(Crickets chirping)
(water gurgling)
(frog croaking)
(birds chirping)
(insects trilling)
(splashes)
(clicking)
isaiah: not too quick.
Tighten a little bit.
Oh, he trying
to rob you, mack.
Yeah, slow. Take your time.
Take your time.
Now! Now! There you go.
There you go. There you go.
(Line tightens)
(isaiah sighs)
you better not be
letting them fish out.
(Thunder rumbling)
gonna have
to take it from you.
'Bout to rain.
(Thunder rumbling)
(insects trilling)
(bubbles popping)
(thunder rumbling)
(crickets chirping)
(insects trilling)
evelyn: you cut here first.
To skin it.
Go on.
Just like I taught you.
Wood, I said stop.
(Sing-song) mackenzie,
mackenzie. Can't keep up.
Be quiet, wood!
Young mack:
bet I can b*at you.
(Children playing in distance)
(car whooshes)
(dogs barking)
(isaiah yelling indistinctly)
(fire blazing)
(grunts)
(grunts)
(metal clattering)
ebony: mack!
I see you looking at him.
Mack: I ain't looking at wood.
You need
to get your girlfriends.
(Mockingly) "you need
to get your girlfriends."
You know, you always think
somebody is thinking
'bout somebody.
You don't always know
what I always do.
(Wood chuckles softly)
your towel's getting dirty.
(Sighs) you just now
telling me?
I ain't your momma.
Teens: oh!
-(Chuckles)
-wood: aight.
(Chuckles)
-see that?
-(Scoffs)
(chuckles)
(bicycle rattling)
you ever kiss before?
Young mack: no.
Not even with your hand?
Tia: lift your hand
to your mouth. Like this.
(Sucking)
(smacks lips)
you put your finger
in your mouth.
(Puckers lips)
see?
(Romantic ballad playing)
(indistinct chatter)
(indistinct chatter continues)
(music fades out)
(indistinct chatter)
(evelyn chuckles)
(song changes)
(knocking on door)
evelyn: okay. Let's play.
Mama.
Mama!
Eh-heh, don't speak
until spoken to.
(Clicks tongue, chuckles)
you guys got me with this one.
(Music stops)
she's gonna miss y'all.
She's gonna miss y'all.
Go on with your daddy.
(Truck door opens)
(sobbing quietly)
(mournful music playing)
do you ever wonder
what it would be like?
(Josie sighs)
scoot over.
(Grunts)
(wind whistling)
(fly buzzing)
(door opens)
(fly buzzes)
betty: isaiah?
They wanted to see you
right as you got in here.
(Footsteps approaching)
isaiah: I missed y'all, too.
-(Glass clanks)
-(pouring)
(clanking)
betty: go back to sleep.
(Crickets chirping)
what you hear?
Wood?
Nothing yet. You?
(Metal clanking)
wood: mackenzie, mackenzie.
Wood.
Wood: it's your lucky day.
(Mack sighs)
when you get in town?
How's everyone? Your ma?
You know she still
in everybody's business.
I know. (Chuckling)
wanna sit?
Can't stay too long.
Okay.
I really didn't even think
you'd be here.
I'm a manager now, so...
It's something.
That's good, mack.
I'm happy for you.
Rita and the kids...
They good?
Gotta be getting up there.
Four and six months.
Four and six months.
You? You good?
Oh, we're good.
Everyone's good.
(Engine revving in distance)
(wood sniffles)
(mack coughs, sobs, sniffles)
(siren blaring)
(shopping cart clattering)
(mack sniffles)
(sobbing)
(engine revving in distance)
(thunder rumbling)
isaiah: go help your mama
at the other spot.
Mack!
(Thunder rumbling)
(water running)
(thunder rumbles)
shh... Shh...
Shh...
(Chuckles) over here. (Laughs)
(fly buzzing)
(grunts)
(laughing)
(insects trilling)
betty: my mom used to put
a little bit of dirt
in my hand.
"This you," she said.
-(Whispers) this you.
-This you.
Betty: dirt and water.
Her mama had said
the same to her.
When it rain...
It's like it's singing to you.
You can smell it in the air.
Taste the rain in the dirt.
Mack: like earth?
Betty: yeah, baby. Like earth.
Rich. So rich.
When I was pregnant
with your daddy,
it was lightning one day.
Too dangerous to be out there.
But I was
at the bank, digging.
Mack: did the lightning
get you?
Betty: no, mack.
You gotta find
the right bank and dig for it.
It's not just any dirt.
(Chewing)
(rain pattering on window)
(baby cooing)
(mack sighs)
(josie sniffles)
(baby cooing)
(baby gurgling)
mack: you made of dirt.
You know that?
And water.
Lily.
Her name.
(Lily gurgles)
josie: of course. Lily.
(Baby cooing)
josie: lily.
(Whispers)
so nice to meet you.
(Exhales)
(insects trilling)
what you still doing up there?
Looking.
You can get a way better view
from down here.
You know I can't swim.
