"Hazel Lamphere." "Don't look so surprised." "I'm actually a very good teacher." "You just don't look like our usual teachers." " What did you expect?" " Warts." "[HAZEL CHUCKLES]" "[STUDENTS LAUGHING AND CHATTERING]" "[WHISTLES]" "Being a father just comes natural to you." "When you see that little creature, how much it needs you you'll feel strong." "Cindy and I should've waited." "I'm just not ready." "If you waited till you were ready, you'd be a white-haired old man like me." "I have to go to the hospital." " Now?" " This minute." " Oh, but the baby's not due yet, is it?" " Try and tell the baby that." " Where's Ben?" " He's not home yet." "I wish that we had years of adventures to share but we still have a couple of months." "You lied to me." "You said we were going to New York together, and you never meant it." "You say you love me, but you don't." "You said that the world was beautiful, but it's ugly." "You lie." "JOHN-BOY:" "In each of our lives, if we are lucky we encounter a few extraordinary people who forever alter our perceptions and color our thoughts." "They become the touchstones of our lives." "In the spring of 1944 my sister Elizabeth came to know one of these special people." "MAN:" "Here you are." " Ah." "Thank you." "Oh, blast it." "Ah." "Direct hit." "Wonderful." "The bus broke down twice the woman next to me was with a molting chicken and now this." "[HAZEL SIGHS]" "What do you think of the combination of mohair, mud and feathers?" "[ELIZABETH CHUCKLES]" "I don't suppose there's a dry-cleaning shop handy?" " I'm afraid not." " Oh." "How about a taxicab?" " You could try Rockfish." " I did." "That's where I got the bus." "Why don't you tell me where you're going and I can help you with your bags?" "Well, I'm not actually sure." "Where is the schoolteacher's house?" " You're the new teacher?" " Hazel Lamphere." "Don't look so surprised." "I'm a good teacher." "Oh, Miss Lamphere, here, let me take your bags." "Please call me Hazel, except in the classroom." " How about telling me your name?" " Oh, Elizabeth Walton." "You just don't look like our usual teachers." " What did you expect?" " Warts." "[HAZEL CHUCKLES]" "First word is "arithmetic." "Arithmetic."" "A-R-I-T-T-H-E-M-A-T-T-I-C?" "Wrong?" "It's very simple." ""A rat in the house might eat the ice cream."" "Now, the first letter of every word in that sentence makes the proper spelling." "CINDY:" "Hi, Rose." "Hi, Jeffrey." " Hi." "JEFFREY:" "You know something?" "I wish you'd be our new teacher because the last one we had was a real jerk." "J-E-R-K." "[ROSE CHUCKLES]" "I'm going to Godsey's." "I have a craving for pistachio nuts and pigs' feet." " Can I get you anything?" " Yes, yes." "Uh, we could use some more lemons if we're gonna have lemonade for the baby shower." "Okay." "Be glad to." "See you later." "Bye-bye." " Is Cindy's baby gonna get rained on?" " Oh, no, no." "A shower is a party given to celebrate the coming of the blessed event." "Us gals are going to have a party for Cindy next week and then you menfolk will have a party for Ben." "Is that when we're gonna get the baby?" "Oh, no, the baby comes a few weeks after that." "Where's it arriving from?" "Oh, I don't think you'd find that very interesting." " Yes, I would." " It's like this." "In a few weeks, Cindy will be off to the hospital." "Then what?" "Well, then the doctor will come around to see her, and, uh...." "You know the black bag a doctor carries?" "Well, he'll take the baby out of the bag and give it to Cindy." " That's it?" " Pretty close." " Now let's spell "geography."" " Is there a trick way to spell that?" "Yes, "George Ellen's old grandpa rode a pig home yesterday."" "Home, sweet home." "I like it." "Here we are." "Oh, it's nice." "Except for that painting." " Oh, what a horror." " [IN ENGLISH ACCENT] Don't you like it?" "It's from the Corabeth Godsey Private Collection of Art." "Corabeth's very refined." "[CHUCKLES]" "Being refined is no guarantee of good taste though, is it?" "[IN NORMAL VOICE] Not with Corabeth." "Come on, old Cupid, down off your perch." "Oh." "Hmm." "Are you okay?" "[HAZEL SIGHS]" "Yeah, I just-- I'm a little tired from that walk, I think." " What are those?" " Oh, nothing important, just aspirin." "Let's unpack." " Where did you get this?" " In Thailand." "What were you doing in Thailand?" "Riding the rickshaws and going to see all the temples." "I was on my way