"♪ Heir of salvation, purchase of God ♪" "♪ born of his spirit and washed in his blood ♪" "♪ this is my story, da da da, this is my song ♪" "♪ praising my savior, all the day long ♪" "♪ this is my story ♪" "[ Horn honks ]" "[ Children shouting ]" "[ Laughter ]" "[ Sizzling ]" "Lord up in heaven, thank you for the gift of..." "Thank you for this meal that you are offering us today in hopes that it will nourish our body." "We praise thy name, oh, lord." "Thank you." "Amen." "[ Humming ]" "[ Train whistle blows ]" "[ Sighs ]" "[ Humming continues ]" "[ Humming continues ]" "[ Humming continues ]" "Don't be afraid of making noise, honey." "I'm awake." "Yes, ma'am." "Couldn't sleep?" "No, ma'am." "Why couldn't you sleep?" "Ah..." "Just couldn't." "Couldn't you sleep?" "No." "Haven't been to bed at all." "You're not worried about your job, are you, son?" "No." "Everybody seems to like me there." "Thinking about asking for a raise." "You should, son, as hard as you work." "Why couldn't you sleep, mama?" "Full moon." "Never could sleep when there's a full moon." "Even back in bountiful when I'd be out in the field working so hard I'd think my legs would give out on me." "Just let there be a full moon, and I'd toss and I'd turn." "[ Chuckles ]" "Once, when you were little and the moon was full," "I woke you up, dressed you, and took you out for a walk." "You remember that?" "No, ma'am." "You don't?" "No, ma'am." "Well, I do." "I remember like it was yesterday." "I dressed you and I took you outside." "There was an old dog howling away off somewhere, and you got scared and started to cry." "I said, "son, why are you crying?"" "And you said someone once told you that when a dog howls, a person is dying somewhere." "I held you close to me because you was just shaking with fear." "And then you asked me to explain to you about dying." "And I said, "son, you are far too young" ""to be even thinking about things like that for a long time to come."" "It's funny the things you think of when you can't sleep." "I was trying to think about that song" "I used to like to hear you sing." "What song was that, son?" "Ah, I don't remember the name." "I just remember I'd always laugh when you'd sing it." "[ Laughs ] That one." "What was the name of it?" "I don't know." "You know I hate not to be able to remember something." "Hush... ♪ Little baby, don't say a word ♪" "[ Laughs ]" "♪ Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird ♪" "♪ and if that mockingbird don't sing ♪" "♪ mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring ♪" "[ Both chuckle ]" "I used to think I would buy you the world back in those days." "I remember remarking that to my papa." "Hmm." "Ludie?" "Hmm?" "Nothing." "Nothing." "Would you like me to fix you some hot milk?" "[ Laughs ] Yes, ma'am." "If you don't mind." "I don't mind at all, son." "I don't mind at all." "Hush, little baby, don't say a word." "[ Chuckles ]" "♪ Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird ♪" "♪ and if that mockingbird don't sing ♪" "♪ mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring ♪" "Why don't you turn on the lights?" "What's the sense of sitting around in the dark?" "[ Sighs ]" "[ Soft music plays ]" "How you expect to go to work in the morning if you don't get your sleep, ludie?" "I was hoping the hot milk would make me sleepy." "What's the matter with you that you can't sleep, mother watts?" "Full moon, jessie mae." "Full moon." "[ Sighs ] What's that got to do with it?" "I don't know what's the matter with y'all." "I never had any trouble sleeping in my life." "[ Sighs ]" "I guess I have a clear conscience." "Mother watts, where's that recipe rosella gave me on the phone today?" "Jessie mae, I don't remember you ever giving me any recipe." "Well, I did." "Well, I certainly have no recollection of it." "You don't?" "I gave it to this morning in this very room." "And I said, "please put it away in my dresser."" "And you said, "I will."" "And you went out holding it in your hand." "Did you look on your dresser?" "Yes, ma'am." "And it wasn't there?" "No, ma'am." "I looked just before I went to bed." "Well, let me take a look around." "[ Sighs ]" "I swear." "Just gets on my nerves." "Now, I know we couldn't afford it before so I kept quiet about it, but now you're working again." "And I don't think a picture show once or twice a week will break us." "Why don't we go out one night this week?" "Well, I mean, I think we have to." "I was talking to rosella about it on the phone this morning." "When did you and rosella become friendly again?" "Oh, this morning." "She just all of a sudden call me up on the telephone." "She said she'd quit being mad if I would." "I said, "shucks, I wasn't the one that was mad in the first place."" "She was the one that was mad." "I said, "I was plain spoken." "Said exactly what I felt." "You'll have to take me as I am or leave me alone."" "[ Drawer slams ]" "Rosella found out she definitely can't have any children." "[ Scoffs ] Walk, don't run!" "You know, your mother's pension check didn't come today." "It's the 18th." "I swear it was due." "I can't understand the government -- always late." "Did you find it?" "Not yet." "Well, then, forget about it." "Look for it in the morning." "I'm gonna look for it till I find it." "[ Sighs ] Honestly, ludie." "She is so stubborn!" "Announcer:" "Keepyourdialset atkdht ." "Rosella says she's glad to hear you're working again." "She said she was cleaning out some drawers the night before last and come across a picture she had taken of you and me when we first started going together." "I said, "I don't care to see them." "No, thank you."" "The passing of time makes me sad." "Here's your recipe, jessie mae." "Well, thank you, but I told you not to bother." "Where'd you find it?" "In your dresser drawer, right-hand side." "Inmydresserdrawer?" "Yes, ma'am." "I looked on top of the dresser and it wasn't there." "And so my head told me to look -- mama watts?" "Yes, ma'am?" "Ludie, how many times have I asked her never to go in my dresser drawer?" "But I thought you wanted me to find your recipe." "But I don't want you looking in my dresser drawers!" "Yes, ma'am." "[ Scoffs ]" "And just never let me catch you looking in them again for anything!" "I can't stand people snooping in my dresser