Sling Blade Page #3

We better hit the road.

All right, then.

- Hey, Jerry. How's it going?

- Hey, Bill.

Good to see you, been a long time.

Good to see you, too.

How's everybody doing?

Good. Kids are driving me crazy,

Phyllis gonna put me in the poorhouse,

but I can't complain other than that.

Wouldn't do any good if I did.

- You know Scooter?

- I don't believe I do.

- Good to meet you, Scooter.

- How about you?

This is the one I was

telling you about on the phone.

If you get nervous about it,

I'll understand.

I'm not gonna lie. He did get

into that trouble, but he was young.

I remember that. He cut those folks

to pieces, his momma was one of 'em.

Yeah, and that old Dixon boy.

Hell, I always wanted to kill him

myself. A**hole's what he was.

I remember that old boy, too. Kind of

retarded or something back in school.

Well, seems like he's

pretty well-adjusted these days.

He... I don't think

he'd ever hurt anybody.

He don't look much like he would.

He can fix a small engine

like nobody's business?

Regular whiz.

It's all he's done since he was a kid.

- You scared of him, Scooter?

- No, I don't guess so.

- Can he talk?

- Yeah.

Now, you say he can stay out the back?

Fine with me. If he steals anything, I'm

gonna take it out of your pocket anyway.

He won't steal. He's a pretty good

old boy. Keeps to himself.

Well, I got a roomful of work for him to

do. I can't get Scooter to do any of it.

Karl, come over here.

I want you to meet your new boss.

This is Bill Cox.

He runs the place. Says that you

can work here and stay out back.

- It's good to know you, Karl.

- Thank you.

Karl, it's minimum wage, ain't nothing

back there but an army cot and toilet.

Yeah, that'll be fine. Karl, I'm gonna

go to the car, get your books.

All right, then.

Karl, they say you're a whiz

on fixing lawn mowers and things.

I've tinkered around

on 'em a little bit.

We order up from the Frostee Cream

at lunch, usually.

We can buy you lunch

till you get on your feet a little.

I like them French-fried potatoes.

Yeah? Me, too.

They make a good double meat burger.

All right, then.

I'll see y'all later.

Karl, you done a good day's work today.

They was right about you.

Scooter, he gonna knock you out of a job

if you're not careful.

All right, I'll see y'all tomorrow.

Wait up.

I'll leave with you and lock up.

Karl, there's a blanket under that cot,

soap in the bathroom for cleaning up.

One more thing. The way we lock these

doors, you can't get out at night.

- You didn't wanna go anywhere, did you?

- I don't reckon.

If it works out, we'll get you a key so

you can get out at night if you need to.

- I'll see you later.

- All right, then.

Scooter, did I tell you the one about

two boys pissing off the bridge?

- I don't remember.

- Well...

These two old boys hung their peckers

off the bridge to piss.

One old boy from California

and one from Arkansas.

Old boy from California says,

"Boy, this water's cold."

Old boy from Arkansas said,

"Yeah, and it's deep, too."

Get it?

- That's a good 'un.

- That is a good one.

I do believe

you've told me that one before.

I've heard that one a bunch.

- A long time ago.

- Yeah, that's a classic.

Karl, I got to

thinking about it last night,

and it's just not Christian of me

not to let you have a key.

Been in lockup so long,

don't need me keeping you locked up.

You need to come and go as you please.

Here.

Take this key. It'll get you

in and out of here at night.

All right, then.

- Them French fries good?

- Yeah, they're good all right.

You got any money?

Well, they give me some

when they turned me loose.

I spent up some of it a-ridin' on the

bus and eating French-fried potatoes.

Well, I'm gonna pay you today

for this coming week

so you have some walking-around money.

When you get off this evening,

buy toothpaste

and some cleaning up supplies

to have back there.

Get you some magazines

and some hard candy.

Something to keep you busy at night.

All right, then.

I'll let you off

while it's still daylight.

Hey, there.

I thought I heard somebody on the porch.

Wasn't your name Karl?

Yes, sir, it is.

Your name's Frank.

Yeah. What are you doing by here?

You said for me to come by.

You wanna play ball with us?

I ain't no good at it.

I just come by to see you.

I was going to see my momma

over at Hoochie's Dollar Store.

She works two till eight.

All right, then.

You wanna go with me?

You can meet my momma.

I ought not worry your momma

with company.

Come on. You'll like her.

She's real nice.

And she'll give us anything

we want her to. Candy or something.

Well, I was kindly needing

to do some trading.

Reckon they sell toothpaste?

Yeah, they sell

a little bit of everything.

I won't tell her about you

being in the state hospital for killing.

Come on, let's go.

You're gonna have to learn to live

without all that grease.

Shoot, not here in the South.

I like grease on everything.

I like fried chicken, fried okra.

- Biscuits...

- It'll kill you.

- Hey, Momma, Vaughan.

- Sweetheart. What you up to?

I bet I know. You want

a whole bunch of candy and a pop?

- Yeah.

- That stuff's gonna rot your teeth.

I got something even better.

I put potted meat on special,

four for a dollar. They're not moving.

But I tell you what, I'll give a couple

of cans for free to the right kid.

I don't like potted meat.

Daddy used to say they was

made out of lips, peckers...

Frank, don't talk that way.

Who's that strange-looking man

behind you? Did he follow you in here?

- Can I help you, sir?

- That's Karl.

I met him at the Laundromat.

Karl, this is Momma and Vaughan.

Vaughan's the manager.

He lets momma off any time she feels

like it, 'cause they're best friends.

Nice to meet you, Karl.

Pleased to meet you.

Frank, why don't you

come back here with me for a minute?

I don't think I've seen you here before.

I don't reckon you have.

I don't believe

I've been in here before.

I don't believe

this store used to be here.

It's been here 17 years.

You live here before, or something?

I was born and raised here

up till I was 12 year old.

What brings you back?

What's that you say?

Why are you here now?

They turned me loose

from the state hospital.

Is that right?

How long are you gonna be staying here?

Mr. Woolridge, he got me hired on

to work for Bill Cox's outfit.

- You have family here?

- Not to speak of.

Karl, guess what? Momma said you

can stay over with us out in the garage.

Our car won't fit in there anyway.

It's real neat.

Frank told me about your situation.

Frank loves company.

Especially after his daddy

passed an' all.

There ain't no sense in you staying

in that old greasy shop.

- He's mentally retarded.

- He got out of the state hospital.

- I know.

- Can we get some candy and pop?

- Sure thing. Go ahead.

- Come on.

Think it's safe

to let him around that guy?

Frank's just crazy about him.

He likes the way he talks.

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