The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Page #5

We'll teach them a lesson.

Just wait till I get my hands

on that Bubber and his syndicate.

BOY 1:
Hey, look here.

They left their stuff behind.

BOY 2:

Let's see.

MICK:
Bubber Kelly,

I'm gonna skin you alive for doing this.

I didn't do nothing.

He's the one who lit the match.

GIRL 1:

I wondered what all that noise was.

GIRL 2:
I didn't know fireworks could go

that high.

Okay. Okay, that's enough.

Let's all go back inside...

- ... to the party.

BOY 1:
Hey, throw it up on the porch.

[GIRLS SCREAMING]

Are there any sparklers?

SPARERIBS:
Hey, that's stealing.

- Yeah.

- Tough luck.

BOY 2:
Hey, Billy-

Okay, okay, come on now,

let's all go back inside to the party.

Okay, okay, that's enough.

Okay, okay, that's enough.

- All of you go home.

BOY 1:
Hey, give it to me. I can-

You hear me?

Go home.

Get off my property

before I call the police on you.

You're trespassing.

- Go home.

- But why?

Because the party is over

as of this very instant.

- What did we do?

- Oh, never mind her.

I tell you what,

y'all come over to my house.

Well, there they go.

Can't say as I blame them either.

After all, you did throw them out.

Well, I don't care.

I don't care one little bit.

Here I thought they were all so smart

and grown-up and everything.

And they're not.

They're not even as grown-up as me.

[FIREWORKS POPPING]

Hey, look, they're selling fireworks.

Bubber Kelly, I told you that you're never

to speak to me again in this lifetime.

If you don't watch out,

me and my syndicate might sue you.

Them fireworks was shot off illegal.

You sue me and I'll see that you collect

one big bust in the nose.

Bubber's mooning.

Bubber's mooning because

all his fireworks got shot off last night.

No, thanks, Mr. Singer. I was bad...

...and I'm not supposed to have

no fireworks.

Aw, go ahead. You know you're dying to.

- Can I?

MICK:
It was me you done it to, wasn't it?

If I say it's okay, I don't see

it's anybody else's business.

Oh, boy. Thanks, Mr. Singer.

Thanks, Mick.

HARRY:

Hey, Mick. Um. Uh...

I hope you weren't mad about last night.

I wasn't mad. I was just bored.

I mean, when a bunch

of high school sophomores...

...not to mention a senior like you,

start acting like a bunch of kids...

- Yeah, I guess we were pretty silly.

- Yeah.

Mick, uh...

...could I speak to you for a minute?

Go ahead.

I mean alone.

You can talk here. He can't hear.

Just stand where he can't read your lips.

Well, I thought-

I thought maybe if you weren't doing

anything tonight, we'd go to the movies.

- You treating?

- Of course I'm treating.

- Haven't you ever been on a date before?

- Hundreds of them.

Well, how about it?

Okay.

Well, I'll pick you up at 7:30?

- Excuse me. Seven-thirty, right?

MICK:
Right.

MICK:
Thanks, Harry.

That was a swell movie.

HARRY:
You're welcome.

Tell me something.

Are you one of those girls who doesn't

believe in kissing a guy on the first date?

Well, this isn't really our first date.

You were at my party.

Hey.

Boy, I'd like to get this job

this summer.

- What do you want a job for?

- I wanna start saving up for something.

- Really? What?

- A piano.

I thought maybe

I could find a secondhand one.

Well, we have a piano

that you can use anytime you want to.

No, I want one that belongs to me.

Portia?

I come to congratulate you.

- You drunk?

- No.

I been trying mighty hard,

but I ain't been able to make it, yet.

Something wrong, let me help.

You any good at sewing

an amputated leg back on?

- What are you talking about?

- I'm talking about Willie.

You remember Willie, don't you?

"Ol' Uncle Tom" Willie, my husband,

who I love?

Willie? Something happen to Willie?

I wanted you to be the first to know

because I hold you responsible.

For God's sake, tell me what happened.

Him and two others tried to escape.

They beat them.

One man died.

The lucky one, as it turned out.

Then they locked Willie

and the other one up...

...in the smokehouse near the camp.

They chained their legs to the wall.

One of the leg irons

was too tight for Willie.

But they jammed it in anyway.

Two days

they kept them locked up in there.

How do you know all this?

PORTIA:

Remember Buster James?

He got out today and come to tell me.

Buster say the first day you could hear

Willie screaming in pain...

...all over the camp.

Then his voice give out.

Oh, God.

God?

[LAUGHING]

Anyway...

...morning of the third day,

they let him out.

Only by this time,

Willie leg all swolled up from that chain.

They took him to the hospital.

Turned out he had gangrene

so they cut it off.

No.

Here. Maybe you better have a drink.

- Portia, please.

- Why not?

- You got a lot to celebrate.

- Please.

All I know is that I asked you for help...

...and you wouldn't help

and now my Willie is a cripple.

- What can I say?

- You don't have to say nothing.

You already had your chance once.

Now it's too late.

Must be something I can do.

I'll tell you what you're gonna do.

They're sending Willie home

as soon as he can travel.

He's gonna need a lot of care.

- So we're gonna move in here.

- Of course, yes.

I'll cook and do the cleaning and such...

...but all the time you'll know

I'm hating you.

I got a feeling I'm a mighty good hater.

And if I ain't...

...I can learn to be.

GORDON:
This will be

Mr. Antonapoulos' first day out.

You do understand, don't you...

...that even if you are made

his legal guardian...

...it'll still be up to me as head of

this hospital to authorize his release...

...in your charge.

GORDON:
Let's say that today

will be more than just an excursion.

It will be a test.

And I will be watching the results

with a great deal of interest.

Remember now,

Mr. Antonapoulos has been very ill.

Enjoy yourself, have a good time,

but don't overdo.

And remember, have him back by 6:00.

Six o 'clock.

WAITRESS:

Will there be anything else?

Thank you.

GIRL:

Did you see what he did?

MAN:
Shh. Why don't you sit down?

Mind your own business.

CAB DRIVER:

Yes, sir.

MICK:

Excuse me. Excuse me.

Uh. Let's see now.

Don't play with those, okay? Um.

Miss.

Yes, ma'am.

I'll be with you in just a second, okay?

Uh, that's 59 cents

and the envelopes are...

- Good night, Mick.

- Good night, Harry.

MRS. KELLY:

Mick.

Doc Wilson came by tonight.

Seems there's some very bad news

about your papa's hip.

I don't understand it all,

what he said about my hip.

But it seems like I may never have

the full use of it back again.

Oh, Papa, I'm sorry.

I know, baby.

Anyway,

from what Doc Wilson said to us...

...we can't figure on your papa

just being laid up temporarily.

From now on, anything he earns

will just be found money.

Mama.

A fact's a fact. I can't change that.

Anyway, Mick...

...your mama and I

have been figuring things.

And we've been going over it,

going over it.

And the long and short of it is

we gotta do something.

Like what?

We thought you could, uh, keep working

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