" Bye." " Bye, Bobbie Lee." " Hey." "I've been holding up this bridge for an hour so it wouldn't fall on you." "Right neighborly of you, Mr. McAllister." "I could charge you maybe half a dollar for my efforts." "It ain't worth but a quarter." "The whole bridge ain't worth but a quarter." "Bobbie Lee, I wanna talk to you." "Billy Joe, let me be." "I'm 15 years of age." "Now, you may think that's old, but my papa sees me as nothing but a child." "Well, your papa is clearly behind the times." "He is also on the porch." "And does your papa know that you've been sporting a brassiere for at least two years?" "They ain't the same one." "The first one was a trainer." "I'm up to a 32 now." "B cup, I believe." "I believe you're gonna be a 96 and tripping all over yourself  before your papa lets you out of his sight." "If I was a 96, I'd not be out of anyone's sight." "Shoot." "We used to play together when we was kids." "And I work with your brother, James." " Now, that ought to count for something." " Counts for nothing." "Gee, I don't know." "A girl your age still relying on Benjamin for companionship." "Benjamin is a childhood invention of mine to help pass the hours  and give me someone to talk to besides cows." "And you are cruel to taunt me about him  since I only told you of his existence in a moment of weakness." "Well, there's gonna come a time, young lady  when your little old Benjamin ain't no longer going to do you any good." "So I am hereby volunteering my services as his official replacement." "Well...." "Well, now, how'd that sound to you, Benjamin?" "How should I know, Billy Joe?" "I am only a creature of this girl's imagination." "Well, in that case, Benjamin  why don't you just take a step aside and let reality in?" "I'd like to, but..." "Why, this girl here, she still prefers dreams." "Oh, come along, Benjamin." "Well, I'll be seeing you, Benjamin." "You take it easy, you hear?" "Yeah, I hear." "Hey, Benjamin, let me know when she's a 35D  and I'll just hurry on over." "That's a rascally man you've been talking to, Benjamin." "But he sure is cute, Bobbie Lee." "Don't I know it." "Need a lift?" "People always trying to pick me up." "I do declare, what is happening to the South?" "Sorry, my mistake." "Hey, Papa." "Hey, Papa, wait!" "Oh, come on, Papa!" "You had the longest tenure as deacon of anyone in the congregation." "I believe that's something to be truly proud of." "Well, perhaps that's because, as owner of the nicest pond in the county  I do hold small baptisms for many fine members of the congregation." "True." "I often wonder if the elders ever consider that Baptists  though not always the best Christians, do usually turn out to be the best swimmers." "The Lord works in mysterious ways." "If I may be excused, I do have to be leaving." "The Wilson boys are painting the inside of the church  and one of them is colorblind." "Don't see it as fitting to have a chartreuse western wall." "Oh, Brother Taylor, before you go  perhaps you'll favor us by listening to Bobbie Lee play the piano." "Mama, Brother Taylor shouldn't have to pay for his dinner  in such a terrible manner." "But I'd love to hear you play, Bobbie." " The dog plays better." " Oh, come on now, girl." "You go sit down and play." "You're the only piano player we got in this house." " After you." " Okay." "What's the matter with a chartreuse western wall?" "Come on!" "Hey." "Hey, Billy Joe, come on, smile." "Hey, hey, hey." " Hey, baby, looking good." " Hey." "Get this, Benjamin." ""My blood raced as he looked down at me." "My heart pumping so hard that my ample breasts came close to bursting." "I feared him, but I wanted him." "I loathed him, but I loved him." "'No,' I screamed, 'No.'" "And then I heard my own voice saying, 'Yes, yes, yes.'" "And then, 'No, no, no.'" "And then, 'Yes, no, yes.' My mind went blank." "The light went off." "And all I remembered was the wonder of it  and the joy and the magic."" "Oh, Benjamin, I don't believe you're doing me any good." "Now, Bobbie Lee, your papa knows the prices  but you'd best remind him that Caldwell's pays higher for eggs than Acme." "And Sungold Farms pays better for milk than Greenwood Dairies." " Yes, Mama." " Chickens are all dressed and prepared." "Twenty going to Bleekers on order, another dozen to Geery's place." " You were up late last night." " I was reading." "The Good Book?" "Oh, yes, Mama, it was a good book." " Guess you're getting to that time." " Guess so." "Sometimes when the sap gets to rising, sometimes a girl has to count to 10." "I'm way past a hundred, Mama." "Sometimes a girl has to count to a thousand." "How high did you count with Papa?" "As I recall, 844, by twos." "Phew." "Those seven-year locusts seem to have taken over the hen house." "Your papa says they come every year and stay seven." " Wouldn't be so bad if they laid eggs." " Oh, Mama." "Mama says that Caldwell's pays higher for eggs than Acme." "And Greenwood Dairies..." "Your mama has yet come to believe that I always get the most favorable prices." "Yes, Papa." "Oh, can we stop by and get some sewing goods?" "I got an order for two dresses and I'm making myself one." "It's a dancing dress." "I know how to dance now, Papa." "Though I don't have many opportunities to trip the light fantastic." "Time enough when you've grown a bit more." "Well, I don't wanna wait too long." "My legs may give out from practicing." "And from arthritis." " There's time enough." " Yes, Papa." "Oh, hush, Benjamin." " How's that?" " Oh, nothing." "Nothing, Papa." " I thought you said something." " No, Papa." "I never say anything." "Looks like somebody's coming." "We're first." "He's gonna have to back off." " Who is it?" " I don't know." "Well, we'll just have to stop and acquaint him with the procedure." "Afraid you're gonna have to back up." "We ain't backing up." "The way we work it around here, first one on the bridge got the right of way." "We ain't from here." "That does give us a problem." "We just took a vote and decided that you would do the backing up." "Back up, Papa." "Can't." "For some time now, this truck ain't had no reverse." " Then tell them, they'll understand." " Ain't the issue." "The issue is we was on the bridge first." " There's a lot of eggs