The biggest thing in a young boy's world...
Is his dad.
The "big enchilada".
You do what he says.
You do what he does.
He's your guide through the mysteries of manhood - your confidant.
Your pal. Until the day comes when -
- Oh! - Uh...
You in here?
For some reason... Things change.
Your confidant becomes...that guy on the other end of the couch.
You stop communicating. Except through an interpreter.
Kevin, how'd you do on your test today?
Fine, Mom.
You hear that, honey? Kevin did well on his French test.
Good goin'.
Jack, did you tell Kevin about your trip to Cincinnati?
- Rained. - Uh-huh.
- Cold. - Uh-huh.
Well, I guess that roasting-pan has soaked long enough.
But even a skilled mediator can't always bridge the widening gulf.
Truth is, when you're fourteen...
The absolute worst part of being with your dad...
Is being with your dad.
- I gotta study. - I gotta work.
And most of all...You never, ever... Want to be alone with each other.
Oh, my goodness! Look at this! It's hard to believe!
What is it?
It's a sale.
On suits, at Randolph's. Route 9-B in Millbrook.
Course, when you're fourteen...Almost any situation can be fraught with potential peril.
They're slashing prices! "Everything must go"!
Jack, what do you say?
'Bout what?
About these suits!
Fortunately, this was Dad's problem.
I got all the suits I need...
Not ours.
No - I meant for Kevin.
What?
Why me?!
And besides...they come with two pairs of pants!
Powerful reasoning... Requiring a powerful response.
Mom, I don't want a new suit, OK?
They're open till five.
And they're only an hour away.
Mom!
What do you think, Jack?
Kid needs a suit...kid needs a suit.
Have fun, sucker!
Great. A whole Sunday down the tubes. What could be worse?
So, what time will you two fellas be leaving?
Hah?
To buy that suit!
- Him? - Me?
Us?
Why not? A boy should buy his suit... With his father.
Norma...
Mom...
It was pretty clear this idea wasn't gonna float.
Not in a month of Sundays.
Now - you sure you know how to get there?
Course I know how to get there.
You take 15...to the exit for 22-B, and then...
Norma? I know how to get there.
Well, then...You two have a good time!
Dad, we don't have to do this, you know.
- The hell we don't. - Bye-bye!
Yep - This was gonna be some fun.
Me and the big guy...sharin' a little quality-time.
Still, out here on the open road...
Maybe this was a chance to re-establish communications.
- So...how's school? / - Good! - Paul? / - Good!
Bounce around philosophies. Sink our teeth into the big questions.
- How's work? - Lousy.
Uh-huh.
The thing is, I knew it was just a matter of finding a common ground.
Something we were both passionate about.
Something like...
"Easy listenin'" music.
You mind if we turn that down?
What?
Never mind!
At least it solved the communication problem.
If not the navigational one.
Dad!
What is it, now?
I think we just passed our exit.
Nah...
No! Remember, Mom said take the 15 to the 22-B and -
What are ya talkin' about?!It's not for another eight miles...I'm trackin' it, here.
Yeah, but Mom said...
Hey! Your mother never drove a half-track halfway across Korea, OK?
Maybe so. But unless I was mistaken, this was not Korea.
- Dad, I really think - - Trust me.
It's the next one.
Whatever you say...
So...we took the next exit.
What's this?
I think it's a dead-end.
Dad?
Hand me a map.
Of course!
Maps!
My father had charts of every street, every town, every county in the known free world.
Got it!
It was time to scout-out the terrain. Together.
Let's...take a look.
One little problem.
Dad? I can't see it.
Huh?
Can I help?
Oh - sure!
Fold it up for me, will ya?
But, I -
Come on - we're wastin' time.
Now, we all know map companies hire guys who specialize in making map-folding a physical impossibility.
Oh, here!
See if this way'll work...
Get in - we gotta go.
Two rights, three lefts, and we're back in business - right, sport?
Right, Dad.
Maybe so...Maybe not.
Seemed pretty clear, it was time for me and the big guy...To have a chat.
- Dad? - Hmmm?
Can we talk?
'Bout what?
It's just...
I wanted to fold the map.
And I guess that kinda...summed it up.
In a word...I think we're stuck.
We're not stuck!
But we were.
By two o'clock, we were on our way again.
Muddier, but wiser.
Still, at least, now we knew where we were.
