["Batuka" by Tito Puente plays] [♪] <i>[indistinct conversation]</i> [door shuts] <i>LUIS: Lo que estamos tratando</i> <i>de hacer es que esas preferencias... </i> ¿Qué pasa Delia?

Well, I have something very important to announce.

[chatter stops] Well, it better be good.

That's all I have to say.

You are running for Congress or something?

No... míren ayer conocí un muchachito en la escuela ÁNGEL: She met a boy.

Ah love... [angrily] No tiene nada que ver con "love" He's just a friend.

At least I <i>think</i> he's gonna be my friend.

Hmm, what is this unfortunate boy's name?

Bobby.

ÁNGEL: Bobby?

¿Un americano?

What's wrong with him being American?

ÁNGEL: Nada-- DELIA: He's a nice boy.

- Pero-- - He's cuter than you.

- But-- - So you better watch out, you creep!

DORIS [chuckles]: Well... Now that that's<i> </i>settled, I better go get lunch on.

¡No, espera!

I haven't finished yet.

Well... can I go wash up?

¡No!

Bobby's coming over this afternoon at 2:00 and he's gonna stay until 4:00.

Oye, y ¿la mamá lo va a dejar que se quede aquí hasta las 4:00?

Abuelo!

He's not a baby.

In fact, he's an older fellow.

Wait a minute.

How much older?

Casi un año.

<i>Almost</i> a whole year older.

Well... That's very good.

[laughs] Delia is having a friend over this afternoon, and I think that is fine.

And, I am glad she's meeting him here, and not out in the street somewhere.

Que eso está muy bien hecho, hija.

Gracias, papi.

[papers rustle] But wait, I haven't told you the important part yet.

Oh!

Todavía queda la parte importante.

You see, it all depends on this afternoon.

It's sort of like a test for Bobby.

Oh... Well, don't put him in the spot like that.

I'm sure we'll approve of him.

<i>DELIA: Well... </i> I'm not worried about <i>you</i> approving of him.

I'm worried about if he'll approve of <i>you</i>.

<i>He</i> will have to approve of us?

Mm-hmm You see?

LUIS: [laughs in surprise] So can you please be nice this afternoon?

And polite and cultured?

- Oye eso.

Tenemos que ser cultos-- - Oh, and yeah... Please, speak only English for my sake, okay?

It's very important to me.

Oh, and now I'm going to go put on a dress.

A dress.

[silence] Oh, and you!

Be sure to comb your hair.

[door slams shut] Bueno... ¿Qué les parece eso?

I hate him already.

<i>[dad laughs]</i> Let's not judge him before we see him.

I'm sure this approval bit wasn't his idea.

<i>Listen... </i> Do you think Delia is... ...ashamed of us?

Oh, claro que no.

Después de todo, [giddily] This is her first <i>real</i> boyfriend.

Ven, Ángel.

Ayúdame con el almuerzo.

Wow, I can hardly wait to meet her <i>boyfriend</i>.

[chuckles] [soft guitar music] [♪] Papi... Mm-hmm?

Acuérdate... que cuando llegue Bobby, Don't act silly.

Mm-hmm.

Voy a tratar lo más posible de no hacerlo.

Entonces... "Hello, who's little boy are you?"

Or anything in Spanish.

He's an American, and he's not a little boy.

- Okay?

- Okay.

Sí, señora.

And, I think It'd be better if you hardly say anything.

Sí.

Mira-- en realidad, yo creo que esa es la mejor idea de todas, ¿sabes?

[rustles newspaper] See?

Because, if he doesn't like you, I won't have a chance with him.

<i>[loud knocking on door]</i> I see.

I see.

[doorknob turning, then door opens] Hi, Bobby.

Come on in.

Hi, Delia.

[door closes] Boy, you've got a nice apartment.

Thank you.

- Do you own the building?

- Yup.

Is it paid for?

<i>Our</i> house isn't paid for.

Come over here.

Bobby, this is my father.

He's very refined.

How do you do, Bobby?

Old man, eh?

How do you do, Mr.

Blanco?

I'm okay.

- What are those?

- What?

Patches on your elbow?

<i>LUIS: Oh, these.</i> - They're not patches.

They sure look like them.

He has all other sweaters.

He's really quite well off.

I think that's a neat idea.

I'd love to have a sweater like that.

Where did you buy them?

- I got these over-- - Oh, Bobby I think we should go out to the kitchen and meet my mother.

Oh, hello, Bobby!

Wait until I introduce him!

Bobby, this is my wonderful mother.

How do you do, Bobby?

Boy, you sure are beautiful.

Well, thank you.

DELIA: Beauty runs in our family.

I'd say.

