Wish You Well Page #2

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all around me here,

in this place, too.

- All right. Good boy.

- Good boy, Jeb.

Hell No, come here. Throw it.

Give it a whirl.

Diamond told me about Eugene's

daddy leaving him.

That is a darn lie.

Eugene's daddy did not leave him,

he was killed in a logging accident.

And then after his Auntie passed on,

I took him in.

So why do people call him

that awful name?

Because they're ignorant, that's why.

Memories are a funny thing.

People like to change the past

so they can remember what it is

they want to remember.

- All right, good boy.

- Good boy, Jeb.

How'd you learn how to toss like that?

Your brother's got a really good arm.

Yeah.

What'd you do for fun in the city?

Ever go skinny dippin' in a gravel pit?

There aren't gravel pits in Brooklyn.

I haven't met a boy like Diamond before.

He lived all by himself on the mountain.

His mom had died when he was born

and his dad died

during a mining accident.

The whole mountain had fallen on him.

Louisa said that Diamond and I

were like family.

We're distant cousins.

I never knew I had so much family here.

This here well, it's magic.

What do you mean?

There was a guy and a gal,

they want to get hitched,

but their families wouldn't let them.

So, they made a plan to run off.

Only something happened,

and the fella, he thought

the gal done got killed.

So...

he come down here and he jump in.

That gal, she found out,

she come down here and she jump in, too.

- That sounds like Romeo and Juliet.

- Who?

What makes it magic, Diamond?

Well,

them two people, dying for each other,

that's what made the well magic.

Anybody have a wish,

they come down here, it'll happen.

- There's just one little catch.

- What?

You got to give up the most

important thing you got,

just like they did.

But how do you know if it works?

Well, this here bucket,

- swing from left to right.

- Lou, maybe we can...

- No, Oz.

- But...

It's just like your stupid necklace,

it won't work.

Mom's never coming back.

This morning's lessons

we will practice our letters.

Please take out your books

and write each letter five times.

Lou, is something wrong?

No.

I'm gonna whoop you.

Go get 'em, Will, go get 'em!

What the hell is going on here?

Billy got in another fight, George.

Sorry, pa.

I was working in the damn fields, boy.

Now get up.

Did that damn girl do that to you?

I ain't through with you, boy.

- George, you leave him be.

- Get off of me.

Next year, no more damn school for you.

- You hear me?

- Yes, sir.

Why don't you let Billy decide that?

He a boy, he do what I say.

- Well, I see me a fine young man.

- He ain't a grown man.

Yeah, but you are, so you keep

your hands off of him!

You got that big colored living

in your house, don't ya?

God gonna strike you dead.

God gonna strike you down for that.

Got that Injun blood in ya.

You don't belong here, old woman.

If you ever lay a hand on him again,

you'd better pray to whatever God

it is you counsel with,

that I don't find you, George Davis.

Hey!

Do you know who you're messing with,

old woman?

Yeah, I know who I'm messing with.

Your daddy beat you bad

and he starved you and your sisters.

Many a time I tried

to come between ya's.

And now you've grown up

to be just like him.

Well, Billy's not gonna be like that.

Billy. Wake up, come on.

Come on.

You're gonna hear from me, woman.

Don't you worry, Ms. Louisa,

that man ain't gonna touch you

or the children while I'm around.

Come on, children.

Why did George Davis

say you don't belong here?

Well, my daddy was part Cherokee

and some folks around here don't like that.

Me, I'm proud of it.

So you got Native blood in you, too.

I think that's pretty special.

You should've seen Billy's face

when he opened that lunch pail.

It was so funny.

Oh, look.

Wild grapes.

They're all around here

if you know where to look.

Chestnuts on the ground,

wild onions underneath.

We can get a whole meal

out of this land...

- 'out even lifting a finger.

- They're amazing.

Tell me, Lou,

did you see any food in Billy's pail?

No.

You see, what I find funny is that some

children feel they ought to be ashamed

when their daddy doesn't see fit

to give them anything.

So ashamed that they had to haul

a pail to school and pretend to eat,

so nobody would catch on

that their daddy gives them nothin'.

Do you find that funny, Lou?

- No.

- No.

You see, you had a fine daddy

who loved you very much.

And I know that makes it harder

now that he's gone, but...

the thing is,

Billy Davis has to live

with his daddy every day.

And I pray with all my heart

that he survives it.

Why didn't my dad ever come back here?

You never know what's

in someone else's heart, Lou.

No matter how hard you try.

I wish that my mom would wake up.

Hey, come on! I gotta show you

something. Get your brother.

- Where are we going?

- Come on. We're gonna go see God!

Diamond said every time he came here

God will send him an angel.

He thought he had

a right good regime of 'em.

This is where God touched the earth.

Maybe someday they'll name it after me.

- Put 'er there. Come on, boy.

- What are they doing?

George Davis, he has a still up here.

So the sheriff won't catch him

making moonshine.

- Jeb! Jeb!

- What's that?

You come back here!

Diamond, look out!

- Diamond!

- Billy, go see what that is.

- Run, Oz!

- Hey, you! Get over here!

- Lou!

- I'm gonna get ya!

Oz!

- Where you runnin', boy?

- Help, Lou!

Hey, who told you you could come here?

Let him go!

- Stop! Daddy, no!

- What are you doing?

Come on. Get up! Run, y'all!

What the hell, Billy?

What's wrong with you? Get up!

Don't you ever touch my gun again,

you understand? Never, boy!

You busted up my still!

Don't you dare!

Them little devils tore up my property.

And I'm here to get paid.

Well, why don't you show the sheriff

what they done to your still

- and he can tell me what's fair.

- You know I can't do that, woman.

Well, then you can find your way

off my property.

Now get off before I lose patience

and you lose blood.

- I'll pay you George Davis.

- You little vermin.

My head still burns from where you

clocked me and I don't appreciate it at all.

You lucky then,

'cause I could've hit you harder.

You close that trap,

you don't smart mouth me, you boy.

You want your money or not?

Money?

You ain't got no money.

Got a silver dollar right here.

It's a 100 years old.

Man in Tramont, he told me

he'd pay me 20 dollar for it.

Diamond, don't.

What a man do?

You got to have consequences.

Now look, if I give you this...

you ain't coming back to Ms. Louisa

for nothing. You got to swear.

Sure. Sure, I swear.

Come on, give it to me, I swear.

Now get you gone, George.

All right, Louisa.

But next time,

my gun don't miss.

Ever.

Thanks for the coin.

Oz, why don't you go in

and get cleaned up.

And Diamond, you go in the barn and milk

the cow. Take that dang dog with you.

Now if you run off like that,

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