around the world." "Certainly sounds more fun than teaching." "It's just a different kind of fun." "I love working with young people." "I've always thought of the teacher as the enemy." "There seems to be a lot of that going around these days." "But I always feel that for me, my students become a kind of family." "It's the only family I've got." "Do you have brothers and sisters?" "Bunches." "That reminds me, I'd better be getting home." "It's about suppertime." "CORABETH [OUTSIDE]:" "Yoo-hoo!" "Miss Lamphere!" "ELIZABETH:" "It's Corabeth Godsey." " Cupid lady?" " Mm-hm." "Too bad you didn't like her picture." "She's liable to stay mad at that for a long time." "I can handle her." "You run on home." "ELIZABETH:" "Hi, Corabeth." "Bye." "CORABETH:" "Goodbye." "Ah." "How do you do?" "You must be Miss Lamphere." "I am Corabeth Godsey." "I'm very glad to meet you." "Thank you so much for the job." "Oh, well, it was not entirely my selection." "However, I must admit that a great deal of the responsibility from the board of education does fall on my shoulders." "My, you are much younger than I ever expected." "Well, I trust that I was given the position because of my qualifications, not my age." "[CORABETH CHUCKLES]" "Well, how do you like your accommodations?" "Oh dear." "Now, I am sure I told Mr. Godsey to hang that up." "Oh." "Well, he did." "I took it down." "Uh...." "Heh." "There just isn't enough room here for both me and Cupid." " Thank you anyway." " Oh." "Well, it's such a pity that you don't appreciate art." " I myself find it so inspiring." " Oh, so do I." "But I guess my tastes seem to run in a different direction." "I have an abstract print I'm gonna hang instead." "Oh, dear." "One of those decadent moderns." " Well, I suppose it is your decision." " I suppose so." "[ALL CHATTERING]" "ROSE:" "Hi." "JOHN:" "Elizabeth, you're late for supper." "I'm sorry." " Guess what I've been doing today." " Making eyes at a soldier." "[BEN LAUGHS]" "Visiting the new schoolteacher." "She needed help unpacking." " What's her name, Elizabeth?" " Hazel Lamphere." "It's French." "She's really nice." "She's pretty too." "She's been around the world." "Sounds like you've taken quite a fancy to her." "I have." "I think she likes me too." "[RINGING]" "[STUDENTS LAUGHING AND CHATTERING]" "[WHISTLES]" "Good morning." "I'm Miss Lamphere." "It's an odd name, so let me spell it for you." "I know we'll all get along better if from now on I can use my energies for teaching and not for whistling." "Also, all paper airplanes and any other missiles have been grounded for the duration of my stay." "I'm here because I love to teach." "But I suspect that most of you are here because your parents told you you had to come, right?" "Okay." "Then why don't you tell me some of the reasons you don't like school?" "Come on, I'm not gonna grade you on this." " Yes?" " It's boring." "All right, fair enough." "And I'm gonna try to do something about that." "So for your first homework assignment, I want each of you to write on a piece of paper some subjects that interest you." "And then I will find some time each day to study these things with you." "Any questions?" " How about cowboys?" " Cowboys are great." "Also cowgirls." "[CLEARS THROAT]" "Now, this is an interesting subject." "A snake." "Green with some stripes, nonvenomous." "He's very beautiful, in a way." "He's also very slippery." "Ha, ha." "I don't know much else about him but I do know that his natural habitat is not the schoolroom." "So from now on the only living creatures to be in this room are human beings." "Got that?" "[JEFFREY GIGGLING]" "Good." "Bleh." "[JEFFREY LAUGHING]" "Even Jim-Bob likes you, and he's never liked a teacher before." "Oh, that's quite a compliment." " Where do you think I should hang this?" " What is it?" " It's modern art." " That's art?" "I'll have you know that the original is hanging in a museum in New York City." " It's just lines and colors." " It's called abstract art." " I like it, I think." " Ha, ha." "Me too." "But you know, a lot of people don't." "They think anybody can paint this." " Babies, monkeys." " Not you?" "No." "I think it's going to endure, like all important art." "You certainly know a lot about it." "Well, I used to live in the museums in New York." "They have rooms and rooms full of magnificent artworks some very new and some hundreds of years old." "You know, I've never