I Remember Mama Page #4

---

- So?

- How are you, sir?

- Busy.

- Please, Uncle Chris.

You want to marry him, marry him.

I have other things to think about.

- Then you give your permission?

- Sure, I do.

If you want to make a fool of yourself,

I can't stop you.

Thank you, Uncle Chris!

- So is all?

- Yeah, I think is all.

No!

No?

Well, there was a little something else.

You see...

Well, Trina mentioned

that in the old country...

...it was... It was always usual, and...

Well, after all, we are all

from the old country.

Well, that's how it is. That's how it is.

Well, sir, what is? What do you want?

Well, it was a question...

A question of Trina's...

Well, not to mince matters...

...her dowry.

- Her what?

- Dowry.

Her dowry! Oh, so Trina wants dowry.

- She's 42 years old!

- No, Uncle Chris!

Husband's not enough,

she wants dowry?

Please! This is a hospital,

not a marriage bureau.

Come with me into waiting room.

I talk to you about dowry.

So did you hear that, Martha?

- What?

- Uncle Chris.

No, I do not hear.

I wait for doctor.

Is two hours since they

take Dagmar to operating room.

More.

Who gives dowry?

Parents.

Why? Because they are so glad

they don't have to support...

...their daughter anymore,

they pay money.

I do not support Trina. Why then should

I pay money to have her married?

- I don't know.

- You don't know?

You think I let Trina marry a man who won't

take her without dowry?

- I never thought of it like that.

- What kind of a man would that be?

Well, not a very nice kind of a man.

- Well, are you that kind of a man?

- No, I don't think so.

- Well, then you don't want dowry.

- No, I don't suppose I do.

Good.

We'll go next door

and have some coffee.

Sigrid, do you have money?

- Yeah, I have little.

- Good, then I treat you.

We'll be next door

if you want us, Martha.

Yeah.

- Mrs. Hanson.

- Doctor.

Dagmar's fine. She came

through beautifully.

- She's in bed sleeping off the anesthetic.

- Thank you, doctor.

- You're very welcome.

- Is good of you, doctor.

I go to her now.

Oh, Mrs. Hanson.

I'm very sorry.

You see, it's against the rules.

But you shall see her tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

But, doctor, I promise her.

She's so little, she'll be frightened when

she wakes if I do not keep my promise.

The nurses will take excellent care

of her. Excellent care.

Now, you mustn't worry.

For the first 24 hours, the clinic patients

are not permitted to have visitors.

The wards must be kept very quiet.

I would not make a sound.

I'm very sorry.

Tomorrow.

Nels.

- Sir?

- Tomorrow.

But, doctor...

Just a minute.

Whom did you wish to see?

Please, where I can find my daughter?

- What name?

- Dagmar.

- Dagmar Hanson.

- I'm afraid you can't see her today.

No visitors for the first 24 hours.

Oh, but I'm not visitor. I'm her mama.

I'm sorry, but it's against the rules.

- Just one minute, please.

- I'm sorry, but it's against the rules.

Mama.

You can see her tomorrow. They said so.

But I promise her.

What can I tell Papa tonight?

The nurses will look after her.

Do you wanna go next door

for some coffee?

No, we go home. We have coffee home.

Where are the girls?

Shall I make you some coffee?

You said you'd have some

when you got home.

Later.

First I have to think.

I wish you wouldn't worry like this.

Dagmar's all right.

You know she's all right.

Is everything all right, Mama?

Yeah, is all right.

- You have eaten?

- Yes, Mama.

You drink your milk?

- Yes, Mama.

- Yeah, is good.

Mama, is there something the matter?

Mama, Dagmar isn't...

She's not... Mama.

No, no. Dagmar's fine.

Always so dramatic.

Two hours till Papa come home.

Nels, what is it?

There is something the matter.

They wouldn't let Mama see Dagmar.

It's a rule of the hospital.

And Mama's very worried.

She was talking to me

in Norwegian on the streetcar.

- What are we going to do?

- Don't make a tragedy out of it.

Chris how can you be so callous? Can't you

see that Mama's heart is breaking?

You're always trying to make

everything so dramatic.

You only make things worse for Mama.

Well, it is dramatic.

- People's hearts don't actually break.

- They do.

Only in books.

Mama.

What are you going to do?

Scrub the floor.

But, Mama, you scrubbed

the floor yesterday.

Yeah, well, I scrub it again.

But, Mama.

Comes a time when you got

to get down on your knees.

Now will you believe me?

Mama, I wish you wouldn't do this.

You must be tired.

Let her alone, Nels.

Mama.

Mama.

What is it, Mama?

What is it?

I think of something.

I think I think of something.

"And drank real dew out of a crystal goblet.

And helped the stars to play peek-a-boo."

Uncle Chris?

- Yes, Arne?

- Does it have to hurt like this?

If you want it to be well...

...and not walk always like Uncle Chris,

it does, for little.

Arne, the doctor give you something...

...to make you go to sleep.

So maybe if you don't think of pain,

you go to sleep.

Is very bad?

It is, kind of.

Arne?

Don't you know any swear words?

What?

Don't you know any swear words?

No, Uncle Chris. Not real ones.

Well, then I tell you two fine ones...

...you use when pain comes again.

I tell you Norwegian swear word.

Is better.

When pain comes again,

you say "dum geit."

It help plenty.

I know. I have pain too.

I say it all the time.

And if pain is very bad...

...you say "dum geit!"

Just like that. Dum geit!

But only if is very bad.

Is bad now?

No, it's a little better, Uncle Chris.

You like I sing some more?

I don't mind.

But maybe something a little,

well, quieter.

Sure, sure.

Good!

- It help, huh?

- Is good!

Then you sleep some.

That's terrible. Teaching a child to swear.

You don't know

what "dum geit" means, eh?

Do I look like a foreigner?

If you were, you would know

that "dum geit" in Norwegian means:

"Stupid old goat."

Is different one.

You're working late, aren't you?

The floors need cleaning.

I'm glad they finally decided

to clean them.

Yeah.

Mama.

Mama.

Mama.

Mama.

Mama.

Dagmar.

Is Mama, Dagmar.

Mama.

There's no fever.

Is good.

Where you been? You promised.

Well, yeah, yeah, I promised. I come.

I was worried.

Oh, well, no.

Mama's here now.

Yeah, you go to sleep now.

Sleep.

Sleep.

I don't think I can ever remember

seeing Mama unoccupied.

Her work was never done.

She was always so busy

that it wasn't very often...

...I could get her to talk about herself

or her life in the old country.

I do remember one time, though,

and I felt very proud.

For Mama talked to me just as if

I were a grown-up person.

It was the day before Dagmar

came home from the hospital.

This one's coffee-flavored.

Yeah, mine also.

Mama, when can I drink coffee?

- When you're grown up.

- When I'm 18?

Oh, maybe before that.

When I graduate?

Maybe. Comes the day you are

grown up, Papa and I will know.

Oh, Mama, aren't they beautiful?

Don't you just love flowers?

You like we buy some?

Oh, Mama, can we afford it?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes