Lost Bayou

I was dead. That's what the doctor told me.

Legally dead he called it.

I don't know what illegally dead is, but legally?

I was dead as a duck, down in Arnaudville.

So when I woke up, I was soaking wet from head to toe.

And there he was, standing over me.

Praying.

That man, he brought me back to life.

And that, I know ma'am.

He brought me right here, back to life.

Shit.

You getting out or what?

Hey, you think you could uhm, make the block a few times?

Till some more people show?

Don't think it's startin' yet.

Whatever.

Fine, just stick around a few minutes all right?

- Huh? - Whatever.

Hey!

- Seriously. - I love you guys, you don't have to thank me...

- What? - What is she doing here?

- Gal? - Hey, look, I know I'm early...

You're late.

- It says two. - What day is it?

- It's Saturday. - Sunday.

- No it's Saturday, I... - We had his party yesterday,

Saturday.

Is he here? Did he...

- Are you high? - You should take down those balloons...

Did you seriously show up to our son's birthday party high?

No, there's no party remember?

Despite all the balloons outside, is he here, I...

- I have something for him. - I don't think it's a good idea.

Shi...

Gal, look at me.

I'm just gonna give him this present and go, alright?

Gal? What's going on?

Found it.

We haven't seen you in months and now all of the sudden...

You know you're short last month? 80 bucks.

- I ain't trying to get Social Services back over here. - Here is, 14, you happy?

What are we supposed to buy with that?

Just hang on,

just, I'm sorry, just hang on.

Is that 80 bucks worth?

No, no, no, no.

Please.

Okay, okay. Just,

stay here, I'll see if I can settle him down okay?

- It doesn't matter. - Yes it does!

- She's his mother. - She doesn't act like a mother.

- I'm more of a mother. - I know but he needs to know her.

Why? So he can be heartbroken all over again?

- Can't you relax for one second? - No, I'm the one

that deals with this shit when she comes around.

Stop freaking out.

It's not about that! She doesn't deserve to see him

if she comes here a day after the birthday...

Jesus Christ!

- What? - Uh, Gal?

- Pop? - Yeah, this your Pop.

Look, Gal, uhm, something happened to your Maw.

You need to come home.

Don't make this about you, Gal.

Something happened to your Maw,

she needs you, come home.

Richard, don't know how to thank you

for bringing me my precious little Gal.

- How was the fishing today? - Bad.

Maybe I can make something up for you

to say thank you for, you know, your troubles.

- Something for that jock itch? - It's okay,

oh you got the yellow stuff?

Yeah, I got the yellow stuff, I'll be right back.

Don't use too much of this huh, half a table spoon

twice a day, with some hot water.

I'ma just be a couple of minutes,

can you wait for me?

He got a boat.

Thought he would never leave.

Come on, come inside, I'll make you something

that'll make you feel better.

You'll never guess who come by here last night.

The damned ol' Rougarou!

You remember him?

How he used to sneak up through the cypress knees,

hide there until little girl's coming by,

then he'd jump out and he'd snatch her

and he'd take her back into the swamp!

Yeah, that same Rougarou.

He come right up on the porch last night.

That cheeky son of a bitch.

He's up there looking to see if we had any chickens.

He kept going on and on about prodigal daughters,

and their kindly good lookin' daddies.

What is that?

You don't trust your old Pop?

Well?

It's a little heavy on the citronella, huh?

Well, you need that.

That's the secret.

And that old Rougarou,

that swamp monster, that's the other secret, huh?

Good thing I got my Rougarou stick here.

- Pop, you all right? - Yeah, yeah, tip-top.

You taking good care of yourself?

The best.

Are you still taking your pills and stuff?

You still taking yours?

What happened to Maw? Hmm?

Gal... Your Maw...

She went last night.

Real quiet in her sleep,

real peaceful.

Well...

She at peace finally, your Maw.

That's the important thing.

God bless her.

Pop that's not how Maw died.

Maw didn't die last night.

And she sure as shit didn't go peacefully.

You hold on just a second there.

Maw died three years ago,

I would know, I was there.

You're wrong, she here.

Pop. Pop, look...

What the fuck, Pop?

You, I, what...

Okay, okay, oh, nah-ah-ah-ah.

Fuck that!

Pop, who is that?

I gotta get a few more things together and then we can get started.

Get started with what?

Moving the houseboat.

Move? Moving it where?

We're going to bury your mother, Gal.

That, that's not my mother.

It's what she wanted.

To be buried in the family plot.

It's just a couple days journey across the Basin.

Pop, who is that?

We gonna do what's right.

She got a right, Gal, to have her family there, and that means the both of us.

I don't know what you got going on there,

but I'm, I ain't being a part of it.

Nope!

Fine, I'll take you back in the landing in the morning.

No I, I ain't sleeping here.

- I am not sleeping here. - Yeah, well this boat is,

and it goes to bed early, so you'd better start swimming.

Pop?

Why do you look so alive?

- Hello? - Shit...

Oh, my God, look who it is!

Goodness gracious, Gal!

God, is that really you?

Hey, uh, Warden. Is it now?

Oh, yeah, agent of the law I guess.

How things change, am I right?

- Yeah. - Old man around?

- No he's actually... - McGees,

- McGees Landing. - What?

That's it. Last time I saw you,

you were in the back of my truck at McGees Landing

with my little brother T-boy.

He's still around, you ought to give him a call.

Yeah, I don't know, maybe.

I mean you're not, one of them, you know...

I heard you got locked up a little while.

I know how it goes in there.

But you're not...

I mean, T-boy's a great guy if that's what you're looking for.

You said you needed something from my dad?

Right. Yeah, I just wanted to touch base with...

Can I come in?

I know he ain't been doing too good lately.

So I figure I'd stop by, you know.

Yeah, nah, I'll appreciate it, he's gonna be a while though,

he's probably at church or something, you know him.

Oh, yeah, we all know him.

How's he look, he doing okay?

Yeah, yeah, he's fine, he's, why?

Oh, you know, you hear things.

I... Well, I mean, what kind of things?

Look. I consider myself a good Catholic boy.

I just can't buy into false prophets and such.

That fella 20 years ago they say he resurrected, I just can't.

And I suppose, after what he did to your Maw

- a few years back. - Well, he didn't do anything to my mom.

Well, we both know that ain't true.

The only miracle is he didn't go to prison for drowning her.

I'm sorry I'm a jackass I didn't mean to bring all that up.

Look, I just wanna ask him a few questions.

About what?

He mentioned anything or anybody I don't know,

- out of the ordinary around here? - How?

A young guy for one.

Guy, no. He hasn't seen any guys.

So a girl then?

No, he hasn't seen any... no.