even been to one museum." "Then you should put that on your list of things to do." " You have a list?" " Of course." "I remember when I first started it at the top of the list was to ride a camel." " Have you?" " Here, hold this." "Yes, in Egypt." "The camel's name was Nefertiti ha, ha, and it was the bumpiest ride I've ever had." "I know now why they call camels the ships of the desert." "I was seasick most of the time, but I loved it." "That's good." "You know, you can even make being sick sound like fun." "Oh, well, I've had my share of dull moments but I try to make every experience an adventure." "Maybe you could show me the museums." "We could go to New York together this summer." "Well, summer's a long way off to be making plans already." "Yeah, but I need time to save money." "You have plenty of time, and New York will always be there." "[KNOCKING ON DOOR]" "Miss Lamphere, I'm John Walton." "HAZEL:" "Oh, hello, nice to meet you." "ELIZABETH:" "Hi, Daddy." "We've been looking all over for you." "Know what time it is?" " Is it late?" " It's after 6." "I'm sorry." "We were talking about modern art." "I apologize, Mr. Walton." "I thought Elizabeth had called you." "I meant to, but I forgot." "The afternoon went very fast." "Well, let's go." "Modern art can wait till tomorrow, can't it?" "Of course." "Art endures." "You know, Daddy, I've been thinking about becoming a teacher." "JOHN:" "Oh?" "When did that happen?" "I think when she discovered you didn't have to have warts." "[ALL LAUGH]" " Bye-bye, Hazel." " Bye." "Nice to have met you." " Nice to have met you." " Good night." "Good night." "[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO]" "[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]" "[BIRD SQUAWKING IN DISTANCE]" "HAZEL:" "What was that?" "ELIZABETH:" "That was Rover." "HAZEL:" "You cannot tell me Rover is a dog." "ELIZABETH:" "No, Rover is Jim-Bob's peacock." "He runs wild now." "What would you be if you were a bird?" " A bird?" "I've never thought about it." " Well, just supposing." "Well, I suppose I could be an eagle." "I'd be the boss." " Ha, ha." " I can be a nightingale." "They sing so beautifully, and I just don't." " What about you?" " The phoenix." " Phoenix?" "I've never heard of them." " There's only one in the world." "It lives for hundreds of years and then it builds a funeral pyre made of branches and leaps into the flames." " It kills itself?" " Yeah, well, hold on." "This is the best part." "It then rises from the ashes young and resurrected." "Hmm." "I change my vote to the phoenix." " I'd like to live forever." " Oh, but we do." "Even if our bodies die, bits of us live on in others, in our friends." " Still, I'd rather rise from ashes." " Ha, ha." "Me too." "[ALL LAUGHING AND CHATTERING]" "I've never seen anything like it." "The lady at the store said it's one-of-a-kind." "I can believe it." "Ha-ha-ha." " My, what an unusual gift." " I think it's cute." "I like it." "[KNOCKING ON DOOR]" "I'll get it." "[ALL CHATTERING]" " Everybody..." "MAMIE:" "Oh." "this is Hazel Lamphere." "She's the new schoolteacher." "Very glad to meet you." " How do you do?" " It is our pleasure." "I do so admire you." "I've always had a secret wish to be a schoolteacher." "MAMIE:" "As have I, Miss Lamphere." " What could you teach?" "Oh, sister was first in her class in elocution." "And Emily is an expert in etiquette." "Ha, ha." "Well, perhaps you'd care to address the class one day." "Oh, we'd be delighted, wouldn't we, sister?" "Congratulations, Cindy." "This is for you and the baby." "And this is a rum cake for the rest of us." "ROSE:" "Oh, ah." "MARY ELLEN:" "Yum." " The demon rum." " I think you overestimate the cake." "MARY ELLEN:" "Why don't we get some plates?" " Okay." "Is this from you?" " Yes." "[ALL CHATTERING]" "There're some plates in the cupboard." " I gather the rum cake was a mistake." " Only with Corabeth." "Oh, it looks good." "I can't wait to try it." " Hazel, what's wrong?" " Uh, just a little dizzy." "Don't tell the others." "Corabeth will think I've been dipping into the demon rum." " Have you seen a doctor?" " Oh." "It's nothing serious." " This is from sister and me." " Oh, thanks." "It's been in our family since we were babies." "CINDY:" "Ah." "CORABETH:" "Aw." "Corabeth." " Oh." "Thank you." "HAZEL:" "Mm." "[LULLABY PLAYING]" " It's a music box." " Oh, isn't that a charming gift?" "I have always