Still Mine Page #2

- This place isn't worth a thing.

- Mm.

And we're not taking a mortgage.

If I did the work myself,

we could afford it.

With the strawberries

and the cattle gone,

I seem to have a lot more free time.

Promise me one thing.

Mm-hmm.

We won't move until we have to.

Fair enough.

' Dad!

Well, it looks like you got

another project in mind.

Are you the official spokesman

for all your brothers and sisters,

or just here by yourself?

A bit of both.

Well, that's nice.

No, we just felt awful

if it wasn't mentioned

that you could get someone else

to build it for you.

No. Don't have the money.

Dad, you're sitting on 2,000 acres.

- Sell off a piece.

- You know as well as I do,

if you're going to live here

you need a big land base.

Big land base, yeah.

Besides, nothing's stopping me

from doing the work.

Except that you're in your eighties.

Well, Son, way I look at it,

age is just an abstraction,

not a straightjacket.

The truth is...

I'm sort of looking forward to it.

I haven't had a big project

like this in quite a while.

Fair enough.

Is there anything any of us

can do to help here?

Sure.

Need a bit of work with the backhoe

- if you've got the time.

- Yeah, no problem.

Um...

Can you at least promise me

that you'll be careful?

What?

You know, if you... cut your hand off

with the circular saw

in a fit of geriatric stupidity,

my sisters, my wife, they're not going

to let me forget about that, so, uh...

Wow!

Must be tough waking up every morning

afraid of tripping over your own shadow.

Aw...

So the living room

will go right here.

Don't want to make it too big.

I figure if the house

faces in this direction,

that should give us the best view.

I bet on a clear day

you can see half the county.

Irene?

What do you think?

What are we doing, Craig?

Irene, we've been over this before.

We won't move in until we're ready.

That's a promise, okay?

. Okay-

Thank you.

So it's true.

You know, I didn't believe it

when I heard it.

I figured they'd have to carry you

out of here in a pine box

before you'd spend money on a new house.

Who you getting to build it?

Chester, why do you ask questions

you already know the answer to?

- You got a permit?

- A permit?

Why would I need a permit?

This is my land.

Ever since they did the Royal Commission

two years ago,

you got to have an official stamp

if you want to take a crap.

Trust me.

You definitely need a permit.

Yep

It just seems funny to me

that I should have to pay $400

to build the house on a piece of property

I already own and pay taxes on.

Yeah, we get that quite a bit.

It's an administrative fee.

As you're building the house,

we come out and check on you

and make sure it complies to code.

Well, I suppose someone needs a job,

but it's completely unnecessary.

In case you haven't noticed,

there are a lot of houses in Saint Martins

that are well over 200 years old.

They're still standing.

- Where was your code then?

- Yes sir.

- I think you're missing the point, but yeah.

- I sure am.

But if that's the way it's going to go,

I guess I'll just have

to hand over the $400.

- There you go.

- Thanks.

And I'll just need to see your plans.

Plans for what?

For the house.

I don't have any plans.

Well, how are you going to build a house

without any plans?

The way I've been doing it all my life.

I know what I want.

Well, how do you know?

Because it's in my head,

that's how.

Well, that doesn't solve our problem.

We need stamped blueprints.

But... I'm not an architect.

I don't know how to draw out plans.

This is just going to cost me

a whole lot more money.

Sir, we have to have them.

Well... okay, I'll see what I can do.

- We'd appreciate that.

- Hmm...

Hmm. You have yourself a nice day.

- You too.

- Hmm.

- Jeffrey?

- Yeah.

- I'm going to put a big window right here.

- Yeah.

And, um, there'll be another one

against that wall.

And one or two more small ones

along the back.

All right.

You don't happen to have the dimensions

of any of these windows, do you, Gramp?

- Not for the big one, no.

- No'?

I'm not sure whether I'm going to go

with a bay or not.

I suppose I could commit

to where they're going right now,

- I mean, if we really need to.

- Yeah, we really do.

Uh, any idea about doors?

Yep. We're going to have

some of those too.

There's decency to be considered.

Yeah, that's hilarious, Gramp.

Two of them are already built.

I'll have the measurements

for you in the morning.

You do realize I'm an engineer,

not an architect, right?

Oh, come on, Jeffrey.

How hard could it be?

. Okay-

- Jeffrey?

- Yeah?

I really appreciate the help.

I know how busy you are.

Gramp, you gave me the land

for my house.

In comparison, this is no big deal.

The pitch is delivered and...

Aw, jeez, they stink.

Yeah, they need a new manager.

It's not a management problem,

it's a hitting problem.

Oh well, there's always next year.

We're just into May.

The season has barely begun.

Why would you say that?

- Where are you going?

- Upstairs to bed.

- We start on the foundation tomorrow.

- What foundation?

For the house, Irene.

Goddammit.

You're absolutely certain

you want to do this, old man?

I sure am.

Say, how's that chest cold of yours?

Sure you don't need me

to work the backhoe?

Walking pneumonia, Dad.

Where I come from, if you can walk,

it's not pneumonia.

If the rest of us could rely

on strength of character

instead of universal healthcare,

the world would be a better place.

So now, how do you want to do this?

I think we should just start in the east,

work our way back.

Well, sounds like a plan.

All right then.

Here we go.

'Morning, Grampy.

Well, 'morning there, Gavin.

Aren't you supposed to be in school?

Summer vacation.

Oh. Oh, right.

So, uh, what are your plans for today?

- Don't have any.

- Ah.

I hear you're pretty handy with numbers.

I guess so.

Well, I could use a good man

with a tape measure,

- if you think you're up to it.

- It depends.

On what?

Is this a paying job?

- Depends.

- On what?

If you're any good or not.

- You sure this is the right length?

- I'm sure.

Good. That's what I like.

A man with the confidence to measure once

and stick with it, regardless.

Everything all right?

Just a little sore, that's all.

Oh!

- Dad, are you all right?

- Oh, yeah, I'm fine.

Should have braced it better.

Why don't you let me call Darryl?

- He can come and he can help you.

- No.

I can manage.

Your husband has enough

to keep him busy on the farm.

He doesn't need to be out here with me.

- Farm's not going anywhere.

- Well, that makes two of us.

All of us working together,

we could finish this in two or three weeks.

What?

I'm enjoying myself.

I wasn't sure when I started

I still had it in me.

But I don't need this to be finished

in two or three weeks.

And more importantly,

neither does your mother.

Oh, damn it!

Don't you ever get bad cards?

Well played, Irene.

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