excuse me.  what's your, um, your name?
and.  what's my name again?
ah. luke. luke. i like it.
how long have i been gone?
how long?
when did i leave?
nine and-a-half years.
stares at the monstrosity. his face is ashen. his heart has sunk to somewhere below his knees.
thanks.
can't wait.
ah.
exactly how long has the bijou been closed?
why?
didn't you have any help?
mother. she's beautiful.
who.  are they?
oh. what.  what time is it?
is there a young tim?
well, then, why do they call you "old tim?"
you know, i hate to bring this up, but screens and uniforms and paint and repairs are going to take money, which i'm willing to bet none of us has.
i thought so.
um.  harry? did i ever keep the books here?
well, i'm the first one to admit that i don't know anything about bookkeeping, but there are some very interesting things in here.
"february 10, 1942. picture 'ball of fire.'"
"eight p.m. showtime, ninety-six admissions, receipts including concessions, $84.75.  plus one fryer and two-dozen eggs."
"one fryer and two-dozen eggs?"
yeah, i know, but poultry?
but i.
uh, thanks. good to see you again, too, uh.
 ernie.
uh, no. what happened?
oh.
oh, hi cue.  carl. sorry.
hey, bob. good to meet you.
what's that?
well.  we're gonna try.
hi, spencer.
i've seen you before. your picture.
 but i don't think i remember you.
but i'll sure try.
what.
me too.
i do?
i did? huh!
go on home, folks. and thanks for the welcome.
i'll be home in a little while, harry. don't wait up.
you bet.
there. we're alone.
well.  where can we go?
city hall?
why me?
how'd they get it inside?
it doesn't seem right, this being down here. it ought to be where people can see it.
so, you're really gonna be a lawyer?
whoa.
have you always wanted to be a lawyer?
what did.  what did i want to be?
i just wish i could remember some of this.
you don't have a boyfriend or anyone.  you know.  like that?
i'm sorry.
no, you are. i know exactly what you mean. it's not that you're missing something. it's that the other person gives something to you.  that you had all the time. you just didn't see it until they came along.
we were in love.  weren't we?
what was that?
do you have the.
were we going to get married?
hey, fella. so you live here, too, huh? how come harry didn't mention that?
um, old tim? sorry, it's late. it's luke. can i come in?
yeah. i hope you don't mind. i didn't know anyone lived here.  well, besides harry. and me.
so i guess this fellow belongs to you. what's his name?
cat. that's simple. i like it. hi, cat.
of course.
i'll do everything i can.
yeah.  me too.
well.
between a new screen, paint, plumbing for the concession stand, and about a hundred other repairs around the theater.  it's going to cost at least nine hundred dollars to get the bijou into shape to open up.
and you have sixty-eight dollars and thirty-seven cents in the bank. your only source of income are my veteran's death benefit of forty dollars a month, to which you're no longer entitled since i'm alive, and these ten dollar a month cash deposits you make. what are those?
oh.
evening, doctor lardner.
what's wrong?
oh, you mean the suit. harry kept all my old clothes. fits okay, but it's a little big.
i shouldn't have worn the suit.
oh.
aren't you coming?
what?
oh.
it's gonna cost over nine hundred dollars to open the place, delly.
yeah, and needless to say, none of us has that kind of money lying around.
a loan to a man who ran his business into the ground and his son who can't account for the last nine-and-a-half years of his life? not likely.
have you got a cigarette?
i don't smoke?
oh.
they're not bad.
my what?
huh. that was nice of me.
 he started practicing, and he left me alone from then on.
no kidding.
nope. just filling in the blanks.
thanks, charlie.
how do you tell those two apart, anyway?
that's.  pretty frightening.
thanks.
guess i must've learned.
why don't you two get out there and dance?
when was that?
good to meet you. again.
thanks.
we're gonna try. place needs a lot of work.
well, he loves the place. it's his home.
that's.  well, that's very generous, but if you've already got a store?
a super market. huh.
who looks up towards the projection booth.
yes.
dad, i.
 what?
six-thirty. i thought we'd get an early start.
well, no.  i wanted to thank you all for giving me such a nice welcome, and making me feel at home. but i.  we're.  actually here on business of a sort.
thanks. well, i'll make this short and sweet. the bijou needs a lot of repairs, and the truth of the matter is, harry, um, that is, dad and me, mrs. terwilliger and old tim, we can't possible afford them all. so, i'd like to ask your help to.  well, to scrounge around a bit, and see if you have anything that might help us out.
oh, paint, brushes, plaster, light bulbs, yardage, and if you can't come up with any of that, we can use some old-fashioned elbow grease.
mr. fitts, with all due respect, i think lawson needs the bijou a bit more than it needs a super market. and i think lawson deserves the bijou. there's not a lot that can be done to help us get past the pain we've all felt.
 but i think a good dose of magic is as good a place as any to start.
that was beautiful.
i can play the piano?
no, i.
"ha! i'd say i was winning!"
"gregory! look out!"
sandra?
my god.  my god.  no.
what?
come on, folks, this happens every once in a while, just settle down.
harry! harry, why don't you cut the projector and bring up the house lights?
harry? harry?
jesus.
i know, i know.  keep still.
get doc lardner.
can we get him to the hospital?
i'm here.
did i what?
i know. everyone went home. we offered them refunds.
a few.
you're not going anywhere, harry.
and i love you.  dad.
sure.
your father said.  that i would start to remember things.
well.  everything. it started coming back a couple of days ago. i remember everything now.
delly. i'm.  i'm not.  harry wasn't my father. and i'm not.  i'm not luke.
i fell in love with you, too, delly. only now i don't know how i feel, about you or about anything. i only think i know how luke would feel.
delly, shhhhhh.