So how long this time?
Breaking records left and right.
Well, they're coming closer.
They're doing a good job of hiding from me.
Haven't seen a single thing yet. Good.
l've been wrong before.
So go on about the fight.
Okay. So this old guy, Albini...?
He's gonna take on Hollywood Haywood tomorrow in New York.
Sounds like Albini's gonna get beat. lt sure does.
Well, l might place a bet.
We may go into town after your mother leaves.
Get a bite to eat.See a movie.
Ever hear of Village of the Damned?.
lt's about evil, little kids taken over by alien forces.
There you go.
What's up?
Oh, no, your bike.
Stay right there, Bobby.
Thank you.
Hey, Gerber Baby!
Still with your fairy? Yeah.
Come on, let's go home.
Where you going? This isn't funny!
lt's a riot, Gerber Baby.
Hey, lay off her!
Hey, the little guy's a hero.
Stop me, fairy.Be a man.
l asked how your tits were.
l wanna feel for myself.
Get away from me!
Leave her alone!
She's just a Gerber baby.
Bastard! Hey, guys?
Let's beat this queer up. Yeah.
Ted, go home. We're all going home, Bobby.
Who's that, your fairy godfather?
Richie O'Rourke, Willie Sherman,
and Harry Doolin.
The unholy trio of St. Gabe's.
How do you know us?
Come over here.Find out what l know.
You're going to apologize.
l don't think so.
Shall l tell you why?
Because l know your dark secret.
And l will tell the world. l got no secret.
You like calling people queer
and fairy and such words?
Look in my eyes, Harry Doolin.
Tell me what you see.
Do you see someone in your mother's clothes
when he thinks no one is looking?
Tell the whole, wide world.
Now say, ''l'm sorry, Carol.''
l'm sorry, Carol.
What did he say? Yeah, what?
Nothing.
Thank you, kind sir.
What did you say to him?
Just intellectual chitchat among men of goodwill.
Ted? Yes, sweet Carol?
You're a very strange person.Tell no one.
All right, here we go. Come on!
Settle down.
Sully's got the ball!
Oh, no! Oh, touchdown!
Get in. All right.
Get the dog! Come on!
And away we go! Bye!
Bye! See you. Have a good trip. See you.
Oh, my gosh. The low men.
Where's the little lady?
There he is. On time.Give me a little kiss.
Get the bags, dear.
Good afternoon. You look great.
How are you? Fine.
Here, l'll take that. Thank you.
Need a hand with those, sport? Nope.
A real helpful kid there.
He's a good boy.
l'm sure he is.
What a beautiful day. Yes, it is.
Mr. Cushman, Mr. Dean. Liz.
Good day for a drive. Yes, isn't it?
Women.
Always have to bring the farm.
Well, you know what they say.
Can't live with them, can't live without them,
can't shoot them...
...outside of Montana.
Don't do anything l wouldn't do.
But if you do, name it after me.
l trust him about as far as l can sling a piano.
Yeah, l'm worried for my mom.
l'm worried for us all.
So scary! Oh, l know!
What now? Had enough to eat?
Are you kidding,after those hot dogs?
So, what do they call this part of town?
l've heard it referred to as ''down there.''
You see, every city has a place where...
...your last name doesn't matter.
Wine comes in a paper sack,
and you can buy anything...
...if you've got cash in your pocket.
Hey, come on.
Stay close now.Don't worry about that.
You shouldn't be in a place like this,
but l can't leave you here. So...
...let's go.
Hollywood Haywood versus Eddie Albini,tomorrow night, New York.
l've got money to burn.
What do you say?
Not one step.
Hey, kid.
What's your name?
Bobby. Bobby Garfield.
Been in before?
No, ma'am.
You look familiar.
Did l know your father?
My father's dead.He died years ago.
Was he Bobby too?
Bobby Garfield. Yes, ma'am.
He was just like me.
Yeah, he was a good customer.
l liked him.
Yeah, he used to...
...stop in for a beer now and then.
Like on Mondays, when it's just dead in here...
...and in no time flat we were all laughing.
Yeah, not a mean bone in his body.
He was generous too.
Not too many like that in here.
He'd never buy a drunk a drink.l admired that.
He also never met an inside straight he didn't like.
Who told you that?
l remember the big losers.
Most nights he walked out of here...
...with a little more than he came in with.
Yeah, he was a hell of a card player,Bobby was.
lKeep that, if you want.
He's handsome, don't you think?
You've got that to look forward to.
You got a girlfriend?
Yes, ma'am.
Pretty?
Yes, ma'am. Her name's Carol.
She's a real hotsie-totsie.
A what?
Let's go. Taxi's waiting.
My dad came here!He didn't lose our money.
He was generous and funny and people liked him!
Good. lsn't that a thing?
Yeah. Lucky for us we came in here, l'd say.
Yes, it is a wonderful thing.
How much did you bet? All l've got. $200 on Albini.
You think Albini can beat Haywood?
l think he can knock him out.
l bet 10-to-1 odds.
