Tobacco Road Page #3

- How'd you like a nice big...

- Let go of me.

Toot-toot! Beep-beep!

Toot-toot! Beep-beep!

I sure do love an automobile horn.

Toot-toot! Beep-beep!

Dude. He can sound more like a horn

than a horn can.

He's the last of my boys, Dude is,

and I sure am proud of him.

- Tell me, how are the crops coming?

- No crops, praise the Lord.

No crops in the last seven years.

Nobody got no money to grow any.

That's why everybody's so glad

to see you come to give them some.

- What's that?

- Well...

...all I need is a mule

and some seed cotton, and guano...

Now, wait a minute, Jeeter.

I can't understand

how that idea got around...

...but I'm sorry,

but I won't be able to help you.

Tell you the truth,

I'm in pretty much the same fix you are.

What do you mean, Captain Tim?

You'd better tell him, Payne.

- Well, you see, Mr. Lester...

...I'm from the bank in Augusta.

We're down here to collect money,

not to lend it.

You mean I can't have me no credit

to grow me no crop this year?

- I'm afraid not.

- Why, I just gotta have credit...

...because me and my folks,

we're starving here on Tobacco Road.

Mr. Lester, have you ever thought

about getting away from here?

And work in them darn mills?

But if you're starving...

That ain't got nothing to do with it.

Why, Captain John told me I could stay

on my place as long as I wanted to.

He said he couldn't give me any more

credit in the stores up at Fuller...

...but I could live here till I died.

- You know that, Captain Tim.

- Yeah, I know he did, Jeeter...

...but you see, that land

doesn't belong to us anymore.

The bank's taken it over.

There's nothing I can do about it.

Well, I can't understand that.

Why, this was my daddy's place

before me...

...and his daddy's place before him...

...and Lord knows

how many Lesters before that.

Why, there wasn't nothing here

before they come.

Why, they built this road

hauling tobacco kegs...

...15 miles

down the ridge to the river.

And now I don't own it,

and you don't own it.

And the darned banks own it...

...and they never had nothing

to do with it.

We don't wanna be hard on you

old farmers, Mr. Lester...

...but we're gonna put this entire

section under scientific cultivation.

There wouldn't be any place for you.

If you're gonna grow crops on it,

why can't I grow crops...

...just the same as I did

for Captain John?

Well, I'm afraid that's impossible.

Please don't let him take me away,

Captain Tim.

I'm liable to go before long...

...and if they send me away,

I'm liable to go long before my time.

Please don't let them take me away,

will you, Captain Tim?

What about it? Couldn't you

do something for this man?

I don't know how we could,

Mr. Harmon.

- Lf he could pay a little rent...

- Rent?

I can't even get enough money

to buy anything to eat with.

Well, what about your children, Jeeter?

Haven't you got one that could help you?

Why, we must've had...

How many, Ada?

Oh, about 17, 18 head.

And there ain't one of them

worth the powder to blow them up.

How much rent would it be, Payne?

Hundred dollars for the year.

Hundred dollars?

When will you have to have it?

Well, coming back down here

next Sunday afternoon.

Well, I guess that's all I can do, Jeeter.

It's not very much.

Maybe you can dig it up before Sunday,

from one of your children or somewhere.

Oh, Jeeter...

...here's a dozen new corn

I was taking home, if you can use it.

- Goodbye, Jeeter.

- Goodbye, Captain Tim.

Sometime Sunday afternoon,

after dinner.

Sometime Sunday.

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Things have taken a turn

for the better already.

Let's get home

and eat some of this corn...

...before Dude and Ellie May

know anything about it.

Where's my sweater? I'm going to Fuller.

Where's my sweater?

What are you going to Fuller for?

Sister Bessie's gonna buy me

a brand-new automobile...

...with a big horn on it.

Where's my sweater?

Seems like I seen it in the bed, son.

Don't be too long, Dude boy.

Say, is that boy as crazy

as we think he is?

- Hallelujah, Brother Jeeter.

Hallelujah, Sister Bessie.

- Hallelujah, Sister Ada.

Hallelujah, Sister Bessie.

Listen, Bessie,

how come you tell Dude...

...that you're gonna buy him

a brand-new automobile...

...with a great big horn on it?

Dude and me's gonna need it

to drive and do our preaching with.

- Is you got that much money?

- I ain't only got that much money...

...from my dead husband's insurance,

but I got a bit more beside.

Ada, Sister Bessie's got herself

a whole mess of money.

Come on,

let's go get that automobile.

Oh, Dude boy,

you's as pretty as you can be.

Wait a minute. How come Dude gotta

go with you to get that automobile?

How come I don't go instead of Dude?

Why, Dude don't know nothing

about no automobile excepting a horn.

- Didn't he tell you?

Tell me what?

- Us is gonna get married.

- Come on. Us ain't got no time to lose.

Bessie, is you going out of your mind?

Brother Jeeter...

...tonight the voice come to me again.

And it said, "Marry yourself

to a new husband, Sister Bessie.

Because it ain't good for a lady like you

not to be married to a good man...

...that you could

turn into a preacher...

...and who could help you spread

the good Word most everywhere. "

And it looks to me like Dude.

Well, Dude ain't got sense enough

to be a preacher.

He wouldn't know what to talk about

when it come time to get up to preach.

- Leave that to me.

What do you think, son?

I don't care about it.

We're gonna be very happy too.

Come, let's go get that automobile.

Dude boy.

Gonna be a preacher.

I wonder how much...

How much money Sister Bessie's got.

Well, now,

I wonder if she'd lend me...

...about $ 100...

...so I...

...wouldn't have to move.

Well, now...

...I wonder if she wouldn't...

...how I'd go about

getting it away from her.

Remind me tomorrow

to think about that idea, will you?

- I wanna get leave to marry Dude.

- Fill that in.

Will you do it? I can't write words.

- Can you sign your name?

- I can touch the pen.

- What is your name?

- Sister Bessie Rice.

- Who are you gonna marry?

- That's him.

That kid? You ain't gonna marry him,

are you?

- That boy ain't hardly grown.

- He's willing.

- How old are you?

- I don't have to tell that, do I?

I can't give you a license

if you won't state your age.

Well, I was 38 not so long back.

- How long back?

- Well, I'm 39 now, but I don't show it.

Look here, son. What do you mean

to marry a woman that old?

Marry a girl your own age.

You try and talk him out of it,

I'll start a service now.

I don't know. Sister Bessie there,

she sweet-talked me into it.

- How's that boy gonna support you?

The Lord will provide.

That ain't gonna be soon.

He ain't gonna get married here.

- Now, don't you try and stop us.

- What are you fixing to do?

- You too, ma'am.

- Look, Sister Bessie...

"Sowing in the Morning. "

All right now, Dude boy.

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