Strictly for the Birds Page #4

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- I'd still like to see you.

- Why?

I think it might be fun.

That might've been

good enough in Rome,

but it's not good enough now.

It is for me.

Well, not for me.

- What do you want?

- I thought you knew.

I want to go through life...

jumping into fountains naked.

Good night.

[Birds Chirping,

Squawking]

Miss Daniels,

is that you?

Yes.

Hi.

Is something wrong?

Is that cut beginning

to bother you?

No, it's not the cut

that's bothering me.

- Would you like some brandy?

- If you have some, I'd love it.

I'll get it.

Why don't you sit down.

Oh, would you like a sweater

or something, a quilt?

No. No, thank you.

Won't you call me Melanie?

All right.

Thank you.

Gets a bit chilly here

at night sometimes,

especially if you're

over near the bay.

Well, how did

your evening go?

Did you meet Lydia?

Or would you rather

I changed the subject?

I think so.

- Well, how do you like

our little hamlet?

- I despise it.

I suppose it doesn't offer much

to the casual visitor,

unless you're thrilled

by a collection of shacks

on a hillside.

It takes a bit

of getting used to.

Where are you from

originally?

San Francisco.

How did you happen

to come up here?

A friend invited me

up for a weekend

a long time ago.

Look, I see no reason

for being coy about this.

It was Mitch Brenner.

I guess you knew that anyway.

I suspected as much.

Well, you needn't worry.

It's been over and done with

a long time ago.

Annie, there's nothing

between Mr. Brenner and me.

Isn't there?

Well, maybe there isn't.

Maybe there's

never been anything

between Mitch and any girl.

What do you mean?

I think I'll have

some of that.

I was seeing a lot of him

in San Francisco.

One weekend, he invited me

up to meet Lydia.

- When was this?

- Oh, four years ago,

shortly after his father died.

Of course, things

may be different now.

Different?

With Lydia.

Did she seem

a trifle distant?

Mm, a trifle.

Well, then perhaps things

aren't quite so different.

You know, her attitude

nearly drove me crazy.

When I got back to

San Francisco, I spent days

trying to figure out...

what I'd done

to displease her.

- Well, what had you done?

- Nothing.

I simply existed.

So what's the answer?

Ajealous woman, right?

A clinging,

possessive mother?

Wrong. With all due respect

to Oedipus, I don't think

that was the case.

Then what was it?

Lydia liked me.

That's the strange part.

Now that I'm no longer a threat,

we're very good friends.

- Then why did she

object to you?

- Because she was afraid.

- Afraid you'd take Mitch?

- Afraid I'd give Mitch.

I don't understand.

Afraid of any woman who

would give Mitch the one thing

Lydia can give him: Love.

That adds up to

a jealous, possessive woman.

No, I don't think so.

You see, she's not afraid

of losing Mitch.

She's only afraid

of being abandoned.

- Someone ought to tell her

she'd be gaining a daughter.

- [Chuckles]

No. She already

has a daughter.

Well, what about Mitch?

Didn't he have anything

to say about this?

Well, I can understand

his position.

He'd just been through

a lot with Lydia

after his father died.

- He didn't want to risk

going through it all again.

- Oh, I see.

So it ended.

Not right then, of course.

We went back to San Francisco,

saw each other now and then,

but we both knew it was over.

- Then what are you doing

here in Bodega Bay?

- I wanted to be near Mitch.

Oh, it was over and done with,

and I knew it, but...

I still wanted

to be near him.

I still like him

a hell of a lot,

and I don't want to lose

that friendship... ever.

[Phone Ringing]

Hello.

Hello.

No, no, no,

I wasn't asleep.

Yes, just

a little while ago.

Sure. Hold on.

It's Mitch.

For you.

Hello? Oh, yes,

this is Melanie.

Fine, thank you.

No, no trouble at all.

I simply followed the road.

Well... There's

no need to apologize.

I can understand...

That's very kind of you.

No, I'm not angry.

Well, I couldn't.

I have to get back

to San Francisco.

No, I wouldn't want

to disappoint Cathy, but...

I see.

All right.

Yes, I'll be there.

Good night, Mitch.

[Hangs Up Phone]

He wants me to go to Cathy's

party tomorrow afternoon.

I said I would.

It should be fun.

I'll be there, too,

to help.

Oh, it seems so pointless.

Well, I think

I'll go to sleep.

It's been a busy day.

My luggage.

That's pretty.

Where'd you get that?

Brinkmeyer's?

Mm-hmm. Do you think

I should go?

Well, that's up to you.

No, it's really

up to Lydia, isn't it?

- Never mind Lydia.

Do you want to go?

- Yes.

- Then go.

- Thank you, Annie.

[Clattering Sound]

Oh. Wonder

who that can be.

Is someone there?

Who is it?

Look.

Poor thing.

Probably lost his way

in the dark.

But it isn't dark,

Annie.

There's a full moon.

[Children Chattering,

Laughing]

[Annie]

Cathy, that's very good.

Very good.

Okay. Here we go.

[Annie]

Attagirl. Come on.

Don't let him get you.

No, I really shouldn't

have any more.

I'm driving.

Well, actually, I'm trying

to get you to stay for dinner.

A lot of roast beef left over.

No, I couldn't possibly.

I... have to get back.

All right.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Why do you have to rush off?

What's so important

in San Francisco?

Well, I have to get to work

tomorrow, for one thing.

You have a job?

I have several jobs.

What do you do?

I do different things

on different days.

Like what?

Well, on Mondays and Wednesdays,

I work for the Travelers' Aid

at the airport.

Helping travelers?

No, misdirecting them.

I thought you could read

my character.

On Tuesdays, I take a course

in General Semantics

at Berkeley...

finding new

four-letter words.

- That's not a job, of course...

- You mean, you don't have to...

- And on Thursdays,

I have my meeting and lunch.

- In the underworld, I suppose.

I shall disappoint you.

We're sending

a little Korean boy

through school.

We actually raise money

for it.

You see, Rome...

That entire summer,

I did nothing but...

Well, it was very easy

to get lost there.

So when I came back,

I thought it was time

I began...

I don't know...

finding something again.

So, on Mondays and Thursdays,

I keep myself busy.

- What about Fridays?

- Fridays? They're free.

I sometimes go

to bird shops on Fridays.

I'm very glad you do.

A nice, innocent,

little day.

Oh, yes.

- I have an Aunt Tessa.

Have you got an Aunt Tessa?

- Mm-mm.

Mine is very prim

and straight-laced.

I'm giving her a mynah bird

when she comes back from Europe.

Mynah birds talk, you know.

Can you see

my Aunt Tessa's face...

when this one tells us

one or two of the words

I've picked up at Berkeley?

You need a mother's care,

my child.

- Not my mother's.

- Oh, I'm sorry.

What have you got

to be sorry about?

My mother?

Don't waste your time.

She ditched us when I was 11

and ran off with some hotel man

in the East.

You know what

a mother's love is?

- Yes, I do.

- You mean it's better

to be ditched?

No. I think

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