felt that an infant was never too young to start learning to appreciate music." "I loved it as a baby myself." "[CINDY GASPS]" "I just felt the baby kick." "In time to the music." "[ALL LAUGHING]" "JOHN:" "Well, well, look at that." " That's great, Jim-Bob." "The lady at the store said it was the only one of its kind." " It's unique." " It should be, for my baby." "Ha, ha." " It's real nice, Jim-Bob." " Anybody want more of the recipe?" " Oh, sure, sure." " Not you, Jeffrey." "[IKE  BEN CHUCKLE]" "I think we better drink it up before Corabeth gets back." " This is like a bachelor party." " Well, you know, why not?" "We didn't have a chance to give you one when you were free." "The only thing missing is the girl coming out of the cake." "You know, I considered that but it would be more appropriate if we had a stork coming out, huh?" "[IKE CHUCKLES]" " Why a stork?" " Because the stork brings the baby." "I always thought that the doctor brought him in the black bag." "Drink your orange juice, son." "Ha, ha." "Oh, Ben, here's something practical." " I like those wrappings." "JASON  IKE:" "Ha-ha-ha." " I did it all myself." " It's the thought that counts." "At any rate, that's a first-aid kit." "It's got stuff in there for convulsions and for the croup and it's got all sorts of instructions." " I thought it'd come in handy." "JOHN:" "Anything for colic?" "[ALL LAUGH]" "Thanks, Ike." "That's really nice." " I got one more thing here for you, son." " I bet it's money." "I opened up a bank account for my grandchild." " You can fill in the first name later." " Thanks, Daddy, that's real thoughtful." "It's not much money, but...." "It's not gonna pay a dental bill or a college education, but it's a start." "I guess I have to think about those things, huh?" "Yes, you do, son." "Come on, Ben, drink up for in a few tomorrows, you're gonna be a father." "[JOHN CHUCKLES]" "Ike says so." "He says they come from the storks." "But there aren't any storks around here and there are plenty of babies." "Well, how about the doctor's black bag?" "Nana told me that's where they come from." "She's wrong too." "They come from the cabbage patch." " Who told you that?" " My mother, and she should know." " That's where she found me." " You're both wrong." "Shh." "What is all the shouting about?" "The older children are still in school." "Jeffrey thinks a baby comes from black bags and Lauren thinks they come from cabbage patches." "But I know the truth." "It's in the mama's stomach." "That's why Cindy's so fat." "You mean the baby's in there?" "Well, the baby is inside Cindy, but it's in a special place just for babies." "How does the baby get out?" "It squeezes through the mama's bellybutton." "Uh, hold it." "That idea belongs with the cabbage-patch theory." " But that's what I was told." "HAZEL:" "I'm sorry, it's wrong." "How would you all like it if we had a class all about how babies are born?" "BOTH:" "Yeah." "Can we still have a class about cowboys?" "Certainly, but after the baby class." "Cowboys were not born in the saddle, you know." "Okay, scoot on home." " Hi, everybody." "ROSE  IKE:" "Hello, Jeffrey." "Hey, what do you think of your new teacher?" "I like her." "She says a lot of interesting things, and she's not afraid of snakes." "What sort of interesting things?" "Today she told us that Cindy's baby was inside Cindy." "You got it all wrong, Nana." "They don't come from black bags." "[IKE CHUCKLES]" "Well, I just thought maybe you were too young to understand." "Did she tell you anything else about babies?" "Nope." "She's saving the rest to teach us in class." " Beat you home, Nana." " See you, Jeffrey." "[DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES]" "Oh, dear." "First it was rum cakes and modern art, and now it's lessons in childbirth." "What are we to do?" "Well, I guess from now on we'd better start teaching the children the truth ourselves." "Why, the parents should be warned." "Now, that woman should be dismissed." " Then who would you find to teach?" " Well, you don't have to look very far." "I am as qualified as anyone in this backwater." "Oh, dear." "[ROSE CHUCKLES]" " If it's a girl, I'd call it Anastasia." " Sounds like some kind of medicine." " What about Sarah?" "JIM-BOB:" "Mm-mm." "No, thank you." " I like Frank." " Or Manfred." "Sounds manly." " Tom isn't bad." " What about Karen?" "BEN:" "Now, that I like." "Ben used to have a