The Clearing Page #3

beyond that date.

Is that all?

Sure. That's it for now. Thank you.

My children don't know about this.

I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell them.

I understand.

Ham or tuna?

Ham.

We'll split it.

Thank you.

You know, Arnold, I think

you may have the wrong man.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

You want my neighbor,

Mr. Shipley. He's loaded.

You think I made a mistake?

Happens all the time.

Perfectly intelligent people,

pick up a wrong bag

at the airport...

I know all about you.

"The man Hertz and

Avis are afraid of."

Oh.

- I see...

- You grew up in Altoona.

You married your high

school sweetheart.

You won a scholarship

to Penn State.

You had a good job, but you quit

to start a car-rental business.

Didn't make sense at the time,

but you made it work.

In those days the greatest challenge

was keeping your marriage together.

- They wrote that. I didn't.

- You like to watch the Pirates.

You have a house on

a lake in the woods.

A boat in which you like to float on

summer afternoons to clear your mind.

And two children,

a son and daughter,

all grown up now.

That about sums it up.

So when did you lose your job?

I guess it's obvious, huh?

Eight years ago, November.

And what did you do?

I was a manager of sorts.

And you thought if you were hardworking

and loyal you'd be safe, right?

I worked there 17 years.

Out of their hands, they said.

- Well, it probably was.

- That's what they said.

Changing economy.

Gotta keep things profitable.

- I've heard it all.

- Nothing personal.

- Yeah, right.

- It's a terrible thing.

A lot of good people

lost their jobs.

I'd say 30 percent of our work force

at one point was from Hadley.

You could have come work for us.

I'd appreciate it if you didn't

condescend me, Wayne.

I know how the world works.

That's why I'm out here with you.

So, what does your wife

think about this plan?

- My wife?

- Yeah. Those are her cigarettes.

You can keep things from your wife.

- I don't know.

- What?

You've never deceived your wife?

Well, there are levels of deception,

Arnold. I mean, this is a whopper.

Oh.

Well, how about you?

- Me?

- You know everything about me.

Tell me about yourself.

All right. Um...

I have a wife and two daughters.

One of my daughters supposedly lives

with us. She's got some boyfriend.

I think he's a mute. Can't tell

you the last time I saw her.

My wife

is trying to kill herself

with cigarettes.

We live with her father.

He sleeps in the den.

He has his own TV,

but he's hard of hearing,

and he doesn't like to wear

his hearing aids at night

so he lies in bed and plays it so loud,

we can hear it in our room.

Sometimes he leaves it on all night.

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