The Grapes of Wrath Page #39

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MA:

(slowly)

I don't understan' it, Tom.

TOM:

(drily)

Me neither.

(Rising)

It's jus' stuff I been thinkin' about.

Gimme you han', Ma. Good-by.

(He climbs over the

fence)

MA:

Good-by, Tom. Later--when it's blowed

over--you'll come back? You'll try

to fin' us?

TOM:

Sure. Good-by.

MA:

Good-by, Tommy.

He walks away. She stands looking after him. He's leaving

her forever--she knows it. She lifts her hand and waves. She

tries to smile. TOM turns, waves, smiles. His lips form the

words:
"Good-by, Ma." Then he strides away into the darkness.

The scene fades out.

The JOAD TRUCK fades in. It stands loaded in front on the

Joad tent while Al, Pa, Uncle John, Ma, and the little fellas

pile in the last article in a fury of excitement. Beyond, in

the background, another jalopy is being prepared for travel

with the same feverish haste. It is day.

AL, PA, JOHN

(ad lib)

Get them buckets on! Somebody tie

down the mattress! You little fellas

keep outa the way!

MAN:

(from the other truck,

gaily)

What y'all hurryin' so for? Tell me

they got twenny days work.

PA:

Yes, sir, an' we aim to git in all

twenny of 'em.

Other jalopies in the background are being readied for leaving--

an excited, hopeful exodus on a new report of work.

AL:

Ready, Ma?

MA:

I'll get Rosasharn.

PA:

(beaming)

All aboard, ever'body! All aboard

for Fresno!

Ma comes out of the tent supporting Rosasharn tenderly. For

the plumpness has gone from the girl and she is thin again,

her face drawn and unhappy, her eyes swollen with weeping

and suffering.

MA:

(softly)

Try to be strong, honey. Someday

it'll be diff'rent--someday you'll

have another one. You're still jus'

a little girl, remember.

Pa takes Rosasharn's other arm. He and Al and Uncle John

help Rosasharn onto the truck. She lies down on the mattress,

her face away from them.

PA:

Make her easy, John. Watch her.

MA:

She'll be awright.

AL:

(in the driver's seat)

Ready, Pa?

PA:

(as he and Ma climb

in the front seat)

Let 'er go, Gallagher!

The truck wabbles into motion. Al races the engine. It nearly

crashes another wheezing jalopy at the corner. When it turns

the corner we see the GATE, and a line of loaded jalopies

that ride out to the highway. The caretaker waves and the

migrants wave back.

CARETAKER:

Good luck to you! Good luck,

ever'body!

THE JOADS:

Good-by, Mr. Conway! Much oblige to

you for ever'thing!

The Joad truck turns onto the highway. In the FRONT SEAT Al

is driving, Ma in the middle, Pa on the outside.

AL:

Twenty days work, oh boy!

PA:

Be glad to get my han' on some cotton.

That's the kin' a pickin' I

understan'.

MA:

Maybe. Maybe twenny days work, maybe

*no* days work. We ain't got it till

we get it.

AL:

(grinning)

Whatsa matter, Ma? Gettin' scared?

MA:

(smiling faintly)

No. Ain't ever gonna be scared no

more.

(After a pause)

I was, though. For a while I thought

we was beat--*good* an' beat. Looked

like we didn't have nothin' in the

worl' but enemies--wasn't *no*body

frien'ly anymore. It made me feel

bad an' scared too--like we was

lost... an' nobody cared.

AL:

Watch me pass that Chevvy.

PA:

(soberly)

You the one that keeps us goin', Ma.

I ain't no good any more, an' I know

it. Seems like I spen' all my time

these days a-thinkin' how it use'ta

be--thinkin' of home--an' I ain't

never gonna see it no more.

Ma places her hand on one of Pa's and pats it.

MA:

Woman can change better'n a man. Man

lives in jerks--baby born, or somebody

dies, that's a jerk--gets a farm, or

loses one, an' that's a jerk. With a

woman it's all one flow, like a

stream, little eddies, little

waterfalls, but the river it goes

right on. Woman looks at it like

that.

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