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Little Accidents (2014)
- Let's go.
- Whoo! Have a good ride, guys. I feel for you. Water? Come on, beauty queens. Come on. Amos. A-M-O-S. Jenkins. J-E-N-K-I-N-S. Do you have a personal representative present with you today? No. Now, Mr. Jenkins, we'd like to thank you for going on the record. Your testimony, as you can imagine, is of the utmost importance to us, since you're the only survivor of the accident. So if you could just begin by telling us, best you can, what happened that morning. Do you remember leaving home? Well, it was, you know, just like any other day. I don't remember if we even started working, you know, before it happened. Well, how did you get to work? My truck. What was it like outside that morning? Was it raining, or stormy? Was it raining? I don't remember. Was there lightning? I can't say. Did your cap lamp work? It was working as far as I know. But then it went out like the rest of them did. What are you doing over there? Get away from that old mine! You don't know how deep those things are. Remember what Dad said? There are snakes and chiggers in there, you better watch out. - Hey. - Nice headphones. Let me see that. - This an MP3? - Yeah. - That's cool. - Look, it's even got a little camera on it. - I gave you everything I got. - Dude, we need three more bucks. I got like two bucks, give me a beer. What's in this wallet of yours, huh? -Hey, wait. Come on. Give it back. -Let me see this. You should have wads of cash in here. You hit the fucking jackpot. What do you mean? My dad said. You're gonna be rich. Hey, over here, come on. Dude, you better not... - Whoa! - Oh, shit! Mr. Jenkins, can we have a word on your recovery? No, it's not okay, it ain't okay. Get back out of the way. Get back out of the way. You all right? Hey, kid, it is good to see you again, buddy. Hey, Carl, nice to see you. Wow, it's a miracle, that's what it is. Hey, folks, how about a round of applause for Amos Jenkins here, huh? I heard that you was having some problems remembering stuff in the interview there. Yeah, you know, things get a little blurry. Don't let us down now. There's lots of folks counting on you. Ten men got crushed down there. Yeah, I don't need no reminding, Carl. Why are you boys interfering with my lunch? Basil, don't be a scab. You've been a miner your whole life. Easy, Carl. I ain't on no side here. Don't be underestimating the position you're in. Nobody's underestimating anything. That's the guy representing the other families. Hey, I'm just trying to take care of everyone. You're a victim, too, you know. Will you just let me do the talking with the union guys? They're a bunch of vultures. Every time something bad happens they just... Circle the carcass. I don't need you meddling in my business. Well, if I ain't meddling, everybody else is gonna be meddling, because everybody's gonna be wanting a piece of you. Hey, baby. What did you do all day? You still playing those games? How many damn gunshots do I gotta listen to? Hey, sweetheart! - Hi. Let me see all these new games, you spoiled brat. Quit messing with my shit, Aunt Nellie. Mom! Give me a kiss. Thank you. You should buy something nice for yourself. They don't need more stupid toys. Well, buying them new video games ain't gonna bring Junior back. Amos is back, you know. I don't know. It's probably gonna weird me out. He looked good, better than everyone said. You already break that? No, I'll fix it. It fell on the ground. Are we rich now? You see all those bills on the table? Why are you asking that? Well, because of Dad. Are we richer now? Well, sure. I mean, there's a little extra money that they gave everyone. I mean, that's why you got us this thing and the Xbox? Why? Did someone say something to you? No. They were just all like, "Oh, that's new. " Just ignore it, there are so many trashy kids in this town. How long you gotta leave that crap in your hair? This crap? You want some of this crap in your hair, huh? - No. - Come on, get out of here. Go put your brother to bed. -Okay. For what we are about to receive, let us truly be grateful. Amen. Amen. How's that right arm? Oh, it's all right. Left side's perfect, though. I think I can start driving on my own now. I ain't stopping you. I was thinking I'd call that lawyer, that the union folks suggested. These lawyers, they'll trip you up, if you don't watch them. Make you say all sorts of stuff. They ain't gonna put words in my mouth. Are you so sure? And then what? You gonna be the big shot that closes down the Bonford Coal Company? We lost men in there. I'd keep to myself, if I was you. Just keep telling them you