Ralph Tremonte (RT) and Donald Weiss (DW)
RT: I’m seeing you after 40 years and I’m seeing fear in you. Now, let me ask you a very important question. Do you feel institutionalized?
DW: No.
RT: Because I’d like you to come out of that shell, man. Because you’re not free in that shell. And I want you to be free.
DW: I’m free now. I do what I want, now. The only thing is—
RT: But you’re still scared.
DW: No, I’m not.
RT: Yes, you are. And I wanna tell you something else. Don’t stop having interest in women. You’re a free man and you should feel that maybe you could pick up a lady or meet a lady.
DW: I have one.
RT: That’s great!
DW: Her name is Marion.
RT: And another thing: what you should do is make your home more comfortable to live in. Get yourself a CD player and listen to some music. Don’t stay in that shell. Do you do a lot of reading?
DW: Yeah. Dirty novels.
RT: See I do, well, dirty novels are all right. That’s not against the law. That’s why they sell them, Donald. You’re not allowing yourself to exercise your freedom, man. And that’s what I want you to do man. Because that’ll make me real happy. And you’ll be able to come out of that shell, man. Cuz I really don’t want you in that shell for the rest of your life. That’s the way I feel about it, man. Go ahead, Donald. I want to hear you. I haven’t seen you in 40 yrs.
DW: That fear and that darn, lousy hospital is still in my system. [stutters]
RT: Yeah, well, you’re never gonna get rid of that. But guess what.
DW: I might get rid of it. Half of it is gone.
RT: The memory is always gonna be there. But guess what: you don’t have to live it for the rest of your life.
DW: For years I used to bite my fingers, I— [stutters].
RT: Donald, they don’t have that many hospitals to put anybody in no more.
DW: I know.
RT: We’re not living in that era anymore. That era is dead.
DW: It’s dead and buried [stutters] rotted.
RT: You don’t ever let any body tell you they can do something to you. You’re free, man. You don’t have to take that. Am I right, Donald?
DW: Right.
RT: Say it loud and clear.
DW: Right! Hundred percent!
