The Spitfire Grill Page #3

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Hey, what y'all doing?

Nothing.

Y'all from Ohio?

'Cause I'm from Ohio.

I'm from Akron.

Is it starting to ache bad again now,

Hannah?

Not as much as trying to figure out

what part of me is going to give out next.

Now, Hannah, don't.

Spare me your milksop, Shelby.

It's not a question

of "if" anymore...

...it's just a question of "when. "

It's high time that Nahum got on the stick

and found me a buyer for this place.

You can tell him

I said so too.

I'll tell him, Hannah...

...but with the real-estate market

being like it is...

...I don't know.

You might...

Might what?

You might want to try one of those

essay contest things to raffle it off.

Some folks in Center Lovell did

real well with an inn they had.

Essay contest?

What kind of nonsense is that?

Nothing.

I was just talking.

So...

...how would one of them essay

contest things work anyway?

You mean like the

one in Center Lovell?

I don't know. You're the one

that brought it up.

The way I heard it...

...first they set a deadline date,

like three or four months from the start.

Then they asked people...

...to send $100 with an essay

saying why they wanted their inn.

They promised if

they got at least...

...2,500 essays by the time

the deadline date rolled around...

...they'd pick the best essay and

give the inn to whoever wrote it.

They got that many?

Even more, I think.

That'd be more...

...than $250,000, wouldn't it?

This is all legal?

Must be if they did it already.

Shelby, see to that pot.

It's about to boil over.

Why don't you go on up to bed?

Shelby and I will finish up here.

Good night, then.

Good night.

Did I do something wrong, Hannah?

What do you really think

of this contest idea?

I don't know.

Maybe you'd better ask...

...Nahum about it.

- When I want Nahum's opinion...

...I'll ask him. Right now

I'm asking you.

- You still got a mind, don't you?

- Yes, Hannah, I do.

Well, then?

Well, then...

...I can't see that...

...you stand to lose

anything by trying.

That's what I've

been thinking too.

'Course I can't imagine that there's

50 people who'd want this place.

Let alone a thousand or more.

But I suppose anything's possible.

Do you think you could see

to all the details for me?

I don't know.

Well, yes or no, Shelby?

Yes.

All right...

...then it's settled.

But you make sure they know it's

for cash only. I don't want to fool with...

...out-of-state checks on this.

All right.

All right.

"Small diner that seats about 40

with house attached. "

How's that sound?

Awful, huh?

It's okay, I guess. But if I gambled $100,

I'd want it to be for someplace...

...you know, special.

It's not just the Spitfire they'd be

getting. They'd get Gilead too.

There's nothing very special

about Gilead that I can see.

Maybe not.

You could say there's enough country

around it to lose yourself in...

...but not so many people

you'd ever feel lost.

I don't know.

No, no, I like that.

Keep going.

What else?

You could say...

...it's a place with roots so deep,

nobody can tear them out from under you.

And customers so loyal they'll keep

coming back even if your cooking stinks.

Loyal customers.

You know what else?

Nahum told me we got...

...more pegmatite rock formations

than any other county in the country.

Did he, now?

But we can't put that.

Oh, I know.

Let's write something

about the Indian River.

They've got all kinds

of history there.

- Maine Tourist Office, can I help you?

- Jolene?

- It's Percy.

- Percy?

I got Percy.

- How're you doing, girl?

- I'm all right.

You remember that essay contest thing

we had all them calls about a while back?

- Yeah. - The woman who

owns the diner...

...she wants to try one.

I hoped you and the girls could help

me out by calling some of the papers...

...to help me spread the word.

Tell me how you want it to read

and I'll make sure...

...that by next month, the whole

damn country's heard about it.

How's that?

Bless you. You got a pen?

I want you to write this down.

I want all the entries to go to

Hannah Ferguson, care of the Spitfire Grill.

That's in Gilead, Maine...

Hannah said you

was out for a walk.

Getting some peace before the

dishes get to rattling in my head.

You like the woods, do you?

My mama said my people come

from the mountains.

Closest I ever been was

a city park in Akron.

You are from Ohio.

When the coal mines in Kentucky

gave out...

...my people went north

looking for work.

Didn't do much good. We're still

just poor white trash there too.

Had us our very own

slum and everything.

I talk country, but the only hills

I've ever seen were in magazines.

You ought to take a ride

out to my land sometime.

We got trees out there

as far as the eye can see.

Yeah?

Oh, yeah.

Percy!

- What? - Come quick,

something's happened.

Where are you pulling me?

I got something to show you and I

wanted someplace extra private.

What, in here?

Don't worry.

Nobody comes here anymore.

Since the quarry closed we

got no money for a minister.

If you want to go to church,

you gotta drive at least to Bethel.

I'm the only one that comes now.

Why?

It's someplace when...

...I need to be by myself where...

...it's quiet.

I've never told anyone

about this before...

...but I won't mind if you

want to come here...

...sometimes by yourself...

...too.

So what's this good

news you got?

Look.

"Restaurant Raffle.

Want the Spitfire Grill?

"Cash Only. "

New York.

Chicago.

San Francisco.

We got an article in each one.

Queen Jolene.

You gotta bake her up something

real nice we can send her.

You betcha.

Gilead Realty.

County Clerk's Office?

Oh, yes, yes, I did call.

Yeah.

Perchance Talbott.

Yes.

And what was the conviction for?

I see.

I see.

Thank you.

You find us all right?

- Yeah.

- Good.

Dad, this is...

...this is my friend, Percy Talbott.

Percy, this is my father...

...Aaron.

I'm just going to

go grab my jacket.

What you watching?

I work at the Spitfire. You should

have Joe bring you by sometime.

It's fun.

- You all set?

- Sure.

'Bye.

Look at them all.

If that ain't beautiful,

I don't know what is.

Yeah.

It's a shame that's all they are.

About 80 years ago,

before anyone knew any better...

...they clear-cut through here.

Took down everything.

This is the stuff you get back.

It's no good for lumber.

It's not even good enough

to pulp for paper.

It's all just worthless.

I don't now nothing

about trees, but...

...if they was mine...

...you couldn't drag me away

with a runaway train.

No matter how worthless

people said it was.

Just...

...roll it out gentle.

That's right.

You can put some more flour

on the pin if you need to.

Cut the butter in, just to pea size,

let the milk sit before you start.

Take the eggs out first.

I'll never be able to

do this on my own.

Ah, you will too.

The way to a man's heart is still

through his stomach.

- At least somewhere in that vicinity.

- Who said I wanted a man?

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