"He's back." "My name's Lidia Simmons, and I'm 12 years old." "And these here are my memoirs." "I can't really tell you much about me, nor my life without first telling you about my brother Stu." "All spring, Stu had been kinda quiet." "Perhaps it was because a couple of months earlier our father had gone looking for work and never returned." "It wasn't the first time dad went away." "Ever since he'd come back from Vietnam, things hadn't been just right." "Mom held two jobs just to make ends meet and we were still dirt poor like everybody else in Juliette, Mississippi." "But this June morning in 1970 was different." "All the flowers were in bloom and along with the color and the sweet smell of summer our father had come home." "Looks lonely." "Looks more lonely than anybody I've ever seen." "Mom says that war destroyed our lives." "It's how come he couldn't find work." "It's why he's been gone all this time." "Says if it weren't for the war, we'd still have that house." "The house had termites." "That's why the county condemned it." "I'll see you later." "Don't get arrested." "As I watched my brother walk to my dad I knew he would start talking to him as if no time had passed at all." "No one in my family ever seemed to say hello." "I guess that was our way of never having to say goodbye." "We sure had ourselves a lot of good times in this old place, didn't we?" "Yeah." "We sure did." "Simmons!" "Your house is on fire again!" "Oh, no!" " You okay?" " Shoot!" "I'm fine." "Stu, don't you dare." "Why don't you wake up your dad?" "Tell him breakfast is about ready." "Yes, ma'am." "Dad." "Hey, Dad." "Dad!" "Jeez!" "You all right?" "Yeah, I'm fine, son." "I'm sorry." "Hi." "...hazy, hot and humid." "By afternoon on Tuesday expect temperatures to break 100." "Humidity at 90 percent..." "Eggs and everything!" "Look how nice it all goes together." "You don't think it's too well done?" "No, not at all." "I just pretend like I'm a starving Indian and this is my last piece of sausage." "And I got into a fight over it with another starving Indian and it tumbled into the fire and this is all that's left between me and death." "I'm that Indian." " Give it here." " Give it back." "Give it back, Dad." "Stu, you wanna do us the honor of saying grace?" "Dear Lord, bless this food." "Please." "Hey, asshole!" "Stuart!" "Hey!" "That's enough." "That's enough now, both of you!" "Just quit it." "You all right, son?" " Tell your sister I'll be gunning for her." " Yeah, all right, Lester." "Yeah, gunning for her in a donut shop, moron!" "You'll see, Simmons." "I'm gonna kick your ass, too!" "What was that all about?" "Stuart, I turned my back for just a second, and you're in the middle of a fight." " Who is that boy?" " His name's Lester Lucket." "He's the reason Lidia got stuck in summer school." "She hit him in the tooth with a rock and he told the principal she'd been cheating off his papers." " She hit him in the mouth with a rock?" " Oh, yeah." "He's always calling her names." "So, last year she vowed to knock every tooth in his head out." " I'm gonna have to talk to her." " She got a good start." "She doing anything else I should know about?" "Yeah, she's doing a lot of things but I don't think you should know about them." "I didn't bring you down here to referee a boxing match, Stuart." "I brought you down here to tell you about something I've been putting off." "You know how all this time I been out looking for work?" "Yeah." "Something about that ain't entirely accurate." "The truth of the matter is, I been in a..." "I've been in a hospital." "For what?" "It has to do with me being in the war." "I went..." "I went nuts for a little while." "And the doctors called it posttraumatic stress." "You remember how I used to..." "Remember, I did things before, they didn't make no sense?" "It's 'cause there's a lot of pain in my head." "And I'm gonna tell you something else too." "I landed three jobs after the war." "And I lost every one of them 'cause of them dreams." "It wasn't because I couldn't do the work, son." "They're finding out a lot of men who go off to war they just don't come back the same." "A lot of them." "But not me." "I'm definitely getting better." "Come on, let's finish our coffee and donuts." "You dreamt one of them dreams this morning, huh?" "What was it about?" "I don't think I ever told you I had a friend in the Marines." "Dodge." "Mama told me his name." " She didn't mean to do nothing wrong." " It's okay." "We were good friends, Dodge and me." "We'd gone through boot camp together." "One night our platoon was sweeping the village in the hills just west of Keisong." "The village had been taken by the NVA and retaken by us so many damn times that the poor people there had to dig their own trenches just to stay alive." "Boo!" " What's wrong with you?" " Been with you in the bush too long." "I've noticed as long as I've been in the bush, you've been behind my butt." "We were good friends, Dodge and me." "He was a big son of a bitch." "Excuse me, but he was." "He was the biggest man I could ever call my friend." "Right flank, talk to me!" "We did everything together." " Left flank, talk to me!" " Move it out." "Dodge!" ""So long to be where I'm going"" "Get on the radio!" "We need artillery!" ""I've been waiting so long"" "Come on!" "Get down, down!" "Dodge!" "Foxtrot five!" ""To be where I'm going" ""In the sunshine of your love"" "Let your aching head and stomach hear this message from old Speedy!" ""Alka-Seltzer!" ""Plop, plop, fizz, fizz"" "Then what happened?" "What happened to Dodge?" "Come on, Stu!" "What say I tell you about it all at some other time?" "Right now, you gotta go build that tree house of yours and I gotta find me a job." "All right, Dad." "Good luck." "Lidia Simmons, get your skinny ass off the Lipnicki's property now before they tell your dad!" " That's an order!" " I don't see nobody, Elvadine." "I heard something." "Let's get outta here." "I don't get what you're so worried about." "There's no one home." "What if that old man Lipnicki crawls out from under that junk pile and eats us?" "You worry too much." "Let's get outta here!" "Look at all that awesome garbage!" "We'll be able to build a humongous tree fort!" "Merry Christmas, ladies!" "I don't think you get it, Simmons." "We don't give a dead rat about building your dorky fort." "What the hell?" " Let's get outta here." " Hold up." "I wanna see this." "That's Leo Lipnicki!" "All right!" " Yes!" " They're playing suicide!" "Damn!" "There's Arliss." "Good job, Arliss!" "Are they nuts, or are they nuts?" "Are you trying to talk about my family?" "Hey there, Ula." "How's life treating you today?" "Don't talk to me." "Don't look at me neither." "Hey, Arliss!" "Leo!" "Caught us some trespassers over here!" "Well, nice speaking with you." "Yeah!" "We wanna have a little conversation with them!" "Don't let them go nowhere, now!" " Let's get outta here!" " Cut them off, Ula!" " Grab them, Willard!" " Hey, come on!" " Stop!" " Uncle!" "Uncle, man!" "Maybe we ought to help him learn his friends some manners." "How about