Grapes of Wrath Pt. II (The Pinot Noir Edition)

"Jim. Hey Jim, over here."

"Who's that? Why...why...why I'll be damned. If it ain't Tom. Tom, how 'ere ya'?"

"Ok, I guess. What are you doing out here Jim? Shouldn't you be in church, it being a Sunday and all."

"Nah, I ain't a preacher no more. Nope. I don't need no saviour no more. Ain't got no use for one no how. How 'bout you Tom. Are you...you know, out? You didn't do run away, did ya'?"

"Nah, I didn't run. They paroled me early. Gave me twenty dollars and a bus ticket and sent me back home. Say Jim, you seen my ma and pa? The house looks kind of deserted."

"They're over at the neighbors I reckon. Anyways, this ain't their house no more. Bank took it last week."

"The Bank? What fer?"

"Same reason they took all these houses 'round here. No jobs, no money, no way to pay the mortgage. It's the same all over California."

"Well if that don't beat all."

"It's the heat that done it. Turned the whole state into a desert."

"Sure feels like a desert alright. Look Jim, I'm gonna go over to the neighbors. It's been a long time since I saw ma and pa. You wanna come with me?"

"Alright. Sure. But just remember I ain't no preacher no more. Ok?"

"Don't make no difference to me. Seems kind of funny though, seein' how you was always preaching at us when we was little kids. But suit yourself."

(Tom and Jim walk to the neighbors and catch up with Tom's family)

"Hi Ma."

"Ma? Who's that calling me...Tom? Is that you? Oh Tom. I can't hardly believe it. Is that really you?"

"It's me alright. Great to see ya' Ma. Let's have a look at ya'."

"But what are you doin' here Tom? Shouldn't you be in...? Oh, you didn't run away did you? You promised me you wasn't gonna do that."

"No Ma, they let me out early. You see, I got the papers right here. They give me a parole and twenty dollars, just 'cause I never gave 'em no trouble."

"A parole? Oh Tom...I've got to tell Pa. Pa, come out here. Come look who's here. Pa, where are ya?"

(Tom's father comes out of the house)

"I'm right here. What are you yellin' about?"

"Look who's here."

"Henry Fonda?"

"No, it's Tom. Don't you even recognize your own son."

"Tom, but I thought you was in...When did you get out?"

(Tom turns to talk to his father)

"Couple of days ago. I went to the house but all I found was the preacher."

"I told you I ain't no preacher."

"What happened to the house Pa?"

"Bank took it. That note we signed, you know the one I told you about. That 40 year adjustable reverse amortization interest only prepayment penalty balloon mortgage we used to buy the house. Well, seems the interest rate went up and the bank told me I had to come up with 2 million dollars or they'd foreclose. "

"2 million dollars for a $400,000 house? That don't seem right."

"We'd a been ok if the interest rates hadn't gone up. But where were we gonna come up with 2 million dollars? What with this 10 year heat wave we've been havin' and no electricity on account of all the power plants bein' broken, and no jobs on account of there ain't no electricity. This whole state is just turnin' into one big dustbowl, Tom. That's all it is. Just a big bowl of dust. I told the man we didn't have the money and so he come back a few months later with a piece of paper saying the house was his now and told us we had to vacate the premises."

(Pa's neighbor Muley walks up and joins the conversation)

"Piece of paper? Piece of paper? It ain't a piece of paper that make it your'n. It's eatin' in it, and spillin' food on the carpet in it, and watchin' TV in your underwear in it that makes it your'n, and not no piece of paper."

(Muley walks away, having had his dramatic moment. Pa turns to Ma and speaks)

"Well, if you ain't got the paper then it ain't yours. That's what the law says anyways. Ain't that right Ma?"

"Don't worry Pa. We'll find some other place to live. What about them flyer's that feller was handin' out?"

(Tom interrupts)

"What flyers?"

"Show him Pa."

"Here Tom, take a look. It says that up in Canada there's plenty of work."

"Canada? But ain't it kind of cold up there?"

"No, not since the global warming. It's all different now. This feller with the flyers said that up around Hudson's Bay it's all beach resorts and condominiums. Says there's plenty of work building houses and hotels and shopping malls. What'd he call it Ma? Oh, that's right. Called it the new Riviera."

"Well gee Pa, how ya' gonna get up to Canada."

"We'll buy a car and drive, I guess. You know can buy them old SUV's real cheap now that gas is up around $50 a gallon."

"Well how much would one of them SUV's cost?"

"There's a feller in town selling his ol' Lincoln Navigator for fifteen bucks. Reckon we oughta be able to come up with 15 bucks, don't ya' think?"

"They gave me 20 dollars when they paroled me out of jail. I guess we could use that. But what are we gonna do for gas?"

"Just have to sell off our things along the way. Besides, we still got our credit cards. They can take our house but by God no one's gonna take our credit cards. Ain't that right Ma?"

"That's right Pa. We're Californians Tom, don't you ever forget that."

(So the family piles into the SUV and heads north up to Canada. Just outside of Calgary they stop into a fillin' station)

"Where you folks headed? You ain't headed up to Hudson's Bay I hope."

"Well yeah, that's what we was plannin' on. Gonna get jobs."

"Uh-huh. Got one of 'em flyers too, I'll bet."

"You mean like this one right here?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Heh, I must've seen a million of those by now. Look folks, you look like nice people. Do yourselves a favor and go home. There ain't no work up in Hudson's Bay. They been handin' out them flyers all over California just so could they could drive down the wages. You know, find someone desparate enough to do the work for less than the other fella' is making. Believe me, you'd be better off if you just went home."

"Whaddya mean there ain't no work? The feller told us..."

"I know what he told ya' and I'm tellin' ya' there ain't no work. Go back home, before you get hurt."

"Can't go home. Ain't got no home to go back to."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you."

(The family continues on to Hudson's Bay. Soon the road is crowded with broken down SUV's, all with California plates. Outside the towns angry mobs carrying clubs and waving signs tell them to keep moving or else. Finally they find a work camp just outside of Churchill)

"You folk's looking for work."

"Yeah."

"How many of you are there?"

"Five of us, if you count my ma and my sister. My sister's pregnant though, so she can't do any heavy lifting."

"There's a construction site about ten miles from up the road. Pay is 15 cents an hour. Be ready to go at 5:00 am sharp or we'll give your spots to someone else."

"Fifteen cents an hour? Why, a fella can't even live on that."

"Take it or leave it. 5:00 am sharp, you hear."

"Yeah, we hear ya'. Geez Ma. Fifteen cents an hour. That won't even pay the rent on the cabin."

"Don't worry Tom. We'll take this job for now until something better turns up. It'll be ok, you'll see."

"I hope you're right. We come an awful long way for fifteen cents an hour."

(Later that night Tom hears footsteps. He steps outside and sees deputies armed with billy clubs walking through the camp)

"Can I help you officer?"

"Who are you?"

"Name's Tom. "

"Tom huh. You one of those troublemakers we been hearing aboat? "

"No, I ain't making no trouble. I'm just here to work that's all."

"What're you doing outside your cabin Tom?"

"Thought I'd stretch my legs a little before I turn in, that's all. Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, Tom. You're a problem. You and all these other Californians. Who invited you up here anyways?"

"No one invited us. We just thought that..."

"You just thought what? That you could come up here and cause trouble? C'mon boys, let's take him in."

"Hey wait a minute. I ain't done nuthin' to..."

(Tom feels something crack across his skull. At the taste of his own blood he flies into a rage and kills one of the deputies. In the confusion that follows he slips off into the night. Later he makes his way back to his cabin where Ma is waiting for him)

"What happened Tom? What'd they do to you?"

"They tried to take me to jail, Ma, but I wouldn't go."

"What'd you do? Something terrible I'm guessin'."

"I had no choice. They was gonna arrest me so I..."

"Shhh, Tom. I know you wouldn't have done it 'cepting you had no choice. What are we gonna do now?"

"We gotta get out of here. Right now. They're searching the entire camp."

"Ok, I'll wake everyone up and tell 'em we're leaving. But Tom, don't you say a word 'bout what happened tonight. Ok?"

"Sure Ma, I won't say anything."

(They hide Tom in the SUV and make for the front gate. They tell the guard they've found jobs at another work camp and the guard, although skeptical, let's them pass. Further down they road they come upon a government camp. It is well-kept and clean and the family gets their own cabin. Behind the camp walls the police can't touch them and soon they get good jobs for good wages and have even managed to put a little money aside for the future. The family feels like real people again. One night, however, vigilantes from a nearby town who are angry about immigrants stealing their jobs begin marching on the camp. Tom runs into one of the vigilantes under a bridge and kills him. He sneaks back to the camp and says one last farewell to his Ma)

"I gotta go now Ma."

"But where, Tom. Where are you gonna go? You know they're out there looking for you."

"Let 'em find me, I ain't afraid. Besides, I never gave no one no trouble less'n they give it to me first. You know that Ma."

"I know Tom, but I'm worried about you. Where'll you go, what'll you do?"

"I'll go someplace where people are treated like people, not like dogs. Where a man can live decent. Where he can sit in his hot tub and sip his chardonnay and it's nobody's business if he does."

"Like we did back in California. We was people then, wasn't we? Before the global warmin' came that is."

"Yeah, we had stock options and home equity back then, but now we're nothin'."

"But Tom, how will I know what's happened to you. Won't I ever see you again?"

"You'll see me, Ma. Everytime you see a man so swollen with thirst that he can't open his lips to drink his frappucino, I'll be there. Everytime you see a man so bankrupt that he can't afford the electricty to charge his Ipod, I'll be there. Everytime you see someone so destitute that he can't even afford to cruise to the beach in his SUV, ..."

"While talking on his cellphone?"

"Yeah ma, while a talking on his cellphone, I'll be there. I'll be there 'cause I'm the people. Maybe Jim was right. A person ain't got a soul of his own, only a piece of a bigger one."

"I'm worried about you Tom."

"Don't worry Ma. I'll be alright. Don't worry about a thing."

(Tom leaves and his mother begins to weep. Pa comes out and stands beside her)

"I miss the ol' place Ma. I miss California and my barbecue and my big screen TV. Don't you miss them things too?"

"No Pa, I think I like it fine right here. I think I'm gonna like Hudson's Bay. Rose of Sharon's gonna have her baby and we'll get a new start up here where the air and the water is clean and it ain't 105 degrees inside the house everyday. Yep. I think I'm gonna like it here just fine."

(And so they leave their California home behind, settle in the promised land, and live like people. The End)