on our truck, Papa." " Too bad they ain't hard-boiled, huh?" " We're waiting." " Yeah." "I sure would take a crack at explaining to them, Papa." "Don't seem like no good never come to nobody on this bridge." "Best you get out, girl." " But, Papa..." " Go on." " But..." " No time for discussing it, Bobbie Lee." "Climb on out, you get yourself clear." " Go on." " Oh, I love it." "Okay." "Hey, mama." "Hey, old man, we're losing patience." "This election is over." "Returns are in and you are out." "Oh, look at that." " That's right." " You kidding, old man." "Come on now, get out of the way." "That's good, boy." "Come on, do it again." "Do it again, that's right." "Come on." " Come on." " Boy, let's do it." "Look at me now." "Get him over." "Let's get him, boy." "Come on, move it now." "Back it up, boy." "Back it up." "Move the tire, boy." "Come on, man, get out of the way." "Yeah." " Hey, get him." " Go on." "Come on, old truck." "Goddamn, Jack." "Come on." " Come on, back it up, back it up." " Come on, back it up." "Son of a bitch." "Come on...." "Hey, come on." "Come on, start." "Come on." "Come on." " Come on, get him, boy." "Get him now." " Nail him, boy." "Go ahead, boy, that's all." " Damn clutch." " Get him out of the way." " Back it up, boy." " Go, go." "Papa?" "Papa, are you oka...?" "It's all right, honey." "I'm all right." "Now, listen..." "Shh." "I want you to go back there without climbing on." "See if you can move that stuff up to the front." "Go on now, honey." "It's all right, honey." "Come here." "Baby, I want you to go to the sawmill and you get James right away." " But it won't..." " Go on, baby." "A breeze comes up, your Papa's going swimming." "Go on, girl." "Mr. Barksdale." "It's my papa, he's in trouble." " He sent me to get my brother, James." " Well, yeah, come on." "James!" "Hey, James!" "Get Billy Joe and Tom!" "Take my truck, your daddy's in trouble!" " Come on, Tom, Billy Joe, let's go." " Go on, go." "Hurry up." "Some shit-ass, that guy back there." "Hey, come on." "Let's get them." " Come on, man." " He gonna try." "He gonna try." " Keep going." " Come on, come on, man!" "Hey, get the hell out of the way, you redneck!" " Goddamn it." " Hey, James, slow down!" " What the hell?" " Shut up." "What the hell are you doing?" " Son of a bitches throwing bottles." " Goddamn!" " Move it!" "Come on!" " You son of a bitch!" "Goddamn it, I tell you, if we had time, I swear..." " We don't, James." " I'm gonna break your neck!" "Get out of the way, you redneck!" "Damn it." "Must be something wrong with those boys." "Get the hell out of the way!" "You asshole, I'm gonna get you." "I'm gonna break your neck!" " Hey, that's the little mama on the bridge." " Where, man?" "Hey, come on, boy." "Turn around, boy, turn around." " I don't wanna mess with them right now." " Hang on." "If I ever catch up with them boys, I swear..." " Pa, are you all right?" " Yeah, I'm all right, James." "Don't you worry." "We're gonna get you out." "I'm fairly well counting on that." "Hurry up and hook that rope up to the bumper, hear?" "Damn door's jammed." " Fast now." " Afternoon, Mr. Hartley." "Hi, I'm Billy Joe McAllister." "Hurry up now, Tom, come on, move it." "I'm getting it, I'm getting it." "Five hundred and seventy-five dollars." "Oh, goddamn it." " You got insurance." " Hell, yes, we got insurance." "But the damn deductible is gonna come out of my daddy's pocket." "Boy, I tell you, what kind of lowlife son of a gun would do such a thing, huh?" "And just drive off." "Drive off." "Leaving a man's life hanging over the Tallahatchie River." "I don't believe it, goddamn, I don't." "As a child, James, did I not used to play with that Billy Joe McAllister?" "If I ever run into them boys, they're gonna pay for that for sure." "I don't give a goddamn who they are." "They could be Eisenhowers, for all I care." "I mean, look at this damn vehicle." "This thing is a disaster." "That Billy Joe McAllister sure did seem like a nice person." "What are you beating your gums about, girl?" "That person." "Billy Joe McAllister, I believe his name was." " What kind of boy is he?" " Billy Joe?" "He ain't nothing but a tadpole." "Hey, come on over here." "Take a look at this fender." "Take a look at this now." "Shouldn't take too long to fix now, should it, huh?" "Shouldn't take too long." " About two weeks." " About two weeks, goddamn." "Two weeks." "Hell, it takes longer to fix a damn truck than it does to make one." "Why don't we call up Detroit and have them bring in a new one?" "That way, it would save all of us the paperwork we got here." "I think that Billy Joe McAllister handled himself real fine  in his introduction to Papa." "Girl, how can you keep yapping about that loon-minded Billy Joe McAllister  when we got a problem here that is both financial and transportational?" "Now, don't you understand?" "Until this truck gets fixed, Papa's gonna have to do all that hauling  with a mule and wagon." "Yeah, that's right." "At least-wise if we knew who did it  we'd get their insurance company to pay for the deductible." "Damn them Eisenhowers." "Damn it." " I got their license number." " You did?" "I do." "Well, all right, let me look at that." "Alabama." "Might have known, some stupid Southerners." "I'm gonna phone this in to the sheriff right now." " That's pretty bright thinking of you there." " Yeah, I'm a brain." "Yeah, that you are, little one, that you are indeed." "I'm a body too, James, with desires." "Somebody better pay attention to that." "Because my blood is racing and my ample breasts are bursting." "Don't need no help from you, Benjamin." "You're beginning to bug me, you know that?" "Get..." "Hear me right from God's word." "First Corinthians, Chapter 3, reading the 16th and 17th verses." ""Do you know that you are God's temple?" "And God's spirit dwells in you." "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him." "For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are."" "And so we say to our young people  respect your body, for it is the temple and repository of your soul." "Do not offer it freely, not even in the name of love." "Unless that love has been duly sanctified by the Church  as a direct result of a proper Christian marriage." "And