1. Hey, Rose.Copy !req
2. Hey, Dorothy.Copy !req
3. I'm gonna go over there.Copy !req
4. We're waitin'.Copy !req
5. Alvin.Copy !req
6. Alvin Straight!Copy !req
7. Rose left a couple of hours ago.Copy !req
8. Did you hear me hollerin' for
Rose? I wasn't lookin' for Rose.Copy !req
9. - I haven't seen Alvin today.
- Did I ask?Copy !req
10. Straight, you're late!Copy !req
11. Alvin!Copy !req
12. - Come in, Bud.
- What the... Alvin?Copy !req
13. Where the hell are you?Copy !req
14. I can't see a thing.Copy !req
15. Over here, Bud. Watch your step.Copy !req
16. What the hell's going on?Copy !req
17. What are you doin'
layin' on the floor? You nuts?Copy !req
18. Supposed to be down
at Davmar's one hour ago.Copy !req
19. What's going on?Copy !req
20. Oh, my God!Copy !req
21. Hey, Dorothy.Copy !req
22. What's the number for 911?Copy !req
23. - No, Dorothy.
- What you doin'?Copy !req
24. I'll call the bar
and tell 'em we're not comin'.Copy !req
25. Are you crazy?
We have a stricken man here.Copy !req
26. Are you stricken, Alvin?Copy !req
27. Put the phone down!Copy !req
28. Dad, what's all the yellin'?Copy !req
29. Wh-what... uh,
have you done to my dad?Copy !req
30. Oh, for cry eye!Copy !req
31. Dad?Copy !req
32. Are you OK, Dad?Copy !req
33. I just need a little help
gettin' up, honey.Copy !req
34. I'm goin' to Davmar's.
I'll be right back.Copy !req
35. OK, Bud.Copy !req
36. I'm not goin'.Copy !req
37. Dad.Copy !req
38. I'm not goin'.Copy !req
39. You promised me, Dad.Copy !req
40. OK, Mr Straight,
put this robe on.Copy !req
41. Just bring me the doctor.Copy !req
42. You like birds.Copy !req
43. I build... uh, birdhouses...
uh, for bluebirds.Copy !req
44. Oh, that's nice.Copy !req
45. Yeah, it's Pete... uh,
Pete sells my...Copy !req
46. uh, birdhouses...
at the Ace Hardware.Copy !req
47. - I'll look for them next time.
