This ain't right, Doyle.
- There's something wrong with you. - Get out!
Nobody wants to take this shit.
Dots look good on paper. You don't sing them anyway.
- You're just showing your true colors. - Stay out of my face, you buzzard!
Hey! I said get out of my house!
That goes for cocksuckers and retards!
Get up off your asses and go!
This is not your house. This is my house.
I'll say who stays and goes.
You got a house. Why don't you go home to it?
You know better to talk like that when I'm hurting.
Don't make me knock the piss out of you.
Don't you touch her.
That's funny, Vaughan.
Linda, go to bed. And take little snot-nose here with you.
You're not staying here tonight.
Get sober before you come back. I'm tired of my child seeing this.
Get your ass straight or I'll lock your ass out of my life for good.
If you even think about leaving me, I told you...
I'm gonna kill you deader than a doornail.
- That might be better than this. - I'm a witness to you threatening her.
You get the fuck out now!
Leave!
- Don't tell me what to do. - Leave!
- Don't do that! - I'm calling the police!
- Goddamn you, little prick! - Don't touch my mama!
Don't touch her! Go home!
- Get away from here! - Jesus!
Hey! Goddamn you!
Get away from us!
All right. Okay.
I'm gonna leave now. Fuck me.
I'm gonna go home and sober up.
Go on, then.
Everything's bothering me. I'm hurting, Linda.
- I love you. - Well, I hate you!
I hate you, you little prick! No, I don't.
I love your mama.
I just--
I can't explain what goes on.
You bunch of freaks. I hope you have fun.
I'll call you tomorrow.
I'm sorry, honey.
I said I'm sorry, Linda.
All right. You can kiss my ass.
And if you ever hit me again, you little bastard...
I'll make you sorry your daddy ever squirted your ass out.
You hear me?
- You all right? - I'm fine.
Let's just try and forget about tonight.
We don't need to think about bad thoughts, do we?
No, honey. We don't.
I'll make some coffee and start cleaning up.
Karl, you want some coffee, hon?
Coffee kindly make me nervous when I drink it.
You scared me.
-I didn't aim to. -You wanna sit down? You need something?
No, ma'am.
There was these two fellers standing on a bridge going to the bathroom.
One feller says that the water is cold.
The other says that the water is deep.
I believe one feller comes from Arkansas.
Get it?
I'll be dog.
Reckon you can make some biscuits?
You mean right now?
Whenever you take a notion to. I don't mean to put you out none.
It is nearly breakfast time anyway.
I can't go to sleep. I have to be at work in three hours.
You know how it is if you only sleep an hour or two.
You feel worse than if you hadn't slept at all.
Yes, ma'am. I do.
Sit down. I'll make you some biscuits and gravy.
- Mustard's good on them to me. - Okay.
- Thank you. - It's all right.
I was thinking-- There's this girl that works with me.
She's real heavy, but she's cute in the face.
Well, you know, she's slow.
She's a little bit-- She's not retarded.
It don't matter. I thought you might like to meet her.
Vaughan wants to have a supper at his house. We could invite her.
Would you like that?
I reckon I wouldn't mind having a little supper.
Vaughan's friend will be there too. He works at the funeral home.
You know, Frank really likes you a lot.
He says you make him feel calm.
I like Frank. He's a good boy.
Me and him made friends.
It ain't right for me to keep from telling you...
how come me to be in a state hospital.
That's okay. It's not really my business.
Have wondered, though.
Why was it? Was it like a nervous breakdown?
I killed my mother and an old boy named Jesse Dixon.
I thought they's doing wrong.
I was about your boy's age.
They told me I'm well from it now.
Was that you?
I remember that. I was only three or four...
but I always heard about it growing up.
They say you're well?
Yes, ma'am.
I like your garage.
I never would hurt you or that boy.
I'd lay my hand on the Bible and say the same thing.
I know you wouldn't, hon.
Well, I'll make you some biscuits.
How about you, Jerry?
- How are you, Bill? - Doing pretty good.
Got a sick tiller. What's got you down this way?
I thought I'd check up on Karl. See how things are working out.
