The next to last song.

Come in.
Something up, Bill?

No, no, I just couldn'tsleep, that's all.
I have no money.
All the moneythat I inherited is...
It's gone.
And Linda...
Linda...
She spends and spends.
And my salary'snowhere near enough.
I can't say no to her.
The bank's gonnarepossess the house...
because I'm so far behindon the payments.
And I'm gonna lose Linda.
I know it.
I know I am.

She loves you, Bill.
Oh, don't cry.

I shouldn'thave told you.

Don't worry.

Shouldn't have told you.

It's okay.
Don't worry.

No, I think you'vegot enough... stuff.

Would it make youfeel better
if I told youa secret?

What secret could you tell me?

I'm going blind.
Not yet, but...
Soon.
Maybe sometime this year.

Blind...

It's not as badas it sounds.
It's, uh...
It's a family thing.

But, blind?

I've always known it.
From... when I wasa little girl,
I knew.

And you're okay?

Well, I came to America
because in America,
they can give Gene an operation.
You know?

Gene?

He doesn't know about it.
You... you mustn't tell him,
because it could get worse.
I just have to save upmoney, you know,
enough money to...
Oh, I almost got it.
To, uh...
For the operation.
They can operate on Gene when he turns 18 .

And you made up that storyabout your father?

Huh.
I never had a father.
I made up his name, too.

And that's why you put in all these hours
and do all these pinsand do everything you do.
For him.
For his operation.

Well, it is my fault.
I guess...

How is it your fault?

Because l...I knew he would...
he would havebad eyes like me.
But I had him...
all the same.

You're very strong.

I'm not strong.

I've gotlittle games I play
when it goes really hard.
When I'm workingin the factory...
and the machines,they make these...
rhythms...
And I just start dreaming,
and it all becomes music.

But you like movies,don't you?

- I love the movies.
- Yeah?

I just love the musicals.

Oh, when they'reall tap dancing?
All of themtap dancing,
all of them, this huge, long line.
I... wouldn't you like to be
in that big, long line?

Yeah.

Kicking your feet up there?

Yeah.

When they're,like, spiraling up
the huge, enormous wedding cakes
to the top?

Yeah.

But isn't that annoying
when they do the last songin the films, though?

Why?

Because you just know when it goes really big,
and the camera goes, like, out of the roof,
and you just knowit's gonna end.

I hate that.
I really hate that.
I used to cheat on that when I was a little girl
back in Czechoslovakia.
I would leave the cinema
just afterthe next to last song,
and the film wouldjust go on forever.
It's lovely, isn't it?

That is lovely.

Selma...

Yeah?

Thank you fortelling me your secret.

Thanks fortelling me yours.