- Yeah?Copy !req
48. No operation.Copy !req
49. This morning you fall and can't
get up, that's your hips, Alvin.Copy !req
50. And you'll need a walker now.Copy !req
51. No walker.Copy !req
52. Fine, a second cane, then.Copy !req
53. You say you're having
trouble seeing.Copy !req
54. That could be
a diabetes-related problem.Copy !req
55. I'd like to run some tests.Copy !req
56. No tests and no X-rays.Copy !req
57. Well, I see and hear
that you smoke.Copy !req
58. My guess is you're in the early
stages of emphysema.Copy !req
59. And Alvin,
you have circulation problemsCopy !req
60. and I'm worried
about your diet.Copy !req
61. If you don't
make some changes quickly,Copy !req
62. there will be
some serious consequences.Copy !req
63. It... has a... a red roof.Copy !req
64. Another pretty one, Rose.Copy !req
65. I want to... uh,
paint the... uh, next one blue.Copy !req
66. That's a good idea.Copy !req
67. What... uh, did the doctor say?Copy !req
68. He said
I was gonna live to be 100.Copy !req
69. I think I'll go
and mow the lawn.Copy !req
70. Uh, I can... uh,
cut it for you, Dad.Copy !req
71. I got it, sweetheart.Copy !req
72. God darn!Copy !req
73. No, we'll...
we won't be mowin' today.Copy !req
74. Storm's comin' in.Copy !req
75. Yeah.Copy !req
76. I love a lightnin' storm.Copy !req
77. Uh, me too, Dad.Copy !req
78. Hello?Copy !req
79. This is... is Rose.Copy !req
80. Yeah... Yeah... Uh-huh.Copy !req
81. Oh, no...Copy !req
82. When?Copy !req
83. OK... right... right...Copy !req
84. I'll tell him.Copy !req
85. Yeah... OK... Bye.Copy !req
86. Uh, that was... Bobby.Copy !req
87. Uncle Lyle... had a...Copy !req
88. a stroke.Copy !req
89. Dad?Copy !req
90. No, Bobby,
he... he didn't say much.Copy !req
91. Uh, they've both...Copy !req
92. uh, been so...Copy !req
93. uh, stubborn.Copy !req
94. No, no,
it was longer, I remember.Copy !req
95. It was... uh, July, uh, 7th,
19... 88, uh, Bobby.Copy !req
96. I always... remember the dates.Copy !req
97. Yeah.Copy !req
98. I don't know... uh,
what he'll do.Copy !req
99. Rose, darlin'?Copy !req
100. Rose?Copy !req
101. I'm gonna go back on the road.Copy !req
102. I've gotta go see Lyle.Copy !req
103. But, Dad...Copy !req
104. How are you?Copy !req
105. Well, I... haven't quite
got that figured yet.Copy !req
106. One, your eyes are bad.Copy !req
107. That's why you don't...
uh, drive your car.Copy !req
108. Uh, two, Uncle Lyle...
uh, lives in... uh, Wisconsin,Copy !req
109. which is... uh, 317 miles away.Copy !req
110. You would have to... uh,
stay all night... in Des Moines.Copy !req
111. Then there's no...
uh, bus... to Zion.Copy !req
112. Three, your... uh, hips are bad.Copy !req
113. You can hardly... uh, stand...Copy !req
114. for two minutes... And
when you... uh, do stand up...Copy !req
115. this... is the sound you make...Copy !req
116. when you... stand.Copy !req
117. Uh, four, uh,
you are... uh, 73 years old...Copy !req
118. You were... uh, bornCopy !req
119. when, uh, Calvin... uh, Coolidge
was president... of America.Copy !req
120. Uh, you are...
uh, 73 years old, Dad.Copy !req
121. And... I cannot drive you there.Copy !req
122. Rose, darlin', I'm not dead yet.Copy !req
123. Uh, what are we...
uh, building, Dad?Copy !req
124. Havin' a party?Copy !req
125. Oh, jeez...
I love... uh, parties.Copy !req
126. Oh, me too.Copy !req
127. And so... where's it at?Copy !req
128. Where's what at?Copy !req
129. Your... uh, party.Copy !req
130. I'm not havin' a party.Copy !req
131. I thought
YOU were havin' a party.Copy !req
132. I am?Copy !req
133. Well, yeah.
Look at all that Braunschweiger.Copy !req
134. Oh, yeah,
it's a lot of Braunschweiger.Copy !req
135. It's... uh, for my dad,
uh, for his... his trip.Copy !req
136. Uh, my dad...
he's going to... uh, Wisconsin.Copy !req
137. I... asked him how
he's... uh, going to get there...Copy !req
138. Uh... but he...
uh, won't say nothing.Copy !req
139. Wisconsin?
That is a real party state.Copy !req
140. Yeah.Copy !req
141. I... uh, hate...
uh, Braun... uh... schweiger.Copy !req
142. Yeah.Copy !req
143. Alvin, you've got three
five-gallon cans there.Copy !req
144. 15 gallons of gas.Copy !req
145. What do you need
so much gas for, Alvin?Copy !req
146. Sig, you're one nosey
son of a gun.Copy !req
147. You got that right.Copy !req
148. - I wanna buy that.
- What?Copy !req
149. The grabber.Copy !req
150. Oh, jeez, Alvin.Copy !req
151. - That's MY grabber, Alvin.
- Well?Copy !req
152. Oh, jeez, Alvin. I don't...
I... I do have two of them...Copy !req
153. I think five dollars is right.Copy !req
154. That's a darn good grabber,
Alvin.Copy !req
155. - I... I...
- Well?Copy !req
156. They're hard to come by, Alvin.Copy !req
157. It's gonna take me two months
to get another one on order.Copy !req
158. Jeez, Alvin, ten dollars.Copy !req
159. Ring her up.Copy !req
160. What do you need
that grabber for, Alvin?Copy !req
161. Grabbin'.Copy !req
162. Oh, jeez, Dad.Copy !req
163. Listen to that
old grain elevator.Copy !req
164. It's... uh, harvest time.Copy !req
165. Uh, that... uh, trailer is too
h-heavy for... for that.Copy !req
166. It's a lawn mower.
You're going to...Copy !req
167. drive a... a lawn mower
to another state?Copy !req
168. Rosie, I've...
I've gotta go see Lyle.Copy !req
169. And I... I've gotta make
this trip on my own.Copy !req
170. I know you understand.Copy !req
171. I guess so.Copy !req
172. Look up at the sky, Rosie.Copy !req
173. The sky is sure full
of stars tonight.Copy !req
174. Crimenetto, it's Alvin
and he's driving his lawn mower.Copy !req
175. Alvin! What are you settin' out
to do here?Copy !req
176. For cry eye, Alvin!Copy !req
177. Alvin, you're gonna get blown
right off the road,Copy !req
178. that's what I'm afraid!Copy !req
179. He'll never make it
past The Grotto.Copy !req
180. I'm havin'
a little engine trouble.Copy !req
181. What the heck is that
you're driving there?Copy !req
182. It's a Rehds. Could you
give me a lift into town?Copy !req
183. Yeah, to The Grotto. This
is the Sun Ray Tour. Get in.Copy !req
184. - I'll get you help there.