drawers!" "All right, then." "Next time, find it yourself." "Pick that recipe up, if you please." "Pick it up yourself." "I have no intention of picking it up." "You pick that up!" "I won't." "You will!" "Jessie mae, for God's sake." "You're both acting like children." "It's 1:30 in the morning." "You tell her to pick that up." "I won't." "You will!" "This is my house, and you'll do as you're told!" "No, I won't." "[ Sighs ]" "Now, I hope you're satisfied." "You got ludie good and upset." "He won't sleep for the rest of the night." "What you want to do, get him sick again?" "[ Pounding on wall ] Man:" "Quiet down over there!" "Oh, shut up!" "You are gonna go too far with me one of these days, old lady." "[ Scoffs ] I can't stand this, ludie." "I'm at the end of my rope." "I will not take being insulted by your mother or anyone else!" "Mama, will you give this recipe to jessie mae?" "All right, ludie." "Mama, will you please tell jessie mae that you're sorry?" "Ludie." "Please, mama." "All right, son." "Jessie mae?" "What do you want, ludie?" "Mama has something to say to you." "What is it?" "I'm sorry, jessie mae, I threw the recipe on the floor." "I accept your apology." "Announcer:" "Looking for thebestmusicever?" "Youdialis set..." "[ Sighs ] ...atA.M.79 ,Houston'skdht." "[ Soft music plays ]" "Jessie mae, I know it's hard and all, but for your own sake " "I just think sometimes I-if you try to ignore certain things -- ignore?" "How can you ignore something when it's done right under your very nose?" "Look, jessie mae -- no, I know her, ludie." "She does things just to aggravate me." "Well, I hope she's happy now." "She's aggravated me." "Now, you take her hymn singing." "She never starts until I come into her room." "And her pouting -- well, some days she'll go a whole day just sitting and staring out the window." "How would you like to spend 24 hours a day shut up with a woman who either sang hymns or looked out the window with pouting?" "I'm not saying it's easy, jessie mae." "I'm only saying -- she just keeps me so nervous." "Never knowing when I leave whether she's gonna try to run off to that old town or not." "She's not gonna run off again, jessie mae." "She promised me she wouldn't." "Sometimes, I think she hides that check." "Tell you right now." "If that check's not here by tomorrow morning," "I'm gonna search this house from top to bottom." "Rosella asked me if I realized it would be 15 years this Christmas since we were married." "Said I hadn't realized it." "Had you?" "No." "I never will forget the night I came home and told rosella you had proposed." "[ Both chuckle ]" "I thought you were the handsomest man alive." "I thought you..." "Were the prettiest girl." "[ Chuckles ]" "Did you, ludie?" "Oh, jessie mae." "I just got to start making some more money." "Thinking of asking for a raise." "I'll walk into Mr. Douglas' office first thing in the morning." "I'm gonna say, "Mr. Douglas," ""I've got to have a raise starting as of now." "We can't live on what you're paying us."" "Well, I would." "I don't understand it, jessie mae." "I try not to be bitter." "I try." "Mm-hmm." "All I know is that a man works eight years with the company, save a little money, he gets sick and has to spend two years in the bed watching his savings all go and then start all over again with a new company." "Of course, the doctor said I shouldn't worry about it, said I..." "Take things like they come..." "Every day." "What's this book?" "I bought it from a drug store coming home from the office." ""How to become an executive."" "Mm." "My boss likes me." "Billy Davidson told me today he was positive he did." "Mm." "You feeling sleepy now?" "Mm-hmm." "You?" "Yeah." "I am." "Good night." "[ Soft music playing ]" "[ Door creaks ]" "[ Music stops ]" "Mama?" "Mrs. watts:" "I'm all right, ludie." "I'm just still not sleepy." "Good night." "Ludie, please, son." "I want to go home." "Mama, you know I can't make a living there." "We have to live in Houston." "Ludie, I can't stay here no longer." "I want to go home." "I beg you not to ask me that again." "There's nothing I can do about it." "[ Dog barking ]" "[ Water running ]" "Ludie." "Ludie!" "[ Water shuts off ]" "It's 8:15." "Ludie:" "You have 'em?" "♪ Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling... ♪" "Too early for hymn singing!" "[ Humming ]" "Good morning, mama." "Morning, son." "I'll have your coffee ready for you in a minute." "Why don't we have an early supper tonight?" "6:30?" "If that's all right with you -- and mama." "After supper, I'll take you both to the picture show." "[ Gasps ] Oh, that's fine." "What you want to see, ludie?" "Whatever you want to see, jessie mae." "[ Sighs ]" "I think I'll phone the beauty parlor for an appointment." "Ooh, I hope I can still get one." "I want to get in early." "Mr. Douglas is usually in by 9:00." "[ Sighs ]" "You think I'm doing the right thing asking for a raise, do you?" "Sure." "Hello." "Rita?" "It's jessie mae watts." "Can I get an appointment for my hair today?" "2:00?" "Nothing earlier?" "All right, I'll see you then." "[ Sighs ]" "Wish me luck on my raise." "Good luck, ludie." "Bye, mama." "Bye, son!" "Now, holler if there's any mail out there." "No mail, boss!" "[ Jazz music playing ]" "Can't understand about that pension check." "Can you?" "No, ma'am." "Sure hope it wasn't lost." "You know, you're so absent minded, you don't think you put it around the room someplace by mistake and forgot all about it?" "I don't believe so." "You know, you said you lost that check once before." "Took us five days to find it." "And I come across it under this radio." "[ Music stops ]" "♪ There's not a thing like -- ♪" "You stop that hymn-singing!" "What do you want me to do, jump right out my skin?" "You know what hymns do to my nerves!" "Don't pout." "You know I can't stand pouting." "I didn't mean to pout, jessie mae." "[ Door slams ]" "Only meant to be silent." "[ Sighs ]" "I can't make up my mind what movie I want to see tonight." "Well, I guess I'll just ask rosella." "You know, when I first came to Houston," "I used to go to three picture shows in one day." "I'd go to the Kirby in the morning, the metropolitan in the afternoon, and the majestic at night." "I guess I'll just call rosella, tell her to meet me at the drug store