Sweetland

We going off on the mash?

Got a few rabbit slips out.

Yeah.

Clara know you're up here?

- Mom's still asleep. I told Pop.

Hmm. What'd your pop say?

- He told me not to be a nuisance.

You got it? That's it.

Right.

There it is.

How about that? Good?

Mm-hmm.

Nice and tight.

There you go, buddy.

You got him? Put him up on your shoulder.

That's it.

Nice and heavy, aren't they? Do you like them?

- Yeah. Yeah. - You like rabbits?

You like dead rabbits?

Now, then...

Who's got it better than this, eh?

- Mr. Sweetland? - Just come off the ferry, did ya?

Just this second, yes.

- I must be some fuckin' important.

- You're at the top of my list. - Mm.

Tea?

- Uh, you don't have coffee by any chance? - I got instant.

- Tea is fine. - Mm-hmm.

- So... will you be coming to the meeting this afternoon?

- Wasn't plannin' on it. - I couldn't talk you into it?

It was 45 in favour, three against, by the most recent ballot.

But as of yesterday, yours is one of only two households

who have not agreed to take the package we're offering.

You and Mr. Loveless. And...

I have to admit... I'm curious.

- About what? - There's been no work out here since the cod moratorium.

Most of the younger residents have already moved away,

and you're turning down a substantial cash payout.

I guess... I'm just wondering what your story is.

- Imagine you got everything you needs to know about me in that bag of yours.

Hmm?

- "Moses Louis Sweetland, born November 14, 1948. Next of kin: None."

- Christ, I'm related to half the people in Chance Cove.

- No immediate next of kin I believe is what that means. Parents deceased.

Brother: Hollis. And sister: Ruth.

Both dead.

Marital status. Single?

Occupation: Lighthouse keeper. Retired.

- I was let go when they automated the light 10 years back.

And you were a fisherman before that?

- Right up until the moratorium in '92. - Never lived anywhere else?

- One trip up to Toronto for work when I was too young to know better.

Not much when you lays it out like that.

- Not enough to tell me why you're so set against this move.

- Contrary, I guess. - You'd rather stay here with the dead?

- A body could do worse for company.

- As you know, the government is offering a package to the residents of Sweetland

to move anywhere in the province.

Minimum $100,000 per household. Up to 150,000,

depending on the size of the family and other considerations.

Plus adjustment assistance,

help looking for work or retraining or returning to school--

- Jesus, I thought the government was broke.

- But we will not move a soul out of here

unless we have a commitment from everyone to the package.

Mm-hmm. Same old bullshit.

- You've been made aware of the September deadline? - Mm-hmm.

- There are people hoping to make the move across as early as this fall.

You can contact me anytime.

- Traitor! Ah, c'mon, take the package, ya prick!

It's over, boy! It's over!

Take the package, ya prick!

Here you go, old girl.

Here you go.

Yeah.

Haven't got enough grass here to keep a rabbit alive.

Never mind a cow about to calve.

Fuckin' Loveless. There you go, old girl.

Good girl.

Good girl.

Good girl.

- You're not even gonna say hello?

- Playin' hard to get? - Oh, you're a natural.

- See you're putting in the garden in the week.

- Yes, and don't you trample all over 'em.

- They'll likely die of the cold if they comes up anyway, maid.

Have to give these up.

- What's that you're readin'? - Mm.

One of them books Sandra sends me down from the mainland.

- She's still tryin' to wean you off the Harlequins, is she? - Yeah.

: Who's that there you're talking to?!

- Hayward, I'm talking to me boyfriend!

Hayward said he never saw ya at the town meeting last night.

- I was puttin' in the spuds. I'll set aside a barrel for you the fall.

I won't be here the fall.

- You been saying that 20 year or more.

- You know that Hayward took the package.

- Never thought you'd allow it, just the same.

- Was Sandra talked him into it. Sure he can't say no to our girl.

She's putting an apartment for us in her basement.

She can't wait for us to get there, she says.

I was born here.

And I had five youngsters in the same bedroom I was born in.

The only way I'll be leaving this house in a box.

- No one's gonna carry you out in a box, maid.

We'll just lift a few boards and set you under the floor.

Kiss my arse.

I'll have to take a raincheck.

Don't leave it too long.

Don't leave it too long.

- Pop says it's just you and Loveless wants to stay now.

Will I have to go?

Not as long as I'm around.

- Pop says they're gonna drive you out.

- No one's driving me anywhere. Here you go.

- Mom took me to see a doctor in St. John's. - Mm-hmm.

- And how was it? - Loud.

- And what did the doctor have to say to ya? Retarded, is it?

Hmm? Antisocial. Co-dependent.

Mentally unstable. Psychopathic.

Well, what are ya goin' all the way into St. John's to see him for, then?

Don't know. Mom made me.

- Your mother's the one should be seeing the doctor.

- She sees him, too. She goes in after me.

- Fat lot of fuckin' good it's doing her, hey?

Don't mind me.

I don't.

- Hollis went into St. John's to see a doctor one time.

- Where'd you hear the like of that? - He told me.

- You were talking to Hollis, were ya? Is that a fact?

- He was into St. John's most of the winter one year.

Finish up now.

We got better things to do than sit around here jawing.

You wash up now.

It's time you got home to your supper.

- We're going out after wood tomorrow?

- Take one of these down to your pop.

Can we?

- I'll think about it. Go on home now.

Evening, Mr. Vatcher.

I'll be done in a minute.

Pilgrim was by earlier.

Said you and Jesse was out checking slips.

Said Clara wasn't very happy about it.

Who've been at this board?

- Would've been seven or eight had a go since you was here last.

- You didn't let Loveless touch anything.

- You're in check there, if you hadn't noticed.

- Loveless still thinks it's a goddamn checkerboard.

He means well.

- So does the fuckin' government.

- I didn't see you at the meeting yesterday.

Taking attendance, was ya?

- There was just Loveless, yourself and Queenie missing.

It's hard not to notice.

Hayward thinks you and Queenie must be having a little something on the side.

- He's not worried about Loveless?

- Hayward's paranoid, but he's not an idiot.

Hmm. Well...

- You heard that, uh, he and Queenie signed up for the package after all?

Check.

: Jesus. Fuck!

- Hello, the house! - That'll be herself now.

- You aren't watching porn over there, are ya? - Gave it up for Lent.

Fuck.

He's gotta be bluffing, Moses.

- I'm not taking poker advice from a blind fucker.

That's out of season.

- That was meant for your old man. - Leave me out of this, Mose.

They're peaked out this year. They'll be starving in the woods come the winter.