- I'd appreciate that.Copy !req
185. My Edward loved
his riding mower.Copy !req
186. Hey, come here, hurry. Hurry up.Copy !req
187. Poor Alvin.Copy !req
188. So the man... in a... pick-up,
he brought my dad back.Copy !req
189. Ohh... mm, I must've been
at the beauty shop.Copy !req
190. What kinda pick-up?Copy !req
191. A Ford.Copy !req
192. But what's your dad doin'
with that gun?Copy !req
193. I don't know.Copy !req
194. I gave you that old Rehds
last time, right?Copy !req
195. That you did.Copy !req
196. - You tradin' in that Rehds now?
- No, I don't believe I will.Copy !req
197. Pete told me you used that rider
in a real interestin' way.Copy !req
198. - You still plannin' to do that?
- Yeah, Tom.Copy !req
199. I know not to talk you out of
somethin' you set your mind to,Copy !req
200. but Alvin, you've always
struck me as smart.Copy !req
201. Well, that's appreciated.Copy !req
202. Until now.Copy !req
203. What year?Copy !req
204. '66.Copy !req
205. Kohler engine.
We've used it for partsCopy !req
206. but I always replace them.
The guts are good.Copy !req
207. It's got the old transmission.
Nothing fancy.Copy !req
208. - Is it a good machine?
- It's good.Copy !req
209. Tom, I got $325.Copy !req
210. That's a fact.Copy !req
211. Sounds good to me, Alvin.
Let's go settle up with Alice.Copy !req
212. One more thing,
sometime you can find outCopy !req
213. about these old machines,
if you know who run 'em.Copy !req
214. - Do you know who owned it?
- You bet... Me.Copy !req
215. All right.Copy !req
216. I couldn't get a ride.Copy !req
217. Are you hungry?Copy !req
218. Whaddaya got?Copy !req
219. Weeners.Copy !req
220. Weeners?Copy !req
221. Weeners. Wanna try one?Copy !req
222. Here's a good stick for you.Copy !req
223. What a hunk ofjunk.Copy !req
224. Eat your dinner, missy.Copy !req
225. So... how long you been
out on the road?Copy !req
226. Well, I been travellin'
most of my life.Copy !req
227. Where you from?Copy !req
228. Laurens.Copy !req
229. Got a wife back there? Kids?Copy !req
230. My wife, Francis delivered
14 babies. Seven of 'em made it.Copy !req
231. My daughter,
Rose lives with me.Copy !req
232. Francis died in '81.Copy !req
233. Where's your family?Copy !req
234. Are you runnin' away?Copy !req
235. How far along are ya?Copy !req
236. Five months.Copy !req
237. Well, I'm headin'
to see my brother Lyle.Copy !req
238. Huh?Copy !req
239. I said I'm goin' to see
my brother Lyle in Mount Zion.Copy !req
240. - Where's that?
- Wisconsin.Copy !req
241. - Oh...
