The Five People You Meet in Heaven Page #3

when he lays down to sleep...

he probably thinks,

that's it, right?

His eyes are closing,

the world's over, he's a gonner...

what does he know from sleep?

Next morning he wakes up!

He still has the world,

but now he has something else...

he has his yesterday.

Aw, you're right.

No reason to spit up here.

No reason to smoke.

Old habits, I guess.

Look, Captain... sir.

No reason for that either,

but much obliged.

Captain, there's some

kinda mistake going on.

I mean. I don't belong here.

I lived a nothin' life, see?

I never went nowhere.

I never accomplished

anything worth note.

Couldn't find a job?

No. No, I had a job.

A dumb job. I fixed the rides

at this amusement park.

Ruby Pier.

Ruby Pier.

That's the place you always used

to tell us about, right?

We were all gonna go there

when the war was done.

'Free rides with the prettiest

ladies in the tunnel of love.'

That's right.

You ever seen them boys again?

Morton? Smitty?

Morton... Smitty...

Throw the pineapple!

Throw it, Johnny, come on!

Johnny!

The grenade!

Eddie learned

the quiet prayers of war.

He learned to go

days without rest...

and nights without sleep.

He learned how

to take a prisoner...

but not how to become one.

And then one night,

in the Philippines...

he learned that, too.

- Who's that?

- Shut it, kid.

Aw, you bastards...

Eddie?

You heard him, kid.

Shut it.

They're gonna kill us.

I never saw none of them

boys after the war.

Well, people lose touch...

- So.

- What?

You went back to that park,

you took that job. Then what?

Then nothing. I never left.

I meant to. But I...

things never worked out.

Money. My leg.

I never really got the war

out of my head.

Maybe you weren't supposed to.

One more sip for me,

okay champ?

Do that for me...

Good. That's it.

What is it?

In this rat hole?

Could be anything.

He can't keep his food down.

What food?

I'm freezing...

Oh God...

Easy, buddy boy... easy.

Where is everybody?

They're losing this war...

How desperate do they gotta be

using us to do this?

I figure some go awol

every night.

Rats off a sinking ship.

- How much longer?

- Not much.

I seen them digging

ditches up the way.

Now the oil barrels.

So?

The oil's for burning

the evidence.

They're digging our graves.

He's sick...

He's sick, you son of a b*tch!

For God's sake, Eddie.

No!

No!

I used to pray every night

during the war.

I'd take Marguerite's picture...

and I'd make these deals

with God, see.

I'd say...

I'll give you one more

week as a soldier...

if you give me

one more week with her.

I'll give you one more month

in this life...

if you give me one month

in that one.

Used to?

I stopped the night

they shot Rabozzo.

All I could think about

after that was getting out.

I was gonna take care

of myself, if I made it...

in one piece.

That never happened,

of course.

You know,

it's the damndest thing.

I'm dead.

But I feel...

I feel healthy.

Strong as I ever was.

You still juggle?

Captain...

Captain...

I think we got a chance here.

What're you talking about?

- I can juggle.

- What?

I can juggle.

Them rocks.

Hey!

Hey you! Over here!

I can juggle...

Juggle?

Yeah, here. Lemme try.

Lemme try. I can do it.

What's going on?

Okay?

Huh, you like that?

Yeah, see?

Okay, give me one more.

- Motto.

- Motto?

Yeah, one more.

One more...

I can do it.

Yeah, motto.

I'll juggle them for you.

Alright...

Yeah, he's good...

Good...

Good, huh?

Pretty good, huh?

Good!

Boy can juggle!

- Motto...

- Motto?

Yeah, four!

Four?

Four rocks, yeah, I can do it.

I'll get whosever

closest to the door...

Morton?

Just give me an opening.

Yeah, right here...

right here.

They're giving us rocks.

Okay... it's okay... okay.

Just having some fun...

Juggle... juggle.

You really this good?

I used to pitch, Captain.

Look at this, huh?

Isn't he something else,

ladies and gents?

You get the one on the left,

alright!

Smitty, you get

the one on the right...

- Okay, ready for four?

- Four!

- You guys ready for four?

- Four!

- Four?

- Four!

On my count, guys...

One!

Two!

Three...

Four!

For Rabozzo.

It was war, Eddie.

I never stopped

thinking about it...

my whole life...

these dreams...

Every soldier has dreams.

We coulda just run.

We didn't have to destroy

the whole place.

What did you see?

In those dreams?

Hey, Eddie, what you doing?

Yeah, burn it down, Eddie!

Burn the whole place down!

Fire in the hole!

Eddie! Come on!

Let's go! Let's go!

Eddie, what are you doing?

Are you coming?

Is somebody in there?

Eddie, Eddie,

we gotta go... come on!

There's somebody in there!

Come on, we gotta go,

let's go now!

I think there's

somebody in there!

Eddie... Movin' out! Let's go!

You'll die in there! Come out!

Eddie! There's nobody in there,

let's go!

Come on, we gotta go, now!

Come out! I won't shoot you...

I'm a soldier...

I'm a soldier...

You remember how

you got out of there?

That bullet got you good.

Lost a lot of blood.

And them boys patched you up

as best they could.

Those planes firing.

I never...

I never saw it coming...

Everything changed after that.

I couldn't run no more.

Couldn't play baseball.

I used to swim the ocean

like a fish...

You didn't stop walking.

No, I just stopped... moving.

I sorta sat down in my life.

I ever tell you I come

from a military family?

My father was a soldier...

his father, and his father, too.

At the dinner table it was

'yes, sir, no sir.'

All I did was take orders.

Then along comes a war, and all

of a sudden, I'm giving orders.

Kids are looking at me

for answers.

They thought I could

keep 'em alive.

You did too, didn't ya?

I couldn't, of course.

I took orders

like everyone else.

But I thought...

if I couldn't keep you alive...

at least I could

keep you together.

In the middle of big war,

you grab at them little ideas.

We're going home together.

That's right.

Going home together...

meant a lot, Captain.

I hope so.

Why do you say that?

'Cause I was the one

who shot you.

Not you...

Not you...

Not you!

Get it out...

- Go ahead.

- Not you!

The story of the tragedy

at Ruby Pier...

was in the newspapers

for several days.

Then other stories

took its place.

Well, pretty tidy

for an old guy.

Are you surprised?

Don't think we'll find any

bank statements in there.

It's the same apartment

Eddie grew up in.

I don't know why

he never moved out.

You'd think he'd want

some air conditioning.

You'd think he'd want

a change of scenery.

There's the soldier boy.

Hey, Eddie.

Happy birthday, son.

Here's your cake.

Happy birthday...

Happy birthday, Eddie.

Happy birthday, Eddie.

Joe, you got matches?

Here you go...

Alright...

Good job.

You're alright, son.

So he looks pretty good, all

things considered, don't he Pop?

You look really good, son...

Really, you look good, Eddie.

You bastard!

How could you do that?

- How could you do that?

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