Taxi (1978) s02e02 Episode Script

( theme music playing ) All right, all right, just stay where you are.
I'll send somebody for you.
Dummy! Jeff Yeah.
go to 45th and Lexington and pick up Giambalvo.
Okay.
Latka! What's the big idea sending Giambalvo out with a broken gas gauge? If we paid you by the mistake, you'd own this place by now.
Okay, it's a deal.
Why do I always have to get on your back to get anything done around here? You're a lazy, good-for-nothing, goldbricking foreigner.
All right.
I want I want to make a grievance.
Oh, you do? Yes.
Oh, you want to see the shop steward? Yes.
Okay.
All right? All right, that would be Ben Geretski.
All right.
Mm.
All right, Ben Ben Ben Geretski? Ben Ben Geretski? Hello? Where is he? He's off today.
Then what should I do? Come here.
The rule is if the steward isn't around then you report your grievance to the shift supervisor.
Okay.
The shift supervisor.
Who is who is this? Is me.
What seems to be the problem? Well, you're you're the problem.
You're making me problem because you're always yelling at me and you're always calling me names and you always make my life bad and you make me feel stupid.
( clicking tongue ) You did the right thing reporting this, Latka.
Thank you very much.
Okay, now get your foreign butt back to work.
Okay.
You know, because I can only be pushed so far.
Right, right.
Uh, excuse me.
Who's in charge here? I am, ma'am.
I'm Louis de Palma.
Well, how do you do? I'm looking for Alex Rieger.
Well, you came to the right place.
If there's one thing that I will not tolerate that is my drivers harassing the people of this city, especially an attractive lady like yourself.
Where did he grab you? You don't understand.
He's my brother.
That makes you Alex's sister.
We couldn't help but overhear.
I didn't know Alex had a sister.
Alex never did talk much about his family.
I'm Charlotte Rieger.
We're all his friends.
This is Elaine Nardo and I'm Mr.
Tony Banta.
And you can meet Mr.
Bobby Wheeler momentarily.
But, right now, I believe he's in the can.
I'm looking forward to it.
Hey, Bob Hey, Bob this is Charlotte Rieger, Alex's sister.
This is the guy I was telling you about-- Bobby Wheeler.
Hi.
ELAINE: Oh, and this is Latka Gravas.
Oh, never mind him.
How do you do? Hello.
You are a very pretty lady.
In my country, we have a saying: ( speaking native language ) Oh! ( speaking same language ) Oh! ( speaking native language ) ( speaking same language ) ( speaking native language ) ( speaking same language ) ( speaking native language ) You know Latka's language? Yes.
I'm multilingual.
I spent several years in Europe.
( speaking native language ) ( speaking same language ) Okay.
Interesting person.
Too bad his grammar is so poor.
Latka's grammar's bad? Yes.
He's from the lower class.
My guess would be his family herded swine.
My guess is they dated them.
Why don't we sit down, okay? Are you a New Yorker, Miss Rieger? Not anymore.
I live in East Hampton.
To me, New York is just a quiet rainy yesterday.
You said it.
Well, um I was in Manhattan this evening.
I was at a fund-raising dinner, but I was called away.
Oh! What are you raising funds for? Starving something.
Do you expect Alex soon? I'll tell you He should be in momentarily.
Would you care to wait in my office? I'd rather be the only woman on a Greek freighter.
I wanted very much to talk to Alex, but I'm afraid I just can't wait.
Well, I can take a message.
I wanted to tell him myself.
Uh, you see, uh, my our father had a heart attack.
Is he all right? His condition is stabilized now.
He's over at New York Hospital.
Let me give you the room number.
Well, Alex should be here any second, and I'm sure he'll go right over there.
( wry laugh ) It was nice meeting you all.
I wonder what "uh, huh-huh, huh-huh" means.
Poor Alex.
Yeah.
Geez.
When he hears this, he's going to be in no shape to drive tonight He sure isn't.
so don't tell him till morning.
Man, the traffic out there is unbelievable tonight.
Hello, everybody.
Hey, listen, Louie, Louie, I'm ready to go, as soon as you check me out.
Let's go! Uh, Alex, your sister was here.
Huh? Charlotte? Really? Right? Well, where'd she go? Alex, I'm really sorry.
Your father had a heart attack.
He's in the New York Hospital, and here's the room number.
Come on, Louie, I want to get on the road.
Alex, your father had I heard you, Elaine.
Thanks.
Come on, Louie, let me get on the road here.
Hey, Alex Huh? Uh, look, let me explain something.
My father and I are not close.
In fact, we haven't talked to each other in almost 30 years.
Look, if the situation was reversed, he wouldn't be coming to see me.
( singing in Spanish ) Hey, hey, hey.
( speaking native language ) ( speaking Spanish ) ( speaking native language ) hardware store? ( speaking Spanish ) You happen to know where my other screwdriver, you know what I mean? ( speaking native language ) ( speaking Spanish ) ( speaking native language ) ( arguing in their respective languages ) All right! Cut it out! Knock it off! Knock it off! ( speaking Spanish ) you know? Knock it off! You guys shouldn't be fighting.
