The Great Gilly Hopkins Page #5

louder than you've ever

yelled in your life.

Get the hell out my way!

Trotter, I'm not going to teach

him how to push on people,

just how to stand up

for himself.

If he knows how to read

and how to stick up for himself,

he'll be okay.

Oh.

Oh, I know you don't

allow kissing,

but sometimes I just haul off

and go crazy.

Don't worry about it.

Come on, W.E.

Next time I'm going to teach you

a shin kick.

Hey.

I'm not doing

extra credit anymore.

Yeah, I know.

I just wanted to say thank you

for helping me catch up,

not that I'm ever

going to use it, the math.

But thanks anyway.

You're welcome.

Mr. Randolph?

Hello?

I'm sorry, miss Gilly,

is it suppertime already?

Yeah.

Are you okay?

Oh, I'm all right.

Just a little under the weather,

I guess.

Who's that?

This was my wonderful wife

of 44 years.

When I first met miss Mary,

she was a dancer

in a burlesque club.

She was a stripper?

No. Exotic dancer.

It was a little different

back then.

She was pretty.

She was my world.

Today is our anniversary.

Oh.

I know what you're thinking.

What's a crazy,

old blind man doing

staring at a picture

he can't see?

But I can.

See, as my eyesight

was going out

I looked at this picture

every night

before I went to bed.

I know this picture

better than I know myself.

I'm missing her

a little bit today.

I got sick. Sorry.

You didn't do anything wrong.

I didn't get all of it

in the potty.

Looks like you got most of it.

Come on.

Watch it, watch it.

Come on, let's get you into bed.

Gilly, are you going

to run again?

No.

Good night.

I heard noise downstairs.

It was just me

doing some laundry.

Gilly, honey, sweetie, baby,

what's gotten into your sweet,

little darling head

to do the laundry

at this godforsaken hour?

I don't know trotter,

honey, sugar, baby.

Maybe I just felt like getting

some cleaning done.

Sweet dreams, honey.

Right back at you, sugarplum.

Galadriel?

Galadriel Hopkins?

Who wants to know?

I'm your grandmother.

May I come in?

Yeah. Yeah, sure.

I am right, aren't I?

You are Galadriel?

I brought you this pie.

Courtney, your mother,

left home.

Well...

She... she and I were...

It was...

It was a difficult time.

I never...

It was just...

Oh, I'm not doing very well

with this, am I?

Your grandfather died

nearly 12 years ago.

I tried to contact

your mother at the time,

but I was unable to.

And then I got a letter.

A letter that was the first

direct word from Courtney

in over 13 years.

I didn't even know

that she had a baby.

I can't imagine her not telling

her father and mother

something like that.

Gilly, I called you

and called you.

I wet.

Oh, it's okay.

I couldn't help it.

I know, buddy. When you're

sick you just can't help it.

Come on, I'll help you

change, okay?

Get the hell out my way.

Excuse us for a second.

I'm... I'm very sorry.

I'll... I'll be right back.

What? What is it?

Oh!

What was that?

Galadriel?

Galadriel!

Miss Gilly!

Galadriel!

Miss Gilly!

Mr. Randolph, it's okay.

I'm... I'm...

I'm right here.

Nothing to worry about.

Just lie back down

and get your rest, okay?

Gilly, honey, have you got

company down there?

No, no.

Go back to bed, trotter.

Bless you, child,

you poor thing.

How could they have put you

in place like this?

This? No, no, it's just

that everyone's got the flu.

Not me, but it's...

It's not always like this.

You know, the mess and all.

Trotter normally keeps it clean.

Lord, I forgot.

I forgot the Turkey.

No, it's fine.

I've got everything

under control.

You go back to bed, and the

Turkey's already in the oven.

Oh!

It's all good.

I got to... I got to...

I got to sit down.

No, trotter...

No, no, no.

My head is spinning.

Whoo! I done it now.

I "squisheded" you, see.

Roll over!

Oh, my god.

Oh, poor little Gilly.

Let me get my legs

underneath me.

Oh, lord, help me.

I thought you said

there was nobody here.

This is just a woman

who used to live here.

I was just leaving.

I... I see that

it's not a good time.

No, obviously not.

Okay, trotter,

you can go back to bed,

and I'll be up to check on you.

And dinner will be ready

in an hour.

Give her a cookie.

Sure.

Don't you worry.

I am so, so sorry

about all this.

I will get you out of here.

I promise you, I will.

Or we could go to my house

and call people on the phone

and breathe weird.

It really wigs them out.

It's dumb, Agnes.

Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Oh, come on, Gilly,

let's do something.

You ain't done nothing

with me for a long time.

But I've been busy.

My family's been sick.

Oh, please.

My brother, my mother,

and my uncle were sick.

I've been taking care of them.

You got a black uncle?

Yes, I do.

And me too.

It's too dumb

to even talk about.

See you tomorrow, Gilly.

Bye.

I bet I could beat her up.

It wouldn't be fair,

you against a little puny thing.

Hi, mom.

What's the matter?

Come inside, honey.

Please, Gilly.

Come inside.

I have some very cool news

for you, Gilly.

My mother's coming?

No.

No, not exactly.

Your mother is still

in California.

But your grandmother,

your mom's mom,

called the office this morning,

and she wants you to move in

with her permanently.

I don't even know her.

Your mom wants you to go too.

I talked to her about it.

You didn't talk to my mom.

You're lying.

No, I'm not.

Then let me talk to her.

Gilly, it doesn't work that way.

They can't make me go.

Yes, Gilly, they can.

Trotter won't let them take me.

Will you, trotter?

Trotter?

You said you'd never let me go.

I heard you.

"Never, never, never."

That's what you said.

Don't cry, Gilly.

I'm not crying, I'm yelling.

It's going to be okay.

Right, trotter?

You tell the child

what's got to be done.

Come on, W.

Gilly...

You seem to have changed

your mind about a lot of things.

Why? Why did you write

that letter?

You won't understand.

I think I do,

but why you won't learn

from your mistakes is beyond me.

You couldn't have done

a more brilliant job

of screwing this up

for yourself.

I mean... jeez, Gilly!

You could have stayed here.

You could have stayed here

indefinitely.

They're both crazy about you.

I... I can't fix this.

That... that letter you wrote,

it did some serious damage.

And not just for you.

It affected all of us.

Me, trotter, and even W.E.

Yes, the agency is considering

removing William Ernest

from Mrs. trotter's care.

Why?

You made some

serious accusations of abuse

and conditions of this home.

They can't ignore it

when a foster mother...

I lied!

Is a religious fanatic...

Not true.

Strangers coming

and going at night,

forced to live in a closet...

All of it, okay!

I lied about all of it!

None of it's true!

Why would anybody believe me?

I'm nobody.

I'm bad, I know it.

But please don't hurt trotter. You

are not bad, but this is my job.

My hands are tied.

Please don't hurt W.E.!

My boss got a copy

of this letter,

and there are consequences.

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