Rosewood Page #2

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What do you think about all this

business, Mr. Mann?

Oh, that man

ready to eat.

Would you like to say

the blessing, Mr. Mann?

No, ma'am.

I'll do it, Mama.

I'll do it.

Thank you for the bounty

of our lives...

and the blessings

you've bestowed on us...

at home and family.

Can I have my yams now?

Who wants ham?

I want some yams.

Scrappie,

come eat a part of the bird...

that went over

the fence last.

Well, at least ask him...

all right, all right.

Ma'am, I ain't had a supper

like that in a long time.

Thank you kindly.

You're welcome.

You been drifting long,

Mr. Mann?

Seem like forever.

That ain't no kind

of life for a man.

You get yourself

a good piece of land,

the right woman...

a man can make

a new start 'round here,

make something

of hisself.

Ain't that right,

Scrappie?

Well, Aunt Sarah think Rosewood

colored folks' heaven on earth.

Best place these

old eyes ever seen.

Colored folks own

all the land around here.

All the businesses, too,

except for

Mr. Johnny Wright's store,

and he a halfway

decent white man,

if there ever

was such a thing.

Most of us doin' better than

them folks over in Sumner.

You ever seen a place

like Rosewood, Mr. Mann?

No, ma'am.

"Well, we know how to get money

when we need some," said Pecos.

"All right,"

nodded Essex.

"That's fine.

"But don't tell anybody

I told you...

"or I'll cut off

your ears."

He's a tough

character, Essex.

"Well, cross my heart

and hope you die,"

replied Lightning fervently.

"Well, that's fine,"

replied Essex.

"Now, go home

and shut up."

"Or lose your ears,"

added Thunder.

And that's it.

Next chapter next week.

I'm going up Sumner, buying

a drink for some of the boys.

John, I was thinking

we might read aloud...

from the Good Book tonight.

It'll still

be good tomorrow.

All right, boys, up to bed.

Dad, come on.

Dad, could we please stay

up just a few more minutes?

Best do what

your ma says.

She ain't my ma.

Timothy.

What'd you say?

What'd you say,

Timothy?

What was that for?

That's so you don't get

to thinking like your brother.

Get on to bed now.

Get on to bed!

Sorry about that,

Mary, love.

I guess the boys

still miss her.

You do, too, I reckon.

You're damn right

I miss her. Pardon me.

Only natural. Only been gone

I'm going to

that auction tomorrow.

Get that plot of land.

Does that mean

we're staying, then?

Ain't no sense

of moving away.

I get Bradley's 5 acres, build

some bins out back, sell feed.

Make enough money,

in a few years,

we'll move to Gainesville,

open a bigger store, biggest

they ever seen in Florida.

Did you ever consider

how I feel living here?

Why don't you go on

and have that drink?

You be all right

alone here New Year's?

I got Jesus with me.

Go ahead.

There he is.

Gertie looks good.

Watch yourself,

there, Carter.

Watch yourself there.

I'm gonna cut a rug.

Cut a rug.

Go on, cut that rug,

but don't cut it too deep.

Come on.

Dance like he's riding

Booker T.

Twirl that man, Scrappie.

Listen here, now.

Y'all take notes, all right?

I don't want to have to

do this more than once.

Come on, man,

show him how to do it.

Sylvester can't

do no dancing.

Africa.

Africa.

Nigerian.

My arm!

My arm! My arm! My arm!

I got you. I got you.

I... I brung you

some coffee.

I'm sorry.

It's all right.

I shouldn't have

snuck up on you.

You ridin' out today?

I might be here

a couple more days anyway.

Thinkin' about lookin' in on

that piece of land over there.

Bye.

Mornin', Mr. Mann.

Mornin', boy.

Tomorrow's my birthday.

You gonna come to my party?

You gonna have cake?

Yes, sir, chocolate.

Why is she skippin'?

Good coffee.

Morning, Mr. Mann.

Small town, people talk.

Old hangover remedy.

My granddaddy

taught me.

Here's to the new year.

I'm sober now.

I'm sober now.

You got some peaches?

Story going around is you

was over there in the big one.

How long you fight?

Few months? A year?

I'm a veteran

myself, Navy.

Spanish-American War.

Of course, the ass we kicked

only took one day.

Steamed into Manila Bay

May 1, 1898,

aboard the gunboat Concord

under old George Dewey.

Set them 8-inch guns a-blazing

till smoke blotted out the sun.

Sunk the Spanish fleet,

steamed out May 2.

Only eight Americans

got wounded.

I had the audacity

to be one of them.

Where were you? France?

Put my foots

in Germany, too.

Germany?

I'd like to see

the Kaiser's face...

when you come runnin'

out of the Black Forest.

We didn't have

no coloreds on the Concord.

Whole ship

full of good ol' boys.

Wouldn't have

took to it.

Maybe.

The mortars start flyin',

the gas start blowin',

there ain't much color

in them trenches.

Is that right?

You got them.45s?

.45s. Funny thing

about the draft.

I can't understand it. Pull

a colored boy out of his home,

send him over there, tell him

dig trenches, kill white folks.

That seem right to you?

I wouldn't know

much about that, sir.

I volunteered.

You been double-timing me.

Seeing that married Miz Connelly

over in Wylie.

I know.

Where you going?

Back to work.

Don't you turn

your back on me...

when I talk!

Damn swamp tramp!

What you crying about?

What you think

you're doing, hitting me?

You little swamp tramp!

You little swamp tramp!

Huh? You little chigger!

You don't hit me!

You don't hit me!

You don't hit me!

Girl...

Get out! Get out!

Get out!

Philomena!

M-Miz Taylor?

Is you all right, ma'am?

Go away, Philomena.

B-But...

Get out.

Get out!

So you fight

in the war?

Kill anybody

over there?

I mostly dug trenches.

Still, it must've been

grand seeing Chicago...

and New York.

Shoot, I ain't been

nowhere but Rosewood,

Sumner, Cedar Key,

three times to Gainesville.

Why you come back south?

Maybe...

I was looking

for Rosewood.

Thank you.

Well, how come you ain't never

settled down before now?

I was married...

once.

My Aunt Sarah, she say

I ask too many questions.

I'm sorry if...

How old you be,

Scrappie?

I'm 17.

No man?

- No young ones?

- No.

I just take care of

my little cousins, though.

Come on.

Come on.

Where you going?

What you think

about this land here?

Well, I...

I likes it fine.

Mr. Wright...

He going to buy it, though.

He buying up everything.

Maybe.

Hey, anybody!

Hey, boy!

Yes, sir.

You a traveling man?

Who asking, sir?

We gots to help him.

He ain't our problem.

He a Mason,

took the oath, same as us.

He's a white Mason.

Do you think

he'd help you?

Aaron, boy, I swear,

sometimes you ain't got more

sense than some of these horses.

Now, I'm telling you...

that man...

he ain't nothing

but trouble.

Yeah, well, let me

tell you something.

See, I ain't no boy.

See, I's a man.

I's a Mason.

What you be, Sam?

Everybody sit down.

Let's get this done.

Bradley, you got the deed?

Uh, yes, sir, I do,

Mr. Andrews.

No, no, boy,

I haven't paid for it yet.

We got to sell it first.

Here. Give it here.

Give it here, boy.

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