You're like brothers.
You're both from countries you have to take pills for.
Now, get back to work! ( speaking native word ) Oh, not you.
You.
Hello.
Hi, everybody.
Oh, Alex um, we've been talking it over, and, uh we're sorry about last night.
Yeah, uh, hey, we didn't mean to pressure you, you know, buddy? All right.
It's your business, Alex.
Right, so, uh, if you don't want to talk about it with us, well, we love you enough to understand.
Thanks a lot, guys.
You mean you don't? I don't want to say anything because I haven't got anything to say.
Alex, can I speak to you? ( grumbling ) Uh, what? Louie, what? Look, you've done me a couple of favors in the past and so I feel like I owe you one, so if you want to talk about this problem man-to-man No, thanks, Louie.
Okay, I understand, but we're even now.
Right.
Look, everybody, I appreciate you trying to help me, but there's absolutely no Alex? Alex? What? Eh, you know, in my country, we have a saying: "Your father, he may beat you, "your father, he may curse you your father, he may take your last bit of meat.
" Go on.
That's all.
You mean you mean, that's the whole saying? Yeah, it's a small country.
Thanks, Latka.
Alex Oh.
Charlotte.
How's, uh? ( kiss ) How is, uh? His condition is the same; he's still unconscious but the doctor said he may come around.
Maybe we can talk to him this afternoon.
Charlotte Listen, the doctor was concerned.
Alex, Dad is not a young man.
I am not going to the hospital.
I expected you to say that and I'm prepared to deal with it.
I'm going to change your mind.
Now, Charlotte, don't start.
I am not going to leave here until you agree to come to the hospital.
I'm not going! You know, we haven't seen each other for the past couple of years, Alex.
Maybe you've forgotten just how determined and willful I can be.
Whoo! Just the way I like 'em.
Is there a place that we could be alone? Or, at least, safe? If we haven't got anything to say, we don't need a place to say it.
You can use Latka's tool room.
Elaine! Through that door.
Come along.
No, Charlotte! Now, look, Charlotte, if you want to chat socially, fine, but I'm not going into that tool room to talk about Joe.
Nah! No way! Alex, do you remember when we were kids and I wanted to do something and you didn't want to do it, how I could persuade you to change your mind with that little ploy I used to use? Aw, come on.
You don't think that would work now, do you? All right.
Let's talk.
What'd she used to do? She used to beat the heck out of me.
Don't shoot.
I'll talk.
Huh? Oh, Alex.
Oh, abi deeba suboflay.
Abi deebo subo flee.
Oh, suboflee.
Suboflee.
Suboflee.
( speaking Latka's language ) Me? ( speaking native language ) Rapo.
Ah, okay, I will take my things.
Aruskala.
Thanks.
Abi deebo suboflee.
Abi deebo suboflee.
Suboflee.
Gee, thanks, Latka.
Thank you.
Thank you both.
( loud crashing ) Alex Listen, Alex, if you don't see our father today, you may never get the chance to see him again.
Are you prepared for that? Probably not.
But I've lived with a lot of things I'm not prepared to live with.
Do you know what I was thinking of on the way over here? I was thinking of Scheherazade.
I'm glad you didn't make me guess.
The cat we had when we were children.
Don't you remember? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
We had a terrible argument over that name, I remember.
I wanted to name her something silly, like Taffy.
Thank God calmer heads prevailed.
Do you remember what happened when Scheherazade passed away? She got run over.
Yes, while you were away at camp.
And when we told you, you were very distraught.
And do you know what bothered you the most? That you weren't there when it happened.
You didn't get a chance to say goodbye to that little animal you loved.
Yeah, she was a great cat.
The only cat I ever knew that could actually fetch.
Remember when I used to roll the little ball for her, Alex she used to run I'm not here to talk about that stupid cat.
Tell me what could our father have done, that you could possibly refuse "Our father"? Define "father" for me, would you? Now, come on, you know as well as I do.
After he left, we were on lousy welfare, while he was earning And now I'm supposed to go to the hospital just because he's had a heart attack, and have a scene with him that'll be a lie for both of us.
You cannot stay this mad for so long, Alex! No, no, no, no, look, I'm not mad.
I just want to get the facts straight.
You know, I remember all those times coming home from school, when our mother was working, and finding him there with another woman! He said, "This is your aunt.
Don't tell your mother.
" I know.
He was my father, too, you remember.
I was very well aware of his indiscretions.
I was just about 11 when I found out he was fooling around.
They asked me to write an essay, in school, on my father's favorite hobby.
I said he collected stamps.
Cheap stamps.
Cheap, dirty stamps.
Yeah.
Right.
All right, all right.
It's not so easy for me to forget that.
But I try.
Why can't you? Oh, come on, Charlotte! It was very different with you.
He had an entirely different relationship with you.
You were his darling little daughter-- hmph! I remember he even paid for your tuition one year.
Oh, yes, and on your 21st birthday, he gave you a very special gift.