don't remember. Try to get back to work, back to being productive. How many notebooks do you think you need? Five. And you need pens and stuff too, probably? Yes? - Yeah, that's fine. Where's Dad? Dad? He's in Pittsburgh. Doing what? He left Wednesday. The coal convention. Is that me? Stupid car. Fuck. - Oh, my God. Shit. Who the hell did that? Okay. Come on, let's get back inside. Come on, come on, come on. It's just some punk. Are they mad at Dad? What? Because of the mine? or that was just some dumb prank, or what. Yeah, well, online, people are mad at him. Please stop reading that stuff. I don't understand the half of it. Now I gotta get that fucking thing replaced. It's fine. Hey, Mom will be back at nine. She went to the union meeting. I'm going out for a little bit, all right? I wanna go. No, you stay here. Keep your butt on that couch, and watch your TV. Don't move. Why are you following me? Go on back, I'll be home soon. Go back, before I smack you. Go home. - Light it. - There's one left. No. No. Like, swing it. Whoa! No. That's some nice stuff right there. What's that? Fireworks. Stay there. Hey, guys. Nice. Good going, dude. Give me one of those, man. You ever heard of a six-pack before? Man, that smells. These smoke balls are lames. Shit, there ain't nothing to do in this fucking town. Get out of this fucking shithole, take the first damn bus. I bet you've never been on a bus. No, he only rides in fancy cars. -Shut up, Kenny. Next dig, come on! Does your brother know to like do shit, like read and write? He can read a little. Do you think he's gonna be able like fuck girls, and get a driver's license? That would suck if he has to live with your mom forever. JT, you might never get your driver's license. Hey, it's almost 7:00. Katie said we could all come over, so... Oh, I want to see her. - Yup. Let's go. Dude, I just got here. Come on. Oh, yeah, we'll miss you, man. -Aww. Group hug! Oh, my God! You guys like to act like faggots? Ooh, girlfriend, you got a saucy mouth on you! Come on, come on. Wait up! - Dude, you better not. Come on. Come on, James. Let's go home. Why you walking funny? You gotta pee? I think so. You can't hold it? Come on, this way. Hurry up. Come on. Go back here to this tree. Go pee. You and your retard brother are still here? You're an asshole. Why don't you speak up? I didn't hear you. I hope your dad goes to jail for killing 10 miners. What'd you say? Hope he rots in there for what he did. My dad had nothing to do with that. You're fucking trailer trash, and you people are fucking milking it. Hey! I'm gonna beat your fuckin' head in! Oh! JT? JT? JT? James? James? James? Don't watch. What are you doing? Stay there. Don't move. If you tell anybody, I'm gonna be mad, okay? - Okay. - Okay, come on. Come on. Come on, we gotta go, come on. James, come on, we gotta go. Come on. Hello. Hey, Sandy, hi, I'm trying to track down JT. Were they all going to Katie's? Isn't he home yet? Yeah, he's... He's not. -No? No, I called his phone a million times. Oh, no. Yeah. Oh, no. I'm sure it's nothing. All right. Yeah, I will. I'll let you know. All right. Bye. Hi, this is Bill, please leave a message. Bill, please call me when you get this. Go on and brush your teeth, James, it's 9:00. What's wrong? I want dessert. You can have an ice cream sandwich, and that's it. and get ready for bed, all right, buddy? You want some? No, I'm not hungry. Here you go. You guys gotta get back to going to bed at a decent hour. It's gonna be a rude awakening on Monday. You better be good. Now, we're gonna need your okay to get the word out to the community. And we still have the phone going to voice mail? Yeah, he's not picking up. Now, Mrs. Doyle, you answered a number of questions last night, but I'd like to fill a few holes for myself, so bear with me. Does JT have lots of friends? Yeah, he's a very social kid. He's got lots of activities, football, baseball. Baseball. Mmm-hmm. Would you say he's a happy kid? Yeah, I'd say so. He was real frazzled yesterday, you know, someone broke my windshield. I'm sorry? Yesterday morning, somebody smashed up my windshield. Well, would anyone be trying to hurt the family for a work reason, something in response to the accident? Well, I can't even imagine that. Do you have a sense of the miners that work for you? Any of them strange, violent, resentful of you? Have they expressed any threats? -No. No. Excuse me. She doesn't wanna think that this could involve foul play. Can't it be that we're just making a bigger deal out of this, that he's just goofing off, you know, with a friend of his? Was there any joking around in the woods, like, being rowdy? Just normal