girlfriend named Karen." "Oh, well, I think we'll forget about that one." "JIM-BOB:" "Elizabeth would probably wanna name it Hazel." "Oh, dear." " What's wrong with that?" " Oh, it's not that." "It's just that Hazel's got herself in hot water." "Well, what happened?" "JIM-BOB:" "Corabeth found out she's teaching a class on childbirth." "She's on the warpath." "BEN:" "Poor Hazel." " And it's all my fault." "If only I had told Jeffrey the truth." "But, you know, when children begin to ask ticklish questions it gets very difficult." "Now, you wait and see." "Our baby won't be asking too many questions for a while." "ROSE:" "Well, at Jeffrey's age, they're curious as cats which is healthy for them but awkward for us." "When our kids start asking questions, I'm gonna send them to Daddy." " You'll be fine." "BEN:" "Oh, sure." "Man-to-man talks?" "Unless it's a daughter." " How about Isabel or Reginald?" " Reginald?" "With a name like that, he'll probably get enlisted into the Foreign Legion." "You guys keep on thinking." "I have to go make a delivery in Rockfish." "CINDY:" "Are you gonna be back by dinner?" " I'll try, but don't count on it." "Bye-bye." " Bye-bye." "[WHISTLING]" "[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]" "Oh." "Hello." "If you were a goldfinch flying by, would you be interested in this birdfeeder?" "I desperately long to see some goldfinches and I hear they do come around." "Depends upon what kind of birdfeed you got." "Oh." "Well...." "I have got seed that even a gourmet bird could not resist." " What's on your mind?" " It's Corabeth." " She's out to get you." " Sounds serious." "She found out about your class on childbirth." "She's gonna try and stop you." " Oh, no, she won't." " You don't know her." "She's impossible." "I can get pretty stubborn myself, you know." " You can't fight her." " Then what should I do?" "Tell her you won't do the class." " I can't do that." " She's gonna try and get you fired." "Trying is not succeeding." "But I want you here." "I don't want you to go." "Elizabeth, we will be friends no matter where I am." "I also want you here so I can learn how to teach from you." "The first thing you better learn is that you've got to stick to your principles." "Well, you could say that you changed your mind and you don't have time to teach that." "I'd be lying." "And worse, I'd be letting narrow-minded people like Corabeth push me around and tell me what I can teach." "Learning about babies isn't so important." "What is important is that I'm able to teach what I choose." "And that means that the parents have to trust me and understand that I would never teach something harmful." " Corabeth could win." " Possibly." "But sometimes in life, we've gotta take chances." "You've gotta make a stand for something you believe in." "And if you run away from it then you hurt something inside yourself." " You understand that?" " I guess." "Um...." "Listen, there are always gonna be dragons around us in life." "And when a dragon, even a small one, starts to breathe fire then we gotta stop it." "And sometimes you get burned trying." " Corabeth can be quite a dragon." " And I am going to muzzle her." " I wish I could help you." " Well, you can." "How about asking Mary Ellen for some medical books about birth?" "I wanna make sure that I've got all my facts straight." "Maybe you could teach with such complicated words that nobody could understand you." " Ah." "Elizabeth Walton." " Okay, you win." "That's the spirit." "Easy, son, easy." " Ben, will you pay attention, please?" " I'm sorry, Daddy." "My mind's on things." "It's sure not on your work." "I'm just not cut out to be a father." "A little late to be thinking about that now, son." "Just never thought there were so many serious things like talks, college, dentists, the croup." "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "Like I've been trying to tell you you don't have to worry about all those things at once." "First you get the little thing out of its diapers." "Take the rest as it comes." "Being a father just comes natural to you." "Ben, after 25 years of on-the-job training it does come easier." "It can get rough sometimes." "You'll catch on, Ben." "I just wish I had your confidence." "When you see how much that little thing needs you, you'll feel real strong." "Cindy and I should've waited." "I'm just not ready." "If you waited till you were ready, you'd