He's pretty quiet, except for them rackets and breathing things he does.
He ain't threatening me with a killing or nothing.
You couldn't have been more right about him fixing things.
He's a regular Eli Whitney on a lawn mower.
And loves french fries. He can eat four larges and won't even belch.
I'm proud to have him.
- Him staying working out? - He's gone to staying with...
that Wheatley boy and his mama in their garage.
That little boy's adopted him like a mascot.
He got a key here to come and go as he pleases.
He's working out real good.
- Can I see him? - Sure.
Scooter, take Jerry in to talk to Karl.
All right.
Sure you'll be okay staying with that woman and her boy?
Yes, sir.
Do they know about you?
My history?
Yeah.
I told them about it.
They know I'm well.
That Miss Wheatley made me some biscuits.
I'll be.
That boy, he's my friend.
He likes the way I talk, and I like the way he talks.
I knew you were gonna be all right.
I just wanna check on you.
I'm gonna tell Bill good-bye and head on back.
All right, then.
Karl, see if you can figure out what's wrong with this thing.
It won't crank up. Everything seems to be put together right.
- Bill, I'll see you. - Okay. Stop back by.
Don't worry about your boy. He's doing good.
It ain't got no gas in it.
You see there, Scooter. Thinks of the simplest things first.
- Does everybody like the food? - Yeah.
Good. I haven't decided yet if I'm a good cook.
Karl, you know what?
Melinda was voted employee of the month at the Dollar Store last February.
Isn't that something?
Yes, ma'am. I reckon.
When you like pricing items as much as I do...
it's just bound to happen sooner or later, I guess.
Maybe you and Melinda might like to take a walk tonight.
- It's such a nice evening. - Vaughan, don't get pushy.
I'm sorry.
I kind of like walking from time to time.
I stay on my feet all the time at work.
I just can't find shoes that's comfortable.
Hospital shoes might be the answer. Nurse's shoes.
Or the kind old ladies wear who work in school cafeterias.
Same difference.
I get real mean when my feet hurt.
It's the only time I don't like checking out customers.
When my feet hurt.
You and Karl aren't talking much.
You boys must really like that food.
Well, I ain't got nothing to say about shoes.
Listen, everybody.
This might sound corny, but--
I've had some wine and that tends to make me emotional...
but I'm gonna say it anyway.
It came over me in a rush.
I just want you all to know...
that I care about each and every person at this table.
Thank you. That's really sweet of you.
We care about you too. Don't we, y'all?
Yeah.
Also, please don't tell anyone at the store...
that Albert was here tonight.
Why?
You know how this town is. People talk...
and they spread cruel rumors.
Unfortunately, there's certain parts of my life I have to keep private.
You mean about you and Albert being together in that way?
- Yes. - I think everybody already knows.
They're always talking about it.
Maureen Ledbetter told the most awful story...
about why you ain't allowed at the First Baptist Church no more.
Karl, why don't you and Melinda take a walk? It's nice out.
All right, then.
That sure was quick.
You walk fast, don't you?
I reckon.
These are the worst shoes I own for walking.
How far'd you say you want to go?
I don't reckon I thought about it too much.
I don't know. She just ain't catching fire.
Did you check them points?
No, I didn't.
That's probably it.
- Yes, ma'am? - Is Karl here?
Yes. Just a minute.
Karl. There's somebody out here to see you.
Some gal holding a nice bouquet.
Come on out. She wants to talk to you. Don't just sit there.
Hi. I'm on my lunch break.
These are on sale 'cause they're not fresh.
Two ninety-nine a bunch, plus my ten percent employee discount.
Since I didn't bring nothing for you on our date last night...
I thought you might like to have them.
Thank you.
Scooter, let's go over to the Frosty Cream and pick up something for lunch.
I can go. You don't have to.
- You don't never go. - Goddammit, Scooter. Let's go.
Pardon my language, ma'am.
Well, I just thought I'd bring them.
I liked walking with you.
I got a blister the size of a quarter on one heel.
Well, I'll see you sometime, I guess.
Blisters sure can hurt.
Yeah.
Flowers is pretty.
