Three Wishes Page #5

- No, thank you.

Why don't you sit down?

- Sure.

- No. Over here.

Will you marry me?

Oh, Phil.

It's exquisite.

So will you marry me?

I don't know.

I just don't know

that it's the right time.

No, for good times and bad times.

That's the whole idea. Isn't it?

Yes, it is.

And when we get back

from Minnesota...

there's a house I want to show you

on two acres of land.

Stop. Please, stop.

I've decided against the trip.

- What?

- Yes. You see...

I've decided. Memorial Hospital

has an experimental program...

that's very promising.

It's much closer

than the Mayo Clinic...

and I know Gunny.

I know Gunny.

And he will be much better

if he can stay closer to home.

This is nonsense.

You're letting sentiment get in the way.

Sentiment! Get in the way of what?

Of what I am trying to do!

Now, let me handle it.

This is a question

of what's best...

not what's easy.

You're right.

And this would be easy...

but it will never be best.

I'm sorry.

I'm terribly sorry.

Hey, Jack.

We don't even know what time it is.

That's right.

We can just go down this road

and see what's there.

I wish we were going all the way

to the salt flats, don't you?

Yeah.

Maybe for my birthday.

It's in October.

Is that a good time

to go to the flats?

- October? No better time.

- I've never been on a trip before.

Ever.

But my mom would let me,

as long as it's with you.

I thought you ironed

when you couldn't sleep.

That's Tuesdays.

I save Thursdays

for closets and drawers.

I'll remember that.

Hey, Mom.

I'll take out the garbage.

- What are you so happy about?

- Nothing.

After lunch, you wanna throw

the ball around a little?

- Sure.

- Okay.

Hey, we really missed you camping!

But don't worry, we brought you

something. All the fish guts.

- To go with your fish face.

- Fish slime!

Hello?

He's outside.

May I take a message?

Oh. Uh-huh.

To have his cast removed.

All right.

I'll tell him.

Okay. Bye-bye.

Jack isn't gonna leave,

is he?

Just because his cast

is coming off?

Are you gonna ask him, Mom?

Dr. Pavlick's office just phoned.

A reminder

about your appointment.

Just one last bit.

There we are.

Hey, not bad.

Hold on.

Well, you're a free man.

Don't be silly.

It's very pretty.

- You all right?

- Yeah.

Looks good.

- Got enough there, Tom?

- I'm saving room for seconds.

- Hi, Coach.

- Hi.

Would you like to join us?

We just sat down.

No, thank you. Keep eating.

I don't mean to interrupt.

What I have to say to Jack

I can say pretty quickly.

First, I wanna apologize

for the mix-up.

I can get pretty carried away...

about sports.

But I don't care who you are

or who you're not.

You did one hell of a job

with that baseball team...

and I want you

to coach with me.

You'll do it, won't you?

I really appreciate the offer.

Season's over for me.

I sincerely wish you luck.

They're great kids.

Well, I had to ask.

We'll just go on

what you gave us.

See you at practice, Tom.

You don't have to leave just because

your cast is off. Tell him, Mom.

He'll say yes, if you ask him.

I can't do that, Tom.

Jack has his life...

and we have ours.

Yes, you could.

Please, honey. Don't be difficult.

You're old enough to understand this.

You always say that...

when you don't have a reason.

Remember the story you told me about

the man and the dog and the family?

I know what the dog really was.

A genie.

She's got a lot of names...

and she took on

a lot of different forms.

She travels all over the world granting

wishes to people who do good deeds.

And because that family

was so kind...

the genie granted them

three wishes.

One for the mother, one for the big

brother and one for the little boy.

But what did the little boy

wish for?

I'm not sure.

What do you think?

I know what he wished for. He wished

to be a firecracker. Fourth of July.

Well, if he was a firecracker,

he wouldn't be a little boy anymore.

So don't you think he'd

wanna stay a little boy?

I know. He wanted to

fly up in the air...

and see the fireworks

and be real close.

Now, that is a fine wish.

Did the man get a wish too?

He got his wish a long time ago.

But there was nothing he wanted.

Now you go to sleep.

Nothing?

Well...

once he was in a war...

and that changed all the things

that he thought were important.

He didn't know

what he wanted anymore.

Did the genie help him pick?

Well, I guess

you could say she did.

You see, the man gave his wish

back to the genie...

and she made

a wish for him instead.

What was it?

The genie wished...

that the man would travel around

with her...

so she wouldn't have to be lonely.

But she was really thinking of him...

because there was...

still something he needed to learn.

You don't wanna forget that.

I won't forget anything.

You know...

if you really wanted

a life like this one...

you'd have it.

You would.

Yup.

You gonna be okay?

Yes, I am.

I'll be fine.

On my own.

Thinking about Gunny.

All I want is for him

to be all right.

He will be.

You sound so sure.

I don't know why,

but I believe you.

Can I drive you to the highway?

I gotta go alone.

I came to say good-bye.

We all lose things, Tom,

every day.

Some things are so small

we hardly notice.

Then others hurt a lot.

But you know what?

If we don't give up,

we'll get to see...

that we're always getting

something else instead.

Like what?

Depends.

Today you choose.

Whatever you want.

Mean it?

As long as you don't wish

for me to stay.

So what do I care, anyway?

If you don't make a wish,

I'll have to make one for you.

Big deal.

You don't fool me.

You're just a bum.

That's all you are.

Just a bum.

Good-bye, Tom.

Jack! Jack, wait up!

Take me with you.

Mommy, I'm really hungry.

That's great. And you tell me

if you feel cold, all right?

Okay.

Have you seen Tom anywhere?

I want you to wait right here.

Stay here. I'll be right back.

I'm gonna go look for Tom.

Have you boys seen Tom?

No, ma'am.

You didn't see Tom

coming up the road?

We got a crasher, guys.

Don't look down.

Give me your hand.

You're a gutsy guy, aren't you?

Whoa!

Where have you been?

Why do you do those things?

You scared me, sweetheart.

Mrs. Holman?

I heard it on the radio.

What a day.

Think of how the family

must feel.

What's going on?

Dad?

Gunny, get up here.

In the summer of '55...

the Republic of China released

taken prisoner

during the Korean War.

My father was one of them.

I don't remember much

about the weeks that followed...

except that I was happy

all the time.

And there was something else.

Gunny began to get well.

It was hard to imagine

so much good fortune all at once.

I believed it had something

to do with Jack...

the man who was

neither sailor nor spy...

not a beatnik or a baseball star.

He was just Jack.

And he had made a wish for me.

Tom, where are you going?

Son of a b*tch!

- Betty Jane?

- Hello, Tom.

What are you doing here?

You never did get it,

did you?

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