Houseboat Page #4

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for the night.

lt can be fixed up.

lt's a wonderful place for kids.

And not so bad for spiders.

l'll go fix the gangplank

and bring your stuff in.

Keep your motor running,

l'll be around.

- What does he mean?

- Let's get off this junk heap.

After Cinzia does a little cleaning

and polishing

it might be quite comfortable.

Who, l?

lt will take years.

- l bet the roof leaks.

- Let's make the best of things.

Let's play a game

while we wait for Angelo.

- l don't know any game.

- We used to play a game.

''Who sir, me sir?''

Sure you remember that.

- What was l?

- You were Red cap.

He was Black cap.

You were Gold cap. Let's play.

- Black cap!

- Who sir, me sir?

- Who then sir, say Boxer.

- Boxer.

Who sir, me sir?

Thank you, Mrs McGillicuddy.

Did you fix the generator?

There's nothing wrong

with kerosene lamps.

They are rather quaint.

- You can't see so good with them.

- Of course you can.

- l warned you.

- You should be in bed.

Come and see

what Cinzia invented for us.

When the fish comes, the bell rings

and announces his arrival.

Very nice.

Do you think if you'll attach

one end to a dust rag,

the fish might dust for you?

You hardly got started tonight.

They gave Hercules much more time

to clean Augean stables.

Every employer is different.

Get to bed and get started

early in the morning.

Here's the knife, David.

Where did you get that knife?

lt was on the ground, near the truck.

That fellow who drove it

must have dropped it.

Why didn't you tell him?

l needed a knife.

l beg your pardon.

lt wasn't on the ground, was it?

- Give it to me.

- l didn't steal it, l swear on the Bible.

l'm really ashamed of you.

l know. l can't start a car either.

You go to sleep.

l'll wake you if a fish comes.

You won't need to.

l won't be asleep.

- Then you wake me.

- Sure.

- Are you all right?

- Fine.

l've read this communiqu.

lt's your schedule. Quite simple.

7:
1 5 am, wake the children.

7:
25 am clean sink, pantry and ice-box.

7:
45 am, prepare breakfast.

What's wrong about that?

lt's no use.

l'm leaving in the morning.

Will you explain to the children, please?

Explain?

There's no way l can explain.

They will be certain

l've thrown you out.

l cannot stay.

l simply cannot stay here.

l'm sorry.

Would you like some, too?

Yes, l would like some.

Especially if it will help break down

the social barriers

between capital and labour.

ln this case,

l'm not sure who is who.

You're hardly my idea

of the faithful family retainer,

but you've got to stay. They want you.

l've lost touch.

lt's too bad.

We used to be such friends.

Never mind.

lt will probably take an act of Congress

to get me back into this family.

They do like you. You will see.

l was never cut out for it.

l'm one of the undomesticated animals.

But when they lost their mother,

l thought it might be best to come home

and try to make it up to them.

lt never occurred to me

they wouldn't want to have me around.

lsn't that curious?

Every other place l go,

grown-ups seem to want me.

ln certain circles l'm considered

quite charming and debonair.

But children can look through me

as if there were nothing there.

Well, maybe there isn't.

Maybe their mother found that out

a long time ago.

They say the fishing is good

after a thunderstorm.

- Good night.

- Good night.

7:
1 5, l'll wake the children.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

- Ciao.

- Ciao.

Cinzia, l'm afraid, l'm afraid.

- So am l.

- Don't you like thunder either?

No, l'm frightened every time.

ln the war, it was like this every night.

l wouldn't like war.

When l was a child, l thought l would.

But not now.

My mother, on such a night...

Our big house...gone.

So you see, where l live,

everybody is frightened of the thunder.

lf my father lived there,

he'd tell them

it was just two pieces of air

coming together.

l'm so sick of those two pieces of air.

When l was a little girl,

my father would say,

''Cinzia, pazzerella. '' Foolish.

They are no help, fathers.

- Listen, can l get into bed with you?

- Yes.

Wait a minute,

why not in bed with your father?

He wouldn't want me,

he would say l was...

- Pazzerella?

- Yes.

He doesn't like me to be a baby.

Elizabeth, did you ever think

that your father is afraid too?

- Him?

- He doesn't want anyone to know.

Sometimes it is very difficult

to be a grown-up.

Why don't you go upstairs to him?

lt's a terrible night.

Well, l've got to get in bed with somebody.

Why don't you come too?

He's got a big bed.

l don't think it's big enough.

SCHEDULE:

7:
1 5 AM, WAKE CHlLDREN...

- You'll wake her.

- That's what l intend to do.

- l have to be at the office in 45 minutes.

- Can't you shake her a little?

- You shake her.

- Are you scared?

- Yes, l'm scared.

- Chicken.

Cinzia, wake up.

- Buongiorno, Roberto.

- Buongiorno. l'm not alone.

The children are supposed to be dressed

and breakfast on the table.

The kids want oatmeal,

and l like scrambled eggs and bacon.

The eggs dry, the bacon crisp.

Toast and coffee.

There is one thing you ought to know.

One little thing.

l do not cook.

- You do not cook?

- No.

- Why didn't you tell me that?

- You never asked.

- You can scramble an egg, can't you?

- Yes.

What do you mean, ''scramble''?

Just take the kids down to the village

for their breakfast.

l'll have just some coffee.

You can make coffee, l hope?

Not American coffee.

Do you have an espresso-maker?

Never mind.

l can do without food

and l can do without coffee.

- You eat too much anyway.

- Thank you.

Go back to sleep.

- Daddy, wait!

- What?

- l've made American coffee.

- l read her the label.

- What?

- l read her the label.

l don't see how you could.

lt's still here in the coffee.

You don't like it?

She burned her hand twice.

- lt's wonderful.

- Then why don't you drink it?

You don't want

to hurt her feelings, do you?

- Good, isn't it?

- Holy...

Delicious.

l don't see how you Americans

can stomach this.

We're a young country.

l doubt if we'll grow much older.

- Goodbye.

- Bye, Daddy.

What brought that on?

- What?

- You kissing me goodbye?

- Don't l always?

- How foolish of me not to have noticed.

Take it easy.

Pretty good repair-job on the car.

Listen to that motor.

Did you make up your mind

about the boat?

Do you want to rent, buy, make a deal?

lt's a leaky,

broken-down derelict,

that will probably sink

and dump us all in the river.

But l wouldn't think of living

in any other place.

l'll make a deal.

Can you select a melon for me?

The 4th of July.

The Sons of ltaly Ball.

We'll tie one on together.

What do you say?

Do you want to be the lucky girl

this year?

You have a certain native charm.

Reserve it for the natives.

- Elizabeth!

- Aunt Carolyn.

Hi, sweetie.

l saw David at the houseboat.

He told me you were shopping.

Cinzia is getting melon and prosciutto -

That's ham.

You eat it cold

and don't have to cook it.

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