stuff. Talking, laughing. Anybody fighting? No, just goofing around. The other boys said that you brought beer. Yeah. No, there was some whiskey, too. So after the guys left, did you ever see JT come back down that main path? No. But the boys told me that he went back to get the bottle of whiskey. So you must have seen him, right? I didn't see him. I guess I was already gone. Is there something that you're not telling me? No, sir. Everybody, let's welcome Amos back. Thank you very much. We have a little surprise for you. No. You should take what's leftover. - Oh! - Yeah. Thank you. My dad might appreciate it. How you been doing these past few months? All right. Things got pretty ugly around here. It's good you missed it. Yeah. Well, if you ever need anything, or you wanna see a movie sometime, just let me know. I can't do that anymore. I can hardly move and stuff. I didn't mean it like that. I guess I just don't feel like my old self yet, Nell. Well, I guess it's gonna take some time. Nice seeing you, Amos. So you're saying that you never saw Bill Doyle or any other individual in management disable a monitor? Please answer the question. I say no. I never saw nothing regarding the monitor. Okay. Well, I'd like to ask you now about the issue of coal dust. Do you remember hearing about an incident in which Junior Briggs had an argument with Bill Doyle? Junior warned him he personally felt uncomfortable going in the mines with that level of dust. Can't say I remember that. Now, do you remember hearing a story in which Bill Doyle then reprimanded or threatened Junior for warning other workers about the coal dust? My memory's bad with this stuff. Well, if we gave you a little time, do you think you could try to recall any facts about the alleged incident, one way or the other? Yeah. Yeah, I could try, but I can't guarantee it. I wouldn't be too hard on myself, if I was you. I never could make a fuss. I had a family to support. All you got was a bump on the head. Don't be comparing us. What is that? I got that when you was in the hospital. It goes real good with them cigarettes. What's going on out there? Ah, they're looking for that Doyle boy. I'm gonna get me some air. You don't have to give speeches and thank everybody. The police can do that. The police have a job to do. I just don't think you need to play boss today. Diana, I just don't know what to do. I feel like I'm in a foreign country. Who's that? Amos? Bill Doyle. Bill. Thank you so much for coming out here. It sure means a lot to me. Well, I'd like to help you out any way I can. Real sorry to hear about this for you. I bet you got journalists and newspapers chasing after you now, huh? You're a real hero here. Well, I don't know about that. Well, anyways, it's good to see you on your two feet. Slow and steady with that cane now, you hear? Yes, sir. Bill, I... I was thinking. If you need anything, we run a Bible study at the church every Tuesday. I don't count on God for much these days, if you know what I mean. Yeah, I get it. I get that, boss. - Well, you take care now. - Yes, sir. Amos Jenkins just invited me to Bible study at church. Oh, that's who that is. No developments in the case of JT Doyle, the Stinton teen who went missing on the afternoon of August 27th. A month-long police search has failed to find any trace of the 15-year old, and investigators are still not saying if they have a person of interest at this time. His parents Bill and Diana Doyle have made an emotional plea to the community. If you have any information, please contact Crime Stoppers. Amos Jenkins, how you doing, pal? Hey. Part-time. How's it going, man? - How you doing? - Listen, I'm gonna take off. - Okay, be careful. - All right. - Good morning, Gus. - How are you? Well, do you got enough bolting men for the morning shift? What do you mean? I'd like to do a little something, Gus. I can't let you go in the mine. You have to be re-certified, re-trained. Gus, I ain't looking for a handout now. I just... You can't put me underground? Can you use a computer? Maybe I can put you in the dispatcher's office, or the hoist house, or something. I ain't the best, Gus, but I'll learn it. Well, thanks, y'all. I'd say we got a lot done today. Bill, can you stick around for a second? Yeah. Sure thing. As you probably know, there's gonna be an internal investigation. we've already started looking into timelines and events and things. And based on these findings, we really think it's best for you to seek your own counsel. Sure. I understand. And it's customary that you'll be suspended for the length of the investigation. This is... This is a rough time for you, Bill, we both know that. but