Junior

Dad?

I came to pick you up

I know you sit on this bench everyday

Because the guy sitting on the bench across from you
Is a private detective I hired
To keep an eye on you

I know you look inside the gallery
But don't go in

I know you think you have a turf war going on
With passerby

I know...

I know you miss mom

I miss her too

I don't have a way with words
Like you do
I'm not funny
Like you are
I'm not even a good man
Like you are

But...

I got a package today, Dad

Or rather, you did

Because it came to the house
With your name on it

I thought maybe it was from one of your old friends
Who don't know that you live at Briar Ridge now

I wouldn't have opened it, but...

It felt so light
And so heavy
At the same time
And I just...

I'm sorry, but I didn't think it was going to be anything important

Dad, did you know someone named Gabriel?

Well...

He sent you money, Dad

He sent you a lot of money

More money than I'd ever seen
In one place

You're rich, Dad

You're a rich man

To be honest with you
I considered keeping the money

I thought--He's out of it
He's lost his mind
He won't know

Besides, I pay for you to stay in that...place...right?

So I was going to keep it
Keep it for me and Shelly
And the kids

But the truth is--

You're not crazy, are you?

Are you?

I want you to come home, Dad

Not to Briar Ridge, but home with me
Back to your home
Where you lived
With Mom
And me

I want us all to live together again

And look, the money--

You can do whatever you want with the money

But...

I think you should use it, Dad
Because it's yours

I don't know who Gabriel is
I don't know why he sent you that money
But it's yours
And you deserve it

Because you got stuck with a really lousy kid
Who told you that you couldn't take care of yourself
Because he didn't feel like taking care of you

Because I just didn't feel like doing it, Dad

I remember...

You used to sit on the hardwood floor next to my bed when I was sick
And make sure I was breathing right

You sat there for hours
The whole time I was asleep

Then got up
And went to work

And I couldn't be borrowed
To let you stay in your own home
Because I wanted to live there
Without worrying about you
Falling down the stairs
Or leaving the oven on

I'm sorry, Dad

Mom...

Mom would have been ashamed
Of me

She would have said 'Shame on you, Junior'

'Shame on you'

. . . . .

I saw that money
And I understood

I don't know why
But I did

Money is cold
It's hard
It's reality

And when I touched it
I turned into King Midas

I froze and realized
I was already frozen

Like one of those sculptures
In the gallery

But once I pulled my hand away
I started to warm up, Dad

And I'm still getting warm

And I want you to come back with me

I want you to stand up
Get off the bench
And come back to life

You got another bench now

It's on the sidewalk
In front of your house

And it's even got your name on it

Come on, Dad

Come on home