Oh, Bobby, this is my gran-- my <i>wonderful</i> grandfather.

Hello, Bobby.

We are very glad you could come over this afternoon.

Beauty sure does run in your family.

Are you sure you're only a year older than Delia?

Well, actually, it's only 10 months.

Come on.

What do you want to do?

I don't know.

Want to play chess?

I don't know.

I don't play chess.

Oh, that's that.

I don't play either.

Why don't you play that Puerto Rican game-- Mother, I think that's awfully juvenile.

- Yes, I think it is.

- Um... Come on, we'll go to my room and see what we can do.

Oh, I know.

We can look over through my microscope and see yeast cells split, see the multiply.

You want to do that?

Sounds good.

All right, I'll run into my room and get it.

[door creaks] [door opens] [door closes] Oh, Bobby, this is my wonderful brother, Angel.

Nice to meet you.

What grade are you in?

ÁNGEL: Fourth.

I'm going to be in junior high next year.

Well, bully for you!

<i>DORIS: Doña Ines is waiting for us.</i> [door opens] Let's go.

<i>[door closes]</i> DELIA: I'll be right back.

[newspaper rustles] Bobby... Why don't you sit over there?

Delia will be out in a minute.

Oh, okay.

All right.

What are you reading?

A Spanish newspaper?

Yes.

I wish I could read another language.

That's neat!

Are you reading the sports pages?

Yeah, that's what I am reading.

That's <i>my</i> favorite part of the paper, too.

But in Spanish?

Wow.

I also read the comics, do <i>you</i>?

Comics?

Yes.

Yes, I do.

Sometimes I do.

I love <i>Peanuts.</i> What do you do for a living?

[pages turn] I... I own a travel agency.

I sell airplane tickets.

LUIS: [exhales] My father travels a lot.

Maybe he could buy his tickets from you.

How's business?

It's all right, I guess.

<i>It's all right.</i> How much money do you make?

Delia!

DELIA!

Hurry up!

Your friend's waiting for you.

Oh, I don't mind.

Bobby, why don't you sit over there?

Erm... You'll get tired, hunched up in that footstool.

No, not me.

I'm strong.

Well, maybe you want to rest up for that...<i> long</i> walk home.

Oh, it's not far.

Just around the corner, 19 blocks up, second story, brick building.

What's your favorite hobby?

Um... It's reading the paper when I get the chance, of course.

Mine's taking apart clocks and putting them back together again.

It's <i>really</i> interesting.

LUIS [flatly]: Wow, it sounds like... DELIA: Come on, Bobby... LUIS: ...It's out of this world DELIA: ...It's all set up.

BOBBY: I tell you, I've got a whole bunch of them.

LUIS: Yeah... BOBBY: Good bye, Mr.

Blanco... ... quite an interesting talk.

<i>I'll be back later!</i> Yeah... Ye-- yeah!

[mumbles] Yeah... that's <i>great.</i> Great... He was staring at me!

Y me estaba haciendo toda clase de preguntas.

He even asked me... How much money I earned?

Would you believe that?

I guess he wanted to know how well off this Puerto Rican family was before he committed himself.

[laughs] ¡Papi, mami!

¡Papi, mami!

[door shuts] ¿Qué pasa?

¿Qué pasa?

Gracias, everybody!

He's coming back!

"He's coming back."

He's very broad-minded.

He seemed a little square to me.

<i>Pues mira... </i> ...que no.

Es muy "entilectual".

Hmm.

Intelectual.

Papi, YOU!

¿Qué hice yo ahora?

You were great!

He liked you the best.

And he's coming back on Sunday to have some more intellectual talks with you.

[gasps] [chuckles] ¡Me salvé!

Isn't it GREAT?!

Sí, sí.

Pero cógelo con calma, Delia or you'll get tired of him.

Oh, no!

We have the same interests, like the microscope.

Boy, those things could sure put your heads together!

ALL: [laughing] Come on, Bobby.

Let's go to my room and finish looking through the microscope.

Not now.

I have to finish reading the paper with your dad.

But you don't even read Spanish.

I can look at the pictures.

Come on... There's no need for that.

Hey.

Come on.

You came over to see <i>me</i>, not my dad.

[footsteps retreat] [door closes] Hi, Mami.

[kisses] ¿A dónde está, papi?

Abajo, mija.

It's not time for him to close the agency yet.

It would be just like him to close up early just to see Bobby.

Y, ¿dónde está Bobby?

I have him waiting outside.

Mami, can I have a birthday party for him?

¡Claro que sí!

¿Cuándo?

Well... When is it that Daddy goes out to play basketball with Mr.

Peters and his friends?

¿El miércoles?

Pero, ¿qué tiene que ver eso con la fiesta?

