The Lost Language of Cranes Page #6

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Maybe we can have sex now and then

if I think about a man while I'm doing it?

You think that's fair?

So I can wake up in 30 years and look back

and see that I've wasted my life?

It would be awful.

A tragedy.

Well, some people would consider

a homosexual life a tragedy.

I consider this to be a tragedy.

The tragedy is that you insist

on making it into a tragedy.

Er...

Were you going to say something, Dad?

Dad, you haven't said

anything at all about any of this.

Are you OK?

OK?

Yes. l-l-l-l think it's OK.

Erm...

I'm sorry, son. I'm sorry

I haven't said anything.

I should, er...

I should probably go.

I should get home.

- Are you healthy?

- As far as I know, yes.

I'm only asking. I read the papers.

I watch television.

- I know about AIDS.

- I'm fine. I'm safe.

I know what I'm doing.

Shall I call you tomorrow?

I'll call you tomorrow.

Bye, Dad.

I'll make some tea.

(Sobbing)

(Rose) Owen.

Owen! Owen!

Ohh.

Owen, I know it's hard.

But it'll be all right.

He's a good boy.

He'll look after himself.

Oh, it doesn't have to be

the end of the world.

It is the end of the world.

- (Sobbing)

- What?

What did you say?

I'll make the tea.

(Sobbing)

Owen.

Owen!

(Sobbing)

Owen.

Oh, please.

Please?

No!

(Woman) "A young child of about three

lived with his disturbed teenage mother

"in a rundown tenement block.

"Barely able to feed or care for him

"the mother frequently

left the child alone.

"Social workers were

eventually alerted.

"They found the child looking

remarkably well and cheerful

"considering how severely

he had been neglected."

"But his play was unlike anything

"they had ever seen before.

"He would raise his arms

then jerk them to a halt,

"stand up on his scrawny Legs,

then fall, bend, and rise.

"He made sudden strange noises,

"a kind of screeching in his throat.

"The social workers

looked out and observed

"a crane on a nearby building site

"and realized that the child

was copying it.

"As it lifted, he lifted.

"As it bent, he bent.

"The child had found

its own language.

"The language of the cranes."

(Phone ringing)

(Click)

(Elliot) Hi. We can't get

to the phone right now.

If you leave your name and number

Elliot or Jarene will call you

back as soon as they can.

(Clicking)

(Beep)

Elliot, it's Philip.

Please call me.

I keep leaving messages and...

(Sighs)

Elliot, listen, please, call me.

Philip.

Yes.

(Click)

(Beep)

(Machine) Thanks for calling.

Thursday, 4:
10pm.

Well, that's that.

Elliot's left London.

- Where did he go?

- Paris.

Of course. Where else?

Well, what I miss about him

is the sense of euphoria he gave me.

- Real euphoria.

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