02x13 - To My Roomies...

[bunniefuu]

[female narrator] Previously on "The Real World.."

[Dominic] It started just before I left for Nashville.

My father was in the hospital, but still I was like

"It's fine, just tests or somethin'."

And I had called my brothers

"Yeah, everything is fine, it's cool."

I get home and it seems

"Well, we didn't wanna ruin your little trip

"but your dad, our dad

nearly died from blood poisoning."

[Dominic] This is the true story.

♪ True story ♪♪

[Tami] Of seven strangers..

[Jon] Picked to live in a house..

[Beth] And have their lives taped..

[Aaron] To find out what happens..

[Beth] When people stop being polite..

[Glen] And start getting real..

[male narrator] In The Real World, California.

[Jon] Dominic told me two weeks ago

that he was gonna be going home, uh

to Ireland, to, uh, see his father.

Is this for a family event?

[Dominic] Yeah, I don't know, yeah.

My father was sick.

My father has been sick for a while, still is.

Some days, it's better, some days, it's not.

You almost feel guilty havin' a good time in life

while this is going on so far away.

He mentioned that maybe his relationship with his father

wasn't, uh, as close as he would like it to be

and he wanted to spend some time with his

some quality time, you know, alone, with his father.

How long is that flight to Ireland?

- Ten hours. - Is that this Friday?

[Dominic] No. I don't like to burden people with all the problems.

I don't wanna hear other people's problems.

And all I can do is pray.

[Jon] A friend of Beth S.

asked me to sing on a demo for her boyfriend.

He's a song writer, he liked my tape so much

that I gave him to look at

that he gave it to one of his producer friends.

I guess he watched it and called me up

and said he wanted to meet with me.

So, uh, I'm not getting my hopes up too high

but I am, uh, definitely gonna listen to what he has to say.

[Dominic] This guy is a producer you met today though, right?

- Yeah. - Big office?

- Yeah. - Big building?

- Oh, yeah. - Was it a nice office?

Mm-hmm, very nice.

Did he have discs on the wall?

- I didn't see any. - What was his name?

[Jon] Brian.

- He had a last name? - 'I don't know it.'

Jeez, Jon, did he give you a card?

[Jon] 'Actually, he didn't.'

I saw your video tape.

You don't play an instrument, right?

I mean, you play the guitar.

- 'Yeah, right.' - Looks like.

Are you taking guitar lessons?

Uh, I'm not takin' lessons now.

You, you've never taken vocal lessons, have you?

No, I never did.

Have you ever tried to write any?

Right now, I just, I enjoy singing.

[Jon] I told him the same thing I told you.

- I don't wanna write. - 'Did you tell him that?'

- Yeah. - Good.

"That's not where the money is."

I don't care where the money is.

I wanna be a singer, okay?

Is that okay?

Who're you trying to convince, me or you?

[male #] 'I don't think that we as a company'

'uh, or as producers, at this point'

would be interested in offering you a contract.

♪ Hey mister can you tell me ♪

♪ What this was about? ♪

♪ You might just hear me out ♪♪

[indistinct singing]

[Dominic] Oh, it is difficult for him.

Singing is what he loves and what he does best.

[Jon] I hear all the time

"Oh, you're a country singer. Well, do you write?"

You know, "Oh, you need to start writin'

because that's where, that's where it's at."

And you know, that's where, what's at?

Because I wanna be a singer.

So therefore, that's not where it's at.

Sometimes you have so much in you, you need to release it.

I'm never artistic.

Sure, you are in your own way. Singing is very artistic.

- Alright. - That's your release.

Give me a break, you're an artist.

I don't paint and I don't draw.

- No, but you're a singer-- - I don't have a profession.

I don't get paid for anything yet.

Well, most artists don't get paid for their work either.

Great.

- 'Who's that guy?' - 'Knock it off.'

Is he a nobody?

You're not being serious, are you?

I don't know who that is.

Yes, you do. That's Jim Morisson of the Doors.

- Who? - Jim Morrison of the Doors.

'The lead singer of the Doors.'

Oh.

I really didn't know.

[Dominic] 'Uh, Jon, I'm missing a red shoe. Have you seen one?'

[Jon] 'No, I haven't seen it.'

[Dominic] I visited my family at Christmas.

and my father was ill

but all his hospital tests

said there was nothing wrong with him.

