
The Recipe
Episode 19 | 16m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
Delores Sampson invites family friend Gary Baxter to dinner, seeking closure over her son Bobby.
Delores Sampson invites family friend Gary Baxter to dinner, hoping to reconnect after her son Bobby’s death. As memories surface, the evening turns tense when the truth of Bobby’s fate emerges and Gary tries to leave. Forced to face shared pain and guilt, Delores and Gary must choose whether to flee the past or accept a fragile chance at healing. Secrets, silence, and love collide.
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WHRO Public Lens is a local public television program presented by WHRO Public Media

The Recipe
Episode 19 | 16m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
Delores Sampson invites family friend Gary Baxter to dinner, hoping to reconnect after her son Bobby’s death. As memories surface, the evening turns tense when the truth of Bobby’s fate emerges and Gary tries to leave. Forced to face shared pain and guilt, Delores and Gary must choose whether to flee the past or accept a fragile chance at healing. Secrets, silence, and love collide.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- Gary, Gary Baxter, - Ma'am.
- Oh, you didn't have to two.
Come on in - Mrs.
Sampson.
I was, I was surprised to get your call.
- Well, for goodness sakes, Gary, you are an old family friend.
Besides, you have to bring in those great pastries or cake or what, - Remember what you like.
- Well bring you and that dessert into my kitchen right now.
Come on.
- Yes, ma'am.
- It is so good to see you again.
- You can put that right here.
Iced tea.
Sure.
Here you go.
Sit please.
So how are you, Gary?
- You mean in, in general or the particular thing?
- I mean, how are you?
I'm good.
- Well, not good, but I'm trying.
- I can't imagine.
- I replayed it a million times.
Fast, slow.
It still comes out the same way, Mr.
Samson, I can't do this.
I just can't.
- Well, well, when do we Gary, when it's hard for me.
I know.
Me too.
It's just, it's just some pictures.
You are in here too.
- I see him all the time.
- Please.
This is, this is him in a good way.
The fun, Bobby.
I don't know that other boy, boy.
He was a man.
There you are.
Look, look at the two of you.
How young you both were bad.
It is.
- You were, - You know, I'm glad I was, I was able to see you be - Having you come over is like a piece of him being here.
I do appreciate it.
What can I check?
The dessert.
What did you bring?
Oh my, your special chocolate cake.
Oh, I just tape it to hips.
Why don't you, but first we got some stuff to do, don't - We?
You are scaring me.
What's this?
No freaking way.
No way.
- His favorite.
Will you help me?
- You used to make this for us all the time.
He was addicted to it.
I didn't mean it like that.
- Oh, stop.
He was, this was his favorite comfort food handed down to my mother from her mother.
- What can I do to help?
- Ah, well first you can turn on the stove.
You know what he would say as a little kid when I would make this kicking dump slings.
I swear it was so cute.
Mommy make me some kicking dump slings.
But later on, he, he wouldn't eat anything.
I made him.
- He just wasn't the same person.
Not at all those drugs the army - Doctors gave him.
Why he, he wasn't even the same Bobby anymore.
And then he started doing other stuff.
And I, I know all the smart people in the world, you know, they can make things go faster, make them better, can operate on hearts and brains and provide prosthetic limbs.
We can fix all that stuff, but not their souls.
Well, I begged them to continue psychiatric services.
- You didn't want the help or he didn't know what to do.
I tried to help him too.
- Oh, I knew you did.
I've kept his room the same.
You wanna see it?
I've gotta get started on this chicken babe.
But you go on up there, you two used to play up there all the time and have sleepovers go, oh god.
- Gary, come up, man.
Hey, don't squirt me.
You got the army, man.
Yeah, yeah.
I got the room all set up.
Let's go.
- Oh, Gary, I I just couldn't do it either at - First.
Mrs.
SI can't do this, - Please.
I just said, Gary, please.
I'm sorry, Gary.
I shouldn't have asked you to do that.
I, I wanna make things better for you.
- The house, the memories, even the food.
All right, the guilt.
It's too much.
- Please.
Here's the closest memory I have of him.
Please come back inside.
I, I need help with this meal.
We need to share a meal.
A meal that he loved.
Please.
- How can you wanna see me?
Hmm?
- Hello?
Hello?
I have a gun.
Hello.
Hey, hey, - Hey.
Stop.
Don't do it.
I have a gun in my hand.
Stop right now.
I told you I had a gun in my hand.
Man.
What are you doing?
- Hey, Bobby.
Oh, no, no, no.
Bobby, get up man.
Get up.
Come on.
Get up, Bobby.
Get up.
Come on.
- I live not too far from my restaurant and I ran right over there.
Soon as I got the alert on my phone, I didn't know that it was him.
He pointed a gun at me.
And dear God, I didn't realize that it was just a toy.
I would've given him the money.
Anything baby.
- He wasn't connected to reality.
That was not Bobby.
Oh, Gary.
Gary, please, please, this meet so much to me.
I need to make this meal with you for you ever.
- How can you want me here?
I killed your son.
Not some more me.
- No, Gary.
It was the drugs he was living.
God knows where he was doing.
Who knows what He wouldn't get help.
Gary.
I cried.
I prayed enough for 10 lifetimes, but I don't know what I did, bro.
But it wasn't Bobby.
It, it was not my - Bobby, - You did nothing wrong.
It's not your fault.
Mrs.
S Not at all.
My mother told me that people have to be open to change and let God do the rest.
- I'm just hurts.
It just hurts so bad.
- I'm sorry.
I'm, I'm sorry.
Please forgive me.
Dolores, - Please.
So sweetie, sweetie, I already have, - It's gonna be.
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