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Easy, easy!
Call the hospital. Tell them we're on our way.
- Kind of makes you feel numb, doesn't it? - I'm so scared.
- So is Corabeth. - I'll call the hospital.
For as long as we could remember,
Ike Godsey's General Merchandise Store
had been the social center of our community.
Friendships were forged over loaves of bread.
The place was a clearing house for news, rumor and, often as not, gossip.
Adventure in those days was having a nickel to spend
and time to gaze into the candy counter
for as long as we liked before making a selection.
Little did we know then how much that store and its occupants meant to us,
until one terrifying day in 1942.
You say you didn't get last month's report?
Oh, I don't understand. I helped fill it out myself. Yeah.
I mailed it myself.
Hurry up, Ike! I haven't got all day.
Look, it is not my fault.
I don't know where it is. It's probably somewhere between here and there.
Listen, blame your own post office.
I'm a paying customer. Get off of that phone!
Fill out a duplicate?
Look, it took Mrs. Godsey and I hours to fill it out in the first place.
I don't have time to do that thing all over again
and then run a store, too.
- Terribly sorry, mister. - You're sorry?
I swear, if they're running the war the way they run the OPA,
the Germans are going to be in Washington by Christmas.
- Who's first? - I came after some sugar, again.
I'm sorry, Maude, there is still no sugar,
and I don't have the slightest idea when we're going to have any.
My cousin Ida says there's plenty of sugar to be had.
I think he's just hoarding it away
to sell it to those rich folks in Charlottesville.
- Maude, Ike wouldn't do anything like that. - Maude, that would be dishonest.
Well, then give me a half a cupful and I'll be on my way.
And the police won't know a thing about it.
Maude, I swear, if I had any sugar, I'd sell it to you,
but Corabeth and I don't even have enough for our own sugar bowl.
- Bye, Maude. - Bye.
- Bye, Maude. - Oh, bye.
- I hope you are not out of friction tape. - Not yet, but give it time.
- How much do you need, John? - Couple of rolls.
You know, Maude is the third customer this week
who's taking all her shopping to Rockfish.
And the fact is that there's no more sugar in Rockfish than there is here.
Where is it all?
It's in Cuba. The trouble is that there aren't enough boats
to be able to go down there and pick it up.
I swear, John, running a store is getting rougher and rougher every week,
with the shortages and the rationing and the OPA reports and the price freezes.
But I keep telling myself that it's all for the war effort.
Oh, I've got a gas customer. Talk to you later.
What are you doing there? Hey!
Go on! Go on! Go on!
- Hi, Daddy. - That mule was out of the barn again.
He was in your mama's flower bed.
- He's not mine. - Well, whose is he?
- He used to be John-Boy's. - Whose is he now?
And when was the last time he did any work around here?
Ask Jim-Bob. Jim-Bob's supposed to take care of him.
Nobody ever said anything to me about it. But I feed him every day.
We can't afford an animal who does nothing but eat.
- What are we supposed to do with him? - I think maybe it's time to sell him.
- You can't sell Blue! He's one of the family. - I'm sorry, honey.
Nobody seems to want to take care of him. He just wonders all over the place.
We can't afford to feed him, and he never does any work.
You two find someone who can put him to good use.
You can split the sales price between you. Come on, Ben, we got work to do.
Yes, Daddy.
What are we waiting for, Elizabeth? Let's go put up that sign.
You know something, Jim-Bob? You're heartless. You'd sell me if you could.
...everybody wants everything I don't seem to have...
Mr. Godsey, could you step over here for a moment, please?
Corabeth, would you leave me alone, please?
I'm trying to put together an order and I need my mind to be able to think.
Mr. Godsey, need I remind you
that you are not the only person facing a deadline?
The Office of Price Administration will not wait one more day for these forms.
Now, first of all, what I need to know
is how many gallons of gasoline did we sell last month?
You got the wrong form.
I beg your pardon.
You see those three letters there? "OPM."
We're supposed to be making out a report to the OPA.
Well, yes, but the local representative of the DCB
thought that it might be more helpful if we filed an OPM report with the OPA,
which could then be forwarded to the BEW for use in allocation planning.
Corabeth,
J.D. Pickett is the only person in these parts that fills out an OPM report.
Now, if the OWI tells the OPA that we're giving information
to the SPAB and not them, well, they're gonna call in the WRA
and they're gonna put us in jail for the rest of the war.
