Bastard Out of Carolina Page #4

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get you a can of pork and beans.

How come we always gotta eat pork

and beans cold, huh Bone?

Because we haven't got electricity.

The power company turned it off

because Daddy Glen can't keep a job.

How come Daddy Glen

don't like you, Bone?

How come you got to keep asking me

a million questions?

Making so much fuss over so little.

You'd think you girls

hadn't been fed in a week.

You don't know what real hunger is.

Go on.

Hey, honey.

Soda crackers and ketchup!

You're so casual about finding another

job, but I feed my girls that garbage

while you sit on your ass all day,

smoking and telling lies.

I was out looking for a job all day.

How many?

How many people did you see?

A lot.

Not my kids.

I was never going to have my girls

know what it was like.

I was never going to have them

go hungry or cold or scared!

Never, you hear me?

Never!

What's that?

It's a horse.

Do you know what this is?

Bone, you get Reese ready.

I'm taking you over

to Aunt Alma's for a little while.

I'll pick you up later.

Come on girls.

We're going home.

Now whose big dress is this?

Reese, baby.

My Mama used to cook this

late at night.

You've got to get the tomatoes almost

done before you put the eggs in

because you don't want to cook

the eggs much at all.

You want them soft.

You want them to melt like butter

between your teeth and your tongue.

What're you going to do about it,

Glen?

What?

Nothing, that's what.

It's good.

Eat up, baby.

Anney's got her girls

all dolled up today.

James, I figured we'd take

fifty, maybe sixty thousand,

put it in a liquid account,

so we can write checks on it.

- You know, Daddy.

- What?

I got that job, and it's working out

really well.

...write checks on,

we buy us a couple of radio spots.

We'll make these sort of public service

spots and not use your name at all.

Anne Madeline asked

for another pitcher of tea.

Take that one there on the table.

We don't want to make it look like

we're trying to push you,

specifically, well we just want to say

we need a new district attorney.

Damn, you clumsy child!

Go on, Bone, go on.

- You bring those people around here!

- Daddy, that was an accident!

You bring them around,

watch what they're doing!

- Those people are my family.

- Your family?

We are your family, right here, boy.

We're your family.

You can't hurt me anymore, old man.

It's my one day off, and you got

to tear around here?

Now just, just cool it, kid.

You're a girl, not a racehorse.

You're a girl, not a racehorse.

You little b*tch. You little b*tch!

Come here!

Come on, you. You're smart.

Get up here.

- Stop it. I'm sorry.

- Come on.

- I'm sorry.

- You're sorry?

Glen?

Glen?

Glen, open the door.

Glen, unlock this door!

I'm sorry.

Not as sorry as you're going to be.

Glen, please!

Tearing around here, making fun of me,

embarrassing me in front of my daddy!

I've waited too long to do this,

too long.

What did she do? Let me in!

Stop it!

She's my girl, too!

Someone's got to love her enough

to care how she turns out.

Oh, babycakes.

What did you do, honey?

What did you do to make him so mad?

She called me a bastard, Anney.

And she was tearing around here,

knocking things over.

I never meant to beat her that bad,

I swear I didn't. I would never...

I'm sorry, baby.

Don't cry.

You made him mad, Bone.

You'd better be careful.

Come here, you stubborn thing.

Come on.

I had tried to be careful,

but something had come apart.

Something had gotten loose, like wild

strands of hair unraveling in the dust.

He wouldn't make enough money

in his new job,

so Mama went back to the cafe,

working later and later.

What is this?

You know where I found this? I found

this on the floor in the hallway.

What did I tell you I'd do next time?

What did I say about this?

Come on, get up. Let's go upstairs.

You gotta learn to take care

of things.

That's why your Mama works so hard.

Let's go, let's go.

Reese, you just stay right there,

play your cards. Come on, let's go.

Glen always found something I'd done,

something I had to be told.

Something he just had to do

because he loved me so much.

I lived in a world of shame.

I hid my bruises as if they were

evidence of crimes I had committed.

I didn't tell Mama.

I couldn't tell Mama.

Something's wrong with her, Glen.

She's just accident-prone.

She's always getting into something.

Falling out of trees,

falling off the porch.

Lucky she's such a hard-headed brat.

Maybe I ought to get her some vitamins,

or something. Maybe she's thin-boned.

Don't worry.

Mama.

Mama.

How'd she break her coccyx?

- Her what?

- Her tail bone, lady!

Her ass!

What have you been hitting

this child with?

Or maybe you've just been throwing

her up against the damn wall!

What are you saying?

What are you saying!

You wanna talk about it, honey?

Let me have my girl.

How about we ask your Mama

to leave, then

maybe you can tell me what happened?

- Mama.

- Come on.

I'm getting you dressed

and I'm getting you home.

Lady, this child's been beaten.

This child's been beaten and

I'm going to call the authorities!

We're over here.

OK here we go, you're going

to be home real soon.

Thank you, doctor.

Don't you dare.

Anney.

Anney.

Anney, no!

What in the hell happened to her?

I'm sorry.

You didn't do anything wrong.

Throw the ball, Garvey!

We stayed at Aunt Alma's

until I got better

but Daddy Glen said he couldn't live

without Mama's love.

She made him swear he would never

lay a hand on me again.

Girls? Daddy Glen's here.

Bone? I want to ask you

to do something for me.

You know, your Aunt Ruth

is real sick.

Aunt Ruth's been sick for ages.

Well.

She's gotten worse

and Travis is having a hard time

taking care of her all by himself.

He was wondering if you'd go

out there for a little while

until she gets better.

- Hi, Ruth.

- Hi, honey.

Thanks for this.

She's going to be fine. Just fine.

OK, baby. Bye-bye.

You be good.

Take good care of her, OK? Love you.

I'm gonna take a trip,

on that old gospel ship.

I'm going far beyond the sky.

I'm gonna shout and sing.

You think I'm dying?

No, just awful damn sick.

Then what is it, child?

Daddy Glen hates me.

He don't like you much,

but he's just jealous, I think.

Come here.

See, he's just a little boy himself.

Wanting more of your Mama than you.

Wanting to be her baby

more than her husband.

Men are just like little boys, jumping

up on titty whenever they can.

Your Mama knows it and we all do.

Has he ever touched you, honey?

Has he ever messed with you?

Down here, honey.

Has he ever hurt you down here?

Are you sure?

Auntie, do you believe in god?

I sure as hell do.

Good, because I'll be

a gospel singer someday.

All right, then. Carry on,

little Bone. Turn up that radio.

If you are ashamed of me,

you ought not to be.

Lest you better have a care.

If too much fault you find,

you will sure be left behind.

While I'm sailing, through the air.

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