we say a rhyme and they got to finish it, slurring his friends?" "Only if it don't rhyme, he has to eat a dirt clod." "You think that up just now?" "That's a classic." "Did you hear that, trespasser?" " All right, who's got a rhyme?" " I got one." "Here I sit, eating a pastry strudel..." " Bingo, Ula." " Go on, trespasser." "Think up a rhyme with "pastry strudel. "" "Here I sit, eating a strudel..." "Go on." "Chet plays with Barbies and Stu eats doggie doodle." "Hey!" "Why don't you just let him go?" "Pick on somebody your own size." "What's the matter?" "You guys afraid of a fair fight, one on one?" "Maybe you've got a point." "Ebb." " Good boy." " Stu!" " Stu, don't get yourself killed!" " Get him good!" "Say "uncle," man!" "Say "uncle!"" " He'll kill you!" "Stay put!" " Kick him again!" "Hey, you kids!" "What's going on?" "Nothing." "He just fell." "Better get your butts outta here before the cops get wind of you all." "Quarry's ours, so you'd better not return unless you wanna leave here in an ambulance." "Pick a finger." "Come on, let's get outta here." "You know, one of us ought to go back there and kick some ass." "I'm serious, guys." "My brother's got more fireworks than Ho Chi Minh." "We could hole up in that fort you wanna build." "Those mongrels won't be able to touch us." "What do you say, Stu?" "Stu?" ""The love bug done bit me" ""Didn't mean for him to get me" ""Get up in the morning" ""And I'm filled with desire" ""No, no, I can't stop the fire" ""Love is a real live wire" ""It's a burning sensation" ""Far beyond imagination" ""Love is like an itching in my heart" ""Tearing it all apart" ""Just an itching in my heart" ""And baby, I can't scratch it"" "That was fun." "Come on, let's go to the tree." "You got an extra smoke?" "Why don't you hawk your own damn cigarettes?" "Dang girl, I risked my neck all morning for your dumb behind." "You'd think I'm at least entitled to a five-second break or a puff off of your scag." "What do you mean, "risking your neck"?" "What do you call tromping around in them crazy, gap-toothed, banjo-picking, no-eyelid hillbilly yards stealing all their junk?" "Dang!" "If they ever do find out we robbed them I reckon they're gonna whup my behind till it's flat as yours." "You didn't even go on the Lipnicki's property." "I'm the one who got everything." "And quit nigger-lipping my smoke." "Give it here." "Excuse me?" "What the hell did you just say?" " Give me my smoke." "What?" " You know what." " Girl, you'd better get outta my face." " Why?" "You call your friends that." "How I call my kin ain't none of your business." "There's a fight!" "What did I miss?" " I'm sorry." " What's she sorry for?" "I think you have something that belongs to me." "My mood ring." " Where's my puka shell necklace?" " I'll see you get it!" "Look, I said I was sorry." "My mama said I don't have to hang out with nobody who degrades me that way." "Even if that is my best girl." "But I'm gonna let it go this time." "But you're on probation, and don't think I'll forget about it neither." "Now, put your eyes back in your head and let's go." "Wasting all our time." "Lordy, lordy!" "What I have to put up with." "Are you sure this is the short cut?" "Oh, damn it!" "No way!" "Bull-honky, man!" "Come on!" "This is our territory, man!" "We never hawk your ideas!" " They ain't gonna move." " How do you know?" "Hey!" "I'll race you for it." " Winner gets all." " You ain't good at running." "I'd sooner die than lose a foot race to my brother." "Come on." "To the tree." "One, two, three!" " Go, Stu!" " Go, Lidia!" " Tie!" "Guess we're gonna have to share it!" " Oh, damn!" "It's not fair!" "Us girls got there first, and we raced for it and tied!" "I said we'd try it and we tried it." " I want all our stuff back!" " Simmer down, now!" "All right." "I say you all try to get along one more day." "Oh, come on, Dad!" "If you can't work together after that then you're all gonna have to put a little daylight between yourselves." "Share it on the split." "You boys can have it in the morning when the girls'll be in school." "And in the afternoon you take off." "You let them enjoy it." "And I don't wanna hear about you raising your fists again." " You got that?" " Yes, sir." "You all got that?" " Yes, sir." " Yes, sir." " Daddy?" " What?" "Can I give you a French twist tonight with Dippity-do?" "If I can give you a French twist with a dip-dilly-dew." "Whose turn is it to help me with this laundry, Lidia Joanne?" " Promise?" " Yeah." "I'm coming." "How are you doing these days, Elvadine?" "My life be a wreck." "How have you been?" "Pretty good." "Hey, Elvadine, Amber." "Come on and help me with the laundry!" "'Bye, Mr. Simmons." " 'Bye, Mr. Simmons." " Goodbye, Elvadine." "Goodbye, Amber." "I'm proud of you for sharing that fort with your sister." "You treat her good, she'll be in your corner for the rest of your life." "Something happen to your lip?" "I got kicked in the face." " By who?" " Lipnickis." "They ought to call them the Lip... kickis." "I think the Lipdickis." "You all feuding with them, too?" "I hold my temper." "But sometimes I feel like I could wring his scrawny neck." "Boy, sometimes all it takes is a split second to do something you'll regret the whole rest of your life." "Stuart, sometimes "sometimes" is too much." "Anyhow, got me a job today." "Working for the State." " Get out." "Are you serious?" " Yes, sir." "Your old grammar school." "I'm the new custodial engineer." "Hey, Ma!" "Dad got a janitoring job at the school!" "I heard!" "Isn't it wonderful?" "It's too bad I graduated." "We could hang out." "That's really boss, Dad." " Well, thank you." " I'll see you later." "Dad?" " Yeah?" " Better come in here a minute." " I think it's ready." " Oh, Lidia, I'm..." " Honey, I'm working on the radio." " Come on, Dad." "Come on, you promised." "Sit down." "Oh, Lidia." "I wish you'd..." "What are you gonna do to it?" " I'm just taking it up." " You're just what?" "I'm just taking it up." "Gosh, Dad." "Dad?" "How come you and Mom don't talk no more?" "Well, I've been gone a long time, Lidia." "We're just giving each other a little space right now." "You'd better start crowding her, Dad." "Put your arms around the woman every once in a while or she's gonna think you don't like her no more." "Now, I'm giving you this advice 'cause I can see you just don't know what you're doing." "Well, I'm gonna take that to heart." "Lidia suggested that I dance with you." "That is if you're still interested in taking my hand." "I've been waiting on you to ask for the longest time." "You even got your hair done up for the occasion." "In all the years I'd known my mother this was the only time I'd ever seen her cry from happiness." "Then again, maybe it was just dad stepping on her toes." ""I've been working Amber's railroad" ""All my living long day" ""I've been working Amber's railroad"" "Excuse me, fat girl." "Is it absolutely necessary that you serenade us?" "I'm on a diet, I hope you know, 'cause I have a granular condition." "You've got a Hostess Twinkies condition." "These girls are giving me