Well, now, I seriously doubt that that will happen.
Now, are you going to help me with these forms or not?
Corabeth, give me five minutes, will you?
Very well, I will see what I can do with them in the meantime.
- Hey, Ike. Hi, Corabeth. - Hello, kids, what can I do for you?
Lke, is it okay if we put this in your window?
"White mule for sale. "
Why, I'd buy him myself if he could make out government forms.
Yeah, sure, go ahead.
I'm never going to be able to get this order together.
- Oh, I'll go pump the gas for you. - Oh, thank you, Jim-Bob. You're a godsend.
Now, let's see, we got the chocolate chips. Right.
And then that's the...
Do you have any sugar yet?
Is that all anybody ever comes up and asks for is sugar?
It's just Mary Ellen's cooking, it's awful without it.
Well, I think it's kind of a relief not to have sugar.
I mean, you know those sauces that Corabeth makes all the time.
It's kind of nice just to have plain old just meat and potatoes, you know?
- Maybe we should stroke the other way. - Why? He wouldn't like it.
Besides, it'd make him look funny, with his hair sticking straight up.
That's what I mean. Then nobody would buy him.
Hey, Clarence. What you got there?
The sign you and Elizabeth put up in Godsey's store.
What did you take it down for?
How much are you asking for this broken-down mule?
Fifteen bucks.
- Let's have a look. - He's the finest mule in Jefferson County.
Actually, he's old and dying, not worth the hay to feed him.
Elizabeth!
He's got some rare disease.
Makes him foam at the mouth and holler all night.
She just doesn't want to sell him, that's all.
Fifteen dollars is a right high price.
He's really easy on gas, though. You don't need those ration coupons.
- I'll give you 13. - We're selling our best friend.
Fourteen. - There's a price freeze on.
We have to freeze the price at 15 dollars.
- Okay, 15 dollars. - You're making a terrible mistake.
Sold!
Come on, Blue.
Hope to see you later, Blue.
What are you going to do with your share, Elizabeth?
Buy a picture of Judas, maybe.
It seemed kind of strange,
having to set an alarm clock to get up this morning.
I know, Blue is the best alarm clock in the world.
The loudest mule in Virginia.
Mr. Godsey, you will have to see to the customers this morning.
I must rearrange the perfume display.
Change is the essence of good salesmanship.
Corabeth, I've got all this mail to sort.
Oh, dear! Look at those shelves. I told you to let me do it.
- What's wrong with them? - Well, they're in such disarray!
How can you possibly hope to maintain the confidence of your customers?
Corabeth, what is so important about cans of beets all in a straight row anyway?
- Oh, never mind, I'll do it. - No! I'll do it!
I'll do it. I'll take care of them, okay?
As if I didn't have more important things to do.
The OPA is on my back night and day.
My gas customers are upset with gas rationing
and they're taking it out on me.
And I'm trying to run a store and a post office
and a Civil Defense headquarters all at the same time.
And I've got bills to pay.
- What is it? - I don't know.
Get help.
I don't know how I'll ever break the news to Aimee.
I wouldn't tell her just yet. Let's wait and see what happens.
Yes, yes, you're right.
I shouldn't interrupt her education unless
worse comes to worse.
There's no change.
We're going to continue to keep him pretty heavily sedated for a while.
Maybe it's best if we left.
Well, the more rest and quiet he gets, the better.
Oh, but I...
- I have to stay here with Mr. Godsey. - There'll be a nurse here all night.
It's all my fault.
- That's nonsense, Corabeth. Come on, Corabeth.
I've never seen a heart attack case where the spouse didn't take the blame.
If only I hadn't pushed him so hard.
I drove him to it.
Oh, Corabeth, who knows what makes these things happen?
Maybe he worried about the war too much.
That's still thousands of miles away.
How about the price freeze and the shortages and all the paperwork?
That put pressure on him, didn't it?
Not enough to give him a heart attack.
Well, and all the extra business he got from the Pickett Defense Plant.
- I mean, that was a burden, wasn't it? - Perhaps a little.
And all his customers he's known all his life
that go to Rockfish the minute something goes wrong.
Or Aimee's private school? Or the bills?
Maybe I should have just done more to help.
Corabeth, you're not giving yourself enough credit.
Without you, he might have had this heart attack long ago
and I think you know it.
I don't want him to die!
Corabeth, none of us do.
I can't ever remember the store being closed on a work day.
