That Evening Sun Page #3

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You even walk like it.

What's that?

White trash.

You even walk like it.

Heh. It amuses me.

Must be great

to be so funny.

Helps to

pass the time.

Thought you said

that boy of yours

was coming to

haul you back

to the nursing

home today.

I guess he

couldn't make it.

Probably tried to call...

but since you rednecks

can't pay a telephone bill,

he likely had trouble

getting through.

Hmm.

Yeah, well, you'd

better find a way

to get ahold

of him, then.

Where'd you get

that ugly thing?

I guess you

could say

I found him.

You'd better

lose him, then.

Well, he

don't bark much.

Yeah, I heard him

not barking much

most the goddamn day.

He'll come up

with his neck wrung,

and you

may not fare

much better.

Oh, he... he don't

mean no harm.

Oh, you hush,

Nipper. Hush!

I just don't think

he likes you, Choat.

That's all.

It's all right, boy.

He... he... sh, sh,

he's all bark.

You've been trying

to start a fight

with me

ever since you set foot

on this land yesterday.

I ain't trying

to fight you, Choat,

just claiming

what's rightly mine.

This is my land now,

Meecham, can you

understand that?

And I can

do with it

what I want to

when I want to.

I can paint

this house,

I can raise

a new harvest,

I can...

I can... I can...

bathe in that big tub

and lay in that soft bed

and can't nobody

tell me different...

not you, nobody!

And that just eats

you up, don't it?

It just claws

on your insides.

Hmm.

That's what you

work for in this

life, Meecham...

land, to have a home,

to be a landowner.

And I'm the goddamn

landowner now!

How do you expect

to run a farm

this size

when you can't even

keep the lawn mowed?

You're in over

your head, son.

Heh, yeah. Yeah, well,

we'll see about that.

Stupid old coot.

Hell, I'll just

sit right here

and outlive you.

How about that?

You're older

than Moses, anyhow.

Can't walk for sh*t.

Falling apart

before my

very eyes.

Why do you think

your boy put you

out to seed in the

first place, Meecham?

He ain't stupid.

Some point you gotta

let go, friend.

I ain't no

friend of yours.

Hmm.

That's right.

Go on and get another beer,

you miserable drunk.

You're nasty when

you're drinking, Choat.

Yeah.

Well, you nasty

just about all

the time.

Well, I'm

going to bed.

When you coming?

I don't know.

Don't let him

worry you, Lonzo.

He's just a

harmless old man.

Come on to bed.

Please.

Lonzo, come on.

The way the TV glows...

I can see right

through that gown.

This is

serious, Lonzo.

Don't do something

you'll regret.

Please.

Don't you pay

him no mind.

He'll be

gone tomorrow.

This'll all

be over.

I got land now, Ludie,

And I aim to keep it.

Shouldn't a man

protect his family, huh?

What kind of man would

I be if I didn't do that?

He ain't gonna do

nothing to me or Pam.

It's the money

you need to be

worrying about.

What the hell

does that mean?

Nothin'.

Nothin'. It don't

mean nothin'.

Ludie...

tell me...

what do you mean?

You know

damn well

what I mean.

Those checks ain't

enough anymore.

We ain't ever

gonna get a loan

without any income.

You don't think I

can support this

family on my own?

You don't think

I can bring in

a proper harvest?

Well, you ain't even

planted anything yet.

That's because the whole

goddamn equipment's broke.

He left it broken,

I gotta fix it,

and it ain't easy!

I know. I know.

If we don't

have the rest

of that down payment

in a couple weeks,

we're gonna lose

this place

and what we

already put

into it.

I'll get the loan, Ludie.

Okay.

Just...

tell me how.

You're just

like him,

ain't you?

You're just

like all them.

You don't think

a man can change,

make something

better of himself.

That's not true!

Oh, it's true.

Well, I'll show you.

I'll show the

goddamn lot of you.

And get off me.

Get off me, Ludie!

Last year

I fell down

the porch steps

and broke my hip.

Just slipped

on a patch of ice

and boom,

that was it.

I couldn't

move at all

laying there,

pain like...

nothing you

can imagine,

like some

blade of fire

slicing up

the side of

my body.

This was a...

this was a Sunday

about dusk, and...

it was late December,

around Christmas.

It was real cold.

I hollered

and carried on,

but this far out,

ain't nobody gonna...

nobody gonna hear ya.

Then darkness come

and, uh, all I could do

was just lay there,

foot of them steps,

and ache.

I thought my time

had come, I truly did.

Next morning,

Thurl Chessor

happened up on me.

Just... stopped

by on a whim.

It saved my life.

Spent a few weeks

at a hospital,

got myself a new hip.

And I come

back out here.

To my home.

I knew pretty quick, uh,

I couldn't tend

the farm no more,

just didn't have it in me,

didn't have the strength.

Paul had told me I...

needed a change...

needed to meet people.

Being out

here all by myself

wasn't good for me.

I reckon I was in

a good deal of pain

at the time,

feeling pretty

lonely, and so...

seemed like

a good idea.

But I...

I was lonelier there with

all them people around...

than I ever was

out here by myself.

Hey.

That's a boy.

Yeah.

That's a good boy.

Where's Pam?

Out with Neely Watkins

and that gang, I think.

You think?

Yeah.

Think they were

going down to the

Snow White Cafe

or somewhere in town.

You think or you know?

I don't know.

Who else

is with them?

Steve Jr. With them?

It's just Neely

picked her up.

Hmm.

But wait.

Hey, man. Wait I

What are you

doing, boy, huh?

What are

you doing I

Daddy I

stop it I

Get outta

that damn

car, boy I

Daddy, stop it.

What are you doing?

I told you not to

go out with him.

Nothing's going on.

Wait I

Get your ass out...

I'll kick him...

Mama! Mama!

I will kill you I

Huh, you wanna

go with me?

Get your ass...

Mama!

Mama!

Comin' here

with my daughter...

I told you never

to come by here, boy!

Mama!

Stop it I

Stop it, Daddy I

Get your ass up!

No! No!

Yeah! Damn you!

Stop it!

Daddy, stop it!

Get off of me!

Aah!

Get off... God!

Stop it I

Lonzo, stop it!

You wanna

go with me?

Aah! No, please,

leave it alone now!

Get your

goddamn ass

outta here!

Lonzo, just go

inside, baby!

How many times

do I gotta tell

you, girl...

Just go

inside, baby!

Get your ass

outta my way!

You little slut.

Stop it!

You...

Stop it!

I ain't gonna stand

here and watch you

beat folks, Choat.

That's a

young girl, there.

A child,

not a dumb brute.

You better get

your goddamn ass

back in

that house

right now!

You raise

that hose

one more time,

and I'll lay a slug

right in that rabbit

turd you call a brain.

You ain't got

the balls, Meecham.

Gonna call

the High Sheriff

in the morning, too,

First thing.

There's bound

to be laws

against beating

young girls

with garden hoses.

You'll regret

this, Meecham.

You'll be sorry

every day of

your life

that you shot

toward me.

Get this circus

out of my yard

so a man can get

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