Original subtitles

Thank you.

Ah, the annual family defrost.

The refrigerator taking its vacation.

And what have you got there?

Something I've been thinking about, but nothing for you to get involved in.

Then I won't. But you could help me. You could help me defrost.

Oh, okay. Just one second.

What is this?

My hand. I made it myself.

Do you need an extra?

Yes. What for?

to save it for Martin and Denise?

No, I'll have it. It's my memory on being five.

Oh, well, in that case, it will freeze your feet.

No.

Hello? Hi, Grandpa.

Hey, here's Roy and Dale.

Get up here on the horses.

Grandpa? Uh -huh?

Put something in my camper's back.

Okay. Give me that frozen ham, then.

It's not ham, but you can hold it if you want.

Yes, bring the ham upstairs.

Hmm.

It says it wants to go upstairs.

Okay.

What's this?

That's, um, that's ice cream, Mom.

Why was it hiding all the way in the back, Heath Clifford?

is hiding in the back of the freezer.

Well, dear, I have nothing to do with that. If it was all the way in the back,

obviously it's old. Look at it. It's got freezer fur all over it.

No, it doesn't.

And it expires in three weeks.

See, that's what you know.

That is not... That's the price of it.

So this container of ice cream costs $10 -91.

Dear, I don't regulate... the dairy product prices.

All right, please. You can have as much as you like.

Eat till your belly's full and the freezer's empty. It's Fat Saturday.

Hey. Hey. I got the bread for the sandwiches.

Good. We've got multigrain, semi -wheat, buttered top, Jenny Finn, hot dog

rolls. Have you got the dogs? We got the dogs.

Here's your change, Dad. Thank you. A daughter giving me change. Bless you.

You're the best.

Vanessa, but you forgot the tomatoes.

No, Mom, here they are. Here.

I'm serious.

I am.

I'm engaged.

To do what?

I had to check out, kind of propose to you.

No, Dad, I got engaged at school.

Okay, everybody out.

Out!

Guess I didn't know quite how to tell you guys.

So, uh, when did this happen?

A while ago? How long a while ago?

Six months.

You know, that sister girl has been engaged for six months.

Six months.

But I've known him a lot longer.

How long?

A year, if you're going to count.

We're going to count.

Mom, Dad, I didn't tell you because I didn't think you would approve.

Besides, I'm an adult now.

Did you hear that clip? She's 18.

Who is he?

His name is Dabness Bricky.

You met him at school?

Yes. Was he a sophomore?

No. What year is he?

He's not a student.

He's a professor?

No.

the maintenance man.

And I'd like you to meet him.

And we'd like to meet him.

Well, great.

He's in the area, so I'll just get him and bring him over.

Bring him over.

Bring him over.

Bring him over here.

Bring everything over.

Because it's going to be over when they come.

See, I just feel that if Vanessa... No,

no, no, no.

Don't say the name.

She. She was the one who wasn't going to give us any trouble. Absolutely. All

those years of straight A's and community service, we were set up by

-goody.

There you go.

We don't know anything, though. I mean, you know, what do we know about... Does

he have his own apartment?

I don't know. Does he live alone?

I don't know. Cliff, what do you know?

I got the same amount of news that you got in the kitchen.

I do know one thing.

They're not going to live here.

Hello.

Mom, Dad.

This is Dad and Miss Bricky.

Isn't that funny?

He was just in the neighborhood.

Mr. Brickney?

Bricky, sir.

Bricky. Bricky.

Mr.

Bricky.

Ms. Huxtable.

Dr. Huxtable.

I've really been looking forward to meeting you.

We've been looking forward to meeting you for the past half hour.

What a beautiful home you have.

Just like I imagined it.

tried to raise five children here, what exactly are you trying to do?

It's Huxtable, Dr. Huxtable. I know our news is a surprise.

Believe me, my parents were surprised when we told them.

So is that what you two do, just rent a car and drive around?

Surprising people?

Absolutely not.

We told my parents six months ago.

Six months?

That's right. The day we got engaged.

They were so happy for us.

They loved Nessa.

