Continuation of the end of American Buffalo:
American Buffalo (Cont.)
T: Teach
D: Donnie
Donnie opens passenger car door with Bobby in his arms
T: Fuck Donny, what are you, his mother? He doesn’t need to be in your arms the entire way there. Look just lay him back there. He will be fine.
Donny gives Teach the look
T: Alright, alright, I’m SORRY.. is that what you wanted to hear? I’m sorry I hit the kid. (pause) But what did you want me to do, he was askin for it if ya ask me.. talking all that shit about buying and selling the damn nickel.
D: Drive, just drive, for the love of god, please.
T: I’ll drive, I’ll go, okay. Let’s go. We’re driving, we’re goin.
(long pause)
T: You know what I was thinkin?
D: No.
T: Alright, well I won’t tell ya then.
D: What?
T: I asked if you wanna know what I was thinkin. You said no.
D: No, I sai-
T: You said no .
D: Just tell me.
T: No.
D: Okay.
T: Okay, so I was thinkin, that if that little cock-sucker Fletcher didn’t cheat you in cards last night, I wouldn’t have had any problem with him tagging along tonight, which means I wouldn’t have thought the boy back there was lying, which means that I wouldn’t have hit him, which means this is all really fucking Fletcher’s fault when you really think of it. I mean, I like the boy, you know that, I think what you’re doing with him is great, I’ve always told you that. He’s a good kid, I’d never purposely hurt the boy, he’s your boy, I’d never do that to your boy, I respect ya too much, if you think he needs to get hit, you can hit him, it’s your prerogative, really, I don’t have a say in that, but it’s fucking Fletcher’s fault he’s hurt now, really.
D: Christ Teach, you missed the turn!
T: No, this is Maple, we go straight on Maple. We turn on Vancouver.
D: Vancouver??? Where are ya goin, Sacred Heart??
T: Yah, Sacred Heart, that’s where I always go.
D: That’s all the way up-town, there’s Mills on the west end that’s closer, go there.
T: 49. 49 years I’ve lived in this city and I’ve never gone to Mills, I won’t.
D: The kid is bleeding! Does it matter WHERE we go?
T: Yes, it matters, of course it matters. He’s your kid right? You want him to get the best care right? Well trust me, he ain’t getting that at Mills, I’ll tell ya that.
D: Teach.
T: I’m sorry Don, I won’t budge. I can’t. I swore to my momma on her dying breathe.
D: I’m serious Teach, the kid is gonna be on his dying breathe if you don’t fucking turn around!
T: Alright, Alright…Why didn’t you just say that earlier? I don’t care where we drop the kid off, I ain’t getting no procedures done. Mills is a good idea, I don’t want to be driving any more than I have to in this storm. We’ll go to Mills. There, we turned around, Maple is just right there, the kid is fine, don’t worry, don’t worry.
D: I’m worryin, the kid has a gash on his head the size of Texas. A lamp, a fucking lamp, I can’t believe I let you hit the kid.
T: He’ll be fine. It’s just a bruise. My daddy used to give me two of those month at his age for doing no more than crying, fucking crying, which only made me cry more of course, because unlike Bobby back there I did not have the privilege of being knocked out and taken to the hospital. No, no I did not. I would just sit in my corner and feel that pain.
D: I remember your pop, he was a real-
T: Cock-sucker? Yeah, he was. And it’s his fault really, that I’m losing money in cards every week and don’t have the new beemer. Piece of shit, I’ll tell ya what. If I had your pop, I’d sure have a helluva shop too. Fucking stacks of buffalo nickels I tell ya. People would be trying to steal from me. Whataya think Don, you think I got the chops to get into the antiquities business.
D: Depends.
T: On what?
D: On lots.
T: Like, what though.
D: I don’t know, like-
T: Well if you don’t even know then I’m sure I could do it.
D: A 1929 S Lincoln Head Penny with the Wheat back.
T: What are you talking about?
D: A 1929 S Lincoln Head Penny with the Wheat Back. I walk into your store and offer you this antique coin. $10. Want it?
T: 1929? With a wheat back? I’d tell you to fuck off with that shit, what do you take me as, some sort of fool? I know what a 1929 S Lincoln Head Penny with the Wheat Back is worth. I’d give you two bucks for it, take it or walk.
D: Alright, you’ve never been here, so you’re gonna wanna go round back.
T: It’s a fucking hospital Don, I’ve been to a hospital, they’re all the same, I know where to fuckin go, I’m not some idiot, who doesn’t know where to park at a hospital?
Don exits car with Bobby
D: Well are you coming?
T: I told ya, I ain’t going into Mills.
D: *Deeeeeeeeeeep sigh* Alright, okay, just…stay here.
T: Anything for you Don.