a heart attack." "Let's 86 them." "Must be 12:30." "Why don't you guys beat it?" "You heard what dad said." "What is she talking about?" "What did your dad say?" "Every day at 12:30 we gotta walk?" "I don't think so." " I know so." " Who asked you, blubberbutt?" "I can go on a diet, but you'll always be ugly!" "I'm gonna kick your pygmy butt." "This ain't working out." "Somebody's gonna have to be the boss!" "Well, let me guess." "Could that "somebody" possibly be you?" "How about we go double or nothing on a dare?" "Winner gets to run the show here, loser has to follow orders." "So, if us girls win, you guys have to be our slaves?" "Stu!" "No." " What's the dare?" " Us guys'll make a list of junk." "All you gotta do is get everything on it." "Everything!" "If so, you're the boss." "If not, you have to do exactly what we say for the rest of the summer." "You are on." "How are we gonna find a stove, a wading pool or a Barcalounger?" "Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut." "What if that white man Lipnicki comes out and shoots us?" "He ain't gonna shoot us." "Why do you even think something like that?" "'Cause if I was him, I'd shoot us, and if I was white, I'd probably aim for me!" "This is all our stuff from the old house." "There's our mantelpiece." "I can't believe they took our mantelpiece." "They probably took everything." "That old thief, Lipnicki." "He doesn't even own this property, stupid squatter." "And then he steals our stuff on top of it." "It's Billy Lipnicki!" "I saw it was him!" " Quiet, before you get us all in deep!" " Arliss!" "Leo!" " Willard!" "Ula!" "Help!" " I'm gonna get you!" "You're not gonna get away from us, you snot-nosed little brat!" "Get him before he gets us all shot dead!" "Knock it off." "I ain't gonna hurt you, you wild little goat." "Calm down." "If I let you go, you promise not to scream no more?" "Any of you bring any money?" "All I've got is ten cent." "Billy, you promise to keep quiet about us coming here and we'll give you a dime every trip." " I got front!" " I got shotgun!" "Well, I'm driving!" " Think they'll get any of it?" " Hell, no." "They're probably at Elvadine's having a back-bending contest or something stupid like it." " This is cool." " All right!" "All right!" "That was great!" "What smells so bad?" "You could die of fumigation down here!" " Could be a cesspool." " Man, it's poison ivy." "One time through here, we'll be itching till our balls fall off." "There they are." "I told you." "The Lipnickis are coming!" "Way to go, Lester!" "We ought to teach them and their slimy buddy, Lester Lucket, a lesson." "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking." "They can't see it from up there." "Come on." " Think it'll work?" " It'll be worth it if it does." " Let's see if the Lipnickis can float." " Come on." "This is our territory now." " Get lost, and leave the trolley." " What?" "This isn't your territory." "If I were you, I wouldn't go down there." "It's awful scary." "You ain't us, are you?" "We can go down any hill we please." "Well, don't say I didn't warn you." "Watch this." "This is disgusting, stinking crap!" "It smells like a butt down here!" "I'm gonna kick your ass for this, Simmons!" "You'd better take a bath first!" "That way we won't smell you coming!" "Butt brain!" "Oh, no." "Oh, boys!" "Stove, wading pool siding and Barcalounger." "Start building, slaves." "Okay, I got it." "We build it outta their stuff and then we'll kick them out." "Can't." "We promised." "So what?" "Everybody here knows my word ain't no good." "Like I said, start building, slaves." "And when you get done, you're gonna paint it." "Screw you, man." "We're not doing nothing you say, suckers." " Hey, we had a deal." " Deal's off." " Marsh, come on!" " Come on, yourself." "No way am I gonna be no slave to no girl." "Chet, carry me over here so I can reach this branch." "I'm outta here." "Hey, they got great stuff!" "You guys are seriously bailing?" "Does Howdy Doody have wooden balls?" "Welshers!" "Who wanted the boys anyway?" "We can have it all to ourselves." "Amen!" "Think you could make any more noise with that damn car of yours?" "Sorry about that, Miss Higgins." "And quit trying to look through my dress and see my nipples." "Hi, hon." "How was your day?" "Honey?" "They let me go from that job today." "What?" "Why?" "It hasn't even been a week." "Some way or another they found out I spent time in that mental hospital." "Did you tell them you went into that hospital voluntary, for nightmares?" ""It's nothing personal," they said." "Law says you can't work for the city or state, within the vicinity of children if you've spent time in a mental hospital or corrective institution." "It's because of our government you were there." "And now they're turning you down for work like you're some kind of criminal?" "What is that?" "We've still got my jobs and we can get food stamps and..." "Food stamps?" "God bless America." "They give you a handout before they give you a job." "Don't tell the kids just yet." " They're gonna find out." " I know." "'Cause I'm gonna tell them." " Just not till I get myself back up again." " Okay." "Just don't want them getting the idea the world's against us." "You know, my father used to say:" ""Nothing you ever do in this lifetime..." ""... is gonna make a difference. "" "Wouldn't you know, Lois, out of all the remarks anybody ever said to me that's the one I held on to." "Maybe that's why I joined up." "A chance to do something good." "And they was drafting." "Then I let my best friend die 'cause I didn't have enough guts to stand up..." "Don't do this to yourself." "You did the only thing you knew." "I don't want our kids growing up thinking they're powerless 'cause of me!" "Everything they do in this world has a consequence." "Our children still believe in miracles, they believe anything's possible." "As long as they believe like that, they're gonna be something." "They're gonna make a difference in this world." "And that means I made a difference." "I'm gonna get a job." "I'll get another one." "I need five men!" " How about me, boss?" " You with the suspender." "You with the denim, you with the thermos jug." "He could use some help, you guys." "Child, it is too hot to work." "I might catch me a stroke out here." " We can't lift this." " Come on." "We almost got it." "Come on." "All right, let's try this one more time." "I can't lift that." "Poor son of a gun." "He wants to build that place so bad, he's willing to put up with anything." " One, two, three!" " Look how they've got him sweating." "Am I lying too or what?" "I'm telling you, it brings tears to a man's eyes to see." "You guys wanted that up there, then why didn't you ask me?" "Put that thing up there." "That's the way you ask me?" "Ain't you heard the word "please"?" "Please?" "Get out of my way, lightweight." "Let's go." "Wait a minute." ""The Lord is my shepherd;" "I shall not want. "" "Hallelujah!" " Way to go!" " I knew you could do it!" "Come on, Marsh!" " Way to go!" " How did you do that?" "I don't get it." "Well, she's for