I'll Be Seeing You Page #4

-Not so bad, is it?

-No.

l told you there was no use wasting any gas.

lts only a short walk from here.

l know. Youre trying to wear me out

before we tee off. l got you.

Hi, Chuck, howve you been?

-Hi, swell day?

-Fine.

lts so pretty.

-Hi.

-Hello.

You born in this part of the country?

l was born in Maryland. You get used to

Christmastime being cold and snowy.

This seems more like Christmas to me

than the kind they have back east.

l mean, this is more like the country

where they celebrated the first Christmas.

This reminds me of a lake l used to go to

when l was a kid.

Every spring,

l had a job repairing the boats.

Mary...

l want to tell you why l got mad

at that man in the coffee shop last night...

and why l walked away after l threw

that rock at the lamppost and missed it.

l knew there must be some reason,

but you dont have to tell me.

Look, l was brought up in a home,

an orphans home.

Thats nothing to be ashamed of.

lm not. lts not like being in prison,

or anything like that.

No.

ln the home, there was a janitor.

This fellow had been in the last war.

He was a young guy.

He was a shell shock case.

Whenever we could get our hands

on any firecrackers, wed bang them off...

and laugh at him when he jumped.

That fellow in the coffee shop

reminded me of the janitor.

They both made me think of myself,

and what ld be like in a few years.

Only difference is that now in the hospital

they have a fancy name for it:

neuropsychiatric.

The doctors must know more about it now

than they did during the last war.

Maybe.

They dont know something about me

that l know.

You see...

before l became an engineer...

l was an athlete, a pretty good one.

l know what my timing used to be,

they dont.

And its gone, Mary.

Before this happened to me,

l could have hit that lamppost all day.

l dont know why

lm bothering you with all this.

Yes, l do. l know why lm bothering you.

Because l feel so much better

when l talk to you. l like to be with you.

l like to be with you, too.

Mary, l want to talk about you.

Listen, tell me....

-What?

-Well....

For instance, how did you become

a traveling saleslady, and what do you sell?

As l told you,

l started out wanting to be a model...

and after that...

l got a job

with a dress manufacturing company...

and now l travel for them.

Where do you travel?

After your vacation, where do you go?

l go back to Dallas,

and from Dallas l go to New Orleans.

New Orleans? lve been there.

lts a swell town.

Youve been to New Orleans?

-Have you ever been to Florida?

-No.

l go from New Orleans to Florida.

-New Orleans to Florida?

-Palm Beach.

Mary, can you make me believe in myself

the way you believe in yourself?

-What makes you think l do?

-l can tell.

The way you talk, the way you walk...

the way you look,

the way you hold your head.

Maybe thats just make-believe.

Why dont we go down here by the rock?

Like boats?

Do you?

Some kid probably owned that boat.

Thought it could take him

all around the world and back.

Wish it could.

l wish we could get on it and sail away to....

Where would you like to go?

Not Florida or New Orleans.

Some place like the moon, maybe.

With a good breeze and a good compass,

maybe we could find a place.

Well, if it were a real boat,

and the moon a real place...

would you go?

Theres no harm in dreaming. ld go.

lm not going to have you

run out on me again.

Thank you, one and all.

l never could figure out

why the pudding never gets burned.

lve never been able to, either.

Must be the alcohol in the brandy.

l think.

l think its a shame to burn a good brandy.

That quart l brought home last week

was imported cognac.

Dont worry, Henry.

l didnt burn up the whole quart.

l wouldnt trust Mom with it, Dad.

Maybe youre right. Remember last year,

how Mom got going on a glass of sherry?

lm not going to listen to that again.

You may not believe this

about your dear Aunt Sarah...

but last year she got high as a kite.

lf theyre trying to drag out

a family skeleton...

l wont listen to them.

lts just one of those little things

that happen, people start exaggerating.

Exaggerate, my eye. lts as true as l sit here.

Last year, Mother and l had a glass of sherry

to bring in the New Year.

And then we went to a little gathering.

All the way across town it was.

And Mother had her skirt on backwards.

lf youre in such good voice,

how about a Christmas carol?

Aunt Sarah, something tells me

youre trying to change the subject.

Nothing of the sort.

Christmas carols go with plum pudding.

And were eating plum pudding.

Sarah, you dont have to work so hard at it.

lm a pretty good baritone,

and l dont need much urging.

Whatll it be?

l think l like best Come All Ye Faithful.

Fine. Come All Ye Faithful it is.

O come, all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant

O come ye

O come ye to Bethlehem

Come and behold him

Born the King of angels

O come, let us adore him

O come, let us adore him

O come, let us adore him

Christ the Lord!

lt feels pretty comfortable to have another

mans voice around here at Christmastime.

lm sure Barbaras doing her best

to arrange that for you, Henry.

Mother.

Maybe family jokes are in bad taste.

-They make the guest feel out of place.

-No, maam.

l havent felt so easy in a long time.

This is the best Christmas dinner l ever had.

Yesterday l was a stranger here.

l mean, l felt like a prisoner inside myself.

Now...

just to be in a home like this

with people like you...

maybe someplace l can come back to,

next month, or next year....

-Did l say something?

-No, Zach.

-lts just that Marys sentimental or--

-lts Christmas....

Mary, whats the matter?

ls it anything l said?

Anything to do with this afternoon?

No, its just...

a combination of things.

The pudding, and the singing...

and the very nice things you said.

First time my singing

ever brought anybody to tears.

Maybe ld better get out of here.

lt isnt polite to eat and run.

l mean Pinehill. l ought to leave you alone.

Youre just fishing.

You want me to ask you to stay.

Well, ask me.

Please, stay.

Sarah, this is silly.

We cant just sit here all night.

Theyve got to have

a couple of minutes to talk things over.

Theyve had a couple of minutes.

Come on, Dad. Lets go on in.

Wed better give them a warning first.

Well, thats all the plum pudding l can eat.

Cant eat another bit.

Lets play the radio.

Fine.

Come, darling.

lts present time.

Henrys going to act as Santa Claus.

Come on.

-Here you are, Mother dear.

-This is for you, dear.

ls that for me? Thank you, dear.

Look at the size of it.

-Can l have one?

-No, you cant have one.

l know what it is.

Henry, you darling, you did get it after all.

My goodness! Look what l got.

-Here you are, darling.

-Thank you, Uncle Henry.

-Did Zach get his?

-Zach.

-Thank you, Aunt Sarah.

-l hope you like it, dear.

-Merry Christmas.

-Thank you.

l understood, Mary.

When Zach said he was a stranger...

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