- Just across the state line.Copy !req
242. Cheddar Heads.Copy !req
243. Aren't those the dumbest thingsCopy !req
244. you ever seen somebody
stick on their head?Copy !req
245. I hear that's
a real party place - Wisconsin.Copy !req
246. Guess I'll never
get to find out.Copy !req
247. There's a blanket
in the trailer.Copy !req
248. Why don't you go get it?Copy !req
249. My family hates me.Copy !req
250. They'll really hate me
when they find out.Copy !req
251. You didn't tell 'em?Copy !req
252. No. No one knows.
Not even my boyfriend.Copy !req
253. Well, they may be mad,Copy !req
254. but I don't think they're
mad enough to wanna lose youCopy !req
255. or your little problem.Copy !req
256. I don't know about that.Copy !req
257. Well, of course, neither do I,
but a warm bed and a roofCopy !req
258. sounds a might better
than eatin' a hot dog on a stickCopy !req
259. with an old geezer that's
travellin' on a lawn mower.Copy !req
260. My daughter Rose is...Copy !req
261. Some people call her
a little bit slow but she's not.Copy !req
262. She's got a mind
like a bear trap for facts.Copy !req
263. She keeps everything
organised around the house.Copy !req
264. She was a real good mom.Copy !req
265. She had four kids.Copy !req
266. One night, somebody else
was watchin' the kidsCopy !req
267. and there was a fire.Copy !req
268. Her second boy
got burned real bad.Copy !req
269. Rose had nothin'
to do with it but, ah...Copy !req
270. on account of the way Rose is,
the State figuredCopy !req
271. she wasn't competent
to take care of them kidsCopy !req
272. and they took 'em all
away from her.Copy !req
273. There isn't a day goes by that
she don't pine for them kids.Copy !req
274. When my kids were real little,
I used to play a game with 'em.Copy !req
275. I'd give each one
of 'em a stick and -Copy !req
276. one for each one of 'em -
then I'd say "you break that."Copy !req
277. 'Course they could, real easy.Copy !req
278. Then I'd say "tie them sticks in
a bundle and try to break that".Copy !req
279. 'Course they couldn't.
Then I'd say "that bundle...Copy !req
280. that's family."Copy !req
281. Why don't you sleep
in the trailer?Copy !req
282. This chair's just fine
for me tonight.Copy !req
283. No, I'll be fine
sleepin' out here.Copy !req
284. Lookin' at the stars
helps me think.Copy !req
285. Well...Copy !req
286. Thank you.Copy !req
287. Woo!Copy !req
288. What the?Copy !req
289. What the hell?Copy !req
290. Hey, how're you doin'?Copy !req
291. Doin' good.Copy !req
292. Hey, Irene.Copy !req
293. You don't think about
gettin' old when you're young.Copy !req
294. You shouldn't.Copy !req
295. Must be something good
about gettin' old.Copy !req
296. Well, I can't imagine anything
good about being blind and lameCopy !req
297. at the same time, but... stillCopy !req
298. at my age, I've seen about all
that life has to dish out.Copy !req
299. I know to separate the wheatCopy !req
300. from the chaff and let
the small stuff fall away.Copy !req
301. Let's go, man.Copy !req
302. So, ah... what's the worst part
about being old, Alvin?Copy !req
303. The worst part of being old is
rememberin' when you was young.Copy !req
304. Can I help you, lady?Copy !req
305. No, you can't help me.
No one can help me.Copy !req
306. I've tried driving with my
lights on, sounding my horn!Copy !req
307. I scream, I roll the window down
and bang on the doorCopy !req
308. and play Public Enemy real loud!Copy !req
309. I've prayed to St Francis
of Assisi, St Christopher too!Copy !req
310. What the heck! I've tried
everything and still every weekCopy !req
311. I hit at least one deer!Copy !req
312. I have hit 13 deer in seven
weeks driving down this road!Copy !req
313. And I HAVE to drive
down this road every day,Copy !req
314. 40 miles to work and back.Copy !req
315. I HAVE to drive to work
and I HAVE to drive home!Copy !req
316. Where do they come from?Copy !req
317. Oh... he's dead.Copy !req
318. And I LOVE deer.Copy !req
319. Well, they sure picked the right
place to practise a burn on.Copy !req
320. That Rumelthanger place
was an eyesore.Copy !req
321. What do you suppose?Copy !req
322. Is that a lawn mower?Copy !req
323. Mister, you OK?Copy !req
324. Jeez, mister, you're lucky
she didn't roll on you.Copy !req
325. I guess the belt broke.Copy !req
326. I wouldn't be surprised.Copy !req
327. You don't have brakes
on that trailer, right?Copy !req
328. I worked for John Deere
for 30 years,Copy !req
329. you shouldn't be hauling a rig
behind a mower.Copy !req
330. At least not down
a hill like that.Copy !req
331. I'm Danny Riordan.Copy !req
332. Alvin Straight.Copy !req
333. Alvin, let's get you
and this rig off the roadCopy !req
334. and see what the damage is.Copy !req
335. Let's get this off the road.Copy !req
336. Sure you're OK?Copy !req
337. OK.Copy !req
338. You OK? Everything all right?
I'm going back to the exercise.Copy !req
339. Thanks. Appreciate it.Copy !req
340. Well... let's
take a look at this mower.Copy !req
341. - This is what '65, '66?
- '66.Copy !req
342. Well... tell you right now,
Alvin,Copy !req
343. you won't be going
anywhere tonight.Copy !req
344. Aside from your, ah,
drive belt being busted,Copy !req
345. you got transmission problems.Copy !req
346. - Where you headed?
- Mount Zion.Copy !req
347. Mount Zion, Wisconsin?
Past Prairie du Chien?Copy !req
348. That's 60 more miles of hills.Copy !req
349. That's across the Mississippi.Copy !req
350. What's in Mount Zion, Alvin?Copy !req
351. My brother lives there.Copy !req
352. - Why didn't you take your car?