The place is awful lonely.
Lke's going to get better, isn't he?
Well, with a heart attack, you never really know.
If he does get better, it's going to take a long time.
I just wish we'd hear some news about him.
I thought only old people had heart attacks.
I don't think you'll have to worry about that for a long time, Elizabeth.
What about Daddy? He's about Ike's age.
I guess it just depends on the person.
Maybe we should make it a little bit easier on Daddy.
He'd never let us get away with that.
That's for sure. Being pampered is the last thing he wants.
It would be for his own good if we made him rest a little bit more.
Watch out.
- What are you all doing here? - We're waiting for Corabeth.
Well, I came to pick up some things for her.
She's staying in town until Ike gets out of the hospital.
When will that be?
It's hard to say at this point. He is pretty serious.
I guess we're going to have to do all our shopping in Rockfish for a while.
Looks that way.
Well, enough of us go to town, that shouldn't be any problem.
I worry about those vegetables spoiling.
Maybe we can buy some of the food.
It's not a bad idea. Put some of this stuff to use.
Why does the store have to close?
- Who's going to run it, Santa Claus? - Well, what about us?
- Morning, you two. - Hi, Daddy.
- You're off to the store? - We got the first shift.
Ike always says how busy Saturday is. We figured it'd take the both of us.
- Hi, Daddy. - Good morning, Ben.
Here, why don't you have a seat?
- What for, Son? - I'm going to make you some breakfast.
What do you think I'm having?
- Well, that's not a very good meal. - Good enough for me.
- What do you want to talk to me about? - Oh, nothing.
Why did you ask me to sit down?
I just wanted you to feel more comfortable.
Well, I was plenty comfortable standing up, Son.
Oh, I think I could take care of all the mill by myself today.
- Good, I got some errands to run. - I could do those, too, if you want.
- Ben, are you in love again? - No. Why?
Well, 'cause you're acting kind of sappy, Son.
You two better get going. You got to open the store on time.
It's almost 8:00.
Come on, Elizabeth. We don't want a reputation for being late.
See you later, sappy. - Goodbye.
I'll be down to check things out in a little while.
Thank you, Ben.
You're welcome.
- Oh, hi. - Hi, Maude.
Hi, Maude.
I've decided to give you folks another chance before I go to Rockfish.
Can't stand cities.
- What can we do for you? - Well, I need some sugar.
I wish we had some to give you, Maude.
You mean Ike took it to the hospital with him?
We just don't have any. We might not for quite some time.
Oh, my! And I'm such a fool over sugar.
- Maude, how are you doing? - Well, hello!
Your children won't sell me any sugar, and I haven't got the will to eat without it.
We feel the same way.
You're just gonna have to live with it till the shortage is over.
You know, we could make a fortune
if there was a way of inventing something that would replace sugar.
You don't need to invent it. It's growing all over the side of the mountain.
- Well, what's that? - Sorghum.
Pa planted it years ago. He never got around to making molasses.
Went to seed, and now it comes back every year.
Blackstrap molasses?
That's all we had to use for sugar in these parts when I was a little girl.
We'd have to build a mill, though.
Well, Pa was building some machinery for it.
Parts of it are still out behind the mill.
- I betcha I can make it work easy. - Now, that's the spirit!
That's the trouble with too many young people,
they just haven't any gumption!
Well, there's plenty of wood if you two want to give it a go.
May be some money in it, Jim-Bob.
I'll bet you between the both of us, we'd do pretty good.
How long would it take you to make me some molasses?
- Oh... - Two weeks?
Two weeks.
That long?
Well, it's off to Rockfish before I starve to death.
- Bye, Maude. - Bye-bye, Maude.
Good luck in Rockfish.
Bye.
"'My dear master,' I answered, 'I am Jane Eyre. '
"'I have found you out. I am come back to you. '
"'Ln truth? In the flesh? '
"'My living Jane? ' he asked. "
"'You touch me, sir,'
"'you hold me,' I replied. "
Mr. Godsey?
I haven't been a very good wife to you, have I, Ike?
Perhaps I never should have married.
Did I ever tell you?
When I was a young girl,
I used to dream of finding the ideal man.
Of course, I never could find the man who'd live up to my dreams.
But would I have lived up to his?
You're a good man, Ike.
And if I've pushed you, it's because I've loved you.
And do you know something?
Oh, my dear,
you are everything
that young girl ever dreamed or hoped she'd have.
