The Miracle of Morgan's Creek Page #5

It's not only not impossible,

but even totally...

Trudy, will you marry me?

Norval, this is so sudden!

- Trudy!

- Norval!

Are you all right?

- What happened this time?

- Nothing, Papa.

- Norval just took a little fall.

- Come on, Papa.

Don't tear the house down. It ain't paid for.

- She knows that, you tell her twice a day!

- Twice today ain't enough.

- I'm sorry I was so clumsy.

- That's all right.

- Are you comfortable?

- Fine, thanks.

Say, did I just propose to you or something?

- Yes, you did, Norval.

- How did I come out?

- It was so sudden.

- So sudden?

What do you mean it was so sudden?

How can anything be sudden that's gone on

since you were little kids together?

Almost since I can remember.

I can tell you what dress you wore

at the first Fourth of July party...

and you weren't hardly any bigger

than the firecrackers.

Then you remember the church lawn party

when you sat in the apple butter...

and they blamed me for it?

Then later, at high school,

when I took all kinds of subjects...

I didn't give a hoot about,

it was just to be near you, Trudy.

The cooking wasn't so bad, but the sewing!

And then the older I got, the uglier I got.

When I was a kid they said,

"He'll grow out of it."

But I guess a face like mine,

you just can't grow out of so easy.

It's like it's cast in iron.

So I really didn't blame you...

when you began looking at

the personality kids with the Greek profiles...

and the curly haircuts.

- I did not!

- I didn't blame you.

I even bought a thing once for my nose

but it kept me awake nights...

except once when I almost smothered.

It was only for you.

It's always been for you

and nobody but you.

That's what I went into the bank for,

to get rich and to buy you things someday.

Anything your heart desired.

And then it began to look as if everything

I ever hoped for wasn't going to be.

You had less and less time for me...

and then not having a uniform and all.

But now, Trudy, now that everything

in the world is right here beside me...

everything I've ever dreamed of, to have

and to hold, to cherish and to protect...

- how can you say it's so sudden?

- Norval!

- Why, Trudy, what's the matter?

- I can't do it to you, Norval!

Trudy, if I've said anything

to hurt your feelings...

- I wouldn't hurt your feelings.

- I can't do it, Norval!

You can't do what to me, Trudy?

What have you done to my daughter now?

- Papa! Please, the neighbors!

- What have you done to her?

- Papa, please. It wasn't his fault!

- Then what are you crying about?

- I can cry if I want to!

- I'm gonna give you one more chance!

Papa, please!

Papa, can't you learn to be

a little more refined?

Refined?

- How do you feel?

- How do you feel?

- It doesn't matter about me.

- Thank you, Norval.

What made you cry?

I'm sorry.

Was it the thought of marrying me?

Yes, but not the way you think.

I'm in terrible trouble, Norval...

and somehow I just naturally turned to you.

Like you said that night, you remember?

You almost wished I'd be in terrible trouble

so you could help me out of it?

- That's right.

- You certainly got your wish.

I don't suppose

you'd want to help me out again.

I mean, the idea might not

appeal to you entirely.

- Where's the party tonight?

- What?

No.

That party I went to was enough of a party

for me for quite a while.

That was kind of a party to end all parties,

if you get what I mean.

Trudy, you said

you had such a wonderful time.

I did, in a way, but some kind of fun

lasts longer than others...

- if you get what I mean.

- I'm not sure that I do, Trudy.

Maybe I can find a better way

to explain it to you.

Maybe you can.

When you asked me to marry you, Norval,

did you really mean it?

Of course I did.

Could you think of any reason

why you wouldn't want to marry me?

What would I do with such a reason?

I do want to marry you.

I can't do it to you, Norval!

Now we're right back where we started.

- Norval, can you keep a secret?

- Of course I can.

Cross your heart and hope to die,

boil in oil and stew in lye?

- Cross my heart and hope to die.

- Boil in oil and stew in lye?

- Sure.

- I'm married.

You're married. You're what?

- Norval! Don't get so excited!

- But, Trudy, you said...

Excuse me.

I thought for a minute there

you said you were married.

- I did say I was married.

- You did say you were married!

Trudy, you... The spots!

...said you were married!

- It happened that night.

- It happened that night?

- You mean the night you were out with me?

- That's right.

Trudy, that's the terriblest thing I ever...

How could you do... The spots!

...to me, Trudy?

- That isn't even the worst of it.

- That isn't even the worst?

That isn't even...

What could be worse than that?

You're going to make me cry.

Go ahead, cry. Cry all you like, see if I care!

The spots!

- Who did you marry?

- I don't know.

You don't know!

What do you mean, you don't know?

That's the most ridiculous statement

I ever...

It has a "Z" in it.

His name had a "Z" in it, I think.

I don't know.

I've thought so much about it...

and the more I think about it,

the less I can remember.

Don't tell me to find the name on the

marriage license because I haven't got any.

And don't ask me if I'm sure I'm married,

because I am sure.

How can you be sure if there's no name

on the record?

How can you possibly be...

Trudy, you don't mean...

- That's right.

- The spots!

That's terrible! I feel terrible.

- How do you suppose I feel?

- That's the terriblest thing I ever...

What's your father going to say

when he finds out? You can't...

You haven't any husband...

I mean, any proof. Who's he going...

- The spots!

- I can almost see them myself.

- How can you...

- Norval, take it easy.

- I'm the last person, I tried.

- Norval, try to focus.

- You better take me home, Norval.

- Focus.

- No, home.

- Hocus.

Hey.

Just a minute.

Now, what was all that clowning around

on the front porch?

Don't you know there are times

when a woman doesn't care to talk?

A woman doesn't care to talk?

Only time a woman doesn't care to talk

is when she's dead.

- Where do you get that woman stuff?

- Or to be questioned?

Or be what?

Papa, don't!

- What happened?

- Nothing.

Just Papa pulling his usual stuff.

No, I mean with Norval.

I couldn't do it to him, Emmy.

He was so sweet, honey.

He said he loved me ever since I wasn't

any bigger than a fire hydrant or something.

How he didn't blame me for not loving him

because he was so homely in the face...

and how he went to cooking class

and sewing class...

just to be near me, Emmy.

But he's perfect.

He could do all the housework.

I couldn't do it to him, Emmy.

Why don't you give yourself up?

- You ought to have your brains counted.

- I couldn't do it to him.

We'll have to find something else.

Where are you going to find

another clunk like that one?

There's nothing says you got to have

a husband on a happy day.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes