Bernie Page #6

I mean, is that too much for me to ask,

for you to be a man

for once in your Iife?

Fine.

Now I`m holding you responsible

for anything getting

dug up in my garden.

Okay? You go out and

fix those holes yourself.

Dig one you can fit in.

Let me see.

Did you go by the cleaners

to pick up my dress?

Yes, earlier.

Did you Iysol my kitchen counters?

Mm-hm.

Did you pick up the

Preparation H from the pharmacy?

No, but I figured we`d go by there

on the way to Iunch. Do you still

want to go to Jalape?o Treat?

- I guess.

- Okay, hold still.

Jeez.

Will you be attending

our dress rehearsal tonight?

No.

Marjorie?

Marjorie, are you okay?

Marjorie, say something to me.

Marjorie, can you talk to me?

Marjorie, can you say something?

Oh no, no, no, no, no!

Oh, Jesus, no, no, no, what have I done?

Oh, God! What have I done?

PIease tell me what to do!

I`II do whatever you want me to do!

? Seventy six trombones

Led the big parade ?

? With a hundred and ten

Cornets close at hand ?

? They were followed by Rows and

rows of the Finest virtuosos ?

? So is the cream Of every famous band ?

??

? Seventy six trombones

Hit the counterpoint ?

? While a hundred and ten

Cornets blazed the way ?

? To the rhythm Of

march! march! march! ?

? AII the kids began to march ?

? And their marching

Still right today ??

Great job, everyone.

It seemed Iike the

flags were a Iittle Iate,

also I want to make sure

that those fleahops are right.

Now I got off that time

but I feel Iike I got off

because one of you got off.

But it was a really great job.

Take five, we`re gonna

take it again from the top.

I don`t think too many of us

ever asked very many questions

about Mrs. Nugent, and if we did,

he would always have a

very plausible explanation.

Hello, Billy, this is Bernie Tiede

calling on behalf of Mrs. Nugent.

Yes, yes, she missed her

holiday haircut appointment

but she`s asked me to tell you

that she won`t be coming back in.

She wants to try someone else.

Well, I`m sorry to say this

but she says that you take

too Iong and charge too much.

Billy, I`m sorry, but

I`m just the messenger.

I was rather devastated at the very idea

that she was not coming

anymore after 30 years

of being her friend, hairdresser,

confidante sometimes,

and she just was gonna vanish.

It was easy

for her to disappear.

Nobody was looking for her.

Not her son, not her two sisters.

One of them lived here in Carthage.

They hadn `t spoken in about 1 0 years.

You want to sign this for Mrs. Nugent,

our generous benefactor?

Only person Iooking for

her was her stockbroker.

Oh, God.

Hello?

Bernie? Bernie!

Wh..where`s Marjorie?

I..I..I haven`t spoken

to her in over five weeks,

I`ve Ieft 1 1 messages.

She`s with me right now, LIoyd,

and I`m sorry I

couldn`t tell you earlier

but she`s had a series of small strokes.

I`ve been meaning to call you

and Iet you know her situation.

Mm-hm. No, she should not

be attempting to talk. No.

No, you can`t talk. The doctor said..

She`s indicating for me

to tell you hi from her.

He sends you all his best.

Okay, well,

we`II be in touch when

she`s feeling better.

In the meantime, Iet me know

if I can help you with anything. Okay.

Okay, bye-bye.

Bernie knew better

than touch my accounts.

But he was going after what

would go into her bank accounts

because that`s where all

the royalty checks went.

It`s usually 50,000 a month.

Now he really started being generous.

He paid 5,000 dollars for the Shreveport

orchestra to come over play the Messiah.

He bought a high dollar

harpsichord for school.

He paid for the choir to go to Russia.

Well, yeah, he hired

me back for more money,

which is fine with me.

Oh, he bought jet skis,

he bought nine cars,

he bought struggling businesses,

he paid 40,000 dollars

for Carthage Awards.

That`s a trophy shop.

He loaned the money to

the Yokums over here,

that opened up Boot

scootin Western Wear.

I guess that was Carthage

`s answer to Neiman `s.

Bernie just told everybody to

pay him back when they could.

You know, pay me when you can.

But they never did.

Bernie knew my twin girls`

birthday was coming up,

and he thought they should have

a big nice playhouse, you know?

Little girls.

Bernie bought this

playhouse for my girls.

Oh.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I just feel Iike I need to say,

Bernie Tiede, God bless you, son.

You`ve done more to transform the

town of Carthage than anyone else.

- Oh, thank you.

- God bless you, Bernie.

Bernie could`ve bought a mansion

for himself with the money.

But he kept that little house

worth, maybe, 50, 000.

Now he bought cars for

folks that needed it.

And he paid cash for those.

But that old Lincoln he was drivin`?

He had it financed.

And he was usually

behind on his payments.

No, there really

wasn`t any greed in him.

AImost everything he

got from Mrs. Nugent,

he gave to somebody else.

LIoyd seems to be pretty concerned.

He thinks the family

should get involved.

Oh, good Iord, you gotta be kidding me.

I don`t know why LIoyd is so paranoid.

It`s Iike I told him.

She`s at the Scott White

Nursing Home in Temple.

She didn`t want everyone to know,

`cause she`s afraid

the family would come in

and try to take over her affairs.

That sounds just Iike Marjorie.

Mm-hm. That`s Marjorie alright.

- Mm-hm. - One

hundred percent.

You know, Bernie, she`s my sister,

and I guess that I should Iove her.

But she`s just mean.

She`s just hard down mean.

Mm. Well, there`s some

goodness in there, too.

She used to tear up my toys,

she pulled the heads off my dolls,

she used to tear up my homework.

And next up is Mrs. Ida Parker.

Ida says she does not

Iike knitting, crocheting,

gardening, cooking fancy food,

excessive housework, or artsy hobbies.

She`s planning on doing these

things when she gets old.

? Beautiful dreamer ?

? Queen of my song ?

? List while I woo thee ?

? With soft melody ?

? Gone are the cares of ?

? Life`s busy throng ?

? Beautiful dreamer ?

? Awake to my song ?

? Beautiful dreamer ?

? Awake unto me ?

??

? Beautiful dreamer ?

? Awaken to me ?

??

Thank you.

Thank you.

So you saw Mrs. Nugent

in April of this year?

You know, I believe it was April.

With your own eyes?

Well, you know, I didn`t

actually..see her that day, I..

I came to her house to get

her to sign some documents.

Bernie comes to the door,

says she`s feeling poorly.

Just then, he takes the

documents back and she signs them.

I go on about my business.

Okay. It confirms a pattern.

I appreciate it.

Well, it sounds Iike LIoyd Hornbuckle

called Wayne Junior up in Amarillo,

and got him all riled up.

Oh, boy.

You know, I think LIoyd`s just upset

because he`s Iosing

commissions during her illness.

He can`t move Mrs. Nugent`s money around

and keep taking his commissions

the way he`s used to, so..

It may be so, but Dwayne

Junior says his money

comes in every year for his

kids from his dad`s will.

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