Cinema Verite

   Uncle Billy jumped in the passenger seat, shut the door and set a pair of DVD's in his lap. "Swing by the video store on the way to Manny's."
   "Hi, Uncle ... good to see you, too."
   Billy shot a glance at me. "What's got your underwear in a twist?"
   I pulled out of the parking lot. "Nothing ... I haven't seen you in few days ... just thought I'd say hello."
   Billy shrugged and held up one of the DVD's. "Anyway, I want to return this piece of crap in person ... it was the worst movie I ever saw ... and this one ..., " held up the other DVD, "... was so scratched that it wouldn't play."
   I made a right turn onto the highway. "When did you go to the video store?"
   "On Friday ... Clara took me."
   I looked over at him. "Oh? Really?"
   "Don't get any ideas, boy ...  I just tagged along with her on an errand ... which turned out to be in the strip mall where the video store is."
   "So, why didn't you have the clerk check the DVD for scratches?"
   "She did ... she said they both looked fine."
   "What was wrong with the other one?"
   "It was so bad that I could barely stand watching it."
   I stopped for a red light. "So why did you?"
   "Hey, I paid good money for that thing."
   "Isn't your time more valuable than the couple of bucks you spent on the DVD?"
   "I'm not going to argue this with you ... what was the name of that stinker you went to see with Cheryl a couple of weeks ago?"
   My face reddened. "Okay, point taken."
   "Besides, I didn't have anything to do all weekend."
   "I thought you were meeting with Mike Burczyk on Saturday? Cheryl invited you do dinner but you begged off ... remember."
   Billy starred out the window. "Mike had to cancel ... I guess something came up."
   I pulled away from the light. "Why didn't you call? I would have come to pick you up."
   "I didn't want to put out Cheryl."
   "What are you taking about, Uncle ... she would have loved to have you over ... we had homemade pizza and there was plenty."
   "I guess I just wasn't in a social mood."
   "So ... did Burczyk reschedule the meeting?"
   "I don't want to talk about this right now, okay?"
   "Okay, okay." I glanced over at him. He was still starring out the window. "Did you watch any football yesterday."
   He held up the DVD's. "I wish I had."