War

Lidia:
War is like a big machine that no one really knows how to run and when it gets out of control it ends up destroying the things you thought you were fighting for, and a lot of other things you kinda forgot you had.

Stephen:
Boy, sometimes all it takes is a split second for you to do something you'll regret the whole rest of your life.

Stu:
For what? To get our hopes up? To promise us we was gunna have a big house with a tire swing, vanity, and a picket fence, and then just leave, again? What the hell kinda loused up angel is that?

Lois:
Don't you know nothing would have kept him from you. He's just gone home.

Stu:
We're his home ma. The stupid lord can have him later. Why? Why does he have to take evrything, bad enough our home and all our things. Why'd he have take my daddy? What did I do so wrong that he had to take my daddy?

Lois:
Oh no honey.

Stu:
He could've taken anyone Charles Manson super old people that already been rotten a hundred years. My daddy was only 34 years old.(looking up) I needed him more than you God, I needed him more.

Stephen:
You otta call um the Limpkickies.

Stu:
I like the Limpdickies.

Billy Lipnicki:
You know, I saw an angel... a real one... and he was holding on to my hand... and I was going to go live in his kingdom... but he said I must come back and take care of my daddy.

Lidia:
What are you thinking?

Stu:
If dad's watching... he can go now.

Lidia:
He is watching.

Stu:
Hey, why don't you leave him alone? Pick on somebody your own size. What's the matter, you guys afraid of a fair fight, one on one?

Leo Lipnicki:
Maybe you git a point. Ebb...

Marsh:
Stu... Stu... don't get yourself killed Stu.

Lidia:
My name's Lidia Simmons, and I'm 12 years old, and these here are my memoirs. I can't really tell ya much about me, nor my life, without first telling ya 'bout my brother Stu. All spring Stu's being kinda quite. Perhaps it was because a couple months earlier our father gone out looking for work and never returned. It wasn't the first time dad went away. Ever since he'd come back from Vietnam things haven't been just right. Mom held two jobs just to make ins meat. And we were still dirt poor, like everybody else in Juliet Mississippi. But this June morning in 1970 was different. All the flowers were in bloom, and along with the color, and sweet smell of summer, our father had come home.

Mrs. Higgins:
Simmons. Your house is on fire again.

Mrs. Higgins:
Think you can make anymore damn noise, what that damn car of yours?

Stephen:
Sorry, Mrs. Higgins.

Mrs. Higgins:
And stop trying to look through my dress, and see my nipples.

Lidia:
Anyone of you bring any money?

Elvadine:
All I got's 10 cent.

Ula:
Don't talk to me, don't look at me neither.

Stephen:
Well I don't want our kids growing up thinking there powerless because of me. Everything they do in this world has a consequence. Our children still believe in miracles. They still believe anything is possible. As long as they believe like that, they're gonna be something. They're gonna make a difference in the world... that means I made a difference.

Amber:
You guys wanted that up there, then why didn't ya ask me?

Stu:
Put that thing up there.

Amber:
That the way you ask me? Ain't you not heard the word please?

Stu:
Please?

Amber:
Move outta my way, lightweight.

Lois:
Lidia Simmons, what is the matter with you?

Lidia:
It's you. You don't got good shoes, you hardly ever eat anything. You work all the time. This money was gonna be a new chance for you. Why are you always giving your chances away?

Lois:
Now listen here. All your dad has ever done is fault to make this world a better place for us. Yes, he struggles. Yes, he has had dirt kicked in his face. All the more reason he needs our help. Now, you don't wanna help him that's okay... you gotta follow your instincts. But, I will not listen to you knock him. He's a part of me. You cut him down, you're cutting me down... you're cuttin' down yourself.

Stephen:
Lidia hit him in the face with a rock? I think I'm gonna have to have a talk with that girl. Is she doing anything else I should know about?

Stu:
Well yeah. She's doing a lot of things. But I don't think you should know about them.

Stu:
What the hell. Dad. He's hitting our car.

Stephen:
I see that.

Stu:
I hope you know them's the kids who just beat me up.

Stephen:
I know who they are son.

Stu:
Then why'd you give them Ma and Lidia's cotton candy?

Stephen:
Because they look like that hadn't been given anything in a long time.

Stu:
My daddy says that people can do anything they want to as long as they believe they can. Please, God, let him live. You took my dad, don't take Billy. He's just a little kid.

Stu:
You gotta wake up now, you gotta live. You gotta!

Elvadine:
Alright, I'll tell you. I was sayin' "Elvadine, what's YOU gots to write about? Been in the sixth grade your whole good-for-nuthin' life. Ain't GOT no daddy. Never goes anywhere but where your feets take you. Onliest money that ever belong to you in the whole world was twenty dollars you gots yourself in a birthday card, from your uncle last year." But it really wasn't for my birthday. Really, it was for layin' over his lap and letting him spank me with my underpants down. And now here you come along, shovin' me in the back of the room, where I can't even see too good, which means I'm prob'ly not gonna graduate this summer neither, Just 'cuz you read how some white man say Life be like a bowlful o' cherries, I've gotsta come up with some big hit sayin' Well, fine. I'll just write down how happy I'm gonna be to get 20 more dollars on my birthday. Never mind what he's got planned for me THIS year. And I'm gonna write, how maybe the new man my momma been seein' might stop drinkin', and treat me nice, and maybe he's gonna adopt me, and take us off the welfare. And at the end, I'm gonna be sure put.

Elvadine:
"Life Sure is a bowl full of Cherries."

Elvadine:
But to tell you the truth, Miss Strapford, I think you, and that book, and this whole class, be a bowl full of sh*t!

Arliss Lipnicki:
Where'd you get all them ice creams from, anyhow?

Billy Lipnicki:
A big airplane just dropped 'em outta tha sky!

Ebb Lipnicki:
If you don't honest up, Billy, we're gonna scrub you down with lipstick so everyone thinks you got diaper rash, how 'bout it?

Billy Lipnicki:
Nuh-uh!

Leo Lipnicki:
Yes-huh! And after that, we're gonna shave your head bald as a witch's tit!

Billy Lipnicki:
I ain't gonna look like no witch's tit!

Leo Lipnicki:
Yes you will if you don't hurry up and tell us.

Billy Lipnicki:
Well you can cut off every hair on my head, but I ain't tellin' you ding-diddly-ding-diddly-ding-dang-dong!