Desperation Road

- -

It's like you wake up one day

and you're just here...

like a stone thrown into this world.

But you don't know who threw it,

or which direction it came from...

"Go back to Mississippi," you think.

Maybe there will be a miracle...

some way to begin again...

- All right, turn this side of your head. - No.

Oh, look at how dirty that is.

Mm.

I wish it was true.

God, I wish it was true.

Mama?

Yeah, baby?

Are we in Mississippi yet?

Yeah, we are.

Can we stop walking now?

You said once we got to Mississippi, we could stop walking.

Is that what I said?

We're gonna get a place real soon, okay?

For now, you have got to go to sleep,

and you better dream about that chocolate ice cream that you had.

- Mama? - Yeah.

Tell about Mississippi again.

Mm... okay.

Well...

Mississippi...

was your daddy's favorite place.

- Did you know that? - No.

He was born and raised here,

and he swore he'd never leave.

He said that Mississippi was the place of miracles.

You think he'll give us our miracle?

Yeah, I do.

I think he's...

...out there, watching us...

making sure that we're doing okay.

- I love you. - Mm, I love you too, baby.

- Good night. - You gotta go to sleep.

- Okay. Good night. - Good night.

- What are you doing? - Going back to my room.

Excuse me. I just wanna have a conversation with you, ma'am.

Please don't disrespect me.

Thank you.

Now I'm guessing you know it's not legal

to go in them trucks and do them dirty things.

I didn't go in no truck.

Now I saw you coming down off them steps.

Ned called us.

All right? He's tired of y'all trashing up his parking lot.

See, this here is a family establishment.

Well, I didn't do nothin', so...

- Y'all never do. - What are you doin'... Hey!

I told you that I didn't do... I didn't do anything!

- What are you doin'?! -

I got a kid in there, okay?

- You can't do this. - Shut your damn mouth!

- I got a kid in there! - Shut your damn mouth!

- Hey... hey! -

Hey. I have my daughter in the room

and you can't leave her in there, so...

- And I'm telling you the truth. - Y'all do drugs.

See, I didn't leave her. You did.

- - Oh, stop crying.

Now you're not going to jail.

And if you were, I'd have cuffed you already.

You just sit back and relax.

And if you're a good little girl,

if you're quieter than a little church mouse,

you might even get back to your kid quicker than you think.

Now I know you know I'm about to come back there.

A girl like you shouldn't mind.

- - See?

I ain't gonna hurt you.

Maybe we could even be friends.

How about a little mood lighting?

- - That better?

Take off them dirty shoes.

Good girl.

Now the rest.

Now swing them legs over to me.

There you go.

If you wanna see that motel room again...

you better goddamn behave.

I wouldn't worry about that. We ain't done just yet.

- You hear me?! -

Take it back off.

I thought that was what you wanted.

Yeah, it was.

I did what you told me to do.

And you said that you would take me back to my kid.

What do you think would happen

if that kid's momma got picked up for prostitution,

kid left there alone in that shitty motel room?

There's no food or nothing in there either. Huh?

Hey, old boy.

Got us some new entertainment.

Well, why don't you come on out and I'll show you?

Same spot. Y'all can both come.

Yeah.

Gon' be a party!

We're gonna have us some company.

You want me to go out on the hood and wait for 'em?

Well, now that's the spirit!

And why not?

Be a nice hood ornament.

Don't put nothin' on.

Come on, then.

Ain't got all night.

- Attagirl. - It's hot.

Yeah?

Can I get my shirt to sit on?

Go on.

Hurry up.

- -

Whoa, now.

Are you fuckin' kidding me?

Don't you know not to play with guns, girl, huh?

- That ain't a toy. Put it down! -

Mommy!

I know, baby, hang on.

- -

It's okay. Hey, baby.

Hey, I'm here, baby.

It's okay, shh...

- - I know, I know, I'm so sorry.

- -

Welcome home.

- -

Hey...

They let you out early...

- - ...but you still owe, motherfucker.

- You still owe. - Hey!

Hey, stop it right there or I'll call the law.

- Well, call 'em, asshole! - I will call them.

Just back off and go on!

Don't you worry.

You ain't out of my reach, boy.

You all right, man?

Jesus.

Home, sweet fucking home.

Hey, there, old man.

Heads up would have been nice.

Told you I was getting out soon.

Well, I could've come pick you up.

Nah, I didn't want to bother you.

Nah, it were no bother.

Ahem.

This here's Consuela.

- Es mi hijo. - Sí. Same eyes.

- - Mucho gusto.

Nice to meet you.

Speaking of eyes, what happened to your face?

Just a little going away present from the boys on the inside,

- I suppose. - Hmm.

I figure he could use a little meat on his bones.

This woman can cook.

Come on, you look like you need something to eat. Come here.

Jeez, I just walked all the way over here.

Oh, hell.

Where'd she come from?

I went to visit your uncle Clive down in Bogalusa.

I saw her working in the sugar cane field.

Big brown eyes kept watching me everywhere I went,

and she kept laughing at me.

Anyway, I figured I'd go and ask her why she was laughing.

I mean, you should've seen how he had them workers livin', in them ratty shacks,

and... she didn't have nobody and neither did I, so...

I asked her if she wanted to come and stay with me,

and she said yes and she's been here ever since.

- And the rest is history. - Yep.

You're speaking Spanish now.

Muy poco, but she gets it.

I'll bet she does, you sly dog.