The Wedding Night Page #2

Yeah, me swap milk. You swap what?

Seems I have an old field full of rocks

and stones, and no good to anybody.

But to him, it's worth 5,000 smackers.

- What's the catch?

- No catch.

They said, come down and sign the papers

tomorrow and I'll get the money.

Actually, $5000?

- Cash.

- Tony.

And I spent the morning cursing your

ancestors for leaving us this place.

I'm sorry, Grandfather.

Were you the one who cleared that lovely

field with your own bare hands?

Bless your heart.

I don't think I'll sell the field after all.

- You don't what?

- I know I won't.

- Have you lost your senses?

- No, I've just come into them.

Do you realize that we are stony broke?

That I haven't a rag to my back?

$5,000 would keep us for months

in New York.

Yup.

And you're going to talk

a lot of sentimental nonsense

about this old place?

- You haven't even seen it in 15 years.

- Yep.

You put that in your next book.

It'll sound much better there.

You're very funny, Dora,

but the field is still mine.

- And you won't sell?

- No.

- Tony Barrett, you come down from that...

- You get away from me.

- You come down here, I said.

- I like it up here.

Am I gonna have to

come up there and get you?

I hate to waste this.

- You wouldn't dare.

- No?

- (SQUEALING) You devil, you...

- Get away from me, Delilah!

TONY:
Want some help?

No, thank you.

My father is inside,

if you came about the land.

Here, let me try it, just for fun.

See if I've forgotten how.

(CHUCKLING)

Well, I guess I'll stick to writing.

This way, Mr. Barrett.

JAN:
This is when we come over here,

my wife and me.

You were a very handsome

young man, Mr. Novak.

After we finish business,

I show you some more pictures.

Old country.

I'm afraid I haven't time today, Mr. Novak.

Good.

I don't know how you say in English,

but in our country, we say...

Na zdrowie!

- Is right, Mr. Barrett?

- Is right, Mr. Novak.

- He has bought another field?

- Yes, Mother.

Land, more land, more tobacco,

more wood.

- Smells good in here.

- Prune soup.

- You like it?

- I've never tasted any.

You never eat prune soup?

No.

By golly, Mr. Barrett, you stay here,

eat prune soup with us. Eh, Kaise?

Is right.

Yes, sir, you stay right here,

have Sunday dinner with us.

Real Polish dinner.

I'm afraid you have

a lot of company already.

That's only my friend,

Sobieski and his wife,

and his brother and Fredrik,

and five more children.

We got lots of room. You stay.

Well, if it won't be too much trouble

for Mrs. Novak.

Is no trouble.

Do stay, Mr. Barrett.

All right, thanks so much.

- I will.

- Good.

(CAR HORN HONKING)

Sobieskis.

I show Peter Sobieski papers now.

He don't believe me.

(CHUCKLING)

- Is there something I can do to help?

- Help?

This work is for the women, Mr. Barrett.

Oh, sorry.

(SPEAKING POLISH)

ALL:
Good day.

KAISE:
Sit down.

Wait.

No. Is good.

Is good, Jan. Everything is good.

Now I pay 5,000.

We said four.

JAN:
How much you pay more, now?

PETER:
I give already too much.

- My boy Fredrik is a good boy.

- And Manya is a good girl.

Besides, she's been much more to school

than Fredrik.

My Fredrik is a smart fellow, too.

JAN:
There's only one woman

in your house. Old woman, too.

Manya's strong.

She works hard, like two womans.

PETER:
Well...

- Maybe I give a tobacco wagon.

- Is done.

Is done.

(CHUCKLING HEARTILY)

- Hello, Manya.

- Hello, Fredrik.

Say, you look good.

You sit there, Mr. Barrett.

Go on, sit down, make yourself at home.

You like better, this chair?

Oh, no, my chair's all right, I was just...

(MEN LAUGHING)

Your prune soup.

You eat, Mr. Barrett.

Mr. Barrett never taste prune soup before.

No?

It is good.

JAN:
Well, that's two pieces of bread

for me. That's enough.

TONY:
Wish you could tell my cook

how you make this cake.

KAISE:
It's very simple.

Use lots of sugar with the strawberries.

GRANDMA:
Won't you have

some more cream for your cake?

TONY:
Oh, no. Thank you.

Everybody, have wine.

Now, listen to me, everybody.

This morning I buy land from Mr. Barrett.

Manya, she say no buy more land.

It's more good to have money.

I say is more good to have land.

Because is not for me, this land.

Is for Manya and Fredrik.

So, when they two get married,

they have land for plant tobacco

and for build house.

Manya, Fredrik, your hands.

Manya, is not right.

JAN:
So...

Now, Fredrik, you take Manya's hand.

God bless your union, make it fertile.

God bless your land, make it rich.

- Amen.

- ALL:
Amen.

JAN:
Is good for you two to marry.

Will be happy, have lots of babies.

Now you kiss.

Everybody, Na zdrowie!

ALL:
Na zdrowie!

Sobieski, now we go to see the land.

You better hurry, Mrs. Barrett!

Number 10 comes in at 2:00.

I can't go without my husband.

Oh, why doesn't he come?

Everything fixed, windows, doors.

I lock them up now, please?

Yes, lock it up and throw away the key,

as far as I'm concerned.

Me, too. I no like country, not as much.

Like better New York.

You and me both, Taka.

House full of funny noises at night.

No can sleep.

It's the ancestors, Taka.

They get down off the wall at night and

walk around, see how things are going.

Yes, I think so, too. Ancestors.

JENKINS:
We're waiting for you,

Mr. Barrett.

Hello, Mr. Jenkins.

You're here early, aren't you?

No.

- I thought we were taking the late train.

- DORA:
We were, but we're not.

- Did you get the money?

- Well, what's the hurry?

- Did you get it, I said?

- I did.

Then come on, everything's ready.

I was scared out of my wits

you'd come back without it,

but I would've gone anyway.

- One more day in this crazy place...

- Here, here, not so fast.

I'm not going.

You're not going?

Sorry to let you down, Dora,

but I'm staying right here.

I've found my next book.

Bring them back in, Taka. We're not going.

I know how you feel, Dora,

but you're wrong this time.

I'd been running all over looking for a life,

and I found it right here under our noses,

in America.

Those people, Dora, they're a godsend.

They're like something

out of another world.

And what a family. My head's full of it.

Wedding bargains, prune soup,

and Sobieskis and...

How interesting.

Well, I must say, you're a lot of help.

Well, I know you, Tony. Last year,

it was the sailors in that stupid boat,

and the year before, the natives in Spain,

and I tagged along,

peering over your shoulder for months,

and what happened?

What happened? You didn't write a line.

I'll write here, all right,

and about these people. I've got to.

Oh, well. I'll lay in a case of scotch

and some detective stories.

Sweet of you.

Tony, why can't you write about them

in New York?

Your best book was around

a life you didn't know.

You're always bragging about it.

You're just coddling yourself.

I've heard that before.

Well, I'm only trying to snap you out of it.

Well, leave me in it, whatever it is.

I'll be grateful.

Taka, put those bags back in.

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