for a coke." "[ Rotary phone dialing ]" "She's not home." "I bet she's at the drug store right now." "[ Wheels squeaking ]" "Would you stop that noise for a minute?" "I'm nervous." "[ Squeaking stops ]" "[ Squeaking resumes ]" "Ooh!" "Mother watts?" "Mother watts!" "I'm all right, jessie mae." "Is it your heart?" "No." "It's just a sinking spell." "[ Sighs ] Can I get you some water?" "Yes, thank you." "You want me to call the doctor?" "No, ma'am." "You want me to call ludie?" "No, ma'am!" "Here." "Thank you." "Feeling better now?" "Yes, ma'am." "You think you ought to be getting up so soon?" "Sure, ma'am." "I'm " " I'm feeling much better already." "I'll just sit here in the chair and rest a bit." "All right." "Guess I'll sit over here and keep you company for awhile." "How you feel now?" "Better." "Good." "Those sinking spells always scare the daylights out of me." "[ Sighs ] Well, it's your heart." "If you don't want to take care of it, nobody can make you." "[ Telephone ringing ]" "[ Sighs ]" "Hello?" "Oh, hello, rosella." "You are at the drug store?" "I'd like to, rosella, but mother watts had one of her sinking spells -- you go on, jessie mae." "I'm gonna be all right." "I mean, there's nothing you can do for me." "Are you sure?" "I'm sure." "All right." "Uh, rosella, mother watts says she won't be needing me here, so..." "I guess I will come on over." "I'll see you in a few minutes." "Now, you sure you're gonna be all right?" "Yes, ma'am." "Then I'll head on over." "Now, you call me at the drug store if you need me, you hear?" "Yes, ma'am." "[ Door opens ]" "I forgot to take any money along with me." "Who are you writing to?" "Oh." "[ Chuckles ]" "I just thought I'd drop a line to Callie Davis, let her know I'm still alive." "Why'd you decide to do that all of a sudden?" "No reason." "I..." "The notion just struck me." "All right." "But just in case you're trying to put something over me with that pension check," "I told Mr. Reynolds at the grocery store never to cash anything for you." "[ Indistinct conversation ]" "Woman:" "Morning, Mrs. watts!" "Oh." "How you doing?" "Just fine." "[ Indistinct conversations ]" "There you are." "You change buses at Harrison." "Yes, sir." "[ Chuckles ]" "I'm sorry." "Excuse me." "Man:" "Lady?" "Lady, it's your turn." "Yes, sir." "Uh, excuse me." "I'd like a ticket to bountiful, please." "Where?" "Bountiful." "What's it near?" "It's between Harrison and cotton." "Just a minute." "Man:" "Dallas now boarding ongatefour." "Lady, I can sell you a ticket to Harrison or to cotton, but there's no bountiful." "Oh, yes, there is." "It's between Harrison and cotton." "I'm sorry, lady." "You say there is, but the book says there isn't, and the book don't lie." "But I was born in bountiful." "Make up your mind, lady." "Cotton or Harrison." "There are other people waiting." "Let me see." "How much is a ticket to Harrison?" "$3.50." "And cotton?" "$4.20." "$4.20." "Oh, yes." "I'll take the one to Harrison, please." "All right." "It'll be $3.50, please." "Yes, sir." "Uh, can you cash a pension check?" "See, I decided to come at the last minute and didn't have time to go to the grocery store." "I'm sorry, lady." "I can't cash any checks." "It's perfectly good." "It's a government check." "I'm sorry." "It's against the rules to cash checks." "Oh." "I didn't know that." "I understand the rules are rules." "How much was that, again?" "$3.50." "Oh, yes." "I think I have it all here in nickles, dimes, and quarters, yeah." "One, two, three, four." "That's one." "One, two, three, four." "That's two." "One, two, three, four." "That's three." "And 50 cents?" "There." "I think that's $3.50." "Thank you." "I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time." "Dallasnowboarding ongatefour." "Man:" "Here, lady." "Don't forget your ticket." "Oh." "Oh, my heavens, yes." "I'd forget my head if it wasn't on my neck." "[ Chuckles ]" "Angletonnowboarding ongatethree." "[ Indistinct conversations ]" "Angletonnowboarding ongatethree." "Excuse me." "Would you watch this suitcase?" "I'll be right back." "Yes, ma'am." "[ Sighs ] All right." "Kind of warm, isn't it, when you're rushing about?" "Yes, ma'am." "I had to get myself ready in the biggest kind of hurry." "Trying to get to a town that nobody around here seems to have heard of." "What town is that?" "Bountiful." "Oh." "Did you ever hear of it?" "No." "You see?" "Nobody has." "[ Chuckles ]" "Not much of a town now, I guess." "I haven't seen it myself in 20 years." "It used to be quite prosperous, you know?" "All they have left now is a post office, a filling station, and general store." "At least that's all they had when I left." "Do your people live there?" "No." "All my people is dead except my son and his wife, jessie mae, and they stay right here in the city." "I'm hurrying to see bountiful before I die." "I had a sinking spell this morning." "I had to climb up on the bed and rest." "It was my heart." "But do you have a bad heart?" "Well, it's not what you call a good one." "My doctor says it would last as long as I need it if I could just cut out worrying." "But..." "Seems I can't do that lately." "Excuse me." "Would you keep your eye on this suitcase again for me?" "Yes, ma'am." "Ooh!" "Say a prayer for me, honey." "And good luck to you." "Good luck to you." "Ludie, she always tries to go by train." "But no, we wait in the railroad station for five minutes." "'Cause she's not there right then, you drag me over here." "Jessie mae, you want to sit down?" "Yes, I do." "You want to continue to look around, go right ahead." "Nowboardingfornew Orleans ongatenine." "[ Indistinct announcement on p.A. ]" "NewOrleanson gatenine." "SanAntonionowboarding ongateseven." "Columbus,SanAntonio nowboardingon gateseven." "I hope you're lucky enough not to have to fool with any in-laws." "I got a mother-in-law who's about to drive me crazy." "She's always trying to run off to this place called bountiful." "[ Groans ]" "She is so stubborn, I could ring her neck." "Thank you." "Her son spoils her." "That's the whole trouble." "She's just rotten spoiled." "People ask me why I don't have children." "Why, I say, 'cause I got ludie and mother watts." "That's all the children I need." "What'd you bring me?" "[ Groans ] I seen this one." "You seen mama?" "Jessie