To Sleep with Anger

And breathe.

And breathe.

And breathe.

And breathe.

Now whenever you start feeling those little contractions,

I want you to take the time,

find a comfortable place and practice this exercise.

Understand?

I'll see you next week.

My mind must be playing tricks on me.

Looked all in my trunk and I can't find my toby.

What's that?

It's a charm my great grandmother gave to me.

It'll show up. Rhonda?

If my daddy calls, can you tell him I walked home?

Uh-huh.

- You be careful. - Okay.

- And thank you for taking care of Sunny. - Sure.

- Bye-bye, baby. - Bye.

Babe Brother and his wife are taking advantage of a situation here.

Now I hate to be mean,

but this business of them picking up Sunny whenever they choose

has got to come to an end.

And I'm gonna also ask him why he wasn't at your birthday.

Gideon, don't bother the poor boy.

It just takes some people a little longer to figure out who they are.

Yeah.

I don't understand how two brothers can be so different.

- Suzie? - Hmm?

Why don't you shut that door and, uh, come on over here.

- Who is it? - Babe Brother.

Babe Brother.

Oh, my, it's cold out there at night.

I...

I'm glad you came to the door instead of him.

This does not make any sense.

You're going to drag that poor boy out into the cold air

at this time of the morning?

Oh.

Mama, is he upstairs?

Where's Sunny now?

He's upstairs. Come on.

And don't wake up your daddy.

Oh.

- Thanks for taking care of him. - Mm-hmm.

I'm gonna try not to be so long next time.

Babe Brother.

What time is it?

Now, do you think you can just treat us like slaves?

It's after one o'clock!

I tried to call you to let you know I was gonna be late.

That is a lie!

- Can we settle this tomorrow, please? - Look.

Don't think you can get ahead by riding our backs!

- I pay my own way. - Since when?

Take Sunny home, please.

Oh!

I am late, late.

- Babe! - Mm-hmm.

Here.

- Good morning. - Hi, babe.

Need to take your vitamins.

Hey.

I'm the boss.

No!

Babe, I said no.

Well, he wouldn't want any if you didn't try to keep it away from him.

Just because you were spoiled, don't try and spoil Sunny.

Spoiled?

Spoiled?

My daddy never gave me anything without my having to sweat for it.

Every summer,

we had to pip all of Big Mama's hundred-odd laying' hens

and go to church all day on Sunday.

For Big Daddy, calluses and sweat were the mark of a man.

Mark of a man.

Now, Sunny will never have to bust his knuckles like we did.

Come on, baby, I'm late.

Come from a family that's no different from farm animals.

The world goes by while they stand along the fence,

chewing their cud.

Look, he needs discipline.

Now you are not helping when I tell him not to do something

and then you allow him to get away with it.

I love you.

I gotta go. See you later.

I wish that boy next door would learn how to blow that thing.

So when are you gonna find time to help me fix the roof?

You all don't believe me when I tell you I'm afraid of heights.

You used that excuse to get out the army.

You always got something to say, huh, bro?

Mm-hmm.

Your mother asked me not to mention it...

but her birthday was last week.

Uh, I hadn't forgotten.

I ordered some cloth.

Uh...

It didn't come in. And, uh...

I felt so bad, if I... if I would've come to your birthday without that, I...

I just stayed at home.

What'd your wife get her?

We got the same thing.

Boy, you tell your wife to come in here.

Why don't you come in for a while?

What would I talk about?

I have not read this month's Almanac.

I do not care to hear about how the corn was last fall

or how to get rid of gophers by using garlic.

They pride themselves on making life difficult,

and that's just not my cup of tea.

Come on.

Come on.

Just for a minute, one minute?

Quick. How much is cotton per pound

and how many gallons of water does it take to water an acre? Gotcha.

Babe Brother, he's a poor boy.

Hmm.

Y'all should've been hard on him like you were on me.

And he wouldn't be the way he is.

Junior, everybody got the same.

Why, I breast fed him, just like I breast fed you.

So another preacher said, "Brother, you are among friends.

Tell us what's troubling your soul.

Clear your conscience."

So the second preacher said...

"We have a bond because we are confessing to one another.

So I must tell you my sin is corn liquor.

I just acts a fool behind that spirit water.

I loves it more than preaching. Ain't that a sin, Lord?"

So all the preachers are confessing all their sins to one another.

Each one worse than the last one.

Finally, they get to the last preacher.

Now, he has been very quiet and listening to every word that fell.

So a preacher says to him.

"Brother, confessing will lift up your burden.

Bare your soul. We did."

So the last preacher said, "No.

My sin is the worst of all."

So another preacher said,

"Oh, man, go on and stop... s-stop all that sus-suspense."

So the last preacher said,

"Well, like I said, my sin is the worst of all.

My sin is gossiping

and I can't wait to go out and tell everything I've heard."

Gideon.

You really ought not tell him stories like that.

Tell me another story.

No, no, no, no. Now you tell me a story.

Once upon a time

when Mommy and Daddy lived in this big...

You stay back.

You might cut your fingers.

I looked everywhere for my toby.

Harry.

- Suzie. - Is that you?

I can't believe it. It is you.

Gideon, Gideon, look who is here.

Harry! Oh, good God Almighty.

Oh, we haven't seen you in what, what, it must be 30 years or more.

Suzie, we ain't seen Harry since we left down home.

Uh-huh.

So, this is my... my grandson.

This is... This is my youngest son's child.

Oh, he kinda favors one of my boys when he was about his age.

Oh, yeah?

Boy, that's bad luck to... touch a fellow with a broom.

Now, he knows better than that.

Now, Sunny, you apologize to Harry.

I'm sorry.

Yeah.

So, what brings you around these parts?

Uh, well, I came all the way from Detroit by bus going to Oakland.

The bus stopped in Los Angeles, I had to get off and take me a rest.

You stay till you feel better now.

- We would like to hear all the news. - Mm-hmm.

Well, I'm worn out, but won't you feel like you're taking in a stranger.

You put them boxes down and you stay as long as you like.

Well, you sure... I'm not a bother?

Oh, man, come on.

Oh, I don't sleep on spring mattresses.

Always make me a pallet on the floor.

Poor ol' Harry. He really must've been worn out.

He has been asleep all day.

- Yeah? - Mm-hmm.

Uh, good evening.

Good evening!

How are you doing, Harry?

Oh, it must be all the time zones I crossed made me feel this weary.

Well, you should go back and rest.

Oh, no, ma'am. If... If I rest any longer, I won't sleep tonight.

Uh, may I use your bathroom to wash up a bit?