Mary Ellen, I didn't know you were there.
Why don't you get some rest, Corabeth?
No, I...
I want to stay here, I want to spend as much time with Ike as I can.
But he's sound asleep.
Why don't you get some rest in the meantime?
I'm going to lose him, aren't I?
Dr. Spencer says the worst of the danger is over.
When I was a little girl, my father had a heart attack,
and the doctor said he'd be fine, too. And in a month, Papa was dead.
We're all praying for Ike. He is going to get better.
But right now, you better get some rest.
Nurse's orders.
Here you go.
Thank you.
Boy, I'm glad you're here. It's been a long day.
- Coming, Elizabeth? - No, I'm going to help Erin.
- Jim-Bob, what's all this? - Bread.
Well, I can see that. But it looks like there's 100 loaves here.
Twelve dozen, to be exact.
- Isn't that a little much? - I told you.
Let me look at Ike's books and see what he usually orders.
- It's going to all turn moldy. - How do you know, Elizabeth?
Maybe we can grind it up and sell lifetime supplies of bread crumbs.
- Why don't you just shut up? - These books are a mess.
I'll bet Ike would be surprised if he came back and found them in order.
Let me see. Here it is.
On Saturdays, he usually... He orders twelve loaves of bread.
Jim-Bob, you ordered twelve dozen.
Anybody want a sandwich?
It's still ticking?
As far as I can tell.
I'm glad to hear it.
I think you should know that things aren't going to be the same,
not for a long, long time.
Because of the attack,
some of the tissues around your heart have been damaged
and you need rest so that the heart muscle has a chance to repair itself.
- How much longer do I have to stay here? Well, it depends.
I'm not going to let you go anywhere until I feel good about your progress.
Be honest with me, will you, Doc?
- Am I going to pull through this thing? - Well, no promises.
But with the proper amount of rest, there's a good chance you'll fully recover.
Enough to go back to the store?
I'd just as soon you didn't worry about that right now,
not for as long as possible.
You see, the less pressure you're under, the better.
Sure appreciate you coming by, John.
The Baldwin sisters asked me to drop this off.
They said it'd brighten up your stay in the hospital.
The Recipe.
Boy, if ever I needed the Recipe, it's here now.
Why don't you go get a chair and I'll give you a share?
It's your party, Ike.
Binoculars.
They have a note here.
"Dearest Ike,
"This little gift will help you wile away the hours
"in watching birds come and go outside your window.
"Fondly, Emily and Mamie Baldwin. "
Birds.
I don't think Dr. Spencer would want you to have any Recipe anyway, Ike.
No, I suppose he wouldn't.
So, how are those kids of yours doing? They watching the store?
Doing real good.
Of course, the store misses its rightful owner.
Everybody keeps asking about you.
Supplies coming in regular?
Yeah. Just like clockwork, everything's available.
No sugar yet, huh?
Lke, I thought you were under strict orders not to worry about that store.
Yeah.
Dr. Spencer almost has a heart attack himself every time I mention it.
Are the kids sweeping up the floor? Keeping it good and clean?
Real clean.
Mary Ellen tells me you're going to be able to get out of bed soon.
Boy, I sure hope so.
I'm so sick of looking at that ceiling.
You know, John, there are 361 ceiling tiles up there
and each one has 81 holes
and that's 29,241 holes.
I never thought I'd see the day
Ike would be counting anything but soup cans and vegetables.
I'm looking forward to getting back to it, too.
Corabeth doesn't want me to, though.
She's afraid of the strain.
Seems to me you might be worrying about that, too, Ike.
Having a heart attack is nothing to trifle with.
Oh, yeah. I bet if you had one, you'd be just as anxious
to get up on your feet as I am, no matter what Corabeth says.
Reach in that top drawer over there, will you, John?
I haven't been spending all my time counting holes.
What is it?
It's my will.
I want you to hold on to it for safekeeping.
Be glad to, Ike.
I've named you my executor. I hope you don't mind.
I don't mind.
Just as long as you don't make me do anything about it for a few years.
I left everything to Corabeth,
except my guns and fishing poles.
I want Ben and Jim-Bob to have them.
And there's one other thing.
I don't know quite how to say it.
But I love you, John.
Next to Corabeth, you're the best friend I ever had.
Go on, Reckless, you're in the way.
I don't think Chance likes the idea of wearing this harness at all.
All set?
