Family Matters s01e11 Episode Script

The Quilt

Come on, Richie.
Take a bite.
Come on, you'll love it.
Mama wouldn't lie to you, now.
That's good.
Mmm.
That's right.
Why don't you give him something he likes? Because Richie needs to try new things.
- Strained liver with bacon bits? - Yuck.
Don't listen to them.
You'll love it.
Mama loves it, because it's so great.
It tastes so good.
Mmm.
Mm.
Mm.
Mm Yuck.
Forget this stuff.
Hey, careful with the merchandise.
No one's gonna buy this stuff anyway.
Yes, they will.
Remember, one person's junk is another person's antique.
Somebody help me with this, please.
Sure.
Judy, go help him.
Not there, over there.
This stuff is heavy.
What is this? It's Grandma's stuff from the basement.
She said you could sell it in the garage sale tomorrow.
I've got to put this down.
Great.
Judy, go start taking these things out of the boxes.
Eddie, she could use your help.
Sorry, I'm on a break.
You don't see me taking a break.
Well, that's because you're not doing any work.
Why don't you do some lifting for a change? Because I'm the brains and you're the brawn.
Well, the brawn quits.
Fine.
When my garage sale makes enough money to buy that VCR I won't let you use it.
I don't need it anyway.
I'll read and improve my mind.
Oh, comics.
One old shirt.
A dollar fifty? One classic Hawaiian aloha shirt.
Seven dollars.
Now, how much for that old tie? You mean this lovely piece of designer neckwear? Five bucks.
You're catching on.
- What's so funny? - This Jughead cracks me up.
Hey.
That's garage sale material.
You wanna read for free, go to the library.
Here you go, honey.
A lot of great stuff for your garage sale.
Three pairs of socks? No, three socks.
We're trying to buy a VCR and all you can donate are three socks? And one of them has a hole in it.
Your father won't part with anything, baby.
- Oh, that's not true.
- Hm.
Hey, my old tennis racket.
You can't sell this.
- Mom said we could.
- Unh-unh.
I may take up tennis again.
Carl, you used that tennis racket once in your life and that was to kill a cockroach.
Unh-unh.
And not my old catcher's mitt.
This was my first glove.
Still has the original dirt in it.
Hey, guys, look what I found in the basement.
My old saxophone.
Great, we can get a lot of money for that.
Oh, I'm not selling it.
I'm gonna brush up.
I used to play a pretty mean sax.
Rachel, I don't think "mean" describes it.
"Painful," maybe.
Oh, come on, Harriette.
You used to listen to me when we were kids.
Oh, yeah.
I'm out of here.
Don't listen to her.
I was good.
Still got it.
Well, we don't want it.
Oh, come on.
I need a new reed and my lip's a little soft.
But it'll all come back.
Just like riding a bicycle.
Sounds like riding a bicycle over a cat.
There's my ride.
Hey, Ma, where you going? A bunch of us girls are having a slumber party over at Carlotta's house.
In sleeping bags? We like to sack out on the floor with the windows open and pretend we're camping.
Well, goodbye, everybody.
Wait, Grandma, you didn't go through your stuff and tell me what I can sell.
You can sell everything in that box, honey.
Just not the quilt on top.
- This? - That's it.
Everything else is fine.
- Thanks, Grandma.
- You're welcome, honey.
Out with the old, in with the new.
- Let me help you with those things.
- Oh, thank you, honey.
Now, Grandma's a cooperative person.
Let's take a lesson from her and make this garage sale a huge success, okay? - Yeah.
- Okay.
You know, you're right.
We've gotta give until it hurts.
- You can't sell this camera.
- Watch me.
My Barbie doll.
Hey, that stuff is tagged.
Either put it back or pay up.
No way.
I need a camera.
I've been looking for a way to express myself.
Yeah, English sure hasn't been working.
Dad, these people don't understand the concept of a garage sale.
You need inventory.
I know, honey.
I'll talk to them.
Hey, these are my old bell-bottom pants.
I wore these to Woodstock.
You went to Woodstock? Well, the movie.
Laura, what is all this stuff doing back in the living room? It's raining.
Where else could I put it? Well, it's a garage sale.
How about back in the garage? Mom, you gotta understand something about retail.
The garage is cold and damp.
People will spend more money in here.
Well, how much have you made so far? Well, it's only been three hours.
