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[Reporter]: Hurricane Katrina

has now been officially classified

by the national weather service

as a category 5 hurricane,

and initial estimates of damage here are staggering.

Numbers released this morning

by the federal emergency management agency

say the death toll may reach as high as 1500,

with a missing persons list exceeding 700,

and tens of thousands

of displaced and homeless victims

preparing to leave behind

everything they loved about the big easy,

to begin a new life somewhere down the road

that will be anything but easy.

[Woman]: I'll take another one.

They tell me to "go here," so I go here,

then they say, "go there," and I go there.

Now I'm back here.

So I'm sitting down, is that okay?

Yes, ma'am.

I'm Violet roussard.

I think I know you.

You're that handyman from the seventeenth.

Yes, ma'am.

You fixed the railing

in the choir loft at Saint amboys.

How'd it do for you?

It did us fine, until this unnatural disaster.

[Organizer calls]: All right, folks!

I'm gonna be passing out a displaced-persons fact sheet,

and that's for everybody ready

to get on the next bus!

Where's it going?

Um... maybe Houston, or Colorado,

somewhere west, man,

I'm not exactly sure,

but we'll get you outta here.

All right, if you're still waiting to meet up

with missing family members,

you've gotta put your name on that board over there.

The bus is leaving in five minutes!

You lose anybody?

I didn't have anybody to lose.

[♪♪♪]

Thanks, sweetheart.

I've never seen anything life this in my life.

[♪♪♪]

♪ Gonna make my world a better place ♪

♪ I'm gonna keep that smile on my face ♪

♪ I'm gonna teach myself how to understand... ♪

[Gabe writes]: "Dear Hattie,

"this is Gabe.

"I told you I don't talk much,

"and I sure don't write much,

"but I want you to know I'm okay,

"and I hope you are, too.

"They put me on a bus to somewhere,

"and I don't know where I'm gonna end up,

but I know what's gonna keep me going..."

♪ ...make myself a better man... ♪

"my music, and remembering you."

♪ ...a better man ♪

♪ ...it's never been the same

[♪♪♪]

♪ I want to know you well

[♪♪♪]

♪ This could be good

♪ but you can never tell

[♪♪♪]

♪ So come on, come on

last week, she was alive and well,

and now she's gone.

It's hard to believe

Eleanor has stamped her last passport.

Norman, are you okay?

Everywhere I look,

I see Eleanor.

Eleanor's coffee cup,

Eleanor's blender,

Eleanor's potato.

Eleanor's potato?

Oh, yeah, she always wanted a pet.

What do you say

we keep the blender in the dlo?

Oh, and if anybody finds her recipe

for her kombucha smoothie,

please let me know.

Norman, would you organize the inbox

for the incoming supervisor,

and Rita,

would you distribute the contents of the outbox?

Ms. Mcinerney,

please pack the personal items,

and, uh, I shall...

Oh, look, the kombucha smoothie recipe!

Ooh, let me see!

"One part bee pollen, honey, and some..."

Oliver!

This has your name on it.

Huh...

Well, hello there.

"Oliver, this found its way to my inbox,

"obviously intended for the dlo.

"Check out the postmark and return address.

"Can't wait to hear the story behind this.

Speaking of which, I hope your date on Saturday goes..."

[Announcement over P.A.]: Outgoing...

It says, "to the one and only Hattie."

The address is obscured by multiple attempts to deliver.

It says, "no such address," "return to sender,"

"address unknown."

Well, I can try to remove the ink,

but we risk losing the address in the process.

Eleanor mentioned a return address?

Well, it's not really a return address.

It's just "Gabe, a mile high."

Cute and clever return addresses.

Will they never learn?

"From Gabe, a mile high."

Well, that's obviously a reference to Denver,

the mile high city,

which narrows it down to... Rita?

Ooh, 760,000 people.

We could always just look for "the one and only Hattie."

It's already been marked for return.

We are bound to begin there.

Um...

Well...

Thank you.

"Mandatory evacuation regulations

"require all displaced persons

to limit personal belongings to..."

Rita, the postmark was...

September 5th, 2005.

That's right around...

Hurricane Katrina.

1.5 million people were evacuated from Louisiana,

and 6,000 people

were evacuated to Colorado.

Gabe didn't write a return address on that envelope.

Because he didn't have one.

"Dear Hattie,

"this is Gabe.

"I told you I don't talk much,

"and I sure don't write much,

"but I want you to know I'm okay,

and I hope you are, too..."

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[Song ends]

[Applause]

Welcome to Hattie's backstreet.

I'm Hattie. What can I get you?

May I please have a ginger ale?

May you please have a ginger ale?

[Chuckles]

Yes, you may please have a ginger ale.

Are you hungry?

Like Sunday after church.

I hear you.

You leave that to Hattie.

Now, that's a toolbox?

You got a musical saw in that tool box?

I'm sorry? Wh...

Everybody sings for their supper on Tuesdays, baby.

You've gotta sing or play something.

You're not shy, now, are you?

Most of the time.

Mm-hmm.

I think... I think you're holdin' out on me.

So, when I get back

with your chicken, your grits, and your oysters,

you'd better be up there doin' what you do,

because I know you do something.

I used to sing a little back in the day.

I had a feeling.

How about you, miss Hattie, do you sing?

I sing a little.

But if the music's good, I dance.

A toolbox.

Maybe he's a carpenter.

A carpenter who's a musician.

Or a musician who's a carpenter.

See, that's what makes New Orleans so special.

It's... it's not about what you do for a living.

It's about the living you do,

the music you make,

the food you love.

My cousin, Vernon, moved there last year

so he could be in a band and be a pastry chef.

Oh, really? I didn't know that.

What does he play?

The spoons.

Pressing on.

Uh...

"I was so tired that night.

"I'd just built some porch steps

"for a man in the lower ninth,

"and all I wanted to do was sit and rest myself a while.

But, well, you've got a way with folks, Hattie..."

[Gabe singing] ♪ when the music

♪ starts to playin'

♪ she slides out on the floor

[♪♪♪]

♪ Dancin' without a partner

♪ swayin' on the two and four

♪ there's a rhythm in her footsteps ♪

♪ and a flower in her hair

♪ a smile on her face 'cause she's in a place ♪

♪ you know she don't have a care ♪

♪ she ain't looking for no lover ♪

♪ she ain't looking for romance ♪

♪ she just wants to dance

[♪♪♪]

♪ She just wants to dance

[♪♪♪]

♪ Go on and let the girl dance

♪ baby, she just wants to dance... ♪

[Oliver reads]: "An hour before

"I was the loneliest man in Louisiana,

"but standing up there and singing...