you're gonna have to be gone by the end of the month. And then we'll see how it goes. I'll see you out, John. Take care, Bill. You're a lucky stiff with this swing set. I know. What happened in the woods, that was an accident. Yeah, accident. Like dad, remember? Yup. He didn't come home. That's right. It happened by mistake. Mom was upset. She cried. Yeah, you don't want her to cry again, right? You understand? You better keep your mouth shut. Where's that boy? Forget about that boy. You promise to be quiet? Yes. I won't give these to you anymore if you don't, you understand? - Yes. - Good. Good night, Georgie. - Take it easy. Why are you home so late? Sorry. I'm just going through some files from work. I already had a sandwich, I'm good. I've got three meteorologists on record saying lightning struck at 6:28 and 6:29 a.m., and apparently they were strong strikes. Maybe everyone will stop pointing fingers. Bill, company counsel is already talking criminal negligence, Just be careful what you say to the other employees, all right? Yeah. At least Jenkins ain't talking. And seems like he's not joining the class action. - Yeah. - That's good news for you. I could sure use some good news. Will you try to take it easy? I will. This is Joel Kitts from Wexler, Burnham and Kitts. We're a firm that specializes in coal-related personal injuries. Carl Bishop may have given you my card a while back and I've called a few times. I can't seem to reach you. I'm representing a number of families in the class action suit against Bonford Coal, and I'm gonna be organizing a closed-door meeting with the victims' families at Sherry's Diner at 7:00 p. m. on Monday night. I would really encourage you to join us. Your involvement could really help these folks. My number is 555-7653. This is a Bible study. We're in session. I know. I, uh... I, uh... Would you like to have a seat? Could someone please make a space for her? Welcome. Have a seat. Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm sorry. So sorry. We all welcome you here tonight. And we're all praying for the safe return of your son. It must be a difficult time. Thank you. We were discussing this week's topic, the importance of sharing your weaknesses with each other. Let's continue around the room. Nellie, we're at you, right? Well, it's hard for me to talk about my weaknesses, since weakness isn't really something that we talk a lot So... And we're always just trying to put on a happy face. I'm trying to be strong for my sister and my nephews, especially. You all know what I mean. I've been praying a lot to help me in the past few months. my baby sister lost her son in the accident, you know. It's causing her lots of depression... Ma'am, you having trouble breathing? Are you okay? You need some air? It's fine. Oh, gosh, I'm sorry. It looks like you're hyperventilating, sweetie. Let me get a bag for you to breathe into. Oh, please, please don't get up. Would you like to go to the fountain and get some water? It's in the hall. -Yes, I will. I will get some... Please don't get up. I'll get some water. Amos. -Oh, okay. I'm sorry, um... Well, I ain't sure what to say. It's been awful rough to get out of a coma, for sure. You know, I thank God I'm alive, I really do, but I just want to be normal again. Everything back the way it was. I don't know what to do when I wake up every morning. Lost 10 miners in there, and I can't get them out of my head. It's rough on you to know that you're the only one left. You feeling any better? Not really. I'm happy to give you a ride, if you need one. I just need a minute. That was nice what you said. It must feel good to have a group of people to talk to. Yeah, well, it's about the most I've said in a year. We never officially met. You're Amos? - Yes, ma'am. - Diana. - Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm really not in a condition to drive. I sure ain't the best driver. You can get me from point A to point B, can't you? Yeah, I can do that. I'm just up here, on the right. I know where you live, ma'am. It ain't a big town, is it? Got no leads? No, they found a runaway in Tennessee last week, but it wasn't him. What are all the folks in town saying about it? Everyone's really upset, ma'am. This is me. Let me get you to your door. Oh, no. I'm good. Oh, it sticks. Your, uh... Your car gonna be all right? Yeah. I'll have one of Bill's guys get it for me in the morning. All right. - All right. Thank you. Good night. You go down to the police station to see the new photos? Yeah. There's nothing. And you heard they brought in some meth-head for questioning, and nothing came of it? I guess he was clean. Yeah, that's what