Long, Hot Summer, The Page #9

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when this turned up,|I was struck dumb.

But there it is, Jody, just like people|have said it was for a hundred years.

Boy, you-you-you...|you tryin' to gull me?

Jody, you just put|your mind at ease.

Look, I know better than|to try to trade you blind...

especially when it's my life|I'm dickerin' for.

It's your life,|all right.

Show me.

Come on.

You and|your treasure.

We've been workin' an hour.|Now, where is it?

- Huh?|- Well, you never can tell.

It might be in|the next shovel load.

We got it!

Yeah.

I got it, Pa!

doin'out here?

- Have you gone out of your mind, boy?|- Get away from me.

Your wife's gettin'|kind of anxious about you, boy.

Get outta that hole.|Come on home with me.

I said get away from me.

Jody, I ain't goin'|without ya.

Go on. Go on.

You keep on thinkin'|I'm crazy.

I'm about as crazy|as a fox.

your thumb, Papa.

friend of yours...

for the rights to this land...

and everything|I find here is mine!

right across the street from yours.

- "Who knows?"|- Boy...

just what you think|you're gonna find out here?

More of that.|"Buckets" of that.

Yeah, bite on it.|It's real, all right.

Is this the money that the folks hid|when they thought Grant was comin'?

Is this the money that's supposed|to have been layin' out here|all these years...

since the War|Between the States?

That's right.

This piece|was minted in 1910.

Ben Quick.

He salted this place.

hatfuls of silver dollars...

buried out here one night|in an old canvas bag...

a sucker like you.

Someday I'll kill ya.|I'll kill ya! I'll kill ya!

Jody.

Good night.

Sister...

come and have|a nightcap with me.

Everything settled|with Alan? Huh?

Yes, it's all settled.

You mean that?

Well, I'll drink to that!

To your weddin'.|It's gonna be a great big one.

but Stewart's more your dish.

Oh, well. Good name.|Good old family.

He's kinda weak, though.|We'll bolster him up, though.

Papa, I'm tired.|I wanna go to bed.

Oh, no. Not just yet.

This is a time for father and daughter|to have a little... little talk.

Finally?

I know.

I know.

There's been a long,|hard silence between us.

Now's a time|for openin' our hearts.

I got one, ya know.

the bread of sorrow.

You made me happy|tonight, but...

I walked around with a bitterness|chokin' me.

Parents and children.

I asked myself, "What are children for?|Why do we have 'em?"

Well, tonight I know.

- Now I know.|- Do ya?

Oh, I know|I been hard on ya...

but... don't feel|you been pushed.

You're goin'|in the right direction.

Woman's only half a thing|without a man.

What do you know|about women, Papa?

I had the best.

Your mother and I|were just...

about as close as...

two people|ever get together.

I wanted to be with that woman|all the time...

look at her,|listen to her...

touch her.

She lit up|the whole world for me.

I'll tell you|somethin' remarkable.

That woman loved me.|She did, Clara.

You find that hard|to believe about me?

A ugly, fat|old redneck like me?

Now, tell me, baby.

Have I done wrong|with you?

I mean...

imposin' my will on you...

shovin' you|this way and the other?

Sometimes the strong|just roll over the weak.

Sometimes, Papa.

Good mornin', Will Varner.|What brings you our way?

- Ahh!|- What's come over you, you old fool?

Don't let it trouble you,|Elizabeth Stewart.

Give me some coffee, Alan.|It's all in the family, Mother.

Make it|a half a cup.

We gotta get an early start if I'm|gonna show you all you're gonna get.

- That's gonna take us most of the day.|- All I'm gonna get?

Sure. You don't think I'm gonna send|Clara to you without a stitch, huh?

I take care of my own.|I'm gonna see to it that you got|the means to take care of Clara.

- Mr. Varner. You're makin' a mistake.|- Hmm?

- A mistake?|- Yes, sir. A mistake.

You mean...

there ain't no engagement|between you two?

None at all.

That girl lied!|She lied!

- Have you lost your mind?|- Will you shut up!

- I'm talkin' to your sissy son!|- If you'll just quiet down a minute...

somethin'.

I never was. I never will be.

My boy doesn't need any to do|with your family, Will Varner.

He never wanted it.|Your girl pushed it on him.

That's not true.|You just keep out of this.

You shut up!

I don't want the whole county|to find out that...

my daughter was jilted|by anybody like you!

We're not given|to gossip!

You keep a tight lip, boy...

or I'll come after you|with my bare hands!

Hear?

going to be home all day, son?

Ben Quick.!

I'll be back|in a minute.

You got yourself a blue suit?|Get it cleaned!

You got some black shoes?|Have 'em polished?

Get yourself a haircut!|You're gonna be married!

You'll find him at the store, sister!

down there. Now.

Just say one word: Yes.

- "Mr. Will.! Mr. Will.!"|- Yeah?

- The mare foaled.|- "What? When?"

'Bout half hour ago,|and he is a beauty.

Well, I better|go have a look.

I'm glad somethin' around here|is gettin' born.

Jody?

Well, now, Jody.

I know that's you out there.

Jody!

I'm not sorry.

I'm not sorry! I'm not sorry!

Jody, at least|let the horses out!

- I'm not sorry!|- "Jody.!"

Jody!

"Jody.! Jody.!"

Are you all right, Papa?

Are you hurt any, Papa?|Papa, are you hurt any?

You got hellfire and damnation|in you, Jody Varner.

But you got|redemption too.

When I think of the hate that put me|in there and locked the door...

and set fire to it...

When I think of the love|that wouldn't let me go...

I got me a son again!

I got me|a good right arm...

and a left!

Wait a minute. Only one man in this town|settles his accounts by fire.

You see this rope?

I was supposed to catch me a horse with|this rope... a horse I never seen since.

Maybe I got|a better use for it now.

Story of my life.

Why doesn't anyone ever want|to consult with me peaceable?

I wouldn't fool with them folks, boy.|I'd light out.

I'm just not in|a runnin' mood.

Get in.

What's it to you whether I do|or whether I don't, Miss Clara?

Get in.

That's it.|When you got it, use it!

- Papa, are you all right?|- 'Course. Now, don't you fuss, honey.

- I was scared you...|- We got the thing licked.

There. See?

Get on over there!|In the back!

Ben?

Ben.

I'm sick of that sight.

I seen about|50 fires like that...

or maybe|a hundred of'em.

I seen men|with their shirts on fire...

smelled horses cookin'.

I was raised on that smell|of gasoline around me...

coal oil, kerosene,|anything that'd burn.

My old man used to|keep 'em around the house...

in case he had a grudge|he wanted to settle.

My old man.

My old man.

I was about 10 years old...

lyin' in a ditch,|cryin' my eyes out...

just prayin' that God|would strike me dead.

That was the night that I run ahead|to tell on him, turn him in.

Warned this farmer that he|was comin' with his torch.

I remember...

just lyin' there...

chokin' on my own tears.

I remember that house burnin' and these|men on horseback and the sound of shots.

My old man was runnin'.

Maybe one of them shots|killed him.

Or maybe he died|in one of them fires he set.

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