- I'm not licensed.Copy !req
353. - Couldn't he visit?
- He's had a bad stroke.Copy !req
354. Where are you coming from?Copy !req
355. Back a piece.Copy !req
356. West Union?Copy !req
357. - Hawkeye?
- Nope.Copy !req
358. Well, not New Hampton?
You haven't come that far.Copy !req
359. You've come a long ways,
haven't you?Copy !req
360. Yeah, I have. Laurens, Iowa.Copy !req
361. Laurens?Copy !req
362. That's west of The Grotto. How
long have you been on the road?Copy !req
363. What's the date?Copy !req
364. October eighth.Copy !req
365. Five weeks. I left Laurens
on the fifth of September.Copy !req
366. You been bunkin' in that?Copy !req
367. That's my rollin' home.Copy !req
368. Where you been settin' up camp?Copy !req
369. In the fields. I pull off.
I don't travel at night.Copy !req
370. Haven't you been scared,
being alone?Copy !req
371. There are weird people
everywhere.Copy !req
372. Well, ma'am, I fought
in the trenches in World War II.Copy !req
373. Why should I be scared
of an Iowa cornfield?Copy !req
374. Well, um...Copy !req
375. till we get
this mower fixed...Copy !req
376. why don't you... ah,
bivouac in our yard here?Copy !req
377. There's a bathroom
in the garage you can use.Copy !req
378. Well, that's
awful generous of youCopy !req
379. and I'm sure my machine here
is agreeable to that too.Copy !req
380. Sure wanna thank you folks
for helping me today.Copy !req
381. There's a lot of rain forecast.Copy !req
382. Sure don't want to get stuck
in that trailer.Copy !req
383. I... I do a little woodwork.
I thought you'd like a few fish.Copy !req
384. My daughter does woodwork.
She makes birdhouses.Copy !req
385. Oh, that's nice.Copy !req
386. - You finished there?
- I believe I am.Copy !req
387. - I'm in need of a phone.
- Sure. Come in.Copy !req
388. I wanna tell my daughter
about my recent travels.Copy !req
389. Sure. Come in.Copy !req
390. If it's all the same with you,
do you have a cordless phone?Copy !req
391. - Door's wide open, come...
- I can call from out here.Copy !req
392. Here you go. You're welcome
to sit in the kitchen.Copy !req
393. We can leave, if you're
lookin' for privacy.Copy !req
394. Out here's fine.
Is the area code still 712 here?Copy !req
395. No, Alvin.
That hill rolled you into 319.Copy !req
396. You need to dial one
and your area code.Copy !req
397. 712, thank you.Copy !req
398. 'Hello? 'Copy !req
399. Rose?Copy !req
400. Dad? Dad...Copy !req
401. Uh, I'm... so glad to hear you.Copy !req
402. It's gonna cost him a bundle
to fix that mower.Copy !req
403. I don't think
he's got that kinda money.Copy !req
404. I wouldn't drive
that thing to Excelsior.Copy !req
405. It's a lawn mower,
for God's sake.Copy !req
406. Uh, your social security cheque?
Ah... it's here, Dad.Copy !req
407. Rose, can you send me my cheque?Copy !req
408. Uh, yeah.Copy !req
409. He's damn lucky
he made it down that hill.Copy !req
410. - He could've died easily.
