Splendor in the Grass Page #6

He's the cause.

- What did you do to her tonight?

- No, Mama!

I want him to answer me.

She doesn't mean what she says.

I do, too.

My little girl. I want my little girl.

Mama, quit getting all worked up.

How can I help getting worked up...

...when my baby, my baby lies there

fighting for her life?

Frieda, I'm sorry.

By george, Del,

I'm sorry to hear about this.

- Is she all right?

- They don't know what's the matter yet.

Your daughter is

in a very nervous condition.

- Can I see my baby?

- No, not now. Perhaps tomorrow.

Have you thought about

what I suggested to you?

Yes. I'm going through with it.

I'll sell those stocks and send her off

to Wichita as soon as she's ready to leave.

Good. I'll make the arrangements for you.

It's time you and I were home in bed.

I'm gonna marry Deanie.

I don't care what he says, Doc.

- Good night, Bud.

- Good night, Mr. Loomis.

I'm of legal age. I don't care what he says,

I'm gonna marry her.

Bud, do you want to help Deanie?

Then stay away from her.

- For how long?

- I don't know.

I don't know now. No one does.

Who's that?

Who's there? Who's there?

There's nobody. Nobody.

There was somebody here.

Somebody was here.

Somebody was here.

You have another letter from your father.

I'm beginning to think you want

to be thrown out of school.

Angelina, do you think I could have...

...another one of these home brew?

Mister, you drink! You're gonna get sick.

Let me bring you some food.

Would you like something to eat?

My mother's making some pizza.

Would you like some pizza?

What is pizza?

You don't know what pizza is?

Where are you from?

From Kansas.

Where is that?

It's right in the middle of the USA.

So that's where your home is.

Is it nice out there in Kansas?

Yep.

It's very friendly.

That's what it's like, it's friendly.

Everybody knows your name

and they know who you are and...

Why don't you go back?

You must have a sweetheart out there.

I did.

Come in the kitchen with me.

Mama will give you some pizza.

Have some pizza.

Come on.

That's fine, you're up.

You all right?

What?

Are you all right, mister?

Sure you are.

Sit on that bench.

I'll be right with you. All right?

No, that's for Mr. Mangialomino.

What do you think about that?

Squint your eyes a bit.

What would Czanne say to that?

That's swell, Deanie.

I never thought I could do this well, really.

It looks better with one eye closed.

Oh, you!.

I like metalwork, though. You can

get rid of a lot of hostilities this way.

Watch.

Every time I pound,

I tell myself it's my old man.

My old man had his heart set on

my being a surgeon.

Well, not just a surgeon

but the greatest surgeon who ever lived.

So, anyway, I couldn't make that first cut.

That first cut into the flesh

of another man's body.

I shook. I couldn't keep my hands steady.

You can still be an M.D.

when you get out, though.

If I ever get out.

Johnny, don't talk like that.

I'm kidding, I hope.

Deanie, your parents are

in the waiting room.

Mother and Dad are here?

My folks are here. I haven't seen them

for six months. Not since I've been here.

I hope these people know

what they're doing.

How much longer are they going

to keep her here?

Here she comes.

Don't let Deanie see you looking this way.

- My baby!. My little baby!.

- Hi, Mother. It's good to see you.

Daddy!. It's so good to see you.

Doesn't she look just fine, Del?

They can't tell me there's anything wrong

with my little baby.

She's just as sound and normal

as the next one-

I brought our little girl a box of candy.

Thank you, Daddy.

All the girls in your old gang

wanted to tell you hello.

Your father had to go

and tell everyone where you are.

I'm not ashamed, Mom.

Sit down.

Well, now lets see.

Kay's gone off to Miss Finch's school.

Very elegant.

Her folks are very wealthy now, you know.

And June. June calls about you

every week or so.

- I guess you know she married Bob.

- Yes.

Carolyn and June are off at the university.

Now Carolyn pledged Pi Phi.

Hazel pledged Kappa. Which is better?

- I don't know.

- The university isn't far from here.

Maybe you'd like them to come

and see you some Saturday.

I don't think so, Mom.

No, no, I guess not.

I guess it wouldn't be... suitable.

There's nothing the matter with you,

you just remember that.

You are perfectly all right.

Just as well off as Kay or June or Hazel

or any of those girls.

Maybe...

Deanie, would you like to have dinner

with us tonight down at the hotel?

Deanie's had a very trying day,

she's too tired.

Yes, I'm awfully...

We're not gonna see any more of you?

This is all we get to see of you?

Mom, I'm sorry.

We drove all the way up here

just to be with our baby.

Now they tell us we can't be

with her tonight.

You want what's best for your daughter,

don't you, Mrs. Loomis?

Yes.

Yes, I want what's best for my daughter.

We'll take our little girl out to dinner...

I'm sorry.

...the next time we come up, Mama.

Mom kept calling me her baby...

...and Dad kept calling me his little girl.

Dr. Judd, don't they realize I'm me?

You're the one that's got to change.

They can't.

I don't think I could ever go

back home again.

I don't think I can feel the same way

I used to feel about them.

You'll just have to accept them as people,

with a lot of faults maybe...

...but not as Mama and Papa.

As people?

You know, we blame our parents

for everything these days.

You've gotta remember

they had parents, too.

I suppose.

You had a mama and a papa, too?

Oh, yes, most assuredly.

That'll be all, Deanie. You can go now.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Have you heard from that young man?

What was his name?

Bud?

No.

No, we've given up writing.

I guess he's probably away at school.

I don't know. No one ever writes me

anything about him.

I guess they're afraid it would upset me.

Would it?

Maybe you'll feel a little stronger

about it in time.

I hope so.

I'll bet they've been practicing

some of that Freud on her.

I've read about him.

All he's concerned about is sex.

And it's costing us every blessed penny

we made on our stocks.

If we could've held onto those stocks,

we would've made a fortune.

I don't think it's very polite of you to turn

on the radio when I'm talking to you.

Stock prices crashed today...

...in the most disastrous trading ever

on the New York Stock Exchange.

$14 billion was lost

in the nation-wide attempt to unload.

Sell out? What do you mean, sell out?

You're getting panicky like everybody else.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Now just don't get panicky, Jack.

Don't lose your courage.

Come in.

Hang on, Jack, just hang on.

Just hang in there.

No, I can't go on with this right now, Jack.

Sit down, friend, I'll be right with you.

I'm in New Haven.

My kid's in school up here.

Oh, hell, he's doing just fine.

Flunking every course, but otherwise fine.

He'll be all right.

I got an idea what's wrong with him.

Yeah, I'll be calling you.

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