It was like I'd always had the music in me..."

[indistinct P.A. announcement]

Oh, my goodness, I'd forgotten.

I'm supposed to meet my father at noon.

Why don't we finish packing up here

and regroup after lunch?

Um...

What are we going to do with Eleanor's potato?

Oh, well...

Can I keep it?

Norman, we were simply tasked

with clearing and retaining postal-related items.

Shane got a blender.

Well, yes, but that's not...

We'll take very good care of it.

Those things are

so untidy,

and, uh, if left untended, they produce an odor,

that regulations clearly state...

I will change the water every day, I promise.

Please?

Just look at these little faces.

[Rita]: What do you think?

Oh, dear.

You think there's enough light here?

Just think of it as a pet rock

with the potential to be a side dish.

They've already named it charlene.

Oh.

What about over here?

That's a good sign, actually.

How so, Ms. Mcinerney?

[Quietly] Well...

They're not ready to formally take

the next step in their relationship,

so they've found a way

to create a sort of family with a surrogate...

Potato.

I really need to leave now.

Okay, say hi to your dad for me.

Oh, and, um... Oliver?

I see that we're back to saying "Ms. Mcinerney."

Yes, uh, well...

I think it might be more important than ever

to keep things... professional

at work.

But come tomorrow night,

I fully intend to call you Shane...

Ms. Mcinerney.

Dad!

Hey!

Welcome to my retirement!

Oh, uh...

[Laughs]

I wanted to talk about something.

You know, I wrote that list

of things I wanted to do when I retired.

Travel, learn Italian,

work in a garden.

Uh...

And then I realized

that those things would be a lot more fun

if I didn't do them by myself.

Oh, well, naturally.

I'm not much of a gardener, it's very messy,

but I do love to travel, of course...

I'm talking about needing some... company.

Mm-hmm.

Female company.

Oh.

I-I dated a little, you know, after your mother left us,

but nothing serious.

But now I'm settled here, and, uh...

I may not be old yet,

but I will be someday.

I don't want to do it alone.

I see.

Well, uh, there is a book club at my church,

or we could find a seniors' group...

Or I could just...

Walk over to Kate and ask her out right now.

Kate.

She's, uh...

In charge of the butterfly garden,

and I'm handling the vegetables.

And you are telling me this because...

Well, let's face it,

we're different people.

Mm-hmm.

When I make a decision, I act.

And I know you don't like to rush things,

and it's taken you a while to get things going with Shane,

and so I just,

I don't want you to feel awkward

if I actually...

Move a little faster than you.

[Laughing] Well...

Dad, Shane and I are going out tomorrow, so...

Well, there you go.

That's great.

Yeah. Okay.

Nothin' to worry about then.

[Chuckles]

Well, she could be an "Irish cobbler,"

or a "chieftain"... Ooh, or a "viking."

She's definitely some sort of early variety of heirloom.

She's definitely not your average potato.

- Nope. - Listen to this.

Almost 400,000 people

evacuated New Orleans when the levees broke.

And a lot of them are still living in Colorado,

because they can't afford to move back home.

Or they didn't have a home to go back to.

I wonder if that's what happened to Gabe.

[Door opens] I'm back, everyone.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

Hey, how's your dad?

He's fine.

Doing some volunteer work.

Making new, uh, friends.

I thought we might get back to, uh, that letter.

Oh, Shane's already got started on Gabe,

and we've been working on Hattie.

Yeah, I can't lift the ink from the envelope

without erasing Hattie's address.

We even tried "Norman dorman's revelation solution."

We might want to start

going back through some old phone books.

Okay.

Ms. Mcinerney?

It's not looking good.

All we've got is some guy named Gabe,

who walked into some sort of establishment,

like a blues club,

and sang a song, and had a good meal.

And fell in love.

You think so?

Oh, well, uh, where were we?

Oh...

"I'd always had the music in me,

but I'd forgotten what it was for until you."

He's obviously falling in love.

Well, not necessarily.

I mean, maybe he just thought

she was being really encouraging.

Well, I disagree.

Uh...

"I know what will keep me going.

Remembering you."

If Gabe wrote one love letter, maybe he wrote more,

hoping one of them might get through

all the chaos after Katrina.

And if Hattie received just one of those letters,

then perhaps they found each other.

Ergo, find Hattie, find Gabe.

Of course, if they're not together...

Hattie might still have information...

Got something!

New Orleans yellow pages 2004 to 2005,

there's a club called Hattie's backstreet blues,

45 St. James street.

"Try our famous oysters.

Open mic night every Tuesday."

Nothing's coming up.

All right, give me a second.

Um...

Yellow pages 2006, 2007...

Um... yeah,

there's nothing listed at all after hurricane Katrina.

Because it's gone.

It's not hopeless.

If Hattie's place was destroyed,

then she may have applied for a federal relief loan.

And if that's the case,

then I can hack into any number of government records...

[clears throat] Ms. Mcinerney,

I am quite confident

that you and your computer could infiltrate

the deepest galaxies of cyberspace,

but please,

don't say anything we might have to repeat in court.

Fair enough,

but we still have to find her last name somehow.

Any ideas?

I once got my name in the newspaper,

sort of.

You did? I didn't know that.

I don't talk about it much.

And the charges were dropped.

You were arrested?

It was just a misunderstanding at the zoo.

I was actually trying to return the penguin.

Wait, I remember that story.

That was you?

Yeah, "man cleared in runaway penguin escapade."

I was the unidentified man.

Norman, you're a genius.

Here we go,

from the New Orleans times picayune,

August 10th, 2002.

"also petitioning the city council

"in support of the proposed traffic light

"was local business owner

"Amelia grey Hatfield,

proprietor of Hattie's backstreet blues club."

Of course, Hatfield!

Hattie is her nickname!

Ooh, I wish I had a nickname.

I'll think of one.

Excellent work, Ms. Mcinerney.

Well, now the fun starts.

I've got a search program here

that I can adapt to filter for old records,

or relief applications, or evacuee lists,

anything Katrina-related

that might help us see

where Hattie may have ended up.

