| Brian looks around his sister�s little home. The furniture in the living room is old and mended. There are folding snack tables being used as end tables. The walls of the living room is decorated with family photos that include Brian. Going into the kitchen for more coffee, Brian notices that the chairs don�t even match, and there is no microwave only a little well-used toaster oven. The cupboards have very little food stored in them. Brian sees Claire�s check book and sneaks a peek inside it. Her checking account balance is $27.17. �Damn.� *** At parent�s place, Brian, now clean shaven and sporting a tie, is sitting on the back porch with his father. There is a stack of freshly baked oatmeal cookies on a plate, and Brian is drinking from a large glass of milk. �I appreciate the fact that you want to help help your sister out, but that tavern is not going to run itself, Brian. I don�t think Claire, I mean she�s hard worker and all... But at least with the job has now, she�s got medical and dental insurance for those two children of hers. She�s not like you, I mean with her children to care for, she can�t afford to just throw a good secure job away.� Brian takes another cookie off the plate. �I don�t remember Mom cooking or baking much when I was growing up.� �Life�s been hard on your mom, Brian, and I know I�m to blame for that. But she made those cookies for you, you should just enjoy them.� �I�m a little surprised that she remember that I liked them.� �She has her good days and then... well, I�m not going to last forever. He�s going to need full time care one these days, and it would be some comfort to her to know you were close by. I mean if you�re thinking of fixing up the tavern. I think maybe you should think about running it.� �Can�t you just see me running a business in the proximity of Peterson�s Hardware store?� �It would serve them right. All this bad blood, all these years, just because their daughter, which one was it... Lindsay that was it. Lindsay stripped naked on our front lawn, so that you would take her to prom.� �What a homely looking girl. I didn�t think she would do it!� �You know, Sonny Boy, if you hadn�t gone on to play college ball and then the pros, you�d still be famous around these parts for get�en Lindsay to stripped naked on our front lawn and sing �Daydream Believer.� Both men laugh, and Jack goes into a coughing fit. �Whatever happened to Lindsay anyway?� �After she got out of that mental hospital her parents sent her to. I think she moved to west coast and works for some movie producer.� �Figures.� They begin to chuckle again as Joanie enters the back porch. �My goodness, but it�s nice to hear laughter in this house again.� Looking at Brian she replies, �You sure you don�t want to stay with us, in your old room, while you�re here? It would be just like old times!� �No... I�ve got to get a car on down to Texas for a buyer. That�s really why I�m passing through these parts.� �But you only just got here!� she cries. �Calm down, woman. Brian�s a grown man, not a baby.� �Always the two of you, thick as thieves when you�re together and never any room for me.� �Now, you�re getting yourself upset over nothing again.� �Nothing! It was never nothing! I wait at home alone and...� Joanie grabs the plate of cookies. �I think you�ve had enough of these!� She storms back into the house. �I guess I wasn�t never home much.� �She wasn�t alone, Jack. I was here. Even when Claire married and moved out of the house, I was there... but that never seemed to matter to dear old mom. Maybe you should re-think just how much comfort mother would get from my staying in Groverton.� *** Brian waits behind the wheel of the repaired Cadillac outside of Peter�s school. Some of the kids head toward the parked school buses. Peter exits the school and is almost trampled by a group of kids rushing out the doors. Peter slowly makes his way over to his bus. �Peter, Peter!� Peter finally hears his name and looks over to see his uncle Brian. He rushes over to meet him. �Hello, Sonny Boy! I thought you might want a ride home.� �Wow, what a car!� �Brian escorts Peter to the passenger side of the car and opens the door for her. Many of the children, from Peter�s school, stop to gawk. �Do you think we can find your brother?� Peter shakes his head yes. �Good, because I need your help picking out some new furniture for your mother.� *** Claire, looking worn out in her Cramer�s Cupcake uniform, enters her kitchen to find a envelope on her kitchen table. On the outside of the envelope it says, �Dear Claire, The boys are with me. We be back soon with supper. Brian.� Claire opens the envelope and pulls out ten one hundred dollar bills and sets them on the kitchen table. She begins to cry. *** The living room now has all new furniture including a sleeper sofa. There are two empty pizza boxes on the coffee table and paper cups and plates about. Looking down at her hands, Claire says, �I use to have nice looking hands... slender fingers, nice nails.� �You always use to wear fingernail polish even on your toes. You�d have cotton balls between your toes when you read my homework to me,� explain Brian. �You can remember that?� �I sometimes think I remember too much. Like Michael getting me through high school by helping me cheat on exams, and you writing term papers for me. I�d have never gotten to college without the two of you.� �You were my baby brother. You needed the help. You really didn�t have to buy all this furniture for me, even though, it is beautiful, and I love it... You�ve leaving tomorrow, aren�t you? Mickey�s got that car fixed, and so you�re out of here, once again.� Brian says nothing. |I�ve never asked you for anything ever, Brian... I don�t know if buying these things is about love or guilt, but you did something really nice for my children and for me today.� �You�re welcome.� �Are you sure you can afford to do all this?� �When you make the kind of money I made, you think you can spend that kind of money. But I�m fine, Claire.� �Are you?� *** Brian throws his overnight bag into the front seat of the Cadillac and gets behind the wheel. Starting up the car, he begins to drive away. Peter, in her nightgown, comes running out of the house after Brian. Seeing Peter running after him in the rear view mirror of his car, he wants to keep going but stops the car and gets out to intercept Peter. Peter is crying. �Uncle Brian, Uncle Brian, don�t leave. Don�t leave!� �Peter...� �You didn�t say goodbye.� �You were sleeping.� �You didn�t say goodbye, and you promised you�d say goodbye before you left.� �You�re right. I did.� Brian picks up Peter and carries him back home. �You promised, and you shouldn�t break a promise.� �You�re right, a person shouldn�t make a promise they intend to keep.� Brian puts Peter down by the front door. �Right, so, do you promise me, cross your heart and hope to die that you�re coming right back.� Looking down at Peter, Brian becomes a lost for words as he stares at the boy. It was the last thing he needed. He finally shakes his head and walks back to the Cadillac. |
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