- Yeah.Copy !req
411. He's none too strong.Copy !req
412. See how he has to walk
with the canes?Copy !req
413. OK, Dad.Copy !req
414. I... I...Copy !req
415. OK, OK, Dad, OK.
I... I have a pencil, Dad.Copy !req
416. The hills just get worseCopy !req
417. the closer you get
to the Mississippi.Copy !req
418. Go ahead and drive him, honey.Copy !req
419. Mount Zion can't
be half a day. It's fine.Copy !req
420. You're a good man,
Danny Riordan.Copy !req
421. And that's why I married you,
despite what my mother said.Copy !req
422. Now, shoo!Copy !req
423. Dad?Copy !req
424. I miss you, Dad.Copy !req
425. I love you, Rosie.Copy !req
426. 'I love you too, Dad.'Copy !req
427. Uh, bye, Dad.Copy !req
428. Bye... Dad.Copy !req
429. Ahem.Copy !req
430. What are you cookin'
there, Alvin?Copy !req
431. Oh, I'm makin'
my Mexican coffee.Copy !req
432. Ah. Mind if I join you?Copy !req
433. Get you a chair...
that iron one there.Copy !req
434. You'll be a guest
in your own back yard.Copy !req
435. Amm, I talked to the Olsen
twins, and, ah... they estimateCopy !req
436. it'll cost around 250 dollars
to get your mower fixed.Copy !req
437. Well, that's twice
what it oughta be,Copy !req
438. I guess it's cos
they're twins, huh?Copy !req
439. I'd be happy to drive you the
rest of the way to Mount Zion.Copy !req
440. Be a nice Sunday drive.
We enjoy crossin' the river,Copy !req
441. especially now
with the trees in colour.Copy !req
442. Well, I appreciate that, but...Copy !req
443. I wanna finish this one
my own way.Copy !req
444. Try this.Copy !req
445. Thank you.Copy !req
446. Well, you know, Alvin,
there's a lotta hillsCopy !req
447. bigger than Clairmont's
between here and Zion.Copy !req
448. Even if you get that mower
runnin' again,Copy !req
449. it may still break down.Copy !req
450. Well, you're a kind man
talkin' to a stubborn man.Copy !req
451. I still wanna finish this
the way I started.Copy !req
452. No, no...Copy !req
453. Hi, Verlyn.Copy !req
454. - How the heck you doin'?
- Fine.Copy !req
455. Wonderful.Copy !req
456. He's there.Copy !req
457. Well... they gave you
a plate of her brownies.Copy !req
458. Yeah.Copy !req
459. How's that for timing?Copy !req
460. Janet makes the best brownies...Copy !req
461. in Lafayette county.Copy !req
462. She won prizes every year
at the county fair.Copy !req
463. - Mmm... help yourself.
- Thank you.Copy !req
464. Mmm... I've been doin' errands
and I'm heading for a beer.Copy !req
465. I thought you'd like
to join me.Copy !req
466. Well, I don't drink
any more, but...Copy !req
467. I'm always up for a change
of scenery.Copy !req
468. Well, come on.Copy !req
469. Well, I'm ridin' a little higher
and a little faster.Copy !req
470. Except when you came down
that hill.Copy !req
471. I picked up a mournful taste
for liquor in France.Copy !req
472. When I came back,
I couldn't drink enough of it.Copy !req
473. I wasn't worth a stick
of stove wood... I was mean.Copy !req
474. A preacher helped me
put some distanceCopy !req
475. between me and the bottle.
And he helped me see...Copy !req
476. the reason I was drinkin', I was
seein' all them things here,Copy !req
477. that I'd seen over there.Copy !req
478. Lots of men came back
drinkin' hard.Copy !req
479. Well... everyone
tryin' to forget.Copy !req
480. I can see it
in a man right away.Copy !req
481. Yup.Copy !req
482. There was one time...Copy !req
483. when we just...Copy !req
484. Were waiting for
the first warm meal in ten days.Copy !req
485. We... thought
we'd seen the worst.Copy !req
486. We hadn't had
much trouble from the air.Copy !req
487. I was on the rise...Copy !req
488. with the quartermaster,Copy !req
489. workin' on more coffee
for me and my buddies.Copy !req
490. A stray Fokker
came over the treetops...Copy !req
491. and dropped
an incendiary on the mess tent.Copy !req
492. All my buddies...Copy !req
493. The Kraut banked right in front
of me on that hill...Copy !req
494. and now I can...
