Cross Creek Page #5

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Did you hear me?

I hear you.

You want marmalade or molasses?

I said, you want marmalade or molasses

with your pancake?

Marjorie:
Geechee...

I'd like to speak to Leroy alone.

Marjorie:
We've had frost warnings.

Paul could use your help in the grove.

I'll chop enough wood for you tomorrow.

I have better things in mind

than working in the grove.

Leroy, you have to leave.

I suppose Geechee will

want to go with you,

and I'll be sorry to see her go,

but this is not going to work out.

[Door opens]

[Birds chirping]

I packed.

I'll be going after Leroy now.

So, guess I'll be going.

I got something to ask you.

Certainly.

You satisfied with my work around here?

Of course I am.

Then how come you let

me go just like that?

I assumed you wanted to go.

So what if I did wanted to?

What kind of person let another person

do something they know will hurt her?

Geechee...

I don't understand you,

I don't have any right to stop you.

You do if you care about me.

You know what Leroy gonna do to me.

Use me up and spend

all his time in juke joints

drinking up my paycheck

just like before.

I got a good life here.

I got a better life at the creek...

I don't want you to go.

I thought that you knew that.

How am I supposed to know that?

It's easy get somebody

for cooking and sweeping.

I think of you as a friend.

You care about me and you

was gonna let me go away?

It's very difficult to leave someone

you've been with.

Afterwards, the loneliness...

I understand lonesome.

My life with Leroy was lonesome.

Probably will be again.

But you're a woman,

and you live by yourself

and don't let nobody

take advantage of you.

I've been watching how you do it.

That's what I want to be like.

That's something I learned off of you.

I ain't goin' on no train

with Leroy and that's final.

He ain't never done

nothin' but wrong to me.

Ain't nobody... nobody ever

done for me what you done.

Giving me decent wages

and lending me your car.

Well, us will do fine.

Us will do better.

I'm glad you're staying,

Geechee, I really am.

Now that we're friends,

I got something to tell you

you don't know.

[Sighs]

What is it?

On paper, you might be real smart,

but in real life,

you got a lot to learn,

a whole lot.

Well, is that so?

You can't go letting people you like

walk out on you.

You almost lost me.

You're gonna lose Mr. Norton, too.

[Typing]

I don't wish to discuss it.

I don't know why

I stay here with you for,

you old bad-tempered woman!

Just crazy, I guess.

I guess so.

[Typing]

[Bluegrass music playing]

Bubba!

Hey, hey!

somebody stole my old coon dog away

should bring him back

he'll throw them

big hogs over the fence

little ones through the cracks

whoa, trouble, trouble, trouble

all I've had it all my days

just looks like old trouble

gonna follow me to my grave

all right!

[Applause]

[Giggling]

Thank you for comin', now.

Marjorie:
I brought you a cake.

Thanks! Bubba!

She baked me a cake!

You know, she was hoping

that you were gonna

bake her a birthday cake.

I was hoping you'd make it

a bourbon cake.

It's a chocolate layer cake.

I guess we'll have to sample

my home brew, then.

Would you like a taste? Here we go.

There's one for Miss Rawlings.

I know you have to save yourself

for your writing, Marjorie,

so we, uh, we got you a pitcher

of sassafras and tea over there.

Well, this will do me fine, thank you.

Hold it, Lilly.

Thank you, Lilly.

Norton, this one's for you.

Easy, Marsh.

I'd like to propose this toast

to my darling daughter Ellie

on her 14th birthday.

Here's to you, sugar.

Mary:
Happy Birthday, Ellie.

All:
Happy Birthday.

Ellie:
Bubba?

Hmm?

Could I cut the first piece for Flag?

It's your birthday, sweetheart.

You go right ahead.

Paul! Paul, play something

for us, will you?

You were given the perfect day

to celebrate on.

Thanks.

Flag!

Flag! Flag!

Flag! Please!

Flag!

Flag!

Preston, help me!

Flag!

Flag, stop! Flag!

Please, flag, stop!

Flag, no!

[Glass breaking]

My husband is a gentleman.

Whatever he does wrong, he'll set right.

You yearned to have a pet of your own.

I didn't have the heart to deny you.

You've done an injustice to Flag.

He's not human.

He's not a critter.

He belongs in the woods.

Could have crippled him, darling.

He wouldn't know how to survive.

I promise he won't get out again.

You can't chain him up forever.

Well, I'll walk him

after my chores are done.

Look, Bubba, he's being real good now.

He didn't mean any harm.

Marjorie.

Please, Bubba, don't

make me give him up.

I don't think he's giving me any choice.

Marsh...

Maybe if the pen was a little stronger.

He'd go right through it

or he'd go right over it.

Marsh, please.

Can't we try?

I'll think about it.

But I'm not making you a promise,

do you understand me?

Yes, sir.

I'll think about it.

Come on, Ellie.

[Ellie crying]

It's gonna be all right.

Out here, you just can't afford

to have no softness in you.

Daily life don't allow it.

You know Ellie's special to me,

don't you?

She always has been.

She's the one that stays up at night

waitin' for me.

She calls me Bubba.

If anything happened to that girl,

I don't think I could live.

That's just the way it is.

That's how much I care.

May not make much sense,

that's the way it is.

- I understand that.

- Do you?

Why do you insist on...

prolonging the problem?

She loves that animal.

It's gonna have to be shot.

Why?

You see, it's almost full grown.

It's not only going to destroy my crops,

it's gonna get yours,

it's gonna get everybody's

up and down this creek.

Not if that new fence holds.

[Chuckles]

What if it don't, Miss Marjorie?

It's Ellie's last days

of childhood, Marsh.

[Chuckles]

It'll be a stronger fence.

[Chuckles] I hope so.

Oh, Lordy.

Marjorie:
We held our breaths,

praying that the fence

would be strong enough.

Days passed, and Ellie's deer

stayed within the confines of the pen.

Jacob's ladder was finished,

but I was afraid to let

Max Perkins see it

until I felt it was perfect.

Marjorie?

This is a good story.

Max will like it, Marjorie.

I might as well bring a suitcase over,

I spend so much time out here.

That's unnecessary.

Marjorie...

Ahem, Marjorie.

I'm trying to propose.

I don't want to get married.

[Scoffs]

I eat with you,

I sleep with you,

I worry over your writing with you.

If that's not being married,

I don't know what is.

I just haven't time for marriage.

You have time for Paul

and Ellie and Geechee.

Well, that's different.

They're friends.

You'd want more of me,

and I wouldn't be able

to give it to you.

That's a damn lousy excuse.

Why isn't what we have

good enough for you?

It's not.

It'll have to be.

Marjorie, you're so busy writing

and living other people's lives,

that you're cutting your own out.

And you can't hide from feelings.

I'm not in love with you.

I don't believe that.

Marjorie:
I deliberately

turned away from Norton,

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