You wanna learn?
Mackenzie.
I don't like water.
My daddy just threw me in.
He said that's
the best way to learn.
What happened?
I sank.
I ain't even know how to kick.
You're here.
You must have kicked some.
He came in after me.
I watched him the whole way.
b*ating water.
His eyes big.
Swimming towards me.
I was six.
Eight, maybe.
Watching my daddy come
towards me
after almost k*lling me.
But...
I guess I saw
what I needed to.
His legs kicking water.
(Insects trilling)
wood: right here.
(Thunder rumbling)
(toddler mack cooing)
(toddler mack babbling)
-(thunder rumbles)
-(evelyn gasps)
mm-hmm. Ooh.
Up there.
(Evelyn gasps)
mm-hmm.
(Thunder rumbles)
(toddler mack gurgles)
-(babbles)
-(whispers) hey.
-(Toddler mack babbles)
-hey.
-(Toddler mack babbles)
-what?
-(Babbles)
-huh?
-Toddler mack: itchy.
-Mm-hmm. It's itchy?
Right here?
(Thunder rumbling)
choir: (singing)
oh, lord, oh, lord
I'm in your hand, in your hand
oh, lord, oh, lord
I'm in your hand.
I'm in your hand.
Throw your loving arms
around me
so my enemies cannot harm me
oh, lord, oh, lord
I'm in your hand
I feel all right
feel all right
in your hand, in your hand
feel all right, feel all right
I'm in your hand
I'm in your hand
throw your loving arms
around me
so my enemies cannot harm me
oh, lord, oh, lord
I'm in your hand
I'm groaning, groaning
I'm in your hand, in your hand
I'm groaning, groaning
I'm in your hand
I'm in your hand
throw your loving arms
around me
so my enemies cannot harm me
oh, lord, oh, lord
I'm in your hand
I'm satisfied, satisfied
I'm in your hand, in your hand
I'm satisfied, satisfied
I'm in your hand
I'm in your hand
keep your loving arms
around me
so my enemies cannot harm me
oh, lord, oh, lord
I'm in your hand
I'm crying, I'm crying
in your hand, in your hand
I'm crying, crying
I'm in your hand
I'm in your hand
just keep your loving arms
around me
so my enemies cannot harm me
oh, lord, oh, lord
I'm in your hand
well, I done d*ed, done d*ed
in your hand, in your hand
well, I done d*ed, I done d*ed
I'm in your hand
I'm in your hand
keep your loving arms
around me
so my enemies cannot harm me
oh, lord, oh, lord
I'm in your hand...
(Rain pattering)
it's so quiet.
Like we should be whispering.
Wood: if we wanted to,
we could raise her, mack.
We could do it all.
All of it.
I can't, wood.
You good to walk
the rest of the way home?
(Wind chimes tinkling)
(laughing)
I keep thinking 'bout
how frankie almost ran me over
-in grandma's driveway.
-(Both laughing)
grandma just about k*lled him
for that. (Laughs)
"get!" She said.
"Get!" (Laughs)
(josie muttering)
oh!
Mm-mm.
(Josie laughs)
mm-mm.
It's not like
you think, josie.
Sometimes, I think
you didn't really hear me.
I always knew she was yours.
Even when I didn't.
I thought I could,
but I can't.
And I know you can.
She'd be good with you, josie.
I know that.
Who she gonna be to you?
My sister's child.
I be talking to her.
What she be saying?
Everything.
Sound just like mama.
Josie: hmm.
(Sighs)
mama...
Mack: hmm.
Mama.
Mama.
Mama.
Josie: (whispers) mama.
(Birds chirping)
mack: happy birthday.
(Rain pattering)
(scraping)
well, I guess we...
We doing all the work today.
(All chuckling)
ain't no catfish
out there today?
No, it's too much sun.
I used to do that, too.
Yeah, it's
good technique, lily.
Good technique.
How many you catch today?
-Three.
-Ooh!
(Isaiah laughing)
that's right, lily.
Grandaddy said
catfish can live long.
Oh, yeah? How long?
-Sixty.
-Sixty what?
Lily: years.
(Scraping)
isaiah: lily.
What you say me
and you go wash our hands?
Let these two get
the grease going.
-Hmm?
-Josie: go ahead.
(Baby crying)
mack: shh.
(Baby crying)
(thunder rumbling)
auntie, you're always outside
when it's raining.
'Cause I like the rain.
It looks like it hurts.
The drops.
Does it?
No. But it's still
scary sometimes.
(Thunder rumbles)
(emotional music playing)
you wanna know a secret?
It doesn't end or begin.
Just changes form.
What changes?
Water.
All these drops might be
a river someday.
Might be snow.
Might be in you.
(Music continues)
you wanna taste it?
Before it changes to snow?
Hmm. Yeah, lily.
Before it changes to snow.
(Thunder rumbles)
(music fades out)
(crickets chirping)
(insects trilling)
(frogs croaking)
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023)
Moderator: Maskath3