Eve's Bayou Page #3

- Of course, we know.

- Poe:
Know what?

- Aunt Mozelle is crazy.

Eve:
She is not! She knows things.

People trust her.

Sweetheart, Aunt Mozelle's

a little eccentric.

We let her tell fortunes

to keep her out of trouble.

She may be crazy, but

them visions always come true.

Anyway...

I've made up my mind.

- They're staying in the house.

- Till when?

Well, I don't now.

Till Mozelle says it's safe.

- Can't believe I'm hearing this.

- What if we don't play in traffic?

Don't you use that tone

of voice with me.

And don't roll your eyes

at your father behind my back.

You're looking right at us, Mama.

Nothing ever happens

behind your back.

Don't talk back to your mother.

- You're not too big to beat.

- Don't threaten my daughter, Mama.

You let her threaten me.

When I was growing up,

children did not

participate in

a conversation of adults.

You can let them kids back talk

and run wild if you want to.

You won't hear

another word out of me.

In my day, we were thankful

for signs and warnings.

Let the little hooligans

get run over.

a va plus tranquille

autour d'ici.

Could be much

quieter around here.

I want to thank you

for the delightful family chat.

- I have patients to see.

- Louis...

- it's Sunday.

- When you manage to put sickness

on an eight-hour, five-day

schedule, let me know.

- Why can't they wait a day?

- Are you two gonna fight?

"Some sicknesses are hard

to put a finger on."

I'll be back

as soon as I can.

Which one of your patients

are you going to see?

Woman, go get your palm read,

let me do my work.

You love your daddy,

baby?

- You know I do.

- That's all I need.

Excuse me, darling.

Don't you think you're being

a little immature?

I beg your pardon?

Keeping us in the house

'cause Mozelle's seeing things,

and not wanting Daddy

to go to work.

What's wrong with you?

If you're lucky,

you might live long enough

to one day have

a husband and children.

But until then, this is my house

and you'll do as I say.

Do you understand?

I said, do you understand?

Yes, Ma'am.

Good.

No one leaves this house

until I say so.

"What a man art thou,

that, thus be screened in night,

So stumblest

on my counsel?

"By a name... I know not

how to tell thee who I am.

My name, dear saint,

is hateful to myself

Because it is

an enemy to thee."

(heavy sigh)

What are you

doing in there?!

Cisely:
Go away.

Ah!

Ouch!

God damn it!

Ferme ta gueule, hein?

I heard you.

You said, "God damn it."

Eve.

You shouldn't be sneaking up

on people when they're swearing.

- Does it hurt?

- What?

Your finger, Mother.

No, not too much.

You'll cut your finger off

one of these days.

"Tis not so deep as a well...

Nor so wide

as a church door...

But 'tis enough,

'twill serve."

Romeo and Juliet.

What?

We've read most

of the tragedies.

We're starting on

the goddamn comedies.

You are asking to get hit.

- (distant scream)

- Baby?

The Lord have mercy.

What happened, baby?

You all right?

Mozelle:

Hey, everybody.

Hi, Mo.

Poe, are you all right?

Look what I found in the attic...

a Monopoly board

and Chinese checkers.

You could find the czar

of Russia in that attic.

I despise Chinese checkers.

Poe:
I hate her!

I wish she was dead!

I feel like I walked

into the middle of a cyclone.

Eve... what did you do

to your brother?

I'll push him out of a window

if I don't get out!

Cisely has been in the goddamn

bathtub for an hour.

She stayed in it

three hours yesterday.

There's more than

one bathroom in this house.

Ain't that much dirt

in all of Louisiana.

Get out of the damn tub!

You watch your language,

young lady.

Mama keeps stabbing herself

in the kitchen.

- Show her your hands.

- You'd better hush.

And where is Daddy?

He's never home.

He's supposed to be

home sometimes.

Listen, you little ingrate.

Your father works hard so we can

have a house with four bathrooms.

He's not working every night.

I know he's not.

- I mean...

- Let me borrow you for a minute.

Poe?

Is that your idea

of being a good daughter?

It's true.

He never comes home,

and it's making her nervous.

She cuts herself.

And you're being helpful

bringing it up?

She's nervous 'cause

he's messing with other women.

What did you say?

Nothing.

Play games with me

and I'll slap you blind.

- It's true, I saw them.

- You saw who?

You have five seconds.

Daddy and Mrs. Mereaux.

God.

It was at the party.

I was in the carriage house

and they didn't see me.

And it was worse

than just kissing...

Shh. Let me think

a minute.

Have you told anyone?

- No.

- Well, that's good.

Because if you tell anyone,

anyone at all...

I'm going to kill you.

And if you get callous again

with your mama's feelings,

I swear I'll do you harm.

- You understand me?

- Yes, Ma'am.

Listen...

your daddy loves you,

- and he loves your mama.

- I know.

We are a lot the same,

your father and I.

Except I don't have

no children to catch me.

You all are my children.

That's why Maynard got

tired of me, 'cause I'm barren.

But...

Maynard loved you.

Maynard loved you

most of all.

I think he did.

But I didn't know that

until I met Hosea.

- Tell me about Hosea.

- You're too young to understand.

But when I was with Hosea,

it was like my whole

body was burning.

I'd come home

and have to rub ice

on my face and neck

to cool down.

If Maynard knew,

he never said a word.

Then one night, Hosea

showed up at the door.

He said, "Pack your bags.

I've come to take you with me."

And God help me...

I pushed past

my startled husband.

I was going upstairs

to pack my bags,

when I heard Maynard say

in a tone I'd never heard him use,

"I don't care

who you are, sir,

but if you don't leave my house

at once, I will hurt you."

And I turned

just in time

to see Hosea pull a gun out

and aim it at Maynard.

"I'm in love

with your wife,

and if you try to stop us,

I'll kill you."

Maynard walked right up and pushed

his chest in the barrel of that gun,

and he said,

"Well, then, you'll have

to kill me

because my wife ain't

going nowhere."

Oh, Eve...

in that moment, I knew

that I loved Maynard.

He was so calm and brave...

and it was Hosea

who was trembling.

Maynard said...

"Mozelle...

tell this man you ain't

going nowhere with him

so he can get the hell

out of my house."

Mama was standing in

the doorway of the kitchen

and she was holding

her heart like this.

I walked slowly over...

and I stood

next to my husband...

and I looked at my lover...

this man who had lit

this great fire in me, and said,

"Please, leave our house.

I never want

to see you again."

Hosea's eyes went another color

and he stopped trembling.

He looked right at me...

and he said...

Hosea:
All right, then.

(gunshot)

And he shot Maynard

in the chest.

And I was alone...

for a while.

(knock on door)

- Can I help you?

- I need Mozelle Batiste.

I am.

Am I disturbing you?

I don't know yet.

My name is Julian Grayraven.

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