Linda And BIlly Ray From Appalachia (1970)

my family's lived in these mountains for Generations great grandpa lived off this land hunting and fishing then they discovered coal in these Hills and we fell into real good times working in the [Music] mines but today now that the mines are mostly shut down not so many folks live here as used to but we got some real nice neighbors that's our house and my daughter Linda calling [Music] Mickey aie come to dinner Billy Ray he's my boy his cousins Mickey and aie are from Cincinnati and been visiting with us for a couple of weeks Mickey mommy din playing outside can really work you up in appetite and Billy Ray's going to be the first to dinner [Music] Linda's a big help to her mother taking care of our littlest [Music] one those boys can't hardly stop long enough to eat hi Uncle Bill hi Dad I go into town most every day trying to get an odd job here and there do a little farming too but not enough to speak of it's like that for most of the families around here we can't hardly manage anymore e just ain't no work Mom ain't even no work in town it used to be that everybody worked in their minds but then people sto using coal as much as before so most of the mine shut down and then they started using heavy machinery that just could cut away the side of the hill to get to the co even wrecking the countryside the way they're mining the coal I don't know what we're going to do my sister Alma and her husband Joe had a long ride down from Cincinnati to pick up their boys mom m aie and Mickey like visiting here in the country but they're sure glad to see their mom and dad again come okay that [Music] [Applause] be Joe likes the country as much as a boys nice been up here in the country but then he didn't have my problems it's nice if you got a job but man can't even get a day's work around here anymore well uh I've tried so many times to get you to go back to ccin with me not a good job for a guy who wants to work schools and shops acoss street it's nice for the kids I don't know i' have to think about something like that maybe you should stop thinking about it and give it a try you can stay with us till you get s well we did move up to Cincinnati guess it can't be no worse than back home they got a few Hills up here too but everybody lives so near to one another just no space to breathe Linda come here hey Tommy hey Ry hey who's that new guy up there I hate to Crow in on you like this Amma oh that's okay what Elma went out of her way to make us feel at home but two families in a small apartment is easy I know it's a hard on you and your young I don't mind it we have our from neighbors next door it won't be too crowded tonight M was hoping we'd eventually be getting our own apartment Hur we got to go shopping would you like go shopping with me today I sure would cuz I don't know nothing about to see so you have to show me around here I'll show you all the cheap stores that uh we have here Billy Ray didn't know quite what to do with himself that first morning I'll take you out today and to the Chicken store so you know get up in Kentucky oh just F sure would like to see I would like to see them been a long time since I saw any of them well I'm almost ready to go shopping now are you ready yeah better R come on we're going shopping shopping in the city is a new experience for Mall when you don't have much money you got to know the right places to shop and a Elma knows the area real [Music] well the magic ey door at the supermarket fascinated Billy R and Linda but the store clerk didn't like them blocking the customer's way and they really move when he chased them away I don't know when they would have stopped if the puppies in the window hadn't caught their attention the pet shop manager was only inviting them to come inside and have a better look now Billy's not sure just where he is or how to get back to Ma and ant Elma everything looks so strange and confusing until he sees his [Music] cousins come on they can Le them back come on hey Billy meanwhile Joe took me to the labor pool here the men are sent out on different jobs around the city I was a little confused as to the correct way to go about getting hired but I thought I'd just sit down and wait my turn well finally they got around to having me fill out an application form they sure asked a lot of questions I didn't have too much to write in here where it asked about your schooling since I never got too far and I haven't had much experience with any kinds of jobs they've got listed here either it was getting on in the morning and I wasn't too hopeful but then they got a call for a half day loading job well finally everybody got together again and Elma wanted M to visit the Bible Sewing Center but that sure did interest the [Music] boys my folks is Elma introduced ma to everyone but she was a bit shy with all the new [Music] ladies and Linda she had a chance to meet some new friends too work we do we make quilts this is the quilt we made everyone was anxious to make them feel at home and in no time M was joining in the quilton be and having a fine time what is this kind of supposed to be wedding this is very fine Stitch meanwhile the boys went over to the park where belly noticed something that was a little odd to a country boy he was about to catch up with his cousins when a conversation he overheard caught his attention squirrel hunting aome hunting we catch some good fish down in the Kentucky River my kids was much better off down there and they played anywhere they wanted to and they just wasn't no danger of getting run over a car or was no danger of getting to fight with nobody cuz there wasn't too many kids around with him and I wish that I just move back down there and keep them down there but way is I can already afford to do it I live in the city because I better live in here but actually I'd be better off down there you rent a house down there for $20 a month that you'd rent here for A1 and have a garden and and big yard and all and here you just rent apartment some of them go to a lot of folks in this neighborhood came up from Kentucky or Tennessee I figure most of them would like to move back to the hills but like the man said he can hardly afford to do it the jobs are in the cities and you got to have work if you have a family not that I can make that much money on this kind of a job but it's a start come down and sign this receipt for me come down and fill out this form for me boy I didn't know what I was supposed to do with that receipt what's this it's a delivery receipt what do you think I really felt stupid come on Mac I ain't got all day I felt like packing up and going right back to Kentucky come right here I wasn't the only one thinking about going back home Billy Ray didn't even hear his cousin making plans to go swimming over to pool till Mickey ask if he wanted to go with them would you like to go swimming with us a Rachel could really ready to go swimming with us today no sir he ain't going besides it's a strange place over there you don't have M wasn't used to her kids going places without her even if her cousins were going Billy Ray and Linda stayed home till an Elma so gloomy in here got them to come outside get some fresh air meet some of the neighbors she could see adjus into the city wasn't going to be so e easy for them then Linda spotted her new friends from The Sewing Center yeah I'm HCK maybe if it cool off we can go hunt your apartment can I go swi no they oh they well I can't help please no no please well wait till your P comes home ask him kids getting on your nerves they sure do ma still wasn't keen on her children going over to the pool there'd be a lot of people the children didn't know not like back home where you knew everybody hey I really see your husband coming down the street you by the time I got home I realized things wasn't going to be so easy in the city I didn't mind but I was afraid M's hopes was too high she and Al was already talking about getting us her own apartment and I wasn't so sure we'd be able to afford it some time yet you get job day I worked a few hours how much money did you get I made a few dolls swimming M's already forgetting that I'm the boss in the family even if she is only teasing oh can we go swiming can we go swimming start with your mother it's all right with me mom can we go swimming uh I guess maybe Tom tomorrow tomorrow yeah tomorrow tomorrow funny how we always got a lot of Hope for tomorrow for tomorrow tomorrow means an apartment of our own even though it's going to be hard to find a nice one on the money I can make with so little schooling and I'll probably be spending my tomorrows hoping for any work I'm lucky enough to get but for Linda and Billy Ray tomorrow means a chance to make some new friends I reckon it's easier for the little ones to adjust and I sure hope by the time they finish school they'll be a little more prepared than I was for the ways of the city