be a white-haired old man like me." "The way I'm feeling now, I'm gonna be a white-haired young man." "Ben, it's gonna be all right, son." " Thank you, Corabeth." "Oh, dear." " Thank you." "I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to this rationing." "Yes, it does cause one to lead a more circumscribed life." " Yes." " It certainly does." "Thank you." "HAZEL:" "Good afternoon, ladies." "EMILY:" "Oh, Miss Lamphere." "Hello, Miss Lamphere." "Miss Lamphere, if there's something that you require you must wait your turn." "Well, actually I came to see you." "But I'm glad Miss Emily and Miss Mamie are here also." "I want to invite you all to school this Monday." "Oh." "Oh, well, I do hope that you have reconsidered teaching childbirth in the public school system." "Well, I haven't." "And I'm counting on you to tell the other parents that they're invited." "I remember after Ashley Longworth kissed me Papa gave us a book about what every young lady should know." "And that's the last time the subject was ever brought up." "Well, then do come to my class." " May we ask questions?" " And get some answers?" "Certainly." "I hope so." "And, Corabeth, if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them for you." " Bye-bye." "EMILY:" "Bye." "[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO]" "Hazel?" "Hazel, it's Mary Ellen." "I brought the medical books." "Hazel, are you here?" "[MUSIC STOPS]" "Hazel." "Hazel?" "Hazel." "Hazel." " What happened?" " Oh." "Oh, it's just a headache." "I must have fainted." "Some headache." "You were out cold." "Ah." "Did you bring those medical books?" " I'm taking you to see a doctor." " Oh, thank you, no." " I think you need one." " Please, Mary Ellen." "Well, if you won't go see one, I'll bring one here to you." "[SIGHS]" "It's stupid to try to fool you." "I've already been examined by a doctor, many doctors." "And they all say the same thing." "I'm going to die." "Three, four months." "No longer." "Why didn't you tell us?" "[HAZEL SCOFFS]" "If you could only see your expression." "I don't wanna spend the little time I have left seeing only pity in people's eyes." "What is it?" "The poetic name for it is acoustic neuroma." "A brain tumor?" "[SIGHS]" "I've always hated the way that sounds." "Will you keep my secret?" "What about Elizabeth?" "[SIGHS]" "I dread telling her." "Don't underestimate her." "She is a young woman, not a little girl." "[SIGHS]" "Let's get to those books of yours." "Why did you come here if you have so little time left?" "[SIGHS]" "Because I needed to teach and Walton's Mountain needed a teacher." "I wanna open my students' eyes to the wonder of ideas and the wonder of this Earth." "And if one student, just Elizabeth learns from me to treasure or challenge life a little more then I will have put back into the world some of the joy and excitement I've known and my life will have been of some value." "Does that make sense to you?" "[BEN SIGHS]" "How about another?" "It's about time to close up." " You a family man?" " Hmm?" "Oh, ha, ha." "No." " Single and like it that way." " Thank you." "Yeah." "I sometimes miss being single myself." "Missus giving you a hard time?" "Oh, Cindy?" "No, she's wonderful." "The best." "[CHUCKLES]" "That's why you're in here drowning your sorrows, huh?" "I'm gonna be a father soon." "Do I look old enough to be a father?" "Hmm...." "I don't feel like I am." "It's hard being a parent." "A whole other life that's dependent on you." "It's too much." "That's why I'm a bachelor." "Well, I better be getting home to the diapers, the college tuition the bills for the braces the colds, the coughs...." "[BARTENDER SHUDDERS]" "You better have another one for the road." "Now, that's a good idea." "[KNOCKING ON DOOR]" "CINDY:" "John!" "John, I have to go to the hospital." " Huh?" " I have to go to the hospital." " Now?" " This minute." " Oh, but the baby's not due yet, is it?" " Try and tell the baby that." " Where's Ben?" " He's not home yet." " What time is it?" " It's after 3." "We can't worry about him now." "Okay, get ready." "Come on, go ahead." "Let's go." "Mary Ellen!" "Come on, Mary Ellen!" "ELIZABETH:" "Hazel!" " Elizabeth." "What's happened?" " Cindy's gone to the hospital." " The baby's come." "We don't know yet." "They left in the night." " Oh, God, I hope it's a girl." " The father probably hopes it's a boy." "That's true." "What do you wanna