until that sacred time, do not be fooled by the languorous Lorelei  that beckons you wickedly into dark corners." "For her only wish is to see you crashed from those high emotions  down upon the cruel rocks of hell." "Amen." " Amen." " Amen." "Thank you kindly." "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Hartley." " Indeed a fine sermon, don't you think?" " Uh-huh." "I'm Billy Joe McAllister." "You may remember me." "Excuse us." "Come on." "There's something wrong with that boy." "I don't think so." "He keep popping up and introducing himself  like he wants to sell me a vacuum cleaner." "Snappy dresser, though." "Those shoes." "Look like he's been kicking vanilla ice cream." "Here, honey." "Billy Joe." "Okay, Bobbie Lee." "By now, your papa surely knows who I am." "Oh, he knows who you are." "He just don't know what you are." "That very well may be." "Still, you inform your papa that I am coming to call." "You don't seem to understand, fool." "My papa's problem is not with you." "His problem is with me, and the fact that I'm only..." "Fifteen." "Yes, I know." "You're also 32 and you best start using them real quickly  before they go bad and fall off." "Miss Hartley, I shall arrive at your home at 7 p.m. on this very evening." "You would be wise to make no such personal appearance." "7 p.m., on the nose." "And you'll please inform your papa that I am coming to call." "I would appreciate some iced tea as befits a gentlemen caller." "With lemon and sugar." "And a straw, if you got one." "You set one foot on our porch  and he'll blow both your ears off in one shot." "I shall not be needing my ears, little lady  as I shall be doing all the talking." " Ah, morning." " Morning, James." "Nice to see you in church from time to time." "Well, I do try to keep a Christian outlook there, Mrs. Thompson." "Morning, James." "Morning, Becky, and don't you look nice this morning." " Thank you, James." " Yeah." "Your papa seems most over his accident." "Yeah." "Well, you know Papa." "I tell you, he heals just about as fast as he hurts." "I don't see you over at our house much these days." "Uh, yeah, well..." "Well, you see, I've been pretty busy lately." "Working down at the sawmill  and helping Papa with the bailing and chopping at home." "Well, I thought perhaps you might've forgotten the way." "Oh, well, uh..." "Mama, James has been favoring someone else." "Which is his privilege." "Well, I was implying to when he tired  of such a strenuous activity..." "Yeah, well, if y'all excuse me now, I see my family's getting ready to leave." "We'll see y'all later." " Bye, James." " Bye." "That was a nice station." "Why'd you turn it off?" "Just to save my batteries." "Papa, may I have a few words?" "A few." " Papa, I'm lately bothered." " Oh?" "Yes, I'm lately bothered by an attitude of yours." "By an attitude of mine?" "Am I about to hear about that now?" " Yes?" " Yes." "Sir." "Well, you go on." "You just choose your words real careful, you hear?" "Yeah, I hear." "Go on." "Bobbie Lee, your papa's listening." "This is your moment." "You're gonna have to move on now." "I got me some reading to do here, I ain't in no mood for no time-wasting." " Well, that is my botherment." " What is?" "The light in here, it's surely gonna ruin our eyes  and we need our eyes for reading and looking and seeing." " Is that a fact?" " Yes." "I think it's high time we had some electricity in this place  and stopped living like tobacco road." "Tobacco road, you say?" "Well, only in a manner of speaking." "Come on, girl." "You're into it now, you best make the most of it." "Well, here it is, 1953  and we have yet to get electricity into this house." "My eyes are going bad." "And I have yet to see life." "Rural Electric Association don't supply power to isolated areas, Bobbie Lee." "Now, you know that." "Then what about the plumbing?" "Surely we can have some modern plumbing in here." "Does going to the outhouse hurt your eyes, girl?" " Oh, well, if that's your attitude." " My attitude?" "Your papa hardly knows what you're talking about." " Yeah, ain't that always the way?" " What way?" "Be specific." "I think I'm old enough to receive gentlemen callers." " So that's your botherment?" " Yes, that is surely my botherment." " Why'd you drag plumbing into it?" " I don't know." "Why didn't you come out and say what you wanted to say?" "Well, I'm saying so now." " You're mighty huffy about it, aren't you?" " Yes, I'm huffy." "I'm very huffy." "Bobbie Lee is huffy." "See how huffy Bobbie Lee is." " How old are you, girl?" " Thirty-two." "D cup." "Well, I'll tell you what  in two more years, when you're a 34 whatever  then you can have your gentlemen callers, how's that?" " Two more years, I'll be a 96." " The girl is raving on, Anna." "Where you going?" "What's the difference?" "I'll be old when I get there." "What should we do with all this iced tea?" "That last question, Anna, that was a very dangerous question." "Here we are, the second half of the 20th Century." "The 20th Century." "And Mississippi has yet to hear a word of it." "Amazing." "Amazing." "I've come this far in life, and as yet I have seen no television  ridden in no convertible car." "Nothing fortifying has crossed my lips but a Pepsi-Cola." "Nothing venturesome has crossed my mind beyond two back issues of Torrid Romance." "Which I've read to death  and I know better than the "Star-Spangled Banner."" "My entire life is dictated by the 1925 Sears-Roebuck catalog." "Pages 267 through 295." "We got plumbing that the cavemen gave up on 22 million years ago." "And an outhouse that further utilizes the Sears-Roebuck catalog." "Issues 1895 through 1927." " Evening." " Evening." " Where do you think you're going?" " To your own house up ahead." "Well, you're about as welcome as a drought." "A lot better than the rude company out here." "I admire your courage, but I don't much care for your timing." "If you have any feeling at all for me, sir  and any hopes of squeezing my soft and pliant flesh this heady evening  you best stop and consider what I'm saying, Billy Joe." "Miss Hartley, I do not see how we can go on this way much longer." "It's both unfulfilling and..." "And pretty damn medieval." "I have a similar concern, I