The Grapes of Wrath Page #15

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He looks around at the men, trying to control his emotions,

and then he walks away into the darkness. There is an uneasy

silence.

FIRST MAN:

Well--gettin' late. Got to get to

sleep.

They all rise as at a signal, all moved and worried by the

Second Man's outburst. TOM, PA AND CASY move away, worry on

their faces.

PA:

S'pose he's tellin' the truth--that

fella?

CASY:

He's tellin' the truth awright. The

truth for him. He wasn't makin'

nothin' up.

TOM:

How about us? Is that the truth for

us?

CASY:

I don't know.

PA:

(worriedly)

How can you tell?

The scene dissolves to a MONTAGE: superimposed on the shield

marker of U.S. Highway 66 and the rattling Joad truck the

signs of towns flash by: AMARILLO, VEGA, GLENRIO.

The TRUCK is seen on the HIGHWAY. It is now mountain country--

New Mexico. Then it is seen at a GAS STATION. It is a cheap

two-pump station, hand-painted, dreary, dusty. Huddled next

to it is a hamburger stand. In front of the hamburger stand

is a truck labeled: NEW MEXICO VAN AND STORAGE COMPANY. The

Joads are piling out of their truck. Directed by Ma, Noah

lifts Granma out. The two children scamper around shrieking

because their legs have gone to sleep. Al is preparing to

put water in the radiator. Pa takes out a deep leather pouch,

unties the strings, and begins calculating his money as the

fat proprietor advances.

FAT MAN:

(truculently)

You folks aim to buy anything?

AL:

Need some gas, mister.

FAT MAN:

Got any money?

AL:

Whatta you think:--we's beggin'?

FAT MAN:

I just ast, that's all.

TOM:

(evenly)

Well, ask right. You ain't talkin'

to bums, you know.

FAT MAN:

(appealing to heaven)

All in the worl' I done was ast!

INSIDE THE HAMBURGER STAND, a standard cheap eatery, Bert is

doing the short orders and Mae is handling the counter. A

nickel phonograph is playing a tune. Bill, a truck driver,

sits at the counter; his partner, Fred, is playing a slot

machine.

BILL:

Kinda pie y'got?

MAE:

Banana cream, pineapple cream,

chocolate cream--and apple.

BILL:

Cut me off a hunk a that banana cream,

and a cuppa java.

FRED:

Make it two.

MAE:

Two it is.

(Smirking)

Seen any new etchin's lately, Bill?

BILL:

(grinning)

Well, here's one ain't bad. Little

kid comes in late to school. Teacher

says--

He stops. Pa is peering in the screen door. Beside him Ruthie

and Winfield have their noses flattened against the screen.

Mae looks at Pa.

MAE:

Yeah?

PA:

Could you see your way clear to sell

us a loaf of bread, ma'am.

MAE:

This ain't a groc'ry store. We got

bread to make san'widges with.

PA:

I know, ma'am... on'y it's for a ole

lady, no teeth, gotta sof'n it with

water so she can chew it, an' she's

hongry.

MAE:

Whyn't you buy a san'wich? We got

nice san'widges.

PA:

(embarrassed)

I shore would like to do that, ma'am,

but the fack is, we ain't got but a

dime for it. It's all figgered out,

I mean--for the trip.

MAE:

You can't get no loaf a bread for a

dime. We only got fifteen-cent loafs.

BERT:

(an angry whisper)

Give 'em the bread.

MAE:

We'll run out 'fore the bread truck

comes.

BERT:

Awright then, run out!

Mae shrugs at the truck drivers, to indicate what she's up

against, while Bert mashes his hamburgers savagely with the

spatula.

MAE:

Come in.

Pa and the two children come in as Mae opens a drawer and

pulls out a long waxpaper-covered loaf of bread. The children

have been drawn to the candy showcase and are staring in at

the goodies.

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