Sayonara Page #8

A boy away from home

for the first time, lonesome...

often falls in love

with the first girl he touches.

ln most cases, with a girl from the streets.

lt`s up to the service in some measure

to be fathers and mothers to these boys...

and try to head off these marriages.

But after they`re married

why should they be sent home?

The man`s being transferred

to a new duty station with many others.

Now, don`t ask me the reasons

for changes of duty.

There are thousands of them.

Lloyd said most of the men on this list

are married to Japanese girls.

That can`t be just a coincidence.

Why not? lt could easily be.

There have been lots of marriages.

Frankly, with some of these men...

l think they might welcome the transfer.

Why is that, sir?

There have been unfortunate aftermaths

to many of these marriages.

Recriminations, regrets.

A boy gets married impulsively...

then feels caught, doesn`t know how

to get out of it or what to do.

A change of duty gives them both

a chance to think it over.

To cool off.

l don`t mean to imply that`s the reason

these men are being transferred, but....

The whole thing`s...

a messy business.

General Webster, there`s no regret

in the case of Kelly and Katsumi.

You can have my word on that.

Three officers came to me today

with identical requests for their men.

lt`s not our policy to interfere with decisions

made by immediate commanding officers.

The basic structure of the military service...

would collapse if we started

doing things like that.

Your father would understand that,

even if you don`t.

Are you going to ask me

to make an exception of Kelly...

when l`ve refused these other men?

l am going to ask you to do that, sir.

You made an exception of me

when you brought me from Korea.

l`m afraid it`s a hopeless situation, Lloyd.

That`s the end of Joe Kelly.

You told me yourself

that Kelly`s past record was against him.

l couldn`t even use that.

Why does this mean so much to you, Lloyd?

Kelly`s from my outfit, Mrs. Webster.

l was his best man.

And l`m planning to marry

a Japanese girl myself.

Come into the other room, Eileen.

This is something for your father to handle.

No, Mrs. Webster, l don`t think it`s anything

for anybody to handle.

l`m sorry, Eileen.

Mrs. Webster.

Good afternoon, all.

l don`t think l`ll ever love anyone again

as much as l love Lloyd.

But l`ll tell you something

that`s rather ironic.

l once asked Lloyd

if he ever felt like grabbing me...

and hauling me off to a shack somewhere.

That`s just what he`s done, isn`t it?

Only it`s with somebody else.

Don`t go out, Eileen.

Stay and talk.

l`m sorry, Mother.

There`s only one person

l`d like to talk to at the moment...

and oddly enough, he`s Japanese.

Ace, l`ve been waiting for you.

Kelly, listen.

l just came from General Webster`s house...

-and there`s a whole big mess there.

-No good?

No. He didn`t go for it.

Matter of fact,

l think l even messed it up a little.

That figures.

-Did you tell Katsumi yet?

-No.

l`m chickening out fast.

Besides, she`s got her heart set

on something she planned for us tonight.

Wants us both to take the train to Osaka

and meet the girls at the puppet show.

Why spoil it?

Maybe l`ll tell her late tonight

when we`re alone.

Don`t give up on it.

l think there`s gonna be a way out of it.

-You think so?

-l do.

l don`t.

-l`ll see you, Ace.

-Hi, hon.

Tell Katsumi we`ll be there with bells.

Were you able to help?

-No. l wasn`t.

-How terrible.

l know this is hard, honey.

lt`s hard, but it`s not gonna last long.

The Army`s got to change that law next year

or the next one.

l mean, it just has to be. l`m sure of it.

As a matter of fact, l`m so sure of it

that l went downtown today...

and l signed some papers here...

that mean that you and l

are gonna get married.

-What`s the matter?

-We never spoke of marriage.

l know we didn`t, darling.

l know we didn`t.

l been going round and round with that...

every day for a long time.

And l didn`t feel l could speak about it

until now.

Now l can.

Of course, l won`t be able

to take you back to America...

but they`re bound to change

that ridiculous law soon.

And until then,

l`m gonna stay here with you.

l`m not stuck in the Air Force. l can resign.

Of course, l`m not trained

to do anything else...

but l`d find something.

We never spoke of marriage.

l know we didn`t, darling,

but we`re speaking of it now.

Do you remember the first night we talked?

l said there would be danger of weakness

when it is over.

Over? What are you talking about?

l am tempted.

With you, l could become a woman.

And a mother. And l could love you.

That`s right.

Do you think l haven`t thought about it?

Do you think l want

to become a lonely old woman...

who teaches dancing,

now that l have known you?

But it is no good.

You must know it, too.

No. l don`t know anything of the kind.

The way you talk about

leaving the Air Force...

finding some pitiful way of earning living...

-just to be here with your Japanese wife.

-Now, wait a minute.

l think we`re too far in this thing

to be talking like that.

Matsubayashi has been kind to me, Lloyd.

l am obligated to them.

No, you ain`t. You obligated to me.

They are my life.

l will bring shame to them, disgrace.

Lloyd, you know what l mean.

Yeah, l think l`m beginning

to know what you mean.

You mean you simply don`t love me enough

to go on through with it.

That`s what you mean, don`t you?

Why don`t you just come on out and say it?

lt is not what l mean.

l`m leaving for Tokyo in six days.

Matsubayashi is sending me.

You what?

With another troupe.

They have found out about us.

Any other girl, they would have dismissed,

but because they like me...

because they feel l am important to them,

they are being lenient.

l`m not gonna be lenient with you.

l want you to tell me now why Matsubayashi

means more to you than l do!

Lloyd, there`s something about myself...

l have not told you.

l have no right to marry anyone.

My father was very poor.

To save his other children...

he was forced to sell one of his daughters.

The man from the houses of Yoshiwara

came to him.

Because l was the oldest...

he agreed l should go with them.

Your father sold you?

Yes, but l was saved from starting this life...

by my best friend, Fumiko-san.

Her father paid money to free me...

and she brought me to Matsubayashi.

There, l not only earn my living...

l brought honor back to my family.

Matsubayashi has been kind to me.

They have trusted me.

l cannot leave them.

l cannot marry anyone.

Don`t you understand?

l don`t know.

l don`t know what to think.

l`ll kill you!

You ever do anything like this,

and l`ll kill you, understand?

-Get that straight, now! l`ll kill you.

-Wait a minute. Just take it easy, now.

Ace, look at this.

-lt fell out of her bag.

-What is it?

She was gonna have it done, too.

Tomorrow, by that quack doctor.

-What?

-For $8 she slashes her eyelids...

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