Exhuming 'The Messengers'

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It's okay. Mommy's here, okay?

I need you to be a big boy, okay?

Get under the bed. Get under the bed.

Right now. Quick. Quick.

Please, leave us alone!

Where's Mom? Where's...

Go, Michael, go!

No!

Michael.

Michael, run!

You're going to run down the battery.

Like you could get

a signal around here anyway.

Luckily, people out here remember you can

have conversations without those things.

It's okay, buddy.

Be careful not to unbuckle his seatbelt.

I'm not.

We're here. How about that?

No going back now.

We couldn't afford it even if we wanted to.

I know it's a bit run-down,

but wait till you see the inside.

- Hey, buddy.

- Hey, Denise, check out the water pump.

You want to come see your new back yard?

Yeah? It's big.

- Still works.

- Yeah, I'm impressed.

I know you're worried.

But a couple of days and I'll have everything

here running like new. I promise.

Even that?

All right. Maybe a week.

Still think we can do this?

Climate's right. The soil reports are great.

Listen, I know I couldn't make this work

in the city.

But this is something I know.

Jess.

Jess, come help with these bags.

What do you think of the house?

Neat.

Help us unload.

If we want anything to sleep on tonight,

we got to get moving.

Okay.

Neat.

I think she's going to be okay.

Well, at least she's talking to us.

I guess that's a start.

Yeah.

I love it out here, you know.

- Hey.

- Hey.

How's it going?

It's so quiet out here.

Yeah. It takes some getting used to, huh?

You know, bringing you out here

wasn't a punishment, Jessica.

It's an adjustment for everybody.

And the only way

we're going to make this work

is if we give it a chance.

"I'll take that as a good point, Dad.

"You're right. You're always right. "

Good night.

Get some sleep.

Don't give up, honey!

Don't worry. I'll get it.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on. That's right. Come on.

He did it! High-five. High-five.

He did it!

Roy Solomon?

Colby Price. Belton Savings.

Oh, hey. Good to meet you.

So you said

your father grew sunflowers, too.

Yeah, over in Turek County.

I grew up not too far from here.

Right.

Look, I know you're all moved in,

but an opportunity came up at the bank

that I thought you might be interested in.

This place sat gathering dust for years

until you came along and bought it,

and now, as it happens,

another party's expressed interest

in the farm.

The good news is,

they're willing to pay what you paid

and put another 15% on top of that.

We just got here.

And frankly,

my family's looking for a little stability

right now.

Well, this will give you the details.

Give me a call if you want to discuss it.

Thanks, I will.

Hey, Benny.

I'm coming.

You ready?

Oh, great.

Ben?

Ben?

Hey, sport.

I thought you were asleep.

How'd you get out of bed, sport?

I thought you were...

Come on. Let's get you to bed.

Okay.

All right, Ben.

Now you try to get some sleep now, okay?

Lay down. Go to sleep. Good boy.

Daddy loves you.

What?

What are you doing?

- Going to town.

- I don't think so, Jess.

Give me the keys.

I just had them, like, two seconds ago.

Thanks, Jess. You ready to go?

Jess?

What's up with that?

It was me, not her.

I thought she was taking the car.

Don't beat yourself up over it.

By the way, your son managed to climb

out of his crib last night.

That's new.

Yeah.

So are the things I'm gonna do to you

when I come in from the fields tonight.

- New things, huh?

- Oh, yeah.

I've been reading the farmer-sutra.

See you.

- There you go. You have a good day now.

- Thanks, Ed.

Well, you're the new folks in town, right?

Yeah, Roy Solomon.

- So what do you plant?

- Sunflowers.

All right. Let me help you get started.

Hey, mind if I go look around?

Okay.

Hey, don't go too far.

Hey, buddy.

Hey, what're you looking at?

You didn't get to finish your cereal.

And Daddy said you got out of the crib

last night all by yourself.

Did you do that all by yourself?

Nice!

Pass it up.

Got it.

You're all over him.

- Get up! Get up!

- Take it!

- Come on, Bobby. What was that?

- Come on.

Little help?

Thanks.

- It's all in the wrists.

- Right.

I'm Bobby.

Jess.

Welcome to North Dakota, Jess.

You're from Chicago, right?

Yeah. How'd you know that?

Small town. Everybody knows everything.

You might want to remember that.

So what do you guys do for fun out here?

You're looking at it.

Sweet.

Half now and half at harvest.

That's the best I can do.

I appreciate it.

And if you're looking for labor,

it's gotten cheap with all the unemployment.

I can't afford much now,

but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks, Ed.

You're kicking my ass.

Yeah, it's all in the wrists.

Come on, you played in Chicago, right?

Well, I used to. I played in junior high.

Yeah? What happened?

I don't know.

I guess I just got into other things.

Well, the girls' team here is for sh*t.

Yeah, boys' is too, if you're on it.

Nice one, bro.

Hey, you know, if you ever get bored

of doing nothing out at the farm,

I could always swing by and pick you up,

and we could go do nothing

someplace else.

Yeah, maybe.

Hey, I got to go.

- I'll see you around.

- Yeah.

Nice to meet you.

Hey, who was that kid?

Just some guy.

From around here?

No. He commutes to shoot hoops.

You get his number?

Dad.

If you want to go back,

if you're too embarrassed,

- I'll get his number for you.

- Dad.

You know, I think you and your mom would

have a lot to talk about if you give it a try.

We're all in this together, Jess.

So I'll go see if Mom needs anything.

Okay. Sure.

How was town?

Small.

Hey, Jess, I'm really sorry about earlier.

It's okay.

Need me to help you with anything?

I'd love it if you could carry down

some of those boxes in the hallway.

Sure. Where do you want them?

Just put them in the cellar.

Thanks.

Oh, God. You got to stop that.

Sorry if I surprised you.

What do you want?

I wondered if you'd had a chance to look

at that purchase offer yet.

We're gonna make a go of it.

We're staying.

Now, if you don't mind, I've got work to do.

Of course.

Always lots of work to do around a farm.

Bye now.

Damn it!

Get out of here!

Sh*t.

Oh, my God.

About the only thing that keeps them away.

They always like that?

No. Hell, they just want your seeds.

- Roy Solomon.

- John Burwell.

Good to meet you.

Lucky you came by when you did.

- You live around here?

- No, I was just heading into town.

Got to go where the work is.

What do you do?

A little bit of everything. Why, you...

You need some help around here?

What was that noise? What's going on?

Everything's all right.

This is John Burwell,

part-time crow exterminator.

The crows were going nuts out here.

If John hadn't come along when he did,

I might have gotten pecked to death.

Well, it's a good thing he did then.

I could sure use somebody to help me in the

fields, but I really can't pay you till harvest.

We could provide meals and put you up

in the workers' quarters till then.

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