6بخش

Happy New Year, Lieutenant Dan!

No, no.

I’m sorry I ruined your New Year’s Eve party, Lieutenant Dan.

She tasted like cigarettes.

I guess Lieutenant Dan figured there’s some things you just can’t change.

He didn’t want to be called crippled, just like I didn’t want to be called stupid.

Happy New Year, Gump.

The US Ping-Pong team met with President Nixon today at an Oval Office ceremony

And wouldn’t you know it?

A few months later, they invited me and the Ping-Pong team to visit the White House.

So, I went, again.

And I met the President of the United States, again.

Only, this time, they didn’t get us rooms in a real fancy hotel.

So, are you enjoying yourself in our nation’s capital, young man?

Yes, sir.

Well, where are you staying?

It’s called the Hotel Ebbott.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

I know of a much nicer hotel.

It’s brand-new, very modern.

I’ll have my people take care of it for you.

Security, Frank Wills.

Yeah, sir, you might want to send a maintenance man over to that office across the way.

The lights are off, and they must be looking for a fuse box or something,’cause them flashlights, they’re keeping me awake.

Okay, sir.

I’ll check it out.

Thank you.

No problem.

Good night.

Good night.

Therefore, I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow.

Vice President Ford will be sworn in as president at that hour in this office.

As I recall the high hopes for America with which we began this second term

Sergeant Gump.

Yes, sir!

As you were.

I have your discharge papers.

Your service is up, son.

Does this mean I can’t play Ping-Pong no more?

For the Army it does.

FORREST: And just like that, my service in the United States Army was over.

So, I went home.

I’m home, Mama.

I know, I know.

Louise, he’s here.

Now, when I got home,I had no idea, but Mama had had all sorts of visitors.

We’ve had all sorts of visitors, Forrest.

Everybody wants you to use their Ping-Pong stuff.

One man even left a check for $25,000 if you’d be agreeable to saying you liked using their paddle.

Oh, but, Mama, I only like using my own paddle.

Hi, Miss Louise.

Hey, Forrest.

I know that.

I know that.

But it’s $25,000, Forrest.

I thought maybe you could hold it for a while, see if it grows on you.

Oh, you look good, Forrest.

That Mama, she sure was right.

You look real good.

It’s funny how things work out.

I didn’t stay home for long, because I’d made a promise to Bubba, and I always try to keep my promise.

So, I went on down to Bayou La Batre to meet Bubba’s family and make their introduction.

Are you crazy, orjust plain stupid?

Stupid is as stupid does, Mrs. Blue.

I guess.

And, of course, I paid my respect to Bubba himself.

Hey, Bubba, it’s me, Forrest Gump.

I remember everything you said, and I got it all figured out.

I’m taking the $24,562 and 47 cents that I got—

Or, that’s left after a new hair cut and a new suit, and I took Mama out to a real fancy dinner, and I bought a bus ticket and three Dr. Peppers.

Tell me something.

SHRIMPER: Are you stupid or something?

Stupid is as stupid does, sir.

Well, that’s what’s left after me saying, “When I was in China on the All-America Ping-Pong team, “I just loved playing Ping-Pong with my Flex-O-Light Ping-Pong paddle,” which everybody knows isn’t true, but Mama says it’s just a little white lie so it wouldn’t hurt nobody.

So, anyway, I’m putting all that on gas, ropes and new nets and a brand-new shrimping boat.

Now, Bubba had told me everything he knew about shrimping, but you know what I found out?

Shrimping is tough.

I only caught five.

A couple more, you could have yourself a cocktail.

Hey, you ever think about naming this old boat?

It’s bad luck to have a boat without a name.

I’d never named a boat before, but there was only one I could think of, the most beautiful name in the wide world.

Now, I hadn’t heard from Jenny in a long while, but I thought about her a lot, and I hoped that whatever she was doing made her happy.

I thought about Jenny all the time.

Hey!

Lieutenant Dan, what are you doing here?

Well, thought I’d try out my sea legs.

But you ain’t got no legs, Lieutenant Dan.

Yes, I know that.

You wrote me a letter, you idiot.

Well, well.

Captain Forrest Gump.

I had to see this for myself.

And I told you if you were ever a shrimp boat captain that I’d be your first mate.

Well, here I am.

I am a man of my word.

Okay.

Yeah, but don’t you be thinking that I’m going to be calling you “sir.”

No, sir.

That’s my boat.

DAN: I have a feeling if we head due east, we’ll find some shrimp, so take a left.

Take a left!

Which way?

Over there!

They’re over there!

Get on the wheel and take a left!

Okay.

Gump, what are you doing?

Take a left!

Left!

That’s where we’re going to find those shrimp, my boy!

That’s where we’ll find them.

Still no shrimp, Lieutenant Dan.

Okay, so I was wrong.

How are we going to find them?

Well, maybe you should just pray for shrimp.

So, I went to church every Sunday.

Sometimes Lieutenant Dan came, too, though I think he left the praying up to me.

No shrimp.

Where the hell’s this God of yours?

It’s funny Lieutenant Dan said that, ‘cause right then, God showed up.

DAN: You’ll never sink this boat!

Now, me, I was scared, but Lieutenant Dan, he was mad.

Come on!

You call this a storm?

Come on, you son of a bitch!

It’s time for a showdown!

You and me!

I’m right here!

Come and get me!

You’ll never sink this boat!

Hurricane Carmen came through here yesterday, destroying nearly everything in its path.

And as in other towns up and down the coast, Bayou La Batre’s entire shrimping industry has fallen victim to Carmen and has been left in utter ruin.

Speaking with local officials, this reporter has learned, in fact, only one shrimping boat actually survived the storm.

Louise.

Louise, there’s Forrest.

FORREST: After that, shrimping was easy.

Since people still needed them shrimps for shrimp cocktails and barbecues and all, and we were the only boat left standing, Bubba-Gump Shrimp’s what they got.

We got a whole bunch of boats, 12 Jennys, a big old warehouse.

We even have hats that say “Bubba-Gump” on them.

Bubba-Gump Shrimp.

It’s a household name.

Hold on there, boy.

Are you telling me you’re the owner of the Bubba-Gump Shrimp Corporation?

Yes, sir.

We got more money than Davy Crockett.

Boy, I heard some whoppers in my time, but that tops them all.

We was sitting next to a millionaire.

Well, I thought it was a very lovely story, and you tell it so well, with such enthusiasm.

Would you like to see what Lieutenant Dan looks like?

Well, yes, I would.

That’s him right there.

And let me tell you something about Lieutenant Dan—