I've always thought that.
Me too.
Hey, Karl. How'd you know I was in the garage?
I seen that door cracked open a little. I figured you was in there.
- You off of work? - Yes, sir.
Where'd you get them flowers?
That gal that made employee of the month at the Dollar Store.
She gave them to me for walking with her.
I was going over to the secret place.
I borrowed one of your books. You ain't mad, are you?
No, sir. You can look at every one of my books you want to.
Thank you. It's name's "A Christmas Carol."
That's that one on Christmas I was telling you about.
You wanna go with me?
All right, then.
- Yeah. Come on. - All right.
Know why I want you to play ball with me?
No.
'Cause it's fun. Don't matter if you ain't no good.
It takes your mind off of everything else.
And when you're trying to score a touchdown...
that's all you're thinking about.
I ain't no account, but Daddy always said...
he was proud of me when I threw the ball and ran with it.
Did you have any brothers and sisters growing up to play with?
I had one there for a little bit.
But...
it didn't get old enough for me to play with it.
Why not? It die?
Yes, sir.
Why?
It got born a little too early.
My mother and father made it come out too early.
So it died when it come out?
My daddy come out to the shed and got me...
said, "Here. Take this and throw it away."
He handed me a towel with something or another in it.
I started for that barrel...
and I opened up the towel 'cause there was a noise...
and something moving around in it.
That towel was all bloody-like all around it there.
It was a little old baby, not no bigger than a squirrel.
It was alive?
Yes, sir. Right then it was.
A boy or girl?
It was a little old boy.
You threw it in the trash barrel?
That didn't seem right to me.
So I went into the shed and got a shoe box...
and emptied out the screwdrivers, washers and nuts...
and things out of it.
I taken the little feller and put him in the box...
buried him in the corner of the yard.
That seemed more proper to me, I reckon.
It was still alive when you buried it?
I heard it crying a little through that box.
That don't seem right. It seems like you would have took care of him...
if he was your brother.
I wasn't but six or eight.
I reckon I didn't know what to do.
I didn't know how to care for no baby.
My mother and father didn't want him.
They learned me to do what they told me to do.
I figure it probably best we give him right back to the good Lord...
right off the bat anyhow.
That makes me feel real sad.
Couldn't you have done something?
I would have. I wish I'd had him.
He'd still be right here, now. Living.
It makes me sad too.
I wish there was something I could have did about it.
I don't think nothing bad oughta happen to children.
I think all those bad things oughta be saved up...
for the folks that done growed up, that's the way I see it.
I shouldn't have told you about that.
Boy your age ought not to hear such things.
It just kind of come out.
I didn't mean to say nothing bad about you.
You're good. You don't mean no harm.
You ever think about killing yourself on purpose, like Daddy did?
I studied about it some.
Bible says you ought not to.
Says you do that, you go off to Hades.
Some folks call it hell. I call it Hades.
Bible says the same thing about killing others too.
Yes, sir. I reckon it does.
Spend more time over here--
Well, hell. There's the boys.
How you doing? Glad you all came back.
I was wanting to talk to y'all. Come sit down.
Come on. Sit down.
I was just telling Linda-- We were thinking that things...
would be a lot better if I spent more time over here.
And if we could-- Hell, I'll just start over.
I took off work early today, and your mama did the same, so we could talk.
Really what I came over here to do was apologize--
which ain't easy for me--
about how I acted the other night.
I admit it. I was drunk.
I got all worked up and one thing led to another.
I care about you all, though. I do.
I don't mean to be so damned--
well, asshole-ish, I guess would be the word.
Karl, I don't believe I hit you, did l?
So no apology necessary, I guess.
But, Frankie, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I hit your mama.
It's just that I'm jealous of her.
I don't like her life or how she lives it.
I don't like homosexuals.
And she goes out and buddies up with one, so I gotta deal with that.
I don't like wimpy-ass kids or mental retards...
and she got one of each living with her.
I'm just kidding about that.
I mean, we all got to get along...
no matter what our differences are.
See, I work construction.
I build things.
You understand how important that is to the world, Frankie?