I thought he needed like a pep talk

and yours truly volunteered to give that pep talk, you know?

So I'm whooping high fives in the kitchen

after I've told him he should get up and get out

you know, and stop feeling sorry for himself.

And then two days later, I get a phone call.

He'd been rushed to the hospital.

The doctors told my mum, my sister

that his son should be notified

because he may not make it through that evening.

I'm the clever b*stard

who decided to give him the pep talk.

I'm the one that, like, told him

he should stop feeling sorry for himself.

I'm the one that's suffering from guilt almost.

On the plane, I was like

I really was very apprehensive.

Did you ever get a nervous butterfly feeling?

That's what it was like.

I'm gonna visit the same man that I saw four months ago

who's now pounds lighter in weight.

And I've gotta try and hide this and say

"Oh, you don't look that bad."

Hi, mum, how you doing?

- Hey, dad. - How are you, son?

It was in shock to see him at the airport.

I didn't even think he'd be at the airport.

My mum had told me that he was barely walking.

So he was, looked great, uh, but, obviously very weak.

[male #] We're delighted to have him. He was always a good kid.

[female #] You know, we'll have a bit of life in the house again.

It's great to have him home.

You're so good, Dom. My favorite brother.

[Dominic] I left home seven years ago

when I was and Barbara was .

Yeah, we're sister and brother, but it's changed since I left.

She's now become the only child left in the house

while the other three have run off to America.

- I'm on steroids. - Yeah.

You know, what the athletes are banned from.

Well, I'm on them now.

[Dominic] 'Well, you won't be in the Olympic Games then?'

No, no.

Obviously, I was very concerned, you know.

My mum and my sister had told me that he was very ill.

My dad had told me he was very ill.

I knew he'd lost a hell of a lot of weight.

And I was very concerned about his, you know

his health, his appearance, state of mind, his spirits.

Three months ago when he was sick

dad sat down in the rocking chair in the kitchen

and he told me that he was giving up

and that he wasn't gonna fight.

All he did was lay in front of the fire.

He wouldn't speak to anyone.

If you were lucky, he'd get up

and he'd go in and sit down in the front room

and he'd just sit there and watch television.

I never thought for a second

that I'd be without either of my parents.

And all of a sudden, I'm close to losing one.

There were emotions that I'd never felt before.

Never had to.

You know, I drove across the country.

I drove from a place in the Midwest

called Kentucky to Los Angeles.

[Dominic] His weight loss has stabilized.

He hasn't gained any back, but he hasn't lost any more.

How are you, Pat?

Sixty percent of cirrhosis is caused by drink.

Forty percent is other things related.

His is in a little small group of %

that they don't know how you get it

why you get it, or how to cure it.

Just goin' in to say hello to Pat Mark for a few minutes.

[Dominic] 'Someone suggested that he needs a liver transplant.'

He can't have a liver transplant.

- He could do-- - He could do with one, okay.

But the heart won't take the operation.

It all kind of came to a head in January.

That's when it was really kinda finalized that he's really bad.

[male #] When I was brought into the hospital

I had about an hour and a half to live.

That's what I was told.

- Good man, Dom. - What?

- 'Blessing meself.' - Yeah.

I always bless myself. I pray every day, dad.

- What? - I pray every day.

You pray for us too?

Every day, not a day goes by, I don't.

[Dominic] This is his first time in a car since before Christmas.

He hasn't been able to drive

and he doubted it himself that he wanted to drive.

He's a little slow. I thought he was gonna k*ll us all.

But he's also, I guess, a very proud and stubborn man.

So the last thing I was gonna do, the first thing

arriving in the country was say

"No, I'm not getting in the car with you".

So I said my prayers, blessed myself

and went along for the ride.

[cheers and applause]

We dedicate this to Dominic Griffin because

he's out from the hospital for a little while

and we hope that he'll make a speedy recovery now.

[instrumental music]

[female #] Had Dom not have come home last Saturday

Dominic would still be sitting around and not moving.

But I think it was Dom coming.

He was determined to get going.

[Dominic] The spirit and the will to live

are much more important than many medical science.

[cheering and applause]

[Dominic] 'This is me, I got the--'

[Barbara] 'Oh, I see it now, upstairs, yeah.'

- 'Who the hell is that?' - That's Johnny Cash.'