Peterson said. Everything just bounces off you so easy, don't it? Sorry? It seems like you're cheerful, grilling your steaks. Well, we can't expect you to cook around here, now can we? We'd be eating potato chips and onion dip. Yeah, I'm sorry. I have something else on my mind. I don't have the luxury of sitting around the house all day in mourning. And I don't have the luxury of drowning myself in my work. It must be a nice distraction for you. I'm just trying to actively do things, Diana. Don't you think it pains me to watch you unravel? We don't know anything yet. It's like you've fucking given up. I have not. Pills, cigarettes. It's hard to watch you. You should get your shit together. Mrs. Doyle? I didn't mean to startle you. No. It's, uh... It's okay. What are you doing out here? New pack. I wouldn't be out here too long if I was you. All kinds of weirdos out at this hour. God, not much fazes me anymore. I drive around a lot late at night. I'm just... I think maybe I'm gonna spot him somewhere. It's crazy. It's so crazy. No, it ain't crazy. What are you doing out here? It's so late. I can't sleep. I had to get some medicine. Oh... Can I do this? I'm sorry. Please, don't say you're sorry. What are you giving away? Free yard work. I can work any Saturday you want this month. Oh. Well, that sounds good. My yard's a mess. What's your name, ma'am? Diana Doyle. I have to put it on the ticket. Good luck. I've never been in a motel before. We used to come to a place like this in high school. The seniors would rent the rooms, and we'd all file in with six-packs. You okay? Yeah. They're gonna find him, ma'am. Don't call me "ma'am. " You going in? Oh, no. I just swung by. Why are you working there? Because I like to work, Carl. Coal is all I know. Makes you look like there's something wrong with you. You want those people to think you're on their side? This thing is big. Don't you get that? Dumb son-of-a-bitch. You like watching from the sidelines? I wonder what Junior and the rest of them would be saying if they could see you now. Why don't you go fuck yourself, how 'bout that? Seems like you're feeling like your old self again. People been saying some interesting things. One of my workers said they saw you at Bible study on Tuesday. Yeah. Yeah, I've been twice. I guess that's good if it helps, huh? It gets me out of the house. This Bible study thing, it's what Amos Jenkins invited me to? Yeah, that's the one. You do realize that he's the guy the Feds are talking to, right? If people in town see you talking to mining folks, it could be weird, don't you think? What do I care what people think? You might wanna connect the dots, Diana. It just looks shitty. Bunny and Sandy say they never see you anymore. They say... Bunny and Sandy... They say you're avoiding their calls. Jesus. I can't... I can't deal with their pitying... They're not pitying you. It's not pity, Diana. They're just checking in on you. - Oh, it's pity. - They're just being nice. Speaking of Sandy, I heard you hired a lawyer. Greenbaum? He's a lawyer the company recommended. Yeah. Why is it you need your own lawyer anyway? Jerry doesn't have a lawyer. Company's not vouching for you anymore? It's worse than I thought. I ended up being more exposed than I thought. More exposed? What does that mean? It's not my fault, Diana. I just did what they told me they wanted me to do, and in the process, I made a shitload of money for everybody. You were right to spare me the details, because they make me sick. And you don't care that I could be the fall-guy here? Well, I guess we both know it wasn't a lightning strike now, don't we? Hey, you say what you will, but you like your things. Your car, this remodel, all your clothes. So don't you go acting all high and mighty! My wife's putting you to work now, huh? Yeah, she won the raffle. Yeah, I heard. Bill. - Owen. Owen. Owen what? Owen Briggs. Owen Briggs, you're in high school, right? In JT's school? Yeah. You're Junior's son? Yeah. Yeah, you look like him. How's your mom doing? - She's fine. What I'd like to do is get rid of all this beach furniture, and the patio stuff, just get it all moved out back. Just generally get this corner cleaned out. You like to ride? Yeah. You have a bike? No, ma'am. I did, but it's small now, I guess. Hey, Bill. Bill, can you dig out this old bike? Which one? The old blue one. JT got this new one anyhow. It's just collecting dust. Will you make sure it's still in good shape? All right. Good. I'll see you on Saturday, then. How do those wheels feel? They're good. - Yeah, they're all right. All right, well... You sure it's okay? - Yeah, it's okay. Be safe. Hey! How did you