<i>That's</i> when I want the party... When Daddy's not here.

That's not a very nice thing to say, Delia.

A mí no me importa.

I don't have any fun with Bobby when Daddy's here.

And I think that I'm just an excuse for Bobby to come over here to see papi.

Eso no es verdad, Delia.

Well, I have to make sure.

And, that's the only way that I can do it.

If I'm alone with Bobby when papi not here.

So can I please have it Wednesday?

Me imagino que sí.

Good.

[door opens] Come on.

It's all set.

It's gonna be Wednesday night.

Can you come?

[door closes] Yeah, sure.

I'll be here.

Hi, Mrs.

Blanco.

Hello, Bobby.

Is Mr.

Blanco home yet?

No, he's not here.

Oh... When does he come home?

He comes home very, very late.

Now, what do you want to do?

Oh, anything except look through that microscope of yours.

Well, whatever you do, Delia I want you to change into some play clothes.

- Okay?

- Okay.

You wait here.

I'll be right back.

<i>[footsteps retreat]</i> [fabric rustles] [bracelets jingling softly] <i>[door slams]</i> [box closes] Make yourself home, Bobby.

Thank you.

[chair drags] [paper drops] [jacket falls] [light footsteps] [newspaper unfolds and rustles] [pages turn and paper rustles] <i>[door opens]</i> [door closes] [footsteps] [paper softly rustles] Bobby... Don't you have a home of your own?

Of course, sir.

It's just around the corner.

19 blocks up, second story-- <i>LUIS: Brick building... </i> I know... I know.

<i>I know... </i> [paper rustles] Want your sweater?

NO!

No... [laughs incredulously] Why should I <i>possibly</i> want <i>my</i> sweater... Doris!

Want your newspaper?

[pages drop] [newspaper crumples] LUIS: Thank you.

[irritated] What?!

Home already?!

I knew it!

I knew you would start coming home early!

Come on, Bobby.

[footsteps stomping away] <i>[bell chimes]</i> <i>[door slams]</i> [bell chimes] Oh... Not you.

Hi, Mr.

Blanco.

Surprised to see me?

[mumbling] I must be.

I didn't expect to see you, but by now, I guess, I should expect anything.

My mother's down the street at the store, Salvation Army.

So I told her I'd come in here for a talk.

Well, you see, Bobby, I'm awfully busy right now.

Oh, it's all right.

I can't stay long.

Not more than a half an hour, at least.

[nervously] Half an hour?

Boy, you've got a nice agency here.

I'd like to have one like this someday.

Bobby... If you-- How many tickets ave you sold today?

Not one.

People keep coming in and interrupting me.

You know what?

[papers drop] I was thinking... Maybe I could go into this business someday.

[papers rustle] Maybe I could... become your partner.

Ever think of taking in a partner?

Well-- [coffee spills] [Bobby gasps] Oh-- [trashcan clatters loudly] BOBBY!

BOB-- [books fall] WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU, BOBBY?

[exhasperatedly] What's the matter?

Don't you have any better sense than to come into a man's place of business while he's working?

Look at this!

Dropping everything, spilling everything, upsetting everything.

I-- I think you better start spending some time in that brick building... That brick building, 19-- 19 blocks up... or second story... Wherever!

[shouts] With your people, where you belong!

<i>[papers rustle]</i> <i>[door opens]</i> <i>[bell chiming loudly]</i> <i>[bell chiming loudly]</i> <i>[door shuts]</i> <i>[bell chiming stops]</i> [kicks chair] [mutters] This kid coming into <i>my</i> life... [papers crumple] [papers drop] [loudly tears paper towel] [tears paper towel] <i>[bell chimes]</i> <i>[bell chimes]</i> [clattering] [door closes] [footsteps] Hello?

[Luis grunts] Excuse me, I'm Mrs.

Walters.

I'm looking for my son.

Bobby?

<i>Is he still here?</i> <i>[rips paper towel]</i> No, he's not here.

Not here.

Oh.

Well, he's probably waiting in the car.

He wasn't any bother, was he?

Wha-- no.

Bobby?

A bother?

[laughs] He just insisted on seeing his friend, Mr.

Blanco.

You <i>are</i> Mr.

Blanco, aren't you?

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm afraid I am.

I feel like I already know you.

Bobby talks about you all the time, but <i>all the time</i>.

You have replaced Marcus Welby as his hero.

<i>It's just... </i> ... wonderful the way you've taken the time to sit down and actually <i>talk</i> to the boy.

<i>I know that's</i> <i>what he misses at home.</i> <i>Harold's all the time on the road--</i> Harold's my husband.

They hardly ever see each other at all.

[chuckles] And when they do... It's almost comical.

