That Evening Sun

Eh! God.

You make a habit of taking things ain't yours?

Your name's Meecham, ain't it?

They sent you to collar me, then?

Yes, sir, they did.

How much they paying you to bring me in?

Twenty dollars.

Did they already give you the cash?

Not till I show up with you.

I see.

Well, you...

you help me find my timepiece down here,

and I'll let you bring me back to the authorities.

Shit.

Gosh.

Sir, I don't know what to tell you.

I believe that watch made a run for it.

Hell, no, it didn't.

That's the problem with your generation...

no follow-through.

I've had that timepiece 50 years.

My wife give it to me.

Man, we looked over there, like, three times already, man.

Like I said...

no follow-through.

Twenty dollars, huh?

Yes, sir.

I'll give you 25 to forget that old folks' home

and drive me out past Ackerman's Field.

Ackerman's Field, man.

Shit.

Looks like you got company.

You sure this is the right place?

My name's on the mailbox, ain't it?

How much was it that I owed you?

Just $20, like I said.

Worth every nickel of it.

Twenty dollars worth of distance from Linden, Tennessee.

That'll do it.

Here.

No, shit, man.

No. No, here.

Okay, thank you.

You know that girl? She your relations?

Not by a considerable sight.

I hate just to drive off.

It's whole lot of nothing out here.

Way I like it. Don't worry nothing on me.

Suit yourself, Homes.

Take it easy in this heat, man, all right?

Howdy.

Who are you people?

What are you doing on my farm?

Well, my name's Pamela, and I'm sunbathing.

Um, mama's in the house, I guess,

probably cooking, and I don't know where Daddy is.

Somewhere. Probably.

I mean, what are you even doing here?

Why are you here?

We live here.

Ain't you Mr. Meecham?

I certainly am,

and this is my place.

Oh, I'm Mrs. Choat. Ludie Choat.

Lonzo's wife.

You... you remember Lonzo Choat?

Oh, Lord God.

We rented this place from your son.

Been here going on three months.

I was hardly gone three months!

Well, we got the papers... and everything.

We thought you was in the old folks' home

over in Perry County.

I was. I ain't no more.

I need to use the telephone.

Uh, we ain't got a telephone.

Of course there's a telephone!

We always had a phone!

There's one in there, but...

it don't work. Ain't, um, hooked up,

or... or something. I don't know.

You can talk to Lonzo about it.

He'll... he'll be here directly.

I'm an old man. I may die directly.

Abner Meecham.

Is it true Paul rented you this farm?

Ninety-day lease, option to buy.

I guess this is news to you, then.

Sorry you had to come all this way out here.

Cover yourself, girl.

An option to buy, huh?

Yeah, that's right.

Let's get one thing clear out of the gate.

That will never happen.

Will... never... happen.

You know why?

Because you wasn't never nothing but a loafer, Choat.

You and your daddy both

never owned so much as a pair of pliers.

Hell, that's my wrecking bar you're holding right there.

You're still as contrary as you ever was.

If you think you can buy a farm this size

with food stamps, you're mighty mistaken.

You remember that time I tried to rent

that tenant shack out there from you?

No.

Well, I did, and you wouldn't rent it to me.

Ain't life funny.

I never rented that house to nobody!

It was built too close to the main house to begin with!

There wouldn't have been privacy for either place.

Hell, that must've been 20 years ago.

You do remember.

Remember how long ago it was I needed it

and I didn't get it.

And life is funny.

And you can forget about your food stamps.

I got plenty of money now, Meecham.

I'm buying this place. I'm gonna tend to it, too.

I'm gonna have it up and running in no time.

I ain't seen none of this famous money.

Besides, this place ain't Paul's to sell.

We fixed it up legal.

If I was you, I'd be packing my stuff!

We'll see.

We sure as hell will.

Now, where's that paper?

Right here.

I thought you'd want to see it.

Why don't you step out into the light?

I can see just fine!

This ain't no legal bond!

The hell it ain't.

Unless you got something else to say, then...

Where are you going, Meecham?

How you aimin' to get back to town?

Hold... slow... slow down, Meecham.

Slow down, slow down, listen.

Now, I can't let you go inside the house.

The furniture come with the place.

That was part of the deal.

But not my stuff!

Ain't none of your stuff in there.

We cleaned all that out,

put it out in the tenant house.

Now, listen. Listen to me.

If you want to go over there

and get whatever it is you need to get, you can.

Then I need you to be gone, okay?

Okay?!

Yeah...

Ma'am.

Lonzo is down in the barn still.

I know.

I- I don't think it's a good idea,

Mr. Meecham, not unless Lonzo is here.

I just want to have a look around, that's all.

Check on things.

Everything's just fine in here.

That cab's coming for you, I guess?

What's that?

That taxicab?

It's coming back to pick you up soon?

Exactly how am I supposed to contact that taxicab,

Ma'am, you want to tell me that?

Am I supposed to use that phone in there,

the one you broke?

Maybe I should just walk back.

Hell, it's only about 20 mile.

I'm only about 80 year old.

Okay, okay.

I'll leave when I'm good and ready.

You tell Lonzo the same.

Oh!

You ain't gonna shoot me, are you?

Wha...?

I wasn't planning to,

but you go sneaking up on me like that,

I can't be responsible for what transpires.

Mama sent this.

She said she bet you was hungry,

and hot as it was, you needed something cold to drink.

Well, what did Lonzo say about this?

He didn't.

He left to go play poker at Mr. Goodwin's house.

Here, let me help you.

No, I can... I can... uh,

I can do it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Tell your mama I'm much obliged.

Is this your stuff?

I've been wondering who all this shit belonged to.

This ain't shit, kid.