sale, Stuart." "Been repossessed." "Found out today the bank's had her on the market 14 months." "Nobody's interested, on account of she's so close to the train tracks." "Tragic, isn't it?" "Dad, nobody wants it 'cause she's a wreck." "Why, how dare you." "Paint's chipping off the walls, cracked windows..." "Lipstick and rouge, that's all that is." "Lipstick and rouge." "This here's a fine old girl." "Just gotta look a little deeper." "She's got good pipes." "Sound foundation." "She's gonna keep us cool in the summer." "Keep us warm in the winter." "Give us clean water to drink." " I mean through the pipes, not the roof." " Yeah, but Dad..." "Listen to that water pressure." "Brings tears to my eyes." "Dad, you've gone stark raving mad." "She's speaking to me." "Yeah?" "What's she saying?" ""You can buy me. "" " Did she say where to get the money?" " No." "She did not mention that." "Come here." "I want to show you something." "I figure in there's gonna be your room." "Dad." " It's the biggest room I've ever seen." " Isn't it?" "Upstairs, there's a vanity in the master suite." "Yeah?" "How do you know?" "'Cause last time I was here, I climbed up a tree, snuck a peek." "Your mama's always wanted her very own vanity." "I'm gonna build her a French potty in here." "You know, one of them bidets." ""Walter Crouly Home. "" "Next owner is none other than..." "Us." "Stu it's gonna take a good while before I can get enough money together to get this place." "I'd like to surprise your mom." "You think maybe we could keep this whole thing under our hats?" "I won't tell a soul." "Good." "Are we just pretending we're gonna buy this place?" "We're hoping, son." "So long as we've got hope, there's always a chance." "All right, let's be picking them up and putting them down." "Hey, son!" "That man over there says you know something about a mining job." "Go to hell." "Excuse me?" "Did I say something?" "Why don't you just go on and get your jollies off of somebody else?" "All right, I'm tired of all of you making fun about my car!" "First shot I get at a decent job and my car blows up." "I'm tired of people making fun of my car too, but it runs." "It does, huh?" "When I've got money to put gas in her, she does." "If you've got a line on a good job, I've got a car." "Maybe we should have dinner tonight at my house, discuss it." "What you having?" "How come all we ever eat is potatoes any more?" "We eat mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, baked potatoes." " Hey, everybody!" " Hey, Dad." "I want you to meet my new friend, Moe Henry." " Hi, everybody." " You want something to eat?" "Yes, ma'am." "Moe and me got hired out as miners this afternoon." "Hey!" "Good job, Dad!" "Problem is, if I don't show up tomorrow morning foreman's gonna give my position to someone else." "Moe knows how to get me a card tonight, right?" "Right." "The problem is, it's gonna cost fifty smackers." "$50 for a union card?" " Where are you gonna get that from?" " Tell them about the dollar." "If I get the card Moe's gonna ride to work with me, pay me a dollar every day." "That's right!" "For gas!" "Lois, it pays ten times what I'm making now." "I've got the first installment right here!" "Why do you think that is, Stephen?" "Don't fight me on this, honey." " I've $5 and some change if you need it." " Not here, not now." "I believe I've got $17." "$17 plus this, what Moe had, that's $18." "I have 800 Coke bottles you can have." "That should give you about $35, $40 at least." "I thought you were saving that money for a..." "Special occasion?" "That is exactly right." "That is what this is." "Your daddy just landed the best job of his life." "Congratulations, Stephen, Moe." "Thank you, Miss Simmons." "We'd better run before that place closes." " Can I come with you?" " Sure!" "It's near 50 miles to that marble mine." "Think Flossy'll make it, Dad?" "It took you six months to save that." "Now he's gonna go blow it on a job he'll probably lose inside the first week." "Come outside." "Come on, Flossy." "Don't fail me now." "She busted again." " Lidia Simmons, what is the matter?" " It's you." "You don't have good shoes." "You hardly ever eat anything." "You work all the time." "This money was gonna be a new chance for you." "Why are you always giving your chances away?" "Now, listen here." "All your dad has ever done is fought to make this world a better place for us." "Yes, he struggles." "Yes, he has had dirt kicked in his face." "All the more reason he needs our help." "Now, you don't wanna help him, that's okay." "You've gotta follow your instincts." "But I will not listen to you knock him." "He's part of me." "You cut him down, you're cutting me down." "You're cutting down yourself." "Dad?" "Would you like to go back to bed?" "What are you doing up this late, Pocahontas?" "I dreamt I had to pee, and then I woke up and it was real." "Dad, Stu says them dreams were giving you a nervous breakdown and that's how come you had to go away." "Are you going away again?" "I ain't going nowhere you can't come." "You believe in angels?" "Sure." "Why?" "Don't you believe in anything you can't see?" "No." "So do you think I have a guardian angel?" "Lidia, I bet you've got a dozen of them." "Like who, for example?" "Well, I bet your grandfather's watching over you." "I thought you said he was an alcoholic." "Lidia, it's..." "Lidia, it's 2:00 in the morning." "Don't..." "Dad, listen." "When you get old and die, you'd better fire whoever's got my case and take over the job yourself." "I'll tell you what." "When the Lord calls me home I'll just ask him about that." "Okay?" "But right now I think we both ought to be hitting the sack, hon." "Look here, I cut my arm." "That makes 31 scars." " I must have more scars than you now." " Hell you do." "I've got more scars than Frankenstein." " Put your arm up here, next to mine." " Come this way." "Them cigar burns you said don't count." "Got to be an accident." " I'm itching like a wet dog." " You smell like one, too." "Shut up." "Orbiting Pluto, Billy?" "No." "We never get to do nothing good." "I hate this town." "I hate these ugly clothes, ugly shoes..." "Why not just say you hate everything in the universe and give our ears a break?" "She's gotta recite the whole encyclopedia of hates every damn day." "It's clear." " You done good by us, Billy boy." " Thanks." "People said Billy Lipnicki was nuts and saw visions and talked to the spirits." "The only thing that I knew was that he loved dimes." "But, what I didn't know at the time was that very same day my father had pulled out his only decent shirt ironed it perfectly, and put his tie on to look respectable so he could buy us a new house at the county auction." "Flossy stall again, Dad?" "What the hell's the matter with you?" "Can't you drive?" " Come on, Flossy." " Get that piece of junk off the road!" "Go around him, stupid!" " Did she stall again, Dad?" " Yes." "What's the matter with you?" "Move it!" " He's just doing it to spite you!" " That's why he cut you off!" "Move it!" "What the hell?" "Dad, he's hitting our car!" "I see