A Home of Our Own Page #5

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Remember? We talked about it.

- This is not a house.

This is not Christmas.

We live in a shack.

A shack!

We have nothing of our own.

Everything we did have,

we either sold it or left it behind.

We have nothing!

It's supposed to be Christmas, goddamn it!

It's Christmas!

- You watch your mouth,

Shayne Patrick Lacey.

- Well, I like what I got.

- All that money we earned, and nothing.

- You're just mad 'cause you didn't get

the stupid t-shirt you wanted.

- Shut up, Murray!

All they wanted was some toys or a radio,

or you know what?

You care more about this stupid shack

or this stupid house idea

than you do about any of us!

(heaving)

- Go get your father's belt.

Go get it.

(sobbing)

(knocking)

- [Lynn] I'll get it.

- Oh, merry Christmas.

I was going...

- Merry Christmas, Mr. Moon.

- I know you had told me

not to bring any presents,

but this is for the house.

- Lynn, get Mr. Moon his present.

- It's a mailbox.

We got the spelling off the contract,

and Shayne made it in shop class.

- Yes, thank you.

- What is this?

- Plans.

The blueprints for the rest of this house.

It's not like your picture.

It's one-story ranch with two bedrooms,

but that can be changed.

It's a good, solid plan.

- I really appreciate it, Mr. Moon,

but we're set on building our own house.

Merry Christmas.

- You

are a stubborn woman, Mrs. Lacey.

What's wrong in here?

- Santa Claus hates me.

(sobbing)

- Mr. Moon,

could you give me a ride into town?

- Yes, ma'am.

- I'll be ready in a minute.

- I'll be warming up the truck.

- [Man] Merry Christmas.

Happy New Year.

- [Man] Merry Christmas.

- Excuse me, Father.

- Oh, Mrs. Lacey.

I certainly didn't expect to see you here.

- Well, actually, Father,

I was hoping to take you up on your offer.

Would you have any of those presents left?

- I took your advice.

I gave them to a truly needy family.

- So you have no gifts?

- You know, I think the best gift

that you could give your family

would be to bring them all here to church.

- [Woman] Father Tomlin,

that was so wonderful.

Thank you. I greatly enjoyed that sermon.

- I have money. I can pay.

- I'm, I'm sorry, Mrs. Lacey.

We have none. I'm sorry.

- Is it warm enough in there?

- Warm enough.

Why didn't you finish

this place, Mr. Munimura?

- I started it for my boy.

He went into the Navy.

He was a pilot, flew a jet.

Married a nice Japanese girl from Hawaii.

They were going to move here

after their tour in Korea.

Munimura and son.

Korea...

He wanted to fight.

Michael wanted to prove he was as American

as anyone else.

Chaiko and I started this place.

It was going to be a surprise.

He didn't come back.

His wife went on with her life.

Chaiko died the next year.

- I'm sorry about the blueprints.

I shouldn't have said that.

I didn't even look at them.

- No, no, you have a right

to your kind of house.

Chaiko and I started this place

so there'd be a family someday here.

You and your tribe are

more than Chaiko hoped for

as far as the number is concerned,

but you saw something

here the day you drove up

in that rattletrap Plymouth.

Don't forget what you saw.

- Merry Christmas, Mr. Munimura.

- Merry Christmas, Mrs. Lacey.

- [Lynn] Mama, you didn't open

the rest of your presents.

- Tomorrow.

- Mama, come over here.

- Oh, Lynn, I got to finish the dishes.

- Come on.

- No, I mean it. I got to.

- [Lynn] Oh, good, they fit. Oh, good.

- (sighs) Oh, God, I'm so tired.

(sighs) I'm just so damn tired.

- Well, maybe you should go to bed.

- It's not that kind of tired.

Sometimes I don't think I can...

I feel like I'm...

Pushing a car uphill, like a big car

like our Plymouth up a steep hill, and I'm

pushing and pushing and

and I push and I look down,

and I can see the ground under my feet,

and then I look up, and I can see all you

kids in the backseat and looking at me and

and I'm pushing...

- But mama, we're not in the car.

We're helping you push.

- Yeah.

Yeah, you are.

- Of course, mama.

We're the Lacey tribe.

It just feels like you're

pushing alone sometimes.

Here, you open this one.

(soft sentimental music)

That's from Annie and Craig.

We helped, but just a little.

(sniffling)

- [Faye] Look at that.

- [Shayne] It was a long, long winter.

Mama and I were still fighting,

and being cooped up in

that shack didn't help.

There wasn't anything to do

or anywhere to go.

- Hello.

Hi, kids.

- Hi, mom.

- [Craig] Hi, mom.

- Oh, what a pretty picture.

Did you paint that?

- [Annie] Uh-hmm.

- Who is that?

- [Annie] That's you,

that's Craig, that's Shayne,

and that's me, and that's Murray.

- Hey, what is this?

What the hell are you

doing, you little snot, huh?

- [Frances] Shayne, watch it.

- This is my history book.

Look at what you've done.

You've ruined my book.

- [Annie] Who cares?

- It's pretty.

- [Lynn] You draw in it every day.

- [Murray] Yeah. Naked women.

- Shut up! I'm gonna smack you both!

- Shayne Patrick, watch your mouth.

- Wait a minute.

Where's my homework?

Huh? Where is it, huh?

- Shayne, I'm warning you.

- I don't know.

- You do know.

Tell me!

- I don't know.

- Tell me!

- I don't' know.

- Get your father's belt.

- Get it yourself.

- [Girls] No, mama, please, mama.

- Listen to me.

When are you gonna listen?

(lashing, wailing)

- [Lynn] Stop it!

(kids wailing)

Mama, stop!

(lashing, wailing)

- Stop it, mama! Stop!

- Mama, please!

(Annie crying)

- [Shayne] I didn't speak to my mother

or look her in the eye for five days

after she took my dad's belt to me.

I didn't think she even cared.

(sniffling)

(sighs)

(knocking)

(sighs)

- You and I remember him best.

Craig and Annie were too young.

- Do you ever get mad at him?

- What?

For leaving us like this?

Sometimes.

I get mad at him for a whole

bushel basket of things,

but you can't really blame

that goddamn vagabond

Irish Catholic son of a

b*tch for dying, can you?

(sniffling)

- Just, sometimes I wish

things were a little different.

- You don't wanna be the man in the house.

I know what you have to give up,

the things you can't do at school.

You don't have any friends.

You have responsibilities.

I was a kid myself once, too, you know.

Want to go to parties, have fun,

dance my life away,

dance with all the boys,

neck until the sun came up,

but this is what I got.

This is what happens sometimes.

You work with what you get,

and you try to make it better.

- [Woman] I'll pick you up around 3:00.

- [Frances] Thanks. See ya.

- Mom, it's cold. Are you okay?

- Yeah.

It's gonna be beautiful.

We'll finish the first floor this summer.

We'll do some exterior work,

then next year we'll

start on the second floor.

You'll have your own room.

It's gonna be all

buttoned up and beautiful.

- Yeah.

Mom,

can I ask you a question?

- Hmm?

- Can I go on a date?

- Sure.

- I can?

- I've been known to go on a date

once or twice myself, you know.

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