Let me get this straight. You're telling me that you had the courtesy and the

respect to tell your parents the day that it happened?

Oh, I had to. At my age, they were beginning to think I'd never get

What age is that, sir?

Oh, I'm knocking on 30.

Mr. Bricky, aren't your parents the least bit curious about us? Oh, Nessa

them all about you.

And what exactly did you tell them, Nessa?

Oh, just that you had been through a lot of emotional ups and downs with your

other children.

And we didn't want to complicate your life, and so we felt that you were

How can you tell if we're... No, don't touch me, please.

I'm sorry. I want to ask... I just want to ask a question. Dr. Huxtable.

Mrs. Huxtable.

I would have liked to have shared this milestone in our lives with you when it

happened.

But Vanessa felt it prudent to wait, and I trust her judgment.

She's the wisest woman I know.

Hey, what's up, everybody?

I got the ice. I did my part. I'm ready for the smorgasbord, so let's eat.

You guys look like we just got robbed or something.

Did we just get robbed?

Theo, this is Dabness Bricky.

Hey, how you doing? Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, too. Cool. And we're

engaged.

Whoa.

Hey, congratulations, sis.

Well, dad.

Things are kind of chilly.

here, so I think I'll just put this ice in the kitchen.

Mr.

Bricky, we were planning a family dinner. We've emptied the freezer for

family dinner. We weren't expecting you.

For this meal.

But since you are here, you're welcome to stay.

For this meal.

I'd like to stay.

For this meal.

I think we could use some more chairs in this house.

But we're flexible.

Boy, things sure are busy down at the center.

How so, Theo?

Well, Janessa, we just instituted a new program.

And what new program is that, Theo?

We just created a hotline for dysfunctional families.

So, how did you two meet?

It was a beautiful day about a year ago.

I was out mowing the quad lawn at Lincoln.

And that's tricky because, see, there are these begonias, this begonia bed.

yeah, your begonias. Ah, they can be tricky.

Vanessa was sitting under this oak tree reading this collection of Gwendolyn

Brooks poetry.

She was so engrossed in her book, she didn't even notice me.

So I mowed around her and around her and around her.

She wouldn't move, so I mowed off.

Then one day, the elevator in my dorm broke down. My roommate and I were in

And Dabness came and fixed it.

He saved our lives.

Vanessa, you live on the second floor.

You're going to run out of air, Sandra. There are a lot of ways to die.

You got that right.

Daddy, the phone book is sticking to me.

Well, why don't you put your napkin on you?

I don't have a napkin.

Well, here.

Take mine.

What do you say, Nelson?

What do you say?

Well, this nice man just gave you his napkin, so what do you say?

May I eat my peas now?

Thank you.

You're welcome.

So, Devin, what did you do before you got into the, uh, maintenance game?

Well, actually, Theo, he's the head of maintenance.

Okay, well, before you became head of maintenance.

I enlisted right after I graduated high school.

Served six years, mostly in Germany.

Life overseas on an army base.

I didn't live on an army base. I had an apartment.

Oh, is that when you were living with Barbara?

No, baby, that's when I was living with Philip. I lived with Barbara when I came

back to the States.

Uh -huh. Vanessa, may I speak with you in the kitchen?

Is everything all right?

I don't think so.

I know what you're going to say.

Vanessa. Mom, I know what is right for me. I am in love with Dad. Vanessa. And

this has been the happiest year of my life. Vanessa. And I know all about

Barbara and Phyllis and the rest of Dad. Vanessa. What you got? Vanessa.

I don't give a flying fig about Barbara and Phyllis and Winky Twinky and Dinky

or anybody else he's done life house with me with, okay?

What I care about is you and what is going on with you.

His parents knew? Yes. His aunts and uncles knew? Yes. His cousins know? Yes.

His friends? Yes. Any pets?

Now, what about your friends? Did your friends know?

Yes, they did.

Vanessa, for an entire year, you have kept this part of your life a secret

us. We, your parents, did not know. I know that, Mother, and I'm sorry.

But isn't it obvious why I couldn't tell you and Dad?

No.

