Wish You Well

When I was ten,

and my brother, Oz, was seven,

our lives changed.

Our lives changed in the blink of an eye.

Forever.

- I assume you're our driver? - We're here to take you to the farm.

In this?

This is unacceptable.

We require a proper ambulance.

After that, I'll need to inspect the accommodations

to ensure that they're acceptable and...

Hello, children. I'm Louisa.

And I know you go by Lou and Oz.

Welcome to Virginia.

This here's my friend, Eugene.

Excuse me, madam. You can't expect us to ride back there.

No, I checked the fare back.

There's enough right here to get you on the first train out.

Perhaps you don't speak English that well. I'm coming with you.

Perhaps you don't understand how folks around here feel about trespassers.

We take it very seriously.

And I've never fired a warning shot in my life.

Come on now.

Amanda, it's Louisa.

I'm so glad we finally get to meet.

That's Hell no.

What you looking at?

- Hop in, Diamond. - Come on, Jeb. Come on.

Who's that?

Howdy y'all.

I expect y'all being Ms. Louisa's people.

Folks around here call me Diamond.

My daddy say that's how hard my head be.

I'm Lou. This is Oz.

Sorry to hear about your momma being hurt.

She's going to get better.

- Are we here? - Oh, no.

Hell No's just dropping me off at the river to go fishing.

- His name's Eugene. - Folks around here call him Hell No.

Why?

Well, when Hell No was a baby, his daddy left him.

Folks asked, "You gonna come back and get him?" He said, "Hell, no!"

John Jacob Cardinal.

Dad.

Not now, Amanda.

- We can't live off awards, Jack. - I said, not now, Amanda!

I wish you'd stop doing that. It's not going to help.

Your problem is you don't believe in anything.

And your problem is you believe in everything.

Everything all right?

- What is that for, Oz? - A way to help Mom.

Lou doesn't believe it.

Well...

believing in something is...

a lot better than having an empty heart.

What smells?

- Well, that'd be manure. - Oh, you'll get to love that smell.

Now come on over here. Eugene's gonna show you how to plow.

Now Mable here is about as strong as anything in the world.

I read an animal book. They have to show them who's in charge.

I guess Mable didn't read that book.

Louisa.

Lou, Oz, I want you to meet Cotton Longfellow.

He's one of the finest lawyers around here.

Well, seeing as I'm also one of the only lawyers around here,

that is a dubious distinction.

Oz.

Lou.

Lou fell in manure. That's why she smells.

Oz!

I don't know a farmer worth his take who hasn't fallen in manure at least once.

I want to say how sorry I am for your father's passing.

He was one of the greatest writers this country has ever had.

Lou, I think you might get along right well with Mr. Longfellow.

Are you related to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow?

- I am indeed. - He was a great writer, too.

I live in the shadow of greatness.

Can be a little difficult for some family members.

Well, Mr. Longfellow and I have things to talk over,

so you... you best go get cleaned up. You go help your sister.

It's nice to meet you, Oz, Lou.

So what'd you find out, Cotton?

Well...

there is no money...

in Jack Cardinal's estate.

And...

there are a lot of unpaid hospital bills for Ms. Amanda.

Well, we'll get by, we always do.

What exactly is wrong with Ms. Amanda?

Mental trauma...

is what the doctor in New York wrote me.

Say she may not get better.

It's up to her.

Maybe up to God.

Well,

mental trauma can sometimes be overcome by mental stimulation.

What better way to stimulate somebody than to read to them,

particularly something that they are very familiar with.

My eyes ain't what they used to be.

But...

I would be honored to read to her.

Good.

Wake up, Lou.

Lou. Wake up, Lou. Breakfast is ready.

Eugene's gonna take you to school.

It's all right. Go ahead.

Lou.

Can anybody tell me where the second and fourth grade classes are?

Sure. Come on.

Right over here.

Of course, that's just for Yankees.

Class, I'd like to introduce Louisa Mae and Oscar Cardinal.

Louisa Mae and Oscar, will you stand up please?

My name is Lou.

Their father was Jack Cardinal,

a famous writer and my former student.

Even met President Roosevelt.

And I hear that Louisa Mae is also a writer.

Well,

we welcome you, Louisa Mae and Oscar.

My name is Lou.

Why, it's Miss Louisa Mae.

You've been up to see the President, too?

Are you always this scintillating?

You call me a name?

Didn't you call us Yankees?

You're living with that old woman and that crippled colored.

Pa said she ain't keeping that farm going.

Not with three more mouths to feed.

I don't care what your Pa says.

He got a wad a cash as big as my fist.

Then maybe he should spend it on his family.

You best take that back.

Make me.

Shoot. I ain't hitting no girl.

You're going to have to. Unless you can take that back.

What have we got here?

- I guess you ain't much of a writer. - She is too a writer.

Dang you, you no good stinking blue blood.

Stop it!

Hey! You stop it, now!

- Get off of me. - Now you apologize to each other!

- You can go straight to hell! - Stop your nonsense, Billy.

Louisa Mae, come back here!

Ma'am, her name is Lou.

Glad to see you made such a nice first impression, Lou.

- They called us Yankees. - Oh, good Lord, ain't that evil.

The boy said we were going to lose the farm.

It'll be okay, Oz.

I got this for my last birthday.

I want you to have it.

Birthday presents are special, Lou.

But I want to help.

This land has provided for me all my life.

I think it'll provide for us now.

I know it's a lot with three more mouths to feed, but...

I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world, honey.

Hi, Cotton.

Hey, Cotton.

What are you doing here?

Well, I'm gonna read one of your father's books to your mother.

Our dad already read all his books to her.

Besides, she can't hear you anyway.

Lou, go change your clothes and help Eugene with the chores.

Go on.

Reading to Mom is a good idea.

Thank you Oz. I will do my best.

Good afternoon, Ms. Amanda.

My name is Cotton Longfellow.

And it will be my pleasure to read to you.

What you working on there, Ms. Lou?

A story.

What it be about?

I don't know, Eugene.

Anything else we can do, Eugene?

- Firewood's got to go inside. - I'll do it.

What are you going to do now?

- More chores. - Can I help?

Come on.

"The dirt lane nudged over to the north,

"as it cleared a rise.

"Here the land splayed out into a broad valley of simple beauty,

"green meadows were bracketed by vast forests of every wood the state boasted.

"Next to the meadow were cleared patchwork fields that yielded to...

"weathered gray,

and wrapped with naked rambling rose vines..."

Cotton was reading my father's words.

Words about this place.

The fields he used to play in.

My only memories of my dad had been in New York.

But now,

now I was starting to feel him all around me here,

in this place, too.

- All right. Good boy. - Good boy, Jeb.

Hell No, come here. Throw it. Give it a whirl.

Diamond told me about Eugene's daddy leaving him.

That is a darn lie.

Eugene's daddy did not leave him, he was killed in a logging accident.

And then after his Auntie passed on,

I took him in.