- I sure hope this thing works, Jim-Bob. - Don't worry, it will.
Okay, I'm ready.
Come on! Come on, Chance. Chance!
Come on, move, Chance.
Oh, come on! Chance!
Move it!
I don't think this is going to work, Jim-Bob.
Maybe we better try something else.
- Well, like what? - Reckless?
Give me a hand here.
Come on, Chance. Come on.
Come on, Chance. Come on, Chance.
Come on. Chance, come on! Move it.
You two are going to end up pushing that thing.
- Where are you doing, Daddy? - I'm taking this over to Pickett's.
Well, you don't have to do that. I'll do it for you.
Ben, let go!
Aren't you doing a job with Jim-Bob?
- Well, yes, sir. - You do your job, and I'll do mine.
- Isn't it a gorgeous day, Mr. Godsey? - Boy, it sure is great to be outside.
I feel like I've been cooped up in that hospital for months.
- Are you warm enough? - Oh, with that sun out? Oh, sure, of course.
I can't wait until you're released from the hospital.
Boy, you can say that again.
We'll take walks like this two times a day, three times a day.
We'll go exploring.
You know, I don't think I even know my own home town.
You mean the mountain?
Oh, but we couldn't possibly take walks there.
The roads are unpaved,
so bumpy and dusty, even when they're not muddy.
I couldn't even push you there.
Oh, you don't understand. I'd be walking right next to you.
Dr. Spencer said that you are to consider yourself a sick man,
even after you're released from the hospital.
Well, I plan on taking it easy, of course.
You know, maybe working shorter hours or, you know, something like that.
How can you possibly think of working at the store
when you're so weak you can't even stand up?
You are to remain flat on your back in bed.
Corabeth, if I remain flat on my back any longer, I'll lose my mind.
You don't have to remain horizontal forever.
But I was thinking of
a small cottage near the beach, where I could look after you.
Couldn't you look after me at the store?
Mr. Godsey, you know how you carry on down there.
You keep yourself so busy, you don't even know what month it is.
But that's where I belong.
Mr. Godsey,
you don't understand.
I will not allow the same thing to happen to you that happened to Papa.
I cannot imagine what life would be like without you.
Oh, please,
please don't make me live in fear.
I can't lose you.
I won't!
Corabeth,
to have you say that to me
makes it almost worth all of this.
I think we should sell the store.
Sell the store and leave the mountain.
Jim-Bob, I don't think you're pulling hard enough.
- I'm pulling as hard as I can. - Well, pull harder.
You guys, who's going to do this when I go to the store?
Someone's got to.
Since Ben thinks he's the better horse, he can do the turning.
That's what you think.
Ben, this isn't working.
What do you want us to do? We can't quit.
- Hi. - Hi, Clarence.
- Hi. - Hey, Clarence.
I heard about your molasses mill.
Well, this is it.
Except for it's not working. We can't find anything to turn it.
My pa used to have one, only a horse turned it, not people.
- Our cow doesn't want the job. - You know, a mule could do the trick.
- Like Blue? Sure could. - Could we borrow him?
I don't know, turning a sorghum press would be awfully hard on him.
Might shorten his life.
- Look, we'll give you some molasses for it. - No, thanks, we have more than enough.
You know, maybe we should buy Blue back.
How about it, Clarence? Would you sell him back to us?
My favorite mule?
Fifteen dollars, that's what you paid for him. Right, Elizabeth?
Hey, not me, it's you guys. I'm out of this one.
- Look, I'm a little short on cash. - Oh, since when? You always have cash.
Do you want Blue or don't you?
You've got half the money that Clarence gave you.
And we'll pay you back. And if we can't, you can have the mill.
Okay, but I'm only doing it for Blue's sake. I guess I'm going to be broke again.
How about it, Clarence? Fifteen dollars?
- Eighteen dollars. - That's highway robbery!
Not when you're selling your best friend. Is it, Jim-Bob?
Look, we'll split the difference. Sixteen dollars.
This is the finest mule in Jefferson County. It's not worth it.
Wouldn't you agree, Jim-Bob?
- Seventeen dollars, not a penny higher. - Tell him about the price freeze, Jim-Bob.
I froze the price at 18 dollars. It's against the law for me to change it.
- Okay, 18 dollars. - Well, you're three dollars short.
I'll look around. I'm sure I have some stashed around somewhere.
We'll be right back with the money.
Thanks a lot.