A little something.
Yeah, yeah, what was it? A car.
Ah.
Okay, maybe I did have it a little better than you.
It doesn't change the fact he stayed away from me just as much as he stayed away from you, and I forgave him, and so did Mama.
He didn't even come to her funeral! He was there, Alex.
Oh, yeah, that's right.
He was outside the cemetery gate.
I always thought it was a coincidence.
He was there.
He brought a date! He needed emotional support.
She was wearing toreador pants! I understand your bitterness.
I am not bitter! I understand your anger.
I am not angry! Your pique? I'm piqued as hell! Alex, your father may be dying.
You must go! I'm going to beg! No, Charlotte, don't beg.
I am! I'm gonna beg! Charlotte, please don't beg.
I'm begging! Please go.
You beg bad.
Just see him.
Look at him.
Say, "Hello, I'm sorry you're dying.
I'll see you around.
" If you go and it doesn't work, so? But if you don't go, and he dies, you're going to regret it, Alex.
You, not him.
You! You're the loser, Alex! You ( anxious sigh ) I wish they had sent me to college.
Then I'd have something to argue with.
Oh, Miss Stallworth.
Oh, hello.
I came back to see how your father was doing.
This is my brother Alex.
This is Miss Stallworth.
She was on the scene of the accident.
Oh, uh, how do you do? She gave Daddy mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before the ambulance came.
I hope he's gonna be okay.
Well, the doctor said he's conscious.
We're going to see him now.
Uh, uh, Miss Stallworth, where was he when it happened? Well, uh, he was waiting on the subway platform next to me.
Oh? Well, tell me, was he overexerting himself in some way? I mean, was he running to catch a train or something? Well, as a matter of fact he was goosing me.
Talk about going with your boots on.
I screamed and it shocked him so, he just collapsed.
I really feel responsible, you know, screaming like that.
Oh, no.
No, no.
No, don't, don't, don't.
He must've realized the risks he was taking.
Listen, Miss Stallworth I just want to ask you Shall we, Alex? Excuse us, please.
I'm really sorry.
It's okay.
Look, okay, if I'm going to do this, I'm going to have to be alone.
All right.
Wh-Wh-Wh-What am I gonna say? Tell him a few of the things that made him a good father.
Hello.
It's me, Alex.
Alex? Yeah.
Listen, uh, I, um I'm sorry to see you this way.
Thank you.
I'm a little weak.
Yeah, listen, just relax, okay? Just listen, all right? Um Boy, you've gotten so old.
Well, I guess I've aged too, huh? Look, uh, Charlotte insisted that I come here today.
She, um she wanted me to say, um I'm not sure what she wanted me to say, uh Well, she thought it would be a good idea if I took this opportunity to tell you some of the terrific things that you've done for me.
And, um, although it has been a very long time, some of them really stick out, you know.
Like, uh uh Yeah, I remember being really thirsty one night and you just marched right in there with a glass of water.
You didn't even complain.
I think you put a couple of ice cubes in it too.
You even took the glass back.
And you kissed charlotte good night.
Yeah, that was great.
Seeing all that affection.
And there were other times too.
Uh like, um you took an interest in my school, I remember.
Yeah, I remember one time, in particular, you asked me what grade I was in.
And I was such a punk kid, I didn't even answer you.
It was fifth grade, Dad.
Well, look, anyway, uh whatever you did or you didn't do, it got me here.
Hey, you know something? Uh even though we haven't spoken in 30 years, and I've never tried to get in touch with you, it has made a difference, your being in this world for me.
Look, I lied, um Charlotte didn't force me to come here.
I came because I wanted to.
( voice breaking ): No, no, I came because I had to.
No, I came because you're my father.
You're my father.
Oh, damn it, you're my father.
( sobbing quietly ) Alex? Hi, Dad.
Oh, my God! Oh, geez, I'm sorry.
Hope I haven't screwed things up here.
He a friend of yours? Well, he is now.
Hey, uh you two don't even look alike.
How did I make the mistake? It has been a while.
Yeah.
I, um are you supposed to be up? Probably not.
I thought you were in critical condition.
Really? I feel fine.
Yeah? ( stammers ) I, uh I came here to see how you were, and, uh this gentleman and I had a really terrific conversation.
Boy, do I feel stupid right now.
I mean, I made a big speech to him about how I felt about him and me.
You and me.
What did you say? Well, it was kind of personal.
( anxious laughter ) I don't know.
Um Listen, I, uh Well, uh take it easy.
You too.
Right.
Right.
Well, um so long.
So long.
Alex.
Huh? Oh, yeah.
( singing in Spanish ) ( singing continues ) Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! ¿Que pasa, que pasa, que pasa? ( speaking native language ) ( speaking Spanish ) Take a hike, all right? ( shouting in native language ) ( yelling in native languages ) Hey, hey, hey, hey! Come on! It's quittin' time.
Let's go home.
Take it easy, huh? Okay, bye-bye.
( theme music playing ) WOMAN: Night, Mr.
Walters.
( grunts )