Sling Blade Page #2

Sharp on one edge and dull on the other.

It's what the highway boys use

to cut down weeds and whatnot.

Well, I went in there in the house,

and I hit Jesse Dixon

upside the head with it,

knocked him off my mother.

I reckon that didn't quite satisfy me.

So I hit him again with it in the neck

with the sharp edge

and just plumb near cut his head off,

killed him.

My mother she jumped up

and started hollerin',

"What did you kill Jesse for?

What did you kill Jesse for?" Well...

come to find out

I don't reckon my mother minded

what Jesse was a-doin' to her.

I reckon that made me madder

than what Jesse had made me.

So I taken the Kaiser blade,

some folks call it a sling blade,

I call it a Kaiser blade,

and I hit my mother

upside the head with it.

Killed her.

Some folks has asked me,

"If you had it to do over again,

would you do it the same way?"

Well, I reckon I would.

Anyhow, they seen fit

to put me in here,

and here I've been

for a great long while.

I've learned to read some.

Took me four years to read the Bible.

I reckon I understand

a great deal of it.

Wasn't what I expected in some places.

I've slept in a good bed

for a great long while.

Now they've seen fit

to put me out of here.

They say they're setting me free today.

Anyhow, I reckon

that's all you'd need to know.

You wanna hear about more details,

I reckon I can tell 'em to you.

I don't know whether or not that's

enough for your newspaper or not.

Will you ever kill anybody again, Karl?

I don't reckon

I've got no reason to kill nobody.

- Where will he go?

- Anywhere he wants to.

Back to Millsberg, where he's from.

- It's just about 20 miles from here.

- Will he be supervised?

As much as anybody else is, I guess.

Y'all have a real nice

rest of the day, now.

I'll get Melvin to walk y'all out.

Melvin, could you

walk these girls out, please?

Thank you.

Thank you.

I reckon I'm gonna have to get used

to looking at purdy people.

I guess you will.

I reckon I'm gonna have to get used

to them looking at me, too.

Better go get your things.

I ain't got nothing but them books.

Better go get 'em.

All right, then.

All right, then.

Can I help you, sir?

Can I help you, sir?

I was kindly wanting

something or other to eat.

Well, what would you like?

You got any biscuits for sale in there?

No, this here's a Frostee Cream.

We don't serve biscuits.

- We got a lot of other stuff, though.

- What you got that's good to eat?

Well, we got Big Chief burgers,

Bongo burgers, Footlongs, Corny Dogs,

Frostee Shakes, Creamy Bars.

Did you want me

to go through the whole list?

Reckon what do you like to eat in there?

Well...

The French fries are pretty good.

- French-fried potatoes?

- Yep, French fries.

How much you want for 'em?

Well, they're 60 for the medium

and 75 for the large.

I reckon I'll have me

some of the big 'uns.

All right, then. One large French fries.

These darn things are heavy.

Hard to carry, too.

- What you got in there, wash?

- Yeah.

Ain't you got no mom and daddy

to tend to it?

I got a momma. She's at work

over at Hoochie's Dollar Store.

Daddy's dead.

He got hit by a train.

How far are you going

with them sacks full of wash?

Half a mile, I think it is.

I can help you tote it

if I don't give out first.

OK, but you don't have to.

All right, then.

My name's Frank Wheatley.

What's your name?

Karl's my name.

- What's your last name?

- Childers.

What are all them books?

All different ones. One of 'em's the

Bible, one of 'em's a book on Christmas,

one of 'em's on how to be a carpenter.

- Why you carryin' 'em around with you?

- I ain't got no place to set 'em down.

Don't you live somewhere?

Did live up there in the state hospital.

Why did you live there?

I killed some folks

quite a while back.

They said I wasn't right in the head,

so they put me in the hospital

instead of putting me in jail.

- They let you out?

- Yeah.

- How come?

- They told me I was well.

Had to turn me loose.

- Well, are you well?

- I reckon I feel all right.

This here's my house.

You don't seem like you'd kill nobody.

We can just set these bags on the porch.

All right, then.

You like to play football?

I never was no count at it.

I never did get picked out for it.

Me and the Barnett twins

and some boys play

at the junior high school field

all the time.

If you wanna play, you can come on over,

'cause we ain't no good either.

- Well, I'll see you later.

- All right, then.

Karl.

Hon, you can't just go in there.

Karl, what in the world

are you doing here?

I wanna come back and stay in here.

You can't do that.

You're a free man.

They let you out

so you can do as you please.

I reckon I don't care nothing

about being a free man.

I don't know how to go about it.

Well, you're gonna have to learn.

It'll take some time.

Don't you have anybody down there

to help you out?

No, sir.

Well, your daddy was living down there

the last time I heard.

I guess he wouldn't want

to help you out any, would he?

Sorry, I wasn't thinking.

Don't you have anybody?

No, sir.

Never did know too much

of nobody down there.

Not to be helping me out no way.

Look, Karl, the truth is, I don't know

where they expect you to go,

and I don't know

what they expect you to do.

If it was up to me, you could come

back here and stay if you wanted to.

I'm just trying to do my job.

You follow me?

Listen, Karl.

I know an old boy who's

got a fix-it shop deal in Millsberg.

He used to go to church with me.

You're good working

on small engines and things.

If I was to put my neck

out for you with him,

do you think you could work it

if he'll hire you?

I'm pretty handy, I reckon,

on lawn mowers and whatnot.

I know you are, I've seen it myself.

- Could you give it a try?

- I reckon.

Now, I can't promise you

that he'll hire you.

I'll have to tell him

about your history.

I never was no good with history.

No. I mean your past.

Why you were in here.

I'll take you down

first thing in the morning.

You don't have anywhere

you could stay tonight at all?

- No, sir.

- You can't stay here.

It's against the rules.

If something was to happen,

I'd be liable.

I reckon I can walk around

till morning time.

And sit and read a book somewheres.

Karl, would you like a muffin?

No, thank you.

I understand Jerry's gonna take you

someplace else tomorrow.

I don't reckon

I know nobody named Jerry.

She's talking about me, Karl.

That's my first name.

He's carrying me to look for work

down in Millsberg, where I was born.

Would you like some coffee?

Coffee makes me a mite nervous

when I drink it.

Daddy, can I be excused to go to bed?

Sure, honey.

Sleep with your momma tonight.

I'm gonna sleep with your brother,

Karl can have your room.

Why?

'Cause he's company.

- Karl, are you up?

- Yes, sir.

Didn't you go to sleep at all, Karl? You

been sitting there like that all night?

Yes, sir.

Well, come on.

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes