أول 196 سطر.
Well, don't think there's much else I can do around here.
Might take a little walk down the street.
You going to be home for supper?
Sure.
But if I'm not home by six, don't wait for me. I may be tied up.
I want to know.
Told you, if I'm not home by six...
Well, that doesn't do me any good.
Mrs. Whitley's paying three dollars for this cake,
and if you're going to be home I'll spend part of that money on lamb chops for your supper.
If not, I'll buy something the girls will like better.
Then count me out.
That's all I wanted to know.
I fixed up those trees.
Cut the grass. Looks pretty nice out there.
You going to water the grass?
I did water it. Gave it a good wetting down.
Most people, when they water the grass,
wait till later when the sun's not so hot, and it'll do some good,
and not be a waste of good water that somebody else has to pay for.
You see any work I can do that I don't do?
So you get done early.
Come on, Mildred, what are you getting at?
She's waiting for you, so go on.
- Who's waiting for me? - Ugh!
I think you know.
If you're talking about Maggie Biederhof, I haven't seen her for a week,
and she never did mean a thing to me, except somebody to play rummy with
when I had nothing else to do.
Which is practically all the time, if you ask me.
- I wasn't asking you! - So what do you do with her?
Play rummy for a while, then unbutton that red dress she's always wearing
without any brassiere under it, and then flop her on the bed?
And then play rummy some more and then flop her on the bed again?
Gee, that must be swell. I can't think of anything nicer than that!
How'd you like to go to hell?
Ever since you met that woman - useless, do you hear me?
Oh, for cryin' out loud!
Then tell me I'm wrong.
Tell me that's not precisely where you're going!
Suppose I am? Then you might as well
go pack your bags and leave for good,
because if you go out that door, I swear to God, Bert,
I'm not letting you back inside!
Keep on, Mildred. Keep right on,
'cause one of these days, you don't watch out, I'm calling you!
You're not calling me. I'm calling you.
You go over there today, Bert, and that's the last you'll see of this place, so help me God.
I go where I goddamn please!
- Then pack up! - Fine! If that's what you want, okay!
Mildred!
Oh, hey, honey.
He took the car.
Who? You mean Bert?
Yes, Bert. He's gone.
What do you mean?
Just now. He just left.
He just walked out on you? Just like that?
- Maybe he got a little help. - What?
For that floppy-looking frump? What did he say?
How can he even look at that woman?
Oh, what's the use of talking?
If she likes him, all right then, she's got him.
That wasn't even the reason.
And I did pester him, but I just can't take things lying down.
I don't care how bad things are. If she can, then fine,
because that's just the way he's built.
I've got my own ideas and I just can't change them for somebody else.
So what are you gonna do?
You just joined the biggest army on earth.
You're the great American institution that never gets mentioned
on the fourth of July - a "grass widow,"
with two small children to raise on your own. That dirty bastard.
Oh, Bert's all right.
He's all right, but he's a dirty bastard. They're all dirty bastards.
We're not so perfect.
Yeah, well, we wouldn't pull what they pull.
Not right now.
I almost forgot, I fricasseed some chicken for supper
but Ike's got a call in Long Beach, so I'm going with him.
- I thought it might spoil. - Thank you.
Mildred, I don't know how you do it.
What?
- That cake. - (Horn honking)
It's beautiful!
- (Mildred) Hello, dear. - Hello, Mother.
How was practice?
Hmm, pas extraordinaire.
That is, if Chopin's Grande Valse Brillante doesn't give me palsy.
- Where's your sister? - Outside.
Now what did I say?
Mommy!
Oh. Uh, the... the Grande Valse...
Valse Brillante.
Really, Mother.
And who, pray tell, is Bob?
Here. I had extra batter.
Oh, Mother, it's darling!
Uh, Bob Whitley.
Oh, of course. The paper boy.
- Ray! Time to come in! - (Ray) Mommy, guess what!
He'll be a paper boy without a birthday cake if I don't find some way to get it over there.
Maybe your grandfather wouldn't mind taking me.
Why can't we use our car?
Your father's out with it, and he may be late.
Oh! What time is it? Richard Crooks is back on The Voice Of Firestone.
- He's doing a medley of The Student Prince. - (Ray) Mommy!
Oh, you... you still have time.
Mommy, guess what. Mommy, look! I fixed my skates all by myself,
and I added string, and now they're not too small anymore!
Ray, dear, please be careful around the cake.
Ray!
I'm just pretending.
Look, Mommy, guess who I am.
Ray, please!
Sit down.
Look. I made you...
a special treat.
In class, Miss Pinkins said my caterpillar was the most beautiful.
Mother, where's Father?
He had to go somewhere.
Now please, dear, come sit down.
Then where are his clothes?
He's gone away.
Where to?
I don't know.
Is he coming back?
No. No.
But why? Why has he gone away?
I can't explain it all this instant.
Someday you girls will understand.
What's important to know is there's nothing to worry about.
But...
Daddy's...
gone?
Oh! Oh, it's all right, dear.
Hey.
I just wanted to know why his clothes were gone.
Oh, darling, don't worry.
You know... You know your father thinks the world of you girls...
but he...he didn't want to say goodbye because...
he...he didn't want to upset you or worry you.
But it's not his fault. It's no one's fault. It's simply due to things that...
that happen. All right?
Hmm?
If you mean Mrs. Biederhof, Mother,
I quite agree. I think she's distinctly middle class.
Oh, Veda.
Oh.
My darling.
What would I do without you girls? Hmm?
My beautiful, lovely, lovely girls.
Aw, cut the mush!
Great American institution.
Given your age, I'm afraid it's going to be rather difficult to place you.
I worked a counter, I can stock goods,
Whatever they need, ma'am. I can do it! I'm terribly sorry,
but I have a room full of people to get to. If you'll excuse me.
Never mind about all them years behind a register.
Doesn't mean a damn thing! Why, I've been working since I was six years old.
Six years old!
At the Abba-Zaba factory!
If that don't account for any darn skill... Mrs. Pierce?
Receptionist, eh?
Sorry, dearie.
Just so happens, at the moment, receptionists are out.
- Out? - That was then.
In those good old days, when even a hockshop had to stick
this receptionist thing out there in front to show it had class.
Mr. O'Donnell?
Well...certainly there are other things I can do.
I'm an excellent cook.
I sell my own pies and cakes.
I wrote down receptionist, but that's not all I can do.
Sure it is, or you would have written it on the card.
I go by the cards.
Stenographers, secretaries,
laboratory assistants,
nurses, chemists.
I mean, some of these girls have PhDs. Sch.
Bookkeepers, salespeople.
All laid off. Sitting by their phones, hoping and praying I'll call.
I won't call.
What I'm trying to tell you is...
you haven't got a chance.
Okay, let me get that wrapped up for you.
Here you go. All right. Anything else I can get for you?
Would you like that on the blue side, or... Very good.
Next, please.
Oh, hi, ma'am, what can I get for you?
All right, off to the beach. (Chuckles)
I want to get you that inner tube, too.
There's Mother!
Mommy, Mommy, can we go over to Grandpa and Grandma's house
for dinner and sleepover?
Can we, Mommy? Please?
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