Primrose Path

Look, Granny.

Look what I got.

What you got?

Tamales. Mrs. Espinoza

give them to me.

It was very nice

of mrs. Espinoza.

It's good. Eat it.

Smells good.

What's them kids making

that noise out there about?

I don't hear nothin'.

You ain't deaf.

Them kids is slobs.

Them kids are slobs.

Well, they're slobs.

Honeybell, are you sure mrs.

Espinoza give you these tamales?

She would've.

Well, did she?

It don't make

no difference now.

Honeybell, you ain't got no

cause to lie. It ain't refined.

I don't tell

no lies.

You know, if I'd thought

you snitched this,

I wouldn't have ate it.

Mrs. Espinoza

give 'em to me.

Well, that's nice.

You must give mrs.

Espinoza something sometime.

Look at Ellie May!

Well, you're happy

about something.

Ma is supposed to come

home today, ain't she?

That's what

her letter said.

What's the idea

of them pigtails?

What's wrong with them?

You ain't gonna

catch no fellas

running around

looking like that.

Wouldn't want one

if I could get 'em,

and I couldn't get one

if I wanted one.

What are you going to

do-change the world around?

Is pa still sick?

He's in there sleeping off his hangover,

if that's

what you mean.

Oh. Maybe he ought

to have some hot coffee.

I don't where

he'll put it.

His stomach's

all eaten out.

Awake, pa?

Pa.

Pa, I brought you

some hot coffee.

Here.

Thank you, darling.

You're very good

to me, Ellie May.

You're very good to me.

Go on. Drink it

while it's hot.

What's the time?

I don't know.

It ain't runnin'.

Is your mother

home yet?

No, she ain't.

Well, she should be here

looking after the family.

Ma just likes

to have a good time.

Oh, I'm not a fool,

Ellie May.

I'm not a fool.

Ain't you gonna

take your coffee?

No. It isn't coffee

I need.

Don't you think maybe

you drink too much, pa?

It's only a substitute,

Ellie May-

a substitute for

some dreams I once had.

But they've all gone,

whistling down the wind.

I don't know

what you mean, pa.

You keep your dreams,

Ellie May.

After they've done,

you've got nothing left.

'Cause if you let

those go,

you've got

to invent new ones,

and they're never

as good as the old ones.

Oh, run away, dear. Run away

before you get like the rest of us.

But I ain't got no reason

to run away, pa.

What on earth is going to happen

to you in this horrible environment?

Nothing's gonna

happen to me, pa.

Wouldn't you feel better if you

had some hot coffee in your stomach?

I guess I'm a pretty

good mess as a father, eh?

Oh, you're swell, pa.

Aw, gee, pa, you're so

smart and everything.

You've been to college.

I'm always telling everybody how

much you know about them greeks.

Oh, my darling.

Hey, here's some of your

writing on the floor.

Why, I guess that's as

good a place as any for it.

Someday when your book's done,

everybody will be talking about you.

I doubt whether I'll last

long enough to finish it.

What's the matter, pa? You

got a sick stomach?

Maybe you ought to have

some hot clam broth.

I could go down to the beach

and get some clams.

There ain't nothin' wrong

with your heart, is there?

No, darling. It's another kind of pain.

Oh, well. "we live not as

we wish to, but as we can."

So sayeth my old friend

menander here.

Who was it that said it?

Menander, darling

- one of those old greek philosophers.

Hmm. I wish I knowed

more than I know.

Oh, my grip. The

gentleman paid for the cab.

Everything's

taken care of.

Look out of my way, babies.

Yoo-hoo! Wo-hoo, wo-hoo!

Hello, baby! Oh, she has some presents!

Hello, mame!

You look great!

Here I am-

what's left of me.

Did you bring

any presents, ma?

Oh, Honeybell, it ain't me

you want. It's the presents.

Stop talkin' to ma and

let her get her breath.

Hello, ma.

Hello, Ellie May.

Oh, gee, you look

pretty, ma!

Do i, hon?

Where's my present?

Oh.

Oh, look.

Ma's got a new fur.

Ain't I the one?

I want my present!

Oh, Honeybell!

You're a pest.

You take your present, run away,

and keep quiet. How's Homer?

He don't feel good.

Oh, that's too bad.

Here's something

for you, Ellie May.

And, ma, here's

something smelly.

Say, ma, Thelma introduced

me to the loveliest gentleman

a mr. Hawkins.

Tell you about it later.

Did you go

to the fair, ma?

Oh, boy, did i! Say, I've

been jounced and bounced

till I don't think there's

a whole bone left in my body.

Look!

A monkey in a pineapple!

Oh, ma,

ain't it cute?

Ain't it cute?

It looks like Homer.

Aw, let him be.

Well, its eyes light up.

It does look like Homer,

especially when

he hits the bottle.

Oh, Ellie May, ain't you

pleased with your present?

Sure,

I'm pleased, ma.

Well, how can you tell if

you don't even look at it?

I'm going down to the

beach to get some clams.

Now, there you are, ma.

Here I buy her

the best pair of silk

stockings I can for the money,

and she don't even

look at 'em.

I'll look

at 'em after.

You're pretty

particular about

where your presents

come from.

I ain't said nothin'.

Good-bye, ma. Good-bye.

Silk stockings'

ain't for a girl

that acts

like a boy.

You should've bought her a baseball bat.

I don't want none.

You got 8 pounds there. All right.

Here she comes.

Are you going

to say it?

I'm not afraid of her.

I'll say it.

Go on, say it.

Afraid of a girl?

I'm not

afraid of her!

Well, then I'll say it!

her mother was a lady-

yeah, you missed! Ow!

It's a shame to waste a good

smell in a place like this.

Well, maybe we'll go

steppin' sometime, huh?

Why not? You can always play

a new tune on an old fiddle!

Well, you're just as young

as you feel, ma. Sure.

Say, got some coffee, hon?

I'll make you a fresh cup.

Bye-bye.

Say,

is this genuine?

Say, nothing else but.

That fella must have

an oil well somewhere.

Say, ma, listen. Say, I says

to him, I said, "mr. Hawkins,

"if you want to throw your money

away, it's all right with me.

I ain't gonna be

the one to stop you."

And, ma, confidential-

he wanted to marry me.

No!

He did!

And I says, "now,

look here, mr. Hawkins,

one husband at a time's

enough, ain't it?"

And he laughed

fit to kill.

He must be a god.

Oh, he's a god

and very refined.

It's too bad Homer

don't do you a favor

and get run over

or something.

Oh, ma. Poor Homer. Somebody

has to look after him.

And of course it's got to be you. Sure.

Isn't it customary for a wife

to look after her husband when he's ill,

instead of chasing

around with other men?

Hello, Homer.

Are you still alive?

Ain't you feeling

well, baby?

Look at them eyes. Looks

like a couple of grapes

floating around

in his head.

You might reserve

your acid wit

for someone

of your own class.

Wasn't no drunks

in my family.

One tiny virtue

is not sufficient

to counteract your

other endowments.

Big words ain't

going to help that hangover.

Ma, leave him be. Come

on, now. That's a good boy.

That's it.

That's a boy.

There.

Oh. Working on

your book, Homer?

What difference does

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