I don't know if you realize the pressure a man like me's got on him.
The upshot is, I'm gonna be spending a lot more time here.
We're gonna all get along like a family should.
I might even surprise you and pop the question.
Well.
I'm gonna get on back over to the job site...
Iock up some stuff over there.
I just wanted to stop by and give y'all a little piece of happiness today.
Bye-bye.
You be a good boy now. Hear me?
Well, at least he's trying...
but who knows for how long.
He's lying, Mama. He'll never do better.
I know, honey.
Just remember what I said. We'll bide our time.
You just steer clear of him as much as you can.
Doyle's had a hard life. It's just about run him crazy.
We had hard lives too, Mama.
You're a hell of a boy, Frank.
Someday, you're gonna get all the good things you deserve.
Karl's gonna get some more biscuits tonight. What do you think about that?
I could sure use some.
Karl, come unload a generator for me.
Lift this thing down and carry it to the back.
- It's on the blink. - You want us to help you lift that?
No. That Karl's strong enough to lift a bulldozer.
He can fix anything too.
He's mentally retarded, but he's a whiz at small engines.
The Lord works in mysterious ways.
What I was telling you was, he didn't just make the team...
Coach says he's gonna start him at end on defense.
Guy's a chip off the old block, ain't you, Steve?
- I guess so. - How's the rest of the team look?
Pretty good. We expect to do well.
- Got a quarterback this year? - Jeff Bailey's boy. You know him.
- Got a good arm. A little slow. - I watched him in junior high.
He throws the ball pretty well. He's taller now.
You gonna start at the defensive end?
Hup!
Come on, man!
Good job, Karl. We got a touchdown.
That was a good lateral.
That was just like the wishbone.
Yes, sir. I darned near made me a touchdown.
Then I seen them boys bearing down on me.
Figured I better give it off to you. I seen you following me.
We liable to win if we keep this up.
For somebody like you, you sure can run fast.
- Come on. Let's kick off to them. - All right, then.
I know you could have scored that touchdown by yourself...
instead of throwing it over to me.
Them boys was trying to pull me down pretty hard.
You're strong. You just threw it to me...
where I could score that touchdown so I'd feel good.
My daddy used to do that kind of thing.
It don't matter to me about us losing. Does it to you?
No, sir.
It was fun anyhow.
I wasn't thinking about nothing else, just like you told me I'd do.
Can we play every Saturday?
If I ain't too stove up.
I ain't like you. I'm old and give out.
I'm proud of you.
I'd kick your head in 25 years ago.
You're dead, I guess. Where'd you go to?
I know, Mother. That's kind of sad. I was drunk when I did it.
I'm your boy.
I ain't got no boy.
I'm your oldest boy, name of Karl.
I ain't got no boy.
They turned me loose from the nervous hospital.
Said I was well.
I got hired on to work for Mr. Bill Cox, fixing lawn mowers and whatnot.
That grass out there in the yard growed up quite a bit.
I figured I might cut it for you.
I told you I ain't got no boy. Get on out of here and let me be.
You ain't no kin to me.
I learned to read some.
I read the Bible quite a bit.
I can't understand all of it.
But I reckon I understand a good deal of it.
Them stories you and Mama told me, they ain't in there.
You ought not done that to your boy.
I studied on killing you.
I studied about it quite a bit.
But I reckon there's no need for it if all you're gonna do...
is sit there in that chair.
You'll be dead soon enough.
And the world'll be shut of you.
You ought not kill my little brother.
He ought of had a chance to growed up.
He would have had fun sometime.
Little feller.
What the goddamn hell you doing up in the middle of the night?
What you want, hon?
I wanna be baptized.
Get baptized then. I don't give a shit!
Call up a fucking preacher! We can't baptize you.
We'll go see Brother Epersom tomorrow and get you baptized.
It's Sunday. You go on back to bed now.
What are you doing with that damn hammer?
I don't rightly know. I just woke up holding it.
- What's he's doing with that hammer? - I don't know.
Upon his profession of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ...
in obedience under His command...
and by the authority of this church...
I indeed baptize this brother...
in the name of the Father and the Son...
and the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Marie, would you sing 137, please?
