White Oleander Page #4

- You don't have to decide immediately.

- Okay.

Just talk to her.

If you're uncomfortable

in any way, just let me know.

There you are.

I'm really sorry Mark couldn't be here

to meet you. He's filming in Nova Scotia.

Well, this is it.

I left it plain on purpose...

...because I thought that way, you know,

you could put your own things up.

- I like the Drer watercolor.

- You know who Drer is?

- My mother's an artist.

- Oh, that's right. Of course.

Of course. They said that. Hey, listen.

Do you want some tea or something?

Or Pepsi. I bought Pepsi. I didn't know

what you'd drink. We have juice.

I could make you a smoothie, if you like.

Would you like a smoothie?

Tea is fine.

Okay. I look, I look. Stop. Look...

And now I die.

- You were really good.

- Do you know what a nightmare it is?

I mean, you spend all this time

getting ready, ages getting ready...

...drag yourself to this audition.

They look at you for two seconds...

...and tell you that you're too ethnic,

or too classic, too something.

Too ethnic?

It means brunette.

And too classic means old.

And too small, breasts.

- Why do you do it, then?

- What? Give up show business?

Come on!

- Well, here. To your first run at the beach.

- Never again.

- How's your shoulder? You okay?

- Yeah. Yeah, it's fine.

No, you did really well.

You did really, really well.

What was...

...the best day of your life?

Today.

- What should we do later?

- I don't know. What do you want to do?

Swim?

Okay.

Oh, my God!

He's back early.

Mark.

Hey.

Hi.

You must be Astrid.

It took us three hours to get him back.

The whole film crew's in there.

He still almost chickens out.

I think he thought it was gonna

come back and finish him off.

- What would you have done if it had?

- Ducked.

Come on.

Okay, here we go.

Perfect. Just, just right there.

Thanks.

- Well, cheers.

- Cheers.

Cheers, Astrid.

So we've got some catching up to do.

Claire tells me you're quite an artist.

- Not really...

- She's wonderful.

In fact, Tricia Day accepted Astrid

for one of her watercolor classes.

- At the museum?

- She loves Astrid's work.

You should show him.

They're really, really beautiful.

She's never even studied.

She's self-taught.

Is that right?

Is she all right?

- I know you're perfect.

- I'm not perfect.

Of course you are.

You're my daughter.

Hey.

- Are you okay?

- Yeah. Just thinking.

- Are you getting my letters?

- Yes.

- I can never be sure.

- I get them.

Why doesn't she have any children?

She can't have them.

You dress like her now.

She takes me shopping.

What's her husband like?

He's nice.

He's gone a lot.

So you spend most

of your time with Claire?

Yeah.

I'd like to meet her.

Why?

Because you don't want me to.

Who did this belong to?

That was my great aunt's

on my father's side.

She was a field nurse at Ypres.

Very, very brave woman.

It's pretty, isn't it?

- And whose was this?

- It was my mother's.

My father gave it to her.

My parents were completely inseparable.

Not at all like Mark and I.

I hate it when he has

to go away for so long.

- Why don't you go with him?

- He says it slows him down.

- I think it's because he's having an affair.

- He wouldn't have an affair.

He loves you.

Yeah, I know. If he did,

I would never know about it.

You're just being paranoid.

Yeah, that's what he says.

That can be very negative.

- Should I put this here?

- Yeah, perfect.

Everything ready inside?

- You're leaving tomorrow?

- In the morning.

I bet Claire would

love to go with you.

Coordinating our schedules is difficult.

She's not working.

I mean, she could fit into yours.

What about you?

Doesn't she need to be here for you?

Yeah.

How is she these days, when I'm gone?

She okay?

She's fine.

- Why do you ask?

- No reason.

You're back early.

How long has my mother

been writing you?

Not long. We've only written

to each other a couple of times.

- Why didn't you tell me?

- She asked me not to.

Well, she thought

that you wouldn't like it.

Her letter was so powerful.

She's so strong.

And God, she's talented.

We'd like to meet.

Whose idea was that?

Mine.

I bet.

- You know, I really love your work.

- What have you seen?

Astrid showed me the collages...

...and some of your earlier work

in the catalogues.

Oh, I love the Polaroid installation.

Really? Why?

I don't know.

Well, because...

Well, because it's great.

- I'm actually very visual myself.

- A kindred spirit.

It must be difficult

for you to work here.

It is. I spend so much time

fighting off sexual advances...

...I hardly have time to think.

That was a joke.

- Jailbird humor is hard to get sometimes.

- Sorry.

So, you're an actress.

- So glamorous.

- No, my career is a disaster.

I think it's the process.

It, you know, may be too painful for me.

You're such a sensitive person, it's...

All that rejection has gotta be hard

on your self-esteem.

I'm a typical Pisces, but that's

why Astrid and I get on so well.

Scorpio and Pisces

understand each other.

You're into astrology?

She's not into astrology

just because she knows our signs.

Astrid and I

used to understand each other.

But she's become so secretive.

Astrid isn't secretive at all.

We talk about everything, all the time.

We just love her.

She's doing so well.

She's on the honor roll...

...and we're just working to keep

that old grade point average up.

Put a pyramid over her desk.

It improves memory.

- My memory's fine.

- A pyramid? I hadn't thought of that.

I do practice feng shui, though.

You never mentioned that

in your letters.

How about your husband?

Is he into feng shui as well?

No, he's into frequent flier miles.

He's gone half the time.

That's not so bad, you know?

And now that I have Astrid...

She must be a great comfort to you...

...not being able to have children

of your own.

Yeah. Yeah. She is.

Would you mind letting us

talk alone, sweetie?

Grown-up things.

- Don't we have to go?

- No, it's okay.

We have time.

Love humiliates you.

Hatred cradles you.

It's soothing.

What did you say to her?

She's having trouble

with her husband.

It's not you, is it? I know you

have an attraction for older men.

No, it's not me.

- You leave her alone.

- But it's such fun.

Easy, but fun.

In my present situation

I have to get fun where I can.

God, how can you stand

to live with poor Claire?

Did you know there's an entire order

called the Poor Clares?

She is a genuinely nice person.

You don't know what it's been like.

- If you love me, you'll help me.

- Help you?

I would rather see you in the worst kind

of foster hell than living with that woman.

What can you possibly learn from her?

How to pine artistically?

Twenty-seven names for tears?

All I can say is...

...keep your bags packed.

I don't feel like it.

I'm a stranger in my own house.

You live here

and I stay here once in a while.

- Maybe if you gave a little bit.

- I give.

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