A Patch of Blue Page #3

Well, what's your word, then?

Or is it a secret?

Tolerance.

Tolerance? I don't think so much

of that. What's it mean?

Well...

...it means...

When I've got a headache, Rose-Ann

says, "You'll just have to tolerate it."

It means you don't knock your neighbor

because he thinks or looks different.

That's a good word.

I bet you're full of tolerance.

No, I'm not. Not by a long shot.

What a gorgeous smell!

It's a rose garden.

It's 5:
00. I gotta go to work.

- Do you have to?

- I certainly do...

...if you expect to live a life of

luxury, swilling down pineapple juice.

Think you'll come this way tomorrow?

- Tomorrow's Sunday.

- Cripes, so it is.

There.

How about Monday?

Mr. Faber comes Monday.

Noon, Monday.

Thank you for my lovely day, Gordon.

Hello, Scum-dog!

This is my lucky day.

Good evening, Selina. Me and Scum-dog,

we was taking a walk in the park.

You want us to walk you to home?

Mr. Faber, how tolerant you are. Yes.

- You are a fine and tolerant friend.

- No, just walking. Scum-dog!

You here again?

- Yeah. Ain't you glad you're going out?

- Sure am!

- Hi, Rose-Ann. How's a girl?

- Hi, doll.

- Sit down and take a load off.

- Hello, Sadie.

Man, dig that crazy ghost. You hear

a ghost telling me hello, Rose-Ann?

- Please, Sadie, not that again today.

- You standing for her giving me lip?

Selina, tuck in your tongue.

Get Sadie and me some coffee, huh?

- Yeah, bring me a glass.

- With pleasure.

You let her get away with that?

It's Sunday. Take it easy.

The kid didn't mean nothing.

Yeah? Well, I wouldn't take

any of that upstage malarkey from her!

Thank you, dear.

You want a drop?

No, thanks. I'm sticking to Coke today.

Cleans out my system for the week.

Well, I suppose

you gotta watch yourself.

You ain't exactly Marilyn Monroe

anymore either.

Maybe not.

It makes me spit when I think

of what I could have been.

That's it. Neither one of us

is getting any younger.

No. We ain't getting

any younger, are we?

Think you'll come this way tomorrow?

- Tomorrow's Sunday.

- How about Monday?

Noon, Monday. Noon, Monday.

Noon, Monday.

Don't stop, Selina.

- You thought I wasn't coming?

- I was a bit worried.

Something came up.

I haven't even done my marketing.

Monday's my day for that.

Would you like to help?

- I sure would. Will I be a nuisance?

- You will, but I could use your advice.

Asparagus, chili beef, minestrone...

...clam chowder, tomato,

chicken gumbo...

...turkey noodle, kangaroo tail...

...vichyssoise, vegetable

or just plain pea.

- Kangaroo tail sounds interesting.

- Kangaroo tail?

I'll bet you it tastes interesting too.

Alrighty.

- It's freezing.

- Ice-cream section.

Strawberry, chocolate, vanilla

and all sorts of fruit flavors.

- Hey, do they have pineapple?

- Pineapple?

Pineapple.

Pineapple sherbet. You want some?

I guess so. It's not easy to choose.

Makes you feel kind of greedy.

One pineapple sherbet and one vanilla.

Now, what's next? Eggs, bread, milk.

That's over here.

Hey, hop on.

Step up.

Continuing along aisle three. On your

right, exotic fruits of the earth:

Pears, pineapples, peaches,

apricots, plums, mango, litchis.

Libby's wonderland.

On your left, spices from the Orient.

Aisle five:
candy, cookies,

cereal, pickles.

Aisle six:
prepared foods, canned soups

and vegetables, cereal, baking goods.

Almost forgot. I'm out of detergent.

This is where I really need your help.

- Swish?

- Keeps your hands soft as velvet.

- Whizz?

- Retains your girlish skin.

- Marvelous! Jiffy?

- Jiffy makes you feel like a princess.

- Beautiful. Froth?

- Froth? I never heard of that one.

That one's for washing dishes.

That's the one we need.

Off you get.

No room for passengers now.

This sure is fun. And the way

Rose-Ann gripes about marketing...

You know what this is?

Tomato. Don't buy this one.

It's too soft.

Thanks.

Go get me some oranges.

- Me?

- Yeah. Straight ahead.

- How many?

- A dozen.

Did I drop one?

Take them from the top.

It's safer.

Nine...

...10...

...11...

...12.

- Twelve.

- That's it.

Now all we have to do is pay.

It will cost a fortune.

You must be very rich.

Not so you'd notice.

- What's happening now?

- They're adding it up.

In their head?

No, on machines.

They don't use heads anymore.

Here are your beads.

We'll have to dump this stuff.

My pad's around the corner.

- Do you mind?

- I don't mind.

Here, turn to the left.

And...

- Man, what's happening?

- What do you think is happening?

- Is this an elevator?

- Yes.

I thought we was gonna hit the ceiling.

Now, this is a hallway.

- Jeepers.

- What is it?

Carpet in the hall?

- Don't laugh so loud.

- You're too much.

- My, it's cool in here.

- It's air-conditioned.

- Is it all new?

- No. Why?

It smells new.

Come, you sit down over here

while I go dump this stuff.

- You sure you're not rich?

- I'm quite sure.

- Hello.

- Hello.

- You've been taken care of?

- I'm just waiting for Mr. Ralfe.

- Where is he?

- In there, putting some stuff away.

Maybe I can help you, then.

What was it you wanted?

- Nothing. I'm a friend of his.

- I see.

Please sit down.

This noise!

I'm Mark. I'm Gordon's brother.

He must have forgotten his manners,

leaving you alone.

Sit down. I'll dig him up.

Say, brother? What goes on here?

What happened?

Hospital burn down?

Whipped. I dropped in

for a shower and sack time.

What's with little orphan Annie

out there?

Nothing.

- She says she's a friend of yours.

- That's right.

- Since when? I never saw her before.

- Since a few days.

- Where did she come from, this...?

- Selina.

- Well, thanks. Where'd you meet her?

- In the park.

In the...? Man!

You picking up chicks in the park now?

knock it off. That kid's blind.

I thought there was something

off-center. I don't get it.

It's very simple.

She's blind, and she needs help.

She's just a friend.

Very touching.

You gotta be out of your mind.

The most you'll get

out of this is a kick in the pants.

Why don't you go take a shower

and cool off.

- You want some lunch?

- No, thanks. I had mine.

- That was Mark.

- I know. Talks fast, doesn't he?

He's wound up. He's been having

a tough time at the hospital.

- He been sick?

- No. He works there. He's an intern.

- He thinks he's one great ball of fire.

- What do you think?

- I think he's one great ball of fire.

- I thought you thought that.

Open that.

- Where'd you get it?

- It belonged to my grandmother.

Play it again?

How do you wind it?

I'm starved. Bring it in the kitchen,

and I'll show you how.

- This tastes real good.

- I'm glad you like it. Nothing special.

Maybe it's because we're sharing it.

It's great, eating and talking. Man!

Most of the time, I have the radio on,

but you can't talk to the radio.

It sounds so gentle.

I bet your grandmother

was just like that.

Sweet and gentle.

- What was her name?

- It was Pearl.

Well, that suits her.

I had a friend called Pearl once.

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