Start.

Now we just have to wait.

No...

No, no, no, no...

No...

Eleanor's kombucha recipe.

I think I left it in the box

of old reader's digests that I had Norman throw out.

I'm sorry. What did I do?

I'm sorry.

No, it's not your fault.

Now I'll never make one as good as hers.

I'm sorry, Ms. Mcinerney.

I know how much that "kumbacha" recipe

meant to you.

"Kombucha."

"Kum-bah-cha."

"Kom-bu-cha."

"Kum-bah-cha."

Forget it.

I need chocolate.

Serious... Serious chocolate.

It feels so decadent to be having dessert

in the middle of the afternoon.

Well, reets,

somewhere in the world, it's dinnertime.

"Reets?"

Yeah, I'm working on your nickname.

Oh. Let's keep working on it.

[Chuckles awkwardly]

Uh... reetster?

Uh... reety-reety?

Uh... reets-meets?

[Groaning] No...

That's bad.

It's running every name

registered with the city of New Orleans

during the weeks after Katrina,

and if that doesn't work,

I'll move on to state and federal records.

Remarkable.

I think...

We should read on a bit while we wait.

Wow.

Oliver O'Toole breaking protocol.

What is that all about?

I'm, um...

Not sure.

[Chuckles]

Ovilear!

Ramon!

Ramon, what are you doing here?

Yeah, what are you doing here?

Well, I have great news!

I am the new owner of the mailbox grille.

[Laughing in delight]

Are you kidding me?

Why? Why?

It is a marvelous venue!

And I have great plans for it.

I see...

A Sunday brunch.

Perhaps...

A mailbox Martini menu,

and, of course, we must improve on the jukebox, eh?

Oh, that's right, you know a lot about music.

Oliver,

can Ramon listen to the rest of letter?

He might be able to hear something that we don't.

Oh, I don't...

Ah!

"I know you could've gotten somebody else to fix the bar,

"but maybe you could tell I needed the work,

and the company..."

[♪♪♪]

Darn this thing.

I can come back and fix that tomorrow.

That'd be fine by me.

But it needs a special hinge,

and the good ones are hard to find.

I know.

[♪♪♪]

♪ People come

♪ and people go

♪ they take and they give

♪ and they build you up just to let you down ♪

♪ that's just the way it is...

♪ 'Cause all I need is one friend ♪

♪ to get me through the day

♪ one friend who never goes away ♪

♪ only one friend to understand ♪

♪ and never let me down...

[♪♪♪]

[Oliver reads]: "And I have a confession to make.

"I could have fixed that gate in one try.

"But the truth is, that was the first time I'd sung,

"or even smiled that much in a long time,

"and it felt so good,

"I just didn't want to leave.

"So, I pretended

"I couldn't find the right parts to the hinge.

But nothing ever gets by you, Hattie."

♪ ...it's you I appreciate

♪ send me on my way... ♪

♪ Kissed me on the lips and said "have a nice day" ♪

♪ she had me right where she wanted me ♪

♪ you know what I was in a trance ♪

♪ whew

♪ she said, "ain't nothin' wrong with Texas ♪

♪ but I'd really love to go to France..." ♪

[♪♪♪]

♪ It's no secret I don't care ♪

♪ gonna shout it out everywhere ♪

♪ love my baby hot, cold, fast, or slow ♪

♪ love my... Uh-oh.

[Laughter]

♪ In the evening in my bed ♪

♪ I hear voices in my head ♪♪

There you go.

Good as new.

Better.

[Knock on door]

We're closed!

Hurricane's coming.

It's gonna be a big one.

I lived through Camille.

I can get through this one.

I'm sure you can.

But...

I was thinking maybe you might like a little company.

Well...

I could close up early,

and...

We could weather it out together.

I have lots of food...

And lots of ginger ale.

Well, I'll see you tomorrow.

[Oliver reads]: "The next day they made us evacuate,

"and then the levees broke,

"and Hattie, I tried everything I could

"to get back to you,

"but I couldn't even get close.

"I lost my home, I lost my toolbox,

"I lost everything but my guitar.

"But my only regret is waiting too long

"to tell you how I feel.

"I kept thinking I had tomorrow...

"Somebody on this bus thinks it's going to Denver,

"and if that's true,

"then you'll know how to find me

"if you want to,

'cause I'm gonna do what you taught me to do."

What did she teach him to do?

Yeah! What did she teach him to do?

I don't think that's mentioned anywhere.

Neither do I.

"I'm going to do what you taught me to do.

"I'm gonna find my higher ground,

"and I'll be there every Sunday morning,

"waiting for the rest of my life.

"And I promise,

"if there's another bus to Denver,

"and you get on it and find me,

"I'll never lose you again.

Always, Gabe."

You were right.

He was in love.

No matter how many letters he sent,

they all went to a place that doesn't exist anymore.

12 years,

and so many hearts are still broken.

Well, we're trying to mend at least one of them.

I found her.

Great!

Amelia grey Hatfield is listed as...

Missing

and presumed dead.

[Rita]: Poor Gabe...

Poor Hattie.

She was waiting for him,

but he never came.

And he's out there waiting for her,

but she's never going to come.

Perhaps he's given up by now.

Never.

True love never gives up.

You must find this Gabriel.

This is...

This is very upsetting.

At times like this, all I can do is pray,

and, of course, eat my mother's famous pozole.

"Priority mail pozole"...?

Excuse me.

Leave it to Ramon to take lemons and make...

Soup.

Well, I hate to say it,

I mean, I really hate to say it, but...

Ramon's got a point.

You don't just stop loving somebody,

especially if you've been lonely your whole life,

and then, one day, you walk in,

and you meet somebody who makes you laugh,

and sees all the good things about you,

makes you feel special...

Hey...

We thought Hattie would lead us to Gabe.

Now we just have to find another way.

We are the postables.

We have wide powers of postal discretion

that we haven't even used yet,

right, Norman?

Then that's what we'll do.

And we'll start first thing Monday morning.

Monday.

[Rings doorbell]

Hi.

Good evening, ms... uh, Shane.

[Chuckles]

Good evening, Oliver.

You look beautiful.

Thank you.

Our conversation yesterday

put me in mind of a small jazz club

on Pearl street.

I thought we might start there for drinks,

then we have a table at montaldo's at 7:00.