have if you have your first child, boys or girls?" "Uh...." "I'm not gonna be having children." "Why not?" "You love children." "It's not that simple." "Uh...." "Elizabeth, there's a problem and I'd like to tell you about it." "Sounds like a pretty big fire-breathing dragon." "The very biggest." "And he's gonna win." "I want you to know about this because I love you." " I'm dying, Elizabeth." " You're not serious." "I am." "I'm sorry." "I don't believe you." "I wish that we had years of adventures to share but we still have a couple of months." "Well you can get better." "I mean, new medicines?" "No." "No, Elizabeth." "This is what is, and I cannot run away from it." "Now, let's just try to enjoy the time we have together." "How?" "We were going to go to New York together." "But you must still go." "It's on your list." "You don't need me there." "You lied to me." "You said we were going to New York together, and you never meant it." "You say you love me, but you don't." "You said that the world was beautiful, but it's ugly." "You lie." "Elizabeth." "Elizabeth, wait." "Elizabeth, stop." "Wait, listen to me!" "Elizabeth!" " Daddy, is Cindy all right?" " Where have you been, son?" "Had a little too much to drink last night, so I slept in the truck." "Rose told me you were here." "Well, she's doing fine." "She's a little upset, worried about you." " Can I see her?" " She's right inside, waiting for you." "Cindy." "Hi." "I'm so sorry." "All of a sudden I got scared of being a father." "I tried to run away." "I needed you last night." "I know." "And I need you now." "Always." " Please forgive me." " I already have." "You know, I've been pretty scared about being a mother." "But with you with me, I'm sure we'll both be fine." "[CINDY SIGHS]" " Cindy, where's the baby?" " It's already been born, silly." " Where is it?" "How is it?" "Is it all right?" " She's perfect." " She?" " You have a daughter." " You don't mind?" " Are you crazy?" "If she's anything like her mother, I'll be the happiest father on Earth." "[DOOR OPENS]" "Congratulations, Daddy." "She's so tiny." "CINDY:" "Don't be afraid." "She won't break." "Oh." "Look at the little fingers and fingernails." "She came with a full set." "Now that we have her, what are we gonna name her?" "I've been thinking." "I'd like to name her after the most beautiful and special place I know." " Virginia." " I love it." "Virginia Walton, how do you like that?" "Here's your mama now." "We're gonna take the best care of you any baby ever had." "[BOTH CHUCKLE]" "That sure is one beautiful baby." "Well, not any more than John Curtis was." "Well, let's just say it's the most beautiful granddaughter I've ever had." "Oh, well, that's playing it safe." "Serena and Elizabeth ought to be happy." "They were rooting for a baby girl." "Aw, Elizabeth could use some good news about now." "Something happen?" "I think I better tell you about it." "It's about Hazel." "ERIN:" "They're here!" "Is it a boy or a girl?" "Is it a boy or a girl?" " Well?" " Come on, tell us." "Where's Elizabeth?" "She'll wanna hear this." "She's acting very strangely." "She hardly touched her lunch and then she went for a walk all by her lonesome." " We'll tell her about the baby later." " But tell us about it now." "Ben and Cindy had a baby girl." "[ALL CHEER]" " It's a girl?" " Not "it," Virginia." "Virginia Walton." "ERIN:" "Oh, yes!" "JASON:" "That's a nice name." " I think we should call her Ginny." "You're up late." "[JASON SIGHS]" "Daddy told me about Hazel." "It must have been a big shock and hurt." "Why'd she come here like that pretending we were gonna be friends for always?" "You are." "You're probably as deep friends now as many years would have made you." "But we don't have many years." "I wish I'd never met her." "You remember my friend Seth, who gave me this?" "I remember." "He died." "When he gave me this recorder I couldn't even play it, I was so mad at him." "You know why?" "Because I felt like he was deserting me." "But he really wasn't because I still had my memories of him." "That's the part of Hazel that'll live on with you." "And the things she's taught you." "Your new love of art and your interest in teaching." "Seems to me she's given you some lasting gifts." "Except for herself." "That wasn't hers to give." "Looks like you've got quite a crowd here." "Had I known, I would've charged admission." "That way, if I'm fired, at