that." "Do something!" "What do you want I should do, go stand between the bumper?" "Quit hitting our car, you big fat son of a bitch!" "Son, don't say that." "Is that the way you teach your kids to back-talk adults?" "No, but I think he seeing you slamming against our car like that he got a little emotional." "Dad, he tricked us into falling into poison ivy!" "Yeah, I got dung all over me 'cause of him!" " You throw my kid in a cesspool?" " No!" "Liar, liar, pants on fire, hanging from a telephone wire!" "You lying to me, son?" "You better not catch yourself lying to me!" "Don't let him talk to you that way!" "He's a liar!" " Hit him, Dad!" " How about letting this go?" "Come on, Dad!" " Seems like our kids are gonna live." " Show him who's boss!" "Doesn't look like there's any damage to our automobiles." "You being smart?" "If you're looking for a fight, I'll fight you right now." "He couldn't beat himself out of a wet paper bag." "I don't believe in fighting." "I'll bet you don't." "You yellow-tailed, chicken-livered wussy." "Go, Dad!" " Tell him like it is!" " Go, Dad!" "Way to tell him!" " Beat him up, Dad!" " Way to go, Dad!" "At least he don't smell like a drunken skunk!" "I ought to break your neck, you little shithead!" "Dad!" "I'm afraid I can't allow you to put your hands on my son." "You don't see me correcting your children." "I don't mind so much you plowing into my car and calling me names but you go after my child, you're gonna push a button on me and then I'm gonna lose control and kill you." "Now, apologize to my son." "I apologize." "That's mighty kind of you." "My son has something to tell you." "Apologize to Mr. Lipnicki, Stu." "Tell him you're sorry for insulting him." "Sorry, Mr. Lipnicki." "It's all over now." ""Baby love, my baby love" ""I need you, oh how I need you" ""But all you do is treat me bad"" "Let's get outta here!" " You're gonna be in trouble." " For what?" "Taking stuff off the Lipnickis' yard." " It just so happens I got permission." " I don't believe you 'cause you'd say anything." "I'm gonna tell, and when they find out, they're gonna kick your ass." "Don't say nothing, Lester." "Name me one reason why I shouldn't." "You're going to summer school again, aren't you?" "So?" "If you keep your big, fat mouth closed I'll do all your homework." "First time I get less than a B, I'm telling." "Either way, I got you." "Did you put your best foot forward?" "We're trying to." "You know, the bank tries not to encourage the cheapskates by suggesting an opening offer of $5,000." "Some of these people have been writing us checks for like a nickel." "It's really causing some problems around here." "Well, my check ain't for nowhere as near $5,000." "You reckon I'd still have a chance?" "Neighbor, I'd like to say yeah, but I don't wanna lie to you." "Haven't you ever considered buying a mobile home?" " Sign says, "No minimum bid. "" " Yes sir, it does." "I really like the white house the best." "You wanna kiss it for added luck?" "Good luck to you." "What say we go get your mom and your sister some cotton candy?" "All right." "You stay right there." "Can I get two, please?" "Dad?" "Dad?" "Hey, punk!" "Don't you know you can't buy no house with food stamps?" "No Willard, his daddy has a job." "Remember we seen him plucking spuds out in the fields?" "Then again, maybe he was just thieving them taters for supper." "Hey!" "That's enough!" " I hate them kids!" " All right." "Go on." "Get on with your business." "I guess this is all my fault." "If I can't control myself, how do I expect you to?" "Hey, trespasser!" "I know of a house your daddy could afford." "Of course, a couple of robins are living in it now." "Get in the car." "I hope you know they're the kids that just beat me up." "I know who they are, son." "Then why did you just give them Mom and Lidia's cotton candy?" "'Cause it looked like they hadn't been given nothing in a long time." "My goodness, you're doing a beautiful job on that." " Where are you getting all the stuff?" " I don't know." "Lidia gets it." "Son, have you tried talking to them Lipnickis?" "It's self-defense, Dad!" "You went to war to fight for people you didn't even know!" "Yes, I did!" "Because I wanted to help people." "But in the end, I killed more people than I saved." "I lost more friends than I ever made before or since." "I lost my dignity, I lost my house." "I about lost my family." "None of that was your fault, Dad." "You did the right thing, going to war." "I think it's time I finished telling you about them nightmares." " Oh, Dad!" " Just listen!" "I started to tell you that I had this friend, Dodge." "We'd gone through boot camp together." "Swore we'd stick by one another, come what may." ""The sunshine of your love" ""I've been waiting"" "There was an explosion." "And I could hear him." " Stephen!" " It was Dodge." "He was calling my name." "He was hurt." "We were all hurt." "You and me, man." "You and me." "We're getting our asses on the next bus outta here!" "You just hold on!" "I carried him." "I swear I carried him as far as I could." "You and me, man." "You and me, man." "You and me, man." "We got to that helicopter just as the enemy was coming in." " Leave him!" "Just you!" "Everybody in the company had died, it was just me and Dodge." " Come on, let's go!" "I was scared out of my mind." "The craft's too heavy!" "We can take one man, that's it!" "He's gonna be all right!" "We can't lift off with any more than one!" " Let's just give it a try!" " No!" "The enemy's coming in, man!" "You gotta make a decision!" " I can't leave him!" " It's your choice, man." "It's one of you or none of you." "I can't leave him." "You understand?" "We're not the enemy!" "Dodge was so bad off, he didn't know from nothing." "And I was so scared of being left behind that I..." "I laid my best friend down on the ground and told him to go with God." "He let go of my hand and he just closed his eyes." "I got inside of that helicopter and I flew away." "Two days later my country presented me with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for bravery." "Why didn't you make them take him, Dad?" "'Cause I lost my mind." "Fighting had consumed us, and we'd all gone nuts." "And that's what my struggle's been about all these years." "Trying to forgive myself, pardon my country." "I can't tell you never to fight, Stu." "But if you wanna know what I think I think the only thing that keeps people truly safe and happy is love." "I think that's where men get their courage." "That's where countries get their strength." "And that's where God grants us her miracles." "And in the absence of love, Stuart there is nothing." "Nothing in this world worth fighting for." "I'll try to work it out with the Lipnickis, all right?" "I know you will." "I know you will." "You're..." " I love you." " I love you too, Dad." "You're my son." "Good morning, girls and boys." "My name is Miss Strapford." "Now this summer, we're gonna be familiarizing ourselves with what I believe is just the finest little book ever come into print." "It is entitled:" "Why My Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries." "Now, doesn't that title just give you a thrill?" "Excuse me, darling." "When the teacher is speaking, the polite thing for girls and boys to do is to shut their little mouths and listen, you understand?" "Yes, ma'am." "Now once we are finished with this book we are gonna be devoting our time to writing our memoirs." "This is where you will indicate to me why your life is like a bowl of cherries." "Let's get this class into some sort of order." "Son, you're a tall boy." "Why don't you swap seats with the girl back there in the plaid?" "Go on." "Pick up your stuff and move on back." "And you with the hearing aid!" "Why don't you have a seat back there?" "Just crank up that little thing of yours." "And you, sweetheart, why don't you have a seat up front?" "Oh my, you're a big girl." "I'm sure you'll see just fine in the rear aisle." "Go on." "And you, little girl, why don't you have a seat in the back with your friend?" "Now, isn't this much better?" " Nigger lover." " Shut up!" "Colored girl, didn't I just tell you to hush up?" "I wasn't saying nothing." "Well now, I distinctly heard you whispering." "Stand up and tell the class what was so important that you had to interrupt me again." "I already told you." "I wasn't saying nothing." "I know you did." "And I wanna hear what it was." "We're all waiting." "She already told you." "I think she can speak for herself." "All right." "I'll tell you." "I was saying, "Elvadine, what you gots to write about?" ""Been in the sixth grade your whole good-for-nothing life." ""Ain't got no daddy." ""Never goes anywhere but where your feets take you." ""Onliest money ever belonged to you in the whole world..." ""... was $20 you got yourself in a birthday card..." ""... from your uncle last year. "" "But it really wasn't for my birthday, really." "It was for laying over his lap, letting him spank me with my underpants down." "Now, here you come along, shoving me in the back of a room where I's can't even see good which means I probably not gonna graduate this summer neither." "Just 'cause you read how some white man say, "life be like a bowl full of cherries" I gots to come up with something to fit his saying." "Well, fine." "I'll just write down how happy I'm gonna be to get $20 more on my birthday." "Never mind what he got planned for me this year." "And I'm gonna write how maybe the new man my mama's seeing might stop drinking and treat me nice." "And maybe he gonna adopt me and take us off the welfare." "And at the end, I'm gonna be sure and put:" ""Life sure is a bowl full of cherries. "" "But to tell you the truth, Miss Strapford I think you and that book and this whole class be a bowl full of shit!" "Go to the principal's office." "Now." "Didn't you hear a damn word she said?" "Excuse me?" "She told you the best truth she knows." "And you don't have any right to put her out or call her a liar neither." "My mama says folks who treat people bad only do it because they're ignorant." "So I'm gonna help you." "She's gonna sit up front where she can see from now on." "She ain't gonna go by "colored girl" no more, neither." "You're gonna learn her name." "I don't know about you, but all my friends have names." "And this just so happens to be my best friend." "Her name is Elvadine." "My daughter knows the difference between cruelty and sensitivity." "So I wrote my memoirs for Miss Strapford." "And the summer just drifted on by." "Dad got his union card and a job pumping water out of an empty portion of the Foothill Marble Mine two counties north of us." "It was a good job 'cause there was 3,000,000 gallons of water to pump." "I hear they ain't been working in this part of the mine for 20 years now." "It's kind of spooky, really." "Let me get it." "What was that?" "I don't know." "Moe!" "Help!" "I can't move." "All right, let me see." "Stephen?" "Am I all right?" "All right, this is not gonna feel too good." "No, Stephen." "It ain't no use." "Best go." "Get out of here while you can." "You know I can't do that." "You still owe me $3 for gasoline." "I want you to know if I gotta break your leg into ten pieces I'm taking you outta here." "Thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better." "Third time's the charmer." "Grit your teeth and get ready to swim." "All right, don't move back there." "Keep apace." " Move them back." " My name is Lois Simmons." "Stephen Simmons is my husband." "Is he all right?" "I don't know." "I hope so." "Move back!" "Get out of the way." "Move back!" "Moe!" " Oh, my God!" "What happened?" " Stu?" "He saved my life." "Your daddy saved my life." "Dad!" "Let me see him." "Dad, what happened?" " Get back." "We're in a hurry." " You all right?" " Stuart!" " Get back, son." "Dad!" "Is he gonna live?" "I've heard of others like him that have pulled through but I gotta tell you what's keeping him alive hasn't been a thing to do with medicine." "He's got massive thoracic injuries." "One of his lungs is collapsed." "He's hemorrhaging." "His heart's bruised awful bad." "Dad." "Oh, Dad." "They say he should've died instantly." "They didn't know my dad." "And he hung on." "Stu never said much about that day." "He just went straight over to the tree house and started in on it." "For the rest of that day and most of the night he kept himself busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest." "I guess around dawn, Stu finally passed out." "Meanwhile, little John D. Rockefeller just kept on hoarding his loot." "Biding his time till he saw a chance to spend it." "Do you have a bag?" "And spend it he did." "Arliss!" "Leo!" "Willard!" "Get your good-for-nothing carcasses over here!" "Look at him, every last one of you, look at him!" "He can't even move, for Christ's sake!" "What's the matter with him?" "Well now, you tell me!" "I don't know." "Ice-cream coma?" "He's your goddamned brother!" "You're supposed to take care of him!" "If your mama could see how your treating him she'd come down from heaven and kill every last one of us!" "I ought to beat the hell out of all of you for letting him wallow in the dirt like that!" "Now, get him cleaned up before the ants carry him off!" "And from now on, if any of you leave this yard without him it's gonna be on a stretcher!" "Get up!" "I almost got my ears torn off, stupid idiot!" " I wish we never even had you." " Where'd you get it, anyhow?" "A big airplane just dropped them out of the sky." "If you don't honest up, we'll scrub you down with lipstick so everyone thinks you've got diaper rash, how about it?" " No!" " Yes!" "Then we'll shave your head bald as a witch's tit." " I won't look like no witch's tit." " You will if you don't tell us." "You can cut off every hair on my head, but I ain't telling you ding-dittly-ding-dittly-ding-dang-dong." ""Sunny" ""Yesterday my life was filled with rain" ""Sunny" ""You smiled at me and really eased the pain" ""Oh, the dark days are done" ""and the bright days are here" ""My Sunny one shines so sincere" ""Oh, Sunny one so true" ""I love you"" "Oh, my God!" "The Lipnickis are coming!" " Great!" "That