Make Way for Tomorrow Page #5

If it goes any higher,

will you send for his dad?

- Now we'll do a little listening.

- Hm?

Sit up, please.

- I suppose I'll get pneumonia now.

- That's it.

Hm. Ooh! That thing is cold as ice.

Take a deep breath.

Say 99.

What for? That can't cure a cold.

I'd rather say 23 to you,

but I guess you're too young

to know that means "skidoo. "

Father, behave yourself and say 99.

Darned if I will. I'd feel foolish.

I'm too old to play games

with the neighbours' youngsters, Cora.

- You mustn't mind him, Doctor.

- That's quite all right.

Going around as I do, I run into all kinds

of patients. Come on, Mr Cooper, say 99.

I will not,

and I'll bet you haven't got many patients.

I've had lots of colds,

and I always got over 'em all right before.

And I never had to say...

that number.

All right.

Now we'll listen to your heart.

Yeah. I didn't say it.

- Yes? What do you want?

- Excuse me.

My name is Max Rubens. I have

the paper store down on Graham Street.

We have a boy who delivers 'em.

I...

I wasn't trying to do business.

But it is always a good idea, huh?

- You're Cora, no?

- Yes.

Mm-hm. Your father speaks of you.

It's on account of him I come like this.

I heard he was sick.

- A slight cold. It's nothin'.

- Oh. Could I see him?

The doctor don't want him to have

any visitors. Visitors would upset him.

It's more likely your father

would upset the visitors.

Certainly they won't hurt him.

- All right. If the doctor says so. Go ahead.

- Thank you.

Right in there.

- What's the matter, Doctor?

- Nothing to be alarmed about, Mrs Payne.

I... I was looking at your father's throat,

and he bit me.

I'm sorry.

Keep him in bed

and put mustard plasters on his chest.

About his cold...

This winter weather and everything.

Wouldn't it be a good idea

if I sent him to California?

I... I'd think it'd be a good idea

if you could send him almost anywhere.

I felt sure you'd say that, Doctor.

All along, I felt that Father

couldn't stand these awful winters,

and California'd be better.

- It certainly is wonderful soup, Mr Rubens.

- Sure.

Yeah, I can feel it warming me all over.

Sure it's wonderful. My wife made it

as soon as she heard you were sick.

- Hm?

- Just like me, she wants you to get well.

Yeah. That's nice of her.

Now, if somebody

would only call up my wife.

But your daughter

can take good care of you,

and maybe she don't want

her mother around, kibitzing.

You know how it is.

- Now, I've got to fix your mustard plaster.

- Mm.

- What are you eating?

- Some soup Mrs Rubens made for me.

- Wasn't that nice?

- That's fine, isn't it?

Mm. You bet it is.

The neighbours think

I don't feed you properly, I guess.

- Hm?

- Don't eat it. How do I know what's in it?

There's nothing in that soup

but good chicken.

- Mm-hm.

- When my Sarah makes...

Your Sarah can mind her own business.

I cook for my father.

You should live

until you can cook like my Sarah.

Oh?

Don't put any more of that in your stomach.

Yeah. I'm afraid it's all gone, Cora.

You mean you ate all this mess?

Mrs Payne, for myself I don't care. Mm-hm.

But my Sarah, when she makes a soup,

a king can eat it, and she worked...

You can tell your Sarah if he's sick tonight,

she can come take care of him.

- Goodbye, Mr Cooper.

- Goodbye.

And thanks for coming.

And thanks for the...

Thanks.

What's the matter with you?

Nothing.

- Will you please stop worrying, Mother?

- Oh, I can't.

But Cora said

his temperature is normal tonight.

But it may be up again tomorrow.

Anyway, your father

doesn't like his doctor.

Look, Mother,

his temperature is normal tonight.

But it may be up again tomorrow.

Isn't this where we came in?

Shut up.

Mother, will you please

stop borrowing trouble?

Oh, dear. I guess I'll go see how Anita is.

Uh... no, no, no.

I'd better go, Mother. Hm?

Now, stop it, honey.

- You're just going to make yourself ill.

- I can't seem to help it.

But Mrs Claire promised to keep

Rhoda's name out of the case.

Everything is going to be all right.

It's you that I'm worried about.

Gosh, I never saw you give in so completely.

But everything's gone wrong.

I care as much about your mother

as any daughter-in-law can, but...

- What's Mother got to do with it?

- Well, didn't she tell you that I...

Oh, yes, she said something about

an argument, but never mind that, dear.

But there's no place for your mother to go,

now that Nellie's backed out.

And Rhoda positively refuses to bring

her friends home while she's here.

- What are we going to do?

- I don't know. I don't know.

Take this business today,

it never would have happened

if Rhoda had been able to entertain

her friends at home as she used to.

I used to know all of Rhoda's men friends

and what was going on, but now...

I know. Rhoda used to have

the house full of her friends.

She's got to have them again, George.

She's got to. Don't you see?

What happened today is just a sample.

She'll be leaving us next.

- Oh, no, no.

- Oh, yes, she will.

She'll get a job

and an apartment of her own.

- Those things happen, don't they?

- And we're helpless to stop it.

We can't turn your mother out into

the streets, and yet she's driving Rhoda...

I know. I... I know.

- Maybe...

- What, dear?

Hm? Oh, nothing. Nothing.

- Did I awaken you, Grandma?

- It doesn't matter.

- Is there any mail?

- I think so.

- Good evening, Mother C.

- Hello, Ma.

Hi.

Rhoda.

I spoke to your father today, George.

He told me that he's perfectly well again.

Yes.

We've got to keep him well, Mother.

The trouble is,

that can't be done in this climate.

Cora's doctor says that Father positively

has to go where there are no hard winters,

and we thought, on account

of Addie living in California...

He's going out there to live?

Just for a little while,

for his health, dear.

Oh, of course.

I want him to be well.

There isn't anything I... I want as much,

unless it's that you children

should be healthy and happy.

Cora thought

that Addie would take you both.

Addie says she can't.

As long as she takes Father, that's enough.

Well...

He'll be leaving soon?

I guess so.

Maybe I'll be able to see him

to say goodbye?

Oh. Of course.

Mother.

There's something else I've got to tell you.

Well, there's something

I'd like to say to you first.

Let me do it while I can. You tell me later.

Well, it's only this.

I don't want to hurt your feelings,

but I haven't been too happy here.

It's lonesome in this apartment

with everybody gone all day.

Uh... would you mind terribly

if I decided to leave you

to go to the Idylwild Home?

Well, it's a fine place.

I'd meet friends my own age, and...

- But, Mother, I didn't...

- No, now, let me finish, dear.

Once I thought that your father and I

might get together again,

but, well, I...

I see that it'll never turn out that way.

So I want to go to the home.

Well, I'm glad that's over.

I hated to tell you as much as you would

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