mae:" "No, you goose." "Think I'd be sitting here so calm if I had?" "I think we should turn this whole thing over to the police." "That will scare her once and for all." "I'm not gonna call any police." "Oh, you're not?" "No." "No!" "Well, I don't care what you do." "It's your mother." "Harrison,dontarle, Victoriaongatethree." "Would you like this?" "I don't read them, and my wife has seen it." "Thank you." "Excuse me, miss?" "Oh, miss." "Yes?" "Found this handkerchief there that belongs to, I think, my mother." "She has a heart condition." "Do you remember having seen her?" "Well, I -- she'd be on her way to a town called bountiful." "Yes, I did see her." "She was here talking to me, and then she left all of a sudden." "Thank you so much." "Ludie." "Jessie mae, I was right." "She was here." "That lady there says so." "Well, we're not gonna wait." "The police and I talked it over." "You did not really call them." "Yes, I did." "And they said we should just go home and pay her no mind at all." "Ludie, I wish you would think of me for a change." "I am not spending the rest of my life running after your mother." "All right, jessie mae." "Victorianowboarding ongatethree." "Come on." "Let's go." "Come on!" "If mama ain't home in an hour, I'm going after her." "[ Sighs ] Honestly." "Thisisyourlastcall  forVictoria, nowboardingat gatethree." "Sugarland,Harrison, dontarle,Victoria, nowleavingfromgatethree." "Mrs. watts:" "Wait!" "Wait!" "Please!" "Thank you." "[ Breathing heavily ]" "Thank you." "Isn't it a small world?" "I didn't know we'd be on the same bus." "Where you off to, honey?" "Harrison." "Harrison?" "Yes, I change buses there." "Well, so do I go there." "Isn't that nice?" "[ Chuckles ]" "Thank you." "The bus is nice to ride, isn't it?" "Yes, it is." "Excuse me for getting personal, but what's a pretty girl like you doing traveling all alone?" "My husband was just sent overseas." "Oh." "I'm sorry to hear that." "I'm going to stay with my family." "Say the 91st psalm over and over to yourself." "It'll be a bower of strength and protection for you." ""He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high" ""shall abide under the shadow of the almighty." "I'll say of the lord, he is my refuge."" "[ Crying ]" "Oh, I'm sorry." "It's all right." "I'm just lonesome for him." "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." "I guess we've all dampened our pillows at some time, and lord knows I have." "[ Sighs ]" "If only I could just learn not to worry." "I know." "I guess we all ask that." "Jessie mae, my daughter-in-law, she don't worry." ""What for?" She says." "Well, like I tell her, it's a fine attitude if you can cultivate it." "Trouble is, I can't do it no more." "It is hard." "I didn't used to worry." "I was so carefree as a girl." "[ Chuckles ]" "I had lots to worry me, too." "Everybody in bountiful was so poor." "But we got along." "I said to my papa once after our third crop failure in a row," ""whoever gave this place the name of bountiful?"" "His papa did, he said, because in those days, it was a land of plenty." "All you had to do is drop seeds in the ground and crops would just spring up -- cotton, corn, and sugar cane." "I still think it's the prettiest place I know of." "Jessie mae says it's the ugliest." "She's just says that, I know, to make me mad." "And then Sonny -- that's my boy, ludie -- he says not to answer her back 'cause it only causes argument and nobody ever won an argument with jessie mae." "And I guess that's right." "[ Chuckles ]" "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 your son and daughter-in-law came in after you left." "No, I know." "I saw them coming." "That's why I ran out so fast." "[ Chuckles ]" "Your son seemed very concerned." "Bless his heart." "He found a handkerchief you had left." "[ Gasps ] Mercy, that's right." "He asked if I seen you." "I felt like I had to say yes." "I wouldn't have said anything 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?" "Yes." "Isn't she a sight?" "[ Both chuckle ]" "I think ludie knows how I feel about getting back to bountiful." "Once when I was talking about something we did back there in the old days, he just bust out crying." "He was so overcome, he jumped up and ran out the room." "[ Humming ]" "That's a pretty hymn." "What's the name of it?" ""There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus."" "You like hymns?" "Yes, I do." "So do I." "I bet I sing it a hundred times a day when jessie mae ain't home." "Hymns make jessie mae nervous." "So many people are nervous today." "Ludie wasn't nervous back in bountiful." "Neither was I." "Breeze from the Gulf would always quiet your nerves." "You can sit on your front gallery and smell the ocean blowing in around you." "[ Chuckles ]" "Callie says I could always come back and visit with her." "She meant that, too." "That's who I'm gonna stay with, Callie Davis." "I get a card from her every Christmas." "I wrote her last week, and I told her to expect me." "I got to get back and smell that salt air and work that dirt." "Where do you go from Harrison?" "Old Gulf." "My family just moved there from Louisiana." "Hmm." "I'll stay there until my husband comes home." "That's nice." "It's gonna 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'd worry about me being alone." "I'm the only child." "My parents and I are very close." "That's nice." "I so hoped my mother and daddy would like my husband and he'd like them." "I needn't have worried." "They liked each other from the very first." "[ Chuckles ]" "Mother and daddy said they feel like they have two children now -- a son and a daughter." "Isn't that nice?" "I've heard people say that when your son marries, you lose a son, but when 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 just can't help it." "[ Chuckles ]" "I wasn't in love with my husband." "Do you believe we're punished for what we do wrong?" "I sometimes think that's why I've had all my troubles." "I talked to many a preacher about it, and all but one said he didn't think so." "I can't see any other reason, though." "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, that I'd never love anybody but ray John Murray as long as I lived." "And I didn't, and I couldn't help it." "And after my husband died and I had to move in with