"The damage to the spine has not been determined." "But his liver's been saved." "Well, that's good news." "No, it's a gruelling nightmare." "And those responsible will pay dearly." "Thank you." "Annie May, defrost that chicken for supper." "Have som sausages, and give those children peanut butter and jelly." "Yoohoo, Lenny!" "This is awful." "How am I gonna hold my head up high in this community?" "Did you get those pantyhose?" "In the sack." "Daddy's called twice already." "He wants us to help out." "I sent Meg a telegram." "Couldn't you just phone her up?" "No, her phone was out of order." "It was disconnected." "Typical." "What was in the telegram?" "I told her to come on home." "Lenny, have you lost your mind?" "There'll be mighty negative publicity." "Meg's appearance won't help one bit." "These are awful snug." "I think they're size "extra petite"." "They're scrimping on the nylon." "Meg's known all over Copiah County as cheap trash." "The whole town knows she left Porter a cripple." "He kind of barely has a limp." "His mother wanted to keep me out of the Ladies' Social League!" "You're in the Ladies' League now." "That's right, I am." "But if Mrs. Porter hadn't developed a tumor on her bladder, " "I wouldn't be in the Ladies' Social League." "I want you to wait for Meg to call." "Try to convince her not to come." "How's my hair?" "It's not pooching out in the back?" "I'm on my way." "I almost forgot!" "Here's a present for you." "Happy birthday, Lenny." "It's nice of you to remember." "That's just the way I am." "Go ahead, open it." "It's a box of assorted creams." "That's a always a nice gift." "Speaking of which, remember the dress you got for P.K.'s birthday?" "The very first time I put it in the washing machine, it went to pieces." "The dots dropped right off." "Oh no!" "I'll buy her something else." "No, no, no, sugar!" "Don't spend any more money." "Inexpensive clothes don't hold up." "There's Doc Porter." "How in the world are you?" "Fine." "I can't stay, people are waiting." "It's that thing with Babe." "Bye, farewell!" "Nice seeing you." "Lenny..." "Here's some pecans for you." "Thank you." "I just love pecans." "My wife and Scotty picked 'em." "Well, I can make a nice pie..." "I got some bad news." "You do?" "Last night, Billy Boy died." "He died?" "He was struck by lightning." "In that storm yesterday?" "That's what we think." "I've had Billy Boy for such a long time." "Ever since I was ten." "He's a mighty old horse." "Did you know today is my birthday?" "No." "Happy birthday." "Come on now, Lenny!" "I can't stand it when you Magrath women cry." "You mean, when Meg cries!" "But not me, oh no!" "Stop it, Lenny." "Jesus!" "I'm sorry." "It's just that Granddaddy's worse." "And I can't get in touch with Meg." "Is Meg coming home?" "Who knows?" "She hasn't called me." "She still living in California?" "Yes, in Hollywood." "Call me when she comes, I'd like to see her." "You would, would you?" "Sad to say, but I would." "Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me" "Happy birthday, dear Lenny, happy birthday to me." "Lenny?" "Meg?" "Is that you?" "Yeah!" "Why didn't you call?" "I'm so happy to see you." "I called, of course I did." "I never talked to you." "I let the phone ring." "Well I was out most of the morning, seeing to Babe." "What is this business with Babe?" "And Zackery?" "You said somebody shot him." "They have." "Good Lord!" "Is he dead?" "No." "They got him in the stomach." "In his stomach?" "How awful." "I know." "Do they know who did it?" "Do they, Lenny?" "Who?" "Who shot him?" "They all say it was Babe." "They took her to jail." "Good Lord!" "Jail?" "Well, who's saying that?" "Everybody." "The police, Zackery." "Even Babe's saying it herself." "It's the worst thing in the world." "Just calm down, Lenny." "Would you like a Coke?" "Yes, I would." "Why would Babe shoot Zackery?" "Well, I hate to say this, but I believe that Babe is ill." "I mean in the head." "Don't say that." "There are plenty of reasons to shoot somebody and I'm sure Babe had one." "We've got to get her the best lawyer in town." "Do you know who that is?" "Zackery." "But he's been shot." "Count him out." "We already got Babe a lawyer." "Who?" "Barnette Lloyd." "Uncle Watson said we'd do Annie a favor by hiring him." "What about Babe?" "You want to do her a favor of 30-40 years in jail?" "Have you thought about that?" "Don't snap at me like that." "Stop it!" "And what did you mean when you said we're getting old?" "You meant me, didn't you?" "I