The Teahouse of the August Moon Page #3

Oh, here she come now, boss.

Right on dot.

I don't... Listen...

Will you just wait a minute?

Now, wait a minute, will you mind?

Tell her... Miss...

Sakini, will you tell her that there's no room

for anything more on this jeep.

Old lady must take clothes

to show friends, boss...

...because you make her lose face

if people think she only got one dress.

Miss, will you please come back?

Ask her to come back.

There's no room for any more bundles

on this jeep.

No, she not go get bundles, boss,

she go get children.

- Sakini. Sakini.

- What?

Look, these things

are always happening to me.

And I've gotta put a stop to them

someplace.

Daughter not go without children,

and old lady not go without daughter.

And if old lady not go,

mayor of Tobiki be mad with you, boss.

Will you wait just a minute please?

Don't get up on there.

Not on the hood of the...

Just a minute. Son. Son.

Please don't... Son.

Sakini, for Pete's sakes, how does

she expect me to see how to drive?

Oh, old lady got very good eyesight,

boss.

She gonna sit up there

and tell us when to turn.

You'll have to move over here, son,

because I...

Son, will you please stop...?

If you're gonna...

What?

What? What?

- Oh, he... He going to get goat, boss.

- Goat?

- You can't leave goat behind, boss.

- Just a minute!

Hold it, everybody. Now, we're gonna see

who is going to lose face right now.

And we're gonna see because no goat

is going to ride on this jeep.

- Oh, you not like goat, boss?

- No. No. No.

Yes, I like... I mean, I don't know... It's not

a question of whether I like the goat.

It's... I'm just sure that the colonel,

he wouldn't like it.

Oh, well, the children not go

without goat, boss.

- Mother not go without children.

- Yeah.

- Old lady not go without daughter.

- I know, I know.

And if old lady not go:

- Mayor of Tobiki be mad at you.

- Mayor of Tobiki will be mad at you. I know.

- Oh, no, no, please.

- Everyone here, boss.

- Goat unmarried lady goat. No children.

- No, you'll have to get down.

You'll never get it

off the ground, captain.

- Sakini, come on, we gotta get started.

- You get in, boss.

And no one else going, boss.

No one else is going.

- Wait a minute.

- Hey, you got another customer.

- Hey, wait a minute.

- Oh, no.

- Sakini! Wait. Please wait.

- What?

Now, who in the blazes is he?

Who in the blazes is he, boss?

Never see before.

Ask him what he's doing sitting here,

please.

He say he see people

going on a trip, boss.

- He think he like to go along too.

- No, please...

He does? Well, you tell him for me

that he's gotta get off right now.

Come on.

No, no. What?

Oh, he say why you not take him, boss?

- You take goat.

- Oh, no.

He say maybe you think

he not as good as goat.

Tell him for me, Sakini,

that the eyes of Washington are on...

The world is on Washington,

and the eyes of Washington are on me.

Will you just... Folks, please,

I would love to take you.

Folks, if this was my jeep...

...or if this wasn't against regulations,

I'd be only too...

- Captain Fisby.

- Yes, sir.

What do you think you're doing?

Well, it's hard to explain, sir. No, just...

What are they saying?

They say tell fat old man to shut up

so we can get started.

Which one of you men made that noise?

Just a second. Where are you going?

Hey, Captain Fisby. Sakini.

Come back here. You hear me?

No, just a minute please.

Just a minute. Which road?

Just a minute please, just a minute.

What did she say?

Old lady say, boss,

that she want to go to Awasi, boss...

...because she got sister she not see

in 22 half years.

We're on duty, Sakini,

we're not on a tour of the island.

Now, would you please just ask her for me,

which is the road to Tobiki?

- That way.

- This way?

All right, that's all I asked you.

All right. All right.

- Well, so this is Tobiki.

- Tobiki, no. This Awasi, boss.

I distinctly asked this lady

to tell me the way to Tobiki.

Well, old lady make mistake, boss.

Very sorry.

- Well, you know, we can't go...

- Oh, sorry, boss, but she not very smart.

Yeah.

All right, which road?

No, no, don't ask her. I don't trust her.

- All right. What are they saying?

- Children want to go to Yatoda, boss.

I suppose they've got some

cousins that they want to visit there.

No, ocean at Yatoda, boss.

Children never see ocean.

Our orders are to proceed

directly to Tobiki.

Now, which road?

There.

There. Over here, huh?

All right.

- Boss...

- No, don't tell me, this is Yatoda.

- How you know, boss?

- Well, I recognize the ocean.

Where is this? Whose uncle

or cousin lives here?

This Tobiki, boss.

- Sakini!

- I don't believe it.

I don't believe it.

Now, according to plan B...

...my first job here is to

hold a public meeting, Sakini.

You see, I want to make

certain that they understand...

...that I come as their friend.

- Sure.

That we intend to lift the yoke

of oppression from their shoulders.

They'll like that, boss.

That their favorite speech.

What do you mean,

their favorite speech?

When Japanese come,

they say same thing.

- Then take everything.

- No, no, no.

No, you don't understand.

We don't come to take anything from them.

We've come here

to give them something.

That's all right, boss. We not mind.

After eight centuries, we get used to it.

Now when friends come...

...we hide everything quick as dickens.

So I'm go tell people

you make your speech, boss.

So socks up, boss.

Everyone here eager to meet you, boss.

Might as well get started.

- Citizens of...

- Up here, boss.

- They'll see you.

- Thank you.

Citizens of Tobiki...

- Citizens of Tobiki village...

- Sorry, boss.

- Can't begin lecture yet.

- What seems to be the trouble?

- Not good manners, boss.

- Why?

Because people bring you gifts.

You must accept gifts first.

No, Sakini, wait a minute,

you got it all wrong.

I'm here to bring gifts

from my government to them.

No, very rude.

Make people feel poor, boss.

I don't want to do that. Get up, Sakini.

Tell them I'll accept gifts,

but in the name...

...of the United States

occupation forces.

All right?

Here Mr. Hokaida, boss.

He give you very nice gift.

Oh, thank you very, very much.

What is it?

That's a very splendid

cricket cage, boss.

- What do you use a cricket cage for?

- You keep your crickets in there.

No, there isn't. There's no cricket inside.

No, you gotta get

your own cricket, boss.

- No one gonna get for you.

- Oh, I see.

I got it, yeah. Thank you.

Thank him for me.

Tell him I'll keep

my eye open for a cricket.

Yeah. What do you keep a

cricket in a cage for?

So fortune smile on you, boss.

A cricket very good luck.

- Oh, that's nice.

- Boss, here Mr. Omura.

He give you chopstick.

- What did he say?

- He say hope that only food...

...of gods touch your lips.

- No, that's... That's very nice.

That's one of the

nicest things I've heard.

- Boss, Mr. Seiko.

- Yes?

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