Softly and tenderly
Jesus is calling
Calling for you and for me
- How'd the baptizing go? - Real good.
Yeah? Good.
I'm kind of hungry.
Isn't it about time to eat?
You know what I got a crave for? Some of that Chicken Champ.
Why don't you run down and get some? I'll buy.
Would y'all like that?
It sounds fine to me.
I'd value me a chicken leg or two.
- Get some of their cole slaw too. - Okay. Y'all wanna go with me?
They don't need to go with you. There's a ball game coming on.
- We'll sit here and do man things. - I'll be back in a little bit.
- All right. Get some extra gravy. - Okay.
Why don't y'all sit your asses down here.
Sit down.
I just wanted to get your mama out of the house so we could talk.
Here's the deal, Frank.
If I'm gonna throw my life away to come live with y'all...
we're gonna get some shit straight.
Your mama and I don't have no problems except for you.
Fact is, we never have a bad word between us.
But since you do exist...
and I'm gonna be the head of the household...
you're gonna learn to live by my rules.
The first rule is: You don't speak unless you're spoken to.
You got me?
Now you stay the hell out of my way.
And do what a regular kid does.
You're a weird little shit, Frank. And I don't get you.
So wake up and face what they call reality.
We're gonna be a family.
My family.
I'll be paying all the bills.
So that means, you're stuck with my ass...
but I ain't your daddy.
You just act like I am.
The other thing I say is...
your buddy Karl is going.
We can't be no normal family with him living in the garage...
and coming in the bedroom at 4:00 in the morning with hammers.
Karl could stay if he wants to. Mama said--
What I tell you about your mama?
Mister, don't you never lay another hand on that boy.
- You understand me? - Let go of my hand, you retard.
Get out there! Get your shit and get out!
That's a wake-up call, Frankie.
You remember what I said about reality!
Get out, retard.
Where you going? Didn't you want some chicken and things?
No, ma'am. I'm going off somewheres.
Well, okay. I got you some.
Frank-- he went off somewheres too.
So when you go in there, he won't be indoors.
Where did he go? What's going on?
He just wanted to go play, I reckon.
You go in and eat with that Doyle...
and don't worry yourself none.
All right, then.
Well, I'll see you later.
If you see Frank, tell him to come home.
I don't get to see him except Sundays.
He can go play tomorrow.
- Ma'am? - Yeah?
You're a good mama to that boy.
You care for him.
You work hard to care for him.
You light him up in his eyes.
I've seen it.
That boy wouldn't know what to do without you.
Thank you. That's real good of you to say.
I wouldn't know what to do without him either.
You been real good to me too.
It ain't everybody that'd make biscuits in the middle of the night.
You and that boy's given me a good feeling.
We sure like having you.
Thank you.
I'm just now getting around to telling you--
But I fixed that washing machine so that boy ain't gotta tote laundry no more.
Thank you.
You been real good to me.
Hey, Karl. How'd you know I'd come out here?
I knowed you'd be out here.
What you doing digging with that stub?
Just digging. I ain't never gonna be happy now.
Not with that son-of-a-bitch moving in for good.
I wish me and you and Mama would just run away.
She said...
wherever we went, he'd find us.
He's crazy. Sometimes I think it'd been better off if I wasn't even born.
I'm glad of it you was borned.
I don't reckon I'm gonna be out there in the garage no more.
You have to. You have to look out for me.
You can't let that son-of-a-bitch run you off.
You just a boy. You ought not use language like that.
I don't mean to say nothing bad about you...
but why don't you stop Doyle when he's being that way?
You're older than him. You're strong too.
My daddy wouldn't let him do that to me and Mama.
That feller's a whole site meaner than me.
He'd just whup the tar out of me.
Yeah. I guess so.
I'm real tired, you know that?
A boy my age shouldn't be tired of things.
I'm tired too.
Just 'cause I ain't gonna be around no more, maybe...
that don't mean I don't care for you.
I care for you a good deal.
I care for you more than anything else there is.
You and me made friends right off the bat.
I care for you too. But you'll be around.