- How much? - And the weather's against me.
How much? That's not helping either.
Laura? Three dollars and 25 cents.
That's all? Mom, there's not much of a market for a 200-watt bowling ball.
Well, don't worry.
What you don't sell, we'll just donate to Goodwill.
Okay, but I get the tax write-off.
- Edward.
- That's gonna be a good one, Mom.
Don't do that.
Eddie, you're supposed to be helping with the customers.
What customers? I'm going outside and stand under a tree.
Maybe I'll get lucky, get a picture of lightning.
- Oh, smile, Judy.
- Oh.
That's it.
I quit.
But, Judy, how are people gonna find the house if you're not out there waving your flashlight? I'm wet, I'm cold and I'm cranky.
- But - Don't mess with me.
Hi, mind if I look around? - Go ahead.
- Oh, okay.
Ooh, you got some nice things.
I do? - Oh, thank you.
- Yes.
Oh.
This is a lovely tablecloth.
That belongs to my grandmother.
She needs money for an operation.
Heh.
I'll take it.
There are some matching napkins for $5 extra.
She also needs a root canal.
Oh, I see.
Oh, gosh.
Oh, my Oh.
How much is this quilt? That's not for sale.
Oh, but it was here with the other things.
I'll give you a fair price for it.
It's a mistake.
It wasn't supposed to be out here.
See, it's my grandmother's and she doesn't wanna sell it.
How about this blanket? One owner, only been on a couple of picnics.
No, thank you.
Uh, look, if your grandmother's willing to part with this beautiful tablecloth I don't know why she wouldn't wanna sell this quilt if the price was right.
- How much do you think it's worth? - I'm not really sure.
I'll give you $200 for it.
Two hun Are you all right? Asthma.
I bet your grandmother would be very proud of you if you got a good price for this quilt.
I'm sorry, I really can't.
How about 250? - Mm, I don't know.
- Three hundred? Would you like that gift-wrapped? You still haven't found them, Shirley? You were wearing them last night at the slumber party.
Oh, you should carry an extra pair.
Well, good luck, hon.
Bye.
Shirley lose her glasses? No.
Her teeth.
Sounds like a wild slumber party.
It was.
We were up until about a quarter to 10.
Rachel, Rachel, Rachel.
Are you gonna be doing this a lot? Oh, yeah.
Do you know it's all coming back? They used to call me Hot Lips.
Rachel, that was before you got the saxophone.
Oh, yeah.
Well, Goodwill just took all the junk that didn't sell.
Of course I had to tip them 5 bucks to take the bowling ball lamp.
How much money did we make? Three hundred and fifty big ones.
We made $350,000? No, nimrod.
Three hundred and fifty dollars.
I sold some of Grandma's napkins, and a few of her other things.
Oh, that's wonderful.
No one else's junk moved.
You sold $350 worth of napkins? Actually, what put me over the top was the 300 bucks I got for Grandma's old quilt.
What? Say that again.
Laura, you didn't sell your grandmother's quilt? Grandma, I know what you told me but I made enough money to buy a VCR and a brand-new quilt.
Like you said, "Out with the old, in with the new.
" That quilt has been in our family for 200 years.
The patches make up our family history.
It's the only record we have.
That quilt is priceless.
Excuse me.
How you doing, Ma? I've gone through worse things in my life.
Well, she's doing a lot better than she was yesterday.
That quilt sure meant a lot to her.
How's Laura doing? She's out right now putting up flyers all over the neighborhood.
She's got it in her mind she's gonna find that quilt.
You know, we need to cheer up around here.
- How about some music? - Oh.
All right, who took my reed? - Don't know.
- Richie, did you take Mama's reed? Come on, Richie.
I've got a whole new box of reeds upstairs.
Oh, no, she doesn't.
I owe you big, Harriette.
Ha-ha-ha.
Hi, honey.
Any luck tracking down that quilt? No.
I put up flyers, I went to every store, I knocked on doors.
Nothing.
Laura, you're doing everything you can.
I really let the family down, didn't I? Sweetheart.
The truth is, you shouldn't have sold the quilt, that's for sure.
But this is a mistake that you're gonna have to live with and learn from.
Well, Grandma has to live with it too.
She told me not to feel bad, but I know I really hurt her.
I'll find that quilt if it takes me the rest of my life.