Well, that sounds just...

That's funny.

What?

Your tie.

You tied it in a windsor.

But you only wear a windsor on wednesdays.

Huh...

It's a beautiful night. Would you like to walk?

I'd love to.

[Thunder rumbles]

Have you ever noticed

every time we try and have a nice evening,

something happens?

Maybe god's trying to tell us something.

And that would be...

Table for two?

Oh, hi.

[Laughing together]

yes! You don't agree?

No, it's apples and oranges.

Jazz is not about the notes that you hear,

it's about the notes that you don't hear,

and with the blues, it's not about what you hear,

it's what you feel.

It's rhythm and truth.

It's pain, set to music.

That's very profound

coming from a woman

who drinks "kambacha" in the afternoon

and martinis at night.

[Laughs]

Give me your pen.

Ooh.

It was my grandfather's.

It's perfect.

Now, watch and learn.

[Chuckles]

You're gonna have to open your mind

and use your imagination.

I can do that.

When I close my eyes, and I listen to jazz,

this is what I see...

Surprise, and light,

crazy possibility.

But when I close my eyes,

and I listen to the blues, I don't...

I don't see it...

I just feel it.

And sometimes, it's full,

sometimes, it's empty,

sometimes, it's broken.

But it's always...

It just always feels so...

Painfully but exquisitely true.

I imagine.

Yes.

Very good.

Did I pass the course?

Mm-hmm.

May I have my pen back now?

No.

There may be a test later.

I'm afraid we missed our reservation.

I have no doubt we'll make it back

to montaldo's someday,

at some point.

[Laughing]

You know the porch swing you gave me?

Of course.

Well, remember it was a little off-balance?

I thought I'd fixed that. Is it still off?

No.

It just has a little... Squeak now.

Maybe I should take a look at it.

That would be nice.

Earlier on,

you said something about, um...

About?

Well, you said something about god.

Oh.

Well, it's like you said,

just that every time we try to go out,

something seems to happen.

Maybe... god's trying to tell us something.

Hmm, interesting,

and, um, what do you think he might be saying?

Maybe he's saying that this is crazy,

you and...

Oh, my goodness!

Oh, I'm okay. I'm okay.

Are you all right?

Yes.

Shall we call a cab?

We could...

But then I'd have to let go.

[♪♪♪]

[Car horn honks]

Shall we walk?

[♪♪♪]

What are you thinking about?

I was just thinking

about how I almost quit the dlo.

You did quit, more than twice.

[Laughs]

But I didn't, because...

Because..?

[Porch swing squeaks]

Steve?

You got a squeak in this thing.

What are you doing here?

Oliver.

Mr. Marek.

Sorry to drop in like this,

but could we...

Could we speak privately?

No.

This isn't a personal visit, Shane.

There's a crisis in D.C., and I need you there now.

Well, tonight.

What? Are you crazy?

It's a crisis situation,

I need the best hackers in the business,

and I need somebody who knows the usps.

Has our security been breached?

I can...

Neither confirm nor deny,

yes, I remember.

Look, you gotta trust me on this.

You need to go inside, pack a bag,

grab your passport.

We've got a plane waiting for us

at Buckley air field.

How long will this...?

I don't know,

maybe a few weeks?

You are the best at what you do, Ms. Mcinerney.

[Sighs]

Rita has a key.

And the Rose bush,

it needs to be trimmed back, or else...

I will handle things.

I will handle things.

Just call us with your address

and I'll forward your mail until you...

Oliver...

We're gonna have to go radio silence on this.

That means no calls, no texts, no emails, no regular mail...

Yes, but surely...

Once they're broken up into their teams,

they're gonna be incommunicado

for the duration.

Now, we really gotta roll.

[Clears throat]

I'll be back.

Of course.

I...

I really enjoyed our walk.

So did I.

Promise me that you'll find Gabe.

But tell him not to be too hard on himself.

He didn't have to say it.

She knew that he loved her.

She knew.

I will tell him.

Her passport?

Will she be safe?

I'd die before I let anything happen to her.

[Porch swing squeaking]

[Rita]: This is charlene.

We adopted her,

but we're a little confused on how to take care of her.

Well, it looks like there are some buds.

That ought to sprout in two or three weeks.

Once they get some leaves, it will be time to plant.

Ooh.

Plant? In the ground?

Somewhere else? Away from us?

You want her to grow, right?

Oh, I think we want her to have every advantage.

Then you wait for the sprouts, and then you plant it,

and the sprouts make baby potatoes.

I knew that.

I just... I didn't think charlene was that kind of potato.

It's the great circle of life, Norman.

You just have to treasure every moment you get.

Thank you, Mr. O'Toole.

Hey, if I'm going to help raise your little potato,

you might as well call me Joe.

Oh! Joe!

Joe.

Oliver!

Dad.

[Rita]: Oh, Oliver.

Can you sign these priority mail requests for me, please?

Oh.

What brings you here?

I brought you guys some veggies from my garden project.

That's very thoughtful of you.

Yeah. We did a spring harvest this morning,

and I've got some spinach,

and some cabbage, and some Kale here.

Oh, Kale. Wonderful.

But...

Can I ask?

Um, sorry?

I did it.

I asked Kate out.

And she said yes.

And we went to the movies,

and then we grabbed some dinner,

and then we talked half the night.

Ah!

And then she asked me

to go to the big band concert

at red rocks next Saturday night.

Things are...

Moving right along, hmm?

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

And how was your date?

My evening with Ms. Mcinerney was...

Uh...

Without precedent.

Rita? Norman?

A priority today

is to locate the author of this letter

and return to sender.

I now believe that trying to locate the addressee

will sadly prove unfruitful.

Oh, I thought Shane was looking into this.

I, uh...

Have some news. To share with all of you.

I'd better get going.

No.

Stay.

Norman, you might want to put the potato down for this.

Shouldn't we wait for Shane?

Shane...

Is not coming.

[Norman]: I don't know what's worse.

Having your date hijacked

by an incredibly handsome man from the clandestine services,

or having him be her ex-boyfriend.

Oh, the waiting for her to come back, Norman,

that's got to be the worst.

And without tech support,

how are we supposed to find Gabe?

We don't have anything left to go on.

Well, we still have us.

Hmm.

We'll think of something then, ree-ree.

"Ree-ree?"

