Fucking Bowler Hat, excerpt #3

(Cradles mobile phone in right palm, begins to dial, then with expression of disgust, pulls back phone with left hand, looks at right palm, then at back of phone. Blood. Not too much. Wipes both phone and palm simultaneously on sides of suit jacket. Pulls up phone again in right hand, resumes dialing, holds to ear waiting, with left middle finger in left ear, as El train screams overhead. Walking now.)

"Dad...I'm here, in town."
"What? Uh, uh, how the fuck did you get here?"
(Cuts him off) "Listen Dad, I'm in trouble, I've done some bad stuff, hurt some people. I think the police are after me (whimpering a bit)"
(brief silence) "You want me to pick you up? Can you get here?"
"Naw, I'm on my way."

(Bounds up El stairs.) [Note: add scene of him on El, sitting or standing, looking impatient, and a bit sad?]

(We see him get buzzed into Dad's building, hand pushing door open is lightly smeared with pinkish blood.)

Dad was married four times after Mom. The fourth was this 35-year-old tight-bodied blonde from SoCal. God knows why she came to Chicago, but he found her. After banging his brains out, cooking him organic meals, and generally making him happy for about three years, she up and died on him from ovarian cancer. After that, he kind of gave up. I don't blame him, not for that anyway.

(On his way up in elevator, we see him pop out clip on gun, check it, pop it back in. Sighs audibly, puts both hands in pockets (one holding gun) and looks down at elevator floor impatiently.)

(Arrives at floor. Spins around, walks down hallway with a deliberate gait; we also hear him, viewed from behind, sucking back tears.)

(Now waiting at door. A completely gray, slight man opens the door.) "Ed, what the hell?" "Dad, please."

(Older man walks slowly, with some difficulty, to easy chair on left side of a table and lamp. Furnishings are spare, but also obviously expensive and tasteful. There is a similar chair to right of table. Edward flops down in it.)

(There is now a long silence, where Dad stares at Edward, not speaking. [add closeups?] Close up on Ed, who carefully, without looking at Dad, removes bloody cell phone and sets it on table. Then, reaches into his jacket pocket, pulls out Glock, also a bit bloody, looks at it, and sets it down on same table. Close up on Dad's face, whose eyes noticeably bulge at sight of gun.)

Edward drops his face into his hands. (This action is followed by a protracted silence.)
Dad: "So?"

From Fucking Bowler Hat, ©Wm. M. Berger 2009