The Miniver Story Page #2

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"God bless you."

Very soon now, I return to

you and to my dear wife

and children.

Don't worry, darling.

Not tonight.

And so to all of you,

to all the people and armies

of liberation,

on behalf of all Europe,

tonight, I say...

Wait a minute!

Wait a minute!

Won't you say

something, Colonel?

Please?

Well, this isn't

quite my line.

You go ahead.

Oh, no.

Come on, Spike.

Do it. It would be nice.

OK.

Thanks, pal.

American...

here.

I guess some of us

will be leaving soon.

So, maybe I'd better make

this goodbye.

When we first came

to England,

we weren't too keen

about the idea.

"It's murder,"

they told us.

"Rains all day, and the folks

keep themselves to themselves."

Well, it rained.

They were right there.

We've had bad times

and good times.

We've had an awful lot

of war together.

So long, England.

Thanks for everything.

And have yourselves

a good rest.

For he's a jolly good fellow

He's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good fellow

And so say all of us.

'It was a beautiful summer,

'that first summer of peace.

'England had a new kind

of government,

'the world had a new kind

of a bomb,

'and the weather was perfect

day after day.

'It was as if God were saying,

' "This is what life could be like

if only you'd let it."

'It was still a beautiful summer

when I said goodbye to Europe.

'The weather was perfect.

'Two hours later, we were home.

'I was the last of the family

to come home.

'Judy had just returned

from Cairo,

'Toby, from America.

'At long last, the four of us

were home.

'And I was looking forward to

a holiday of rest and happiness

'with Kay and the children.'

How long has this

been going on?

About 12 months.

About 12 months?

There's one up

in Toby's room, too.

Is that so?

And another

in the kitchen,

but that's over the sink,

so that doesn't matter.

Nothing matters.

You're home.

It's about time.

Yes.

Listen to that, Dad!

Mary Lou gave me

a dozen records

the day I left

the States.

Let's get this

coat off.

Who's Mary Lou?

My girl!

She's super!

Super?

Yes! She cuts about

the meanest rug

in Morgan Falls.

Oh, she does?

Yeah, we were going steady

until peace came

and wrecked everything.

Mary Lou's 10.

Oh, she'll be 11

in March.

Well, that's different.

Sorry, Dad.

That's mine.

What is it?

Baseball.

No, no, not like that.

Let me show you.

Batter up!

What?

Batter up!

Home run!

Home run?

Yeah!

All right,

I'll answer it.

It's for me.

It's for me.

Hello, Steve.

I'm sorry.

I can't hear.

Who?

Oh, it's you.

Toby. Teddy Fathergill.

Excuse me, Dad.

She was easier to understand

when she was younger.

So were you.

Hiya, Teddy.

Yes, we just brought

Dad home.

No, I can't make it

tonight.

I told you.

My father.

Back from the war

and all that.

I have to stand by

and look happy.

OK, bye, Teddy.

Who is, um...

Who's Teddy?

He's a friend of mine.

Teddy Fathergill.

He's English, of course.

Ah, that's too bad.

Say, Dad. You look

kind of lost.

Why don't you give

the body a break

and go dunk yourself

in the drink?

Uh...drink?

I mean, take a nice

plunge in the dipper

and have yourself

a rubdown.

Well, thank you, Toby.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

I say, Dad! Will you get

a load of that horn!

Batter...

Batter up.

Everything all right,

darling?

Fine, fine. I'm about to dunk

myself in the drink,

get a load of a rubdown,

and have myself a fine dip

in the plunger.

I may also cut a few

carpets if I have time.

Oh, and by the way,

I just made a home run.

Dee dee da something

something something something

Goes in there

Then the lights go on

again...

Come in.

Feeling better?

I feel fine, wonderful,

magnificent. Don't I look it?

You look sweet.

Thank you.

So do you.

Come here

a minute.

Gosh, that's

frightening.

What is?

You...grown up.

And really quite

lovely, if I may

say so.

You may say so.

Oh, it's wonderful to have

you back again!

It's good to be back.

Believe me.

Hand me my socks

there, will you?

Well, young lady,

how's everything?

How many hearts have

you broken already?

I don't know why

it's a shock

to discover you have

a beautiful daughter,

but it is.

You know, when you

were, oh,

six months old,

you were the ugliest

thing I've ever seen

in my life.

Yes, you were.

You took after me

then.

Whereas now you

take after your mother.

Ah, yes, you do.

I can see we're going

to have a lot of trouble

with you.

Father?

Can we talk?

Just for a minute.

Seriously, I mean.

Alone.

Oh, well, I think that

might be arranged.

I'm afraid I'm going

to shock you again,

and this time, I don't

think you'll like it.

I want you to know

right away.

There's no secret

about it.

Mother knows,

but I'd rather you

heard it from me.

Father, you know

Steve Brunswick,

don't you?

Well, I...I don't

know him.

I've heard of him,

of course. Why?

I'm in love

with him.

He's a little old

for you, isn't he, darling?

38, but that

doesn't matter.

I mean, if that

was all...

He understands me,

and I think I

understand him.

Is that so difficult?

Yes, it is, rather.

We met in Cairo

at the end of the war.

He's home now.

We've seen each other

several times.

Is he in love

with you?

I don't know yet.

I think so.

I hope so.

Well, then, everything

seems to be

more or less satisfactory,

as far as it goes.

No, it isn't.

You see, he's married.

He has been for 12 years.

His wife is Pamela Lyndon,

you know, the pianist.

She's awfully nice,

I believe.

They used to have

dreadful rows,

but that was Steve's fault.

At least, he said so.

It's probably true.

And then he met me.

We have rows, too,

but I don't mind it.

He's like that,

you know, temperamental.

I love him so terribly.

I-I thought it was

just the war,

and I'd get over it,

but it wasn't and I...

I haven't.

And now, it's worse

than ever.

And I...

Thanks.

I suppose I should

tell you

all the wise and sensible

things a father's supposed

to have up his sleeve

for these occasions,

but I'm not sure

that I know them.

And I'm not so sure

they'd help very much.

Would they, huh?

I'm awfully sorry.

Food!

Life's quite a business,

isn't it, then?

Uh...all right?

Very nice, darling.

A little tight

around the middle.

I seem

to have grown.

You know this is

the first time

we've all been together

since 1940?

Yes, it is.

Why, it's quite

an occasion, isn't it?

Shall I make a speech?

No? Well, all right,

all right.

All together, huh?

Sorry, darling, what

were you going to say?

Nothing. This soup,

good stuff.

You haven't lost

your touch.

Bits and pieces

from yesterday.

Rather appropriate.

Dad?

Huh?

Have you got

any souvenirs?

What of exactly,

Toby?

You know, Europe.

Scars of battle.

Mary Lou's father

was on Guadalcanal.

Killed four Japs

in 20 minutes.

Brought home a Samurai sword

he stripped off one

of the corpses.

Toby!

That's the kind they use

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