The Trip to Bountiful Page #3

Clute, and Velasco:

Mother Watts, I'm home.

Lady? Lady, it's your turn.

Yes, excuse me.

I would like a ticket to Bountiful, please.

- Where?

- To Bountiful.

- What's it near?

- It's between Harrison and Cotton.

- Lady?

- Yes, sir.

I can sell you a ticket

to Harrison or to Cotton.

But there's no Bountiful.

Yes, there is.

It's between Harrison and Cotton.

I'm sorry, lady.

You say there is, but the book

says there isn't. And the book don't lie.

Well. But I'm...

Make up your mind, lady.

Cotton or Harrison?

There are other people waiting.

Well, let me see.

- How much is the ticket to Harrison?

- $3.50.

- Cotton?

- $4.20.

Yes. Well, give me

a ticket to Harrison, please.

All right.

- That'll be $3.50, please.

- Yes, sir.

Could you cash a pension check?

I came at the last minute

and couldn't go by the grocery store.

I can't cash any checks.

It's perfectly good. It is a government check.

I'm sorry.

It's against the rules to cash checks.

Is that so?

Well, I can understand that. A rule is a rule.

- Now, how much was that again?

- $3.50.

$3.50.

Just a minute. It is all in here.

Nickels and dimes and quarters.

There. Now, I believe that is $3.50.

- Thank you.

- That's quite all right.

Sorry to have taken up

so much of your time.

Here, lady. Don't forget your ticket.

Oh, good heavens!

I'd forget my head if it wasn't on my neck.

Taylor. Two, please.

The Beaumont express bus will be

delayed by 30 minutes:

- Good afternoon.

- Good afternoon.

Would you watch this suitcase for me?

I'll be right back.

Yes, ma'am.

- This seat taken?

- No, ma'am.

Kind of warm, isn't it,

when you're running around?

Yes, ma'am.

I had to get myself ready

in the biggest kind of a hurry...

and I'm trying to get to a town

nobody here has heard of.

- What town is that?

- Bountiful.

- Did you ever hear of it?

- No.

Yeah, that's what I mean.

Nobody's heard of it.

Not much of a town left, I guess.

I haven't seen it myself in almost 20 years.

It used to be quite prosperous.

But all they had left was a post office...

and a filling station and a general store,

at least when I left it.

- Do your people live there?

- No. My people are all dead.

Except for my son and his wife, Jessie Mae.

They live here in the city.

No, I'm hurrying to go

see Bountiful before I die.

I had a sinking spell this morning...

I had to get down on the bed and rest.

It was my heart.

- Do you have a bad heart?

- Well, it's not what you call a good one.

Doctor says it'll last me...

as long as I need it

if I could just cut out worrying.

But I can't seem to do that lately.

Could you keep your eye

on that suitcase again?

Of course.

Lady, is there something wrong?

No, honey, I'm just a little nervous.

That's all.

Say a prayer for me, honey.

- Good luck.

- Good luck to you.

Ludie, she always tries to go by train.

But, no, we wait at one railroad station

for five minutes...

and because she isn't there right then,

you drag me on over here.

We've always found her there.

Why, she won't believe them at the depot...

when they tell her

there isn't a train to Bountiful.

She says there is...

and you watch, as far as she's concerned,

that is how it'll have to be.

I think we ought to just turn

this whole thing over to the police.

- That would scare her once and for all.

- We are not gonna call any police.

It's $1.63 and there's no tax...

Did a lady come here to buy a ticket

to a town named Bountiful?

Not since I've been on duty.

- How long have you been on duty?

- About 15 minutes.

Sorry.

Excuse me. Do you have a match?

My lighter is out of fluid.

Oh, thank you.

I hope you're lucky enough

not to have to fool around with any in-laws.

I've got a mother-in-law

about to drive me crazy.

She's always trying to run off

to this place called Bountiful.

Of course, there has not been a train

to that old town in l-don't-know when.

But you try and tell her that, and she just

looks at you like you're making it up.

But I was too trusting today.

I gave her every chance

in the world to get away.

People ask me

why I don't have any children.

I say I've got Ludie and Mother Watts.

That's all the children I need.

What did you bring me? I've seen that one.

I think we are wasting our time sitting here.

You want to go to the other train station?

I don't care what you do. It is your mother.

Would you like this? I never read them...

and my wife has already seen it.

Thank you.

Is this...

Hi. Just by any chance did you see

a woman about...

- Sorry.

- Thank you.

Excuse me, miss.

Miss, I just found this handkerchief there

and it belongs, I think, to my mother.

She has a serious heart condition and it

might be real serious for her to be alone.

I don't think she has money,

and I'd like to find her.

Do you remember having seen her? She'd be

on her way to a town called Bountiful.

Yes, I did see her. She was here

talking to me. She left all of a sudden.

Well, thank you so much.

I was right. She was here.

That lady there saw her.

- We're not gonna wait.

- That lady there was talking with her.

We are not going to wait.

I talked it all over with the police.

- You didn't really call them?

- I did...

and they said in their opinion she's just

trying to get our attention this way...

and that we should just go home

and pay her no mind at all.

They say such things are very common

among young people and old people...

and they're positive...

if we just go home and show her

that we don't care...

if she goes or stays,

she'll return of her own free will.

We are going to do

what the police tell us to.

Now, Ludie,

I wish you'd think of me for a change.

I am not gonna spend the rest of my life

running after your mother.

All right, Jessie Mae.

Come on. Let's go.

- Come on.

- All right.

But if Mama isn't home in an hour,

I'm going after her.

All right.

The bus for Brazoria is now ready

for departure:

Passengers for Harrison, Cotton, Old Gulf: : :

And Corpus Christi will change at Gerard:

- Is this one yours?

- Yes.

- I'll get it.

- Thank you, sir.

- How long a wait do we have?

- I'd say about an hour.

- Mercy.

- Well, it can't be helped.

Oh, no, sir, I know.

I know it can't be helped.

Well, we have to take what comes.

- Do you have far to go?

- Right far. Corpus.

You know what Corpus Christi

means in Spanish?

- Why, no, I don't.

- The body of Christ.

Oh? That so?

I never heard that, did you?

No, I sure hadn't.

The body of Christ. Is that right?

Isn't that right?

You know that I don't understand English:

I see it coming!

Oh, my. Yes.

I sure am glad to see it.

- The bus is nice to ride, isn't it?

- Yes, it is.

Excuse me for getting personal...

but what is a pretty girl like you

doing traveling alone?

My husband's just been sent overseas.

I'm going to stay with my family.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear.

You just say the 91st Psalm

over and over to yourself.

It will be a bower of strength

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