assure you." "But this is no night for a shootout with my papa." "Didn't you tell your papa I was coming to call?" "Well, we never got past the plumbing." "Am I supposed to understand that?" "Oh, nobody's supposed to understand that." "Einstein couldn't even understand it." "How can I like you?" "You are very unlikable." " Oh?" " Yes: "oh?"" "You're always ornery." "You're forever zigging when I'm zagging." "We're always arguing." "Why am I attracted to you?" "I ask myself that about you." " Oh?" " Yeah: "oh?"" "My brother says you're a tadpole." "I plainly think you're stupid." "You're an embarrassment when you try to make yourself known to my papa." "You've introduced yourself to my family so often  they think you're Jack Benny." "Tadpole." "At least you ain't wearing those stupid white shoes." "I don't wear them in the evening." "They attract snakes." "Well, they don't attract Papa." "These for me?" "They were for whoever answered the door." "Papa always answers the door." "You know, I'm sick and tired of your papa." " Oh, come on." " Where?" "Oh, Billy Joe, will you stop your yapping?" "You know, you do an awful lot of yapping." "Hey, you ever get to thinking that maybe you're adopted?" "About every other day and all day on Sunday." "I think I'm either adopted or depraved." "Of the two, I prefer depraved, because if you're depraved  you can always be redeemed." "But once you're adopted, you're always adopted." "Yeah..." "I don't think I'm depraved." "I'm merely underprivileged." "Underprivileged?" "Well, maybe not underprivileged." "It's more like deprived." "Deprived of you for no good reason I can understand." "Swell, you're deprived and I'm depraved." "What a pair." "I'm growing tired of talking." "I caution you not to act in a rash manner." "Oh, shut up." "If I shout, my papa will be here in a moment  and my dog will be here even sooner." "So you got fair warning." "You talk, you talk." "Years from now, what's it gonna be like for you when you stop talking?" "Well, I've done my talking for this evening, rest assured." "You talk so much you give me a headache." "Every time I leave you, I got a headache." "Amongst other things." "Well, that is, of course, your problem." "No, ma'am." "It is our problem." "Damn you, Billy Joe, right on my own property." "Right on your mouth." "Billy Joe, you're trespassing." "You're intruding." "Papa?" "Papa?" "Dog?" "We gotta stop this funning around we've been doing." "Where is that dog?" "Dog?" "Dog?" "I love you." "I sure hope so." "I love you, Bobbie Lee." " It's trouble." " I don't care." "I'm supposed to say no." "You can say whatever you damn please." "Well, the girl says "no" for three and a half pages." "You can say no for the whole damn book." "No, no, no." "No, no, no." " Well, that's one page." " That's good." "Use them up." "Get them out of your system." "No, no, no." "No, no, no." " That's another page, no?" " Yes." " Go on, you're doing fine." " Oh, Billy Joe, I swear." "Go on." "No." "No, no, no." " Go on." "No, no, no." " No, no, no." "Okay, that ought to do it." "No." "Now, come on, give me a big old " yes."" "No." "Come on, girl, you done give me five pages of no's, easy." "Now, come on, give me a yes." "Oh, Billy Joe." "Whoa!" "Oh, goddamn!" "Goddamn." "Goddamn this baptismal pond." "I ain't swimming upstream to mate with you, Billy Joe." "That is for salmon." "Oh, look at you." "Look at you, Bobbie Lee." "Look at you in the moonlight." "Oh, Jesus Christ, what a headache I'm gonna have." "You get back in here." "Get back in here." "I wanna baptize you proper." "I don't think so." " Oh, give me a "yes."" " Uh-uh." " Give me a "maybe."" " Okay, maybe." " You got it." " Now give me a "when."" "A year from last Tuesday." "I am deprived, Bobbie Lee." "Oh, no, sir, you are by no means deprived." "You have everything you're supposed to have." "You boys working by the hour or by the tune?" "Well, we're just practicing up there, Mr. Barksdale." "We're fixing to play at the Okolona River Bottom Jamboree." "Yes, sir." "How about Billy Joe?" " Billy Joe, well, he don't play nothing." " He's our agent, yes, sir." "Is that a fact, Billy Joe?" "First I got wind of it." "Didn't we tell you, Billy Joe?" "You're gonna be our agent." " Yeah, we're gonna give you 10 percent." " Plus expenses." "Now, you boys do know that I donated my facility  my cotton gin, for yourjamboree, don't you?" " Yes, well, that's mighty decent of you too." " Yes, sir." "If I still have a facility." "My point being that if all of my workers turn into musicians  I'm gonna have to close down." "Now, am I correct in assuming that you get my hidden meaning?" " Yes, sir, you're correct, Mr. Barksdale." " We most clearly get your meaning." "Well, that sure pleases me that you comprehend." "Now, if you'll move your collective asses..." " Yes, sir." " Yes, we're going right away." "Right now." "Come on now, you can do more work than that." "I mean, you're only our agent." "Me and Tom, we're the stars here, right, boy?" "I'm no agent." "I'm a tadpole." "I don't know what you are, but you ain't nothing like I've ever seen before in my life." " Your life is not yet over, sir." " Yeah." "Hey, tadpole, if I kisses you, does I turn into a frog or a prince?" "Oh, cut it out." "One thing you ain't never gonna turn into is no harmonica player." "Oh, hey, Tom, don't you pay that boy no mind  because that's the way us stars, we all start out that way." "You know, suffering abuse from non-believers." "Like Bing Crosby?" "Worked in a cotton gin." "Well, what about Doris Day?" "Dirt farmer." "Gives me hope." "That's right, boy." "I'll tell you, keep it up, who knows?" "You may just turn out to be another Doris Day." "Oh, do you really think so?" "I do." "You keep that up, boy, and you're on your way for sure." "Bing Crosby in a cotton gin." "I gotta get out of this town." "Ain't the size, Bobbie Lee." "It's the sincerity." "Well, I sincerely hope that I'll one day be this size." "With that size, you assume risks." "Oh, I'll gladly accept those risks." "It's biological sadness that with age  this size often ends up around here." "Proving once again that everything that goes up  doesn't necessarily stay up." "Ah, but better to have been up there for one