Mom has gone to Alaska, leaving her son, Austin, to watch her house and keep her plants watered. Austin is seated at a table with a cup of coffee, a cigarette, and a typewriter, scribbling in a notebook. In his early 30s, he is neatly dressed in stark contrast to his older brother, Lee, who appears to be homeless. Lee is drinking a beer and fishing for information on how long their mother will be gone, interrupting Austin with questions that indicate he feels a bit inferior. Austin is patient while Lee tries to shore up his own self esteem by bragging about his survival skills in the desert, where he lives for months at a time. The conversation only gets intense when the subject of their father comes up. Lee sarcastically asks Austin if he wants a medal for going to see their father, and that their father told him all about his visit. When Austin tries to talk to Lee about their father, Lee cuts him off. (read more)
