“I’m not too clean. I forgot to take a shower.”
“I don’t mean that. I mean your face. What’s wrong with you?”
“How did you find me?”
“Carlos.”
“Carlos wouldn’t talk.”
“He did, Michael. But let’s argue at home. I’ve come to get you and make you come home and share the responsibility for Mary Anne.”
“I don’t want to come home.”
“I don’t care. If you don’t come home, we’ll move in here.”
“Silas will kill you.”
“I know the dog doesn’t like me, but he certainly won’t kill me.”
“I’m supposed to watch these people’s house.”
“You can come back and check on it.”
“I don’t want to come with you.”
“You look sick, Michael. Have you been sick?”
“I’m not leaving with you, Elsa.”
“O.K. We’ll come back.”
“What do you want me back for?”
“To help me take care of that child. She drives me crazy. Get the dog and come on.”
Michael lets Silas out of the bedroom. He picks up his bag of grass and his pipe and what’s left of the bag of pecans, and follows Elsa to the door.
“Pecans?” Elsa asks.
“My grandmother sent them to me.”
“Isn’t that nice. You don’t look well, Michael. Do you have a job?”
“No. I don’t have a job.”
“Carlos can get you a job, you know.”
“I’m not working in any factory.”
“I’m not asking you to work right away. I just want you in the house during the day with Mary Anne.”
“I don’t want to hang around with her.”
“Well, you can fake it. She’s your daughter.”
“I know. That doesn’t make any impression on me.”
“I realize that.”
“Maybe she isn’t mine,” Michael says.
“Do you want to drive, or shall I?” Elsa asks.
Elsa drives. She turns on the radio.
“If you don’t love me, why do you want me back?” Michael asks.
“Why do you keep talking about love? I explained to you that I couldn’t take care of that child alone anymore.”
“You want me back because you love me. Mary Anne isn’t that much trouble to you.”
“I don’t care what you think as long as you’re there.”
“I can just walk out again, you know.”
“You’ve only walked out twice in seven years.”
“The next time, I won’t get in touch with Carlos.”
“Carlos was trying to help.”
“Carlos is evil. He goes around putting curses on things.”
“Well, he’s your friend, not mine.”
“Then why did he talk?”
“I asked him where you were.”
“I was on the verge of picking up a barmaid,” Michael says.
“I don’t know how I could help loving you,” Elsa says.
“Where are we going, Daddy?”