beautiful moment  than never to have loved at all." "You never did tell us why you went swimming the other night  with all your clothes on." "Well, as I recall, you never did ask." "Your papa figured it was best we didn't  as you were behaving quite strangely that evening." "That'll be him now." "Mama?" "Mama, things are out of whack." "I mean, when we go to town, you dress me up real pretty..." " ... and you like for me to be attractive." " Mm-hm." " I mean, my hair and my lipstick." " Yes?" "And then Brother Taylor says "don't" and Papa says "can't."" "And there I am, all primed up to be a woman  only, I'm not allowed to be anything but a child." "It does seem a contradiction." "I mean, I'd understand if you dressed me drab and covered my face  and snuck me around like some fretful thing." "But when you parade me and show me off and admire me  and then you tie me to a fencepost  that's like giving somebody a brand-new, high-powered car and saying:" ""Here, it's all yours, but don't drive it."" "I imagine I'll introduce the matter to your papa." "Now, let's go see what he drove all the way into Greenwood for." "Just a little present for you to let you know I've been thinking about you." " Oh, look." " What a thoughtful gift." "Well, if it'll keep that girl from throwing herself in the pond  that's a worthwhile investment." "I do say, I don't understand how that commode's gonna help her eyesight." "Hey, Papa, this thing really gonna flush?" "Well, if it don't, we could put it just as far away from the parlor as we can." "Like in Houston." "Hello?" "Oh, Papa." "It's a very beautiful thing and a very definite step forward into this century." "Thank you." "I love you." "If Robert E. Lee had himself a hundred of those  the South would've won the war." "Come here." "Knudsen's Landing." "Gary, Susie, Beecham and Howard." "All out." "Billy Joe, get out of here." "This ain't no public vehicle." "Shut up, Coleman, stop your carrying on." "This bus is to transport only persons still in school." "I missed this bus four times when I was still in school  so I'm collecting back on one of them." " I can put you off this bus, Billy Joe." " Fine." "Put me off at the Tallahatchie Bridge." "Ahem." "As I was saying, Gloria, the French Revolution marked the end of an era  in which the so-called nobility was living off the fat of the land." "I think we're being followed." "Pay him no nevermind, Gloria." "It's just a local sex fiend up to no good." " May I have a word with you, miss?" " You may not, sir." " You're imposing yourself." " Won't take but a moment of your time." "I don't have a moment to spare." " I merely wanted to point..." " I'm not interested." "That your ass is on fire." "Well, I just thought you'd like to know that." "You smell smoke, Franklin?" "Tallahatchie Bridge." "All out." "Bobbie Lee, take that stowaway with you." "You're doing a good job, Coleman." "A little heavy on the brake, but, you know, those things do happen." "Miss?" "Miss, pardon me." "But I thought you'd be very pleased to know that the fire on your ass is out." "There are no complications." "Everything has been taken care of." "Gonna ruin my reputation long before you have the opportunity to ruin me." "Does that mean that you still feel kindly toward me?" "It means that everyone on the bus knows you desire my body." "Including my best friend, Gloria." "Who is also known as The Voice of America." "I haven't seen you since we went swimming." "If you're referring to that escapade when you came close to drowning me  you are no gentleman, sir." "Well, I've been giving the matter a lot of thought." " Oh?" " Yes." "I've decided that if I can't call on you openly  I think it's best to end our friendship as fond but total strangers." "You wanna say that again?" "Total strangers?" "Gal, what I am trying to get across to you is that...." "I've been having some fitful dreams in which you are so warm-blooded  that if we do half of what we did in my dreams  we'd be making love with a regularity that would close this town." "Oh..." "You wouldn't by any chance have a couple of aspirins, would you?" "Oh, Billy Joe, we are making progress." "Sneaking up on things, gaining ground." "The plumbing's in and you're next." "Oh." "Make it four aspirins." "Well, you should be taking encouragement from what I'm telling you." "How can I take encouragement when I'm not allowed into your house  until after the plumbing?" "Well, when you consider that nothing has been allowed in our house since the piano  you'll take heart." "Make that six aspirins." "And an enema." "Listen, this Saturday night, the Okolona Jamboree is being held." " Will I see you there?" " Well, ordinarily, no." "Because those things have been known to end up with a lot of people drunk." "But since my brother's taking part, Papa says we can go." "Good." "Oh, damn." "That's Brother Taylor." "Here I am, not supposed to be seeing anyone, and along comes the eye of God." " But we're not doing anything." " True." "But no man can be ordained as a Baptist minister  unless he's ready to think the worst of his congregation." "Well, let's just pretend that we're not with each other." "You're not gonna fool Brother Taylor." "Oh, I'm just trying to protect your reputation, young lady  knowing full well that in your heart, I come after the piano." "And the plumbing." " Good afternoon, Bobbie Lee." " Afternoon, Brother Taylor." "Just coming from your house." "Your papa's really fixing things up modern." "Yes, sir." "He knows 1960 is coming and he wants to be ready." " You coming from school?" " Oh, yes, sir." "Is that Billy Joe McAllister?" "Oh, gee, could be anybody." "Seeing as how as I'm going his way, perhaps I could give him a lift." "Oh, I'm sure he'd appreciate it, whoever he is." "Goodbye." "Bye." "See you in church." "Is that Bobbie Lee Hartley?" "I don't know." "Could be anybody." "Well, Benjamin, I do believe things are looking up." "All right, now we will hear from the Choctaw Ridgeline." " You having a good time?" " Yeah." "I like it." "It's fun." "Hello, Billy Joe." " Hi, Bobbie Lee." " Hi." "Come on, Billy Joe." "Come on, go with me." " No, that's okay." " Come on, Billy Joe." " I'd rather not." " Come on, kid, come on." "Be right back." "Hey, that