know my face is pinched..." "Lenny!" "This is your birthday!" "Happy birthday!" "My God, we're getting so old." "Is Granddady here?" "No, he's in the hospital, Meg." "Don't you remember I wrote about the bloodvessels popping in his brain?" "And how happy he was with your career?" "Didn't you get my letters?" "I guess." "Sometimes I kind of don't read your letters." "I used to." "But since Christmas it gives me a pain in the chest." "I see." "I suppose that's why you didn't come at Christmas." "You hate us so much." "Do you think I'd get pains in the chest if I hated you?" "Honestly, do you think I would?" "Well, no..." "Lenny!" "I'm free!" "Take me home." "We're going right now." "You okay, Babe?" "I guess it was awful in there?" "Babe!" "Little Babe!" "It's so nice to see you!" "I'm so relieved." "You're looking mighty good." "Thank you." "How've you been?" "Not bad for a tired, old, fat man." "Uncle Watson thinks he's fat." "He is fat." "Why, Chick..." "Cousin Margaret, what brings you to Hazelhurst?" "I came home to see about Babe." "How are things with you, Babe?" "Things are dismal, if you ask me." "She refuses to cooperate with her lawyer, that nice-looking Lloyd boy." "And she won't tell any of us why she's committed this crime." "Oh, look!" "Lenny brought my saxophone from home, and my suitcase." "Thank you." "Look at my saxophone." "I went to Jackson and bought it used." "Isn't it heavy?" "That lawyer wants some answers, or they'll put you in jail." "Isn't that right, Daddy?" "I don't know about that, honey." "They'll leave you there to rot." "So, Rebecca, what's your reason for shooting Zackery?" "That I didn't like his stinkin' looks." "And I don't like yours either." "So just leave me alone, and I mean it." "I was just trying to warn her that she'll have to help herself." "She doesn't seem to have any idea how serious the situation is." "It's true, she does seem confused." "That is putting it mildly, Lenny." "Mighty mild." "So, Cousin Margaret, how's your singing career?" "We've been looking for you in the magazines." "You shouldn't smoke." "It causes cancer of the lungs." "That's what I like about it:" "Taking a drag of death." "What power." "What exhilaration..." "Here, don't you want a drag?" "Zackery's sister told me his liver's been saved." "Isn't thatjust great news?" "Yes, that's mighty fine news." "Did you hear about the liver, Chicken?" "I heard it." "And don't you call me Chicken!" "I told you a hundred times!" "Do not call me Chicken!" "I'm not twelve years old anymore." "Go to bed!" "I mean it!" "Chick's hated us ever since we moved here from Dicksville." "She's an idiot." "You know what she said to me when I was behind bars?" "She told me how embarrassing it was when Mama..." "Yeah, down in the cellar." "She said Mama had shamed all of us." "We were notorious in Hazelhurst." "And then she said that now I'd be humiliating her and the family." "Forget it, Babe." "Mama got national coverage." "If Zackery hadn't been a senator, I wouldn't even get statewide." "Of course you wouldn't." "Sometimes I wonder..." "What?" "Why she did it." "Why Mama hung herself." "I don't know..." "She was having a real bad day." "That old yellow cat." "It was sad about that old cat." "If Daddy hadn't left us, they'd still be alive." "After he left, she started spending whole days just sitting there." "Smoking on the back porch steps." "Well, I'm glad he left." "He was such a bastard." "If she felt something for anyone, it was that old cat." "Daddy was such a pest." "Was he?" "I don't remember." "You want me to jerk you both out?" "If you don't come out right now, I'll tell Santa Claus to come and eat you." "I mean it." "Serious as a heart attack!" "Babe, why won't you tell anyone about shooting Zackery?" "You must have had a reason." "I guess I did." "Then what was it?" "I can't say." "Why not?" "I'm sort of protecting someone." "So you didn't really shoot him?" "I shot him all right." "I was aiming for his heart." "But my hands were shaking, and I got him in the stomach." "So I'm guilty." "I'll just have to take my punishment." "Jail's gonna be a relief to me." "I can learn to play my saxophone." "I won't have to live with Zackery and his snoopy sister Lucille." "Here's your lemonade." "Thanks." "It tastes okay?" "It's perfect." "I'm not really thirsty." "I'm gonna add some sugar." "Be careful with that sharp knife!" "All that sugar will make you sick." "What's happening to Lenny?" "She's turning into Grandma." "You think so?" "More and more." "Look