This Is Martin Bonner Page #3

Gross, Dad.

[ Chuckles ]

Hey, I'm gonna

head back inside. Um--

I'll call you in a couple days, all right?

Okay. I'm gonna

e-mail you about this.

This is happening.

Okay, that's fine.

How's that brother of yours?

He's good.

He's good.

All right.

Love you, pumpkin.

Okay, I love you too.

Bye, Dad.

Bye, sweetheart.

So, how have you been making out on the

bus, getting around town? Is that okay?

Yeah, it's been no problem.

Well, I can drive you anywhere

that you ever want to go, okay?

Thanks.

Like, especially--

- ...salad.

- That job interview tomorrow.

All right? I'd be happy

to take you there.

You know, I worked it out on the

bus, and I think it's gonna be fine.

Okay.

Well, you've got my number--

Angela and I.

Either of us would be happy to take you anywhere.

Did you decorate this place yourself, Mrs. Helms?

Yes. Oh, please,

call me Angela.

You did a great job.

It's a good look for the room.

Oh, thank you. It's, um,

thrift shop, antiques.

I'm a bit of a bargain hunter.

And lots of great stuff comes through here.

- Are you from here?

- No. Actually, St. Louis.

Oh, I love St. Louis.

Mmm, I love St. Louis too.

[ Chuckles ]

Yeah, I got stuck there once for two weeks.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah.

I was driving cross-country

with my girlfriend,

and we broke up in St. Louis,

and she left me there.

No.

Oh.

Yeah. I was stuck there

for two weeks,

but then I got a ride back to New York.

- But that must have been terrible.

- [ Steve ] Mm-hmm.

Well, I don't know.

I had a blast there.

And she broke down

in Utah, so--

[ Both Laughing ]

Well, actually, I was pretty young when I left St. Louis,

so I don't really know too much about the nightlife.

It's pretty serious.

It was back then.

Hmm.

Are you from Nevada?

No, I'm from North Carolina.

Hmm.

- I thought there was a little Southern in you.

- Mm-hmm.

There's a lot of Southern in here.

[ Both Chuckle ]

So why did you come here?

God.

I don't think we planned on coming here.

I think it was a surprise, but,

you know, we prayed on it and, uh,

asked the Lord where we were needed, and here we are.

But I was hoping he'd pray for a second choice.

[ Steve Chuckles ]

And you did. You did.

Yes, you did.

[ Angela Chuckles ]

So you were already together when you came here?

- Mm-hmm. We met on a mission trip in England.

- Oh, cool.

Yeah, actually, Steve's fiance was my bunkmate.

- Really?

- [ Chuckling ] Yeah.

She complained about him every night,

and I eventually talked her into breaking up with him,

which now sounds

a little self-serving,

but I actually thought he was kind of a jerk.

Yeah, I was a jerk.

[ Chuckles ]

But it's a great story.

Yeah.

And, actually, he was the one that got

me really serious about the mission.

Were you always serious?

About Christianity?

No. I was a punk kid,

and I think my-- my parents were the

only two atheists in Asheville.

I didn't get serious until I was 16.

Sixteen's pretty young.

I had a pretty significant dream.

What happened in the dream?

No, you wouldn't believe me if I told you.

He's embarrassed to say.

Well, no, no, no.

I just-- I don't want him to think I'm crazy.

Oh, I think he's seen crazier than you.

[ Steve ]

I don't know.

Must have been some dream.

It was.

[ Angela ]

Did you have enough salad there, Travis?

Um--

Have some rolls. Extra rolls.

Yeah. Maybe.

Thank you.

We've got a good dessert coming up too.

[ Radio:
Country ]

[ Man Singing, Indistinct ]

[ Bell Dings ]

So what brought you here?

Um, would you believe my daughter signed me up?

[ Gasps ]

Mine too!

Oh, really?

Yeah!

[ Chuckles ]

How old is yours?

Twenty-eight.

Oh. Mine's 17, so only one more year before I'm free.

Oh.

You know, enjoy them as long as you

can, 'cause you're gonna miss them.

Really.

Yeah.

Yeah, she signed me up about three weeks ago,

and she only told me this week.

[ Gasps ]

Oh, my God.

[ Chuckles ]

Yeah.

- That's funny.

- Yeah. Yeah.

Well-- Well, good for you

for coming out.

Oh, dear.

- Have you done this before?

- No.

Well, dating, yes, but this--

this speed thing, no.

You seem like a pro.

Thank you.

I guess.

I mean, that is a compliment, right?

Oh, yeah.

Oh.

Oh-- Yeah.

So, um,

tell me something unique about you, Martin.

Um--

I don't--

Come on.

Well,

I sang in a rock band in the '60s.

Get out!

What were you called?

Kopyrite.

With a "K."

- Oh, that is really unique.

- Yeah?

Yeah.

What about you?

I was gonna say I can juggle.

Oh, really?

Knives?

No, uh, the balls.

- [ Clears Throat ]

- [ Chuckles ]

Excuse me. I--

[ Clears Throat ]

- I'm a little nervous.

- Oh, that's all right.

I was pretty apprehensive about this too.

Really?

Yeah.

You know, just this meeting new people-- it's tough.

I feel a little...

socially dysfunctional,

but I guess maybe we all are a little bit to be here.

Maybe we're just unlucky.

[ Bell Dings ]

Oh.

Okay.

It's good to meet you, Cheryl.

- Wait. It was nice to meet you.

- Hey, thank you.

It's a pleasure. Bye.

Hi.

Hi, Sandra.

Are you having fun yet?

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

Hey, handsome.

You looking to keep warm tonight?

Uh--

[ Chuckles ]

I could use someone to keep me warm.

You might try a couple more layers.

That could do the trick.

Come on. You're not gonna leave

me standing around here, are you?

I don't know if it's a good idea.

Why wouldn't it be a good idea?

I don't know. Uh--

All right. Let's get

out of the cold.

I don't have much cash on me.

Fifty dollars, plus the room for anything you want.

I'm staying in a motel.

[ Siren Wailing In Distance ]

So you're looking at a bargain.

What's your name?

Lacy.

- All right, Lacy.

- Where's your car?

[ Chattering ]

[ Travis Grunting ]

Thanks.

[ Door Closes ]

- Thanks for meeting me.

- Not a problem.

I'm interested in hearing how

things are going with the program.

Yeah?

And with you, in general.

I got a job.

Really?

What is it?

Parking lot attendant.

[ Chuckles ]

That's great.

Yeah, a lot of people have trouble with that first hurdle.

Things are tough, especially now.

No, that is really good that you got that.

Yeah. I mean,

it's something to do. Um--

It's somewhere to be is more like it.

How are things going with Steve Helms?

Fine.

Yeah?

I don't want to be rude, but is there a reason

that you wanted to meet me and not him?

Well, I did call him.

We talked for a little bit.

He's a really nice guy.

He's just, uh,

very Christian.

Okay.

I mean, I believe in God.

I just feel like I'm a fraud around him.

God?

No. Steve.

Oh, I see.

I don't mean that you're not very Christian.

I don't know much about you at all.

I just felt that it would be nice...

to talk to someone different once in a while, you know.

Yeah, well, that's understandable.

Are you?

Very Christian?

I've got a degree in theology,

and I worked for the church for many, many years.

Yeah, I should have known.

Yeah, you shouldn't be intimidated by that.

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