My Son John Page #10

from San Francisco.

What fight they had.

- Do you remember, John, hm?

- Yes, dear.

Many is the game they pulled

out of the fire

when time was running out.

When time was running out, John.

Yes.

You never played, did you?

No, dear.

I think sometimes it hurt you

when your father and I

jumped up and down

cheering for them.

Which you remember

that I whispered to you,

"keep on studying,

there are other goals, John."

Mmhmm.

Now we're cheering

for Ben and Chuck again.

They're fighting

on God's side now

and I'm fighting with 'em.

The doctor will be here

any minute, darling.

You listen to me, John,

you've got to get in this game

and you've got carry

the ball yourself.

Well, you're doing all right...

I'm carrying it now,

but I want to pass it

to you, hm?

Take the ball, John.

I... I don't want to make

this last play.

John, time's running out.

We can't stop that clock.

John, take the ball before

the clock runs out, John.

I'm... I'm... I'm cheering

for you now.

My son John, my son John,

my son John...

mother, why don't you

go upstairs

and lie down, darling?

There's the gun.

We lost.

That was a tough one to lose.

Mother.

Mother?

Take him away, take him away.

He has to be...

you have to be punished, John.

You look a little sick.

I... I used to spank

your little bottom,

but you're big now.

You're big.

Mother, darling,

will you listen?

Your conscience

must be nauseated.

The lower you sink,

the higher you rise

in your party, don't you, John?

Come on, doc.

Go on in, doc,

she's right upstairs

in the bedroom.

You know where it is.

No, she's, uh,

she's right in there.

Oh, thank you.

What are you doing here?

Now wait just a minute,

Mr. Jefferson.

A lot's gone on since you left.

About John?

Is that Dan?

She's taken an awful beating.

Yeah?

I was just saying

that we ought to

sell this place.

Yes, yes, dear.

Get rid of it because, uh,

it's too much.

Right, now just...

just be quiet.

We have to move

away from here, Dan.

Our witness is in

a pretty bad way.

Testimony may never

be any good now.

Well, for the moment,

it looks like our case is shut.

I'll be in as soon as I can.

Right on.

Now, try to get a grip

on yourself, Dan.

How can I with a traitor

for a son?

He said he couldn't prove that.

How did he happen

to let him get away?

He said he couldn't

hold him without Lucille.

And we won't know about her...

he got out of here

before I killed him.

Shh, please.

I'm trying to get her to sleep.

How is she?

She's not going

to lose her mind.

My own flesh and blood.

Doc, doc, you've known me

for a long time, haven't you?

Sure, sure.

I never, never in my life

have I done anything to...

I know, Dan, I know.

And she...

And she...

She's an angel from heaven.

Dan?

Dan?

Let's pray for John.

All right, dear.

Our father who art in heaven,

hallowed be they name,

thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

on earth as it is heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

and for...

forgive us...

Attention, please.

Flight 92 for Lisbon

now boarding

at the concourse gate number 20.

All aboard flight 92, please.

Hello.

Yeah.

John?

I understand you're on your way

to Lisbon.

Huh?

Well, what happened?

Not going.

Passenger John Jefferson,

the plane for Lisbon

is leaving immediately

from gate number 20.

What time to make

a big decision.

Well, do you want

to come over here

and let me help you make it?

By yourself.

Well, John,

I don't understand you.

You want to do one decent thing,

what is this decent thing

you want to do?

Well, uh...

No, we don't make deals.

Well, yes, certainly.

Everybody's life

has some purpose,

even Judas.

Passenger Jefferson,

this is the final call.

John, does anyone else know

you're not going to Lisbon?

Now listen, John,

use whatever free will

you have left

to make your own decision

and get over here.

All right.

All right.

What is the deal?

Well...

Do we make out a warrant?

Maybe.

Maybe we do.

Why, John, what an honor!

Oh, I'd give my life

to make you truthful.

I'm cheering for you

this time, John.

I'm... I'm... I'm cheering

for you now.

Go on, rise to it.

You can do it.

I mean, everybody

has some purpose in life,

even Judas.

John, I don't understand you.

You want to do one decent thing,

what is this decent thing

you want to do?

Just because

my son has been poisoned

I'm not going to let him infect

other mothers' sons

and daughters.

You're not going to change

the course of their lives

and break their parents' hearts.

You're not going to tell

those young Americans

to use their God given liberty

to destroy liberty.

Members of the graduating class

and their fathers and mothers,

I mention your parents

because I address you

as representing their tomorrows.

I wish he'd call.

Give up, name names.

Mmhmm.

Some people would rather

he didn't, I imagine.

Yeah.

Hello?

Yes, John.

You finished your

commencement address

and you want me to hear it?

Well, John, look,

I warned you about us

making any kind of deals bec...

John.

John!

Yes, and someone else

can hear you, too.

John, get out of there

as fast as you can.

Take Pennsylvania Avenue.

Is there someone that'd rather

you didn't get there?

I think we're being followed.

We'll soon find out.

Hold on, mister.

Well, at least the driver

wasn't hurt.

Hey, just a minute.

Oh, you're okay.

John.

Hello, Mr. stedman.

They got me.

Yeah, I know who.

Try not to move, John,

the ambulance will be here

in a minute.

I'm sorry.

I wanted to make a speech

to the graduating class.

Where is it, John?

Do you have it?

I haven't got it.

It's in my office.

I made a recording.

A recording.

I'll get it.

I'll get right over there.

If I think

the students should hear it,

they'll hear it.

I might add that, um,

he was to have been given

the honorary degree

of doctor of laws this day.

So the, um, speech

was found in his office

by the federal bureau

of investigation.

You will now hear it verbatim

as recorded by John Jefferson,

class of 1941.

Members of the graduating class

and their fathers and mothers.

I mention your parents

because I address you

as representing their tomorrows.

Sometimes this day

is called graduation,

sometimes commencement.

For you, as for me,

it will be both,

but my life will be

altogether different

from yours.

By now, a plane has arrived

in Lisbon.

It would have carried me

far beyond the laws

of my native land, but no plane,

no means of transportation,

nothing can take a man away

from himself.

He lives with himself

day and night.

His conscience lives with him,

its voice will not be stilled.

Mine warned me that I would

not be free in Lisbon,

that I would only find

my freedom here.

So here I stand.

Hardly believing

that but a few years back

i sat down there

in my cap and gown,

like all of you.

I looked like you then.

I felt like you feel today,

ready to go forward,

full of zeal, full of purpose.

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