ain't tight enough." "Keep your hands off me, boy." "Look over there, see that?" " Hi." " Hey there." "Here, buddy, have a full beer." "Here, I'll take that one." " Help us out." " Come on, smile." " Some of this?" " No." "Hey, wait up." "Come on, man." "Let her go." "Let her go." "Here, here." "All right, now for The Old Time Lee County String Band  Walnut Grove, Mississippi." "I have never seen anything so shameful in my..." "Olaf, you get them out of there." " Out." " You get out of my car." "Get, get, get." "You floozy, you cheap..." "Uh, we..." "Get in." "Get in, Emmett." " Hey, man." " Hey, come on, give us a shot." "Come on, let's move up." "Where'd you get that?" "I saw you do that." "Get that crap out of here." "Let's see what's back here." " Hey." " Goodbye..." " and the River Reeds." " Okay." " Get out of here, go on." " Go on." " Oowee!" "Shit, with those boots and everything." "Hey, Billy Joe, look at that." "That's the sheriff." "He ought to be arrested." "Oowee!" "That..." "Oowee!" "Go ahead, Billy Joe." "Go on, get you some." "Yeah." "All right, now we'll hear from the Parks Family." "You redneck son of a bitch, get your ass..." " What the hell are you doing?" " I want you, come here, boy." "Get him." "Hurry up." "Hey, guy." " Morning, Dewey." " Morning, Bosh, Ned." "Isn't that Billy Joe's papa?" "It looks to be." "Wonder what kind of trouble that fool kid got himself into now." "You ain't, by any chance, seen Billy Joe around anywhere, have you?" "Paul here is looking for him." "No, Dan, I ain't seen him in a couple of days." "I figured he was over at the house sobering up from his drinking." "Drinking's not his style, Dewey." "It was everybody's style the other night." "Even the sheriff." "Is he sobered up yet?" "He told me to tell you that you may be held criminally liable  allowing drinking on your property, and youse dry and all." "You mean to tell me, he gets drunk, and then he's gonna hold me liable?" " More or less." " Wonder if those boys have seen Billy Joe." "Well, that dirty SOB." "He didn't mind using my facilities for free." "Now he's gonna take action against me." " Is that what you're trying to tell me?" " Yes, sir." " Good morning, Tom." " Good morning." "You boys seen Billy Joe lately?" "He hasn't been home and the wife and I got worried." " I haven't seen him, sir." " No, sir." "Well, if he does show up, you boys give us a call, you hear?" " Sure will, Mr. McAllister." " We will." "Much obliged." "I wonder what that fool boy went and did that he's afraid to go home." "A boy his age ain't got no business drinking." "Hey, wait a minute now." "You were the one that gave him the beer  so that makes you an accessory to the drunk." "I'm gonna have yourjobs." "I'm not kidding." "Go on, get out of here." "Thanks, now." "Billy Joe?" "People have been looking for you." "I figured they might be." "Where you been?" "In the woods." "Out here." "It's no problem this time of year." "What'd you eat?" "Huh?" "Oh." "Mushrooms, onions." "I guess people can really survive if they got to." "I got drunk the other night." "You weren't alone." "Something happened." "Can you tell me?" "No." "Is it why you took off?" "It was something real bad, Bobbie Lee." "Well, I don't know how bad it can be." "I mean, as far as I know, the worst thing that happened  was a busted jaw that my brother, James, gave one of those Bama boys  ones that messed up my papa's truck." "I love you." "Well, I love you too." "So there." "I think part of the problem is that we've been kidding around so much." "You see, I don't wanna call on you no more." "I wanna have you." "And I think it's about time that, if you don't feel the same way about me  you ought to tell me, so I can get the hell out of this county." "What are you asking me to do?" "Girl..." "I am onto your scent." "I'm downwind of you everywhere I go." "I mean, you're wiggling your old tail feathers, and I'm responding." "Now, you can "Mama says," "Papa says," "Jesus Christ say" all you want." "The fact of the matter is that if we were squirrels or cottontails in the forest  we'd be snorting and rutting in a very healthy manner." "Oh, God." "I would not be roaming the woods in this predicament." "What do you want me to do, Billy Joe?" "I'll do whatever you say." "I just want you to think it over." "You just think it over." "I'll meet you on the bridge." "When the day is almost gone, I'll meet you on the bridge, and..." "If you don't come  I promise, I'll respect your decision  and I'll move on." "Bobbie Lee..." "It is not my purpose to hurt you  or to shame you." "I merely wanna make you proud and happy." "So old Dewey Barksdale got himself in a whole peck of trouble over there." "Yeah." "He's saying now he didn't know nothing about no whiskey." "Says as far as he know, all they was drinking over there was beer." "Well, I'll tell you, old sheriff said, well, if all they was drinking was beer  then he is J. Edgar Hoover himself." "Of course..." "Of course, the thing no one talks about is the ladies of the evening  which come over special from Yazoo City." "They made enough money to keep the county in whiskey  for the next 20 jamborees." "You watch your mouth, boy." "You know your mama don't like that kind of talk." "Come on, Papa, didn't we get them boys that messed up our truck real good?" "Well, that's nice talking about, isn't it?" "Yes, sir." "Vengeance is the Lord's, James." "All right, Papa, all right." "But seeing as the Lord wasn't on the premises  why, we was just giving him a little helping hand, that's all." "Yeah, I also heard that one of those ladies from Yazoo City  got herself messed up pretty good by some persons or persons unknown  who, apparently, did not have the price of the dalliance." "Mm-mm." "Papa, may I be excused?" "I'm not very hungry." "Sure, go right ahead." " Thank you." "Mama?" " Sure, you can go." "Just where do you come by all this information, James?" "Just keeping my ear to the ground, Papa." "Just keeping it to the ground." "And your mind in the mud, boy." " I ain't in the habit of repeating myself." " I don't wanna hear this." "You're gonna." "If I hear you talk that way in front of your mama, you're gonna get it." "You understand?" "Bobbie Lee, may I come