Sunshine State Page #8

I didn't say it was.

There are a lot of misconceptions.

Sure, most outfits, it's all scorched

earth and put up some high-rise.

Yeah. People hear "motel," they figure

I'm running a hot-sheets operation.

-For trysts?

-Yeah, trysts.

Don't put so much muscle into it,

we're not in a hurry.

First of all, we'd like to congratulate

the folks...

...who got to our treasure first,

Mr. and Mrs. Morley Crandall...

...of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Now, our newly crowned pirate

queen, Donna-Jean Stamper...

...will do the honours.

My Lord. That is a genuine diamonique

necklace from Kweskin Jewellers...

...at the Citrus Highway

Shopping Centre.

And here's $500 worth of gift

certificates from our local merchants.

Donna-Jean, help Mrs. Crandall on

with some of that beautiful jewellery.

Doesn't she look pretty?

We used to come here Saturday nights

after the games. Wild times.

Take them local girls

up in the dunes.

Those were the days.

I remember your run

against Georgia Tech.

-Orange Bowl. My freshman year.

-You just flattened that safety.

-You go to State?

-No, I was up north. High school.

I played the same position,

had the same number.

-Number 23.

-Left my chin strap hanging like you.

-Drove my coach crazy.

-Where did you play college?

My grades dipped some,

so my parents had me hit the books.

Then in college....

My high school grades was too low

to do any dipping.

-So you moving in?

-Buster's Place there.

The folks weren't paying their taxes,

I took over the payments.

-Then I picked up a few more lots.

-Speculation.

More like preservation.

This place was part of my growing up.

I don't want it to fall to pieces.

We got plenty of empty buildings.

-You still got them hands.

-Yeah.

I don't get to church much anymore.

Sundays when I'm down there,

I go visit Etta Mae.

We saw Daddy today.

Yeah, he was one of a kind,

your father.

The old breed.

Businessman. Race man.

We'd go into Jacksonville,

people would say:

"You're Mr. Stokes' daughter."

Then they'd all fuss over me.

Yeah, we didn't have politicians,

we had men like your father.

He carried some weight in that city.

It got to where I could hardly breathe

when I was near him.

That man loved you to death.

I only felt his eyes on me.

Judging me.

It's hard to live up to

what's come before us.

One way or the other.

I don't suppose I could get you to

come to this protest rally tomorrow?

I burned my bridges here

a long time ago.

Eunice wants you to have her place

once she's gone.

That's too far ahead

for me to think about.

Maybe.

-Which one did you play?

-I had a solo number.

-"Siren of the Deep."

-I'll bet you were something.

I hated to come up. It was like

I was meant to live down there.

You're soaring, you know.

Weightless.

I still do the routine in my dreams.

-It's good you live by the ocean.

-I don't swim anymore.

When you leave the job,

they make you hand in your tail fin.

I haven't been in the water for years.

-You married, Lee?

-I was.

-Kids?

-Two. I don't see enough of them.

Their mother moved to Miami

to marry some Cuban guy.

I'm really glad

that I found you again.

There's something I've been thinking

about.

Something I need to talk to you about.

Here we are.

It's about your mother's property.

You don't want to wait too long

before making plans.

-For my mother?

-I worry...

...that you try to hold on

to that house till it's too late.

Too late for what?

All these new resorts

and timesharing outfits in Delrona...

...have sent property taxes

through the roof.

We're offering people a chance to sell

before they're taxed out.

We?

I'm putting together

a small group of investors.

If your mother were willing to sell,

terms might even be more favourable.

-You'd pay her more?

-Sure.

It's in the spirit of the thing.

She's been here from the beginning.

No big pressure.

Just think about it.

Sure.

-So you and straight arrow...?

-Reggie.

-You...?

-Just married.

He seems like a real nice guy.

He is.

-Totally clueless!

-I know.

People just think it's there,

like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

They don't realize how difficult it is

to invent a tradition.

-You do it so well.

-But at the end of the day...

...is there acknowledgement?

Is there so much as a "thank you"?

Not a peep.

I might as well be their mother!

It's an important role.

If you weren't there....

And the time involved,

my God.

-And now I neglect you.

-No....

What have you been up to, anyway?

I've hardly seen you.

The usual.

You're my rock.

-You know that, don't you?

-Sure.

Even during all that bad stretch...

...when you had

your gambling problem...

...I always knew it wasn't

gonna last forever, because....

You are my rock.

And I count on you.

I thought the parade went

awful well this year.

Did you really?

-You said the guy's name was Lee.

-Lee Otis.

Lee Otis "Flash" Phillips.

-I'm sorry.

-Nothing to be sorry about.

I should have told you more.

What? That he was a celebrity?

That he used to be famous?

-You're not jealous?

-I didn't know you then.

If I had, you would have

completely ignored me.

I could never compete with

Mr. Heisman Trophy.

Come on.

Now you're with a guy that

puts people to sleep for a living.

Stop.

-Does he even know?

-I don't think so.

You gonna tell him?

Is there any point?

-I don't know. If the baby had lived....

-Then everything would be different.

But it's not.

How are you doing with Terrell?

Kid's pretty good with a claw hammer

and a handsaw.

If this were 1925,

he'd have a future.

Idiot.

Come on, dogs!

Daddy!

-Is that you, Marly?

-You need any help?

No.

I can still see light. Shapes.

-You on your way to work?

-Sort of.

I used to see the dawn

come up every day.

Only the shrimpers got up earlier.

Remember Clarence Green?

Used to work in the kitchen.

He'd be back there.

I'd come in, "Morning, Clarence."

"Morning, Mr. Furman," he'd say.

-They don't call you like that no more.

-Not for a long time, Daddy.

I said that if integration comes...

...I was gonna close up.

One day, there it is. Four of them.

Young, polite. Sitting in a booth...

...waiting for my girls to serve them.

Clarence was in the back

trembling like a leaf.

Didn't know how I was gonna react.

I said, "What do you think, Clarence?"

He said, "Well, Mr. Furman...

...I reckon if you serve them this

one time, they ain't coming back."

"How's that?" I said.

"Excuse me for saying it, Mr. Furman.

But the food is a lot better

down at Buster's Place."

You spend a lot of time worrying

about a day coming.

Then when it does,

it ain't so bad.

I can't do it anymore.

-Developers been getting to you?

-No, it's not them.

You spend so much time worrying

about the damn swamp buzzard....

-Snail kite.

-You know who's endangered?

-The small businessman.

-I know. But it's me.

I hate going in there.

People used to come

to Plantation Island...

...and ask where they could

stay and get a good meal.

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