Do you know anything about boxing? Nothing.
1 49 Broad Street.
lt'll be on the radio.
We'll listen tomorrow night.
l hope you're right.
Oh, no. Here they come! Get down! What is it?
Take your mind away! Don't be scared.Think of something else.
How? Carol.
Think of Carol. Don't let her go.
Think of a happy memory.
Take your mind away!
Think of a happy memory.Don't let her go.
Good night, kiddo. l'm proud of you.
l'm sorry
l didn't believe you about the low men.
l know.
Ted, my father never bought a drunk a drink.
What does that mean, exactly?
lt means he was a good man.He was honest.
And he never added to the troubles of the world.
Okay?
Good night. Good night.
There's the bell.Haywood coming out...
...throwing punches, running in.
Now attacking Albini at will.
Albini, arms hanging like weights,
occasionally throwing a weak punch.
The punches are flying! Hollywood--
Oh, my goodness!
Out of nowhere,
a right by Albini hits Hollywood to the head...
...and to the mat!
They're counting him out. 8...9... 10!
Oh, my goodness!
One of the most improbable finishes to a fight, ever!
Albini has beat Hollywood Haywood!
This one has got to be reviewed!
Wow.
You just won 2000 bucks.
Hello?
Mrs. Garfield.
Yes, fine. l'll get him.
Bobby? lt's your mother.
Okay.
Hi, Mom. Hi, honey.
Have you missed me? Of course I have.
But l'm trying not to be too sad.
Oh, good.
Brush your teeth. I did.
Good boy.
l can't chat all night.
There's a cocktail party for us delegates...
...down in the ballroom and l'm--
Are you there?
l dropped the phone.l love you, Bobby!
Don--!
That's funny.
Got cut off.
That 2000....
lt's traveling money, isn't it? Yeah, it is.
l lied to you.
l didn't tell you about
the lost pet sign l saw.
l know.
When will you leave?
Tomorrow, when your mother gets back.
Collect my winnings from Len Files
at the Corner Pocket....
Then go.
Will l ever see you again?
No.
And wishing can't make it so.
l don't want you to go.
lt's all for the best, kiddo.
lt's all for the best.
''ln yet another startling development in Washington...
...J. Edgar Hoover, the director of the Federal Bureau of lnvestigation...
...today issued a statement denying the Bureau was involved...
...in recruiting psychics in the battle against Communism.''
That's really what all this is about,isn't it, Ted?
Want a root beer?
That's the only good thing about you going.
l can't stand that stuff.
Yeah, l know.
Do you know everything? Nope.
So what happens when you touch people?
l pass on a kind of window into other people's minds.
ls that why they want you?This window?
Yeah. l know certain things,see certain things.
Some see it as a gift,but to me it's always been a burden.
What l see has a value for some.
Maybe l escaped them this time.
Thanks.
Cheers.
To good health.
Oh, well.
We're all just passing through, kiddo.
Just passing through, that's all.
Tell Carol l'd like to say goodbye to her.
Sure.
Hey, Bobby! Yeah?
l think you should go find her now.
Okay.
Hey, Bobby. ls Carol home?
No, she went to the ravine to read...
...by the tree.
You don't scare me, Bobby Garfield.
lf it isn't the Gerber baby.
No! Please!
Harry?
Carol! Carol!
ls everything okay?
He hit me, Bobby. He hit me hard.
lt's okay.
l'll go get help! No, please!
Don't leave me alone.He might come back.
lt'll be okay.
Can you walk?
l don't know.
Just try, okay? Maybe, l don't know.
lt'll be okay.
lt's okay.Here, try and stand up, okay?
You have to get on my back, okay?
Bobby, l can't! Yes, you can.
You can.
You have to think about something else, okay?
Here, get on my back.
Remember at school how we rode piggyback at recess?
Yeah. This is just like that, okay?
Bronko Nagurski. Nagurski.
Ten yards...
...seven yards....
Nothing could stop him.
Ted!
Help.
l think her arm's broken.
Come on, Carol. lt's all right.
lt's all right.
My arm.
Bobby, take her hand, all right?
Oh, yes.
One great, big boy against one little girl.
He's probably so afraid of you.
Thought you had the heart of a lion.
He hurt me, Ted.
l know. Believe me, l know.
Now listen.
l've got to look at your shoulder. Understand?
l don't want to hurt you.
Oh, my.
He broke my arm.
No, l think it's just dislocated.
And l think l can fix it.
Are you a doctor, Ted?
No, l'm not a doctor.
But as you noted, l'm very strange.
So who knows what l can do?
Do you have the heart of a lion?
Just close your eyes and try and relax.
Bobby, give me your belt.
Now, Carol, do you know what pain does?
lt rises and travels up the body.
That's it. Thank you.
Listen to me, Carol.
Just listen and relax.
l want you to bite down hard on the belt.
You're going to bite down on Bobby's belt and catch the pain.
Now relax.
Close your eyes.
lKeep them closed.
You're safe. Just breathe in.