see the... Swastika.Copy !req
495. That is one thing
that I can't shake loose...Copy !req
496. All my buddies faces
are still young.Copy !req
497. And the thing is, the more years
I have, the more they've lost.Copy !req
498. And it's not always buddies
faces that I see,Copy !req
499. sometime they're German faces.Copy !req
500. Near the end we were shootin'
moon-faced boys.Copy !req
501. I was a sniper.Copy !req
502. Where I grew up, you learned
how to shoot to hunt food.Copy !req
503. They'd post me up front.
Darn near ahead of the lines.Copy !req
504. And I'd sit... forever.Copy !req
505. It's an amazing thing what you
can see while you're sittin'.Copy !req
506. I'd look for the officers, the
radio guys or artillery spotter.Copy !req
507. Sometime I'd spot
a gun nest by the smokeCopy !req
508. and I'd fire into it.Copy !req
509. Sometime it was just
a movement in the woods.Copy !req
510. We had a scout,Copy !req
511. a little fella...Copy !req
512. name of Kotz.Copy !req
513. He was a Polish boy
from Milwaukee.Copy !req
514. He'd always take recon
and he was darn good at it.Copy !req
515. We went by his word and he saved
our skin many a time.Copy !req
516. He was a little fella...Copy !req
517. We'd broken
out of the hedgerows...Copy !req
518. We were makin'
a run across the openCopy !req
519. and we come upon a woods.Copy !req
520. We started drawin' fire.Copy !req
521. I took my usual position...Copy !req
522. and I saw somethin' movin',
real slow like.Copy !req
523. I waited ten minutes,
it moved again and I shot.Copy !req
524. The movement stopped.Copy !req
525. The next day
we found Kotz... head shot.Copy !req
526. He'd been workin'
his way back toward our lines.Copy !req
527. Everyone in the unit thought
a German sniper had taken him...Copy !req
528. Everyone, all these years.Copy !req
529. Everyone but me.Copy !req
530. Ha ha!Copy !req
531. See, Harald... brainiac...Copy !req
532. Got the mower assembly free with
this here little old wrench...Copy !req
533. You said it wouldn't work.Copy !req
534. I'd say it worked
pretty good. Wouldn't you?Copy !req
535. So help me slide her out.
We can get settled up.Copy !req
536. Uh... I got parts and labour
that add up to $247.80.Copy !req
537. Well, I'd say that's a little
heavy for light work.Copy !req
538. Don't you think?Copy !req
539. I've got an old man's eyes,
but, ah...Copy !req
540. I'm noticin' some new tyre here.Copy !req
541. Well, now... ah,
we got those off a resell,Copy !req
542. but the treads are good!Copy !req
543. Well, friend, are you chargin'
me for good or for new?Copy !req
544. Ahhhh... Thorvald?Copy !req
545. Ahh... we can make
an adjustment there.Copy !req
546. Well, I think the adjustment
should be about thirty dollars.Copy !req
547. Is that what
your pencil's sayin'?Copy !req
548. And, ah... about the labour...Copy !req
549. I appreciate that you boys have
done some real time on this...Copy !req
550. of course, a man's gotta ask
when he's workin' with twins -Copy !req
551. especially a bickerin' pair -Copy !req
552. how much workin' was fightin'?Copy !req
553. He got that right.Copy !req
554. Shut up, Danny.Copy !req
555. If I was to judge by this joyous
affair I saw today,Copy !req
556. I would calculate maybe 20
per cent taken off the labour.Copy !req
557. Anything else, mister?Copy !req
558. Well, I'm not from these parts,
but where I come from,Copy !req
559. I would say that that was a
little rich for Iowa oil.Copy !req
560. Take the oil, no charge.Copy !req
561. Well, that's a splendid offer
and I do appreciate it.Copy !req
562. What's the tally?Copy !req
563. Ah... ahhh...Copy !req
564. Hundred and eighty even?Copy !req
565. Done.Copy !req
566. Thanks to you boys, I'm gonna
get this rig back on the road.Copy !req
567. I've drove it all the way across
Iowa and I'm hopin' it holds onCopy !req
568. till I get to Wisconsin.
My brother lives there.Copy !req
569. I haven't seen him
in ten years.Copy !req
570. There's no one
knows your life betterCopy !req
571. than a brother
that's near your age.Copy !req
572. He knows who and what you areCopy !req
573. better than anyone on Earth.Copy !req
574. My brother and I said some...
unforgivable thingsCopy !req
575. the last time we met, but, I'm
tryin' to put that behind me.Copy !req
576. And this trip is a hard
swallow... of my pride,Copy !req
577. I just hope I'm not too late.Copy !req
578. A brother's a brother.Copy !req
579. Well...Copy !req
580. Guess I'll be turnin' in.Copy !req
581. I'll, ah... see you in the
morning, then, before you go.Copy !req
582. I'm gonna leave awful early.Copy !req
583. I wanna thank you for your
kindness to a stranger.Copy !req
584. It's been a genuine pleasure
havin' you here, Alvin.Copy !req
585. Write to us, sometime.Copy !req
586. I will.Copy !req
587. I noticed your campfire.Copy !req
588. I brought you some dinner...
Mashed potatoes, meat loaf.Copy !req
589. Well, thank you kindly.
I've had my dinner,Copy !req
590. but would you
join me for a while?Copy !req
591. Sure.Copy !req
592. Thank you.Copy !req
593. I hope you don't
mind me trespassin'.Copy !req
594. Oh, no, not at all.Copy !req
595. Made a fine choice.Copy !req
596. You're camped next to
one of the oldest cemeteriesCopy !req
597. in the Midwest.
French Catholic trappers.Copy !req
598. - The Marquette party.