♪ I can't hold her inside ♪

♪ Keep the pain out of my eyes anymore ♪♪

[Jon] I didn't really realize how much I missed singing every week.

Back home, it was really easy.

People knew who I was, they knew that I was a singer

and I'd get invitations to come and sing.

They'd ask me, "Come sing here, please."

I got out here and it was like

it was me having to, to turn around

and look for places to sing and beg.

It was hard for me to find them at first.

I'd go over to this bike shop around the corner.

Hello.

We've been looking for you.

That's what I hear.

They noticed that there was an ad in their paper

that they were having a country music contest.

A thousand dollars would be nice.

[female #] 'Should have called sooner, huh?'

Uh, it's like, you fax them the information

the songs you want to do and everything Tuesday night

and, then, Wednesday night is the contest.

His name was one of first to get there at exactly midnight.

He had it faxed over so, he, uh

he wouldn't miss out on this contest.

[Jon] I've been in contests before

and contests are weird, they're not always fair.

So I'm not gonna go in there all devastated if I don't win

because if you can't take not winning

then you don't need to go in there in the first place.

[Dominic] Monday started out very innocent.

Barbara and I decided we were gonna have lunch

at a place called The Rock Garden.

Peter was gonna join us there later.

Peter is, ahem, he's my first cousin.

As kids, he'd beat me up.

And then he'd still beat me up.

Peter suggested we go to O'Donoghue's

which is this real old bar just off Steven's green.

By the time we left O'Donoghue's

we were in an extremely festive mood.

[laughing]

Can I have two to "Hands down"?

You're drunk and ma is gonna yell at both of us.

No, she's gonna yell at me, not you.

Where's the bathroom? I need to use the bathroom.

It's over on the other side.

Be back in two minutes.

You know, it's amazing when you've had a couple of beers

the things you'll do under the influence

that seem so rational.

, , past :.

It occurred to us that we were very late for dinner.

past :.

No. No, no, Dom.

Dom, this guy is married.

None of us are married.

This guy is married. No.

It was o'clock, it's still bright.

See, that's what it was.

I may as well take the ring off, give it to Dom.

You'd think it's like o'clock

but it was : and we were very late for dinner.

Seriously, Peter

just say there was a fire on the train track.

It's happened several times.

The train is delayed, you're stuck in Connelly.

Don't let, she'll never know.

I don't know who came up with the story

but it seemed a really good one and very obvious.

-, that's right.

------.

Hello. Yeah, how are you?

It's me.

I'm actually in, uh, Connely.

There's a bit of a fire or something.

Well, no, with the train.

The fact that we left the train.

[phone disconnects]

Oh, that is unreal.

There's a fire, that's what it was.

- There was a fire. - Yeah!

You shouldn't, but you do.

You forget about things like dinner.

- Mom, I do apologize. - 'Well, I hope so.'

I, you know, I swear to God, I swear to God.

Well, where were you?

Look, now, you need to stop goofing.

Now, go on. Where were you?

Well, there was a fire.

Now I don't believe that one, Dom.

You've got to come up with something..

Who thought of the fire?

- She did. - Ah!

♪ Little sister don't you? ♪

♪ Little sister don't you? ♪

♪ Little sister don't you? Kiss me once or twice ♪

♪ Tell me that it's nice and then you run ♪

♪ Yeah yeah little sister ♪

♪ Don't you do what your big sister done ♪♪

[crowd cheering]

[female #] 'This is a six week contest, that means'

that there is two winners every night

'and at the end of the sixth week total'

'there is one grand price winner.'

So let's start with the first person.

[Jon] You know, it's gonna be really, really tough competition

but, you know, I, I don't really care.

It's just an opportunity for me to sing

so I don't have anything to lose.

[indistinct singing]

♪ Go girl ♪

♪ Go girl ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪

♪ Somewhere ♪

♪ There could me ♪♪

Some of them were really good.

They kinda had the whole variety going.

The higher the level gets

probably the stiffer the competition gets.

So you just have to know that going into it.

[female #] 'Okay, the next contestant is Jon Brennan.'

'Where's Jon?'

[cheering]

♪ I've been havin' since I was a boy in.. ♪

[Jon] You know, I've done really well in contests

and I've come in dead last in contests.

And they're not really a fair representation

because it's, it's nothing except somebody else's opinion.

