Lotawana

I once believed that no man can own land any more than a tree squirrel can.

I found myself restless in a place

where anyone can do as they please yet very few do.

I was young and life was already passing me by...

...so, I unanchored, burning my few seconds under the sun,

drifting in search of reality rather than luxury.

I couldn't see it at the time,

but my lust was merely a lull

before a brutal inescapable storm.

Why do you live out here?

I love the smell...

and the birds and the turtles and the cannonballs.

I love the way the light reflects off the water...

and, yeah, these stars.

And it's quiet.

I don't know.

I just think everybody struggles...

and if I'm going to struggle...

it better be for a life that's worth it.

This to me, this is my life that's worth the struggle.

This is how I want to barely get by.

I don't really have any big plans.

I think that's the best part.

Are you happy here?

I am.

Okay, I've got a question for you.

Okay!

What do you use the binoculars for?

Nothing!

Oh, my God, busted lone man on his boat.

What would you use them for?

- Perving on people. - Exactly.

Exactly.

Well, I'm really no better than you.

Do you want a beer?

Well, no, because then it'll make me pee.

And then I'll... And I don't know where you...

I don't know where that happens.

There's a toilet. You have to flip the bed up.

Oh, my gosh.

You don't have a curtain or anything?

- I mean, I go outside, obviously. - What, for all of it?

Yeah, I haven't quite...

You poo in the lake?

Well, if you have to, yeah.

If you have to? You have to, like, every day.

You do that every day.

Well, I'll use the bathrooms.

I mean, it's all right to pee in the lake but...

- You can't poop in the lake? - No!

Oh, my God.

Have some manners.

Hey!

Can you, uh... do that somewhere else, please?

Wait a minute! Oh, oh.

- Oh, why? - People are watching.

Where'd you learn to dance like that?

Kind of all over, you know, I...

Well, I first started ballet when I was seven, in New Zealand

and then we moved to Australia for a little bit

and then I learned more, like, modern and stuff,

and then we came to Missouri.

- And here you are! - Here I am!

Yeah, on the lake dancing on a boat.

So, how do you plan on taking care of me

when we get older, Mister Lake Man?

I thought you were going to take care of me.

No, I got to dance.

Oh, we'll figure it out.

The money will come.

I think it's probably more important

we measure success in life experiences.

Don't you?

Yeah.

I like that.

You want to turn her port?

Not bad!

- I get it right? - You did.

Oh, I knew I had a 50-50 chance.

Port and left both have four letters.

Okay. Good to know.

- Does that make sense? - Yeah, it does, it does.

What's the front of the boat called?

That's the bow.

What's that rope that you've been playing with?

- This rope? Halyard. - Mm-hm.

It raises and lowers the mainsail.

And what are those little things blowing in the wind?

- These little things? - Mm-hm.

Telltales.

Man, does everything have a name?

I think so.

Okay. What's this thing called?

Gunnel, gunwale, gunwale.

- It's a weird one. - Mm-hm.

What's this? What's this little guy called?

- I don't know. - Uh-huh.

I knew there would be something.

Well, I'm going to hit the head.

- The what? - To run the bilge.

No?

- I'll be right back. - Okay.

- Cue wind. - We're not going anywhere.

We're in a dead spot.

Here, cut us port, other way.

No.

So, that's... It's opposite.

- Okay, well... - Yeah, I know.

I, technically, was right.

See the little ripples in places,

lines of ripples across the surface, that's wind.

Take us starboard.

- Starboard. - Starboard.

And then watch, watch the little telltales. They level out

and it's time to tack, and the wind will pick us back up.

Yeah, we did it too slow.

Oh, there we go!

Good, let that go. Come over here real quick,

pull really hard.

- There it is! - Look at that!

- There it is. - I did it.

- Not bad. - Sailing.

- Sailing. - We are sailing, mate.

There's actually a really good place to go camping right down here.

I've never been camping before.

You've never been camping before?

- No! - You're kidding.

No, I mean, I've always wanted to go.

The idea of dinner over the fire

and waking up to the birds chirping is quite lovely.

But I've never been.

I don't know how I feel about that.

What kinda dad doesn't take his kid camping?

Where do you see us in the future?

In the future?

Yeah, together?

I see us in the wild.

My Uncle Ellis, he has his business up in the San Juan Islands.

It takes people fishing and whale watching.

Does pretty good.

Maybe some point, we can move the boat up there, do that too.

You know, we really wouldn't even have to wait if we don't want to, right?

- Mm. - Mm.

No, I guess not.

Hey, do you have any measuring cups?

I don't.

Mm.

- What? - What are you doing?

- What else am I supposed to do? - I don't know, you're hilarious.

Don't drink out of the bottle, you grump!

- You're kidding me, right? - No, I'm not kidding you.

Have some manners!

You just poured that in your hands.

Yeah, well, I mean, I'm... it's different.

Well, here's your measuring cup right there.

What?

You're not going to get any,

you're not going to get any pud. No, pud for you.

All right.

I usually use hotdogs but we're all out

so we're using rotten chicken right now.

That's revolting.

- They love it. - Okay!

They love anything if you're patient.

That's a trick.

You know what? I think you have something.

- Really? - Oh, yeah.

Here, stand up! One, two, three!

No!

No, no, no, no! No slow down.

- Look at that! - It's huge!

- Oh, my God! - It's making a noise.

Oh, my God. It's tentacles.

Oh, oh, crikey!

What... what is, what is it?

I don't know. You must have snagged something on the way in.

What on earth!

Is fishy okay?

- It's okay. - Okay.

- What do you got there? - I don't know.

- It's a little bit wet. - What's it say?

I don't know. I can't tell.

It's got a little fishy.

It's supposed to say, "You're a keeper, move in with me."

Aw!

- Are you sure? - Come here, yeah! Of course.

You're okay with living on a boat with me and catfishy?

I mean, I pretty much already do.

All right.

All right, now, take that guy off the hook.

No way!

I'm going to go get some things from the country market.

- Do you want anything? - I'm good.

Surprise!

Wow!

These look great.

- Did you make them? - Yeah.

- You okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.

What's wrong?

I just got into it with my mom earlier before I left the house.