The Black Orchid Page #2

Yeah, Giulia told me.

Oh, yeah? Yeah.

I'm having a tuxedo made

to walk her up the aisle.

Of course, I'll probably

never wear it again,

but I figure a man should have

a tuxedo hanging in the closet.

That way, the moths

have more respect for him.

You know,

in my town in Italy,

men who laughed like you

were always the ones

with a dozen kids.

Yeah? Well, after Mary was born,

my wife, she got sick.

You're right. I should have had

a lot more, at least a boy.

By now, the house would

be a noise factory

with him running in and out.

I got a boy.

Oh, you have?

Yeah, he's in a work farm.

Oh, a work farm, huh?

You visit him a lot?

Every Sunday.

It's a long bus ride.

Well, that doesn't sound

too bad.

Four times so far,

he ran away.

They said once more,

and they'll have to put him

in a real prison.

Now please go away.

You know, uh...

You know, Sundays are nice

for a long bus ride.

Maybe this Sunday, maybe I could

come along with you?

You want to go with me

to that place?

I'd like to very much.

Why?

Well, I'd just like to.

You want to see how crying

makes me look ugly?

Aw, come on, now.

Tears for somebody else

don't make you look ugly.

I'd like to come with you,

if you'd let me.

I can't make you out.

What do you want with me?

Look.

Now, what time is the bus?

It's supposed to leave

at 11:
00.

It's never on time.

All right, I'll meet you

at the station.

Is that the one

on 13th Street?

All right, I'll be there

at 10:
30, huh?

Look, I didn't say yes.

Look, I'm going

to be there at 10:30.

I didn't say yes!

You know, one of these days,

you're going to break your

throat with all that yelling.

Thanks for the flower.

I-- I'm going to leave now.

Oh, no, no,

please don't bother.

I'll see myself

to the door.

( melancholy theme plays )

( door closes )

( humming )

Papa, I polished those

before we went to church.

Yeah? Well, those pews

are too narrow.

You know,

I got stepped all over. Look.

It's a sin

to criticize a church.

What do you mean,

the church?

It's the builders

who skimp on the pews.

Come on in

and have breakfast.

Come on.

All right, all right.

( continues humming )

Hey, that helps

your digestion?

What?

That hat.

Oh, Papa. You know, you looked

so hungry when we came home,

I started rushing,

and I forgot all about it.

That hat.

Stop.

( humming )

Papa, come on and eat.

Oh, honey, I'm not hungry.

Besides, I gotta go out.

What do you mean, go...?

But Noble's coming.

We're all going for a ride

in his new car. You forgot.

Some other time, baby.

It's imported from Italy.

Your future husband,

he's supposed to be so modern,

he buys a car

from the old country.

Where are you going?

Out.

What do you mean, "out"?

Well, just-- Just out.

Papa.

Hey, uh...

Hey, Mary, you know the widow

lives next door to the Gallos?

Rose Bianco?

Well, her son's in a...

Well, it's like a farm.

Well, anyway, she invited me

to ride with her

on the bus and go visit him.

The truth of the matter is,

I kind of invited myself.

Why, Papa?

Why? Well, because she's

a nice-looking woman,

and I like her.

A gangster's wife?

Now, if you don't mind, Mary.

Come on, now. Come on, will you

take that look off your face?

Well,

how am I supposed to look

when I hear my father's going

out with a woman like that?

What's the matter?

You don't want me to have

a nice time with a nice woman?

Gee, honey, ain't it better,

now you're getting married,

I find company for myself?

Gee, all these years

we been like, like two hermits

living in a cave.

Come on, honey. Ain't it--

Ain't it better?

All right.

But I didn't know that

when a girl gets married

she's supposed to stop

caring about her father.

Oh, baby. What do you mean,

"stop caring," honey?

I love you to care

about me, Mary.

Oh, look. Come on, now.

Don't spoil the day

for you and Noble, and for me.

Come on, huh?

Come on. Come...

( car horn honks )

Hey, Noble.

Hey, Pa. How are you?

How are you?

Hey, what do you think, huh?

Hey, what is it,

a lady's pocketbook?

What do you mean?

That's what you call

an Italian sports car.

Hey,

that's pretty fancy.

( honks horn )

Don't forget.

Hey, we're all going to

go for a drive later.

Look, on a day like today,

you don't want "three's a crowd."

Besides, um,

I got a date.

Yeah?

Yeah.

See you, huh?

Yeah, see you.

Mary!

Hey, baby?

( bells toll in distance )

Mary?

MARY:
I'm in here, Noble.

Hi.

Hi.

Shall I kiss you first,

or can't you wait

to see the car?

Well, now,

I think I can wait.

Mm.

Ooh.

Hey. Come on, help me

put some things away, huh?

Go in there

and clear the table?

I think your father's got

a touch of spring in his head today.

You know what he said?

You and me should be alone today.

"No, three's a crowd."

Hey, Noble, did you find

a house in Atlantic City yet?

Not yet.

I looked at eight houses.

You know what I saw?

Doghouses.

I told this agent,

"When you come up

with something good enough

for me and my future wife,

then call me."

Well, honey, maybe we

shouldn't rush into buying.

If you ever lived in a furnished

room, you wouldn't say that.

But I mean, till we find

something we really want,

we could stay here.

Where?

With my father.

Now, that's crazy.

There's a hundred

houses in Atlantic City.

I'm going to look at more this week.

I'll find one that'll

just be perfect for us.

So you'll find.

Hey.

What's bothering you?

Noble, you're looking at this

only from our point of view,

but, well, I'm thinking

of my father too.

Thinking what? What about him?

Well, just how's his life going to be

when he's here in this house

all by himself?

Noble, for him,

can't we live here?

I don't mean that

we have to stay--

Now, wait.

How are we going

to live here,

when my store's on the boardwalk

in Atlantic City?

Now, Mary, you don't make sense.

All right. Excuse me

for mentioning it.

He'll be all right.

You worry too much.

If he knew how much you worry,

he'd have a fit.

I'm sorry, Noble.

But I just can't help it.

Hey, come on, smile.

( suspenseful theme plays )

You know, lately I can't stand

being away from you. Honest.

I wish I could find a house

right on top of my store.

Every ten minutes,

I'd come in,

and I'd look at you.

It never used to bother me,

seeing you only on weekends.

Now the closer the wedding gets,

what ideas come into my head.

VOICE OVER P.A.:

Attention, please.

Upstate special

for Poughkeepsie, Albany...

Hey.

Hey, Rose. You know what?

Hey, watch out. Watch out.

I went to the wrong station.

Boy, of all the times

to make a mistake.

Hey, Rose. Come on,

you wanna yell at me?

I thought you came to your

right senses and stayed home.

Yeah, but you were saving

my seat for me though, huh?

It's fruit

for Ralphie.

Oh, gee, and I thought

you were saving my seat.

What are they waiting for?

I don't know.

Hey, Rose.

Hm?

Come on, you were saving

this seat for me, huh?

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