Mother of Blue Stars

Episode 6

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

RAYMOND: Ma, he’s not going to tear up my enlistment papers because you stuffed him with food.  That’s probably against the rules.

MARY: Baloney!  No man will turn down a free meal, right Papa?

ANDY: Leave me out of this.

ELEANOR: Ma, should we make dessert?

MARY: We’ll save Raymond’s cake.  There’s plenty left.

[Beat]

RAYMOND: I can’t believe you’re sore at me, especially with the others in the service.

MARY: Raymond, try to understand: your father and me came to this country with nothing.  We’ve worked hard and have this little house.  America has given us a lot, yes, and in return we’ve given her five sons.  Five sons!  Almost everything!  Enough is enough!

RAYMOND: I need to do my part.

ANDY: Raymond, if you wanna do something then collect scrap.  A lot of kids do it.  I read about it in today’s paper. Now where did it go? Eleanor, bring me the paper.  It’s on the counter by the phone.

RAYMOND: I’m too old to collect scrap!  And I’m NOT the trash man.

ELEANOR:  Here ya go, Pop.

ANDY: It’s in here somewhere.  They wrote a big story about it.  [Beat]   Ah-ha! Found it!  Listen to this... one shovel equals four hand grenades, one tire equals twelve gas masks, one lawn mower equals six three-inch shells, one radiator equals seventeen--

RAYMOND: [Interrupting ANDY] I’m not collecting scrap!

ANDY: What’s wrong with collecting scrap?  You can help the war right in your own backyard.

RAYMOND: Any palooka can collect junk!  Even Eleanor could do it! 

ELEANOR: Don’t call me a palooka!

RAYMOND: I didn’t!

ELEANOR: It sounded like you did!

ANDY: Pipe down!  You know, now that I think about it, I can collect scrap. I already have this stuff in the shed.  We can do it together, Raymond.  A father-son scrap team!

RAYMOND: No thanks, Pop.  I wanna do something that requires leaving home, wearing a uniform, and special training.  

MARY: Raymond, where’d you get these screwy ideas?

RAYMOND: They’re mine.  Like I said, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.  Sergeant Sotelo said I was 1A.  Do you know what that means?  1A is the best rating for a new Marine.  Now I ship out to San Diego for basic training in two weeks.

MARY: [MARY shakes her head] Raymond, you’re all wet.

Continued tomorrow.