Don't say that.
It don't make no difference where I was to be.
We'll always be friends. Can't nobody stop that.
I aim for you to have these books.
You don't wanna give away all your books.
I aim for you to have them.
Maybe you can make more sense of them than I can.
I made you a bookmarker and put it in that book on Christmas.
Thanks.
You know when you got a feeling and you don't know why?
Yes, sir.
I got a feeling today.
Reckon, what kind of a feeling?
Like something different. I don't know.
You leaving, ain't you?
Would you do something for me if I was to ask you to?
You know I would. Whatever you want.
When you leave outta here tonight...
I don't want you going over there and staying with that Doyle.
He's got it out for you tonight. I got me a feeling too.
You ought not be over there when he's all liquored up and mean.
Your mama neither.
When you get up here and leave, I want you to go to that feller's house--
your mama's friend.
I want you to give me your word on it.
Okay. I give you my word on it.
Is everything gonna be okay? Are you all right?
Yeah, everything's gonna be all right, boy.
I kind of wanna put my arm around you for a minute...
then I'm gonna get up and leave out of here.
I love you, boy.
I love you too.
All right, then.
What are you doing here? You wanna come in?
I ain't staying. I need to ask you for a favor.
This evening I want you to go get Miss Wheatley...
and let her and Frank stay over here with you tonight.
What's wrong? ls everything all right?
That Doyle...
he's in a bad way again with that drinking and being mean to folks.
I want you to give me your word you'll do it.
Sure. Okay. He hasn't hurt them, has he?
No, sir. Not yet.
Here.
I want you to give that to Miss Wheatley.
It ain't much...
but they might be a little something there to help out.
It's what I made fixing lawn mowers and whatnot for Bill Cox.
How about you, Karl? You wanna stay here?
I don't reckon that you have to go with women to be a good daddy to a boy.
You been real square dealing with me.
Bible says two men ought not lay together.
But I bet you the good Lord wouldn't send nobody like you to Hades.
That boy-- Frank--
he lives inside of his own heart.
That's an awful big place to live in.
You take care of that boy.
I will.
Where's everybody else?
You seen them?
Didn't I tell you to get moved out of here?
How does a feller go about getting hold of the police?
Use the fucking phone, I guess.
Which numbers do you put in?
Can't you see I'm trying to relax?
I thought I told you to get out of here and leave me alone.
What the hell you doing with that lawn mower blade?
I aim to kill you with it.
To call the police you push...
nine, one, one.
Just tell them to bring an ambulance.
Or a "hearst," if you're gonna kill me.
Yes, ma'am.
I need the police sent over here to the Wheatley house.
I've killed Doyle Hargraves with a lawn mower blade.
Yes, ma'am. I'm right sure of it.
I hit him two good whacks with it.
That second one just plumb near cut his head in two.
It's a little old white house...
on the corner of Vine Street and some other street.
There's a truck out front, says "Doyle Hargraves Construction" on it.
I'll be sitting here waiting on you.
And Doyle said besides sending the police...
you might wanna send an ambulance...
or a "hearst."
Thank you.
So...
now on the third day...
I washed her, 'cause she wasn't too clean, you know.
But I got all the right spots.
She was the first one I ever kept...
'cause I get bored real easy-- I got a short attention span, you know.
Now I can't say that she enjoyed her stay...
with that washcloth I put in her mouth and held in place with duct tape.
Kept her complaining down to a minimum.
I don't like people who talk all the time.
I like to do all the talking.
That's why I think I'm so fond of you...
'cause you just so easygoing, you know.
Although, I do sense a little tension in you from time to time.
So you were out in the world?
Did you have fun? Did you make any acquaintances?
There was a boy. We made friends.
I'll bet you did.
I was never bent that way. I was bent the other way.
So?
What was it like out there in the world?
It was too big.
It's not too big in here, is it?
You know something?
I feel real...
generous today-- I feel like listening.
I bet you got plenty to tell.
Who'd you kill?
Was it the boy?
Don't you say nothing about that boy.
Fact of business, don't you say another word to me.
I ain't listening to you no more.
Yeah.