makes for a perfect day." " What the hell are they doing here?" "Did you guys tell them about this place?" " Of course not!" " No way, man!" "I gots to go home." " My mom gots to do my hair." " See you, Lid." "Stu?" "What?" "I was gonna tell you." "Tell me what?" "What did you do, Lidia?" "I mentioned to the little kid Lipnicki, Billy, that we were building a fort." "He ain't allowed off his property." "How could you talk to him?" "All the junk comes from the Lipnickis' yard." "No." " No!" " Oh, man, I warned you, Stu!" "A walking, talking broadcast station, that's what she is!" "Oh, man, I fold." "They're half way across the lot." "What are we doing?" " Stall them a minute." "I gotta think." " Simmons!" "Simmons, you better get your butt down here!" "Stu, it's kind of important you come out here now!" "I admit it." "I shouldn't have been there." "Yeah." " So I screwed up." " Yeah." "All right, let's not make a big thing outta this." "Now what?" "I don't know." "I'm not going out there to fight them." " Stu!" " You're not thinking of handing it all back?" "This is our house!" "Maybe the only one we're ever gonna have." "Shouldn't we fight for it?" "Don't you recall a damn thing daddy's taught us?" "He finds out we've been fighting, he's gonna be real disappointed." "Maybe this ain't the time." "But haven't you considered that maybe he's never gonna find out?" "He's lying in that hospital while the machine's breathing for him." "Don't you say one more word!" "You just better not talk like that no more!" " He's gonna be fine!" "He's always fine!" " Okay, Stu." "I'm sorry." " Name me one time he didn't turn out fine." " You're right." "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean that, really." "We'll figure another way, that's all." "No fighting." "Oh, Stu!" "I think you ought to join us out here on the patio, right quick!" "Stu!" "Oh, Stu!" " Come here, twerps!" " Let go of my ear!" "Shut your face, freckle!" "Stuart Simmons, meet Arliss Lipnicki again." "Billy says you've all been mooching off on our property." "This is our stuff." "Your daddy took it from our old house." "I've seen bird houses built better than this." "Probably fall to pieces in the first good wind." " Bitching lock." "Where did you get it?" " It's my dad's." "Come from the war." "Come on, give it back." "Goody gumdrops." "I think I'll just take it home and play with it." "Now, come on." "Give it back." "That there's our stove, I'll tell you that right now." "Them boards and rusty nails are ours, too." "If it's just them few things, we'll dismantle them and give them back." "Stu?" "Trespasser wants to give us back our ruined boards with ten million scratches and dog-piss stains." "I'm afraid I'll have to lay claim to this piece of crap fort." "You don't need to claim it." "You guys can come visit any time." " Yeah!" " Shut up, Billy, you little dip." "Hey, cool fort!" "What the hell did they do to your head?" "Same thing I'm gonna do to you!" "You've got five seconds to tell me a better idea than seizing this place for our own." "Four, three, two." "We'll dare you for it." "Cool, Arliss!" "A dare!" " What kind of dare?" " Any kind you say." "But if we win, we keep the fort." " If you lose?" " It's yours." "Lock and key." "It's fine by us." "See you at the quarry." "If we win the key, do we get to own the fort and say whose in it?" "Yeah, Billy, that's what we get to do." "If I got the key, I'd have it be everyone's and we'd have a big party with Ring Dings, Little Debbies rocket pops and Yoo-hoos and..." "Shut up, Billy, you little broken record!" "Thank you, now I'm starving." "And I mean starving." "God!" "I'm scared." "Hold on, asshole!" "I am holding on!" "Water's calm now, but she gets real ugly when she empties." "Oh, man." "Are you sure you swum down there?" "You ain't psyching me out, are you?" "I told you I did." "What are them noises?" "It's draining, I guess." "It'll stop sooner or later." "Stu, let's nix on this." "We can find another lot." "Look, it's real simple." "You and Leo swim to the other side and tag it." "First one back to the ladder claims all." "Either side yellow-bellies, it's a forfeit." "You all got that?" "Oh, my God!" "What is that?" "There ain't no way across here." "Well, we'll find out, won't we?" " What's going on?" " You've never been down here, have you?" "You swimming across here is a bunch of dick." "It ain't as bad as it looks." " Simmons ain't afraid to swim." " That moron's crazier than you." " You swim it!" " Fine!" "I will!" " Willard, go down there." " I ain't going down there." "Don't you knuckle on me." "You want them to think we're chicken?" "They can think whatever they like." "I ain't going down there." " Ebb?" " Why, you chicken, big fella?" " Ula?" " No way!" "Hey, where did Leo go?" "You ready?" "On your marks, get set..." "Hold on." "Look here." "I'm gonna give you one last chance to back out." "Give me the word, and we'll think up a different deal." " For your sake." " You forfeit?" " Lidia, count us down." " On your marks..." "You know there ain't no way." " Get set." "Go." " You psycho?" "Stu, come on!" "You're gonna make it, Stu!" "You're halfway there!" "Stu, come on!" "Don't get in the middle!" "Stay out of the middle!" "Come on, Stu, swim!" "Stu!" "Come on, please, Stu!" "Stu, come on, you can make it!" "Swim!" "Swim, Stu!" "Come on!" "Come on, Stu!" "Stu!" "Come on!" "Come on, Stu!" "You can make it." "Come on!" "That lunatic made it across!" "I taught him how to swim like that." "Boy, I psyched you out." "You thought we was really gonna swim it." "What a cretin." "Hey!" "The fort's ours!" "Have it." "We never wanted your cruddy little fort in the first place." "I told you I'd get you through this mess." "Hey, the lock." "Go get it yourself, why don't you?" "I dare you." "Come on, Stu, forget the key." "We got the fort." "Come on, Billy." "She's right." "Let's get out of here before somebody gets hurt." "So we deposited Billy on firm ground and went to visit dad again." "Stu thought he looked better." "Elvadine said a prayer for him." "I'm here, honey." "Do you even know who I am?" "Lois." "Stephen." "That's me." "That's me." "Hey, Mom!" "Stuart!" "Lidia." "You all are to come in here now." "Something wrong?" "Ma?" "Your daddy just died." "No." " No." " It wasn't painful." "His heart just quit pumping." "He's gonna be okay." "He cannot die." "He's on machines." " Son, they took him off." " Well, tell them to put him back on!" "Honey he's gone." "They can't now." "I'm sorry." "Why did they take him off, Ma?" "Because it cost too much?" "No." "You understand, don't you?" "I understand that everybody just gave up on him!" "Nothing could've kept your father away from you, given he had a choice." "I bet he's up there, right now, in heaven, looking down on us." "He's gonna be able to look out for us the rest of our lives." "Well, I sure as hell hope he does a better job than when he was alive." " Don't say that, Stu!" " Why?" "You thought he was a deadbeat." "I never said that." "For all I know, he could've been an angel." "Maybe he's looking down on