One Christmas

Buddy? Where are you?

Baby, it's almost time to go!

Buddy!

Hey, buddy!

You really should've done this last night,

buddy, when you had the time.

You're old enough to know how to pack by now.

Oh, million things to do this morning as it is.

The greyhound'll be coming down the road any minute.

I don't even know him.

Oh, sure you do! He's the one in the picture.

An important man, your dad is.

You can tell just to look at him,

how straight he stands.

And I get to ride a bus?

Clear to New Orleans, another whole state.

Oh, my, are these the best pants you have clean?

Tsk. Your daddy's gonna think

I'm raising you like a farm animal.

What else... what else?

Oh! Your uncle Carl's suit!

Oh, he wore this to easter the time reverend Stuart

almost drowned poor ida Beck in the baptismal font.

Oh! Oh, you look right smart in that.

Oh, Carl would love that you're wearing it, god rest his soul.

Why can't I go with you, sook?

Because I have to help a sick friend,

and where I'm going,

there's no place for children.

Besides, you'll get the chance

to meet your daddy.

He hasn't seen you since you were a baby.

They have snow were mama is,

and she said she'd come in spring,

so why can't I go there?

Uh! You know, if it's snow you want,

there's snow at your daddy's, too,

drifts and drifts of it.

I mean, a real Christmas.

You wouldn't want to miss that, would you?

Oh, look! There's the bus.

It's the bus, buddy.

Get your shoes on

and get that fruitcake we made for your daddy.

It's on the table in the kitchen.

Go on, now, get your shoes on!

Oh! We're late.

Yes, ma'am. You all right?

I'll put his suitcase up here on the luggage rack.

And don't you forget the suitcase

once you get to the city.

Now, here's almost $6

I've been saving for an occasion.

You use it a little bit at a time

for special treats.

Maybe a picture show!

Mm-hmm. High time we saw one.

You go for both of us.

Tell me all about it when you get back.

What if he doesn't like me?

Oh...

He already loves you.

What about Santa?

Oh, don't you worry about Santa.

Like the good lord,

he'll always know where to find you.

You'll have a good time, I promise you!

Now, here's your snack.

Here's your daddy's fruitcake.

Tell him it's a special batch,

and tell him sook says hello.

Can you do that? Yeah.

Now, here, I want you to have

your mama's letters on the trip.

Keep you company.

I'm gonna miss you.

I'm gon... I'm gonna miss you, too.

First Christmas we've had apart I can remember.

Mm-hmm.

I'm sorry, ma'am, but I've got a schedule to keep.

You gotta get aboard now.

Sooner you go, sooner you'll be back.

Come on, old boy, here we go.

Write me a postal card if you think of it!

Pick out a pretty one. You know what I like.

Bye, buddy.

Bye-bye, honey. Bye-bye.

This is him.

My cousin sook says everybody knows him,

but he doesn't write much because he's very busy.

And my mom is an actress in New York City.

She writes all the time.

These are her letters.

She's a great lady.

I was an angel in a church play.

Sounds like a mighty important part.

My cousin sook made me wings.

And I had two lines.

"Glory be to god on high," and "glory, glory."

Glory, glory.

Well, my goodness.

It's a long trip for a young fella on his own.

Wh-what are you gonna do in New Orleans?

It's gonna snow there, sook says.

Snow? Not much chance of that if you ask me.

If you ask anybody.

Sook never lies.

All I can say is, son,

it's gonna be a cold day in heck,

yeah, in New Orleans before it snows.

No!

Come on, let us win some of that back, now.

I'll see you later, guys.

Come on, let's go!

Buddy.

Are you buddy? Is that you?

I'm your dad.

In the picture you have a moustache.

Is that better, huh?

Recognize me now?

I'm your daddy.

Well, buddy. Hey, hey.

Welcome to New Orleans.

That your bag?

Get it and let's go.

You sure have grown up, huh?

How old are you now, nine, ten?

Eight.

This trip was a little bit of a surprise for me,

but we're gonna have a good time anyway.

Nice family Christmas.

Is mama coming?

No, you and me. We're family now.

The first thing we gotta do,

heh, is get you a haircut.

You look like a girl.

How do you play ball with all that hair?

I don't play ball.

You don't?

Did you ever hear of judge landis,

the commissioner of baseball?

Do you know what he said?

"Baseball is not just a game to the American boy."

No, "it is the training ground for future work."

What do you do?

What do I do?

I'm an entrepreneur. You know what that is?

No.

I am unlike anybody you've ever met before.

I have magic, buddy.

I can look right into somebody

and I know exactly what they want

more than anything else in the whole world.

I look 'em in the eye, shake their hand, and I know.

And that's what I sell them,

their secret dreams.

It's a god-given talent.

It's a very special gift.

Who's that?

The assistant to the mayor

just waved at your daddy.

What's in the package?

Sook's fruitcake. I helped make it.

You cook?

Evangeline!

Welcome to my personal castle.

Oh! This must be the buddy I've been hearing so much about.

Buddy, say hello to Evangeline.

Hello.

Your daddy's been so excited about this visit,

talking and talking about it for days.

I fixed up the guest room for you.

I don't know what you like, but I bought you a few things.

Think it'll do ya?

It's fine.

It's fine?

Listen to you!

"It's fine."

Evangeline, we don't have to worry about dinner tonight.

It is my son's first night in New Orleans.

I think we'll dine out.

This is not a museum.

This is your room for as long as you're going to be here!

Where'd you get all that money from?

Did you Rob a bank?

No!

Just kidding.

Sook gave me near $6 for special treats.

That's very nice.

These are mama's letters.

You can read 'em if you want.

Yeah, well, maybe later.

Right now, let's see what you have in terms of clothing.

Don't tell me that these are your best.

Mm-hmm.

What is this? This looks like it's 40 years old.

Sook picked it out special.

I know these'll ride in Alabama,

but here in New Orleans,

women will just pass you right by