They're like two absolutely perfect strangers.

Harold can no more think of anything to say to the boy.

[soft flute music] [sigh] You see... I- I think that my husband and I are... ...are going to be divorced.

<i>We don't see eye to eye in...</i> <i>...in a lot of things.</i> <i>My husband is against my work </i> <i>at the Salvation Army.</i> Volunteer work.

I work a lot with Puerto Ricans.

My husband always has nothing but nasty things to say about... Well, you know.

Your people.

<i>But Bobby... </i> <i>When he met you... </i> <i>realized that there are</i> <i>good people everywhere.</i> And the fact that a Puerto Rican, whom he feared opened up to him, has changed his outlook completely.

Oh, dear-- I know you're busy.

I won't take any more of your time.

LUIS: No, that's fine.

<i>MRS.

WALTERS: But, it's been nice... </i> ...finally meeting you.

[soft flute music intensifies] Thank you for all you've done for Bobby.

He actually worships you.

<i>[door opens]</i> [flute music fades out] <i>[door closes]</i> <i>[bell chimes]</i> Delia, are you sure you don't want Ángel here?

No!

I want us to be left alone.

[ribbon rustles] But your father won't be here.

I don't want papi, grandpa, or Ángel hanging around.

I have to make sure that Bobby likes me for <i>myself.</i> [listlessly] Hello, everybody... [aggitated] Darn it, papi!

¿¡Qué tú haces aquí!?

I knew it!

I knew you'd find out!

Why aren't you playing basketball!?

¿Qué le pasa a Delia?

She's having a birthday party for Bobby, and she doesn't want you around because she thinks that Bobby likes you better than her.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

That's fine.

That's... ...just fine!

[soft thud] The bad thing about it is that he won't be here...

¿¡Qué!?

¿Y por qué no?

Well, Bobby went to see me... this afternoon.

His mother was at the Salvation Army store.

She does volunteer work there.

And I... I was pretty rough on him.

Practically threw him out.

But I didn't know then what I know now.

Apparently, he has no relationship with his father so he's latched on to me as a substitute.

Ahora, ya veo.

[exhales] But now, I have destroyed all that for him, and I ruined things for Delia.

I mean, after the way I treated him, I know that he won't be... showing up tonight.

Well, I don't know.

A birthday party is a pretty hard thing for a boy to resist.

[phone rings] [running footsteps] Hello?

Oh!

Hello, Bobby.

What?

You're not coming?

<i>Why not?</i> <i>Okay... </i> <i>You don't have to tell me</i> <i>if you don't want to.</i> Okay.

Bye.

[soft flute music] [♪] [♪] Qué lío.

<i>[door shuts]</i> <i>MRS.

WALTERS: Bobby... </i> You have a visitor.

Hello, Bobby.

What are you doing?

Are you taking that clock apart or putting it back together?

You sure do have nice clocks in here.

How many of these do you take apart each week?

That many, huh?

Bobby, how much money do you make... <i>...doing this?</i> You can't make money doing this.

You can't.

Man, you got to get into another line of work then.

Did you ever consider going into the travel business?

Are you kidding me?

Nah.

[chuckles] I'm not kidding you.

You have to get into something... someday.

You know... Bobby being a travel agency man, [mumbles] it isn't that easy.

Some days you work under such pressures, you hardly know what you're doing.

When really, you did.

[soft flute music] [clock clicks] By the way... Are you hungry?

[♪] Sorta.

Me too.

Bobby, I saw the most luscious birthday cake at our house.

Eh?

And it even had your name on it.

And seems to me I also saw some presents, and they <i>also</i> had your name on 'em.

[chuckles] You know, Bobby, Delia would be the most heartbroken girl in the world if she didn't get the chance to give them to you tonight.

[♪] I'll tell you what.

You... comb your hair, and I'll wait for you outside.

Hmm?

All right?

<i>[footsteps retreat]</i> [door creaks open] ALL [singing "Happy Birthday"]: ♪ Cumpleaños feliz ♪ ♪ Te deseamos a ti ♪ <i>[intro to "Batuka" by Tito Puente plays]</i> ♪ Cumpleaños felices ♪ ♪ Cumpleaños feliz ♪ ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ <i>LUIS: Hold on... </i> ♪ Happy birthday, dear Bobby ♪ ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪ <i>LUIS: Con mucho cuidado, ahí.</i> <i>[All chatting indistinctively]</i> <i>[lively rhythmic outro continues]</i> [♪] <i>DORIS: Ready?

Make a wish.</i> [♪] <i>LUIS: You have to make a wish.</i> ALL [cheer] [Singing "Happy Birthday" resumes] <i>[lively rhythmic music intensifies]</i> [♪] [music ends]