The Preacher's Wife Page #6

I can take Jeremiah shopping.

I'm an excellent gift consultant.

Yes, Dudley.

I want Dudley.

Wait a minute.

I wanted to take him shopping.

You two have more important

things to talk about.

- Dud-ley! Dud-ley! Dud-ley!

- Jeremiah.

We'll be right across the street

at the toy store. Okay?

- Julia! Julia!

- Dud-ley!

- Jere-miah! Put your hat on.

- Dud-ley! Dud-ley!

- So, who are we shopping for?

- Grandma.

- Any idea what she wants?

- A new ashtray.

- Mom took all her old ones.

- Let's get something for Hakim.

So, what happened?

Julia.

L...

I've decided to accept

Joe Hamilton's offer.

Julia, did you hear me?

- I heard you. I just can't

believe what I've heard.

- Then let me explain.

Excuse me.

Can I get you anything?

Oh, no, no, no.

No, thank you.

Okay.

Listen, Saul was there,

Mary Halford, Andy and Osbert.

But what were they doing there?

Every one of them was begging me,

arguing with me, blackmailing me.

- Blackmail!

- They're gonna put in

a new boiler tomorrow.

- Henry, he bought you for a boiler?

- Shh. Julia.

[Diners Murmuring]

Sorry. Sorry. Excuse us.

Of course not!

- Oooooh...

- Julia, let me show you something.

Julia, Julia...

he is building the most beautiful church

you've ever seen.

Look at that.

Day care center, youth center.

Henry, he is building

a shrine to himself!

Eight years, Julia.

And what do I have to show for it?

So you give up our lives

without even talking to me, Henry?

This solves all of our problems, Julia.

Why can't you see that?

My father trusted you with St. Matt's.

How dare you walk out on it like this!

All right, all right.

Your father was a saint, and I'm not!

But I'm here, Julia, and he isn't.

I'm sorry, Julia.

Give me the car keys, Henry!

Julia!

- Julia, please sit down.

- Give me the keys, Henry.

Would you kindly give her the keys?

I have customers sitting here.

Sorry. Sorry.

Julia, please listen to me.

Henry, I can't.

I don't even know who you are anymore.

Julia.

Come on, Jeremiah.

We're leaving.

I got Daddy's present.

And I bought a fire engine for Hakim.

It was on sale.

Yes, that's wonderful, honey.

That's wonderful.

[Car Doors Closing]

All right. You're going to have

to support him now, Julia.

You hear me?

Now is when he needs you most.

Mama, I can't support what's wrong.

Preachin' God's word is never wrong,

no matter where you do it from.

He didn't even discuss it with me.

Daddy would have never

made a decision like that

without discussing it with you.

Sure he would. Your Daddy kept

things from me all the time.

Especially church business.

Well, it was different

in those days.

Those days!

Child, men ain't changed since Adam!

And he gave up one of his own ribs,

just so he could have somebody

to keep things from!

You know, gettin'angry

at a dead tree is not gonna help.

Yeah, but it wouldn't look good

to punch out a pastor, either.

No, you don't... you don't...

you don't mean that...

'Cause you know you love him.

Yeah, he knows it, too.

That's the problem.

He knows I'll always be there,

just like a pet.

- Ouch!

- See? God doesn't like ugly.

- Let me see.

- [Whimpering]

You ever had your palm read?

[Chuckles]

Okay.

I see a beautiful woman

with a good heart.

Only has to open her eyes to realize

that everything she ever wanted...

she already has.

You didn't even look at my hand.

But I held it.

Do you see Henry and me?

Hmmm... let's see.

- Ow! Ow! Ow!

- Ohhh.

Oh, it's so hot,

I had to let it go.

You must be talking about my past.

- Mrs. Biggs, you forgot this.

- Thanks.

Every fire dies sometime,

Dudley.

What do you do when you have to decide

if the memory of it is enough?

- What do you do?

- Yeah.

What you do is you... you go dancing,

that's what you do. You go out.

- Dancing?

- Yes.

You're gonna go dancing,

put on a beautiful dress,

make your husband break out the cologne.

- Have you met my husband?

- That's right, I met him.

- He hasn't taken me out in...

- Far too long. That's my point.

But tonight's gonna be different.

Tonight you're gonna strike a match.

No, not a match, a, a firecracker!

You'll see.

[Chuckles]

You take your coat off, you go upstairs

and you take your wife out dancing.

Can't do it.

Not tonight.

Henry, you and Julia need this.

Mr. Kingman needs his minister

with him at the hospital,

and the seniors need blankets.

You're only one man, Henry.

Things don't get fixed

waiting for the next guy to do it.

- Including marriages.

- Dudley!

Henry!

You already told her,

didn't you?

She's upstairs dressing right now...

- and once again

I'm gonna look like the bad guy.

- Not if you go.

- Dudley!

- What? I'm just trying to help you.

You're just trying to help.

All right, you can help...

by taking her.

- Me?

- Yes, you.

- You're missing the point, Henry.

- No, no.

The point is...

Mr. Kingman won't wait.

Now, you go, tell me all about it later.

- [Sighs]

- And you make sure

you tell her I'm sorry.

- [Dudley] Ohh, Henry.

- Good night.

- Henry.

- Not too late.

- Henry.

- And no drinking.

It was not supposed

to go like this.

[Jeremiah]

Good night, Mommy.

[Julia]

Okay, good night.

[Marguerite] Don't worry about us.

I'm gonna give 'em a hot bath...

and then we're gonna play Monopoly...

for real money!

[Jeremiah]

Yea!

[Whispering]

How do I look?

Oh! Oh, my!

Henry?

Henry? Henry?

- Where's Henry?

- He said... He said he's sorry.

- He's sorry?

- Yeah, he had to go.

One of the congregation

is in the hospital. Mr. Kingman.

Oh, yeah.

He's been sick a long time.

I'll call his wife tomorrow.

Look, Julia,

he suggested that I, uh...

pinch-hit for him,

if that's okay with you.

Hmm?

[Doorman]

Welcome to Jazzie's, folks. Come on in.

- Thanks.

- Thank you.

- [People Clapping]

- My brother.

[Chattering, Laughter]

Ahhh!

Nice, huh? Dancing. Do you dance?

I bet you're a good dancer.

It's been a long time.

You want to dance?

Why not?

[Laughs]

- All right.

- Give it a shot.

- Bust a move. Right.

- Bust a move. [Laughs]

It doesn't seem like we're dancing

right for this music, huh?

[Man Laughing]

Get down.

- Oh, yeah. Yeah, I see what you mean.

- [Snapping Fingers]

Yeah.

[Laughs]

[Grunting]

Oh, my.

[Man] Go, brother!

Ooh, hit it!

- [Laughter, Chattering]

- What's he doing?

Mmm!

Ooh.

- What's that one?

- The Popeye.

- The Popeye. Okay.

- [Laughing]

- It's comin' back now.

- I guess.

[Screams]

Whoo! You get out

about as much as I do.

Less! Even less!

[Laughing]

[Dudley]

Oh, there we go!

- [Julia] Oh, you're swimming.

- Yeah, backstroking.

[Laughter Continues]

- Jules!

- Bristloe!

- How you doin', sweet thing?

- Oh, my Lord!

- I thought you were in Paris.

- I was, but I've been back a while.

You and Henry don't

come by here much anymore.

Henry's been real busy.

But it's great to see you!

- You too! How you doin', sweet thing?

- Oh, I'm okay.

Dudley, Bristloe.

Bristloe, Dudley.

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