The Southerner Page #2

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You ain't all alone here, you know!

Hey there... we've got enough... we're

moving in and it's all ironed... come on.

Come on... give me a hand.

You take the pictures...

mind you don't drop 'em.

Come on sweetie...

I'll help you down

No you don't!

I don't want aim to go no...

Can't even say it...

me I'm a lady.

Alright old lady...

but you better be down before morning...

or you'll go right back to camp

with this truck.

Old man Coreo mightn't

like it too much, neither.

Sam Tucker! My own grandson

gone as crazy as a bedbug!

Total crazy I tell you!

Crazy as a bedbug!

You've gone completely silly!

He's clean outta his mind,

I tell ya!

There's so much...

You're downright mean!

They gotta take out their cussedness

on somebody's old folks!

I done had my share

and I ain't takin' no more no how!

I takin' no more!

Ain't exactly a veranda, honey... but to me

it's the porch that makes the house a home!

Sam, I think I got the stove working!

We'll all light it together.

Our first fire in our own house.

Yeah... You sure made a good job

of that stove, Honey.

Won't be long before we'll have

a good hot cup of coffee.

You get some water, Sam.

Jotty, Daisy... get the cups

and put 'em on the table.

You reckon Granny's gonna

stay out there all night?

I'd say she'll be too coward.

Dis... you go call Granny.

Granny... you want some good hot coffee?

No sir! Nothin' what comes outta that

old pot don't tempt me none at all!

Mama, it's raining and

Granny won't come in!

Well, we'll have our coffee anyway.

Sit down, Honey...

I'll get it.

Oh, Papa... there's a hole in the ceiling!

Granny's changed her mind!

Come on Granny.

Here, I've got your good blanket...

Now put it around you before you catch

your death of cold.

Here's some honey, Granny.

Honey!...

They not only let me die

of the cold...

But they hide out the goodies on me!

How do you want your bedcover, honey?

With the fire going,

it's nice and warm in here.

Goodnight Granny.

Nona, come on over here.

Oh, that's a pretty one, Sam!

Yeah, Honey... that's a mighty fine fish!

It'll make us a good dinner.

Well I figured I'd take

this one to Denvers,

our neighbour down the

road, with a good well.

That little one in the bucket's

for us.

Aren't you gonna put on dry clothes?

Oh, I'll dry it off walkin' over...

won't be gone long.

You'd better keep Zoomy here.

This one ain't so big, honey.

Well I'll catch us another tomorrow...

a big one... we'll keep it

Go along with your mama, Jotty.

Mighty fine place

you got around here.

You the owner?

You Henry Devers?

- No, folks call me Finlay.

- Howdy!

He's my uncle...

He's over yonder in the shed.

Much obliged... Finlay.

Howdy!

What do you want?

I'm your neighbour...

my name's Sam Tucker...

I brought you a fish.

Mean do I want to buy it?

No... It's a present.

Well, leave it if you got no use for it.

Where'll I put it?

Any place... on the bench.

Say, that's a mighty queer-lookin'

fishhook you picked up.

I ain't no graveller...

I fish hook and line.

Aim to use it in this river?

Aim to use it any place I feel like it.

Finlay!

Take this here fish, and give it

to Becky to cook for dinner.

Are you the new neighbour?...

I'm Becky Devers.

Yes'm... we're the Tuckers.

Be nice havin' folks next door...

It's lonesome here.

What are you doin' here...

I didn't send for you.

Well, I thought, pop...

You don't have to think...

Get that fish and go back to the house.

And you get your washin' finished!

My wife be likely over soon

to borrow some of your well water.

So that's what you come for!

That's right.

My well ain't no good.

I coulda told you that.

So can I, now.

What about that water?

Why don't you get your water

at the river.

River water ain't no good

for kids to drink.

Alright...

As long as there's plenty of water.

You'll have to make other arrangements,

though, when summer comes.

Gets pretty weak

when the weather's dry.

We'll take turns about replacin'

the wore-out rope.

Seems pretty wore-out already.

Well, if you don't like it, next well's

5 miles down the road.

Suits me.

Alright... so long Devers.

Just a minute!

You're likely gonna fix your own well,

ain't you?

If you're rentin' you must have

some savings put aside.

I got 2 good arms...

worth more than savings.

To hear folks talk...

you think you can be

farmers just like that...

with your bare hands.

Got any tools or tractors?

No, I ain't got no tractor.

But I got 2 mules and a good old plough...

and a friend o' mine's lendin' the seed.

And Ruston furnishes the fertilizer.

Don't need much

for good muddy land like that.

And he gives the poison for the weevils,

pays the cotton-pickers...

even lets you draw grub

from his commissary.

After you get the ground broke.

Yeah... he just furnishes

about everything...

With the sweat.

And if you get by the year...

he generously lets you

take your share of the crop...

Ain't that right?

Why ask me... It seems

you know it already.

Oh, but I know Ruston...

Ain't the first time he's gettin'

a piece of land cleaned off for nothin'.

Until you get your ploughin' started...

how do you aim to eat?

I aim to fish...

and hunt varmints

and sell a few skins.

Lots of folks like that

live around here.

Plenty more done it before.

How about you?

How'd you get started?

Sharecrop.

First year I lost my whole crop,

it was ruined by the hail.

Next year black leg got my cow and pig

that I'd spent all my savings for.

My wife caught cold

and she died.

Two years later, one of my kids, the boy...

He died from spring sickness.

Maybe I lost them both,

my woman and my kid...

because I didn't have

no money for doctoring.

And here I am with a farm...

a good one...

belongs all to me

and worth lots of money.

Only, I can't forget what it cost me.

So when I see young folk like you

with their proudness...

noses stuck in the air...

just makes me laugh!

Well... much obliged for the water,

And good luck with your fishhook.

Hey... Finlay...

What's that big old fishhook

you uncle's fixing up there?

Is there a whale in this river?

That's for "Lead Pencil".

"Lead Pencil"... what's that?

A catfish... he's got 2 whiskers

like lead pencils.

Biggest durned catfish

you ever seen in the river.

Hey! get that washing away Finlay!

Nothin'?

Must be the wind.

It's more the time.

For days now the moon has been moving

closer and closer to the North Star...

The animals don't like that...

they hide out.

It's crazy to go against the signs,

but what can you do?

We gotta get fresh food.

Daisy, honey... why don't

you and Sonny get into bed.

Nice and warm there.

Did you have a nice day at school?

She didn't go, Sam.

Why not?

It's too cold... she ain't got no coat...

She'll catch her death of cold.

But they just gotta go to school.

Just because we're having hard times right

now doesn't mean we gotta stop nothing.

We gotta keep going.

Once we give up we won't have the courage

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