Part 6 (1/2)
They fell silent, separately thinking their own thoughts After athes ”Mebbe we ought to do it,” he said tentatively
”Mebbe,” she said, not ot to his feet, and he placed the h over the fireplace He turned and looked down at her ''You kin use two dollars o' that there money fer what you need,” he said
”Thank you, Jeb,'' she said It wasn't near enough, but it was better than nothing ”I think I'll have a look in on the children before I go to bed”
She went to the door ”Will you be comin' to bed soon?”
He didn't meet her eyes ”I think I'll jes' set a spell an' smoke my pipe”
”Don' be too late,” she said ” 'Specially since you 'n' Dan'l are plannin' to clear the west field toan to fill his pipe with tobacco fro to bed late This way she could pretend to be asleep and he didn't have to ask and she didn't have to refuse, Daniel lay quietly in the bed he shared with his brother Richard Richard slept on the inside against the wall, curled in a tight ball on top of the rough cotton sheet From across the room, he could hear the soft sounds of his sisters' sleep Molly Ann shared her bed with the youngest girl, Alice, and Rachel shared her bed with Jane The baby, Mase, still slept in a crib in their parents' room
He closed his eyes, but sleep still would not coue discontent within him Unformed, unshaped, the source unknown to hi
It wasn't that they were poor He had always known that, and they were no worse off than any of the other families he knew But somehow, today made it seem bad Mr Fitch was so sure and confident And his father's hidden fear had suddenly been so plain to hiht
The white mountain moon stared in the
and Daniel turned to look at it It had to be about nine o'clock, he reckoned, fro in the sky He heard the sound of footsteps through the thin walls separating his parents' room from their own Those were his father's footsteps He heard the clu to the floor, then the creak of the bed as his father lay down Again there was silence A strange silence
It hadnt used to be like that Only since Mase was boht sounds Warhter Now there was always the silence It was almost as if no one lived in the room next to his
Molly Ann had once explained it to him His father and mother didn't want no more babies But that didn't oing to have any more pleasure with each other? Why couldn't they? sex was no mystery to him It was always around him Farmyard animals were always at it He just assu not natural about the just like that
He turned on the bed so that he was head to toe with his brother, and lying on his stoht wind he could hear the faint sound of distant, running dogs Vaguely he wondered ould be out hunting coons when everyone knew that the coons had gone farther north to be near the water
Quietly he crept out of bed and went to theThe sound of the baying hounds seeht he recognized one of the dogs The big yaller dog that belonged to Mr Callendar, down in the valley
He heard the soft rustle of clothing behind him He turned
''Cain't you sleep neither?” Molly Ann asked
'No/' he whispered
She stood next to him at theand looked out
”I been thinkin'/' she said ”You heered what Mr Fitch said to Paw?”
He nodded
'I alius wondered whut it would be like to live in town/' she whispered ''I heered said-''
There was a creaking sound from one of the beds ”Shh,” he hissed ”You'll wake the kids”
”Want to go outside?”
He nodded, and silently they went out into the yard, closing the door softly behind theht sreed
”An' quiet, too,” she added ”The night is very different than the day Ever'thing seems so calm an' restfiil”
He led the way to the well and filled the dipper ater and sipped at it He held it toward her She shook her head, and he put it down The baying of the hounds faded into a thin yapping
”Think they treed somethin'?” she asked
”Fool hounds,” he said scornfully ”Mebbe a hoot owl, nothin' o down to town, they kin git soit Callendar's ol' mule ferfive dollars”
Daniel didn't answer
”What you thinkin'?” she asked
His words came slowly, almost reluctantly ”I don' like that Mr Fitch They somethin' about hio if'n Paw sends you?”
”I didn' say that,” he replied ”I jes' don' lak that h to hfalutin manners fool you,” he said ”He's a very hard man”
”Do you think Paill send us?”
He turned to look at her After a ot no choice We need the it it”
A note of excitement crept into her voice ”I hear tell theyjiave dances ever' Satiddy night in town after they git th'u work”
He looked at her for a hts you're thinkin'”
She laughed and pointed a finger down at him ”You're a fine one to be talkin', standin' there with a hard pokin' out the front o' your union suit”
The hot flush crept into his face He had hoped she wouldn't notice in the night ”It gits lak that when I got to take a pee in the night,” he said defensively
”Go take a pee, then,” she said, flouncing her head and starting back to the house ”On'y don' be too long about it, or I'll knohat you're doin'”
”Molly Ann”
She turned and looked back at him
”Why are you so anxious to leave here?” he asked
She stared at him ”Don' you really know, Dan'l?”
He shook his head