us now." "Maybe he died in that war and God sent him back for one last visit." "For what?" "To get our hopes up?" "To promise us he'd stay forever?" "And we were gonna have a big house with a tire swing, a vanity, and a picket fence." "And then just leave?" "Again?" "What the hell kind of loused-up angel is that?" "He didn't mean to leave, honey." "No, he didn't mean it." "I think God just took him on home." "We're his home, Ma!" "The stupid Lord can have him later." "Why?" "Why does God take everything, Ma?" "Bad enough our house and all our things." "Why did he have to take my daddy?" "What did I do so wrong that he'd have to take my daddy?" " Oh, no, you didn't do nothing." " He could've took anybody." "Charles Manson, super-old people who've already been around 100 years." "My dad was only 34 years old." "I needed him more than you, God!" "I needed him more!" " Come here." " No!" "Hang on." "I want him back, Mama." "We all do." "We do." "No, Stu!" "Stu." "They showed up this afternoon before we could get all our ammo done." "Now they're wasting half my brother's fireworks." "How's your dad?" "He died." " Oh, Stu." " Is there anything we can do for you?" "What if dad's watching?" "Dad's dead." "What if he knows what we're doing?" "Dad's gone, Lidia." "Here's the real stuff." "Smoke bombs." "Camouflage paint." "Uniforms." "Take what you want, guys." "Man." "Hurry, close it." "Get them off!" "Eat that, sucker." "You get outta my tree and stay out, and nobody gets hurt!" "But if you come back, all bets are off!" "Don't come back here!" " Here's one!" "Let's clobber him!" " Run!" " Regroup!" " Keep running." "That's what you do best." "You yellow-bellied chickens!" "Oh, my God!" "Lidia, get outta there!" "Come on!" "Help me save the fort." "Oh, no." "Wait." "What are you doing?" "Putting out another fire." "Arliss, why are you doing that?" "Why doesn't everyone share the fort?" "For the last time, get lost, you little twerp." "Ula Lipnicki!" "All them times you knocked out my teeth, I'm gonna show you now!" "Get away from my friend!" "You knocked out my tooth." "You knocked out another front tooth, you douche bag." "We thought if we hit them hard the first time they'd surrender and the fighting would end." "But it didn't." "It just got worse and worse." "And I guess somewhere along the way, we all sort of lost our minds." "You sick, crazy bastard!" "See you later, alligator." "I'll get you, Ebb!" "I'm gonna kick your little butt from here to kingdom come!" "Army tags!" "You and me, man." "You and me, man." "You and me, man." "Oh, my God." "Billy, don't move!" "Stay there!" "Billy!" "Hey!" "Forget the key, Billy." "The fort's gone." "Just stay where you are." "The planks are rotted." "Don't move a muscle." "Hold still now, Billy." "I'm gonna get you." "Billy!" "Is that you, you Dumb Dora?" "Yeah!" "Hold on!" "Don't do nothing stupid." " I just came to grab the key." " It's okay now." " I've got you." " I'm scared!" "It's okay." "Let go." " Don't be mad at me." " Give me your hand." "Billy!" "Help!" "Grab onto something!" "Come on, you can make it!" "Hang on, Billy!" "It's got to stop draining soon." "He's stuck in the drain!" "Yank him off!" "Get him, get him!" "Hurry!" "Yank him off the drain!" "We're coming now!" "Grab him!" "Grab him!" "Oh, no." "He ain't breathing." "He ain't breathing!" "Come on, Billy!" "Help me now." "Take a breath." "Come on, wake up!" "Damn it, Billy, fight it!" "Fight it!" "Listen to me." "I'm talking to you." "Come on!" "Come on!" "Live, Billy." " Breathe!" "Please, God, breathe!" " Stop it, you'll hurt him!" "It ain't no use." "He ain't taking air." "Don't you listen to them, Billy." "We're gonna pull through this now, you and me." "Wake up!" "Come on, you gotta live!" "You gotta live!" " You gotta!" " Don't hurt him." " Just let him be." " No!" "We've gotta give him a chance." "Come on, Billy, take a breath!" "My daddy says people can do anything they have a mind to as long as they believe they can." "Please, God, let him breathe!" "You took my dad." "Don't take Billy." "He's just a little kid." "You've gotta wake up now." "You've gotta live!" "Come on, breathe!" "Breathe!" "Don't quit now, Billy!" "Will somebody please help me?" " I will." " You know what you're doing?" "I sure hope so." "Wake up now, Billy." "Nobody's gonna be mad at you." "You did the best you could." "Come on, you're a real-life hero." "Come on, wake up, Billy!" "He woke up." "You know, I saw an angel." "A real one." "He was holding onto my hand." "And I was gonna live in his kingdom." "He said I must come back and take care of my daddy." "And he looked like you but only bigger." "Come on, Billy." "Let's go home." "These were dad's." "What are you thinking?" "If dad's watching he can go now." "He is watching." "From that day on the Lipnickis didn't hang around the quarry no more." "We didn't see much of them except for Billy, who kind of adopted us all." "The guys and us started to rebuild the fort, but after a few days we all got kind of disinterested, and gave up." "Now Stu and his friends mainly hang out at the theatre so as to try and pick up babes." "Mama said daddy was at peace finally that he wasn't suffering no more." "Then a few weeks later, a visitor came to see us." "Can I help you?" "Good afternoon, ma'am." "My name is John Ray Wilkens." " I'm with the Clairville Auction House." " Yes." "Well, about six weeks ago, your husband put down a bid on one of our bank-owned properties." "We tried to call you all, but I guess the phone's been down." " Things have been a little tight." " Yeah, well anyway your husband put a down-payment bid of $432." "Well, thanks for returning the check." "We could sure use the money." "No, ma'am, I'm not returning the check." "The bank took on too many of these failed mortgages and if they don't get rid of these properties they'll be bankrupt themselves." "The bank accepted your husband's offer." "Being that it was the only one they got." "Are you telling me Stephen bought us a house?" "Yes, ma'am." "Lipstick and rouge, Ma." "Don't I know!" "So, I guess these memoirs are about us getting a home of our own." "But they're also about learning what's worth fighting for." "My daddy once said of fighting:" ""We are meant for better things, you and I."" "And these days whenever I'm ready to belt someone who's got my dander up I hear him whisper those words in my ear." "My mama says that people's lives are like tapestries." "The color and beauty of the designs depend all on the people you know the things you've learned." "What I learned this summer is that no matter how much people think they understand war war will never understand people." "It's like a big machine that nobody really knows how to work." "Once it gets outta hand winds up wrecking all the things you thought you were fighting for." "A whole bunch of other good things you sort of forgot you had." "I learned this summer that my brother was right." "My daddy's the wisest man I've ever known." "And that no matter what anybody tells you with God's help, human beings can do anything." "Look at it!"