[Chuckles doubtfully] Uh-uh.

Well, that's a new one.

"Homeland security stole my girl."

Or did you... Let her go?

It was her decision.

Question,

does she know how you feel?

Shoot, do you know how you feel?

When we were lost up on that mountain

last month,

and I almost lost, uh, everything...

After that, I told her how I felt.

Actually, I told her how I felt

about being ready to feel something

about how I feel.

And she followed that?

Well, I was as clear as I know how to be.

Hmm.

And I kissed her.

It was brief, but, uh...

Very, uh...

If you get another chance to kiss her, son...

Take your time.

[♪♪♪]

♪ None of business

♪ gettin' all of my concern

♪ tried to put out the fire

♪ but the flame's still burning ♪

♪ oh, and as she pleases she comes and goes ♪

♪ she's got the wind in her hair ♪

♪ oh, she never ceases to hurt me so ♪

♪ does she really care?

♪ Is she ever comin' home?

♪ Is she ever gonna phone?

♪ Another night alone

♪ has anybody seen my girl?

♪ Has anybody seen my woman?

♪ California to Tennessee

♪ send my baby home to me

♪ home to me...

[♪♪♪]

♪ Where am I going?

♪ Oh, what am I gonna do?

♪ I know I'm not crazy no, no, I'm just hooked you ♪

♪ so go on and use me endlessly ♪

♪ but could you let me know

♪ when you need me hold me close ♪

♪ and baby, don't let go...

[♪♪♪]

Norman, come here, come here!

What?

Look...

There's little sprouts.

Aw, they grow up so fast.

Oh, dear.

Oliver?

- How's it going? - Any luck?

I'm sorry to say,

but without Ms. Mcinerney's advance search protocols,

it's taken us four weeks

what she might have accomplished in a day.

Yeah, I'm still filling out request forms

for evacuation rolls from 2005.

Maybe... we should try all the churches in Denver?

Remember he said something about "every Sunday morning"?

That's 1057 churches, though.

No, I know it's a lot to ask,

but I made a promise to...

Uh... myself.

I-I can't give up on this.

♪ ...has anybody seen my woman

♪ from California

♪ to Tennessee

♪ send my baby home to me

♪ home to me... ♪

My friends,

Maria Gloria Patricia's pozole...

Kate and I came here last week and had it. It was great.

"Po..."

"po-tho-lay."

Ooh... Ooh, it is spicy.

It kind of gives you a...

A lift, sort of a zip.

[Laughing]

Oliver could use

some of that.

He must be missing the beautiful Shane.

Uh... if we're being honest,

we're a little worried about him.

I am, too.

Every night we leave the office,

he's still there, sitting at his desk,

staring at her blender.

[Sighs] The blender she never got to use.

In my family, we have a tradition.

If a friend is in trouble,

we surround him with "the three ps."

"Passion..."

"Pozole..."

and "poker."

Poker?

I love poker.

[♪♪♪]

and if everybody folds,

then the last man holding gets the pot,

and he doesn't even have to show his cards.

How is it that you know so much about poker?

Well, I'm actually a Blackjack girl,

but I'm pretty much banned from every casino.

You know,

photographic memory, counting cards... [chuckles]

You look like a general here.

I was. Briefly.

A small, obsolete republic.

You were a matador?

Just to pay my way through school.

Oh, Norman,

can you grab the cheese wheel

from the counter, please?

You are a very fortunate man, normando.

How long have you two been together now?

Oh, uh... just over a year, I guess.

Ah.

You know, in my country,

you'd be married with twins by now.

Everyone had twins there.

Well, uh... We do have, um...

A potato.

Hmm.

How is ovilear doing?

He seems a bit lost.

Well, I think your money's safe tonight.

But at least he's getting out a little.

This is nice.

Ah...

The glory days of alternative Latin garage punk grunge.

I'm a blues man, myself.

Whatever happened to that fellow in the letter?

The man from the hurricane?

Oh, we tried everything, but we never found him.

Did you try music?

How do you mean?

Musicians are magnets for other musicians,

and as you know,

I'm bringing live music to the mailbox grille.

Thursdays will be jazz night,

Fridays are alternative Latin garage punk grunge night,

of course.

But Saturdays...

Are blues night!

Now...

If Gabriel is in this town,

trust me,

if we play it, he will come!

[♪♪♪]

[Song ends]

[Applause]

We've asked everyone

if they know a blues musician named Gabe,

but nobody does.

Yeah, Ramon was so sure that the word would get out,

and Gabe would show up

as long as the music was good,

well, this is only the first night,

and the band was excellent.

Ovilear!

My friends...

I want you to meet big Joe Hopkins,

Denver legend.

He might be able to help you in your search.

Oh.

Oh, thank you. We love your music.

This is a great spot. We need a place like this.

Ramon says

you know every blues player in town.

We all kinda know each other.

You wouldn't happen to know a gentleman

by the name of Gabe from New Orleans?

Gabe...

What's his last name?

Well, that's all we have, just Gabe.

Doesn't ring a bell.

But Ephraim Beals is from Louisiana.

He plays over at the e-flat lounge.

Oh, yes, we've, um...

Uh, I've been there.

Oh, I haven't been back to New Orleans

since Katrina.

Haven't got the money, don't have the heart.

Right.

I'm very sorry.

So, who is it you're looking for?

A man named Gabe, he plays a guitar and sings.

He was evacuated to Denver,

so we were hoping

he still plays at a club somewhere here.

Gabe...

'Course, folks don't use their real names.

Like sunny Jack,

bad boy baker,

and the 52-80 man...

Folks just don't know who they really are.

Well, uh...

Thank you very much for trying.

It was a pleasure to meet you.

I really like your music.

It's very positive,

considering how sad it is.

[Chuckles awkwardly]

Well, here, take one of my cds home with you.

Oh, thank you.

Oh, "walk a mile in my blues."

That's very clever.

"Walk a mile in..."

in my...

Wait, what was that you said about the 52 man?

The 52-80 man?

Cat's a real mystery.

Only plays his guitar

on the steps of the state capitol,

one day a week.

Would that day be Sunday?

Every Sunday.

Folks call him "52-80" 'cause of the...

Because the altitude of the state capitol is...

exactly 5,280 feet,

- which is... - A mile!

[Gasping in delight]

Here...

[Gasps] Found it!

Return address is...

"Gabe, a mile high."

