The Trip to Bountiful Page #4

and protection to him.

"He that dwelleth in the secret place

of the most High...

"shall abide under the shadow

of the Almighty.

"I will say of my Lord,

He is my refuge and my fortress."

I'm sorry, honey.

That's all right.

I'm just lonesome for him, is all.

You keep him under the Lord's wing

and he'll be safe.

Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry.

I don't know what gets into me.

Nobody needs to be ashamed of crying

'cause we've all dampened a pillow...

sometime or other. I know I have.

- Lf only I could learn not to worry.

- I know, guess we all ask that.

Jessie Mae, my daughter-in-law, don't worry.

"What for?" she says. Well, like I tell her...

that's a fine attitude, if you can cultivate it.

Trouble is, I can't any longer.

It is hard.

I didn't used to worry. When I was a girl, I

was so carefree. I had lots to worry me, too.

Everybody was so poor back in Bountiful,

but we got along.

I said to my papa once

after our third crop failure in a row...

whoever named this place Bountiful?

He said his papa did, because in those days

it was the land of plenty.

You just dropped seeds in the ground

and crops would spring up.

We had cotton and corn and sugar cane.

I think it's the prettiest place I ever heard of.

Jessie Mae says it's the ugliest,

but she only says that to bother me.

And she only saw it once,

and that was on a rainy day, at that.

She says it's nothing but an old swamp.

"That may be," I said...

"but it's a mighty pretty swamp to me."

- Mrs. Watts?

- Yes?

I think I ought to tell you this.

I don't want you to think I'm interfering

in your business but, you see...

your son and daughter-in-law

came in just after you left.

I know. I saw them coming.

That's why I left so fast.

- Your son seemed very concerned.

- Oh, bless his heart.

He found a handkerchief that you dropped.

Mercy. That's right, I did.

He asked me if I'd seen you.

I felt I had to say yes. I wouldn't have said

a thing if he hadn't asked.

Oh, that's all right. I would have done

the same thing in your place.

- Did you talk to Jessie Mae?

- Well, yes, I did.

Isn't she a sight?

I bet she told you I was crazy.

- Well...

- No, don't worry about hurting my feelings.

Poor Jessie Mae thinks everybody is crazy...

if they don't wanna sit in a beauty parlor

all day and drink Coca-Cola.

I think Ludie knows how I feel about getting

back to Bountiful because...

once when we were talking about something

that happened back there in the old days...

he burst out crying...

and so overcome, he had to leave the room.

That's a pretty hymn.

What's the name of that?

Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling:

- Do you like hymns?

- Yes, I do.

So do I.

Jessie Mae says they're going out of style,

but I don't agree.

What's your favorite hymn?

- I don't know.

- The one I was just singing is mine.

I bet I'd sing that a hundred times a day

when Jessie Mae isn't home.

Hymns make Jessie Mae nervous.

Jessie Mae hates me.

I don't know why. She just hates me.

Hate me or not...

I gotta get back and smell that salt air

and work that dirt.

Callie said I could always come back

and visit her, and she meant it, too.

That's who I'm going to see now.

Callie Davis.

The whole first month of my visit

I am going to work in Callie's garden.

I haven't had my hands in dirt for 20 years.

My hands just feel the need of dirt.

- Do you like to work the ground?

- I never have.

Try it sometime! Lt'll do wonders for you.

I bet I'd live to be 100

if I can just get outdoors again.

It was being cooped up in those two rooms

that was killing me.

I used to work that land like a man.

I had to, when Papa died.

And I got two little babies buried there.

Reenie Sue and Douglas.

Diphtheria got Reenie Sue.

I never knew what carried Douglas away.

He was just weak from the start.

I know that Callie has kept up their graves.

If only my heart will hold out till I get there.

Now, where do you go, after Harrison?

Old Gulf.

My family just moved there from Louisiana.

I'll go stay there with them

till my husband comes home again.

Oh, isn't that nice?

Lt'll be funny living at home again.

- How long have you been married?

- A year.

My husband was anxious for me to go.

He said he worried about me being alone.

I'm the only child

and my parents and I are very close.

Isn't that nice?

I so hoped my mother and daddy

would like my husband. And he'd like them.

I needn't have worried.

They hit it off from the very first.

Mother and Daddy say they feel like they've

got two children now, a son and a daughter.

Isn't that nice?

I've heard people say...

that if your son marries, you lose a son.

But if your daughter marries, you get a son.

What's your husband's name?

- Robert.

- That's a nice name.

I think so, but I guess any name he had

I'd think was nice.

I love my husband very much.

Lots of girls I know think I'm silly

about him, but I can't help it.

I wasn't in love with my husband.

Do you believe we are punished

for the things we do wrong?

I sometimes think

that's why I've had all my trouble.

I talked to many a preacher about it,

and all but one said he didn't think so.

But I can't see any other reason.

Of course, I didn't lie to my husband.

I told him I didn't love him.

That I admired him, which I did...

but I didn't love him.

I'd never love anybody...

but Ray John Murray as long as I lived...

and I didn't, and I couldn't help it.

Even when my husband died...

and I moved back with Mama and Papa...

I used to sit on our front gallery

every morning...

and every evening just to nod hello

to Ray John Murray...

when he went by the house

to work at the store.

He went a mile out of his way

to pass the house.

Never loved nobody but me.

- Why didn't you marry him?

- Cause his papa and my papa didn't speak.

And my papa forced me to write a letter

saying I never wanted to see him again.

Then he got drunk

and he married out of spite!

You know, I felt sorry for his wife.

She knew he never loved her.

I don't think about those things now.

But they're all a part of Bountiful.

I think that's why I started thinking

about it again.

You are lucky to be married

to the man you love.

- I know I am.

- Awful lucky.

- You want any help with those bags?

- No, thank you.

- Oh, excuse me.

- Yes?

Is the bus to Old Gulf gonna be on time?

Always is.

- Honey, what time is it?

- It's 10:
00.

10:
00!

I bet Callie will be surprised

to see me walk in at 10:00.

Did you tell her you were coming today?

No, I couldn't, because I didn't know.

I had to wait for Jessie Mae

to go to the drugstore.

My bus leaves in half an hour.

I see. I better be finding out how

I'm gonna get on out to Bountiful.

No, you sit down. Sit down. I'll find the man.

- Excuse me again.

- Yes?

My friend here would like to know

how to get to Bountiful.

- Bountiful?

- Yes.

What's she going there for?

- I'm gonna go visit my girlhood friend.

- I don't know who that's gonna be.

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