A Hatful of Rain Page #9

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What was that reason?

Oh, please, Johnny,

stop, please, Johnny.

I know I've been

deaf, dumb, and blind,

but don't do to me

what I did to you.

Honey, listen,

something happened to me,

something that-- that--

that's very hard to understand,

but please don't go.

You don't have to love me,

not for a long time,

but please don't go.

Oh, J--

Johnny.

Johnny, your baby

just kicked me.

It doesn't move all day long,

every once in a while,

that's all.

Will you let me know

the next time

you think it's going to move?

Johnny, hold me.

Johnny, please hold me, Johnny.

You're not going

to leave me, are you?

Oh, Johnny, no, no, I promise.

I got to get a handkerchief.

Hiya, Polo.

Hi.

The old man's down in Gerrity.

He wants to buy you

a drink before supper.

Who won the game?

Who played?

Polo, I want you to forget

about this morning.

All right.

What are you two talking about?

Nothing that concerns you.

Uh, it's-- it's forgotten.

Johnny, did you tell her?

- Tell me what?

- It's nothing.

It can wait, Polo.

I got to see the old man.

No. Now, the old--

the old man can wait, Johnny.

Not now.

I'll take care of it.

I'm keeping my word,

but not now.

Polo, listen, wait till

the old man gets on the plane,

and then I'll tell her.

What are you talking about?

Honey, uh, listen,

this is nothing

to get excited about.

Uh, look,

Sit down here a minute.

Now, Polo had the money

that the old man wanted,

but I took it all.

What do you mean?

Well, honey, I--

Th-The thing is I--

I'd better go downstairs.

The old man--

Look, Johnny, will you tell her?

Will you please tell her?

- What is it?

- Polo, get out of my way.

Come on, get out of my way.

Oh, I'm not in your way.

Go ahead and run.

Oh, honey, please,

the old man's ringing.

Will you get out of the door

and let me out?

Johnny, you can tell me.

You can tell me anything.

Now what have you done?

Johnny, nobody's going to hate you.

Honey, uh--

I'm hooked.

I'm a junkie. I--

I take dope.

You what?

I'm hooked.

- That's silly.

- No, it's not silly.

I need it two times every day,

and it costs a lot of money.

That's all right, Johnny.

Johnny, whatever it is,

it's all right.

Honey, don't tell the old man.

Johnny, we'll call a doctor.

No, no, not until

the old man goes.

It doesn't matter now. There's

nothing to be ashamed of,

and everything's going to be--

Hey, Johnny!

Everything's going to be

all right.

- Johnny--

- What do you say, Pop?

Where you been?

I've been downstairs

wearing out my thumb.

I was going to buy you a drink.

I didn't hear you, Pop.

"Didn't hear you, Pop."

Aw...

What do you think

of these bums of mine?

They're not bums.

These bums. You know,

I used to spend more time

on the back porch

whistling for them.

I'd get all the dogs and cats

in the neighborhood,

but no-- no Johnny, no Polo.

That right, Johnny?

That's right, Pop.

Well, dinner's ready.

Hey, Celia, did Johnny ever

tell you about the time--

He was just a kid,

and I came home,

and I found him digging

in the backyard,

and it was pouring

cats and dogs.

I ask him what he's doing.

He says, "Working, Daddy.

Me working."

You see, I had told him

that the only way to get money

in your pocket is by working,

so he'd dig himself a hole,

then he'd look in his pockets,

and then he'd dig another hole

and look in his pockets,

and no money.

Then I told him,

"Come on in the house."

He bends over,

he picks up his hat,

and ga-whoosh, water goes

pouring all over him.

Poor Johnny,

he worked and he worked.

All he got was a hatful of rain.

It was just like a--

What's everybody so quiet about?

How was the game, Pop?

Oh, it was swell.

How about it, Polo, huh?

Hmm. Yeah, it was great.

- Would you pass the salt?

- Here.

- Thank you.

- How about you, Johnny?

You ever get to go

out to a ballgame?

You ought to get out

and get some fresh air.

Okay, I'll play straight man.

What's going on here?

Nothing, Pop.

I was just going to

tell you a funny story.

I'm afraid you'll all

break down and cry.

What's going on, Johnny?

Nothing, Pop.

Yes, Pop. No, Pop.

Nothing, Pop. Brr!

Feels like the last

day on Earth.

Come on, it's just

your imagination.

Can't we just eat--

Let me say what I was

going to say.

We're all together here.

Why don't we have some laughs?

I'm a junkie, Pop.

Johnny's sick.

Huh?

What?

I'm a junkie.

What are you talking about?

Uh, he knows what he's

talking about, Pop.

You mean you take dope?

That's a junkie.

That's right.

You've known about this, Polo?

Yeah, all the time, Pop.

Where do you get it?

I mean, how?

Come on, Pop, let's-- let's

not have an investigation.

I'm asking your brother

a question.

I'm not asking you for advice.

Well, I'm giving you

some, so shut up.

Don't you tell me to shut up.

All right.

Just keep your hat on.

What do you mean,

keep my hat on?!

I'm not hungry.

All the time I kept looking

for the lipstick on his shirt.

Johnny, why didn't you tell me?

How long has this been going on?

This time, three months.

This time?

There was another time?

Yeah. Yeah, when I got

out of the hospital.

But I told Polo, but he helped me,

and I kicked it.

- You kicked it?

- Yeah, I got off the habit.

Go to the library

and read up about it.

Johnny, please don't get sore.

I'm going to find out

whose fault this is

and who's to blame.

You knew about it.

You talk.

I don't know whose fault it is.

What difference

does it make who's to blame?

You're his wife.

What do you know about it?

You been sleeping

in the same bed with him.

You mean you don't even know

you've been sleeping

with a dope addict?

- Will you shut up?

- It's disgusting.

You sit down to dinner,

and your-- your kid

turns out to be a--

Ahh.

I can't understand

how a boy like you could--

- I ought to--

- Now, Pop, lay off.

Get out of my way, Polo.

He's sick, don't you understand?

I'm not sick!

I'm not sick!

- Get back here!

- Johnny, please!

Johnny, don't!

Johnny, please!

Stop! Polo--

Oh, don't leave!

- Let me sit--

- Go sit. Here.

Something's gone wrong.

You mean the baby?

Call the doctor, Polo.

Something's wrong.

Get her coat.

Get her coat.

- Shh.

- I'm afraid.

Johnny. Johnny.

Johnny, I'm afraid.

$3,000 worth of poison

in your brother's arm,

- and you paid for it.

- I paid for it.

That's a right thing to do,

help your brother kill himself.

What are you going to say to me?

Okay, Pop, get on your plane

and go back to Palm Beach

where everything

is nice and quiet.

Things don't have

to be quiet for me, boy.

I'm not coming apart

at the seams.

Oh, would you look at yourself?

You don't even know

what's happened,

and you're trying to put

the blame somewhere.

My son.

If you only knew

how ashamed I am

to admit that you're my son.

I got a good notion

to kick the--

Ah, go ahead.

You couldn't hurt me

any more if you killed me.

Now listen.

Now, you were 2,000 miles away,

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