The Trip to Bountiful Page #7

it would.

You know who you look like

standing there, ludie?

Who?

My papa.

Do I?

Just like him.

Course, I've been noticing

as you grow older

that you're looking more

and more like him.

My papa

was a good-looking man, ludie.

Was he?

You've seen his picture.

Didn't you think so?

I don't remember.

Been a long time

since I looked at his picture.

Well, he was always considered

a very nice-looking man.

Do you remember my papa

at all, son?

No, ma'am.

Not too well.

I was only 10

when he died, mama.

I remember

the day he died.

I heard about it as

I was coming home from school.

Lee Williams told me.

I thought he was joking.

I called him a liar.

I remember...

You taking me

into the parlor there

on the day of the funeral

so I could say goodbye to him.

I remember the coffin,

people sitting in the room,

old man Joe Williams

took me up on to his knee

and he told me

grandpapa was his best friend

and that his life was

a real example for me to follow.

I remember grandmama

sitting by the coffin crying.

She made me promise

that when I had a son of my own,

I'd name him

after grandpapa.

And I would have,

too.

I've never forgotten

that promise.

Well...

I didn't have a son.

Or a daughter.

Billy Davidson

told me

that his wife

is expecting their fourth child.

They have two girls

and a boy now,

and Billy Davidson... he doesn't

make much more than I do.

And they certainly seem

to get along.

Own their own home

and have a car.

Does your heart good

to hear them tell about

how they all get along.

Everybody has their own job,

even the youngest child.

She's only 3.

She puts the napkins

around the table at meal time.

That's her job.

Billy said to me,

"ludie, I don't know

how I'd keep going

without my kids. "

He said,

"I don't understand.

"What keeps you going,

ludie?

What you work for?"

I said, "well...

[Chuckles] Billy... "

[ Voice breaking ]

Oh, mama...

I haven't made any kind of life

for you... either one of you.

And I try so hard.

I try so hard.

Mama,

I lied to you.

I do remember.

I remember so much.

[ Sighs ]

This house...

The life here.

The night you woke me up

and dressed me

and took me for a walk

and there was a full moon

and I was crying because I was

afraid and... You comforted me.

I want to stop remembering,

mama.

Doesn't do any good

to remember.

[ Car horn honks ]

We have to go now,

mama.

Jessie mae is nervous

I might lose my job.

Ludie,

what happened to us?

Why have we come

to this?

I don't know,

mama.

To have stayed

and fought the land

would have been better

than this.

Yes, ma'am.

Pretty soon,

it will all be gone.

10 years,

20 years.

This house,

me, you.

I know, mama.

But the river

will be here,

the fields, the woods,

the smells of the Gulf.

That's what I always

took my strength from, ludie.

Not from houses,

not from people.

It's so quiet here.

So eternally quiet.

I have forgotten the peace,

the quiet.

Ludie,

do you remember

how my papa always had that

field there planted with cotton?

Yes, ma'am.

See?

It's all woods now.

I expect someday,

people will come again

and cut down the trees

and plant the cotton

and maybe even

wear out the land again.

And then their children

will sell it

and go to the cities and

the trees will come up again.

I expect so,

mama.

We're part of all this,

ludie.

We left it.

But we can never lose

what it's given us.

Jessie mae:
Ludie?

Ludie?

Ludie,

are you coming or not?

We were just starting,

jessie mae.

Hello,

jessie mae.

[ Sighs ]

I am not speaking to you.

I guess you're proud

of the time you gave us,

dragging us all the way out here

this time of the morning.

If ludie loses his job over

this, I hope you're satisfied.

I'm not gonna lose my job,

jessie mae.

Well, you could.

All right, jessie mae.

And she

should realize it.

She's selfish.

That's her trouble.

Just purely selfish.

Now, you tell your mama

what we discussed in the car.

No, we can talk about it

driving back to Houston.

I think we should have it out

right here.

I'd like everything understood

right now.

I got everything written down.

Do you want to read it?

You want me to read it to you,

mother Watts?

What is it,

jessie mae?

It's a few rules

and regulations

that are necessary

for my peace of mind...

And I think to ludie's,

too.

First of all,

I'd like to ask you a question.

Yes, ma'am?

What possessed you

to run away?

Didn't you know you'd be caught

and have to back?

I had to come,

jessie mae.

20 years is a long time.

But what if you had died

from the excitement?

Didn't you know

you could have died?

I knew.

And you didn't care?

I had to come,

jessie mae.

[ Sighs ]

Well, I hope

it is out of your system now.

It is.

[ Sighs ]

I've had my trip,

and it's more than enough

to keep me happy

for the rest of my life.

Well,

glad to hear that.

That was the first thing

on my list.

Number one, there will be

no more running away.

There will be

no more running away.

Good.

Number two, no more hymn singing

when I'm in the apartment.

When I'm gone,

you can sing your lungs out.

Agreed?

Agreed.

Number three...

can't this wait

till we get home, jessie mae?

Honey, we agreed

I'm gonna handle this.

No more pouting.

When I ask a question,

I'd like an answer.

All right.

Number four, with the condition

that your heart is in,

I feel you should not run around

the apartment when you can walk.

All right, jessie mae.

Well,

that's all.

Is there anything

you want to say to me?

No, ma'am.

Well,

I might as well tell you

I'm not staying in that house

and watching over you anymore.

I'm joining

a bridge club.

I'm going to town

at least twice a week.

If you go now,

it'll just be a funeral.

You understand?

I understand.

Well,

all right.

Mama, we also agreed

that we can all try our best

to get along together.

Jessie mae also realizes

that sometimes she gets upset

when she shouldn't.

Don't you, jessie mae?

Mm-hmm.

Ludie:
Let's start by trying

to have a pleasant ride home.

All righty.

[ Bird chirping ]

That's a red bird.

A what?

A red bird.

[ Sighs ]

That's what

I thought you said.

Come on.

Let's get going.

Do we go back

by way of Harrison?

Yeah.

Oh, good.

We can stop

at the drug store.

I am so thirsty,

I could drink 10 Coca-colas.

Are y'all ready?

Yes, ma'am.

Where's your purse?

Oh. I guess

I left it inside.

Where?

Oh, I'll go get it.

No, I want to go.

You'll take all day.

But you wait here.

I don't want to get left alone

in this ramshackley old house.

There's no telling

what's running around in there.

There's nothing around

in there.

Well, there might be some rats

or snakes or something.

I said

there's nothing in there.

Ludie:
Mama.

All right,

ludie.

[ Bird chirping ]

Isn't that scissortail?

Look.

That's a scissortail.

I don't know.

I didn't get to see it

if it was.

They fly so fast.

[ Laughs ]

Here is your purse.

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