The Trip to Bountiful Page #6

The sheriff said

around 7:
30.

Where can I

get me a driver?

Ma'am.

If you

can get me a driver,

I can make it to bountiful

and back way before 7:30.

Look, lady...

that's all I want.

That's all I ask.

Just to see it,

to stand on the porch

of my own house once more.

Lady...

last night,

I thought I had to stay.

I thought I would die

if I couldn't stay.

But I'll settle

for less now.

An hour, half hour,

15 minutes.

Look, look, lady,

it ain't up to me.

I told you... the sheriff.

Then get me the sheriff.

Go get me

the sheriff.

The time is going, sir.

The time is going.

The time is...

Mrs. Watts.

Yes, sir?

Are you the sheriff?

Yes, ma'am.

I understand

my son will be here at 7:30

to take me back

to Houston.

Yes, ma'am.

Please listen to me,

sir.

I've waited a long time

just to get to bountiful.

And I made one promise

to myself,

and that is to see my home again

before I die.

Lady, I don't know anything

about that.

I'm not asking

that I not go back.

I'm willing

to go back.

Only let me travel

these 12 Miles first.

I got money.

I can pay.

Ma'am, I think that's between

you an your son.

Ludie? He has to do what

jessie mae tells him to do.

I know

why she wants me back.

It's for

my government check.

I don't know anything

about that, ma'am.

Won't you let me go?

No. Not unless

your son takes you.

All right.

Then I've lost.

I've come all this way

only to lose.

I kept thinking back there, day

and night in those two rooms.

I kept thinking.

And it may mean

nothing at all to you,

but I kept thinking

if I could just set foot there

for a minute, even a second,

I might get

some understanding of why...

why my life has grown so empty

and meaningless

and why I've turned into a

hateful, quarrelsome old woman.

And before I leave this earth,

I'd like to recover

some of the dignity

and the peace I used to know.

I'm going to die,

and jessie mae knows that.

And she's willful.

And it's her will that I die

in those two rooms.

Well,

she won't have her way.

Because it's my will

to die in bountiful.

I want to go home.

B-b-b-but, Mrs. Watts...

I want to go home.

Roy, Roy,

hurry up now.

Call the doctor.

Roy:
Yes, sir.

No doctor!

No doctor!

Sit, sit,

sit, sit.

Bountiful!

Bountiful! Bountiful!

Shh.

[ Crying ] Bountiful.

How you feeling?

Stronger by the minute,

thank you.

Does this

look familiar?

Yes.

It surely does.

[ Birds chirping ]

Look at bountiful.

There's nothing left.

I'm home.

I'm home.

I'm home.

[ Breathing heavily ]

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll pay you.

Ma'am, you better come over here

and sit down and rest awhile.

Yes, sir.

Don't want to overdo it.

Hope I've done the right thing

in bringing you here.

[ Chuckles ]

I don't see

what harm it can do

as long as you mind the doctor

and don't get overexcited.

Yes, sir.

Yeah.

I'll stay out here

until your son arrives.

Thank you.

You've been very kind.

[ Bird chirping ]

[ Groans ]

Whew.

What kind of bird

was that?

Oh, that's a...

that's an old red bird.

Oh, I thought

it was a red bird.

I mean, I haven't heard one

in so long, I couldn't be sure.

Do they still have scissortails

around here?

Yes, ma'am.

I see them out here

every now and then

when I'm driving

to the country.

Oh, I don't think

here's anything prettier

than a scissortail

flying around the sky.

You know, my father

was a good man in many ways.

A peculiar man,

but a good one.

One of the things

he couldn't stand

was to see a bird

shot on his land.

If the men

came hunting,

he would take a gun

and chase them away.

I think the birds knew

they couldn't be touched here.

Our land was always a home

to them.

Ducks and geese and finches

and bluejays and blue birds

and red birds and wild canaries

and black birds and mockers

and doves

and rice birds.

Rice birds get thicker

every year.

They seem to thrive out here

on the coast.

I guess a mockingbird

is my favorite of them all.

I think it's mine,

too.

I don't know,

though.

I'm mighty partial

to a scissortail.

[ Both laugh ]

I hope

I get to see one soon.

I hope you can.

My father

was born on this land.

And in this house.

Did you know

my father?

No, ma'am.

Not that I can remember.

Hmm.

Well, I guess there

are not very many around here

that remember my father.

I do,

of course.

My son.

Funny.

Ever since I've been here,

I've been half expecting

my mama and my papa

walk out the door

and greet me

and welcome me home.

When you've lived longer

than your house and your family,

you've lived too long.

Maybe it's just me.

Maybe the need to belong to

a house and a family and a town

is gone

from the rest of the world.

What's happened

to the farms?

For the last five Miles,

I've seen nothing but woods.

I know.

Land around bountiful

just played out.

People like you got discouraged

and moved away.

Yeah, but Callie Davis...

she kept her farm going.

Yeah, yeah,

she did.

She learned

how to treat her land right,

and it started paying off

for her toward the end.

Heard she was on her tractor

the day before she died.

Lonely death she had, all by

herself in that big, old house.

There are worse things.

[ Sighs ]

Well, looks to me like

you're gonna have a pretty day.

Oh, I hope so.

Are you feeling

more rested now?

Oh, yes, I am.

All right.

I'm just gonna head back

to the car.

You call me

if you need anything.

Thank you.

You'll never know

what this has meant to me.

[ Birds chirping ]

[ Laughs ]

Ludie:
Mama!

Mama!

Mrs. Watts:
Hello, son.

[ Sighs ]

Hello, mama.

How do you feel?

I'm feeling much better,

ludie.

Yes, ma'am.

I got my wish.

Yes, ma'am.

Hope I didn't worry you

too much, ludie.

But I just felt I had to.

Yes, ma'am.

I understand,

mama.

But it's done now,

so...

[ Sighs ]

Let's forget about it.

All right,

Sonny.

You did bring jessie mae,

didn't you?

Yes, ma'am.

Well, now she's here

and she can get out the car

and come

take a look around.

No, she doesn't seem

to want to, mama.

You asked her?

[ Chuckling ] Yes, ma'am.

Did you ask

about your raise, son?

Yes, ma'am.

Mr. Douglas told me

he liked my work

and he'd be glad

to recommend a raise for me.

Oh.

The sky's so blue,

ludie.

You ever see

the sky so blue?

No, ma'am.

Callie Davis died.

Is that so?

When did that happen?

They don't

rightly know.

They found her dead.

She'd been riding her tractor

just the day before.

They buried her yesterday.

Mama, I should have made myself

bring you here before.

I'm sorry.

But I thought it'd be easier

for both of us

not to see

the house again.

I know, ludie,

but now you're here.

Don't you want to come inside

and take a look around a bit?

I don't think I'd better,

mama.

I don't see any use

in it.

I'd rather remember it

like it was.

[ Laughs ]

Old house has gotten

kind of rundown, hasn't it?

Yes, it has.

I don't think it'll last out

the next Gulf storm.

Doesn't look like

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