mama and papa," "I used to sit on my front gallery every morning and every evening just to nod hello to ray John Murray as he went by the house to work at the store." "He went a mile out of his way to pass the house." "He never loved nobody but me." "Why didn't you marry him?" "His papa and my papa didn't speak." "And my papa forced me to write a letter to him saying I never wanted to see him again." "He got drunk and married out of spite." "I felt sorry for his wife because she knew he never loved her." "I don't think about those things anymore." "But they're all a part of bountiful, so I guess that's why I'm starting to think of them again." "You're lucky to be married to the man you love, honey." "I know I am." "Awfully lucky." "[ Gasps ]" "Did you see that star fall over there?" "No." "Prettiest thing I ever saw." "You can make a wish on a falling star, honey." "I know." "It's too bad I didn't see it." "Take my wish." "Oh, no." "Go on!" "I've gotten mine already." "I'm on my way to bountiful." "Oh." "Good evening." "Good evening." "[ Chuckles ]" "You want some help with these bags?" "[ Chuckles ] Thank you." "You're welcome." "Oh, is this bus to old Gulf gonna be on time?" "Always is." "[ Chuckles ]" "What time is it, honey?" "12:00." "12:00?" "Mm-hmm." "Oh, would Callie Davis be surprised to see me walking in at 12:00." "You told her you were coming into town today?" "No." "I didn't know." "I had to wait till jessie mae went to the drug store." "My bus will be leaving in a half an hour." "Oh." "I see." "Well, I guess I'd better be finding out how I'm gonna get to bountiful." "You sit down." "I'll ask the man." "Well, thank you." "Excuse me." "Yes, ma'am?" "My friend here would like to know how she can get to bountiful." "Bountiful?" "Yes." "What's she going there for?" "Oh, I'm gonna visit my girlfriend." "I don't know who that's gonna be." "The last person in bountiful was miss Callie Davis." "She died the day before yesterday." "I mean, that is, they found her the day before yesterday." "She lived all alone, so they don't know exactly when she died." "Callie Davis?" "Yes, ma'am." "Had the funeral this morning." "Was she the one you was going to visit?" "She was the one." "Sh-she was my friend, my girlfriend." "Is there a hotel here?" "Yes, ma'am, the riverview." "How far is it?" "About five blocks." "[ Sighs ]" "What will you do now, Mrs. watts?" "I'm thinking, honey." "I'm thinking." "This comes as quite a blow." "I'm sorry." "I'm so sorry." "I know." "I know." "It's come to me what to do." "I'll go on." "I'll go on to bountiful." "I'll walk those 12 Miles if I have to." "But if there's no one out there, what will you do this time of night?" "Oh, yes." "I guess that's right." "I think you should wait until morning." "Yes." "I guess I should." "And then I can hire someone to drive me out there." "And I'll stay at my own house -- or what's left of it." "I'll put me in a garden." "Oh, I think I'm gonna get along fine with the help of my government checks." "The man said there's a hotel not too far away." "I think you better let me take you there." "Oh, no." "I'm not spending no money in a hotel." "They're high as cats' backs." "I'm gonna sleep right here on this bench." "See?" "I'll take my coat, fold it up, put it under my head, and I'll take my purse and I'll tuck it under my ar-- my purse." "I don't have my purse, honey." "Have you seen my purse?" "Why, no." "Uh, excuse me." "This lady left her purse on the bus." "All right." "I'll call ahead." "How can you identify it?" "Just a plain brown purse." "How much money?" "35 cents." "And a pension check." "Who's the check made out to?" "To me, Mrs. Carrie watts." "All right." "I'll call up about it." "Thank you." "You're most kind." "Try not to worry about the purse." "Oh, I'm too tired to worry about no purse." "Time enough to worry about it in the morning." "Why don't you go on to sleep now if you can?" "Oh, no." "I thought I'd stay up and see you off." "No." "You go to sleep." "I couldn't go right to sleep now." "I'm too wound up, you ow?" "I don't go on a trip every day of my life." "[ Chuckles ] You're lucky." "The bus hasn't gotten to don tarle yet." "If they can find the purse, should be here around 5:00." "Oh, thank you." "Thank you so much." "Make you feel better?" "Oh, yes." "It does." "Of course, everything seemed to work out today." "Why is it some days everything works out, and some days nothing works out?" "[ Chuckles ] Hmm?" "I guess the good lord is just with me today." "I wonder why the lord isn't with us every day." "It would be so nice if he was, hmm?" "[ Chuckles ]" "Well, maybe then we wouldn't appreciate so much the days when he's on our side." "Maybe he's always on our side, we just don't even know it." "Maybe I had to wait 20 years cooped up in that city before I could appreciate getting back here." "Blessed assurance." "Jesus is mine." "♪ Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine ♪" "♪ heir of salvation, purchase of God ♪" "♪ born of his spirit and washed in his blood ♪" "♪ this is my story, fa LA LA LA, this is my song ♪" "♪ and I'm praising my savior all the day long ♪" "♪ this is my story and this is my song ♪" "♪ and I'm praising my savior all the day -- ♪" "You know, it's so nice to be able to sing a hymn when you want to?" "!" "[ Laughs ] [ Chuckles ]" "I still have a sandwich left." "Will you have one?" "Oh, no, thank you." "You know, I don't eat very much, especially when I'm excited." "[ Laughs ]" "You know, I came to my first dance in this town." "Did you?" "Yes." "It was the summertime." "My father couldn't decide whether he thought dancing was right or not." "But my mother said she danced when she was a girl and that I was gonna dance." "And so, I went." "Girls from all over the county came to this dance." "It was at the opera house." "I can't remember what the occasion was, but it was something special, though." "[ Chuckles ]" "[ Humming ]" "[ Both chuckle ]" "Oh." "♪ Da da da ♪" "♪ da da da ♪" "♪ da da da ♪" "[ Laughs ] ♪ da da da ♪" "♪ da da-da da-da da-da da-da da-da da-da da-da ♪" "Knee!" "♪ da ♪" "[ Both laugh ]" "♪ Da da da ♪" "Turn!" "[ Both laugh ]" "You know something, young lady?" "If my daughter had lived," "I would have wanted her to be just like you." "Oh." "No, no, no, no, no." "Sweet, considerate, thoughtful, and