Because he's not a doctor like Elvin, Mother. He didn't graduate from

like Martin.

He's a maintenance man.

Vanessa, please.

I am not that lame.

Don't try to use the profession as a smokescreen here, darling. That is not

problem that you and I are having today.

What? Vanessa, you know.

And you know that I know that you know that I know.

You're going to make me say it? All right. Vanessa, you're not ready.

Mother, I'm in love with him.

Socially, dear, you are worlds apart. Honey, this man has lived with a few, I

might add.

You have lived one year away from home, have met somebody at school, have fallen

in love, have become engaged, and are talking about getting married. Vanessa,

you're not ready. Mother, I may just be 18 years old, but I have made good

decisions all my life. I've lived by the book.

And I feel that this is a good decision for me. It's so good that you had to

keep it a secret from your parents for six months.

You're not ready.

So, you can prepare your

own sundaes. We have brownies and some rhubarb pie.

Oh, Dad, this is Dad's favorite.

Oh, no, sir. You take it.

I want you to have it.

Take the pie, darling.

Please.

I want brownies! In the kitchen. Come on, let's go.

Oh,

Vanessa, is that your ring?

Yes, it is.

stone's missing.

No, it's not, Sandra. It's right there.

Oh, it's not.

Oh, wow.

It's understated. Faithful and delicate.

So, have you two, uh, got a date?

We were thinking about getting married a year from now.

But I am going to graduate.

I will graduate.

You can trust me.

May I say something?

Yes.

I believe in family.

I respect mine, and I'd like to become a part of yours.

Now, I realize that it's going to take time.

But I plan to be around.

Mr. Brickney, I want to tell you a little story.

Oh, boy.

Let's go check on the children.

Good, you do. Oh, can I help you?

You probably

come from a very fine, fine family.

Great morals and whatnot. And our daughter, regardless of...

you know, what she has done comes from what we feel is a great family also.

And you'll just have to forgive us because we just don't like you.

I'm sorry.

Well, no, no, no, no. It's not for you to be sorry because, you see, you are

to blame.

See, if you want to blame anybody, then you blame Vanessa.

What I'm trying to say is I don't want you to leave this house.

saying that we don't like you because you are a maintenance man or the charge

maintenance or whatever.

I mean, you could right now, sitting there, be a banker, and we would not

you at all.

It's the way... Do you have a favorite food?

Yes, sir. What you had here was fine. I especially enjoyed the fish sticks.

No, no, forget the fish sticks. I mean, do you have a favorite food, something

that you really, you know, love?

Oh, yeah. On occasion, I enjoy a nice, juicy steak. Steak, steak. There you go.

We've got the steak. Now, just imagine we've got the porterhouse. Okay.

Porterhouse and no white lines in it at all. Yeah. Now, what would you like to

go along with? All of them. Some crispy potatoes. No problem.

Now, you've got mushrooms.

Mushrooms. You like your mushrooms.

Yes, sir. You can smell it, can't you? Yeah. Can't you smell the potatoes? Yes,

sir. Smell the mushrooms. Yes, sir. Saute.

Smell good. Mmm, boy.

Hmm. Huh?

Yes, sir. All right. Now, I'm going to present it to you, right?

I go over. I don't get a plate.

Uh -huh. I take the garbage can lid.

And I turn it upside down after taking it off of the garbage can. I take your

steak, your potatoes, and your sautéed mushrooms, and I give it to you.

Not too appetizing, is it?

It's in the presentation.

That's the way she brought you here, on a garbage can lid.

Dr.

Huxtable and I will always be fair.

I appreciate that.

If this house has anything, it's a lot of fairness.

What we don't have a lot of is space.

We would never dream of living here.

Well, we would never dream of asking you to live here.

I want you to consider this house to be like the begonia bush.

You know, you can mow all you want around here.

Well, sir, actually, I have my own begonias in my own yard. You have a

Yes, sir. I have a little farmhouse I'm renovating.

Now, would you clarify for me the meaning of the word have?

I own it.

You own your own house?

Yes, sir.

Get the gentleman some coffee.