The Burgess Boys

Helen Burgess, wife of Jim, is packing for a trip to St. Kits with Jim’s colleague Alan and Alan’s wife, Dorothy, when her brother-in-law, Bob, calls to say that something has just happened to him. Helen suggests that Bob meet her and Jim for dinner so that he can share it. After hanging up, Helen thinks about how Bob accidentally killed his father at age four with the family car.

Bob arrives and explains to Helen that he witnessed another fight between the married couple in the apartment below him. This time, however, the wife accused the husband of hitting her—falsely, according to Bob—and the husband was arrested. Jim arrives home, and Helen explains to Jim why Bob is upset. Then, their sister, Susan, calls: Her son, Zachary (“Zach”), has been arrested for throwing a pig’s head into a mosque where he lives in Shirley Falls. The act is being treated as a hate crime. Jim says that they must cancel their vacation so that he can go to Maine to help Susan with the legal aspects. Helen protests, and Bob, who also works in law, says that he will go instead; Jim instructs Bob to drive Jim’s car there.

Back at his home, Bob calls Susan—who is his twin—to tell her that he is coming to Maine. Susan is hysterical, and Bob suggests that she ask her doctor for a Valium prescription. He hangs up and watches the occupants of the nearby apartments through his window.

The next morning is hectic as Jim and Helen prepare to head to the airport. The car they have reserved to drive them is late, and then Jim discovers that Bob forgot to take the car key with him. Jim calls Bob and tells him to meet them outside of his building so that Jim can give him the keys. He gives Bob some information about the lawyer he has procured for Zach.

An elderly woman named Mrs. Drinkwater rents the top floor of Susan’s three-story house; Susan informs her of Zach’s crime, explaining that Mrs. Drinkwater may be contacted by reporters.

Meanwhile, Bob begins the drive to Maine, thinking about his neighbor Adriana, who had called the police on her husband. When he spoke with her the night before, she admitted to being afraid to stay in the apartment alone at night and also confided in Bob the possibility that she may lose her job. Bob also thinks about his ex-wife, Pam Carlson, who sought a divorce when the couple learned that Bob could not have children.

When he arrives at the Shirley Falls police station, Bob sits on a bench beside Susan while Zach is interviewed in another room. They discuss Zach; Susan cannot offer any explanation for what he has done. Zach remains in touch with his father, Steve, via email, and Susan admits that sometimes Zach seems sad about Steve’s absence.

Police personnel appear to tell them that Zach is to be taken to jail to be booked on charges and fingerprinted, after which he can be taken home. Bob and Susan follow the police cruiser to the jail. They wait three hours while Zach is processed. Susan discusses the talk in town of holding a rally to show support for the mosque and the Muslim population, consisting largely of a recent influx of Somali refugees. Finally, Susan pays the bail, and Zach is released. A photographer captures a photo of him as the three exit the jail.

Helen and Jim arrive in St. Kits. On the first night, Helen has nightmares. The next day, Jim golfs while Helen goes to the pool, where she finds Dorothy, the wife of Jim’s colleague Alan. Jim has told Helen that the couple is having some kind of problem with their teenage daughter. Dorothy gives Helen a newspaper article about Somali refugees in Kenya, explaining that it relates to Zach’s predicament. Though she would prefer to chat, Helen reads the article. The information is unsettling, and she does not want to continue reading. She realizes how much she misses her children—all away at college—and mentions this to Dorothy. Dorothy says that she does not share this sentiment.

The three return to Susan’s home. Bob wants to talk with Zach, but Zach heads to his bedroom, and Susan instructs Bob to leave him alone. Susan is upset that Zach had to sit in a jail cell, insisting that he looked scared. Bob tries to reassure her, noting that Zach was only charged with a misdemeanor.

Susan sits down, takes up some knitting, and begins talking about the recent influx of Somali refugees. She is bothered by the way the community members have donated so many things to them, noting that no one gave her that kind of help during her divorce. They talk about Jim, with both siblings wishing he were there.

Bob drives to a grocery store for two bottles of wine. He drives past a spaghetti place that they frequented as kids and is surprised that, even though it is a Saturday night, it is already closed.

Meanwhile, Abdikarim Ahmed returns to the home of his cousin and her husband, where he is living. He recalls being in the mosque when the pig’s head was hurled in, noting angrily that the police laughed about it when they arrived to take the report. A local rabbi has suggested holding a rally in support of the mosque, but Abdikarim feels that the rabbi, like the other white Americans, is not truly interested in protecting the Somalis.

That night, Bob sleeps on Susan’s couch, wearing his coat because the house is cold. In the morning, he wakes up to Susan yelling at Zach to go to work; she then leaves for work herself. On her way out the door, she tosses the newspaper at Bob: The front page displays a photo of Zach leaving jail.

Bob talks briefly with Mrs. Drinkwater. She says that Zach is a quiet and sad teen whom she suspects has no friends. She says that she often hears him crying.

Jim returns from golf and brags to Helen about his performance. She tells him that Bob has called: Zach has been released on $200 bail and will be arraigned in a few weeks. Jim wants to know what Bob’s tone was like, but Helen cannot provide anything specific. Jim showers, and they prepare for dinner with Alan and Dorothy.

At dinner, Helen has a few drinks and feels relaxed. She and Dorothy make plans to have breakfast together the next morning.

While Susan and Zach are at work, Bob does very little—mostly smokes and browses the books and magazines in Susan’s house. That evening, Susan explains that the lawyer Jim has hired will arrive in town the following afternoon. Bob indicates that he will meet with him.

He sleeps poorly again—despite taking several pills—and drives to a convenience store the next morning. He buys coffee and doughnuts and, suspecting that he may be in town for a few more days, two bottles of wine. As he is backing out of the parking space with Jim’s car, he hears two women yelling. Bob rushes out of the car: A Somali woman and the convenience store clerk are there, insisting that Bob nearly hit the Somali woman. Bob—still traumatized by the long-ago accident that killed his father—is frantic, insisting that the woman should go to the hospital and that the incident should be reported to police. Both women angrily insist that this is not necessary, as the woman was not actually struck.

Dorothy cancels their breakfast date, which pleases Helen. Helen orders room service alone on the hotel patio while Jim golfs. She thinks about the time of the Wally Packer case: She was proud of Jim and enjoyed the celebrity status it brought to them both.

After breakfast, she returns to the hotel room to find Jim yelling on the phone. He hangs up and angrily explains to Helen that Bob nearly hit a Somali woman with Jim’s car. Bob is refusing to drive the car back and insists on flying back to New York. Helen is sympathetic, noting that Bob’s behavior is understandable in light of his childhood trauma. Jim believes that they should go to Maine to retrieve the car.

Back at Susan’s home, Susan yells at Bob, calls him incompetent, and then leaves. Bob, tense, is outside smoking when a car pulls into Susan’s driveway. The woman who exits introduces herself as the minister of the Unitarian church that Susan attends. She explains to Bob that she wants to offer support to Susan and Zach. They talk a bit about the incident with the mosque; Susan is sympathetic toward Zach and fearful that the planned rally might further hurt him.

Before leaving, the minister gives Bob her card and encourages him to call her if he needs anything. Bob makes arrangements for a taxi to pick him up and take him to the Portland airport.