Tom That Casy. He might have been a preacher but he seen things clear. He was like a lantern. He helped me to see things clear.
More lines from Tom
1 quote Tom Scenes with Tom
6 scenes Tom How about a lift, Mister?
Driver
Can't you see that sticker? [A decal reads NO RIDERS ALLOWED - Instructions of Owner]
Tom Sure, I see it. But a good guy don't pay no attention to what some heel makes him stick on his truck.
Driver
Well, scrunch down on the running board 'til we get around the bend.
Tom Ain't you the preacher?
Used to be. Not no more. I lost the call. But boy, I sure used to have it. Oh, I used to get an irrigation ditch so squirmin' full of repentant sinners I pretty near drowned half of 'em. Not no more. I lost the spirit. I got nothin' to preach about no more, that's all. I ain't so sure of things. I asked myself, what is this here call(ed) Holy Spirit? Maybe that's love. Why, I love everybody so much, I'm fit to bust sometimes. So - maybe there ain't no sin, and there ain't no virtue. There's just what people does. Some things folks do is nice, and some ain't so nice. And that's all any man's got a right to say. 'Course I'll say a grace if somebody sets out the food, but ma heart ain't in it.
Tom What happened? How come they got to get off? We lived here fifty years, same place.
Everybody's got to get off. Everybody's leavin', goin' out to California. Your folks, my folks, everybody's folks. Everybody except me. I ain't gettin' off.
Tom Who done it?
Listen. [Muley gestures toward the howling wind] That's some of what done it. The dusters. They start it anyways. Blowin' like this year after year. Blowin' the land away. Blowin' the crops away. And blowin' us away now.
Tom You crazy?
Some say that I am.
Tom Ma, there comes a time when a man gets mad.
You told me, you promised me...
Tom I know, Ma, I'm tryin' to. If there was a law they was workin' with, maybe we could take it but it ain't the law. They're workin' away on our spirits, tryin' to make us cringe and crawl, workin' on our decency.
You promised Tom.
Tom I know, I'm a-tryin' to, Ma...
You gotta keep clear. The family's a-breakin' up. You gotta keep clear.
Tom They won't. They're gettin' five now. That's all they care about.
But the moment they ain't strike-breakin', they won't get no five...
Tom The five they're gettin' now. That's all they're interested in. I know exactly what Pa'd say. He'd say it's none of his business.
Guess that's right. You'll have to take a beatin' before you'll know.
Tom Take a beatin'? We was out of food. Tonight we had meat, not much, but we had it. You think Pa's gonna give up his meat on account of some other fellas? Rosasharn needs milk. You think Ma's gonna starve that baby just on account of fellas yellin' outside a gate?
Tom, you gotta learn like I'm learnin'. I don't know what's right yet, myself, but I'm tryin' to find out. That's why I can't ever be a Preacher again. Preacher's gotta know. I don't know. I gotta ask.
Tommy, ain't ya gonna tell me goodbye?
Tom I didn't know, Ma. I didn't know if I ought to...Come outside. There was some cops here tonight. They was takin' down license numbers. I guess somebody knows somethin'.
I guess it had to come, sooner or later. Sit down for a minute.
Tom I'd like to stay, Ma. I'd like to be with ya and see your face when Pa gets settled in some nice place. I'd sure like to see ya then. But I won't never get that chance, I guess, now.
I would hide ya, Tommy.
Tom I know you would, Ma, but I ain't gonna let ya. Ya hide somebody that's killed a guy and you're in trouble too.
All right, Tommy, but what do ya figur you're gonna do?
Tom You know what I've been thinkin' about? About Casy, about what he said, about what he done, about how he died. I remember all of it.
He was a good man.
Tom I been thinking about us, too, about our people living like pigs and good rich land layin' fallow. Or maybe one guy with a million acres and a hundred thousand farmers starvin'. And I been wonderin' if all our folks got together and yelled...
Oh, Tommy, they'd drag you out and cut you down just like they done to Casy.
Tom They'd drag me anyways. Sooner or later they'd get me for one thing if not for another. Until then...
Tommy, you're not aimin' to kill nobody?
Tom No, Ma, not that. That ain't it. It's just, well as long as I'm an outlaw anyways... maybe I can do somethin'... maybe I can just find out somethin', just scrounge around and maybe find out what it is that's wrong and see if they ain't somethin' that can be done about it. I ain't thought it out all clear, Ma. I can't. I don't know enough.
How am I gonna know about ya, Tommy? Why they could kill ya and I'd never know. They could hurt ya. How am I gonna know?
Tom Well, maybe it's like Casy says. A fellow ain't got a soul of his own, just little piece of a big soul, the one big soul that belongs to everybody, then...
Then what, Tom?
Tom Then it don't matter. I'll be all around in the dark. I'll be ever'-where - wherever you can look. Wherever there's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad - I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready. An' when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise, and livin' in the houses they build - I'll be there, too.
I don't understand it, Tom.
Tom Me, neither, Ma, but just somethin' I been thinkin' about.