at that." "She's even taken Grandma's hat and her garden gloves." "Lenny works in the garden in the lime green gloves of a dead woman." "Yesterday was Lenny's birthday!" "I forgot all about it." "I did, too." "That Chick is so cheap!" "What?" "This plastic has pointsettias on it." "Poor Lenny." "She needs some love in her life." "All she does is work and take care of Granddaddy." "She's so shy with men." "Must be that shrunken ovary." "Yeah, that deformed ovary." "Granddaddy was the one who made her self-conscious about that." "I'll bet Lenny has never even slept with a man." "She's never even had it once." "I don't know..." "Maybe she's had it once." "She has?" "Maybe." "I think so." "When?" "Maybe I shouldn't say." "All right, then." "It was after Granddaddy went back to hospital." "Lenny calls me and asks me to come and bring my Polaroid camera." "She's waiting for me in the parlor." "I need you to take some snaps of me." "But swear you won't tell a soul." "I'm sending my picture to the Lonely Hearts of the South Club." "Two weeks later she receives a load of pictures of available men." "Most of them fairly odd-looking." "There's one, Charlie Hill from Memphis, he calls her." "He drives down to Hazelhurst three or four times." "One weekend she goes up to visit him." "I think that's when it happened." "Why?" "I picked her up." "She threw her arms around me and started crying and sobbing." "I ask her:" ""Lenny, what's the matter?"" "And she says, "I have done it."" "And you think she meant it?" "I think so." "But she didn't say any more about i." "She just talked about Memphis." "What happened to this Charlie?" "He came down one more time." "Lenny took him to hospital to see Granddaddy, then they broke up." "Because of Granddaddy?" "She said it was the missing ovary." "Charlie didn't want to marry her on account of it." "Who's that?" "Shoot!" "It's that lawyer." "I don't wanna see him." "Babe!" "You have to talk to him." "No, I don't." "Yes you do." "Tell him I died." "Come down here!" "No." "Get down here!" "I'm Barnette Lloyd." "Meg Magrath, Babe's sister." "I know, you're the singer." "I heard you in Biloxi." "At Greeny's I believe it was." "You sang those songs so movingly." "Like you had a sort of special vision." "Thank you." "About Babe's case..." "We've just got to win it." "I intend to." "Of course, but you're very young." "Yes, I am." "Exactly how do you intend to get Babe off?" "With a plea of self-defence." "We can also go with "temporary insanity"." "I intend to prove that Zackery Botrelle brutalized her, - so she had no choice but to defend herself." "I like that." "I'm hoping to be able to prove the man's a total criminal." "As well as a bully and a slob." "That sounds very good." "That's our basic plan." "How will you prove Babe was brutalized?" "We don't want any perjury." "There'll be no need for perjury." "You mean it's the truth?" "Look at this." "It's a photocopy of Mrs. Botrelle's medical chart." "This is madness!" "Did he do this to her?" "Miss Magrath..." "I'll kill him!" "I don't know if it was accidental." "That's why I need to speak to Mrs. Botrelle." "Did Zackery hurt you?" "Did he?" "God damn it!" "Yes, he did." "Why?" "I couldn't laugh at his jokes." "This is very important." "Tell me what happened right before you shot Zackery." "I told you I'm protecting someone." "You've got to talk to someone!" "Why?" "It's an important human need." "Do you remember Willie Jay?" "Cora's youngest boy?" "Yeah, we gave him a nickel so he could bring us Cherry Coke." "Cora irons at my place on Wednesdays." "She mentioned that Willie Jay picked up this stray dog." "They couldn't afford to feed him, so Willie Jay had to turn him loose." "I said I like dogs, and that I would take care of it." "The next day Willie Jay brings this skinny old dog with crossed eyes." "I asked him what his name was." "Willie Jay said his name was Dog." "When Willie Jay was leaving, he gave Dog a hug and said:" ""Goodbye, you fine old dog."" "I felt sorry for him so I said he could visit anytime he wanted." "His eyes lit right up." "Anyway, Willie Jay keeps coming over and we'd talk about Dog." "And then things started up." "What things started up?" "Well, sex." "Wait a minute!" "Willie Jay is a small boy, about this tall." "He's taller now." "He's fifteen." "When you knew him, he was eight." "Even so, fifteen!" "And he's a black boy." "He's a Negro." "I realize that, Meg." "Why do you think I'm so worried about ruining his reputation?" "I'm really completely