House IV

Hand me that screwdriver. Here, hold this.

Roger, I didn't come to watch you restore antiques.

This is Cobb family history, Burke.

How much longer you gonna fool with that?

A twist here a little tightening here,

and film at 11 with Roger Cobb and friends.

Great, Rog. You know,

they have a new invention, it's called video tape.

Don't you wanna see home movies?

You watch 'em, I got better things to do with my time.

You got no sense of family, Burke.

No sense of stepfamily, Rog.

- Come on, sweetie, we gotta go. - Right there.

- What is your problem? - Nothing.

Listen, did you think about what we talked about?

No.

We could make a lot of money. Trust me on this, just once.

I told you a hundred times, I'm not selling.

Will you turn this thing off?

I could turn this place into a gold mine.

You couldn't turn cow shit into manure.

What are you gonna do with it?

Nothing. You've just let it sit here for years, rotting.

- I made a promise to Dad. - The old man's dead. He doesn't figure.

If you don't wanna take the chance, that's fine, just sell me the place outright.

Name a price.

Listen, I can't put a price on my roots.

Look, Roger, I know that this place was great when we were kids.

You have some good memories here, I have memories too.

- But you gotta let go of the past, man. - Guys, I was serious, come on.

It's really time to be going.

Laurel! Come on, honey, we gotta go!

- No. - No what? I didn't ask you anything.

No, you are not taking that thing home.

Please, Mom?

Please? I already named him Algernon.

- Algernon? - Yeah.

You said I couldn't have a real dog.

- You're allergic to real dogs! - So why can't I have a fake dog?

Because... it's ugly.

- Mom! - Honey, it'll be here next time.

Come on, we got a long drive back. Get your coat and bag and let's go. Oh!

You startled me.

I saw the lights were on.

Erm, Laurel, tell your dad that Ezra's here.

Dad, Mr Ezra's here!

Ezra, hi.

Good to see you. You know my wife, Kelly.

- Good to see you again, Ezra. - And my daughter, Laurel.

Who I just hate!

Ezra - how's it hangin'?

Yeah, OK. Er, look, I gotta go.

Roger, walk me out. Kelly, Laurel, have a safe trip.

Ezra, how.

We were just trying to decide what to do with this place.

It's a bit of an eyesore, but... Roger loves it.

He spent a lot of happy summers here.

There are many memories of the past still sleeping in this house.

The Great Spirit will guide you.

Mom! I can't find my little bag!

If you'll excuse me, Ezra.

Roger, you're putting me in a very difficult spot.

Promises have been made.

Money has changed hands, a deal is in place.

- Wait a second, what kind of a deal? - Well, I can't... tell you.

Not right now. Would you just trust me?

Listen, little brother, if you need money I'm happy to lend you some

but the house stays.

You're making a mistake. A big mistake.

Well, if I am I'll have to live with it.

You, on the other hand, have to live with that hat.

So long, brother.

Hey!

- The wheeler dealer's leaving? - Never gives up, does he?

- No. - Maybe I should've given him the house.

Nah.

You have done the right thing.

You have honoured your grandfather's agreement.

Now the spirits will rest again.

Can we get out of here? It's getting late.

All right, baby.

Ezra, you need a ride back to the church?

No, you go on. I'll lock up.

- (Roger) So long, Ezra! - (Laurel) Bye, Mr Ezra!

See you, Ezra!

Bye!

Do you want the rest of mine, hon?

No, thanks.

My teeth are full of those orange things.

- (Laughs) Laurel? - No thanks, Mom, I'm done.

- But I'll take your trash for you. - Thank you.

Sucker.

What was that nonsense about an agreement with your grandfather?

It's not nonsense.

He took a blood oath on his wedding day not to sell that house.

A blood oath? Sounds like something out of the Dark Ages.

Just a simple agreement from a simpler time.

You know what Burke wanted to do?

He wanted to bring in a wrecking crew and level that house

and develop the property.

That doesn't sound totally unreasonable to me.

I have a responsibility.

My father promised my grandfather, and I promised my father

that I'd keep the house.

Why?

My father believed that that house was magical.

Magical?

He did believe in it.

A lot of words could describe that house

but magical is not one of them.

I love that house, cobwebs and everything, you know?

In some kind of a deep down way I'm... I'm tied to that house.

Then I guess I'm tied to that house too.

- Lucky me. - You are lucky.

Laurel. Laurel?

Kelly! Can you help me?

I'm stuck!

Kelly!

Roger!

Doctor.

It doesn't look so bad during the day, huh?

No.

It just looks a little... older.

Oh!

OK.

Thank you.

All right, here we go. OK.

- All right? - Mm.

- There you go, sweetie. - Thanks, Mom.

OK.

Get your feet...

OK.

Now... we're ready.

Mom... put it on the mantle.

OK.

You're home, sweetie.

I wish you'd talked this over with me.

I had no idea you were gonna move in here yourself.

I know, but I changed my mind. Look at how much room we'll have.

I got all these books on restoring old houses.

Wait till you see what I do. You're gonna love it.

I'm not gonna love it.

Princess, why don't you move back to Dallas?

You could enrol Laurel in the next term, stay with us until you found some...

Until you got on your feet again.

I'm excited about moving here - can't you be too?

- I think you're making a mistake. - I'll get an electrician, a carpenter...

I can handle this renovation. I want you to trust me.

I'm not talking about the real estate.

I'm talking about you.

You have to reconcile yourself to the fact that Roger is dead.

And Laurel will be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

- But you've got to go on. - Dad, I need to be here.

This is my home now.

Roger loved this old house. He would want me to be here.

Kelly, I wish for once in your life you weren't so...

You'll miss your plane, Dad.

Well, Kel, you... you can always change your mind.

Bye, Daddy.

Oh, God, no.

I don't think Grandpa liked the house.

Don't worry about Grandpa, it'll all be fine.

Mom, can we have a Halloween party this year?

This house would be perfect for a Halloween party.

Sure, why not?

Remember when you dressed me as a tiger?

And dad made me carry that dumb flashlight

so I wouldn't get hit by a car?

That was my first Halloween. And Dad ate all my candy...

Mom?

Mom, are you all right?

Yeah, er, I'm fine.

Damn.

- You want me to call the hospital? - Oh!

Mom, what's that noise?

I don't know, sweetie. I think it's coming from the basement.

- (Creaking stops, doorbell) - Doorbell, mom.

- Excuse me? - Oh!

Mrs Cobb, I hope you don't mind me showing myself in.

You have a dust bunny the size of Cincinnati under there.

- Who are you? - The name's Klump, Verna Klump.

I'm your new housekeeper. Oh, you're bleeding on the rug.

Oh, erm... Ah! Ah.

L-| didn't hire a housekeeper.

Well, the agency sent me. I got my work papers right here.

What agency? (Sighs) Did my father set this up'?

I guess so.

Now, I assume you have a vacuum cleaner?

How about the other essentials?

Ajax, some Glass Plus and a couple of sponges.

Are you sure there hasn't been a mistake?

Like I said, I got my work orders today.

But don't sweat it, I'm paid to the end of the month.

And this place could use a housekeeper. And I'm the best.

So you just moved into this old place, huh?

- Yeah. - Why?