What time is it?

Um... 1:15 A.M.

It's Sunday morning.

Oh, I hope he's there.

Shh...

Do you hear that?

[Distant singing]

♪ ...one way or another

♪ we're gonna find higher ground ♪

♪ well, you might be deaf or you might be blind ♪

♪ but you put the message right in your mind ♪

♪ might look like a plan

♪ or a coalition

♪ or it might be god trying to get your attention ♪

♪ might be god trying to get your attention ♪

♪ oh, yeah ♪

Gabe?

Man, oh, man,

you all spent all this time

looking for me?

Yup.

That's our job.

I'm afraid it was necessary

to read the letter

in order to locate you.

Then you know about Hattie.

Not much.

We were able to ascertain

that the backstreet blues club is...

Gone.

I tried to call a few times,

but I finally figured it got wiped out.

But I did write a few more letters,

hoping that maybe Hattie had a forwarding address

or something.

I've still got hope.

I figured

you gotta have hope.

Wait, so you've been waiting all this time

for Hattie to find you?

12 years is a long time.

There was something really powerful about that lady.

You know, when she put her mind to something,

nothing could stop her,

and that's what I'm counting on.

What do you mean?

One night we stayed up all night long,

and we talked, and we talked,

we talked about everything.

She got me talking more that night

than I've talked my whole life put together.

[Chuckling]

I told her how I had a good life,

and I had a good wife,

and a baby girl,

and how a grease fire started in our apartment building

and took it all away,

while I was singing and playing

down in the quarter...

They were killed in a fire in our apartment.

I'm so sorry.

I even heard the sirens on their way

faintly in the distance.

You know, I didn't put it together.

Of course, you don't think it's your house.

But it was, and I just lost it.

I haven't played another note since.

I haven't played at all...

Till I came in here.

You're gonna see them again someday, baby,

you know that.

But for now,

you gotta hand all that over to the lord,

and you gotta keep singing.

That's what you were born to do.

What you need is vision.

And it is hard to get vision down here in the ninth ward.

So you gotta get to higher ground.

You know that funny little hill up in couturie park?

The one with the little wooden lookout

you gotta climb up to?

Believe it or not,

that is the highest point in New Orleans.

53 feet above sea level.

[Laughs]

Every Sunday morning,

I stand up there, and I watch the sunrise,

and I count my blessings,

and before you know it,

I feel like I am standing a mile high.

And when you feel a mile high,

anything is possible.

When that bus brought me to Denver,

I really had a hard time getting on my feet.

It took a while.

You know, so I come up here every Sunday,

a mile high,

on these steps,

and I count my blessings,

and I wait.

Did you ever think about going back to New Orleans?

This is where I told her I'd be,

and I'm a man of my word.

You know, what if she got one of my letters,

what if somehow, one of them got forwarded to her?

You know,

what if it came late, like this one?

What if she comes, and I'm gone?

Uh... Gabe, um...

The truth is...

I'm not sure how to tell you this, but...

The truth about Hattie is...

The truth is,

every letter that comes to our office

is a sacred trust,

and we will not rest

until we have used every means at our disposal

to try and deliver it

to its intended recipient, or, uh...

Or we've determined the whereabouts

of that recipient.

With your permission, of course.

You got it.

I can't promise anything,

but then again, uh...

We are a mile high,

so anything is possible.

[♪♪♪]

Good afternoon, may I speak to someone

regarding disaster relief payments

to victims of hurricane Katrina?

Katrina.

Yes.

Well, might you be able to direct me

to someone who can?

No, no, she was listed as missing and presumed dead,

we cannot find a death certificate recorded

with the clerk of Orleans parish...

♪ When I'm with you feels like heaven... ♪

♪ You're an angel holding me ♪

♪ sweet, sweet lovin' sets me free... ♪

♪ And in my wildest imagination ♪

♪ I could never never, never imagine ♪

♪ loving me as much as I do you... ♪

So, uh, still no word from Shane?

Not until she's released from her assignment.

What if... Mr. National security

isn't interested in releasing her?

Well, considering our last date,

I believe, if she could come back,

she would.

You know, son,

one kiss doesn't make a contract.

But, hey, what do I know?

Kate and I broke up.

Oh, no.

I'm sorry.

She took up with the fertilizer salesman,

moved to durango.

There is... No accounting for taste.

[Chuckling]

Or whatever.

[Laughing]

[♪♪♪]

Right there. You see that?

[Explosion rumbles]

[Warning sirens wail]

[♪♪♪]

Yes, hello. My name is Oliver...

Due to the high volume of calls at the present time,

your waiting time is approximately 26 minutes.

Thank you for holding.

Due to the high volume of calls...

♪ Well, it may be winter

♪ it may be fall

♪ and I might have plenty

♪ or nothing at all

♪ baby, I'm gonna be there

♪ whenever you call

[♪♪♪]

♪ And every morning

♪ every evening

♪ every day I think of you

[♪♪♪]

♪ The way you loved me through and through ♪

[♪♪♪]

♪ The way you loved me...

Let us toast

next Saturday's blues night headliner,

the mailbox grille presents the 5280 man himself.

To Gabriel.

To Gabe.

[Everyone]: To Gabe.

You guys still looking for Hattie?

We've looked everywhere.

Volunteers of america, the American red cross,

the federal emergency agency.

It's very frustrating,

especially since we don't even know if she's alive.

"Presumed dead" is only a presumption.

Nobody knows exactly how many were lost in Katrina,

or even where all the survivors ended up.

Shane would have found a way.

You know, I'm starting to feel really guilty

about not telling Gabe what we know about Hattie.

But you don't know anything, right?

Perhaps it's time we told him that.

No man should have to wait forever

for someone who's never going to come.

Uh, excuse me, I'm out. Sorry.

I'm out, too.

[Sighs heavily]

I have a confession to make,

and you can fire me for it,

and I'll understand.

What are you talking about, Norman?

I'm not very good at keeping secrets.

The bad ones hurt my heart.

So...

A few sundays ago,

I went to the capitol steps to see Gabe, and...

And you told him about Hattie?

I didn't have to tell him.

He kinda figured it out when he saw my face.

Norman...

He said that deep down inside,

he always suspected

that if Hattie's club was gone,

that probably meant she was, too.

But that wasn't going to stop him from...

"Keeping the faith," he called it.