get in here? I jumped the bank. You shouldn't be snooping around in here, it's dangerous. You're walking. - Yeah, I'm getting there. Are you taking care of your mama? Yeah, I am. Well, can you tell me what is it that you want? Nothing. I was just looking around. Did you find anything? No. You think you can take me in the mine? You can't be going down in here too far. Is this the Number 3? No, of course not. It's been closed down. Sealed up. You miss your pop? Yeah. Sometimes I think James forgets about him. No. He don't forget. He's a sly one, your brother, he's a whole lot smarter than you think he is. All right, turn on that light. Them beams hold up the roof, and the face is all the way down about a mile in. Does this look like Number 3? Oh, that's a whole lot bigger. Did you see my dad die? Were you near him? Yeah. I was near him. We was all taking care of each other. Helping each other with the self-rescuers. Y'all couldn't breathe, right? We was having a hard time. How come you survived, and nobody else did? Did you do something different? I had luck, I guess. It was a waste to save me, if you think about it. I ain't got no family, no kids. You got your dad. That's true. What do you think it's like to die? Son, there was no one in pain in there. You understand me? Come on, now. They'll give me an ass whooping if they find you down here. Go on, get that door open for me. Which button? That one right there. You can't use that bar of soap in your hair. I use soap. I'm a one-stop shop, baby. I don't use that stuff. No. Come here. I'm gonna take care of you. I don't want the pink stuff. I don't... Don't put that in my hair. I don't want it. I use soap. Come here. -No. No, I don't want that... Come here. Don't say "no" to me. I'll say "no. " - Don't say "no" to me. Oh, God. I got soap in my eyes. Oh, get in. Ah! Get it out. - It's okay, now. Get it out. Are you all right? Are you okay? - I got it, baby. Come on, Owen. Owen, stop! That was such a pathetic... Wait for me. Nobody goes in there anymore. If you're scared, we don't have to go any further. Did he do it again? -Yeah. That's the third time this week. He's a bundle of nerves lately. What's wrong with him? Did he say anything to you? No. Maybe if you'd stop babying him. You guys don't tell anybody what's going on in your heads. That's what I think. You just keep it all in. Please. You got work this morning, don't you? Yeah. Don't linger at that place, okay? Just in and out. Okay. I won't. How do you want these folded? Oh, honey, I don't think the Salvation Army is gonna care. You're not gonna throw out any of JT's stuff, right? No, just, uh... This is all old, junkie stuff. I'm keeping all the special sentimental things. I can't even think to touch his room. I wouldn't want to move a pencil. Oh, my God. I got this the year I was married. Yeah, it looks old. It's crazy what you hold on to for no good reason. Have you ever been in a coal mine? Uh, not really. I went on a field trip in grade school, and that was enough for me. I was real claustrophobic down there. I went down in one the other day. It was a rookie mine. My dad died in Number 3. I just wanted to see what it looked like where he died. Actually, we kept three of my dad's shirts. We each picked one out. Me, my mom, and James. We wear them sometimes. Oh, who's that now? Hang on, I'll be right back. We never talk about your son now, do we? I don't want to burden you. But you can, though, babe. It's just... Something I don't wanna talk about. I think about it every second of every day when I'm at home. So this is your vacation then, huh? Yeah. Mmm. Hey, Amos! Shit. Why can't you lift your arm up? See how the table's turned? Just a couple months ago, I was doing this for you. Yeah. Ain't we the pair. You need you some medicine now. That cough ain't gonna go away on its own. You want that oxygen? I'll get it later. Don't worry about it. You want me to turn that light off? Yeah. Turn it off for me. Make it a double, Patty. Here you go, and this one's on Bill Doyle. On Bill Doyle, huh? - Yup. On Bill. What's up, Amos? - Hey, boys. How's it going, buddy? What's going on, Amos? Let's buy you a drink. Hey, Patty, get a round for the bar. Yeah, get us a round. Give Amos a double here. Yeah. Get him drunk. We're waiting to hear what you're gonna say. You ain't gonna put us out of work, are you? You know we're a dying breed. Yeah. We're a dying breed, is right. I might as well be in the dirt with the rest of them. You wanna... You wanna take care of us? Yeah. I'll take care of you, Jerry. Are you sure you're not gonna fuck us over? Yeah. If they find something wrong, they're gonna shut us down