The Trip to Bountiful Page #2

to jessie mae?

All right,

ludie.

Mama, will you please tell

jessie mae that you're sorry?

Ludie.

Please, mama.

All right,

son.

Jessie mae?

What do you want, ludie?

Mama has something

to say to you.

What is it?

I'm sorry, jessie mae,

I threw the recipe on the floor.

I accept

your apology.

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[ Sighs ]

... at A.M. 79, Houston's kdht.

[ Soft music plays ]

Jessie mae,

I know it's hard and all,

but for your own sake...

I just think sometimes I-if you

try to ignore certain things...

ignore? How can you

ignore something

when it's done

right under your very nose?

Look, jessie mae...

no, I know her, ludie.

She does things

just to aggravate me.

Well,

I hope she's happy now.

She's aggravated me.

Now,

you take her hymn singing.

She never starts

until I come into her room.

And her pouting... well,

some days she'll go a whole day

just sitting

and staring out the window.

How would you like

to spend 24 hours a day

shut up with a woman

who either sang hymns

or looked out the window

with pouting?

I'm not saying it's easy,

jessie mae.

I'm only saying...

she just keeps me so nervous.

Never knowing when I leave

whether she's gonna try to

run off to that old town or not.

She's not

gonna run off again, jessie mae.

She promised me

she wouldn't.

Sometimes,

I think she hides that check.

Tell you right now.

If that check's not here

by tomorrow morning,

I'm gonna search this house

from top to bottom.

Rosella asked me

if I realized

it would be 15 years this

Christmas since we were married.

Said I hadn't realized it.

Had you?

No.

I never will forget

the night I came home

and told rosella

you had proposed.

[ Both chuckle ]

I thought you were

the handsomest man alive.

I thought you...

Were the prettiest girl.

[ Chuckles ]

Did you,

ludie?

Oh, jessie mae.

I just got to start making

some more money.

Thinking of asking

for a raise.

I'll walk

into Mr. Douglas' office

first thing

in the morning.

I'm gonna say,

"Mr. Douglas,

"I've got to have a raise

starting as of now.

We can't live

on what you're paying us. "

Well, I would.

I don't understand it,

jessie mae.

I try

not to be bitter.

I try.

Mm-hmm.

All I know is that a man works

eight years with the company,

save a little money,

he gets sick

and has to spend two years

in the bed

watching his savings

all go

and then start all over again

with a new company.

Of course, the doctor said

I shouldn't worry about it,

said I... Take things

like they come... Every day.

What's this book?

I bought it from a drug store

coming home from the office.

"How to become

an executive. "

Mm.

My boss likes me.

Billy Davidson told me today

he was positive he did.

Mm.

You feeling sleepy now?

Mm-hmm. You?

Yeah.

I am.

Good night.

[ Soft music playing ]

[ Door creaks ]

[ Music stops ]

Mama?

Mrs. Watts:

I'm all right, ludie.

I'm just

still not sleepy.

Good night.

Ludie,

please, son.

I want

to go home.

Mama, you know

I can't make a living there.

We have to live

in Houston.

Ludie,

I can't stay here no longer.

I want

to go home.

I beg you

not to ask me that again.

There's nothing I can do

about it.

[ Dog barking ]

[ Water running ]

Ludie.

Ludie!

[ Water shuts off ]

It's 8:
15.

Ludie:
You have 'em?

Softly and tenderly,

Jesus is calling...

Too early for hymn singing!

[ Humming ]

Good morning,

mama.

Morning, son.

I'll have your coffee ready

for you in a minute.

Why don't we have

an early supper tonight? 6:30?

If that's all right

with you... and mama.

After supper, I'll take you both

to the picture show.

[ Gasps ]

Oh, that's fine.

What you want to see,

ludie?

Whatever you want to see,

jessie mae.

[ Sighs ]

I think I'll phone the beauty

parlor for an appointment.

Ooh,

I hope I can still get one.

I want

to get in early.

Mr. Douglas is usually in

by 9:
00.

[ Sighs ]

You think

I'm doing the right thing

asking for a raise,

do you?

Sure.

Hello. Rita?

It's jessie mae Watts.

Can I get an appointment

for my hair today?

2:
00?

Nothing earlier?

All right,

I'll see you then.

[ Sighs ]

Wish me luck

on my raise.

Good luck,

ludie.

Bye, mama.

Bye, son!

Now, holler if there's any mail

out there.

No mail, boss!

[ Jazz music playing ]

Can't understand

about that pension check.

Can you?

No, ma'am.

Sure hope

it wasn't lost.

You know,

you're so absent minded,

you don't think you

put it around the room someplace

by mistake

and forgot all about it?

I don't believe so.

You know, you said

you lost that check once before.

Took us five days

to find it.

And I come across it

under this radio.

[ Music stops ]

There's not a thing

like...

You stop

that hymn-singing!

What do you want me to do,

jump right out my skin?

You know what hymns do

to my nerves!

Don't pout.

You know

I can't stand pouting.

I didn't mean to pout,

jessie mae.

[ Door slams ]

Only meant

to be silent.

[ Sighs ]

I can't make up my mind what

movie I want to see tonight.

Well, I guess

I'll just ask rosella.

You know,

when I first came to Houston,

I used to go to

three picture shows in one day.

I'd go

to the Kirby in the morning,

the metropolitan

in the afternoon,

and the majestic

at night.

I guess

I'll just call rosella,

tell her to meet me

at the drug store for a coke.

[ Rotary phone dialing ]

She's not home.

I bet she's

at the drug store right now.

[ Wheels squeaking ]

Would you stop that noise

for a minute?

I'm nervous.

[ Squeaking stops ]

[ Squeaking resumes ]

Ooh!

Mother Watts?

Mother Watts!

I'm all right, jessie mae.

Is it your heart?

No.

It's just

a sinking spell.

[ Sighs ]

Can I get you some water?

Yes,

thank you.

You want me

to call the doctor?

No, ma'am.

You want me to call ludie?

No, ma'am!

Here.

Thank you.

Feeling better now?

Yes, ma'am.

You think you ought to be

getting up so soon?

Sure, ma'am.

I'm... I'm feeling

much better already.

I'll just sit here in the chair

and rest a bit.

All right.

Guess I'll sit over here

and keep you company for awhile.

How you feel now?

Better.

Good.

Those sinking spells always

scare the daylights out of me.

[ Sighs ]

Well, it's your heart.

If you don't want to take

care of it, nobody can make you.

[ Telephone ringing ]

[ Sighs ]

Hello?

Oh, hello, rosella.

You are

at the drug store?

I'd like to,

rosella,

but mother Watts had

one of her sinking spells...

you go on, jessie mae.

I'm gonna be all right.

I mean, there's nothing

you can do for me.

Are you sure?

I'm sure.

All right.

Uh, rosella, mother Watts says

she won't be needing me here,

so... I guess

I will come on over.

I'll see you

in a few minutes.

Now, you sure

you're gonna be all right?

Yes, ma'am.

Then I'll

head on over.

Now, you call me at the drug

store if you need me, you hear?

Yes, ma'am.

[ Door opens ]

I forgot to take any money

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