And when I left, he picked up his guitar,

and he started singing again.

You do know, the definition of insanity

is doing the same thing over and over again

and expecting a different outcome?

Like...

Waiting for your mother to come back,

and waiting for your wife to come back,

and...

Waiting for Shane to come back?

Maybe standing on those steps is insane.

Maybe it's the only way that Gabe knows

how to keep Hattie alive.

All I know is,

when I walked away,

he was already singing a new song,

and it hit me.

What?

Well, you and I, Oliver,

we have a lot more to hope for than Gabe does now,

but he's the one out there singing.

[Sighs]

I don't know what to do.

Well, I know what I'm gonna do.

Can you keep a secret?

A good one?

[♪♪♪]

♪ I'm looking out my window

♪ feelin' kinda blue

♪ I ain't heard from my baby

♪ did she find somebody new?

♪ So I called up her number

♪ but her number had changed... ♪

Hi. I'm Oliver O'Toole to see Steve marek.

♪ And I screamed out her name

♪ and I said "hey"

♪ "hey, hey, hey, oh, my...

He's out of the country.

Thank you.

Oliver!

I was told you were out of the country.

When you show up without an appointment,

I'm out of the country.

Where is Shane?

She's out of the country.

You told me you would keep her safe.

She's safe.

How do you know,

if she's out of the country?

Or you are.

Who exactly is in the country right now?

Okay, look...

Mr. Marek...

I have an employee

who hasn't reported to work for three months

with no paperwork to support her absence.

Unless you can provide compelling reasons

to the contrary,

I would like my employee back now.

You can't have her back, she's critical to the mission.

Oh, I'll bet she is.

Listen, Oliver, I understand your situation...

No, you don't.

And that situation has changed.

We were out of the country.

We had to turn in our laptops,

and tablets, and phones.

We couldn't carry anything

that could be tracked, or hacked,

or compromised.

There are means

by which you could have contacted us

while still maintaining privacy.

A postcard. A letter.

A burner phone...

The point is that

I still would have been breaking the rules,

and you, of all people, should...

Wait, how do you know about burner phones?

Sometimes, we watch action movies

on poker night.

Poker night?

Action... who's "we"?

Norman, Rita,

my dad,

Ramon.

[Laughs] I would give anything to see that.

Apparently not.

Oliver,

what I am doing here right now

is really important.

And there's still work that needs to be done.

Are you sure?

That's what Steve says.

Well, then it must be true.

Do you really think

that if I could go back to Denver,

I would spend one more minute here?

I don't know about having a chance,

but I know you have a choice.

Can we change the subject, please?

[Sighs]

Did you find Gabe?

I promised I would,

and we did.

That's great,

because I have news about Hattie.

I couldn't stop thinking about her,

so every chance I had,

I would run a new search for old tax records,

or old employment records,

anything that I could think of, really, and...

I found something.

And...?

I think she's alive.

An a.G. Hatfield

spent three days trapped in the superdome,

and then evacuated to Houston,

which is probably why

she dropped off the rolls in Louisiana.

Now, from what I can tell,

if it is her,

it seems that she started over again in Austin.

I only have a street address,

but no number.

I was gonna follow up when this was all over,

but now that you're here...

I hope she was worth waiting for.

So do I.

[Cell phone ringtone chimes]

No cellphones,

no contact, hmm.

Oliver, it's a dedicated phone just for...

I'm sorry.

I have to get back.

Of course.

You have no choice.

Oliver...

I would like my pen back, please.

Of course.

I mean, I was going to give it back

when I came...

Goodbye, Ms. Mcinerney.

What would you say

if I had a friend, here in Washington,

a highly-placed official

with the usps division of cyber security

who informed me that the crisis which occurred three months ago

was resolved over three weeks ago,

and that the release

of all emergency consulting assets,

such as yourself

was at the sole discretion of your team leader?

If that were true, Steve would let me go home.

Why would a man

who obviously cares so much about you

let you go if he didn't have to?

I ask myself that all the time.

I made that part up,

about the highly-placed official.

I know.

It was a pretty good bluff, though.

I learned it playing poker.

[Chuckles]

But I can't lie to you.

I know.

I'm just wondering if Steve can.

Tell me the truth.

Am I here because you need me, or because you want me?

What kind of a guy flies all the way down here,

and then leaves without getting what he came for?

The kind of man that lets me make up my own mind,

but I can't do that unless I have all the facts.

Okay.

The crisis is over.

I could shut down your part of the operation,

but I don't want to.

For security reasons and for personal reasons.

What?

Do you really think

that delivering old letters

is as important as some of the world-changing stuff

that we do here every day?

Are you really telling me

you want to throw all that away

for a squeaky porch swing in Denver?

[Sighs heavily]

You wanna know the truth?

Please.

I'm still in love with you.

Welcome to Texas.

Pardon me, is this, uh, Hattie's place?

Well, that depends.

I'm Hattie, and this is my place.

[Sighs]

I'm Oliver O'Toole,

and I'm from the United States postal service,

and I have a letter for you

that's taken a long time to deliver,

I'm afraid.

I hope you remember him,

because he certainly remembers you.

Oh, my lord.

Now...

Are you telling me he's still alive?

[♪♪♪]

♪ If your problems won't go away ♪

♪ and you're worried night and day ♪

♪ hand it over

♪ get on your knees and pray... ♪

[♪♪♪]

Are you okay, Norman?

Uh, Oliver should be here by now.

Well, he said he was bringing us a surprise,

and it's got to be Shane,

and you know how sometimes she can be late.

Oh, look, there he is!

Oh, and there's, uh...

Somebody that's not Shane.

Well, that is a surprise.

♪ Hand it over

♪ give it up give it over ♪

♪ hand it over

♪ get on your knees and pray... ♪

♪ Ain't no mountain you can't climb ♪

♪ no answer that you can't find ♪

[Hattie singing along] ♪ ...You can't find

♪ all you need is a hand to hold ♪

♪ ...is a hand to hold

♪ it'll heal your body ♪

♪ heal your body

♪ feed your soul!

Hattie?

Yeah.

[♪♪♪]

I knew you were coming.

[Laughing in delight]

- Come sing with me. - What?

Come sing with me.

We thought the surprise was Shane,

but this is... Almost as good.

Almost.

[Hattie and Gabe singing together]

♪ hand it over...

