Mother of Blue Stars

Episode 5

MARY: Baloney!  Then go down and bring him here.  We’ll make more coffee.

RAYMOND: Ma, he’s not coming over. He’s too busy!  There’s a war on, you know.

MARY: Don’t get fresh, Raymond!  We have war bonds.  We help pay his salary.  He’ll come over on the double.

ANDY: Look at the time, why don’t ya?!  It’s after six.  He’s probably in some gin mill.  Good luck finding him!

MARY: Then tomorrow.  Raymond, after school you go back and invite him for supper.  I’ll make pirogues and sauerkraut. Papa, you brew a fresh batch of root beer.  We’ll sit him down and make him understand you can’t join the Army--

RAYMOND: The Marines!

MARY: They’re the same!

RAYMOND: They’re not the same!  The Marines are tougher.  That’s why I picked them.  Besides, Sergeant Sotelo was just doing his job, which was to sign guys up.  You can’t fault him for that.  In fact, he was a regular guy.  I liked him.

MARY: He wanted you to like him.  That’s how he got you to sign up.

RAYMOND: That’s not true!  I wanted to join.

MARY: Why didn’t you speak with your father and me first?

RAYMOND: I wanted it to be a surprise.

MARY: We don’t like surprises. We like children who finish school.

RAYMOND: Well, I’m not going back to Sergeant Sotelo.  It’s embarrassing.  He’ll laugh.

MARY: Then I’ll go.

RAYMOND: Please don’t!

MARY: Then you tell him I want to feed one of our men in uniform.  He’s a long way from Mexico.  I’m sure he doesn’t get home-cooked meals.

RAYMOND: No, Ma, he’s from California.  And he probably won’t like Slovak food.

MARY: Everyone likes Slovak food.  It’s hearty, solid food. He’ll love it and ask for more, you’ll see.

ELEANOR: [To RAYMOND] What did he eat in California?

RAYMOND: How should I know?

MARY: Then it’s settled.  Tomorrow the Sergeant-man will come over and everything will get fixed.

Continued tomorrow.