Kings Go Forth Page #4

I fell in love with him...

...and married him.

I didn't care what color his skin was.

He was the finest...

...dearest man I've ever known in my life.

When the time came...

...I discovered I was going to have a child.

I cried that night.

I said to my husband:

"There are ways," I said.

For us, it hadn't mattered

what people thought.

We walked the streets of Philadelphia,

proud, defiant...

...and in love.

But a child...

My husband was a rock of a man.

He said:

"It is the will of God."

He said, "We will go to France.

"In France,

they have a beautiful blindness to color.

"Our child will be French."

We've lived here ever since.

All our friends were French.

Monique was 13

when the last Americans left the Riviera.

She had not seen one since

until she met you.

Maybe I should've told you

that first night, but...

...I thought to myself,

"Sam is a soldier. He will soon move on."

I'm going to bed now, Sam.

Please don't say anything.

If you want to come back and see us,

you'll always be welcome here.

If not...

...you've already given us

a lot of happiness.

I fought two wars that week...

...my own and the Army's.

The Army's was easy.

Mostly, I thought about that word.

Monique was wrong.

It's not the first one you learn at all...

...and some kids never learn it at all.

Some learn it and never use it.

I learned it early and used it often.

It showed just how tough I was...

...and that wasn't all.

Where I was brought up,

Harlem near 125th, they were on one side...

...and we were on the other.

Why? I don't know why...

...except a lot of people need somebody

to look down on...

...or they think they do.

What's the matter, Lieutenant?

Not a thing.

It got to be Saturday night.

It always does.

My mother wants to know,

am I taking my vitamin pills?

I was scared, but I mean really scared.

I said, "God, you get me out of this one,

and I'm really gonna shape up."

I said, "God, you can trust me,

you can count on me!

"No more drinkin', no more smokin'...

"...no more swearin' or any of that stuff."

What happened?

Tell you the honest truth...

...I don't think I had a cigarette

for about two days there.

'Evening, sir.

- Sit down.

- Am I interrupting something?

No.

Writing a letter to my wife.

She was always in charge

of Saturday night.

Whatever she wanted to do,

you know, it was her night.

You know what we used to do?

Half the time, we'd stay home...

...barbecue a steak,

then play a couple of hands of blackjack...

...go to bed early.

That's what we used to do.

Have some.

Angel food cake, butterscotch frosting.

Best damn cake my wife ever baked.

The guys all went off to town,

and I wasn't gonna go...

...but I changed my mind and I...

I was wondering whether I could...

You can take my jeep.

I'm not going anyplace.

Thank you, sir.

You know the worst thing in the world?

Loneliness.

Yes, sir.

Sam!

Hello, friend.

Maman!

You have come back.

It's Sam!

Welcome.

Now look, we're gonna go to Nice,

all three of us.

How long will it take you

to put your glad rags on?

It will take only five minutes.

Make it four.

Come on.

No.

I'm too old and too tired

and I've got too much sense.

You're a good man, Sammy.

I'm a little better than I was a week ago.

Are you happy?

I am more happy than I deserve.

You have whiskey-soda?

Only white wine!

I'll have white wine.

We want the Sergeant!

He's one of the guys in our outfit.

He's pretty good.

Yes.

Monique Blair, this is Britt Harris.

- Mademoiselle, enchant.

- You can speak English, she's American.

I knew there was something in the wind.

I'd say, "Where you headed?"

He'd say, "I thought I'd explore."

Then he asked me to translate

a couple of phrases in French...

...so I knew wherever he was exploring

that the natives were friendly.

Sit down. Bring your girlfriend over.

I don't think she's feeling well.

She's got a toothache.

You play beautifully.

Thank you very much.

- Where'd you learn that sideline?

- I've been playing most of my life.

The year I was supposedly at

Cornell University...

...studying Business,

I spent most of my time on 52nd Street.

- Do you know the singing of Bessie Smith?

- I've got every record she ever made.

- I have only one.

- I'll see that you get some of mine.

Do you know the recordings

of Monsieur Jacques Frenet?

Sam, you're such a sly one.

He's so solid.

Big Time Operator. Solid Sam.

From now on in, I'm going to take

lessons from you, 'cause you're the master.

No, tomorrow night.

- Please.

- Let's get out of here.

I know a delightful little place that sells

the craziest fromage and some Chablis.

And some pat?

I've not had any for a very long time.

If you want pat, you're gonna get pat.

We dropped Britt at the hotel

we were staying at.

I don't think Monique said two words

on the way home.

You like him, don't you?

Yes.

It figures.

Yeah, he's a smooth operator,

a real fancy dancer and talker.

Why do you say that?

Because I know him,

and I know he knows all the angles.

That is a good trait, I think.

Maybe, if you don't play poker

with him too often.

It was a beautiful evening

and night and sunrise.

Thank you.

You're welcome, Monique. Good night.

Thank you for coming back.

Will you tell Britt about me?

I'll tell him.

Sam?

What are you going to do

when the war's over?

Probably go back to Los Angeles.

Why don't you come and work with me?

- You think we'd get along?

- Great.

Just so long as we know who's the boss.

You.

How serious are you about Monique?

What do you mean?

How serious?

We're just good friends.

That all?

That's all.

I like her a lot, Sam.

I believe you.

You want to go with me

next time we get a pass?

Her mother cooks up

some pretty fair chow.

Great.

She asked me to tell you something, Britt.

She asked me to tell you that...

...her father was a Negro.

What do you know?

That's the way it was.

You'd think the war was over and wham...

...it started all over again.

And this time it didn't stop.

Three days later,

they were still sending them in.

Sam, I'd love to sneak up behind 'em

and see what's going on.

You can't see anything from here.

You know, there's one spot

where you can see the whole works from:

Checkpoint 30.

- That's the Town Hall tower.

- Yeah.

And you can bet it ain't well manned.

It's too good a target for us.

You know, I'll bet a couple of guys

could get in there.

Sure, with Superman suits.

Don't they ever run out?

I sure would like to take a whack at it.

What's the very first thing you learned

in basic training?

- Never to volunteer for anything.

- Right.

I still think we could do it.

"We" could do it?

You don't think I'd be idiot enough

to go alone?

- You don't seem to understand...

- Here, cocktail hour.

Did he like the Town Hall idea,

or did he think we were nuts?

No, he didn't think we were nuts.

He said he'd pass it on to headquarters.

That's it for that.

You want to bury something here...

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