pretty." "Roy:" "You better get your bags, miss." "Buss will be up the road." "Won't wait this time of night." "I was telling my little friend here that I came to my first dance in this town." "Is that so?" "[ Both chuckle ]" "Goodbye, Mrs. watts." "Goodbye, honey." "And good luck to you." "Thank you for everything." "Good luck to you." "Do they still have dances in borden's opera house?" "No, ma'am." "It was torn down." "They condemned it, you know?" "Is that so?" "Mm-hmm." "Did you ever know anyone in Harrison?" "Well, I knew a few people when I was a girl." "Priscilla nytelle -- did you know her?" "Oh, no, ma'am." "What about Nancy Lee goodhue?" "No, ma'am." "The fay girls?" "No, ma'am." "Oh." "I used to trade in Mr. ewing's store." "I knew him to speak to." "Which ewing was that?" "George white ewing." "He's dead." "Is that so?" "Been dead 12 years." "[ Gasps ] Is that so?" "Yeah, left quite a bit of money, but his son took over his store, lost it all." "Drank." "Is that so?" "One thing I can say about my boy -- he never gave me any worries that way." "Well, that's good." "I got one boy that drinks, one boy that doesn't." "I can't understand it." "I raised them the same way." "I know." "I've knew other cases like that -- one drinks, the other one doesn't." "I don't know why." "Friend of mine's got a girl that drinks." "I think that's the saddest thing in the world." "Isn't it?" "Well, good night." "Good night." "Good night." "Good night." "[ Birds chirping, dog barking ]" "Roy?" "Come on, Roy." "Wake up." "Oh." "Hello, sheriff." "How long has that old lady been here?" "Oh..." "About six hours." "She come off the bus from Houston?" "Yes, sir." "I know her name." "It's watts." "She left a purse on the bus." "I had to call up to don tarle about it." "Do you have her purse?" "Yes, sir." "Just came." "Yeah, she's the one, all right." "Got a call from the Houston police." "They want me to hold her till her son comes for her." "She says she used to live in bountiful." "Her son claims that she's not responsible." "She act crazy to you?" "Not that I noticed." "Is she crazy?" "Well, they say so." "Oh, she's sleeping so sound." "[ Clicks tongue ] I tell you what." "I'll go down, call Houston, tell them she's here." "Her son's coming in his car." "He'll be here about 7:30." "I'll be back in about 10 minutes." "If she gives you any trouble, just call me." "Roy:" "Yes, sir." "Good morning." "Good morning." "Did my purse arrive?" "Yes, ma'am." "Thank you so much." "You're welcome." "I wonder if you could cash a check for me." "Why?" "I need money to get me started in bountiful." "I'm sorry, lady, but you're not going to bountiful." "Oh, yes, I am." "You see, I " "I'm sorry, lady." "I got to hold you here for the sheriff." "The sheriff?" "Yes, ma'am." "You're joking with me." "Please don't joke with me." "I've come too far." "I got to keep you here till your son arrives in his car." "My son hasn't got a car, so I don't believe you." "The sheriff will be here in a minute." "You can ask him yourself." "All right." "But I'm going." "Do you understand that?" "This is a free country, and I'll tell him that." "No sheriff, no king, no prison will keep me from going back to bountiful." "All right!" "You can tell him yourself." "What time is my son expected?" "The sheriff said around 7:30." "Where can I get me a driver?" "Ma'am." "If you can get me a driver," "I can make it to bountiful and back way before 7:30." "Look, lady -- that's all I want." "That's all I ask." "Just to see it, to stand on the porch of my own house once more." "Lady -- last night, I thought I had to stay." "I thought I would die if I couldn't stay." "But I'll settle for less now." "An hour, half hour, 15 minutes." "Look, look, lady, it ain't up to me." "I told you -- the sheriff." "Then get me the sheriff." "Go get me the sheriff." "The time is going, sir." "The time is going." "The time is -- Mrs. watts." "Yes, sir?" "Are you the sheriff?" "Yes, ma'am." "I understand my son will be here at 7:30 to take me back to Houston." "Yes, ma'am." "Please listen to me, sir." "I've waited a long time just to get to bountiful." "And I made one promise to myself, and that is to see my home again before I die." "Lady, I don't know anything about that." "I'm not asking that I not go back." "I'm willing to go back." "Only let me travel these 12 Miles first." "I got money." "I can pay." "Ma'am, I think that's between you an your son." "Ludie?" "He has to do what jessie mae tells him to do." "I know why she wants me back." "It's for my government check." "I don't know anything about that, ma'am." "Won't you let me go?" "No." "Not unless your son takes you." "All right." "Then I've lost." "I've come all this way only to lose." "I kept thinking back there, day and night in those two rooms." "I kept thinking." "And it may mean nothing at all to you, but I kept thinking if I could just set foot there for a minute, even a second," "I might get some understanding of why -- why my life has grown so empty and meaningless and why I've turned into a hateful, quarrelsome old woman." "And before I leave this earth, I'd like to recover some of the dignity and the peace I used to know." "I'm going to die, and jessie mae knows that." "And she's willful." "And it's her will that I die in those two rooms." "Well, she won't have her way." "Because it's my will to die in bountiful." "I want to go home." "B-b-b-but, Mrs. watts -- I want to go home." "Roy, Roy, hurry up now." "Call the doctor." "Roy:" "Yes, sir." "No doctor!" "No doctor!" "Sit, sit, sit, sit." "Bountiful!" "Bountiful!" "Bountiful!" "Shh." "[ Crying ] Bountiful." "How you feeling?" "Stronger by the minute, thank you." "Does this look familiar?" "Yes." "It surely does." "[ Birds chirping ]" "Look at bountiful." "There's nothing left." "I'm home." "I'm home." "I'm home." "[ Breathing heavily ]" "Thank you." "Thank you." "I'll pay you." "Ma'am, you better come over here and sit down and rest awhile." "Yes, sir." "Don't want to overdo it." "Hope I've done the right thing in bringing you here." "[ Chuckles ]" "I don't see what harm it can do as long as you mind the doctor and don't get overexcited." "Yes, sir." "Yeah." "I'll stay out here until your son arrives." "Thank you." "You've been very kind." "[ Bird