That Evening Sun

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1

Eh! God.

You make a habit

of taking things

ain't yours?

Your name's

Meecham, ain't it?

They sent you to

collar me, then?

Yes, sir, they did.

How much

they paying you

to bring me in?

Twenty dollars.

Did they already

give you the cash?

Not till I

show up with you.

I see.

Well, you...

you help me find my

timepiece down here,

and I'll let you

bring me back to

the authorities.

Sh*t.

Gosh.

Sir, I don't know

what to tell you.

I believe that watch

made a run for it.

Hell, no, it didn't.

That's the problem

with your generation...

no follow-through.

I've had that

timepiece 50 years.

My wife give it to me.

Man, we looked over

there, like, three

times already, man.

Like I said...

no follow-through.

Twenty dollars, huh?

Yes, sir.

I'll give you 25 to

forget that old

folks' home

and drive me out past

Ackerman's Field.

Ackerman's Field, man.

Sh*t.

Looks like you

got company.

You sure this is

the right place?

My name's on

the mailbox,

ain't it?

How much was it

that I owed you?

Just $20,

like I said.

Worth every

nickel of it.

Twenty dollars

worth of distance

from Linden, Tennessee.

That'll do it.

Here.

No, sh*t, man.

No. No, here.

Okay, thank you.

You know that girl?

She your relations?

Not by a

considerable sight.

I hate just

to drive off.

It's whole lot of

nothing out here.

Way I like it. Don't

worry nothing on me.

Suit yourself, Homes.

Take it easy

in this heat,

man, all right?

Howdy.

Who are you people?

What are

you doing

on my farm?

Well, my name's Pamela,

and I'm sunbathing.

Um, mama's in

the house,

I guess,

probably cooking,

and I don't know

where Daddy is.

Somewhere. Probably.

I mean,

what are you

even doing here?

Why are you here?

We live here.

Ain't you Mr. Meecham?

I certainly am,

and this is

my place.

Oh, I'm Mrs. Choat.

Ludie Choat.

Lonzo's wife.

You... you remember

Lonzo Choat?

Oh, Lord God.

We rented

this place

from your son.

Been here going

on three months.

I was hardly gone

three months!

Well, we

got the papers...

and everything.

We thought you was

in the old folks' home

over in Perry County.

I was. I

ain't no more.

I need to use

the telephone.

Uh, we ain't got

a telephone.

Of course there's

a telephone!

We always

had a phone!

There's one

in there, but...

it don't work.

Ain't, um, hooked up,

or... or something.

I don't know.

You can talk

to Lonzo about it.

He'll... he'll be

here directly.

I'm an old man.

I may die directly.

Abner Meecham.

Is it true Paul

rented you

this farm?

Ninety-day lease,

option to buy.

I guess

this is news

to you, then.

Sorry you had to

come all this

way out here.

Cover yourself, girl.

An option

to buy, huh?

Yeah, that's right.

Let's get

one thing clear

out of the gate.

That will

never happen.

Will... never... happen.

You know why?

Because you wasn't

never nothing but

a loafer, Choat.

You and your

daddy both

never owned so much

as a pair of pliers.

Hell, that's my wrecking bar

you're holding right there.

You're still

as contrary as

you ever was.

If you think you

can buy a farm

this size

with food stamps,

you're mighty mistaken.

You remember

that time I

tried to rent

that tenant shack

out there from you?

No.

Well, I did,

and you wouldn't

rent it to me.

Ain't life funny.

I never rented

that house to nobody!

It was built too close

to the main house

to begin with!

There wouldn't

have been privacy

for either place.

Hell, that

must've been

20 years ago.

You do remember.

Remember how long ago

it was I needed it

and I

didn't get it.

And life is funny.

And you can forget

about your food stamps.

I got

plenty of money

now, Meecham.

I'm buying this place.

I'm gonna tend

to it, too.

I'm gonna have it up

and running in no time.

I ain't seen none

of this famous money.

Besides, this place

ain't Paul's to sell.

We fixed it up legal.

If I was you, I'd

be packing my stuff!

We'll see.

We sure

as hell will.

Now, where's

that paper?

Right here.

I thought you'd

want to see it.

Why don't

you step out

into the light?

I can see just fine!

This ain't

no legal bond!

The hell it ain't.

Unless you

got something

else to say, then...

Where are you

going, Meecham?

How you aimin'

to get back

to town?

Hold... slow... slow

down, Meecham.

Slow down, slow

down, listen.

Now, I can't

let you go

inside the house.

The furniture come

with the place.

That was part

of the deal.

But not my stuff!

Ain't none of your

stuff in there.

We cleaned

all that out,

put it out

in the tenant house.

Now, listen.

Listen to me.

If you want

to go over there

and get whatever it is

you need to get, you can.

Then I need you

to be gone, okay?

Okay?!

Yeah...

Ma'am.

Lonzo is down

in the barn still.

I know.

I- I don't think

it's a good idea,

Mr. Meecham, not

unless Lonzo is here.

I just want to have

a look around,

that's all.

Check on things.

Everything's just

fine in here.

That cab's coming

for you, I guess?

What's that?

That taxicab?

It's coming back

to pick you up soon?

Exactly how am I supposed

to contact that taxicab,

Ma'am, you want

to tell me that?

Am I supposed to use

that phone in there,

the one you broke?

Maybe I should

just walk back.

Hell, it's only

about 20 mile.

I'm only about

80 year old.

Okay, okay.

I'll leave when

I'm good and ready.

You tell

Lonzo the same.

Oh!

You ain't gonna

shoot me, are you?

Wha...?

I wasn't planning to,

but you go sneaking up

on me like that,

I can't be responsible

for what transpires.

Mama sent this.

She said she bet

you was hungry,

and hot as it was,

you needed something

cold to drink.

Well, what did

Lonzo say about this?

He didn't.

He left to go

play poker at

Mr. Goodwin's house.

Here, let

me help you.

No, I can...

I can... uh,

I can do it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Tell your mama

I'm much obliged.

Is this

your stuff?

I've been wondering

who all this sh*t

belonged to.

This ain't sh*t, kid.

A child your age

ought not to use

that kind of language.

Lord, you cheer

a person up.

Are you always in

this good a mood?

Just when I get routed

away from the trough.

It's just a word.

I'm sure

you've said it

a time or two.

I'm 80 years old.

I can say whatever

I care to.

What are you doing

in here, anyway?

Making myself

some quarters.

You're moving in here?

Daddy won't like that.

I don't rightly care

what your daddy likes.

I'm sure

he'll give you

a lift to town,

if that's

what you need.

Ha! Folks in hell

will be eating

Eskimo pies

before Alonzo Choat

hauls me anywhere.

Well, if you're

gonna stay here,

you ought to get up

some nicer curtains, then.

Maybe even some flowers

to help get the

smell out.

Yeah. Maybe I'll

even get me a dog,

liven up

the place a bit.

Oh, Daddy won't

allow no dogs.

He can't stand

to hear 'em bark.

You say he can't?

I had the

cutest little pup

when I was a girl.

His name

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