Sometimes They Come Back

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The mind holds onto painful

memories for a reason...

trying to keep us from making the

same mistakes over and over.

Some say if you go back to where

a painful memory started...

look at the place, walk through it,

you can get free of the hurt and forget.

Maybe I thought that would happen.

I'll tell you though, it would

have been all right with me...

if I never saw this town again.

But it was the only teaching job I could

get, and I needed it, and I took it.

Oh, Jim, it's lovely.

Pretty good, huh?

- Looks boring.

- No.

Oh, come on, you're gonna love it.

It's much better than Chicago.

Of course, things had changed...

but not much, considering

the years that had passed.

No, not nearly enough to keep

my heart from tightening...

to keep me from forgetting that this was

the town where my brother had died.

The same town my parents fled in

fear and grief when I was nine.

The same. Only the

faces had changed.

Sixteen forty-seven, that's

what it said? Are you sure?

- Sixteen forty-seven Harland.

- Okay.

- Hey, where are all the sidewalks?

- That's the least of our problems.

Well, we don't have to stay.

I'll go back to house painting.

I can start with this

shack right here.

No way. You are not a

house painter anymore.

Well, I might not be much of

a teacher either, you know.

Might be a little rusty

after this layoff.

You'll be fine. It's

just like riding a bike.

- You never give up on me, do you?

- Nope. Never.

Okay, two guys with a truck, come on.

Let's unload this van.

Scott could tell that

Sally and I were afraid.

How many years had I worked and

what did we have to show for it?

I wanted to provide for

him, not put him in danger.

- Good night, pumpkin.

- Good night, Mom.

- Sleep well.

- Okay.

- Good night, kiddo.

- Good night, Dad.

Good night.

- What do you think, on or off?

- Off.

- Sure?

- Yeah.

- Good night.

- Good night.

I have a certain way of

breaking in a new house.

I have to establish my territory.

If I had known the

horror we were facing...

I would have taken Sally and Scott in

my arms like my parents took me...

and run from this town forever.

I hear this new teacher threw

some kid out a window in Chicago.

- No, man, he ran him over with his car.

- No, no, that's not what happened.

The guy got fired because

he went berserk in class.

He picked up a chair and threw...

My fifth class today.

I'm a little out of shape.

Thank God you're seniors.

You'll have mercy on me, I hope.

- So I'll do my best to keep you awake.

- We'd rather sleep.

Well, I can tell this is

not love at first sight...

but you got to live with me and

I got to live with you, so...

let's try to enjoy it, okay?

May I?

There's something you should

know about this class.

- Do you have a name?

- Yeah.

- Do you wanna tell it to me?

- Chip Conway.

Or the Chipster depending

on how close you get.

Now, you see, Mr. Jim, sir,

there's a little...

Hold it. It's Mr. Norman

or just Jim.

Yeah, that's what I said.

This isn't a real class.

You see, most of us in here

are on the football team.

It's a special class for jocks

like me and airhead chicks.

Like Kate.

- I'm not an airhead.

- Yeah, right!

Now, let us cruise and we'll

win you a championship.

Pass us and you'll have one

happy squad of killer stompers.

Yeah! Yeah!

You'll pass, if you do the work.

Pass us anyway.

All right, let's just keep it down.

Hold it down. Hey!

Hey!

Shut up!

- Sorry.

- No, really, don't be sorry.

I want to apologize for

the jerks in this class.

- Some of us really wanna learn stuff.

- Thank you... Kate? Thank you.

But I do wanna apologize.

I'm just... I'm a little rusty

at this teaching, and...

- I won't be breaking any more sticks.

- I kind of liked it.

I don't know, Mr. Simmons. This guy's

coming down really hard on us.

- We've got a big responsibility...

- Just a moment.

- Mr. Norman.

- Hello, sir.

- So, how was your first day?

- Well, it was fine, sir. Just fine.

Good. If you have a minute,

I'd like to have a quick chat.

- Sure.

- In my office.

Excuse me.

In 27 years, no one had moved

in after my parents and I left.

What was it about this house

that kept them away?

I'm gonna get you, Jimmy.

Got you now.

No, Wayne. Wayne...

Stop, Wayne! Wayne!

Wayne, no. No, Wayne. Wayne, no.

Wayne!

Run, Jimmy, run!

Sally? Scott?

Surprise!

- Hey, it's enough.

- Look!

- Where did you get this?

- You are married to a very clever woman.

You know, this place really has

potential in a bohemian sort of way.

- We went to the thrift store.

- Don't tell him that, Scott.

I spent a tiny bit of Christmas

money, but it's nice, isn't it?

- It's great.

- And, look, I got this. It's an antique.

Wait a minute,

I'll show you the rest.

I saw the perfect place

downtown today.

Honey, this isn't Chicago.

There is no downtown here.

Well, you know what I mean,

over there in the center of town.

It's a vacant store front.

It's perfect for the shop.

Sounds great.

And I've decided, I'm not

gonna do just flowers.

You know, I think in a place like

this, you can't be so specific.

- Are you okay?

- Yes. I'm all right.

I'm really excited about this place.

I think it's a perfect location.

Can I have my train back?

Yep. Why don't you go get the

mitts and we'll play some ball?

- So how was work?

- It was all right.

The principal called me

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