I'm really happy with the way you're coming around, Ike.
I think you're going to pull through this thing with flying colors.
- Does that mean I get to go home soon? - Maybe sooner than you think.
I can't wait for the day, myself.
The mountain just isn't the same without you, Ike.
Thank you, Mary Ellen.
Well, let's not worry about that tonight.
Ike, there's one thing that I want you to remember.
The key to your recovery is rest.
And you're still going to need plenty of that long after you leave this hospital.
Shall we go finish rounds?
Bye, Corabeth.
Boy, I sure hate to think of the day that we got to go back home
and tell those folks we're leaving.
But it will be wonderful, Mr. Godsey.
Being together,
sharing the sunsets,
enjoying the quiet.
But I'm going to miss them.
I certainly will.
But we have no alternative.
- You're not doing very much, Ben. - Somebody has to tend the mill, Jim-Bob.
- Why not me? - Look, this isn't as easy as it looks.
- How's it going? - Ben's having fun.
There's only one problem. This is awful thin for molasses.
Of course it is, Son. It's not molasses, yet. You've got to boil it first.
It's going to take you the better part of the day. I'll see you.
Well, where are you heading?
To fell some timber. We're short of two-by-fours.
Daddy, why don't you stay here and you could feed the sorghum
- and I'll do that? - That's your job, Son.
Well, let me go with you, and I'll give you a hand.
Oh, no, you don't. You have to go get the next load of sorghum.
- I'll be just fine. - You take it easy, okay?
What's gotten into you lately, Ben?
I think he's afraid that you're going to have a heart attack, like Ike.
You aren't getting any younger, Daddy.
That thought has entered my mind lately.
What would you want me to do, quit everything?
No, just take it little bit easier, that's all.
I guess I could do that, Son, but I'm not sure it's worth it.
I'd just spend all my free time worrying about why I wasn't busy.
Look what happened to Ike. And you work even harder than he ever did.
Ben, I guess I could be setting myself up for some whopper of a heart attack,
but if not working was the only way to avoid it,
I'd rather keep working and risk it.
Sounds like something Grandpa would have said.
Matter of fact, he did say it.
He said it to me all the time whenever I worried about him,
like you're worrying.
- You know something? He was right. - He was?
He had a long life and a good one. Now, you let me worry about my health,
and you worry about that molasses, all right, Son?
Yes, sir.
Since you're so worried about tired people,
why don't you take care of Blue and I'll feed sorghum?
Come on, Blue.
- Are you sure I can't help you? - We're just looking, thanks.
I thought you were working at the plant today.
Oh, I'm on my lunch hour.
I thought I'd do some more work on Ike's books.
Who are they?
I don't know. They say they're just looking. I don't know what they're looking at.
- Well, what do you think? - I think it's a little small.
Maybe for Charlottesville, but you've got to remember where you are.
This area is going to become another Charlottesville soon enough.
I got to take that into account.
It's a big lot. There's always room for expansion.
Perfume! Here?
- You sell much of this stuff? - Never.
Ten to one you get a yes on your first offer.
- Well, thank you very much. - Thank you.
What was that all about?
It sounds to me like they want to buy the store.
Ike will never sell. The mountain will go flat first.
I don't wanna see another stalk of sorghum the rest of my life.
Me, either.
I won't mind eating some of this molasses, though.
Yeah, it'll be worth it to get the food around here any better.
Ha, ha, ha.
But it would be worth it if we get some of our customers off our backs.
- I'll get it. - I hope so.
How's the harvest?
Oh, it was fine, Daddy. We ended up with 80 gallons of sap.
We thought we were going to be rich, till we boiled it, like you said.
You know how much molasses we ended up with?
- Eight gallons. - That's about right.
But eight gallons at 30 cents a gallon, well, that's nothing.
Sorry you feel like you wasted your time, Son.
- Pretty good. - Guess what?
Mary Ellen is bringing Ike home tomorrow morning.
Hey, that's great!
- It'll be good to have him back. - It sure will.
- Taste this, honey. - You think it's good, Daddy?
- You did a good job, fellas. - Well, it sure was tough.
"General Merchandise. Ike Godsey, Proprietor. "
Never thought I'd see it again.
Let's get you inside, Ike.
Welcome home, Ike. - Hi.
Well, the store sure does look sharp.
Somebody forgot to rotate the produce. You got to take the old and then put it up...
Well, you don't know that.
Listen, I want to thank you all for keeping the store open.
