The Member of the Wedding Page #3

How old were you, Bernice,

when you married your first husband?

13 years old,

and I ain't growed an inch since.

Can marriage really stop your growth?

Marriage don't stop nothing.

You never loved any of your four husbands

but Ludie.

Ludie Maxwell Freeman

was the only husband I loved.

The rest was just scraps.

Did you marry with a veil every time?

Three times with a veil.

If only I just knew where he's gone.

Charles!

Now, quit worrying about that old alley cat.

- He's gone off to hunt a friend.

- Charles!

- To hunt a friend?

- Certainly.

He roamed off to find himself a lady friend.

Well, why don't he bring

his friend home with him?

He ought to know I would be only too glad

to have a whole family of cats.

Well, you done seen the last

of that old alley cat.

I ought to notify the police force.

They will find Charles.

I wouldn't do that.

I want the police force, please.

Police force?

I'm notifying you about my cat.

Cat!

He's lost. He's almost pure Persian.

As Persian as I is!

But with short hair, a lovely color of gray,

with a little white spot at his throat.

And he answers to the name of Charles.

But if he don't answer to that,

he might come if you called, "Charlina. "

What?

Oh, my name is

Miss F. Jasmine Addams.

That gets it. That gets it.

And the address is 124 Grove Street.

Gal, they're coming in here and tie you up

and drag you off to Houghtonville.

Just picture them fat blue police

chasing tomcats up and down alleys, all,

"Come here, Charles, come here, Charlina!"

Merciful heavens!

Oh, shut up!

Trouble with you,

you got no sense of humor no more.

Maybe I'd be better off in jail.

Sit down, Frankie. You make me nervous.

I bet Janice and Jarvis

are almost to Winter Hill by now.

- Did you hear what Jarvis said?

- No. What?

They were talking about whether to vote

for C.P. MacDonald.

And Jarvis said,

"Why, I wouldn't vote for that scoundrel

"if he were running to be dog catcher. "

Why, I never heard anything

so witty in my life.

And you know what Janice remarked

when Jarvis mentioned

about how much I'd grown?

She said she didn't think I looked

so terribly big.

She said she got the major portion

of her growth before she was 13.

She said I was the right height,

and had acting talent,

and ought to go to Hollywood.

She did, Bernice.

Okay, all right. She did.

She said I was a lovely size

and I probably wouldn't grow any taller.

She said, anyway,

all fashion models and movie stars...

She did not, she did not.

I heard her from the window.

She only remarked

you had probably reached your growth.

But she didn't go on and on like that,

or mention anything about Hollywood.

- She said to you...

- She said to me...

That's a serious fault, Frankie.

Somebody just chance

to make a loose remark,

you've cozen in that mind of yours

till nobody would recognize it.

Like the time your Aunt Pat

mentioned you had sweet manners.

The next thing I know,

you was going all around bragging

how you had the finest manners in town,

you ought to go to Hollywood.

That's a serious fault.

Quit preaching at me!

I'm not preaching at you.

It's the solemn truth, and you know it.

- Well, I admit it.

- Well?

A little.

What I need to know is this.

Do you think I made a good impression?

- Impression?

- Yes?

Well, how would I know?

Well, I mean, how did I act? What did I do?

You didn't do nothing to speak of.

Nothing?

No, you just stood there. Watched the pair

of them like they were ghosts.

And when they start talking

about that wedding,

them ears of yours stiffened out

the size of cabbage leaves.

- They didn't!

- They did.

Someday you're going to find

that big fat tongue of yours

pulled out by the roots

and laying there before you on the table!

Oh, quit talking so rude.

I'm so scared

I didn't make a good impression.

Oh, come, sugar,

Bernice didn't mean it that way.

They were so pretty.

They must have such a good time,

and they went away and left me.

Frankie, I want you to sit up

and behave yourself.

They came and went away

and left me with this feeling!

I bet I know something.

Frankie's got a crush.

Frankie's got a crush.

Frankie's got a crush on the wedding.

- Quit it!

- Frankie's got a crush.

- Frankie's got a crush.

- You better quit!

Put that knife down.

- Make me.

- Put it down, devil.

Well, throw it.

I'm the best knife thrower in this town.

Say whatever contest, I would win.

Frances Addams, you're going to try

that stunt once too often.

Warned you to stop picking at me.

You just ain't fit to live in a house.

Won't be living in this one much longer.

I'm gonna run away from home!

Good riddance to a big old bag of rubbish.

You wait and see. I'm leaving town.

Where do you think you're going?

I don't know.

You're going crazy,

that's where you're going.

No.

This coming Sunday, after the wedding,

I'm leaving town.

And I swear by my two eyes

I'm never coming back here anymore.

- Sugar, you're serious?

- Of course.

Do you think I would stand here

and swear that swear and tell a story?

Sometimes, Bernice,

I think it takes you longer to realize

a fact than it does anybody who ever lived.

But you say you don't know

where you're going.

You're going, but you don't know where.

And that don't make sense to me.

Well, I feel just exactly

like somebody's peeled all the skin off me.

I wish I had some good

cold peach ice cream.

But every word I told you

was the solemn truth.

I'm leaving here after the wedding.

Oh, hello, T.T. And Honey.

I didn't hear you coming.

Hello.

What's the matter?

Your foster-brother, Honey,

got into a ruckus again.

Standing on the sidewalk

in front of Sam's Caf,

and the police cracked him on the head.

What?

Why, it's a welt the size of a small egg!

Times like this I feel like

I've got to bust loose or die.

What was you doing?

Nothing.

I was just passing down the street

and minding my own business,

when this drunk soldier came out of Sam's

and bumped into me.

I looked at him and he gave me a push.

I pushed him back and he started a ruckus.

Then this M.P. Came up

and slammed me with his stick.

It was just one of those accidents.

Could have happened to anybody.

Toot some of your horn, Honey.

Now, don't bother my horn, Butch.

Told you not to touch my horn!

Look at it!

You got it full of slobber inside and out.

- It's ruined!

- Now don't touch that little boy,

or I'll stomp your brains out!

John Henry knows when he needs

a good shake. Don't you, Butch?

Now, you run on home, candy.

It's way past your supper time.

John Henry, which hand is the money in?

You can keep it if you can guess right.

I won. Much obliged.

That sure is a cute suit you got on, Honey.

Yesterday I heard somebody speak

about you as Lightfoot Brown.

I think that's a grand nickname.

It's on account of your going to Harlem,

and all the different places

where you've run away. Lightfoot.

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