A Family Thing

Now, let me run this by you

one more time real slow

so you can understand it.

If you rent a piece of equipment,

you are liable for it

if you bust it.

I don't think I'm responsible for faulty

equipment. The thing just flew apart.

I didn't rent it to you

to bust up a building.

It's none of your business

what I rented it for.

I paid good money. I'm the customer,

and I'm not being treated like one.

It damn well is my business.

I own this place,

and every piece

of equipment in it.

And you ain't gonna cost me

any money, by God. Yes, ma'am.

Where'd you say you were

from again? Wisconsin.

Wisconsin? There's

your trouble, Junior.

I've never seen a damn yankee yet

could operate more than a wheelbarrow.

I paid the rental,

and that's all I'm paying.

Earl, it's aunt Ruby on the phone.

Tell her I'll call her back.

It's about granny.

She's fixing to...

it's almost time.

Oh. Come on, daddy.

Let's go to the house.

Lock up, Sonny.

Where you going? Let's get this settled.

We're closing up.

I got things to take care of

- besides hoohahing with you. - Well,

I'm not leaving until we get it settled.

I'll talk to you tomorrow.

You better sign something

saying I'm not responsible.

You comin'? I'm locking this door. I'm

not leaving till you sign something.

Very funny.

Hey.

Hey!

Unlock this door!

Hear me?

Hey!

Hey! Get back here!

She's been talking

out of her head, Earl.

She's been calling for you.

All right.

Mama.

Why don't you make some

coffee or something?

That crying ain't helping any.

Carrie, how you feeling?

Tolerable, I reckon.

How you all doin'?

I'm kind of down in my back,

but I reckon I'll do.

You want me to get you

something or other to eat?

Naw. I don't feel much

like eatin' nothin'.

I seen your daddy today,

Sonny.

Daddy's dead, granny.

No, he ain't no such a thing.

He's out there in the back,

building me a little ol' shed

to keep things in.

Carrie, I'm gonna get

me some coffee.

You want some?

No. I don't believe I do.

I been kinda thinking

about going to church sunday.

You want to?

All right.

Good.

Well, we'll do that.

Reckon why your daddy's

playing I'm all right?

You are all right, mama.

Doctor says you're liable

to live to be 100.

Said you're too ornery to die yet.

You're having a spell, that's all.

You never was too good

at storyin', Junior.

I'm 85 years old.

That's plenty of stayin' alive to do.

You take care of things, Earl.

You do things right.

Yes, ma'am.

I don't want you laying here

some of these days like me

wishing you'd done different.

You done real good, mama.

Real good.

You take care of

your family, Earl.

Yes, ma'am.

Use my memory to help you do that.

I always do. That's the first

thing. I always take care.

That's what you taught me.

I had a dream.

I was hanging a load of wash

on a tree limb down by the river.

Ain't that the silliest thing?

Earl.

Sheriff just called.

He said some man

called him from the store,

hollering you'd locked him

up inside of it.

Hey, daddy. What's going on?

I bought you a new cap today.

It says "Hunters do it

with both barrels. "

Well, she's gone.

Mama's gone.

Gone to heaven.

So you better call

whoever you're supposed to call, Ruby,

to take care of it.

When's that coffee

gonna be ready?

And when Jesus

came to the place

where Lazarus was buried,

Martha said unto him,

"Lord, if you had been here,

"my brother would not have died.

"But even now I know

God will give you whatever

you ask him. "

Jesus said unto her,

"Your brother will rise again. "

How about you, reverend?

What are you doin' over this way?

Earl, how you doing?

Fine.

Come on in.

What can I do for you?

Listen, I got this letter your

mama gave me before she passed.

She wanted me

to wait a few days

and then give it to you.

What is it?

Well, I hadn't looked at it,

and she didn't tell me.

She just told me

to give it to you

and not anybody else.

"It's private," she said.

Thank you.

Well, I better go.

I got rounds to make.

Roy Bailey's in the hospital

with his gall bladder,

and I got to see him.

I'll see you later on, then.

Sunday.

I'll see you sunday.

Well, we'll see.

See ya.

Daddy?

Daddy, turn that thing off.

It's gonna be a hot one, Junior.

Brother Conners just

brought me this letter

that mama wrote to me

before she passed.

A letter?

From your mama?

Yes, sir.

I'm gonna read it to you.

It says, "Dear Earl...

"when you read this letter,

"I pray I'll be in heaven

with our dear Lord

"if he's willing to have me there.

"I done it this way because

I could not face you

"to tell you this thing

I need to tell you.

"I guess I could've

not told you at all,

"but I could not take

this to my grave.

"Before I write this thing

to you, "I want you to know

"that I've loved and always loved

you, "and your daddy loves you, too.

"You always heard you

was born in Alabama

"because I went there to

stay with my sick cousin.

"It hurts me to tell you this,

"but that is not the truth of things.

"We had a colored woman named

Willa Mae "that worked for us.

"She was a real nice woman.

"She used to sit and

talk with me a lot.

"I couldn't really have

a colored friend in town,

"but in the house, nobody knew

about it. "She was real smart

"and believed in the good Lord.

"She cried one day and told me

"that your daddy had

been with her a while back,

"but she didn't want to.

"She said she was scared

of him and scared not to.

"I was mad at her for a while

and mad at your daddy,

"but he said he didn't do it,

"and I believed him against her

"until she come up pregnant.

"He had to come up with

the truth because...

she had a white baby. "

"Now... "

Hmm... sheesh.

"Willa Mae is your real

mama by blood, Earl.

"You come up looking white,

so nobody knew the difference. "

Isn't that cute?

"But I always loved you

as my own, Earl.

"Please forgive me.

"If you do, I have a wish

for you to do for me.

"Willa Mae had another boy

before you named Raymond.

"Raymond Lee Murdock.

"They called him point

"'cause when he was little,

he had a pointy head.

Willa Mae was my friend,

and Raymond was your brother. "

"That whole family

was good people to us,

"and they are your family,

"and if you don't ever have

another thought about me

"or look at my picture

or anything,

"I wish the one thing

you would do for me

"is to find your brother

and know him as your family. "

Hmm.

"Willa Mae died having you.

I was right there. "

Oh, Lord.

"She told me that after

you come into this world

"that you was beautiful

"and that she loved you...

"and that she loved you.

"The last I heard,

"Raymond was in Chicago

and was a policeman.

"That's all I ever heard.

"I will always, for eternity,

"love you as my son.

Mama. "

Now, daddy, mama's mind was

going at the end, wasn't it?

I mean, this is all just

a bunch of crazy stuff

she dreamed up.

I mean, did you...

Did you lie in bed

with a n*gger woman?

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