- Two of his men.Copy !req
599. I couldn't help but noticeCopy !req
600. the rather unusual
mode of transport.Copy !req
601. Well, you're not the first
person to notice that, Padre.Copy !req
602. My eyes are bad. I can't drive.Copy !req
603. I don't like someone else
drivin' the bus,Copy !req
604. and I need to get
to my brother's.Copy !req
605. Fair enough.Copy !req
606. Where is he?Copy !req
607. Well, he's so close,
I can practically feel him.Copy !req
608. Mount Zion.Copy !req
609. What's his name?Copy !req
610. Lyle Straight.Copy !req
611. Is he that fella that came in
with a stroke some weeks ago?Copy !req
612. Do you know him?Copy !req
613. I work at the hospital
in Boscobel.Copy !req
614. I remember him comin' in.Copy !req
615. Caught my attention
because... he lives in my parish.Copy !req
616. Well, he's a Baptist.Copy !req
617. Oh, I believe he told me that.Copy !req
618. Told me a few things,
matter of fact,Copy !req
619. but he didn't
mention having a brother.Copy !req
620. Well, neither one of us has had
a brother for quite some time.Copy !req
621. So, you saw him?
Is he all right?Copy !req
622. I only saw him that once and
I haven't heard anything more.Copy !req
623. Well, Lyle and I grew up
as close as brothers could be.Copy !req
624. We were raised on a farm
in Moorhead, Minnesota.Copy !req
625. We worked hard. My mom and dad
darn near killed themselvesCopy !req
626. tryin' to make that farm work.Copy !req
627. And me and Lyle would
make games out of our chores.Copy !req
628. We'd dream up somethin'
about racin' and wagerin'Copy !req
629. do anything to keep
our mind off the cold.Copy !req
630. Lord, it was cold.Copy !req
631. He and I used
to sleep out in the yardCopy !req
632. every summer night,
if it wasn't pourin'.Copy !req
633. Nine months of winter,
we couldn't get enough summer.Copy !req
634. We'd bunk down
when the sun went down.Copy !req
635. We'd talk to each other
until we went to sleep.Copy !req
636. We'd talk about the stars
and whether there might beCopy !req
637. somebody else like us
out in space,Copy !req
638. places we wanted to go and...Copy !req
639. it made
our trials seem smaller.Copy !req
640. Yeah, we pretty much talked
each other through growin' up.Copy !req
641. Oh, whatever happened
between you two?Copy !req
642. Story as old as the Bible.
Cain and Abel.Copy !req
643. Anger, vanity.Copy !req
644. You mix that together
with liquor, and...Copy !req
645. you've got two brothers who
haven't spoken in ten years.Copy !req
646. Well, whatever it was
that made me and Lyle so mad...Copy !req
647. don't matter any more.Copy !req
648. I wanna make peace.Copy !req
649. I wanna sit with him,Copy !req
650. look up at the stars...Copy !req
651. like we used to do...Copy !req
652. so long ago.Copy !req
653. Well, sir...Copy !req
654. I say "Amen" to that.Copy !req
655. Howdy.Copy !req
656. I haven't had a drink
in a lot of years.Copy !req
657. Now I'm gonna have me a beer.Copy !req
658. What flavour?Copy !req
659. What does
a Miller's Lite taste like?Copy !req
660. There you go.Copy !req
661. - How's it taste?
- It's good.Copy !req
662. - Keep the change.
- Thank you.Copy !req
663. It's an interesting rig you got
outside. Get up the hill OK?Copy !req
664. That hill and 200 more
just like it.Copy !req
665. How far did ya come?Copy !req
666. From Iowa.Copy !req
667. I'm headed
for Lyle Straight's place.Copy !req
668. Iowa! My God,
you must be thirsty.Copy !req
669. Another beer?Copy !req
670. This will do me fine.Copy !req
671. I wonder could you point me
to Lyle's place?Copy !req
672. I haven't seen him
in an awful long time.Copy !req
673. Well, you just... ah,
cross 61 here, on "W",Copy !req
674. Take "W" on down to Weed Road
and then on to Remington Road.Copy !req
675. On your right
will be Lyle's place.Copy !req
676. If he's there that is.Copy !req
677. How you doin'?Copy !req
678. Not too good.Copy !req
679. This thing's just tired.Copy !req
680. Is there anything
I can do to help you?Copy !req
681. Well, I don't know.
It just quit on me.Copy !req
682. Why don't you try her again?Copy !req
683. I'm headin'
to Lyle Straight's place.Copy !req
684. Lyle!Copy !req
685. Lyle?Copy !req
686. Alvin?Copy !req
687. Sit down, Alvin.Copy !req
688. Did you ride that thing all
the way out here to see me?Copy !req
689. I did, Lyle.Copy !req