Breathe out. That's it.There's no pain.
Just listen to my voice.
l can sense them closing in on me, Bobby.
l know. There's signs everywhere.
Here we go.
Bite down hard and catch-- Here we go.
All right.
There.
Ted?
lt doesn't hurt anymore.
You do have the heart of a lion.
You did well, Carol.
What the hell is going on in here?
Mom, what happened to you?
Take your hands off that little girl!
Mom, he didn't do anything bad!
How dare you touch her!
He didn't hurt her!
l brought her so Ted could help her!
Go to your room!And you! You are going to jail!
What happened to you didn't happen to her.
Why's her blouse open? Her shoulder's hurt!
l said, go to your room!
What Bobby said was true!
Let's clean you up in the bathroom.
He carried me up the hill.
Ted took my pain away.
Don't you touch her!
Go in the bathroom.
l'm calling the police to tell them everything.
Tell them what happened to you.
You weren't there. You couldn't know.
l know.
l know you didn't realize
the seminar would involve that.
And l know he's growing up
while your mind is on other things.
l'm taking that child home.
And you better not be here when l get back.
Be careful. l'll be fine, don't worry.
Where will you go till it's dark?
The diner near the Corner Pocket,l guess.
Pick up my winnings later.
l want to go with you.
Bobby, come inside, please.
Do as she says, kiddo.
Yes, is this...
...Housitonic-5837?
Yes, well, l have some information for you...
...about Brautigan.
You can find him at the Corner Pocket tonight...
...in Bridgeport.
Yes. Now, there's a reward--?
Hello?
Hello--
Bastards.
When your mother writes ''bad''...
...under a mental picture of someone,
she writes it in ink.
l mean, l knew that, but l didn't think she'd betray me.
See, l need the money to survive...
...and l can't go back to the Corner Pocket.
And l need time to think...
...and there isn't any.
Here's what you do.
Write a note for me.
A note?
Yeah, to the Corner Pocket.
l'll get you your money.
l'm not sure this is a good idea.
Ted, take my hands.
Don't worry. l won't let the bogeyman get you.
Hello?
Can I help you?
lt's about Brautigan.He took the train. l saw him go.
Stay out of this, kid.
Brautigan's our business.
Don't hurt him.
Please don't hurt him.
Go home, Bobby.
Ted, l got the money!
Ted!
l wouldn't have missed a minute!
Not a single minute!
Not for the whole world!
Where have you been?l've been worried!
l'm all safe and sound.
Do you have any idea what you just put me through?
You only think about yourself!
Bobby-- Ted's gone.
l'll never see him again.
So you got everything you wanted.Happy?
There's no money. l don't have a job.
There's plenty of money now!
See how great it worked out,turning him in?
l did it for you. For your own--
You lie! You always lie.
My father was a good man and people liked him.
Everyone liked him except you.
You never liked me either.
Then l find a grownup friend of my own, and you know what?
l loved him.
You didn't just betray him;you betrayed both of us.
Bobby?
Ted got it right.
It isn't all Atlantis.
My mother got a job outside of Boston.
And I was upset, of course,but one thing....
I wasn't afraid.
I had Ted to thank for that.
Hey, get out of here.This is my place now.
You can't. This is everybody's park.
Yes, l can.
Little Bobby Garfield.
Where's your fairy godfather when you need him?
That was for the Gerber baby!
Do you need any help?
l'm fine.
Do you think you could ever see your way to forgiving me?
l'm working on it, Mom.
Carol, we're leaving now.
Oh, no.
Here. lt's where l'll be in Massachusetts.
Will you write to me? Of course.
l'll write to you.
l'll probably be homesick.
l'll never forget you.
Was it you who beat up Harry Doolin?
Good.
Carol, wait. l can't. Not now.
But l-- l love you too, Bobby Garfield.
But l have to go make the salad.
So, what are we gonna do?
The best we can, Mom.The best we can.
Well, time and tide wait for no man.
Ben Jonson called time ''the old bald cheater.''
Who was Ben Jonson? An English writer.
Foolish about money,
and given to flatulence.
Flatulence?
Bobby Garfield!
Hey!l don't think you should be in there.
lt's not safe.
l used to live here when l was a kid.
Have you lived here long? Only my whole life.
Oh, wait a minute! Wait, wait, wait.
Was your mother...
...was she...?
Was she Carol, Carol Gerber?
My mom's dead. She died years ago. l was sorry to hear that.
We never kept in touch like we said we would.
My God.
You're the boy on the Ferris wheel?
Mom told me about that.She promised she'd never tell anyone.
She said you were beautiful.
One of us was.
You can keep that, if you want.
l'm Bobby.
Molly. Molly.
She had the heart of a lion.
I never heard from Ted Brautigan again.
Not that I didn't think of him.I always have...
...and always will.
Because that summer was the last of my childhood.
And though I never again saw what people were thinking...
...there was an enduring gift that he left me.
What Ted did was open my eyes...
...and let the future in.
I wouldn't have missed a minute of it.
Not for all the world.