Well, Laura, I'm a cop.
And the hard fact is if you don't find a good lead within 24 hours chances are you're not gonna solve the case.
Hey, you guys, wait until you see these pictures I took at the garage sale.
You know, I think I have a real feel for photography.
Well, what is this one? It's all black.
I forgot to take off the lens cap.
They get better.
- Then what is this? - My feet.
I was aiming for a cute girl at the garage sale, but I sneezed.
They're getting worse.
Well, look at this one.
It's my favorite.
It's a picture of a gorgeous girl leaving the garage sale with nothing.
I call it, "Girl With Nothing.
" Little Richie could take better pictures.
Look at this one.
It's a shot of our mailbox.
You see, I was aiming for that lady getting into her car but the mailbox just got in my way.
- Wait a minute, that's her.
- Who? That's the lady who bought Grandma's quilt.
Laura, this is great.
I'll take this to the police lab and have them blow it up.
Read the license, find out who owns the car.
Eddie, I could kiss you.
There, I think it passed.
Oh, what the heck.
- I gotta get a picture of this.
- Dad.
No.
Look, Dad.
There it is.
Three thousand dollars? Grab it and let's get out of here.
Calm down, Laura, calm down.
Can I help you? Oh, hello again.
Hi.
My dad wants to talk to you.
He's a cop.
You'll have to forgive her.
She's a little upset.
You see, heh, she wasn't supposed to sell the quilt.
So we'll give your money, you give us the quilt and forget about the whole thing.
Well, I'm sorry, but we made a deal.
But $3000? Ha, that is some markup.
I'm not an unreasonable person.
I'll sell it to you for 2800.
Twenty eight? Look, I don't have $2800.
Well, we have a terrific layaway plan.
One hundred dollars a month and you get invited to our lecture series on the history of macramé.
Could I say something? This quilt is not just any quilt.
It tells my family's entire history.
Well, honey, you sold it to me.
I didn't know what it was.
My grandmother told me not to sell it, but I didn't listen.
I made a terrible mistake.
I'll regret it for the rest of my life.
- I'm sorry, I really - You don't understand.
I really hurt my whole family.
Please, Miss Nash.
You've gotta help me.
I mean, think about it.
When you were a kid didn't you do something you really wish you hadn't? Well, yes, everybody has.
Then imagine how you'd feel if you sold something of your family's that was priceless and it was the only record of all your relatives.
Well, that's what this quilt is to us.
It's the only way I'll ever know who I am or where I come from.
It's all right.
- Rachel, that's fantastic.
- Unbelievable.
Rachel.
Rachel! What? Let me turn this off.
- What did you guys say? - Never mind.
- Mama, Laura has something for you.
- Mm? Here, Grandma.
This belongs to you.
Oh, my Lord.
Oh, honey, I don't believe it.
- Oh.
- That's wonderful.
Eddie, Judy, come on down here.
We got the quilt back.
Carl, how on earth did you ever find it? Well, I didn't do it, Ma.
Laura did.
Oh, I am so relieved to have it back.
We all are.
Mother, I think now is a good time to tell everybody the story of the quilt.
Yeah, tell us quick before Laura sells it again.
Carl, I was waiting for a special time and I think this is the time.
This quilt was started by your great, great, great, great grandmother Amy Rose.
That's six generations back, even before the Civil War.
Amy Rose wanted a record of our family in one place.
It was to be passed down from generation to generation each adding something special to it.
Each piece of cloth has a special meaning.
This was a piece of your great aunt's wedding dress, right, Ma? That's right.
And this is Amy Rose's dress that she wore to church every Sunday morning.
What's this, Grandma? That's a piece of my daddy's uniform that he wore in France in World War I.
Wow.
Where's your special patch, Mother Winslow? Oh, I don't have one yet, honey.
You know, the tradition is that the eldest daughter sews on the patch after you've passed on.
But you don't have any daughters, Mother.
That's true.
But I'd be so proud to pass it on to you, Harriette.
Thank you, Mother Winslow.
You know, I think I know the perfect place to keep this quilt.
Where's that? In Laura's room.
What do you say, sweetheart? You mean, you trust me with the quilt? Now more than ever.
I'll never let it out of my sight.
I promise.
Until the day I give it to my daughter.
Laura, I love you.
Oh, I love you so much.
I love you too, Grandma.

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