A Promise to Carolyn1996

Jolene Maggart:
[Bringing a cup of tea to Debra who is hanging her head down on the porch] You feeling any better?

Debra:
[takes the tea cup] Yeah. Just feeling a little light-headed is all.

Jolene Maggart:
This is about Carolyn, isn't it? Kay got you all stirred up again?

Debra:
No it's not.

Jolene Maggart:
You can tell me the truth.

Debra:
No, Kay just wanted to know when Carolyn was born so that she could do her chart.

Jolene Maggart:
I have been very patient about this and I have not said a word, but if you're gonna stand there and lie to my face... [she turns to walk away]

Debra:
Mother? Mother, what did I do?

Jolene Maggart:
Do you think that I am blind? Do you think that I cannot see the way you're been staring at me? Kay's got you brainwashed now!

Debra:
NO!

Jolene Maggart:
Oh, you think that I am some kind of monster!

Debra:
That is not true!

Jolene Maggart:
Then what is all this about Carolyn, and when she was born and all that?

Debra:
I was just curious about Carolyn.

Jolene Maggart:
Right, you were just curious.

Debra:
It's true! She's my baby sister! I got a right to know about her! It's always been like some great big taboo about here. We're not supposed to talk about her, we don't even have her pictures up anywhere!

Butch Maggart:
[bringing a Christmas tree up to the porch] Is this a good spot for the tree, Jolene?

Jolene Maggart:
[distractedly] Yeah, it's fine. We're talking about Carolyn! [Butch sets down the tree] Do you wanna know why? Because what happened was a terrible, terrible thing and it's better left in the past. You were about three when it happened. You don't know how we grieved for that child. All you know is what Kay has been drilling in your head all these years and I just won't have it anymore. I won;t have you moping around giving me all these looks.

Debra:
I'm not giving you any looks! I just want everything to be ALL RIGHT around here for once! I want to talk about Carolyn! I want to ba able to think about her without feeling so guilty inside that... I wish I was up there with her!

Butch Maggart:
Now what the hell is that supposed to mean? It was an accident. She fell off the damn bed. [He takes the tree and walks into the house. Debra turns away]

Jolene Maggart:
There now, I'm sorry I yelled at you. [picking up the tea cup to give to her] But do you see what this gets us? Nothing but heartache?

Debra:
I just want to talk about Craolyn. I just want to remember her without having any nightmares.