He wants to stay.

Be careful. That's an antique.

- Where's Walt?

- I don't know where Walt is.

He's not up there. Bernard!

He doesn't come here.

You should go.

You'll see him tomorrow.

Tell Walt to call me.

I dunked my head in that pond in the park.

The one near the zoo?

Oh, sweetie, that's filthy.

I hope you didn't drink any of it.

Some may have gotten in my mouth.

I tried not to swallow.

I shouldn't have broken up with Sophie.

- Why did you?

- I thought I could do better.

Better how?

I don't know.

That's good. You miss her.

But I don't see myself as a person

who is in this situation. I just don't.

I don't see myself this way.

Well, this is how it is.

Did you ever love Dad?

Because if you didn't,

why did you ever marry him?

If you were gonna leave,

why put us through this?

It wasn't planned. When we first met,

he was unlike anyone.

In Columbus, there was no one like your dad.

I had had an affair with a man

before your father.

He worked at the bookstore.

We made love in the stockroom.

Mom, I don't wanna hear

about your affairs, please.

I'm sorry.

I don't know what I can say to you.

You say things in a way

that I don't wanna hear them.

I know, Chicken.

It's something I do. It's a bad habit.

Do you remember when we watched Robin Hood?

- He knocked on my window.

- Bernard, what are you doing?

Joan, let me ask you something.

The work I did at the end of our marriage...

...making dinners, being attentive.

It never was gonna make a difference.

- You were leaving.

- You never made a dinner.

I made burgers when you had pneumonia.

- Only after I insisted.

- If I had made more dinners...

- ...would that have made a difference?

- I was ready to leave long ago.

I just didn't know it then.

I've been giving it some thought.

You called my father at the last minute.

Whatever you said,

he thought I could save the marriage.

You felt I wasn't aggressive enough.

I'll make more of an effort to do stuff.

I've been cooking and doing chores at my house.

I make veal cutlets, which the boys love.

Why don't we all have dinner

and talk more about this?

I'm sorry.

It's just....

Burgers.

I'll sue you, Joan. You know I will.

You had an affair for four years

with that f***ing shrink...

...that ruined our marriage.

I can get the kids.

Eddie Goodman works on these cases.

And I have an open-and-shut case.

- Frank, Walt, get in the car.

- Sue me?

That's-- I can't--

You only wanted joint custody because

you pay less child support that way.

Because it's cheaper for you.

Walt, Frank!

- I don't wanna go.

- I don't give a sh*t! Get in the car.

- Frank!

- Let him stay. Let him stay.

- I'm just asking this one thing.

- He wants to stay.

- Let him. I'll go.

- Fine.

Hold on.

You want him tonight?

Okay. Thanks.

That's all right, my brother.

The cat!

I got him. Joan, I got him.

I got him.

Goddamn it.

- Dad! You see him go--?

- I'm moving it!

F*** off.

Whoa, Bernard! You all right?

- I had him.

- Joan, call an ambulance!

Walt, get in the car.

What?

It means "b*tch."

Don't you remember?

You're calling me a b*tch?

No, don't you remember the last line

of Godard's A bout de souffle?

Belmondo calls Seberg a b*tch.

We saw it at the Thalia with the Dicksteins.

I got you in for the children's price.

You were pregnant with Walt.

Like six weeks.

I still got you in for a children's ticket.

You told me you didn't like Godard.

You thought the jump cuts were--

I'd check for the cat behind the ashcans...

- ... under the Golodners' stoop!

- Okay.

I didn't write it.

- I know.

- Pink Floyd did.

Do you think we'll find him?

I hope so.

Do you think one day

we could go to the Galapagos?

I don't know, Pickle.

Ivan and I could take you to the

country on Saturday to see real turtles.

Saturday is Dad's day.

- There's my son.

- Hey.

- Are you okay?

- I'm fine.

Thought it was a heart attack,

but I think I'm just exhausted.

Doctor said I'm exhausted.

- Too many veal cutlets?

- Maybe.

That a good book?

Oh, this is pulp. It's not serious.

It's hard to read a good book in the

hospital, but this isn't bad of its kind.

Leonard is the fillet of the crime genre.

I'd like you to stay here for the day.

I need the company.

Okay.

Lili moved out.

Do me a favor, go out in the hall,

get me another pillow.

My neck is hurting.

Maybe we could even things out,

and I could stay at Mom's a few nights.

- I've been staying more at yours.

- It's not a good time.

I'm not gonna be 1 00 percent

for a while. I'd like you around.

- I don't wanna come for a while.

- It's not up to you.

You're a minor. You're in my custody.

My home is your home too.

I'm not coming.

Why?

That hurts my feelings.

Don't be difficult.

If you like, we can get you some

more posters, make your room better.

Paint it a different color.

I can lend you my first edition

of The Naked and the Dead.

As a present.

Let me get you a pillow.

You used to be very emotional

when you were younger.

Did I look pretty silly out there,

falling on the concrete?

Yeah.

What? What are you laughing at?

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