completely. You like getting food on the table, don't you, Jerry? Yes, sir. - We need to work. - We gotta work. Have one with all of us. Come on, cheers! Cheers. - To Bonford Coal, man. - To Bonford Coal. You enjoying your freshman year? Yeah, sort of. It's been a weird year. I'm sure. Make any good friends? Yeah, I guess. I'm not very popular, but I have a few good friends. Well, that's really all you need. I think people that have a lot of friends are usually not that interesting. Were you popular? You seem like you were. I do? so that always brought me a certain amount of attention. What was he like that Friday? Who? JT. I know you were in the woods with him. With all them boys. He was joking around. He was having a good time with those fireworks. He was having fun? Yeah. You guys were all laughing, having a good time? Yeah. Was he happy? Do you remember? Yeah. That's good. Oh, I'm sorry, Owen... I shouldn't have asked you about that. That's... It's not fair, it's just upsetting. You wanna use the restroom? You're testifying again? Yeah. Last time, I hope. I hate it. When is that gonna be? I don't know. In two weeks. What are you gonna say? Well, my dad don't want me to say nothing... Nothing that would incriminate the company. What do you want to do? What do you mean? I mean, you always just do whatever he says? No. If you know what happened in that mine, you should say something, Amos. I don't wanna mess up your life more than it's already been messed up, to tell you the truth. You should worry about yourself. I mean, ain't your life messed up? They made you a goddamn cripple. I ain't no goddamn cripple. You're keeping quiet, and you're working there now? What do you care if I work there or not? What's it to you? -You shouldn't do it for me. Why can't I be nice to you? -No... You're hung up on this whole goddamn thing. Way too hung up. I mean, what am I supposed to be to you? Your girlfriend? No, you ain't my girlfriend. That would be beneath you. I have a family. -I ain't good enough for you, am I? Do you? Oh, Diana. I'm... - That is cruel. Diana, come on. This place is like a dungeon! These curtains are disgusting. You want me to fry a bit of ham for you? Cook it up with that string bean? I said, "Do you want me to fry up that ham?" What's the matter? I know you didn't say anything. You've been good. Uh, yes. Can I talks to Joel Kitts? Mmm-hmm. Yes, it's Amos Jenkins. Don't I get a hello? Hi. Are you hungry? - No, I got cereal. You're good at cleaning other people's houses, but not your own? I saw your employer at the hair salon. I gotta say my heart goes out to that woman. Not knowing is gotta be awful. You think Bill Doyle's gonna get in trouble? Don't he deserve trouble? Not if lightning struck the mine. They're not as bad as everybody says. Who? The Doyles? - Yeah. Why? 'Cause they gave you a bike? What about all the things I've given you? Your father gave you? What's up your ass? Excuse me? Don't you talk to me like that. Where's your fucking head at? Even when you're here, you're not here. I can't do everything on my own. This is stupid! Where are you going? Well, look who it is. What do you say, you want you a milkshake? Yeah. Get him... What do you want? I want chocolate. Sure thing, sweetie. You're awful quiet. Hey, are you okay? Hey, Owen. I didn't know you were coming today. Was the coal dust level something that was a concern before the accident? Yes, sir. Who voiced this concern? Well, we all did. But it was Junior who made a fuss mostly. He came to me a few days before the accident. he was gonna request a transfer to another mine. He felt like something bad was gonna happen. did Junior ever confront Bill Doyle about these safety concerns? Yes, sir. Junior said Bill told him that he better keep his mouth shut if he knew what was good for him. What do you think Bill meant by that? I reckon he meant, "Don't start talking about it being dangerous. " Like, "Don't say nothing to the other workers to get them upset. " Would you say, in general, that there was a tradition of silence in the workplace? Well, with Junior we could usually find a way to get things fixed without hurting production too much. But if, or when, you complained to higher management, would you be afraid of any sort of retaliation? Yes, sir. I'd say that's just about the way it is. Do you remember being rescued, Amos? No. Not really. I was too far gone, I guess. You don't remember the men finally reaching you underground? I just remember... I remember being carried. Carried up, and seeing that light again. Like the air came back into me, like... ...Breathe easy again. |
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