The Grapes of Wrath Page #64

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As she gets ready for whatever... IN THE SHADOWS, twenty

feet away from the tent, Tom whistles softly.

TOM:

Hey, Al!

IN FRONT OF THE JOAD TENT, all but Ma are looking off. Ma

still eyes Pa.

AL:

(peering into the

darkness)

Tom? You can come on. They gone.

TOM:

(entering quickly)

We got to get outa here right away.

Ever'body here? Where's Uncle John?

JOHN:

(from tent)

Here I am.

PA:

What's a matter now?

TOM:

Fella tells me some a them poolroom

boys figgerin' to burn the whole

camp out tonight. Got to get that

truck loaded--what you doin' with

the jack-handle, Ma?

MA, PA, AND AL

(together)

Al's tryin' to go away... She jus'

got sassy... All I aimed to do...

TOM:

(taking the jack-handle)

Awright, you can fight it out later.

Right now we got to hustle. Where's

Connie?

There is a silence that stops Tom in his rush of preparation.

MA:

(quietly)

Connie's gone.

(Indicating Rosasharn)

Lit out this e'enin'--said he didn't

know it was gonna be like this.

PA:

(angrily)

Glad to get shet of him. Never was

no good an' never will be--

MA:

Pa! Shh!

PA:

How come I got to shh? Run out, didn't

he?

TOM:

(looking to Rosasharn)

Cut it out, Pa. He'p Al with the

truck.

(He kneels beside

Rosasharn. Gently)

Don't fret, honey. You goin' to be

awright.

ROSASHARN:

(uncovering her face)

Tom, I jus' don't feel like nothin'

a tall. Without him I jus' don't

wanta live.

TOM:

Maybe he'll be back. We'll leave

word for him. Jus' don't cry.

(He pats her awkwardly)

The scene dissolves to HOOVERVILLE, at night. The jalopies

are lumbering up on the road, one after the other, as the

migrants scatter before the threatened invasion.

IN THE JOAD TRUCK, Tom is helping Rosasharn into the front

seat, beside Ma. The others are aboard except Al. Tom hands

Al a wrench.

TOM:

Just in case. Sit up back an' if

anybody tries to climb up--let 'im

have it.

PA:

(from truck)

I ain't got nothin' in *my* han'.

TOM:

(to Al)

Give 'im a fryin' pan.

(He gets into the

driver's seat and

starts the truck)

In the FRONT SEAT of the truck, Tom drives, Ma sits in the

middle, Rosasharn on the other side.

ROSASHARN:

(hopefully)

Maybe Connie went to get some books

to study up with. He's gonna be a

radio expert, ya know. Maybe he

figgered to suprise us.

MA:

Maybe that's jus' what he done.

TOM:

Ma, they comes a time when a man

gets mad.

MA:

Tom--you tol' me--you promised you

wasn't like that. You promised me.

TOM:

I know, Ma. I'm a tryin'. If it was

the law they was workin' with, we

could take it. But it *ain't* the

law. They're workin' away at our

spirits. They're tryin' to make us

cringe an' crawl. They're workin' on

our decency.

MA:

You promised, Tommy.

TOM:

I'm a-tryin', Ma. Honest I am.

MA:

You gotta keep clear, Tom. The

fambly's breakin' up. You *got* to

keep clear.

TOM:

What's that--detour?

As he slows down the truck, we see that half of the ROAD is

blocked with boards and red lanterns. a group of men swarm

around the Joad truck as it stops. A leader leans in Tom's

window.

LEADER:

Where you think you're goin'?

In the FRONT SEAT of the truck Tom's hand reaches for the

jack-handle on the seat at his side but Ma's hand clutches

his arm in a steel grip.

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