Battlecreek

[PLEASANT MUSIC PLAYING]

Every Tuesday you light up

like a goddamn Christmas tree.

Hey, I'm talking to you.

You look at me.

He screwed you, too?

Screwed you, too,

like the other ones?

[GLASS SHATTERS]

Huh? He screwed you, too?

Hey, I'm talking to you.

Come here.

I'm talking to you. Hey!

Come on.

Come one, boy.

Here we go, baby.

Who's a good dog?

- [PANTING]

- Good dog.

[TV PLAYING LOUDLY]

[CRICKETS CHIRPING]

[SOFT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

PLAYING]

[EXHALES]

Have I told you you have what

we call fire-shaped hands?

Full of passion

and pent up energy.

Always looking for somewhere

to put all that...

I didn't come here

to get my palm read.

Hey, Henry.

Thought that boy of yours was a vampire.

Only coming out at night.

Carl, we wouldn't want you

to be late, now would we?

Carl was just stopping by.

I got you these.

My talented baby should have new

brushes to paint the world with.

Thanks.

So, how was work?

It was fine.

Mrs. Martin's on

her way over.

I'm taking her under tonight.

I thought you weren't gonna

do that again with her.

She wasn't ready before.

What does she think

she's ready now?

Because contrary to

what you might think,

Henry Pearl, there are certain

things I do in fact know.

And I know

what people need.

If you say so.

I'll put a new shirt

on your bed, baby.

How you doing, darling?

All right. You?

Well, I'm fed up, Henry.

Since the bottling plant

laid him off

Arnie's done nothing except

wear a groove in my sofa.

And, he made me throw away

every bottle in the house.

I may just move in

with my mother.

You may wanna rethink that.

[LAUGHING]

How's the old bird?

Still colorful as ever?

Maybe I should

come by and see her.

See what's on the horizon.

God help me.

Aw! My mother used to read me

poetry every night, before bed.

I always liked them. Not too

many words to get caught up on.

I guess. Sometimes.

Arnie says I have

the attention span of a flea.

Like he can talk!

I don't think that man can even

read, aside from the TV guide.

Quit your yapping, Melinda,

and move that ass.

Sorry, kid,

I broke a yolk.

Two eggs, sunny side up,

sorta, and a side of cakes.

Dig in, Henry.

Sorry.

I guess Arnie ain't

that bad a guy, after all.

See you reading that

fiction again, Henry.

I was told,

"You want it, you got

to seek the truth."

Plato says, "Poetry is near

to truth than history."

Now, Frost, he likens it

to taking life by the throat.

I like that.

Taking life by the throat.

- That's good.

- I keep telling you.

Poems have

their own language.

Whole different rhythm,

different than anything else.

Kinda like you jazz.

Nah, it ain't

nothing like my jazz.

People just get scared

of all of it.

It's just a matter of listening,

taking in what's there.

You know what I believe?

I believe...

read too much...

and you drank too little.

You've to throw that in.

Huh? Huh?

All right, then.

I ain't bad.

[BOTH LAUGHING]

What am I gonna

do with this now?

Let's see.

[BUZZES] Oh!

- Sh*t's getting old.

- You all right?

I'm all right,

I'm all right.

I'm good, I'm good.

[DOOR BELL RINGING]

- I'll get it.

- Yeah, okay, go. Go and get that.

How you doing, Henry?

Would you mind

putting that out.

What can I do for you?

- You got no gas?

- No, it's out of order.

Why don't you gimme

two of them gallons of oil.

15w40.

Yeah, I got it.

How you doing there, Magnus?

MAGNUS:
Doing all right.

Yourself?

Doing all right. Thank you.

Man, you two must be bored to sh*t here,

night after night, no TV, no women.

I'd blow my

goddamn brains out.

Wouldn't that be

a blessing from above.

What the f*** did you just say?

I'm gonna put these

in the back for you.

That'll be 20 dollars.

Why don't I just owe ya?

You two faggots have fun.

I ought to wring

that boy's neck.

What do your fancy Frost

think about that there?

[BOTH LAUGHING]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[GASPING]

That doesn't look too good.

It's just overheated.

I don't know.

Where's your water hose.

- It's right here, I can get it.

- I got it.

You have far to go?

You shouldn't be driving too

long when it's like this.

What do I owe you?

It's just water.

Drive safe.

[ENGINE STARTING]

[ENGINE SPLUTTERING]

[ENGINE CHOKING]

Oh, sh*t.

ARTHUR:
See that right there,

over there?

That's the problem right there.

I'm gonna have

to fix this leak.

I'm gonna have to get some parts.

Once I fix it, you'll be all right.

But you know what?

[SIGHING]

You're lucky you

got this thing over here.

It's in pretty bad shape.

Can you fix it?

Well, it's gonna take a while,

but you can leave it with me.

How long?

I'm gonna have to get a...

It's just... I'm kinda

eager to get going.

It ain't gonna take

too much time.

I don't have any money

to pay you.

And I don't expect any free rides

right now but this is kinda my home.

Well, I'll...

I'll tell you what.

The local diner is

looking for somebody.

I want you to go down there,

and you ask for Melinda.

You got that? Melinda, You tell

her Arthur sent you. That's me.

Uh, meantime,

take this mount back,

when you're ready, we gonna get

this up and running for you.

All right?

Okay.

[CLEARS THROAT] Well, food

ain't gonna cook itself.

Might taste better

if it did.

- Y'all don't have a address or a phone?

- Nope.

[DOOR BELL RINGS]

Look, anything you need doing,

I can do.

I've bust a fair amount

of dishes in my life.

I can clean and if you need any

cooking done, I can do that, too.

We sure the hell do.

We've been having some trouble with

one of our waitresses showing up,

so, it maybe the night shift.

That's fine.

I just need the work.

Well then,

I guess we'll see you tonight.

Great.

Love is definitely in your cards.

Just...

don't give your power away to the first

man who offers to buy you dinner.

Without our power,

we're as good as dead.

Dinner? I'm lucky if

I get peanuts from a bear.

Oh, come by,

we'll take another look.

Oh, wait, Miss Pearl,

you forgot something.

Well, life wouldn't be too interesting

without this, now would it?

And, it's Tallulah,

sweet thing.

Tallulah.

Haven't seen her

around here before.

- No, she is definitely a new face.

- Mm-hmm.

I could set a watch by you,

Henry Pearl.

Henry's here.

Gina didn't show up

last night.

Third shift this week.

Jack just got fed up.

She just walked in here

like we ordered her.

Melinda, come on,

order's up.

Sweet Jesus, Jack!

You all right, sweetheart?

You seem a little jumpy.

Hey.

Hey.

Arthur said the parts should

be in soon, to fix your car.

Good to know.

- If you want me to take a look at it in the meantime...

- No, it's okay.

I appreciate the offer

but it's fine.

Let me help you

with that, Cutie.

That's Henry.

He's a sweetheart.

Same time, same seat,

same everything.

He's got some type of skin disease

where he can't go in the sunlight.

Poor thing. He ain't been out in

the sun since he was a little boy.

All right, it says here that Jelly Roll Morton

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