amazed, Babe." "I didn't know you were a liberal." "I'm Democratic." "I was just lonely." "And I never had it that good." "We'd always go out to the garage and..." "It's okay, I get the picture." "Let's get back to the story when you shot Zackery." "Willie Jay was over and it was just after we..." "We were in the backyard playing with Dog." "Bring it back." "Go get it." "Suddenly Zackery came." "What are you doing here, boy?" "Run right on home, Willie Jay." "If you come around here again, I'll cut your gizzard out!" "Keep going now!" "I was gonna shoot myself." "Then I thought about how Mama'd hung herself." "Here I was, ready to shoot myself." "Then I realized I didn't want to kill myself." "And Mama probably hadn't wanted it either." "She wanted to kill him." "And I wanted to kill Zackery." "Because I wanted to live." "You little idiot." "Where were we?" "I just shot Zackery." "Correct, you just pulled the trigger." "Can we keep Willie Jay out of this?" "Believe me, we'll keep him out of this as far as possible." "You have just shot Zackery Botrelle because of his continual abuse." "What happens now?" "After I shot him, I put the gun down and went out and made lemonade." "Lemonade?" "Yes." "I was dying of thirst." "My mouth was dry as a bone." "So, in order to quench that thirst, that was choking you dry - and prevented you to say anything, you went and made lemonade." "I made itjust the way I like it." "With lots of sugar and lemon." "I added two trays of ice and stirred with my wooden spoon." "Then what?" "Then I drank three glasses." "They were large glasses." "About this tall." "Suddenly my stomach swelled up." "I guess it was all that sour lemon." "Could be." "Then I wiped off my mouth with the back of my hand - to clear off the beads of water." "Then I called out to Zackery." "Zackery!" "I made some lemonade!" "Can you use a glass?" "Lemonade?" "No... no lemonade." "What?" "You don't want any?" "Would you like a Coke instead?" "No, get..." "I guess it looks bad." "What?" "Me fixing lemonade before calling." "Not necessarily." "I think I made the lemonade, because I was afraid they would think " "I'd shot Zackery, accuse me of murder and send me to jail." "That's understandable." "I think so." "That's just what did happen." "Here I am, practically on the brink of doom." "And I feel so lonely." "There's no need to be so upset." "We're gonna have a solid defence, Miss Botrelle." "Please, my name is Becky." "People in the family call me Babe." "Did you go to Hazelhurst High?" "No, I went to a boarding school." "You look so familiar." "Well, I did meet you once." "When?" "At the Christmas bazaar." "You were selling cakes and candy." "Yes." "You bought the orange pancake." "And we talked for a while." "About the Christmas angel." "You do remember!" "Mr. Barnette Lloyd." "Ms." "Botrelle's attorney?" "Yes, I am..." "Becky's attorney." "Get your butt over here..." "Get your butt over here and I'll show you some blackening evidence." "I'll be more than glad to check out any information that you may have." "RCA's releasing my album this spring." "I'll get my picture on the cover." "I'll be sitting under a palm tree, eating pineapple." "That's cute." "We really missed you." "Sorry you weren't here for Christmas." "I was ashamed." "I'm sorry, Granddaddy." "The reason that I didn't use the money you sent me to come home was, " "I was right in the middle of making this huge motion picture." "I was under too much pressure." "I'm sure you were." "Don't give Christmas another thought." "Tell me all about your new movie." "It's coming out in the spring." "It's called "Singin' in a Shoe Factory"." "But I don't have a large leading role, more a small leading role." "The director thinks this is gonna be my big break." "My real name is Becky." "Goodbye, Becky." "Goodbye, Barnette." "Bye, Beck..." "Hi, Lenny." "How's Granddaddy?" "He's wonderful." "Never better." "Who ate this candy?" "Meg." "This was my one and only present!" "She's taken a bite out of each piece of candy in the box!" "That's so like her!" "I can't help it, itjust gets me mad!" "Meg has always been wild." "She started smoking and drinking at 14!" "But somehow she always got what she wanted." "She's the one who got the singing and dancing lessons." "And she always got 12 jinglebells under her petticoat while we got 3!" "Why?" "Why?" "Maybe she didn'tjingle as much." "Itjust gets me so mad!" "Things have been hard for Meg." "After all, she found Mama." "That's always been the excuse." "After