Do you see how I redid your shelves?
I redid your books with the system I use at the business school.
It makes bookwork a little easier.
Hey, Jim-Bob and I made some molasses to make up for the sugar shortage.
If you ever run out, we'll make you some more.
We really missed you, Ike. You, too, Corabeth.
Corabeth and I thank you for all you done.
Oh, well, don't look at me. I don't really feel like I did my part.
- We all did what we could. - But Elizabeth did the most of all of us.
Well, everybody helped. It's just I've got more free time.
She ran the whole store all by herself yesterday.
Did you hear that, Corabeth? All by herself on a Saturday.
I think Ike and Corabeth have something they want to tell you.
Yeah, but it's going to be kind of hard to find the right words.
Good morning, Mrs. Godsey.
Mr. Snyder. This is the gentleman I spoke to you about.
I called him before we left the hospital this morning.
- Good morning. - How do you do?
I can see you didn't waste any time, huh?
Well, I think, under the circumstances, that the sooner we act, the better.
What's going on, Ike?
Corabeth and me,
we're selling the store.
Well, we have Mr. Godsey's health to consider.
We're moving to Virginia Beach.
You can't! We need you!
There's no one else to take your place, Ike.
Who else would buy our molasses?
Lke, you've been running this store as long as I can remember.
I've got great plans for it. I'm going to update everything.
That wood porch out front? I'll replace it with a brand-new cement one.
Just like the floor here.
Cement with linoleum rolled over the top of it.
And I'll make this back room level with the front.
No more pool table. I'll expand the store space instead.
Store space? I haven't had any problems with that.
Well, billiards and groceries don't mix, believe me.
Well, believe me, they do.
Mr. Godsey, you're not to get yourself overexcited.
Don't get me wrong.
I'm not trying to criticize the way you run your business.
I just want to add my own touches, that's all.
- Your own touches? - Yes.
Like rearranging the counter, putting up all new shelves,
moving that old desk there, getting rid of the perfume display,
repainting the walls.
If you do that, the store won't be the same.
The day of the Mom and Pop store is over.
Look, it took most of my life to make this store the way it is.
Now, Mr. Godsey, we are negotiating a purchase price.
And as soon as the final arrangements are made,
the mercantile is his to do with as he pleases.
Look, I've been running this store for 30 years
and I'm not going to allow a stranger to come in here
and run roughshod over everything I've done.
Mr. Godsey, we have your health to consider.
I don't care.
I'm a storekeeper
and I'd rather lose my life at the cash register
than sit in a rocking chair.
My offer is a generous one. You're making a mistake.
The only mistake I made is to put my store on the market.
If he changes his mind, I'll be at the boarding house until this afternoon.
Goodbye.
You are a rash man, Mr. Godsey. I beg you to reconsider.
Don't throw your life away on a hastily-made decision.
Don't you understand, Corabeth? Don't you see?
It's not just talking about selling the store,
it's talking about washing everything I've ever done or been down the drain.
This store is
my whole life.
I know every knothole and floorboard by heart.
I can tell you where to put every bucket when it's going to start to rain.
And all my customers are my friends.
And all these young people here,
I watched them all grow up.
I think of them almost as my own.
And I've grown to like when they come by the store and drop in.
I don't know whether they know it or not,
but I bet you they'd miss me just as much as I'd miss them.
Corabeth,
my time will come,
whether I'm working or not.
The Good Lord will take care of that.
But between now and then,
if I stay here, I can work and live with dignity,
and maybe I'll leave this earth a little sooner.
But if I go to Virginia Beach,
I'll just sit and wait to die.
Now, what would you have me do?
Because Elizabeth had proved herself so capable
during Ike's absence, she was hired to work in the store
while Ike continued to recuperate under Corabeth's watchful eye.
Ike Godsey lived for many years after his heart attack,
and his deep commitment to his store
became an example to all of us of courage and devotion,
a victory of the human spirit.
Ike's gone now, but the store is still there. It's become a landmark.
How Ike would have loved that. Good night, Mr. Godsey.
- Daddy? - Yes, Jim-Bob?
It's hard for me to breathe.
- Does your chest hurt? - Sort of. I think I'm having a heart attack.
I think he's having a sorghum attack.
He ate five pieces of cornbread covered with syrup.
Is that right, Son? - No, sir, I had eight pieces.
Good night, Jim-Bob.
Good night, everybody.
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