in?" "Yes, Mama." "Remember Benjamin, Mama?" "The one and only, original, rode-out-of-Montana Benjamin?" "I do indeed." "Wherever has he been hiding?" "In my hope chest." " Your hope chest?" " Yep." "I put him inside and hoped he'd turn real  just like Pinocchio." "Oh, he tried, I guess." "He tried and he tried and tried  but he just couldn't do it." "Could you, Benjamin?" "What made you take him out tonight?" "I don't know." "He just occurred to me, I guess." "I've been talking to your papa  and he allows as to how it'd be all right if you was to receive callers  even though you're not quite yet of an age." "My papa surely does have a delicate sense of timing." "I thought you'd be pleased." "Oh, I am." "Thank you, Mama." "May I assume that there's somebody you wish to encourage?" "Yeah." "Well, you tell him to feel free." "We'd be pleased to have him come by." "Thank you." "I think I'll take a little walk." "It's still light out and it has been such a warm day." "You go right ahead." "Thank you, Mama." " Bobbie Lee?" " Huh?" "You taking Benjamin?" "Yes, I believe I will." "After all that time, I expect he'd appreciate an airing." "Well, don't stay out too long." "Mosquitoes always did take to you on a thick evening." "Hi." "Hi." "What you got yourself there?" "I brought Benjamin." "So that's Benjamin." "It surely is." "Here, say hello." "What'd you do, bring him along for protection?" "I don't know." "I just brought him, that's all." "I am pleased you decided to come." "Yeah?" "Well, here I am." "Here we are." "The whole gang." "Yeah." "Billy Joe, did you beat up on one of them Yazoo City hookers?" "No." "I did not beat up on no hooker." "Well, then did you have yourself a hooker?" "No, I did not have me no hooker neither." "You are mincing words and beating about the bush." "Now, I'm here as requested." "I wanna know what made you run away, because I know it wasn't me." "All right, I'll tell you." "Let me tell you after." "No, tell me now." "And watch what you're doing to Benjamin." "You're twisting him." "You're hurting him." "Get your hands...!" "I'm sorry." "Bobbie Lee?" "I'm sorry." "It slipped." "I'm sorry." "It's nothing but an old rag doll." "Oh, shit." "Well, I'm sorry." "Now, come on." "I'm not going anywhere." "Dang it, it was an accident, and you know it." "I do not know it." "Look at me, gal." "Now, I cannot say I will get you another doll because I know it will not be the same." "So all I can do is tell you I am sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry, Benjamin!" "I'm sorry!" " Come with me, please." " No, not till you tell me what happened." "All right." "I'll tell you." "But not now." "Somebody's watching us." "I've never been out of Mississippi in my life." "And when I do go, it's gonna be on a train." "You don't have to be afraid." "I'm not afraid, I'm winded." "I love you." "No matter what I say, no matter what I do  please remember I love you." "Well, you keep that up, I ain't gonna remember nothing." "I'm sorry about Benjamin." "Benjamin who?" "Hey, Billy Joe?" "Maybe I shouldn't know what happened." "Maybe I should just..." "Just love you." "And just love you." "I love you, Billy Joe." "I've loved you for so long." "And maybe we should just..." "Maybe we should talk later." "I'm sure that would be okay." "Don't you?" "It's no good, Bobbie Lee." "What?" "I can't." "Is it me?" "Oh, Billy Joe, don't do that." "Oh, it's all right." "It's all right." "Oh, we've just been waiting so long and..." "And trying so hard." "Oh, it's all right, Billy Joe." "It ain't all right." "I ain't all right." "Bobbie Lee..." "I have been with a man." "Did you hear me?" "Which is a sin against nature." "A sin against God!" "I don't know how I could've done it, I swear!" "I don't know how I could be wanting you and do that." "But you were drunk." " Maybe you just imagined it." " I ain't imagined nothing." "But you were drunk." "Everyone saw how drunk you were." "Wrong." "I knew." "I knew it was happening." "Who was it?" "I ain't gonna say." "Why?" "I wish I could understand." "I wish I could." "I always thought that men like that were easy to see." "Oh, Jesus." ""Men like that."" "Well, I know you're not a man like that  so you're wrong." "You conjured it all up for some reason that I don't understand  because I couldn't be wrong about the only boy in the world  that I'd ever permit to love me." "I couldn't be wrong." "I couldn't." "Well, you are wrong." "Why should this happen to us?" "Honey..." "Not us." "Not you." "You're fine." "You're beautiful, you're ready to fly, and you're going to." "Tell me you're only funning me." "Tell me you made it up  and then we can get back to our long-awaited lovemaking." "Where were we?" "As I recall, we were right here." "Our bodies pressed together in passion  our lips burning with fire." "I was no longer saying no, because those days are gone forever." "Oh, come on, Billy Joe." "This is no way for you to treat a lady." "Can you get home by yourself from here?" " No." " Yes, you can." "Where are you going?" "I don't know." "Home, I reckon." "My parents are probably worried sick." "If I'm truly a man, I'll just have to face up to things." "You've been away for three days." "You can surely give it another half an hour  to please a lady." "Some other time." "Right now, I..." "I just wanna sort things out." "I could do right well by you some other time." "Lady." "I'm sorry about Benjamin." "He needed a bath anyway." "Will you come and call on me?" "My papa says it's okay." "The piano, the plumbing and Billy Joe McAllister." "What will they think of next?" "Hey, what you got there?" "Looks like some kid's doll." "Yeah." "Some kid's doll." "Any young man should take his own life is a tragedy." "We read in 1 Samuel, Chapter 31, Verse 4  that Saul, in his defeat and despair, took his own life." "Will we see Saul over in glory?" "Will we see Billy Joe over in glory?" "In Romans, Chapter 14, Verse 12 and 13:" ""So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." "Let us not therefore judge one another anymore  but judge this realm." "That no man put a stumbling block on occasion  to fall in his brother's way."" "One of our young men committed a desperate act of self-destruction." "What drove him to it?" "Was