Part 13 (1/2)
”You kidding?” said DeAlton with his eyes shut against the sun. ”I've got to work. And don't distract me from my point. Like I said, this is living.”
”I know.”
”You've got it all figured out, if you can do this on a Tuesday afternoon.”
”I guess.”
”What are you, working nights?”
”Kind of.”
”Kind of.”
”I'm kind of working all the time, Pop.”
DeAlton squirmed his b.u.t.t around in the seat and said, ”Kind of working ”Kind of working sounds pretty nice to me. I could go for a career in kind of working.” sounds pretty nice to me. I could go for a career in kind of working.”
”Now come on. That's not what-”
”You think they could use me?”
”Come on.”
”Are they hiring? Are they kind of hiring?”
”Come on, Pop.”
DeAlton slitted his eyes open just the least little bit and c.o.c.ked his head toward Tom. ”Because I could kind of use a job that let me kind of sit on my a.s.s all day and look at girls in bathing suits.”
”It's not what you think.”
DeAlton kicked the cooler. ”You're right. There's refreshments too.”
Tom leaned forward. ”Look. I'm making money. I'm paying my bills. You want more than that?”
DeAlton picked a little bacon from between his teeth. ”I could use a straight answer.”
”I'm working.”
”You're not working for the Italians, are you?”
”Not hardly.”
”The Italians with the suits, I mean. Not that big fat dope Fazio.”
”No. I'm not working for any Italians.”
”Good. I don't want you running numbers or something like that. You want to do that, you can get a job over at Vernon Downs. A square job.”
”I'm not running numbers. I don't even know what running numbers is.”
”Good.” He checked his watch. ”Keep it that way.” He considered the time and decided what the h.e.l.l, that farmer over near Peterboro could wait. He toed the foam cooler again. ”On second thought,” he said, ”how about giving your old man one of those nice cold beers you got.”
Vernon.
I GIVE UP SMOKING GIVE UP SMOKING a long time back but it didn't do me no good. I didn't give it up on my own account. I always liked it and I'd kept up with it if it was up to me. I done it for Audie. He wanted me to give it up ever since our mother pa.s.sed. She had cancer and Audie got the idea I was in line for it too and I guess it turned out he was right. It was either quit or wait for a horsehair of my own inside a cigarette and I wasn't in no hurry for that so I just up and quit. I told him I quit and I quit right then. That same day. I started up with Red Man about the same time. Audie didn't have no complaint about that and I didn't either. Sometimes he asked for a chew and I give it to him all right. He wasn't much for it but he'd give it a try every now and then and I didn't see no harm in it. a long time back but it didn't do me no good. I didn't give it up on my own account. I always liked it and I'd kept up with it if it was up to me. I done it for Audie. He wanted me to give it up ever since our mother pa.s.sed. She had cancer and Audie got the idea I was in line for it too and I guess it turned out he was right. It was either quit or wait for a horsehair of my own inside a cigarette and I wasn't in no hurry for that so I just up and quit. I told him I quit and I quit right then. That same day. I started up with Red Man about the same time. Audie didn't have no complaint about that and I didn't either. Sometimes he asked for a chew and I give it to him all right. He wasn't much for it but he'd give it a try every now and then and I didn't see no harm in it.
Anyhow I quit but I still got the same cancer killed my mother. I got my own, though. I didn't get it from her. Cancer ain't like a cold. You don't catch it but it catches you. Since I got the cancer I'm back to smoking but it's different since you don't smoke gra.s.s the same way you smoke a cigarette. Tom showed me. He gives me all I can use but I don't use too much because it's still smoking no matter what you put in the paper and maybe it might make the cancer worse. I don't know. It don't take much anyhow. I smoke a little of it and I feel better. I don't swallow no different than I used to around the cancer but it don't bother me so much either.
Preston told me to drink more orange juice one time and I tried it but it didn't do me no good. Not that I could tell.
DeAlton.
I THOUGHT IT THOUGHT IT was just a hobby. I thought you were just growing a little for yourself and giving some to Vernon. was just a hobby. I thought you were just growing a little for yourself and giving some to Vernon.
By G.o.d I've got to say I never saw you as the agricultural type. My own son. I spend my life running from a G.o.dd.a.m.ned onion farm and you go running right back to it. Like you're some kind of a throwback.
No, I'm just kidding. Of course I'm just kidding.
I know it's dope and not onions. I know that and I don't care. It takes more than that to impress me. I've been around onions and I've been around dope. You've got to be a little more cautious with the one is all.
I know you are. I know. But the more you grow the bigger the risk.
Yes, that's my way of asking how much you're growing.
Well, s.h.i.+t. That's not very much. That's not very much at all. How can you live on that?
I don't care how good it is. That little bit isn't enough to maintain any kind of standard of living. It's not enough to let a person sit on the beach all day looking at girls and drinking beer. It never was that I knew of and I don't bet it is these days either.
Because a nickel bag is still a nickel bag and five dollars isn't worth two dollars these days. You've got to allow for inflation.
Do I look ignorant to you? I know about running a business. You've got fixed costs. You've got storage and packaging and transportation. You've got supplies and hardware. You've got your drip lines and your timers and your pressure-reducing valves and your- Why you G.o.dd.a.m.ned amateur. You don't just throw it in the ground and hope for the best. Dope ain't onions, and you don't even do that with onions.
1932.
Ruth.
A THIN DRIZZLE THIN DRIZZLE of freezing rain comes up but they pay it no mind. Soon something bites, and before Audie can notice or react the fish has nibbled free the cheese and made off with it. The hook comes up bare. Audie squalls and his father squalls too, each in his own way. of freezing rain comes up but they pay it no mind. Soon something bites, and before Audie can notice or react the fish has nibbled free the cheese and made off with it. The hook comes up bare. Audie squalls and his father squalls too, each in his own way.
”How'd you like it if that was your dinner just swum off?”
Audie makes no particular answer and his cry of disappointment goes on as if the thought of hunger troubles him no more and no less than the mere loss of that lively fish, and from the well of his son's stubbornness Lester draws more anger. He reaches around Vernon and knocks the back of Audie's head with his knuckles and only the boy's hat responds, not the boy himself, tilting forward and c.o.c.king crazily over his eyes. Lester snorts and reaches into his coat for his whiskey and while his gaze is downcast Vernon fixes his brother's hat.