chirping ]" "[ Groans ] Whew." "What kind of bird was that?" "Oh, that's a -- that's an old red bird." "Oh, I thought it was a red bird." "I mean, I haven't heard one in so long, I couldn't be sure." "Do they still have scissortails around here?" "Yes, ma'am." "I see them out here every now and then when I'm driving to the country." "Oh, I don't think here's anything prettier than a scissortail flying around the sky." "You know, my father was a good man in many ways." "A peculiar man, but a good one." "One of the things he couldn't stand was to see a bird shot on his land." "If the men came hunting, he would take a gun and chase them away." "I think the birds knew they couldn't be touched here." "Our land was always a home to them." "Ducks and geese and finches and bluejays and blue birds and red birds and wild canaries and black birds and mockers and doves and rice birds." "Rice birds get thicker every year." "They seem to thrive out here on the coast." "I guess a mockingbird is my favorite of them all." "I think it's mine, too." "I don't know, though." "I'm mighty partial to a scissortail." "[ Both laugh ]" "I hope I get to see one soon." "I hope you can." "My father was born on this land." "And in this house." "Did you know my father?" "No, ma'am." "Not that I can remember." "Hmm." "Well, I guess there are not very many around here that remember my father." "I do, of course." "My son." "Funny." "Ever since I've been here, I've been half expecting my mama and my papa walk out the door and greet me and welcome me home." "When you've lived longer than your house and your family, you've lived too long." "Maybe it's just me." "Maybe the need to belong to a house and a family and a town is gone from the rest of the world." "What's happened to the farms?" "For the last five Miles, I've seen nothing but woods." "I know." "Land around bountiful just played out." "People like you got discouraged and moved away." "Yeah, but Callie Davis -- she kept her farm going." "Yeah, yeah, she did." "She learned how to treat her land right, and it started paying off for her toward the end." "Heard she was on her tractor the day before she died." "Lonely death she had, all by herself in that big, old house." "There are worse things." "[ Sighs ]" "Well, looks to me like you're gonna have a pretty day." "Oh, I hope so." "Are you feeling more rested now?" "Oh, yes, I am." "All right." "I'm just gonna head back to the car." "You call me if you need anything." "Thank you." "You'll never know what this has meant to me." "[ Birds chirping ]" "[ Laughs ]" "Ludie:" "Mama!" "Mama!" "Mrs. watts:" "Hello, son." "[ Sighs ] Hello, mama." "How do you feel?" "I'm feeling much better, ludie." "Yes, ma'am." "I got my wish." "Yes, ma'am." "Hope I didn't worry you too much, ludie." "But I just felt I had to." "Yes, ma'am." "I understand, mama." "But it's done now, so..." "[ Sighs ] Let's forget about it." "All right, Sonny." "You did bring jessie mae, didn't you?" "Yes, ma'am." "Well, now she's here and she can get out the car and come take a look around." "No, she doesn't seem to want to, mama." "You asked her?" "[ Chuckling ] Yes, ma'am." "Did you ask about your raise, son?" "Yes, ma'am." "Mr. Douglas told me he liked my work and he'd be glad to recommend a raise for me." "Oh." "The sky's so blue, ludie." "You ever see the sky so blue?" "No, ma'am." "Callie Davis died." "Is that so?" "When did that happen?" "They don't rightly know." "They found her dead." "She'd been riding her tractor just the day before." "They buried her yesterday." "Mama, I should have made myself bring you here before." "I'm sorry." "But I thought it'd be easier for both of us not to see the house again." "I know, ludie, but now you're here." "Don't you want to come inside and take a look around a bit?" "I don't think I'd better, mama." "I don't see any use in it." "I'd rather remember it like it was." "[ Laughs ]" "Old house has gotten kind of rundown, hasn't it?" "Yes, it has." "I don't think it'll last out the next Gulf storm." "Doesn't look like it would." "You know who you look like standing there, ludie?" "Who?" "My papa." "Do I?" "Just like him." "Course, I've been noticing as you grow older that you're looking more and more like him." "My papa was a good-looking man, ludie." "Was he?" "You've seen his picture." "Didn't you think so?" "I don't remember." "Been a long time since I looked at his picture." "Well, he was always considered a very nice-looking man." "Do you remember my papa at all, son?" "No, ma'am." "Not too well." "I was only 10 when he died, mama." "I remember the day he died." "I heard about it as I was coming home from school." "Lee Williams told me." "I thought he was joking." "I called him a liar." "I remember..." "You taking me into the parlor there on the day of the funeral so I could say goodbye to him." "I remember the coffin, people sitting in the room, old man Joe Williams took me up on to his knee and he told me grandpapa was his best friend and that his life was a real example for me to follow." "I remember grandmama sitting by the coffin crying." "She made me promise that when I had a son of my own," "I'd name him after grandpapa." "And I would have, too." "I've never forgotten that promise." "Well..." "I didn't have a son." "Or a daughter." "Billy Davidson told me that his wife is expecting their fourth child." "They have two girls and a boy now, and Billy Davidson -- he doesn't make much more than I do." "And they certainly seem to get along." "Own their own home and have a car." "Does your heart good to hear them tell about how they all get along." "Everybody has their own job, even the youngest child." "She's only 3." "She puts the napkins around the table at meal time." "That's her job." "Billy said to me, "ludie, I don't know how I'd keep going without my kids."" "He said, "I don't understand." ""What keeps you going, ludie?" "What you work for?"" "I said, "well..." "[Chuckles] Billy..."" "[ Voice breaking ] Oh, mama..." "I haven't made any kind of life for you -- either one of you." "And I try so hard." "I try so hard." "Mama, I lied to you." "I do remember." "I remember so much." "[ Sighs ]" "This house..." "The life here." "The night you woke me up and dressed me and took me for a walk and there was a full moon and I was crying because