♪ Give it up give it over ♪

♪ give it over...

♪ hand it over

♪ get on your knees and pray... ♪

[Gabe]: You said

you wouldn't stop looking for her

until you found her,

and you kept your word.

Well, that's what we do.

We're the postables.

Yes, you are.

[Hattie]: Thank you.

You're welcome.

That's it?

She just gave you your pen,

you left,

and she went back to Steve?

Well, it could have been worse.

He could have been a fertilizer salesman.

Oh, I think, in a way, he is.

[Chuckling]

You need a ride?

No. I think I'll walk a little.

Well, be careful.

Stay on the main streets.

I know, dad...

I know you know,

but you're still my kid.

I just don't want to see you get hurt.

And what about you, hmm?

You heard the song.

"Hand it over."

[Chuckling]

Dad?

I love you.

I love you, too.

A triumphant night, no?

And it's not over.

Ah, yes, the finale.

You are leaving?

He'll do just fine.

You ready to go?

Um...

You remember the first time we met?

Of course I do.

At the terminal annex during the Christmas rush.

Yeah, but the first time that I saw you was here.

Oh.

Yeah, I was standing right here, a-and, um,

you walked in,

well, you... tripped...

[Laughs]

And I said to myself, I said,

"Norman,

there's the girl you're going to sort a lot of mail with."

Aw, that's so sweet, Norman.

That's why I thought this would be a good place to...

Um...

Uh...

I-I think I finally came up with a nickname for you.

Oh, Norman, I've been thinking about it.

Maybe I'm just meant to be Rita.

Rita moonriver haywith.

Moonriver?

I-I didn't know that.

Oh, well, you know, my parents.

Hippies. Right.

Anyways, how about...

Rita...

Moonriver...

Haywith...

Dorman?

What?

Rita...

Will you marry me?

[Gasps]

What?

Yeah, I want us to get married and be together forever,

and have more than...

Potatoes.

And have a place for them to grow...

I'm talking about kids now, not potatoes.

I got that.

And, um...

I have a-a ring.

Uh...

I must have left it in my other pants.

I-I changed my pants

so I'd look nice when I, um, gave you the ring.

Anyways,

it has a gold owl on it,

and it's got small...

Well, tiny diamond eyes, and...

Yes.

Yes, Norman.

Yes, I'll marry you.

Thank you.

I-I don't think...

That I'll make you as happy as you make me,

but...

I'm going to try every day for the rest of my life.

Oh, Norman, you're going to make me cry.

That's okay,

just this once, right?

Yes.

Just this once.

I love you.

I love you so much.

Do you want to stand up now?

Yeah, okay.

[Laughing]

[Excited laughter and cheers from inside]

- We're gonna get married! - We're getting married!

- To each other! - Yes!

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

♪ None of my business gettin' all of my concern ♪

♪ tried to put out the fire but the flame still burns ♪

♪ oh, and as she pleases she comes and goes ♪

♪ she's got the wind in her hair ♪

♪ oh, she never ceases

♪ to hurt me so

♪ does she really care?

♪ Is she ever comin' home?

♪ Is she ever gonna phone?

♪ Another night alone...

♪ Has anybody seen my girl?

♪ Has anybody seen my woman?

♪ California

♪ Tennessee

♪ send my baby

♪ home to me, home to me... ♪

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

[♪♪♪]

"One part kombucha,

"two tablespoons of bee pollen,

one half teaspoon fresh chopped ginger."

"Two parts kombucha, one part ginger ale?

One ounce raw honeycomb."

Ginger ale?

It... added

a certain effervescence

that balanced the...

Subtle earthy tones of the honeycomb.

I'm still experimenting,

but I'm getting closer, I think.

How are my roses?

I had to cut them back.

You have to do that

if you want them to bloom to their full potential.

You moved my desk.

It was temporary.

I mean, uh, it was...

Well, I mean, it, uh, was...

Steve says you never really say what you mean.

Really?

Mm-hmm.

Well, I have quite a few

very sincere things to say about Steve.

You were right about him.

He's not a bad guy, but he's... [sighs]

Competitive.

I won the high school regional chess championships

three years in a row.

So, you mean you're competitive, too.

Didn't I just say that?

Almost.

And tell me again

why you moved my desk?

It was hard to look at every day.

So, you mean, you missed me.

I mean what I say when I say it.

Although I don't always say what I mean

when I do say it,

I mean it.

For example,

when I once said

I hoped our first date wouldn't be our last,

that was a true and transparent statement

that, if we had have ever

actually completed a first date,

would subsequently have been borne out

in action.

Assuming you were in agreement,

which, given your extended absence,

you might understand my assumption

that your intentions and mine were not in concert.

If you are suggesting that I didn't miss you...

And I might be the only person on earth

who understands what you just said...

I wrote this one on the plane,

with your pen,

and talked about kissing you

on the step,

and the second one I wrote,

with your pen,

after we landed,

and told you that I...

I wish I'd never left.

[Voice breaking] And the third one...

The third one is about how afraid I am

that I can't do what they need me to do.

And the fourth one

is about how i'm... I'm afraid I'm gonna die

before I can see you again.

And the fifth one

is about deciding to survive it all

so that I can come back to this crazy, stupid place.

And now you've moved my desk, and you...

[♪♪♪]

I thought of you every day.

I know that might be hard for you to believe, but...

You'd be surprised.

[Gasps]

How have you been?

Lonely.

Norman and Rita are engaged.

No...

[Laughs in delight]

And, uh, my father fell in love with a lepidopterist

who ran away with a fertilizer salesman.

Some people just don't know what they have.

That is true.

So, what do we do now?

I am going to make you the perfect "kumbahcha..."

[Together]: Kom-bu-cha...

smoothie, and...

And you are going to read me all of your letters.

That could take all night.

Good.

So, you think you've found

the perfect...

Kombucha smoothie recipe, huh?

Oh, well, it's, uh...

It's about the secret ingredient.

[Laughing]

♪ Well, I'm gonna make my world ♪

♪ a better place...

"Dear Oliver,

"when we lifted off and flew into the clouds,

"I realized that you have made a believer out of me.

"It was no mistake that I was transferred

"to the dead letter office

instead of direct line operations." [Chuckles]

"We could not have begun dancing together so long ago

"without learning the steps we needed

to find our way back to each other..."

[♪♪♪]