Touched With Fire Page #5

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just let me in

or I'm not going to sleep tonight.

- Mom...

- Oh.

- Hello.

- Hello.

Who's that?

Come on in.

Marco, this is my mom.

- Hello.

- Mom, this is Marco.

Hello.

- Wow. Very nice to meet you.

- Hi.

Nice to meet you.

We were just reading

Touched with Fire.

- It's a great book. Do you know it?

- No.

Really?

Carla never told you about it?

No. So how do you two

know each other?

- Oh...

- He's a poet.

Um...

I'm hungry.

Do you guys want to

go get some food?

- I'd love that.

- Great.

I'm not really hungry.

Well, at least come along

for the conversation.

You don't have to eat.

If anything, your mouth

will be more free to talk.

Do you like spicy food?

I don't know. Maybe.

- I know this place that has a really...

- You know, I'm tired.

Oh, really?

Why do you think you're tired?

I kinda just want to stay in.

Okay. Well, maybe

we could pick up something

for you and bring it back.

No, I just... I'll come back

another time if you're tired.

Are you ashamed of me?

- What?

- Are you ashamed of me?

No. What are you talking about?

Why didn't you tell her?

I don't know.

I guess I'm just afraid of...

of them tearing us apart.

They can't tear us apart.

We have to tell them.

Okay.

So, I just...

I want to orient myself,

if you don't mind.

My wife, you know, Sara,

had updated me a little

on the background

of the situation.

You met Carla in the hospital?

- That's right.

- We met in, well, group therapy.

They... We have to do

group therapy every day.

That's nice that you were able

to connect in that environment.

Yeah, absolutely.

And, but right...

This was right before

you both went manic.

When you have this illness, you...

actually go manic

before you go into the hospital, Dad.

Oh, of course.

Well, that's true.

I'm sorry. No, I meant the...

but right after you met,

then what would we say,

you went more manic.

- More.

- It did increase, is it...

Well, we brought out each other's nature,

if that's what you're driving at.

- So you...

- I guess that's one way of putting it...

You admit that you

bring out each other's illness, right?

No, I'm saying that it's our nature

to feel things more deeply

than what's considered normal.

And not...

That's really not what...

I understand it,

that it's sort of not a norm.

I understand that it's an illness...

I don't think

we should get caught up, if I may,

just on whether it's a disease

or nature or something.

I think the point is,

and the reason we're here,

is, you both have it,

and I guess we're just concerned

that you might be

a bad influence on each other.

That's it.

Well, but because we both share it,

we're the only ones

that can relate to each other.

It's beautiful.

Well, I understand that.

Excuse me,

but you understand that?

The doct... remember,

the doctors told us?

I mean, let's face it.

You know, if they signed up

for a dating website,

you know,

and they put down "mentally ill,"

it's not like they're going to attract

a whole lot of people saying,

"Oh, that's my soul mate."

Right?

Maybe this is a chance

for them to have a real relationship.

You know, and if they stay

on the medication,

quite frankly,

I got no problem with that.

But that's the whole issue, right?

Mom, can you just listen to him?

- We can't take the meds.

- Mom, just... just listen...

Okay, well, just as I thought.

- What are you talking about?

- You know what I'm talking about.

Marco, listen.

You know that it's going to take time

till you find the right dosage, right?

Even the doctor,

the doctor has said

that eventually you are going to feel

the wide range of normal emotions.

And how does he know?

He's not taking the meds.

The doctor does not take the meds,

and you know that.

So, then I can't just trust him.

I don't think it's such a bad thing

to feel life with the deepest emotion.

- I don't think that's a problem.

- It's an illness.

Well, maybe for you,

because maybe you

have a low emotional capacity,

and so to you,

it makes you feel sick.

No, I don't have...

Wait a minute.

- I don't have a low emotional capacity.

- Wait, it's not an attack.

- I feel things just fine.

- I'm sorry. I understand.

- Mom, you don't have to get upset.

- I don't... My only question...

Well, how dare he say that.

- Okay, as an example, if you...

- He's just talking.

like, how many hours do you spend

a week with your husband?

- Oh, my God.

- This is really not gonna...

this is not about us, again.

- As many hours as any married...

- I'd like to answer that.

- Okay.

- We spend many hours a week together.

I would spend every waking moment

- with your daughter.

- Okay. I...

So you mean, insanity is love,

that you have to be crazy to be in love?

Is that what you're saying?

That's not what I'm saying.

You don't understand, Dad.

I understand more than you know.

And if you think that there's

any romance in being crazy,

you're crazy.

No, if you understood,

then Mom wouldn't have left.

Your mother,

she left because she was sick.

She left because

you thought she was sick,

because she was wild.

And you were tame,

and you wanted to tame her, Dad.

- So where is her love now?

- Dad.

No, really, where is it?

When was the last time

you heard from your mother?

- Excuse me.

- Oh, my God.

You can't listen to him.

He's wrong. You know that.

This is not a gift.

It's an illness.

It needs to be treated.

I've gotten you

through so much, honey.

You have to trust me right now

because sometimes your illness

doesn't let you think completely clearly.

But you've gotta believe me.

- Carla, please don't...

- Don't be upset now, come on.

"We awoke from our sleep

and left our sanity beside our bed,"

peeled off those sedative sheets...

released our eyelids' grip

on their protective lens...

and let the whole miracle in

against all defense,

past the shattering glass.

God, grant us that view...

"and all its blindness due. "

What is that?

"A child to rise

from our fiery seeds,

that burned across our bloodlines

for lifetimes, to finally meet. "

"And find a face for the first time"

in the reflection

between our locked eyes.

"And in their vision,

in a sudden flash of recognition"

of our place in the Grand Design,

"our child will be let

into the gates of creation. "

"Touched with both our fires,

to burn twice as high as you and I. "

Hey, Marco,

let's give our baby this book

so that when he starts to know

what he has,

he's gonna know the beauty in it.

Hello!

- Hey, how are you?

- Joe!

Okay, thanks.

Is Marco here?

I'm his father.

Oh, no.

I haven't seen him in weeks.

- Weeks?

- Yeah.

Okay.

I'm going to see what she wants.

Hey, Mom.

Uh, actually, we're busy.

Oh, really, because I wouldjust...

I would love to just get together

with you and Marco

and hear about

what you guys are doing.

You know, just clear the air.

- I don't know, Mom...

- Honey, I really...

I really want to work things out.

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