I was afraid and..." "You comforted me." "I want to stop remembering, mama." "Doesn't do any good to remember." "[ Car horn honks ]" "We have to go now, mama." "Jessie mae is nervous I might lose my job." "Ludie, what happened to us?" "Why have we come to this?" "I don't know, mama." "To have stayed and fought the land would have been better than this." "Yes, ma'am." "Pretty soon, it will all be gone." "10 years, 20 years." "This house, me, you." "I know, mama." "But the river will be here, the fields, the woods, the smells of the Gulf." "That's what I always took my strength from, ludie." "Not from houses, not from people." "It's so quiet here." "So eternally quiet." "I have forgotten the peace, the quiet." "Ludie, do you remember how my papa always had that field there planted with cotton?" "Yes, ma'am." "See?" "It's all woods now." "I expect someday, people will come again and cut down the trees and plant the cotton and maybe even wear out the land again." "And then their children will sell it and go to the cities and the trees will come up again." "I expect so, mama." "We're part of all this, ludie." "We left it." "But we can never lose what it's given us." "Jessie mae:" "Ludie?" "Ludie?" "Ludie, are you coming or not?" "We were just starting, jessie mae." "Hello, jessie mae." "[ Sighs ] I am not speaking to you." "I guess you're proud of the time you gave us, dragging us all the way out here this time of the morning." "If ludie loses his job over this, I hope you're satisfied." "I'm not gonna lose my job, jessie mae." "Well, you could." "All right, jessie mae." "And she should realize it." "She's selfish." "That's her trouble." "Just purely selfish." "Now, you tell your mama what we discussed in the car." "No, we can talk about it driving back to Houston." "I think we should have it out right here." "I'd like everything understood right now." "I got everything written down." "Do you want to read it?" "You want me to read it to you, mother watts?" "What is it, jessie mae?" "It's a few rules and regulations that are necessary for my peace of mind..." "And I think to ludie's, too." "First of all, I'd like to ask you a question." "Yes, ma'am?" "What possessed you to run away?" "Didn't you know you'd be caught and have to back?" "I had to come, jessie mae." "20 years is a long time." "But what if you had died from the excitement?" "Didn't you know you could have died?" "I knew." "And you didn't care?" "I had to come, jessie mae." "[ Sighs ]" "Well, I hope it is out of your system now." "It is." "[ Sighs ]" "I've had my trip, and it's more than enough to keep me happy for the rest of my life." "Well, glad to hear that." "That was the first thing on my list." "Number one, there will be no more running away." "There will be no more running away." "Good." "Number two, no more hymn singing when I'm in the apartment." "When I'm gone, you can sing your lungs out." "Agreed?" "Agreed." "Number three -- can't this wait till we get home, jessie mae?" "Honey, we agreed I'm gonna handle this." "No more pouting." "When I ask a question, I'd like an answer." "All right." "Number four, with the condition that your heart is in," "I feel you should not run around the apartment when you can walk." "All right, jessie mae." "Well, that's all." "Is there anything you want to say to me?" "No, ma'am." "Well, I might as well tell you" "I'm not staying in that house and watching over you anymore." "I'm joining a bridge club." "I'm going to town at least twice a week." "If you go now, it'll just be a funeral." "You understand?" "I understand." "Well, all right." "Mama, we also agreed that we can all try our best to get along together." "Jessie mae also realizes that sometimes she gets upset when she shouldn't." "Don't you, jessie mae?" "Mm-hmm." "Ludie:" "Let's start by trying to have a pleasant ride home." "All righty." "[ Bird chirping ]" "That's a red bird." "A what?" "A red bird." "[ Sighs ]" "That's what I thought you said." "Come on." "Let's get going." "Do we go back by way of Harrison?" "Yeah." "Oh, good." "We can stop at the drug store." "I am so thirsty, I could drink 10 Coca-colas." "Are y'all ready?" "Yes, ma'am." "Where's your purse?" "Oh." "I guess I left it inside." "Where?" "Oh, I'll go get it." "No, I want to go." "You'll take all day." "But you wait here." "I don't want to get left alone in this ramshackley old house." "There's no telling what's running around in there." "There's nothing around in there." "Well, there might be some rats or snakes or something." "I said there's nothing in there." "Ludie:" "Mama." "All right, ludie." "[ Bird chirping ]" "Isn't that scissortail?" "Look." "That's a scissortail." "I don't know." "I didn't get to see it if it was." "They fly so fast." "[ Laughs ] Here is your purse." "Now, where's the money from that government check?" "In the purse." "No, it isn't." "Well, let me look." "[ Sighs ]" "[ Laughs ]" "What is the matter with you?" "It's a good joke on me." "What's so funny?" "I just remembered." "I left this purse on the bus last night." "I caused the man a lot of trouble 'cause I thought the check was in there." "And do you know, that check was not in this purse all that time?" "Well, where was it?" "Right here." "Huh?" "Give it to me before you go lose it again." "I'm not gonna lose it." "Now, don't start that business." "Just give it to me." "Jessie mae." "Well, honey, what if she goes and loses it?" "Oh, stop this wrangling once and for all." "You have given me your word and I expect you to keep your word." "We have to live together." "And we're gonna live together..." "In peace." "It's all right, ludie." "Let jessie mae take care of the check." "[ Sighs ] Here, you keep the check." "Just don't go lose it again." "Come on." "Let's go." "Mama, if I get a raise, you won't have to -- it's all right, son." "I've had my trip." "Go ahead." "I'll be right there." "The house used to look so..." "Big." "Goodbye, bountiful." "Goodbye." "♪ Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine ♪" "♪ oh, what a foretaste of glory divine ♪" "♪ heir of salvation, purchase of God ♪" "♪ born of his spirit, washed in his blood ♪" "♪ this is my story, this is my song ♪" "♪ praising my savior all the day long ♪" "♪ this is my story, this is my song ♪" "♪ praising my savior all the day long ♪"