The Southerner

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This is a little souvenir...

picture of my best pal...

Sam Tucker and his folks

Believe me, they don't come no better...

Only, when old Sam gets an idea

in that hard head of his...

he don't behoove with nothin' else.

This is Nona...

Sam's wife.

And here's Sam's ma... a widow-woman

Ma ain't so young...

but her heart's still full of fire.

Harmie here ain't no Tucker...

just a good friend.

If he looks kinda

sheep-eyed, it's because

he's all lit up with that

flame in Ma's heart.

These are the youngest

of the Tucker clan.

Sam's kids... Daisy and Jotty.

And here's Sam's granny.

She didn't like having her

picture took, neither.

This one's me...

I'm a town man myself.

Only come home for fairs

and weddings and stuff.

That's how come I cherish

this picture show...

Makes me feel close to my friends,

to look at it.

Sam... Sam...

What's the matter, Uncle Pete?

- It's all so hot!

- Hey, Nona!

My hat...

You lie here, Uncle Pete...

Get some water.

It's my darned old heart.

You just lie here, Uncle Pete...

I'll finish your row for you.

Much obliged to you, Sam.

I gotta take my cotton back,

now, Honey.

I'll take care of Uncle Pete.

Uncle Pete's sick,

I'm gonna finish his row.

Where are you going

after the crop's over?

I figured I might stay here...

I got me a bulldozing job.

- Where are you going?

- I think I'm going north next year.

- Can I sit down?

- Hi fellas.

- Hot.

- Yeah.

How is he, Honey?

He ain't so good.

Look for yourself...

Grow your own crops.

You want some more water, Uncle Pete?

Grow your own crops.

I wish we could raise him

a tombstone.

That's for folks that got money.

Come here, "Zoomy".

Jotty...

My eyes hurt!

Oh, does it, Jotty?

Granny!... Granny!

Here, Honey... hold him.

Look at the fast grapes!

Don't you want any fast grapes, Granny?

I don't want to get mixed up

with no copperheads!

Already wearin' one crooky toe

on o' them scoundrels ruined!

Don't be a hog, Daisy...

Leave a few for the next fella!

I thought you was afeard of snakes!

I am... but that ain't no sign

I got to starve to death, is it?

You know that little San Pedro place

down near the river?

I heard of it... I ain't never seen it.

Well, that belongs to the boss, too.

Old Ike at the commissary

was tellin' me it was for rent.

Been layin' out there now

for three years...

It should be as rich as mud.

In the old days, old man Corinth used to

raise the best crops in the country on it.

If it's been layin' out all that time,

it'll take a whole year to clear it off.

Yeah.

Nony... Nony come here!

Behave yourself...

Don't you be always teasin' Granny.

I reckon I could ask old man Neward

for his mules...

He don't ever hardly use 'em,

no how.

Same with the bed of the crop.

As for seeds and fertilizer...

I bet I could make a deal with Harmie.

And as for a plough,

there's that old one of Pa's...

been layin' out in Ma's backyard

ever since he died...

Ain't been used for nothin'

but roostin' chickens on.

I'm gonna ask the boss about it.

Askin' don't do no harm.

No askin'... or work either...

don't harm a man.

After all, the boss

is a pretty good guy.

We always been friends.

Jotty, Dis, Granny... come on!

It's OK with me, Tucker...

I ain't interested in that piece o' land.

Too far away from my other property.

But just remember this...

If I ain't satisfied

with the way you're workin' it...

I aim to break that contract

any time I like.

It's alright with me, boss.

I like you, Tucker.

You're a good hard-worker.

And that's why I'm botherin' to warn you...

Now, I'm tellin' you again...

If you're workin' for a big outfit...

Maybe you don't get rich...

But you still get your pay...

even if the crops is bad.

But the little guy,

who's growin' his own...

If his crop is ruined...

He's got nothin' left.

I see you've made up your mind.

Got some way of movin' your things?

Yessir... Coreo said I

could borrow his truck.

OK... Good luck, Tucker!

Thank you, sir.

How far is our house

from the river, Papa?

Why, it's almost just right next

to the river, Honey!

Goody... goody!

Don't look like no house

at all to me.

Looks more like a cow shed!

I'd rather live back there in that dirty

old camp than a heap o' junk like that!

Ain't never gonna get me

to go into that old tin hole

Bringin' their old granny

to this scrubby place!

I see they don't love me no more

than if I was a yellow dog!

I always hoped we could have a room

to ourselves, some day.

We can have... when summer comes.

Let Granny and the kids sleep in here...

and move our bed out on the porch.

And have everything real nice.

Oh, Sam...

The house don't seem

like nothin' extra!

Seems like extra one thing...

Pretty darn extra bad.

I reckon I was thinkin' too hard

about the land...

I plum forgot about the house.

There sure be some patchin' to do.

More 'n a little!

What about the well, Sam?

Let's go look at it.

I was crazy to think

we could live in this place.

Why, it'd take me at least 2 weeks

to dig this well again.

Without even talkin' about the

money the planks and beams w'd cost!

Tain't much of a man that brings

his babies and his womenfolks

to soak and freeze...

in such a hole as this!

Maybe she's right.

Water from that river,

for the kids...

'd just be like servin' them up

a dish of typhoid.

Tain't much of a man, I say!

Look, Honey... we can still

go back to the camp, if you want to.

The boss couldn't have knowed

how bad the place is.

I could talk to him again, and still maybe

get my bulldozing job for the winter.

Well...

How's the ground?

Oh, it's good earth alright...

You know, with dirt like this, a fella

could raise the best crop in the country.

Been layin' out all these years.

The earth's kinda like men, you know...

It needs a rest every once in a while.

Maybe that's the reason

the Lord invented Sunday.

But how about all this brush

and Johnson grass?

You'll kill yourself gettin' rid of it

before the plantin'.

I ain't all alone Honey...

I ain't like Uncle Pete.

Every time i get plum wore out...

I think of you and Jotty and Daisy...

And I ain't quite so tired anymore.

Oh, Sam!

I just could never get along

without you.

Me too, Honey...

I couldn't live without you.

The thing that'd be good about it is

we could always work together.

When you did the ploughin'

I could lead the mules... and...

When you clean up this brush,

I could burn it for you... and...

Summertime we could lie in the grass

and watch the kids swimmin' in the river.

Yeah... that'd be fun, Honey!

But what worries me

is that busted well.

Oh, Sam... we could surely borrow water

from the neighbour, yonder...

Nobody refuses water.

Yeah... I hear he's got a good well.

Sam... I reckon we ought to stay!

You really mean that?

You ain't just sayin' that

to make me feel good?

I'm sayin' it because I believe

you're as good as any man...

and it's right for you

to be your own boss.

Hey, you two...

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