Where the Heart Is Page #6

There was something against the door.

I had to push.

And it was Praline.

She was crumpled on the floor...

...covering her eyes.

And Roger had...

...Brownie on the bed...

...and he had his...

And I flew at him.

I wanted to kill him,

and I would have.

I hit him twice,

and that's all I remember.

You know...

...he went after little Praline first,

and she threw up on him.

And that's when Brownie came in.

How did he find me, Novalee?

How'd a man like that find my kids?

How'd he know he could do

such a thing to us?

He had to be looking.

He was looking for women like me

who are alone...

...with children,

and women who are stupid.

And they saw through him.

They could tell he was evil.

And all I saw was a Buick.

Oh, God.

What am I gonna tell my babies?

What am I gonna say...

...to Brownie and Praline

when they ask me why this happened?

What am I supposed to say, Novalee?

You tell them...

You tell that our lives can change

with every breath we take.

We both know that.

And you tell them

to let go of what's gone...

...because men like Roger Brisco

never win.

And tell them to hold on like hell

to what they've got.

Each other...

...and a mother who'd die for them,

and almost did.

You tell them, we've all

got meanness in us...

...but we've got goodness too.

And the only thing worth living for

is the good...

...and that is why we've got to

make sure to pass it on.

Forney, if you feed a cow chocolate,

will you get chocolate milk?

FORNEY:
Yeah. Yeah. And if you spin

a cow around real fast...

...you'll get whipped cream.

AMERICUS:

Wow! You know a lot.

FORNEY:

I work in the library.

PARAMEDIC:
I don't know how you

kept her alive this long.

You're welcome to ride along with us.

(KNOCKING)

How did you find me?

Small town.

You didn't come to the service.

I was worried.

Didn't mean to worry you.

Can I come in?

Okay.

You all right?

I couldn't stay at the library, l...

I understand.

I have to go away for a while.

Take Mary Elizabeth back to Maine.

Bury her in the family plot.

I'm so sorry, Forney.

Couldn't go to the service.

I had four white roses...

...and when I got to the service...

...they'd turned brown.

I couldn't take her brown roses.

Novalee.

Yeah?

I love you.

He told you he loves you,

and you didn't say anything?

I'm a dope. I'm such a dope...

...but I was scared,

I was confused.

It's just strange.

Don't take this wrong,

but Forney is strange.

When is he coming back?

(HORN HONKS)

- What was that all about?

- Nothing.

Nothing? Why was Ernie the

Exterminator honking at you?

I said I'd go out with him.

You told him you'd what?

I said I'd go out on a date with him.

How'd that happen?

Well, he's Brownie's soccer coach...

...and he makes him laugh which,

let's face it, nobody does.

And that psychologist said it would

be a good idea. I don't know.

You don't think he's gonna wear that

orange jumpsuit on our date, do you?

You know, maybe it was a bad idea

to tuck in the shirts.

(CHATTERING IN AGREEMENT)

Isn't there a championship banner?

We're not the champions.

We're just celebrating

we lived through the season.

All right.

Well, here we go, then.

NOVALEE:

Smile.

Do you know how to reach Forney?

It's about legal work

involving the library.

I expect him back today or tomorrow.

Forney's coming back?

Sure.

I just figured

with Mary Elizabeth gone...

...he'd want to pick up with his life

again or go back to college.

Hey, you know his great grandfather

was governor of Maine?

No.

Sometimes things work out

for the best.

Now he can get out of here

and have a real life.

All right, let's take this picture.

We're all starting to smell.

(PHONE RINGS)

Hello?

Where are you?

When did you get back?

No, no, no. I'll come over.

I'll come there. Okay? Bye.

- Hi.

- Hey.

Come in.

- Sorry I called so late.

- No, no, that's...

How was your trip?

Good. Okay.

- You want to sit down?

- Sure.

I was starting to worry

when you didn't come back.

I forgot how lovely it is there.

- Very different from here.

- I'll bet.

I drove over to Bowdoin.

- Mm-hm?

- Yeah.

I was gonna go for two hours,

wound up staying two days.

Saw a couple of my old professors...

I forgot what a

great library they have.

Have they hired a new librarian here?

Yeah. Mayor Albright's daughter.

Oh.

Well, it's okay. I wouldn't want

to go back there anyway.

I hear they're hiring at the plastics

factory. I could get a job there.

Are you okay?

What about teaching?

You wanted to be a history teacher.

Well, that was a long time ago.

If it's what you want...

What I want?

What I want is to be with you.

To be with you and Americus.

I love you. I love you so much.

- When we were together...

- That might've been a mistake.

Mistake?

I mean...

You made love to me

because you felt sorry for me?

- No.

- Then what?

It was a bad decision,

an impulse, what?

Forney.

Do you love me?

You are the best friend

I have ever had.

FORNEY:

Just answer me.

You delivered my baby.

Do you love me?

No.

No, Forney, I don't love you.

Not that way.

(CRIES)

This place looks good.

It's nice and bright.

The carpet looks new.

My kids could make it

a dump before the door closes.

Look, you can see the library.

Yeah.

Ever hear from Joe College?

He writes to Americus,

sends her books.

At the end, he writes: "Please tell

your mother I extend my best wishes."

Hot. You written him back?

No. What could I say to him?

God, that you lied to him, for one.

That you love him and miss him.

That these have been a

miserable three months...

...and that he should come back.

- Come back to what?

A job at the plastics factory?

Flipping burgers at Leda's Drive-In?

Driving a delivery truck?

- What about Wal-Mart?

- No.

It's okay for you,

but it's not good enough for him?

No.

You never thought you deserved Forney,

or that you were good enough for him.

I know your mom walked out on you

and what that butthole, Willy Jack did.

But that is what makes them trash,

not you.

- You still seeing Ernie?

- Sort of.

- You know, sort of.

- So you like him, or what?

I don't know. He's, you know,

got kids of his own.

And the man kills bugs for a living,

for goodness sake.

I don't think he's my type.

(MENDELSSOHN'S

"THE WEDDING MARCH" PLAYS)

(LAUGHING)

You like that, huh?

(MALFORD MILLIGAN'S

"MUSTANG SALLY" PLAYS)

Oh, you want to know how I knew Ernie

was different, that he was the one?

- Sure.

- You can't tell.

- It's a secret.

- Okay.

- His daughter, Carol Anne...

- Uh-huh.

...is not his daughter.

His ex, Maxine, she had Carol Anne

before they met...

...and they had Cody.

She decides to split...

...and she didn't want Cody.

But not Carol Anne, either...

...until she finds out Ernie does,

and then she can bargain.

Ernie had this bright red,

fully restored '67 Camaro.

I mean, a beauty. And she wants it.

So he trades his car for her daughter.

NOVALEE:

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