it happened, Meg started doing all sorts of strange things." "Like what?" "Things I never told you about." "What sort of things?" "She forced herself to look in Granddaddy's horrible black book." "What black book?" ""Diseases of the Skin"." "I'll show it to you." "It's full of the most sickening pictures." "Look." "Noses rotting away." "That's disgusting." "Eyeballs drooping off people's faces." "There's sores and scabs." "That's so terrible." "Look at the eaten away places!" "That's the worst thing!" "Enough!" "She used to look at the poster of crippled children at the drugstore." "Meg would stand there and stare at their crippled little legs." "But then she'd spend her dime on a double scoop of ice cream." "And she'd say, "See, I could stand it."" "You have to be a hard person to do what she did to Doc." "It wasn't Meg's fault that hurricane wiped Biloxi away." "Or that the roof crushed the Doc's leg." "Meg refused to evacuate." "She thought a hurricane would be a lot of fun." "They say she baited Doc to stay with her." "She said she would marry him." "Well, he could have gone." "He didn't, because he loved her." "And what did she do?" "She left him to go to California." "Because of her career, she said." "Hi, Meg." "Here's your paper." "Here it is, right on the front page." "All right, I lied." "I couldn't help it." "When I saw how sick and tired Granddady looked, itjust flew out." "I just wanted to see him smile." "He is sick, isn't he?" "He's gotten all white and milky." "He's almost evaporated." "Still, it was wrong for you to lie." "Don't you think I know that?" "I hate it when I lie to him." "I feel so weak." "I feel I gotta do things he'd despise, to get even with that old, bossy man." "Don't talk that way about Granddaddy." "He made us a home." "All he wanted was the best for us." "I guess so." "Sometimes I wonder what we wanted." "I wanted a team of white horses to ride Mama's coffin to the grave." "That's one thing I wanted." "Babe, why do you collect articles about the unhappy things in your life?" "I just like to keep an accurate record, I suppose." "A picture of when I got married." "Take a look at this, Meg." "You look like a twelve-year-old." "I was just eighteen." "Were you happy then?" "Well, I was drunk on champagne punch." "Look at you!" "Billy Boy!" "There's Meg singing at Greeny's!" "I wish you still sang out there." "You look so beautiful!" "I do not!" "Meggie, are you crying?" "No, I'm not." "We'd better turn the page." "Oh, it's Daddy." "I thought Mama burned them all." "I found it." "Jesus, those white teeth." "Turn the page." "It's Mama." "And the cat." "Turn the page, Babe." "That old yellow cat." "If Mama hadn't hung the cat with her, she wouldn't have been in the papers." "Why are we talking about all this?" "Meg's right." "This is too sad." "I remember how we all sat on this bed the very day of the service." "All dressed up in black velveteen, crying all morning long." "Hush your crying, children." "Granddaddy is taking you out for breakfast." "Whatever you want you're gonna have." "You need some more slivers of nuts." "Bring us a plate of nut slivers." "This child's ready for another round." "No pineapple, and plenty of syrup." "Bring us a big bowl of chocolate syrup." "Banana splits for breakfast!" "I think I ate five." "We were so sick." "Your faces turned all green." "I was sick as a dog." "Grandmama was furious." "Granddaddy was trying to make us happy, and we just threw up." "I threw up in the flowers." "It's so good to be home." "I'm glad you're back." "I got an idea!" "I think we should play cards." "Just like when we used to sit in the kitchen, playing hearts." "I'll fix us some popcorn." "And hot chocolate." "Let's see, I think I have a deck of cards somewhere." "Are hearts good or bad?" "They're bad, aren't they, Lenny?" "The black sister's the worst." "That's the queen of spades." "Are spades the black cards that don't look like puppy's feet?" "She counts lots of points." "And points are bad?" "I'll get some paper to keep the score." "Here they are." "Look at this." "No, this is Meg." "Doc?" "How are you?" "That's good." "You're where?" "Sure, come on over." "Bye." "It's Doc Porter." "He's at Al's Grill." "He's gonna come over." "He is?" "He said he wanted to see me." "You still want to play?" "No." "It's not much fun with only two." "I'm sorry." "I can join you after Doc leaves." "Maybe Doc wants to join." "That way we can play bridge." "No." "Doc never liked cards." "Maybe we'll go out somewhere." "Doc's