♪You can say what you wanna say ♪

♪ About my insanity ♪

♪ Blame it on Texas ♪

♪ Don't blame it on me ♪♪

[audience applauding]

[crowd cheering]

[Dominic] Soccer, uh, we call it football

in Ireland, has become over the years

much more important than it had been.

When I was here, at least

when the team wasn't that successful

school would just call us there, I mean, we'd all get off school.

Well, now that they're successful, it's like people

just ain't going into work.

I mean, it's like a big national holiday.

Even my ma knows the names of the players.

[male #] 'See this food, dinner we have here?'

- Yeah, I do. - We don't get this every night.

[female #] 'Well, of course not.'

We won't seeing this again, not maybe for another year.

[Barbara] I don't know how long it's gonna last for.

But the week that Dominic's been home it's been amazing.

He just seems to have a different change of life.

Well, Jim, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, you know.

[Dominic] I've observed that I come from a great place

and a great family, but there was one thing on my mind

and that was my father and it's like this big weight

being taken off my shoulders

that he seems fine, he's in a great mood.

[male #] 'Did you bring enough gel for your hair?'

Things are not getting on your mind?

[Barbara] It's terrible to think that an illness will bring it together.

It, I think it is anyway, you know, because he's my father.

But, you know, that's what it just took.

It was the best cure, you ever had

with Dom coming home.

The purpose of me coming home was just to

make amends with my father, that's all I've done there.

Dom said to me the other day there

he said, "You're back to your old self again".

That's really all he wanted.

That's when he knows I'm alright.

[female #] There's nothing in a bottle or a tablet

that could've fixed you up.

It was just Dom coming home.

- It's nice to know they care. - Yeah.

♪ Everywhere you go ♪

♪ Always take the weather with you ♪

♪ Everywhere you go ♪

♪ Always take the weather ♪

♪ Everywhere you go ♪

♪ Always take the weather with you ♪

♪ Everywhere you go ♪

♪ Always take the weather ♪

♪ The weather with you ♪♪

What else have you to get?

Are you sure you have your tickets?

- Yeah. - Positive?

Absolutely positive.

And will your friend be at the airport?

[Dominic] I really hate saying goodbyes

and most of my family is the same.

My father gets, um, very emotional.

I'm gonna see you on Christmas?

- Ma. - God bless.

It was great having you home.

Ma said, "Look, just go now."

- Bye, dad. - I'll see ya, I'll see ya.

[Dominic] So, I just, I left.

Said very quick, short goodbyes

and said I'll be back.

- 'Take care, Dom.' - 'Alright, dad.'

- I'll call you when I get home. - 'Fine.'

Thank you, mate.

- You see him? - Yeah, he's there.

♪ ...Turn it on turn it up turn me loose.. ♪♪

Alright.

'The two winners of tonight'

and the two winners of tonight are

Kayla Quann and Jon Brennan!

[crowd cheering and applauding]

[male # ] 'Where are you?'

[Beth] He was beautiful.

His singing was so good.

He sang, um, a song for us in a really deep voice.

He's a really good singer.

This song goes out to my roommates and friends here.

[indistinct talking]

"Here In The Real World."

♪ Cowboys don't cry ♪

♪ And heroes don't die ♪

♪ The good always wins ♪

♪ Again and again ♪

♪ Love is a sweet dream ♪

♪ That always comes true ♪

♪ If life were like the movies ♪

♪ I'd never be blue ♪

Hey!

♪ Here in the real world ♪

[Jon] 'Dominic!'

♪ It's not that easy at all ♪

♪ Is how the boy don't always get the girl ♪

♪Here in the real world ♪♪

- Jon, missed you buddy. - I missed you, Dom.

[male narrator] On the next "Real World.."

[Tami] It's really hard when you get attached to the clients.

You have to face the fact that eventually

they're not gonna walk into your door with that smile.

[Jon] Tami organized a HIV seminar with one of the guys

she worked from work, guy named Mike.

I couldn't believe that we were sitting there

putting condoms on bananas.

♪ Heidi Heidi Heidi ♪

♪ Put on your clothes ♪ ♪ Put on your clothes ♪

♪ Robbie's teaching out in.. ♪

♪ I was working in the bank ♪

♪ Fiddley diddley dieddley dee ♪♪