least I'd have a nest egg." " I can feel the hostility from here." " I'm on your side." "If you get any questions you can't answer, call on me." "Thanks." " Where's Elizabeth?" " She wouldn't come." "I'm sorry." "[SIGHS]" "Me too." "For myself and for her." "Well, I guess it's time to face the dragons." " Good luck." "HAZEL:" "Thanks." "Good morning, everyone." "Today I'm going to talk about how babies come into this world." "If any of you have any questions, please feel free to raise your hands." " Miss Lamphere?" "HAZEL:" "Yes, Corabeth?" "Ahem." "Birth education has never been taught in our public school system." "And I, for one, am very opposed to the addition of it now." "Well, normally, I feel that this is a subject that should be explained by the parents." "Precisely my point." "However, several of my students seem to have been misinformed." "Cindy Walton gave birth to a baby girl this past weekend." "And I feel sure that all of the Waltons here now will vouch for me when I say that none of them spent the weekend scouring cabbage patches or waiting for the stork." "It's time that we start answering the children's questions honestly." "Because if we don't, they'll turn elsewhere for the answers." " I always liked the one about the stork." "MEN:" "Ha, ha." "HAZEL:" "Please, Jim-Bob, just questions." "Now, I believe that the birth of a child is a very intimate and personal event." "But it is also a magnificent process designed by God." "And we should be in wonder of it, not ashamed or embarrassed." "If any of you feel otherwise, please speak up." "Good." "Now, inside every woman is a special place called the womb, or uterus." "It's shaped like an upside-down pear and is very much the same size." "This is the baby's first home where it lives and grows, safe and warm, for nine months." " Yes, Jeffrey?" " Isn't it a bit too small?" "Well, when life begins the baby is so small that you can't even see it in the womb." "But as the baby grows, the womb stretches to fit the baby uh, much like a glove stretches when you slip your hand inside it." "You sick, honey?" "No." "Honey, it's not right to mourn for Hazel when she's still alive." "I just wanna forget all about her." "This is not the time to be feeling sorry for yourself." " I love her." " Well, then show her." "Remember how you felt when Grandpa died?" "How you never said goodbye to him?" "You got that chance with Hazel now." "Elizabeth." "You and Hazel have chosen each other to be friends." "That means you have to be friends in bad times too." "It's important to try to make her feel happy, honey no matter how much it hurts." "I don't know how." "You'll find a way because she needs you." "It's not fair." "I know." "I know." "Oh, Miss Lamphere, you have neglected to mention how important it is that the expectant mother have a good diet." "Ah, good point." "Yes, the mother must be sure that the baby gets the proper nutrition." "Sometimes pregnant women have strong cravings for very bizarre food combinations, but this is only normal and healthy." "You mean like pistachio nuts and pickled pigs' feet?" "Ha-ha-ha." "Right." "Sounds rather tasty." "We should try it sometime, sister." "Oh." "Sister." "[LAUGHING]" "Near the end of the pregnancy the baby begins to kick inside the mother." "Does it hurt?" "No, I'm told that it's quite a wonderful feeling because the mother knows that the baby is anxious to begin the adventure of life in the world outside." "I would hardly call this vale of tears an adventure." "I would." "So would I." "Life is the most extraordinary adventure we know so far." "And if we've been lucky enough to share it with friends then when the time comes to die we know we've lived fully and are ready for the next great adventure." "Now, then." "JOHN-BOY:" "From that day onward Hazel's teaching was never again questioned." "Elizabeth and Hazel's friendship grew stronger and even though Hazel died a few months later her zest for life lived on in my sister." "ERIN:" "Good night, Jeffrey." "JEFFREY:" "Good night, Erin." "If Virginia is your niece, is she my niece too?" "ERIN:" "No, she's your cousin." "JEFFREY:" "But you're my cousin." "ERIN:" "So is Virginia, only she's once removed." "JEFFREY:" "Removed where?" "ERIN:" "One generation." "JEFFREY:" "What's that?" "ERIN:" "Complicated." "Good night, Jeffrey." "JEFFREY:" "Good night, Erin." "Good night, Virginia." "[ENGLISH" " US" " SDH]"