married now." "I know, you told me." "As long as you know that." "She's the Yankee." "Meg, could I ask you something?" "What?" "I just wanted to ask..." "Why did you take one bite out of each piece of candy in this box?" "I wanted the ones with nuts." "The ones with nuts?" "There aren't any with nuts!" "These are assorted creams!" "Will you look at the top of the box?" "It says here, "assorted creams"." "Besides, it was my only birthday present!" "I'll get you another one." "That's not the point!" "What is the point?" "I don't know." "You never respect people's property." "You just take what you want." "Remember you always had layers of jinglebells while we only had three?" "It's those stupid bells again!" "It's just a good example!" "You're just upset because Doc called." "I have long since given up worrying about you and all your men!" "Listen, I know I've had way too many men." "It's not my fault you haven't had any." "Or maybe just the one from Memphis." "What one from Memphis?" "The one Babe told me about." "Babe!" "How could you?" "Why didn't you keep your mouth shut?" "You never said not to tell." "Can't you use your head?" "Who else have you told?" "No one." "Itjust slipped out to Meg." "Itjust flew out of my mouth." "Do you have wings on your tongues?" "I'll never be able to trust you ever again!" "We were worried about you, trying to find a way to make you happy." "Happy?" "I'll never be happy!" "Not if you live as a nursemaid!" "Meg, shut up!" "I can't help it." "I know you broke off with that man from Memphis because of Granddaddy." "Didn't Babe tell you the rest?" "Yes, something about your ovary." "I just mentioned it." "I don't believe it." "It's always been so easy for you." "Men always fall for you." "But I have this shrunken ovary so I can't have children." "And my hair is falling out." "So what man is gonna love me?" "Oh, Lenny, lots of men." "Yeah, lots." "Only Granddaddy thinks otherwise." "He doesn't want to see me rejected." "Don't be so pathetic!" "Did you ask this man from Memphis?" "No, I didn't." "I didn't want him not to want me." "Oh, Lenny..." "Don't talk to me anymore." "I think I'm gonna vomit!" "She didn't even ask him about her stupid ovary." "She broke it off because of Granddaddy." "The fool." "Meg, shut up!" "Why do you have to make Lenny cry?" "I hate it when you make Lenny cry." "Well, Doc..." "So you're home." "Yeah, I've come to see about Babe." "And how is Babe?" "Fine." "Well, fair." "Do you want a drink?" "What you got?" "Bourbon." "You've changed your hair." "Do you want to take a ride in the country and look at the moon?" "How's your wife?" "She's fine." "I hear you got two kids." "Yeah, I got me two kids." "A boy and a girl?" "That's right, Meg." "It's what you always said you wanted." "Is that what I said?" "It's been a long time." "Yeah, it has." "When was the last time we saw each other?" "I can't quite recall." "Wasn't it in Biloxi?" "Biloxi?" "Yes, I believe it was." "And wasn't there a hurricane?" "Was there?" "Yes, one hell of a hurricane." "Cordelia I believe they called it." "Yes, I remember now." "That was a beautiful hurricane." "Yeah, we had us quite a time." "Drinking vodka, eating oysters." "Dancing." "The wind was blowing." "God, was it blowing." "God damn, was it blowing!" "Never been such a wind blowing." "I know it was my fault, to leave you." "I was crazy, I felt choked." "I felt like a fool." "I kept wondering why." "I don't know why." "I didn't want to care." "I did care, though." "Oh, hell..." "Are you still singing sad songs?" "No." "Why not?" "Things got worse for me." "I couldn't sing anymore." "I had one hell of a Christmas." "What do you mean?" "I went nuts." "I ended up in L.A. County Hospital psychiatric ward." "What happened?" "I don't really know." "I lost my job." "One afternoon I ran out screaming with all my money and jewelry." "I tried stuff them all into one of those collection boxes." "That was when they nabbed me." "It's a sad story. "Meg goes mad."" "I don't want to start up, Doc." "It'll be too hard." "We're not starting up, we're looking at the moon." "Just for one night, you and me taking a ride and looking at the moon." "Just one night, looking at the moon?" "You got it." "Becky?" "Barnette?" "Yeah, it's me." "Just a minute." "Come on in." "I've just met with Zackery over at the hospital." "It seems his sister Lucille was somewhat suspicious." "Suspicious?" "She hired a private detective." "They were taken a couple of weeks ago." "She didn't show them to