Part 7 (1/2)

Helen called to them to shut up, to lay down, to p.i.s.s off.

”You don't need to bother about any of them but Pinto,” she said. ”Them other two just cowards.”

They stopped in a wide, ill-defined s.p.a.ce where some gravel had been laid down. On one side was a barn or implement shed, tin-covered, and over to one side of it, on the edge of a cornfield, an abandoned farmhouse from which most of the bricks had been removed, showing dark wooden walls. The house inhabited nowadays was a trailer, nicely fixed up with a deck and an awning, and a flower garden behind what looked like a toy fence.

The trailer and its garden looked proper and tidy, while the rest of the property was littered with things that might have a purpose or might just be left around to rust or rot.

Helen had jumped out and was cuffing the dogs. But they kept on running past her, and jumping and barking at the car, until a man came out of the shed and called to them. The threats and names he called were not intelligible to Jinny, but the dogs quieted down.

Jinny put on her hat. All this time she had been holding it in her hand.

”They just got to show off,” said Helen.

Neal had got out too and was negotiating with the dogs in a resolute way. The man from the shed came towards them. He wore a purple T-s.h.i.+rt that was wet with sweat, clinging to his chest and stomach. He was fat enough to have b.r.e.a.s.t.s and you could see his navel pus.h.i.+ng out like a pregnant woman's. It rode on his belly like a giant pincus.h.i.+on.

Neal went to meet him with his hand out. The man slapped his own hand on his work pants, laughed and shook Neal's. Jinny could not hear what they said. A woman came out of the trailer and opened the toy gate and latched it behind her.

”Lois went and forgot she was supposed to bring my shoes,”

Helen called to her. ”I phoned her up and everything, but she went and forgot anyway, so Mr. Lockyer brought me out to get them.”

- 68*

The woman was fat too, though not as fat as her husband. She wore a pink muumuu with Aztec suns on it and her hair was streaked with gold. She moved across the gravel with a composed and hospitable air. Neal turned and introduced himself, then brought her to the van and introduced Jinny.

”Glad to meet you,” the woman said. ”You're the lady that isn't very well?”

”I'm okay,” said Jinny.

”Well, now you're here you better come inside. Come in out of this heat.”

”Oh, we just dropped by,” said Neal.

The man had come closer. ”We got the air-conditioning in there,” he said. He was inspecting the van and his expression was genial but disparaging.

”We just came to pick up the shoes,” Jinny said.

”You got to do more than that now you're here,” said the woman-June-laughing as if the idea of their not coming in was a scandalous joke. ”You come in and rest yourself.”

”We wouldn't like to disturb your supper,” Neal said.

”We had it already,” said Matt. ”We eat early.”

”But all kinds of chili left,” said June. ”You have to come in and help clean up that chili.”

Jinny said, ”Oh, thank you. But I don't think I could eat anything. I don't feel like eating anything when it's this hot.”

”Then you better drink something instead,” June said. ”We got ginger ale, c.o.ke. We got peach schnapps.”

”Beer,” Matt said to Neal. ”You like a Blue?”

Jinny waved Neal to come close to her window.

”I can't do it,” she said. ”Just tell them I can't.”

”You know you'll hurt their feelings,” he whispered.

”They're trying to be nice.”

”But I can't. Maybe you could go.”

He bent closer. ”You know what it looks like if you don't. It looks like you think you're too good for them.”

”You go.”

- 69*

”You'd be okay once you got inside. The air-conditioning really would do you good.”

Jinny shook her head.

Neal straightened up.

”Jinny thinks she better just stay and rest here where it's in the shade.”

June said, ”But she 's welcome to rest in the house-”

”I wouldn't mind a Blue, actually,” Neal said. He turned back to Jinny with a hard smile. He seemed to her desolate and angry.

”You sure you'll be okay?” he said for them to hear. ”Sure? You don't mind if I go in for a little while?”

”I'll be fine,” said Jinny.

He put one hand on Helen's shoulder and one on June 's shoulder, walking them companionably towards the trailer. Matt smiled at Jinny curiously, and followed.

This time when he called the dogs to come after him Jinny could make out their names.

Goober. Sally. Pinto.

The van was parked under a row of willow trees. These trees were big and old, but their leaves were thin and gave a wavering shade. But to be alone was a great relief.

Earlier today, driving along the highway from the town where they lived, they had stopped at a roadside stand and bought some early apples. Jinny got one out of the bag at her feet and took a small bite-more or less to see if she could taste and swallow and hold it in her stomach. She needed something to counteract the thought of chili, and Matt's prodigious navel.

It was all right. The apple was firm and tart, but not too tart, and if she took small bites and chewed seriously she could manage it.

- 70*

She 'd seen Neal like this-or something like this-a few times before. It would be over some boy at the school. A mention of the name in an offhand, even belittling way. A mushy look, an apologetic yet somehow defiant bit of giggling.

But that was never anybody she had to have around the house, and it could never come to anything. The boy's time would be up, he 'd go away.