Reflections in a Golden Eye Page #4

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She keeps imagining all these things,

you know?

Yesterday, she thought

the house was on fire.

Said she could smell smoke.

Then this morning when I was home...

...she swore up and down

she could hear some kid screaming.

There had been an accident with a car...

...and she said Anacleto and I have

to go around and ask all the neighbors.

So we did. I felt like a damn fool.

How's it going with you and Weldon?

Better. A lot better. A hell of a lot better.

Why, he's a changed boy.

He's even polite to me when we're alone.

I guess I shouldn't have done it.

But what the hell.

He had it coming, beating my horse.

I guess everybody thinks

I was drunk, don't they?

I guess so.

You know, it's a damn

good thing for Weldon.

A damn lucky thing the general

used to bounce you on his knee, because...

If Alison pulled a stunt like that...

...I'd get transferred so fast

it would make your hair grow.

Well, now, Alison wouldn't do

a thing like that, now, would she?

No. Hey, the fights are tonight.

- You wanna go to the fights?

- Yeah, sure, I'd love to.

What's so damn funny?

Weldon said he fell in a blackberry patch.

Can you imagine?

Of all things, a blackberry patch.

- ibetween Corporal Jose Fernandez

in black trunks...

...and Private First Class Harry Higby

in white trunks.

Oh, hit him back! Come on.

Come on!

No!

Get up!

Get up!

Get up!

No! I don't believe it.

Well, I think I'll be going along now.

I'm going back to the office.

The office this time of night?

You crazy?

I've got a lot of work to do,

finish up. I'll see y'all later.

Have someone drive you there

and wait for you.

No, thanks, Morris.

I think the walk will do me good.

- I'll see y'all later. Bye.

- All right.

- He's still down.

- Oh, he's all right.

Hey, mister, over here.

I'll tell you what...

- I'll tell you what I'll do.

- Yeah.

- If he buys the food then I'll buy the drinks.

- Come on.

Morris?

I think you had better go up

to your wife's room.

She's not alone.

My husband is with her.

Alison, you shouldn't be wandering

around like this. I'll take you home.

You don't mean to sit there

and tell me you know this...

...and do nothing about it?

Alison.

Alison.

I went to see where you were,

and you weren't there.

Where have you been?

There's something you should know.

Leonora isn't only

deceiving her husband.

She's deceiving you too,

with an enlisted man.

Furthermore, I'm going to get a divorce.

And as I have no money, I would appreciate

your lending me the sum of $500.

I will pay you back

at five percent interest...

...with Anacleto and Captain Weincheck

as guarantors.

You need not feel any further

responsibility toward me.

Anacleto and I will go into some business

together or buy a prawn boat, maybe.

And now will you please help him

bring my trunk up from the cellar?

We have to pack and be out of here

early tomorrow morning.

I just remembered, Anacleto.

Moltrieville, South Carolina.

It's beautiful and small.

I went there once

when I was 7 to visit a great-aunt.

My great-aunt Evelyn.

It's near Charleston. It is on the sea...

...and the people are most civilized.

Bring the timetables.

Where are they?

Good.

Columbia. Columbia.

10:
20.

We shall leave this house forever

at 8 in the morning.

That will give us plenty of time to buy

the tickets and get the Pullman seats.

Oh, Anacleto.

We will want a picnic basket.

I do not care for Pullman fare.

Oh, what shall we do?

But Madame Alison,

today I bought a poussin.

- I shall go and prepare it now.

- And hard-boiled eggs.

- And sweet pickles.

- Yeah.

Colonel Kelly, please.

Hey, where were you last night?

Got something going for you, huh?

Him? You kidding?

His daddy told him

women carry a terrible disease...

...and you mustn't ever touch them.

L.G.'s a virgin. Ain't you, L.G.?

Our doctor's from Walter Reed.

You know, Colonel Kelly.

But after he looked at her

he said he had to bring in another doctor.

Some psychiatrist.

And it was...

...plain awful.

I just felt so damn ashamed for her.

They were lighting matches

and holding them up in front of her face...

...and asking her all kinds of questions...

...and Anacleto kept interfering.

We had to lock him up in his room.

She wouldn't cooperate

with them, anyway.

So...

...finally, they said...

Said we have to send her away to a...

To a sanitarium.

And I said, "Now, listen.

I don't want her in some place...

...where they're gonna have straitjackets.

None of that stuff.

Just...

...someplace where she can be quiet

and comfortable...

...and listen to her records if she wants to

and have a room for Anacleto."

So they said they know

an institution that's in Virginia...

...that's just like a luxury hotel.

How soon?

Well...

...as soon as they make

the arrangements, whatever they do.

Good afternoon. No, don't get up.

I'm Dr. Burgess.

Welcome to our small community.

Will you be staying overnight, colonel?

No. No, I have to get right back.

Well, you may be sure

we'll take good care of Mrs. Langdon.

You won't be getting up tomorrow.

You'll stay in bed,

and we'll start making you well again.

Well...

...it's a nice place, isn't it?

Alcoholics.

Senility.

Paresis.

Oh, my God.

What a choice crew.

Soldier, pick up that cigarette butt.

Fieldstrip it.

A soldier is a soldier 24 hours a day.

- Do you understand?

- Yes, sir.

Soldier.

Who checked you out of barracks?

Why is that pocket unbuttoned?

Button it.

When did you blitz that buckle?

- Don't you have any shoe polish?

- Yes, sir.

- Report to the orderly room right away.

- Yes, sir.

Major. Major Penderton.

Major Penderton, have you heard?

- Heard what?

- Alison. Mrs. Langdon. She's dead.

No, no. No, no. I haven't heard.

What? What?

Alison. Mrs. Langdon. She's dead.

- Well, but the... The colonel isn't back yet.

- No, he's on the noon train.

It was a coronary.

It happened just after he left, it seems.

We received a telegram

at division headquarters. We opened it.

We didn't know

what was in it, naturally.

Alison?

I'm almost finished, Morris.

Why not give them to Weincheck?

All these records.

He'd be happy to have them.

Oh, I think I'll keep them

over in my room.

I might wanna play them sometime.

Oh, now, Morris,

you know you hate classical records.

Don't talk like that. It's...

Well, it's morbid.

Well, she gave that little thing to Anacleto,

and he kept it up here.

Damn, I wish he'd come back.

Strange he didn't show up

at the funeral, isn't it?

He just packed up all her things and got out

of that hospital the morning after she died.

Just... Just disappeared.

Funny, isn't it?

You know, I never told you this...

...but when Catherine was born...

...Alison had a hell of a time of it.

Thirty-three hours in labor.

Thirty-three solid hours.

When it got so I couldn't stand to listen

to her anymore... Screaming, you know?

You know who she hung on to?

Anacleto.

Yeah.

The little Filipino was there...

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