Botrelle." "She wanted to wait till the time was right." "These are of Willie Jay and me." "I know." "You looked at these pictures?" "Well, professionally." "Oh mercy!" "We can burn them!" "They have the negatives." "There now..." "Babe?" "Are you all right, Babe?" "Yeah, I'm fine..." "Go on back to bed." "What is going on here?" "Nothing." "We're just dancing." "Just dancing around down here." "You frightened me half to death!" "I thought..." "I mean..." "I don't know what I thought." "Yes, this is Lenny Magrath." "Oh, Babe, I feel bad." "Why, Lenny?" "I wished it." "What?" "When I blew out the candles I wished Granddaddy would be put out of pain." "Now he's in a coma." "When did you have a cake?" "I didn't have a cake, but I blew out the candles anyway." "Birthday wishes don't count if you don't have a cake." "Even if you do." "It depends." "On what?" "On how deep your wish is." "Lenny!" "Is he still in a coma?" "I've made a list of all the people we ought to notify about Granddaddy." "I'll phone half and you'll phone half." "Morning!" "It's a wonderful morning." "I'm surprised I feel this good." "I should feel like hell." "By all accounts, I should feel like hell." "Where's that glue?" "Broke the damn heel off my shoe." "There it is." "What's with you two?" "You look like doom." "I know, you're mad because I stayed out all night." "We're not mad." "We're kind of depressed." "Everything's all right with Doc." "Nothing happened." "Well... a lot happened, but it didn't come to anything." "Not because of me, I'm afraid." "I thought, "What will you say when he begs you to run off with him?"" ""Are you gonna have pity on his wife and those two Yankee children?"" ""Can I sacrifice their happiness for mine?"" "Yes, I can." "But you know what?" "He didn't ask." "He didn't even want to ask." "Why aren't I miserable?" "I should feel humiliated, devastated." "But for now I'm happy." "I realized I could care for somebody." "That I could want somebody." "And I sang." "I did, I sang all night long." "And none of it was to please Granddaddy." "Meg..." "What?" "It's just..." "It's about old Granddaddy." "I know I told all those stupid lies." "I'm gonna go there this morning." "And I'm gonna tell him the truth." "If he can't take it..." "If it sends him into a coma, that's just too damn bad." "You're too late." "What?" "What is so funny?" "It's not funny!" "What is it?" "It's not funny." "What is it?" "Granddaddy is in a coma already." "He's what?" "He's in a coma." "My God, that's not funny." "No, it's not." "It's kind of sad." "And we're tired." "Oh my God, is he gonna live?" "I don't think so." "We shouldn't be laughing like this." "It's like we're sick." "We're awful." "It happened again last night." "He had another stroke." "Things are gonna be different when Granddaddy dies." "Not for you two, but for me." "You're your own woman, Lenny." "Invite some people, have a party." "Go out with strange men." "I don't know any strange men." "You know that Charlie." "I said I wouldn't see him again." "Well, just un-tell him." "No, I'd just be too scared." "What harm could it do?" "It's not gonna make things worse than this, never seeing him again." "I suppose that's true." "Of course." "So call him." "Take a chance, will you?" "You've gotta try, Lenny." "Yeah." "You should." "All right, I will." "Meg?" "What?" "Nothing." "You okay?" "Here, take a look." "Zackery's evidence against me." "It looks like my goose is cooked." "It's you." "Is that Willie Jay?" "He certainly has grown." "You were right." "Please don't tell Lenny." "She'd hate me." "I won't tell." "What are you gonna do?" "What can I do?" "Actually, I think those photos aren't going to flatter you at all." "Folks around here might start to question your leadership abilities." "Tell me, what sort of settlement do you have in mind?" "I don't want her serving any time." "Jail?" "No, I don't think so." "Then you'll drop all charges?" "I'll seriously consider doing that." "But you better do something about that nigger kid." "Or he just could end up screwed, chewed, and barbecued." "Becky, I'm sorry." "It seemed like the only way." "Goodbye, Becky." "Goodbye, Barnette." "Goodbye, Willie Jay." "It's no big deal." "I'm so ashamed." "I'm such a coward." "I couldn't make the call." "My heart was beating like a hammer." "I swear I could see my blouse moving back and forth." "Oh Babe, you look so disappointed." "Are you?" "I can't stand it!" "I can't stand disappointing my baby sister." "I just feel like hell!" "Lenny!" "Not