Loudenville...
Welcome to Hillsdale - can I help you!
- Uh, yeah, please. We need some - - Gas. Fill it up.
- And some - - Oil. Check it.
Gotcha!
Dad - shouldn't we ask for directions?
Why? We know where we are.
Hillsdale.
'Course I should have known better.
My father would rather face a firing-squad...Before asking a qualified stranger for information.
Say - you know, that front right tire of yours -
Tire's fine!
Come on! Let's wash up.
Fine with me.
Gotcha!
Anything was better than sitting in that car together.
Besides, here, in this humble inn, we could refresh our weary spirits - sit down as equals.
Get me some coffee, huh?
What do I look like - your slave?
Can I get you something?
One coffee, please.
Sure, handsome.
Hold the phone...
Make that...two coffees.
Are you from around here?
Uh...
Haven't seen you in here before.
Well...I...mostly hang out...somewhere else.
Like - junior high school. But why quibble?
Two coffees...Anything else?
Hmmmmmm....let's see, here...
Scrambled eggs...bacon, crisp... Wheat toast...home fries...applesauce...
And a couple of corn muffins.
Uh-huh.
Can I warm that up for you?
Oh...thanks.
OK, maybe I went overboard - true love does that to you.
And, I knew Dad would understand.
What the hell is all this?
Dad!
Oh...
And suddenly, we were...connecting.
It went beyond mere words...
The thing guys understand.
Hi, handsome.
Hi.
The thing Greek tragedies are made of.
Can I warm that up for you?
Oh - sure...
And, uh, get the kid a ginger-ale.
"Kid"? "Ginger-ale"?
Dad - I'm drinking coffee, OK?
Oh - right.
He's drinking coffee...
I couldn't believe it!
The big lummox had sold me out!
OK, then. If he wanted to play rough...
So, Dad?
Hmmm? Think Mom's expecting us?
Huh?
You know. My mom...your wife?!
What are you talkin' about?
Of course, you can't get us home... Because you got us lost! Right?!
Take that!
Gulp.
And so...the battle-lines were drawn.
Words had failed us. Negotiations had broken down.
Hostilities had broken out.
And this time...no one was blinking.
Three hours, six wrong turns, and two gas-stations later...
Somebody...finally...spoke.
I'll get the lug-wrench.
You need any help with that?
I can handle it.
- Dad, can't you just lower - - I said I can handle it!
I stood there, feeling like...a fifth-wheel.
Not even that.
Awright...gimme some room...
Great. Lug-nut's jammed.
Damn thing won't budge!
Might as well be...welded on...solid.
How could this have happened?
Course, he probably meant that to be rhetorical. Still...
May because you didn't listen to that guy back at the gas-station!
I seemed to feel the need to shoot off my big mouth.
What?!
Well...you should've.
Let me tell ya something, Kevin!
We wouldn't be here...If it wasn't for that damn suit of yours!
My suit?! Look - I didn't even want to come here!
Well, neither did I! Travellin' half-way around the country!
Yeah, well...that's because you got us lost!
I did not get us lost!
- Did so! - I did not!
- Did so! - Does this look like we're lost?!
But the aweful truth was...we were.
He knew it...And I knew it.
We were lost - in a way that had nothing to do with Rand-McNally, or Route 22-B.
And I guess that's when I knew what I had to do.
What are you doing?
I'm changing the tire.
What?!
You heard me!
Are you out of your mind?
Maybe I was...But I didn't care.
I was gonna budge that lug-nut... If it was the last thing I ever did.
I was gonna budge it...or die trying.
Budge it...or give up the ghost.
And then, something completely unexpected happened.
I budged the lug-nut.
It was kind of a big moment.
Go ahead...
We didn't talk any more on the way home than we did on the way out.
But maybe we listened a little bit more...
To what was being said inside us.
Tired?
A little.
Your mom's gonna kill us, comin' home without a suit.
Guess we'll have to face the music, though.
Yeah...
I'll tell ya what...I heard of this place...out on the highway.
Supposed to have great apple pie.
Maybe we'll go and try it.
We can get our stories straight - have a cup of Joe.
What do ya say?
What's that for?
In case we get lost.
We won't need it.
We'll find our own way.
Maybe he was right.
Where we were headed, there were no maps. It was uncharted territory.
From now on...
We were flying by the seat of our pants.
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