Follow That Dream Page #10

as well as aid to dependent children.

I later learnt that Toby Kwimper

served in the Army...

...where he tricked the doctors into

awarding him a total disability allowance.

I use the word "tricked" advisedly.

I can prove that he suffers...

...from no physical disqualifications at all.

Anything more?

Quite a lot, Your Honour.

The Department should like to point out...

...that the Kwimpers have no legal status

as guardians for these children.

Moreover, the Kwimpers encouraged

two notorious gangsters...

...to set up a gambling establishment

in their neighbourhood.

Subsequently, the Kwimpers quarrelled

with the gangsters...

...burnt down their establishment,

and finally drove them out at gunpoint.

Yes, I heard something about that.

Frightening.

Terrible.

So is the fact that an unmarried girl...

...by the name of Holly Jones

lives with the Kwimpers...

in a relationship

that I would not care to explore.

Goodness.

What a terrible thing to say.

Be quiet. You will have an opportunity

to answer the charges.

One final point, Your Honour.

As a qualified psychologist, I gave

Toby Kwimper a word association test...

...which is designed

to reveal basic motivations.

It was during the process

of giving this test...

...that I was attacked

and knocked down by Miss Jones.

And you people claim

that you don't need a lawyer?

What did the test reveal?

Attitudes that were shocking

to the entire Welfare Department.

I submit a copy to the court.

Well, what have you to say about all this?

Judge, would you mind if we hashed

this over by ourselves for a little while?

Hash it over, by all means.

Thank you, Judge.

Do you know what I think, Pop?

I think we don't look so good.

It's unfair. She's twisted every single fact.

- Now, somebody's gonna untwist it.

- Good for you, Pop.

Not me.

I'll get mad and that won't do any good.

You take care of it, Toby.

Me? I ain't very good at talking.

We won't be no worse off than we are now.

- Please, Toby.

- Go ahead, son. Go ahead.

- I don't know, Pop.

- Please. Please, son.

I'll probably make a mess of things, Judge...

...but Pop and Holly here,

they've got faith in me.

So, here goes.

You may still hire a lawyer.

Well, Pop's already said no to that...

...and Pop's usually right

about everything he says.

First off, maybe I was wrong...

...when I wanted to throw Mr King

off the property.

- Very gracious of you.

- Yes, sir.

There's no need for me to get ornery

just because Mr King got a little nasty.

Now, just what nasty thing did Mr King do?

He tried to throw us off the property

that he had no say-so about.

Got our backs up and everything.

Judge, would it be legal-like...

...if I were to answer some of the things

that was said against me, personal?

You may choose the order of your rebuttal.

That means it's all right?

Yes.

Well, about my back, then.

They told me at Fort Dix

that I strained my back...

...after my first judo lesson.

I told the docs it had straightened out

after the next lesson...

...and it weren't nothing to begin with.

But they said it was

and I had to go on total disability.

Now, I'm willing to admit that a doctor

might know just a little bit more than me...

...so I've been taking

the cheques ever since.

But the way it's worked out,

I might have done the wrong thing.

And if I did, I'm awful sorry.

Are you defending yourself,

or making a confession?

I'm just trying to tell what happened.

Is that all right?

Well, it's pretty unusual, but go on.

Judge, it don't do me no good...

...to talk against people

who ain't here to answer back.

But all we done to Nick and Carmine...

...was just return a package

they left at our house.

We didn't know there was a bomb in it.

If we'd have known it,

we'd have thrown it in the bay.

And we didn't chase them off

at gunpoint, either.

When their place blowed up,

they just up and beat it.

Well, if you can prove that,

it takes care of an important point.

Oh, I can prove it, Judge,

but it don't seem that important to me.

It doesn't, eh? Why not?

Well, if I was a Judge, in charge of deciding

who was to bring up three nice kids...

...I'd just be wondering...

...if Pop was a good man and if Holly...

...was a good woman.

You can ask the twins about Holly.

I mean, they're just kids,

but kids know who they love.

And who taught them everything they know

and made them like it.

Dog me, Holly's just a kid, too,

but they don't come no better.

And smart, too.

If it weren't for her, we'd really be

on relief right now or starving to death.

I've already pointed out why he'd be

prejudiced on that point, Your Honour.

I reckon I'm prejudiced

on a lot of points you ain't, ma'am.

First of all, I'm prejudiced against

twisting the truth around.

And I'm prejudiced against hurting kids.

Particularly hurting them

just because I'm sore at their folks.

- Judge, can I say something?

- Go ahead.

I don't like to say this, Judge.

I don't like to talk against

a woman's good name.

But for the sake of the kids, though,

I gotta do it.

Well, you certainly have me interested.

Hell ain't got no fury like a woman scorned.

Yes?

That's all, Judge.

Well, Mr Kwimper, your observation

may or may not be accurate.

I couldn't say which, myself.

But I would like to know why you said it.

I said it because it's true, Judge.

That Miss Claypoole there...

...she went after Toby

like he come with green coupons.

She was a leaning on him...

...she was tickling him, she was kissing him.

And when he paid her no never mind...

...she set out to give us

what hell ain't got no fury like.

Your Honour, I shall not dignify

that falsehood with a denial.

I should simply like to point out

that it is not I who am on trial here.

No one is on trial here, Miss Claypoole.

This is a hearing.

Now do you support

what your father just said?

I'd rather not answer that, sir.

Very well. Briefly then,

did Miss Claypoole ever kiss you?

Yes, sir.

Really, Your Honour...

...what do you expect them to say?

Why, they'll clutch at any straw.

Please be seated, Miss Claypoole,

and we'll have no further interruptions.

Continue.

I was talking about Pop...

...and how it might help you

to know the kind of man he is.

Pop don't like to be talked about and I

most generally try to do what he likes.

But I can't help myself this time, though.

My pop's an ornery man, Judge,

that's 'cause he's so smart.

He can't stand it when people act stupid.

I ain't so bright myself and it's a wonder

to me that we get along as well as we do.

Many a times I was a-minded

to go against him.

I thought maybe there was more to living

than just enjoying it the way Pop taught me.

But I was never dumb enough

to go against him, Judge.

And it usually turned

out I was glad I didn't.

Now, it's a fact that Ariadne and the twins

and Holly ain't no kin to Pop.

Now, don't that make you stop

and think, Judge?

You name me another man

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