Sling Blade1996

Karl:

Well I reckon what you was wanting to know is what I'm a-doing in here. I reckon the reason I'm in here is 'cause I've killed somebody.mmm hmm But I reckon what you was wanting to know is how come me to kill somebody so I reckon I'll start at the front and tell ye.

I lived out back of my mother and father's place, most of my life, in a little ol' shed that my daddy’d built for me. They didn't too much want me up there in the house with the rest of 'em. Mmm. So mostly I just sat around out there in the shed a-lookin' at the ground. Mmm. I didn't have no floor out there but I had me a hole dug out to lay down in. 'Quilt or two to put down there. Mmm-hmm. My father, was a hard working man most of his life, not that I can say the same for myself. I mostly just sat around out there in the shed, tinkered around with a lawn mower or two. Went to school off and on from time to time. But the childern out there, they were very cruel to me, ‘n made quite a bit of sport of me, made fun of me quite a bit. So mostly, I just sat around out there, in the shed.

My daddy, worked down there at the sawmill, down at the planer mill for an old man named Dixon. Ol' Man Dixon was a very cruel feller, didn't treat his employees very well. Didn't pay'em too much of a wage, didn't pay my daddy too much of a wage. Just barely enough to get by on, I reckon. Mmm. But I reckon he got by alright. Mmm. They used to come out, one or the other of ‘em, usually my mother, ‘n feed me pretty regular. Mmm-hmm. So I know he made enough to where I could have mustard and biscuits three or four times a week. Mmm, hm. But Ol' Man Dixon, he had a boy, name of Jesse Dixon. Jesse was really more cruel than his daddy was. He used to make quite a bit of sport of me when I'as down there at the schoolhouse. Used to take advantage of little girls there in the neighborhood and all. Mmm. He used to say, that my mother was a very pretty woman. He said that quite a bit from time to time when I'd be down there at the schoolhouse.

Well, I reckon you want me to get on with it and tell you what happened so I reckon I'll tell ye. I was sitting out there in the shed one evening not doing too much of nothing, just kindly staring at the wall. Mmm. Waiting on my mother to come out and give me my Bible lesson. Mmhm Well I heared a commotion up there in the house, so I run up on the screened in porch to see what was a-going on. I looked in the window there and I seen my mother a-laying there on the floor without any clothes on. Mmm. Mmm-hmm. I seen Jesse Dixon a-laying on top of her. hmmm He was a-having his way with her. Mmm. Well I just seen red. mmm I picked up a kaiser blade that was sitting there by the screen door. Some folks calls it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade. It’s kindly a long wood handle, kindly like an ax handle with a long blade on it shaped kindly like a bananer. Sharp on one edge and dull on the other'n. It's what the highway boys use to cut down weeds and what-not. Well I went in there in the house and I hit Jesse Dixon upside the head with it, knocked him off my mother. I reckon that didn't quite satisfy me, so I hit him again with it in the neck with the sharp edge and just plumb near cut his head off.m Killed him.

My mother, she jumped up from there and started hollerin’, "What'd you kill Jesse fer?" "What'd you kill Jesse fer?" Well, mmm, come to find out I don't reckon my mother minded what Jesse was a-doing to her. I reckon that made me madder than what Jesse'd made me. So I taken the kaiser blade, some folks calls it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade, mmm, and I hit my mother upside the head with it. Mmmhmm... Killed her;

Some folks has asked me if you had it to do over again, would you do it the same way? I reckon I would. Anyhow they seen fit to put me in here and here I been for a great long while. I've learned to read some. Took me four years to read the Bible. I reckon I understand a great deal of it. Wasn't what I expected in some places. Mmm. I slept in a good bed for a great long while. Now they've seen fit to put me out of here. They say they're a-setting me free today. Mmm.

Anyhow, I reckon that’s all you was needin’ to know. If you want to hear about more details, I reckon I can tell ’em to ye. I don’t know whether or not that’s enough for your newspaper or not