her." "I'm so sorry for you, to have a sister such as that." "What do you mean?" "Don't pretend." "I saw Meg stumble out of Doc Porter's pickup truck, all in a mess." "You must be so ashamed." "I've always said that girl was cheap trash." "Don't talk that way about Meg." "Everybody knows Meg is a tramp." "You need not have anything to do with her." "Don't talk that way about Meg!" "Goodness, Leonora, it's the truth!" "I don't want to hear it in my home!" "This is my grandfather's home." "You're just living here out of his charity." "Don't get hifalutin with me." "Get out of here!" "I've just about had my fill of you." "You trashy Magraths." "Hanging yourselves, going around with married men, shooting your husbands." "Get out!" "She'll end up in some prison!" "It's a clear case of manslaughter." "Get out!" "Everybody says it was an attempt to kill, and you'll pay for it." "They'll never let you into the Ladies' League!" "This is my house!" "Help!" "Hello, Zackery." "Yes, he showed them to me." "What do you mean?" "You can't do that!" "I'll do it." "I will." "But he won't..." "I feel good." "I really feel good." "I'm gonna call up Charlie." "You are?" "I feel like I can do it." "You do?" "Yes, because my courage is up." "No more beating around the bush." "Let's strike while the iron's hot." "Good." "Do it, Lenny." "Let's do it." "Hello, Charlie?" "This is Lenny Magrath." "I'm fine." "I'm just calling to see how you're getting on." "I know I said that." "The reason I said that was because of me." "Not because of you." "I can't have any children." "I have this ovary problem." "Charlie, what a thing to say!" "They're not all snot-nosed pigs." "You think they are?" "Stop it now." "You're making me laugh." "I can't help it..." "How about tonight?" "You do?" "That's really..." "Of course we can." "I'll be right here, waiting." "Bye, Charlie." "Babe?" "He's coming!" "I swear." "Where are you?" "Were are you, Babe?" "Where are you?" "Those pawaws lookjust right for picking up." "Will you shut up?" "Thank God." "Come on." "I beg of you..." "Come on." "Please, please..." "Mama, please!" "That's why you done it." "Oh, Mama..." "Babe?" "My God, what have you done?" "Nothing." "Get up!" "Sit here." "I'm okay." "Put your head between your knees." "Do as I say." "I know why she did it." "Do what I'm saying!" "I know why she did it?" "What?" "I know why Mama hung the cat." "You do?" "It was because she was afraid of dying all alone." "She felt so unsure as to what was coming." "It seemed like there would be a lot of angels, all of them singing." "But they have high, scary voices, and golden fingers sharp as blades." "You don't want to meet them alone." "So it wasn't what people said, about hating the cat." "She needed it, because she felt so all alone." "Oh, Babe..." "Why?" "Why what?" "Why'd you put your head in the oven?" "I don't know, Meg..." "I'm having a bad day." "A real bad day." "With those pictures, and Willie Jay heading north." "Zackery's gonna have me classified insane and sent to an asylum." "What?" "He can't do that!" "Why not?" "Because you're not insane." "I'm not?" "Of course not." "He's just trying to bluff you." "You're just as sane as anyone in Hazelhurst." "I am?" "Even more so." "We just got to get through these bad days." "It's a thing with this family." "And you're not like Mama." "You're not all alone." "I'm not?" "No, Babe." "Lenny!" "What?" "Come here, hurry!" "There's something in here." "What is it?" "Happy birthday, Lenny." "Happy birthday." ""Happy birthday, Lenny, two days late."" "That is so cute." "Look at all those candles." "It's just frightening." "No it's not, it's good." "The more candles you have on the cake, the stronger your wish is." "You silly thing." "No, wait..." "I can't think of a wish." "I got all nervous." "Come on." "I hope it comes true." "What did you wish for?" "I can't tell you that." "Then my wish won't come true." "It will, if you made it deep enough." "Come on and tell us." "It wasn't exactly a specific wish." "It's like a vision came over me." "A vision?" "What of?" "I don't know exactly." "Something about the three of us." "We were all smiling and laughing." "But it wasn't for every minute." "It was just this one moment..." "And we were all laughing." "What were we laughing about?" "I don't know, nothing, I guess." "Lenny, that's a nice wish." "Here's the knife." "Cut the cake in celebration of Lenny being born." "And give each one of us a rose." "That icing is delicious." "How I do love birthday presents!"