matt bohn

Of Mice and Men Conversation

George: I’ve seen you in this here bar a lot lately, son. This ain’t no place to be for a young’n like you. Shit, you must’n be more than eighteen.

Biff: Huh? Me? Why don’t you mind your own business and leave me be. I don’t believe I know you anyhow, old man.

George: Yes you, lintlicker, you’re too young to be sittin’ in here day after day drinkin’ your life away. Whats got a lad like you down anyhow?

Biff: With all do respect mister, I don’t rightly think you’d understand. Nor would I tell you even if I thought you could.

George: Now you listen here chief, I seen and done things in this day alone that you couldn’t dream of in a lifetime. You don’t tell me what a rough day’s like. Whats got a kid like you down?

Biff: Mister, I told you once. Ain’t none of your business!

George: Son, you listen here. Last week I killed a man. And this wasn’t just any man, this was my best friend. Best man I ever knew, you heard? And I had to wrestle a gun out of his bare hands and kill’m. You think you know what it’s like livin’ with that on your shoulders? Huh?

Biff: Damn mister. Sounds like you got some issues, yourself.

George: Kid, there’s plenty more to that story. So now, will ya quit bein’ stubborn and tell me what the hells got you so down?

Biff: Well, It doesn’t sound like much compared to your story, but it’s my family, sir. Everything about my life and my family has gone to shit. My Pa was delusional. He talked me up since high school, made me feel like everything would just come my way, and nothin’ ever did. I went to jail, I got a dead end job. Nothin’ worked out for me, ya see. And he didn’t pay no attention to how his family was doin’ because, well, he was goin’ crazy. Drove my mother mad, talked in circles all the time. Worst part is…he never realized he was crazy. He thought he had it all planned out; took his own life….so we could collect on life insurance. He thought it’d make all my problems go away…and by now, most of that money was spent sittin’ in this exact stool.

George: Jesus son. That sounds like a hell of a time. But you listen here kid. ‘Member how I told you the man I shot was my friend?

Biff: Yes, sir?

George: Well, we were no school-buddies. He had…well. He was dumb. Real mental-like. Somethin’ wasn’t quite right in his head. Anyhow, I pretty much raised him. We was always together. We had big plans, I tell ya. Big plans. But things change. See, he was always a burden. He was always gettin’ inta trouble, fergettin’ things and whatnot. And well…I got tired of it. Too tired to deal with it any longer. So I made it look like an accident, but it wasn’t no accident, ya hear. I shot’em. I didn’t want to. But damn-it-all I had to. He was keepin’ me back from my dreams, from livin a normal life, ya see? And the thought of it almost killed me, but I had to get rid of him if I was gunna make any kinda decent livin’. I had to get rid of the burden he was on me. You see what I’m getting at son?

Biff: I don’t know, sir.

George: What I’m tellin’ you is that life don’t always come easy. And everyone gets down on their luck sometimes, but you gotta keep on keepin’ on. Family, friends, sometimes you just needa let them go, and put those skeletons in the closet behind ya. You get me?

Biff: Well, I suppose your right…mister, eh…

George: Just call me George.

Biff: Well George, I just can’t live with the burden of knowing that I was the reason that my father killed himself. That he thought so highly of me, and I amounted to nothin’. I’ve just been in here drinking away that life insurance money like its going to solve anything!

George: Ya see kid, that’s what I’m tellin’ you. You don’t need to accept that burden as somethin’ you can’t get rid of. You needa get of your sorry ass, and turn your life around. I’m sure that’s what your Pa would want, right?

Biff: You know, you are probably right George. But I swear it ain’t that easy.

George: And you think pullin’ the trigger on my best friend was? Kid, what im tellin’ you is life ain’t fair. It’s got its ups and downs, but that’s life! You gotta stick with it, and get back in the race, before your old like me, son.

Biff: You know, it really means a lot hearing it from someone like you George. I’ll try to keep that in consideration. After this Buttery Nipple.

George: Good god, son…