Ellen Foster Page #3

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This one's for you.

This one's for

your lowlife brother.

May he choke on it.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Now, who told you

you could do that?

Who told you you could do it?

Nobody told me.

I had to.

Oh, you had to.

You had to steal my money.

I wasn't stealing.

Stuff had to be paid.

They shut down the

electric last month.

Don't you remember?

Get in the closet.

Get in there!

Get in there!

I pay the bills

around here!

Any bills to be paid,

I pay them!

You understand that?!

I'm the man

of this house!

I didn't hit you.

You hear me?

I didn't hit you.

Remember that.

In the dark I gathered my head

and all that spinning

and flying out from me

and wondered.

Oh, you have to wonder

what this world's come to.

Hello.

This is Ellen.

I-I'm fine.

How are you?

I was wondering

if I-I could come stay with you.

Okay.

What do you want to do

this weekend?

Well, do you still have

that fancy bathtub

with the thing in it?

The Jacuzzi?

I guess.

Must be neat to have

a bath in that.

You want to take a bath

in my Jacuzzi?

You got it.

Just make yourself

right at home.

Then we'll go shopping.

What happened to your face?

I fell.

Having fun?

Uh-huh.

We're going to have

a lovely day tomorrow

and then I'll take

you back after supper.

Take me back where?

Home.

Home?

After supper tomorrow.

I asked if I could come

and stay with you

and you said fine.

And I got all the stuff

I brought back

in your bedroom closet.

Oh, hon, I meant you could

stay for the weekend

and then go back home.

Really?

What did you

think I meant?

That I could come

and stay with you.

Well, sorry about

that misunderstanding.

Me, too.

Little more clay slip, Jocelyn.

These are looking great,

you guys.

Try a little more color

right in there

why don't you?

Which color?

Surprise me.

Wow.

What happened

to your face, Ellen?

I fell.

Let me see.

It's okay.

We only want to help you, Ellen.

You understand that, don't you?

We know things have been

a bit difficult for you

since your mother passed on.

We just want to do

whatever we can

to help you

through this difficult time.

You can tell us the truth,

Ellen.

You don't have to be frightened.

You remember last winter

when the lady

from Social Services came by

to talk to your dad?

No.

Well, she did.

We understand

you've been having

some difficulties at home.

Now, did you really

fall down the stairs?

My daddy did it.

But I'm used to it.

Don't everyone get in an uproar

about it.

Do you have somewhere

you could spend the night, hon?

Well, I live in a house

just like everyone else.

No, Ellen,

not your house.

Let's get someone to come

pick you up after school

and I'll take care of getting

your things from your house.

Who do you know to call?

Do you have

any aunts or uncles, say?

I already wore out my welcome.

Can I have a word, gentlemen?

Okay, hon, it's settled.

We've decided

what to do with you.

Home sweet home, kiddo.

What about my daddy?

We'll take care of that.

Don't you worry, okay?

He probably won't miss me

for about a month, anyways.

Miss Hammond, I presume.

This is my husband, Ellen.

Roy, say hello

to Ellen Hammond.

Hello, Ellen Hammond.

Hi.

Two's company,

three's a joy.

Come in.

Come in, come in,

come in, come in.

This is the guest room.

So here's what's happening.

Social Services is going

to talk to your dad tomorrow.

You know what

Social Services is?

They take care of folks

who need taking care of.

Right. Then I'm going

to go over to your house

with one of them

and we're going

to get your stuff

and bring it over here.

You can make a list

of anything you especially want

any of your stuff,

and we'll get it.

Well, I could go with you.

It'd be lots quicker.

No, uh-uh.

It'll take some time

to work things out

but everything's going

to be fine, okay?

Just... go with the flow.

Bathroom's downstairs.

So when you're ready

why don't you come down

and help me fix dinner?

What's he doing out there?

Drying lettuce.

You're not from

around here, are you?

We're from Connecticut.

We always liked the South.

So when we finished college

we decided to

settle down here

and have a family.

I used to be

a flower child.

You know what

a flower child is?

A kid with flowers.

Not exactly.

Close, though.

But now I have

to be low-key

so I can hold

a steady job.

Oh, boy,

when I was young, kiddo

I wanted to save the world.

What from?

Well...

From people like your father.

You mean there's

more like him?

Lots more. Too many.

My Aunt Nadine says

my daddy was a mistake

for a person.

Right on, Aunt Nadine.

So, you have a

birthday coming up.

Boy, I forgot.

How'd you know?

Your school records.

I looked it up.

What do you have in mind

by way of a celebration?

What would you do

if you was me?

Were me.

Were me.

How about a party?

The only girl good enough

to invite is Starletta.

Starletta wouldn't be a party

by herself.

We'll find out.

Hey, do you like gardening?

We have a vegetable garden.

I used to help my mama.

She liked to work

in the garden

in the morning

when it was cool.

She...

She would pull up the weeds

and put them in little piles

along the rows

and my job was to pick up

the piles and dispose of them.

When the beans were grown,

ready to pick

she'd let me help pick them.

She'd give me an example

of a good bean

to hold up in one hand

while I picked with the other.

If I wasn't sure

about a particular bean

if it was at the right stage

for picking

I could just hold up my example

of a good bean and know.

It took a long time

to pick that way.

My Mama always hummed

in the garden.

That was when I was little.

What's a flower child?

I didn't have a birthday

last year.

How come?

My mama was too sick.

Okay, have a look-see.

What am I looking at?

You're looking

at euglena.

It's my favorite.

I think it might make

a nice name for a girl.

Euglena.

I might keep it in mind

if I ever get a baby girl.

I also have diatoms on a slide

and one of a paramecium

but euglena's my favorite.

Come and get it, birthday girl.

Thank you, guys.

Starletta, hold on.

Cake, balloons.

Thank you.

Bye.

Bye, darling.

I'm real pleased you

looked up my birthday.

Me, too.

Watch out, you dummy!

# The Tennessee Waltz. #

Ellen!

What in the world?

Ellen!

Ellen!

Ellen Hammond!

You better get out here

right now!

You better

get on out here!

Ellen, you better get out here

right now!

You don't want me

coming in there.

Call the police.

You all get back

to your desks.

Back to your desks

right now.

Ellen?

Do you know

this person?

He's my daddy.

You get your little britches

out here right now

before I count to three

or you're going to rue the day!

One...

two...

Daddy, go home! You're getting

everyone in an uproar.

Go home.

Three!

Hey! Hey, I'm counting here!

I said three.

Get out here!

Oh, you're asking for it now.

You're asking for it!

Hey, I just want

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