he alone in this senseless act?" "Was he being cowardly or protective?" "Did a brother or a sister become a stumbling block  in the way of Billy Joe?" "I don't know." "Some of you may know." "One of you might know." "But one thing I do know." "God knows." "Moses, in declaring God's word in Numbers 32:33 says:" ""And be sure..." "And be sure your sins will find you out."" "Well..." "McAllisters sold their place." "Moved on off to Vicksburg." "I can't say as I blame them." "Come on now, Bobbie Lee." "Everybody knows you and Billy Joe were real close." "Hell, even Ma's got it figured out." "Papa..." "I don't know, may take him a little bit longer." "Girl, they are laying 10-to-1 downtown that you're with child." "And if I wasn't your brother, I swear I'd be laying 20 myself." "Now, this Joan of Arc stuff is all good and well, just fine and dandy, just great." "But the days are gonna pass, and little Joan is gonna be bellying out." "Then ain't that gonna be a little bit embarrassing, huh?" "Ain't it?" "Get rid of the damn thing." "Bobbie Lee, it's gonna be a curse on all of us." "Now, look, we can't bring Billy Joe back, and maybe it's just as well we can't  because he wasn't gonna amount to nothing nohow anyway." "And now..." "Now, since he's taken that high dive of his, he's gonna be some kind of hero  some kind of giant in the minds of every young stud around this place." "Well, it's all right  if Billy Joe wants to be a legitimate folk hero around here." "But I'll tell you one thing, girl, I am not gonna be an illegitimate uncle." "And Ma and Pa ain't gonna have to walk downtown sideways neither." "Hell, nobody talks to Ma anymore." "And Pa..." "Our beloved brethren has done eliminated him as deacon of the church." "After 20 years." "The inner circle has done thrown him out." "Just thrown him out." "Anyway..." "Anyway, when Belinda Wiggs and I went afoul of her period one time, we..." "We dealt with this man in Calhoun County who does first-rate work." "That is providing, of course, that's the route you wanna take." "But if it's not..." "If it's not, if you've got some idiotic idea about spawning that thing into this world  I tell you, girl, you just go take a walk and you have it somewhere else." "Now, those are your choices, Bobbie Lee, one or the other." "And you gotta make up your mind, you gotta make it up real soon, you hear?" "Billy Joe McAllister." "Shit." "There's a time and a place We've yet to know" "There's a sea we've yet to sail" "And though we saw The mountain long ago" "It's a peak we've yet to scale" "There's another world we've yet to find" "There's a world we've yet to lose" "And there's a winding road We left behind" "And another yet to choose" "And there's a tender journey yet to take" "The sun that waits to rise" "And there are promises We've yet to make" "The days we'll spend never end" "In each other's eyes" "And there will be lovers'songs For us to sing" "In that place, we've yet to be" "There'll be time enough For everything" "Time for life, time for love" "Time for us, time for you" "Time for me" "Morning, Mr. Barksdale." "Up early, Bobbie Lee." "Yes, sir." "You going somewhere?" "I'm gonna catch the 6:40 bus." "So you decided to leave, huh?" "Appears." "To have your baby?" "Or more or less." "No baby in you, Bobbie Lee." "Well, that makes you about the only person around here that don't think that." "I know, I heard that talk." "What I can't understand is why you wanna leave." "Seems to me it'd be much easier for you to stay here, you know  and just face up to the world and show the people that there's no baby." "They'd just figure I sneaked off during the night sometime  and had an operation when nobody was looking." "I suppose so." "I know so." "Does your mama know you're leaving?" "Mama knows." "I was just on my way up to your house and I realized how early it was  so I parked my car back there and decided to walk on up there." "No sense getting up there till somebody's stirring around." "You got some business at my house?" "I do." "With me?" "Yeah." "I wanted to talk to you." "One of the reasons I waited so long was  selfish." "Selfish." "My family, I..." "I didn't think it would sit too well with them." "It won't." "I was also gonna talk to your papa." "Come on, I'll walk you back." "My papa's never gonna understand." "Well, he might." "You're gonna kill Billy Joe all over again and yourself besides." "I guess he told you." "He did, but he didn't mention any names." "It's nice that you stepped forward, but I don't see much sense in that." "It's best to just let it be." "I don't follow that." "Billy Joe is on his way to becoming a legend." "He made a desirable girl pregnant, then just flew away." "It takes a lot to become a legend." "Sometimes even takes your life." "Billy Joe has already paid that price." "There's no reason for him not to collect on something of value for his efforts." "Why should you pay too?" "Oh, I don't mind." "It's kind of dangerous." "Like in those magazines." "And she went to Switzerland to have a baby  and it looked like him." "I still think I'd better talk to your papa." "You ready to speak to Billy Joe's papa too?" "He's in Vicksburg, you know." "Yeah, I know that." "I..." "Sure hoping to spare him that, you know." "Well, then my papa would speak to him for you." "After all, there is my good name and reputation to be considered." "The best could happen to you would be ajail term, I guess." "You...." "You thought it all out, haven't you?" "Pretty much." "I can't see piling new hurts on top of an already hurtful situation." "I mean, we can't have people believing that Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the bridge  because of a man, can we?" "This way, people will think there's a baby somewhere." "Something to show for all our trouble." "And maybe I'll get to believing it too." "I tried to tell him that it'd probably never happen again." "I guess he didn't believe you." "It ain't gonna be easy for you." "You're..." "You're going off alone." "Oh, I'll be back before long." "I'm only 15." "What do I know of the world?" "If you want, I'll..." "I'd sure be pleased to drive you to the bus." "Why, that'd be right neighborly of you, Mr. Barksdale, sir." "[English" " US" " SDH]"