Part 25 (2/2)
''Okay”
”The pants are hangin' in the locker behind the' door”
”I knohere they are,' she said, walking around him into the kitchen
He slapped her fiill buttocks as she passed ”If n yer se at all”
She shot him a baleful look ”He's not you, stupid,” she said sarcastically ”He kin have it for free”
He was soaking in the hot tub when she caainst the back, his eyes closed The first thing she noticed was the black-and-blue bruises on his body Then she remarked the puffed, swollen eye, cheekbone and jaw
”They really worked you over,” she said in a hushed voice
He opened his eyes ”I'estured to the floor near the tub His pants lay there cru neatly across the back of a chair in front of the heater, drying out ”Throw the pants into the garbage I already washed the shi+rt”
”Okay,” she said, bending to pick theet so”
She went into the other room and came back with paper Carefully she picked up the pants without touching them and wrapped the paper around thee on the chair where his jacket was hanging ”I'll git rid of this Then I'll come back and he'p you”
”Thank you, e”
”Don't be a fool,” she said sharply ”I been brought up with five brothers an' I been married twice an' I knohen a man needs help an' when he don't”
He turned to look at her Despite the swollen eye and cheek, she felt the strength in his face ”And you think I need help?”
”I know,” she said
He nodded ”Then I thank you kindly, rateful to accept your offer”
When she came back, she pulled a chair over to the tub and with a sently There were bruises all over his body, and despite hied the water in the tub twice, finally washi+ng his face and his hair, then carefully shaving hiun to flow from a cut over his heavy eyebrow ”That's a bad 'un,” she said ”We better git the doctor in thescar” She tore a strip from a clean cloth and pressed it to the cut ”You hoi' that while I git soether”
She was back in a moment with a wide roll of Johnson & Johnson Expertly she tore it down the middle and it up now an' dry yourse'f”
Wincing, he got to his feet, taking the towel she held out to hi it around himself She held out a hand to steady him as he stepped out of the tub
”You okay?” she asked
He nodded
”Mebbe you ought to lie down fer a while I kin bring you so himself ”Is there a telephone in the restaurant?”
She nodded
”I have to er over his cheek, looked in a mirror, then turned to her ”You know,” he said, alave ht?”
He sood A guy can get spoiled by soit yer breakfast ready Wheat cakes, sausages and eggs all right?”
”Right perfect,” he said ”Just give et there”
counter, where the counterister She placed the dishes in the wash rack Another half-hour and the pearl diver would come in He could clean them
She came back to the counterit home”
''I don' knohat fer,” he replied ''You didn' do nothin' There was no business tonight”
'Those are the worst nights of all At least if you're busy the ti”
”Another half-hour, that's all” They heard the coin tinkle down into the telephone box and looked up
His voice was low, but it carried ”Long distance, please Station collect to Washi+ngton, DC The nuled back into the return chute He fished it out and stood there, puffing at his cigar, waiting After aOperator There's someone there They'll answer”
He puffed patiently on the cigar The operator caain A sudden authority ca lady The phone is downstairs in the hall and they're upstairs sleeping Ring long enough and they'll hear it
A moment later someone answered His voice lowered ”Moses, it's Daniel BNo, I ain't dead They don't make phone calls from hellYeah, they went back to work in KC I know that Tell John L and Phil that ent in there like a bunch of a set up The cops and the Wops We didn't have a chance I spent the last three days riding around in a car with a bunch of garlic eaters I knew the minute they dumped me the strike was over I wouldn't be alive now if it was still on They du from a truck stop The office owes ar, while the voice on the other end of the line spoke His voice was slightly hoarse when he began to speak again 'Fed up a little; I've had worseNo, I' back for a while I've been four years without a vacation or a rest It's ti on ''
Again the voice on the other end of the line spoke while he listened This tiive a daot lined up for uess I'es off the trees an' eat them fresh and sweet froot in' around here for John L to call ed their oodYeah I know Things'11 get better-but I don't knohat good that will do us John L is pushi+ng for Landon, and Roosevelt won't take him too kindly for thatYou can bet your ass that FDR is gonna win a second teret to California”
He put down the telephone and went back to his table He held up his hand, and the waitress brought him another cup of coffee ”Is there any hotel around here where I can rent a room?” he asked
'The nearest is back in St Louis,” she said
He shook his head 'Wrong direction I' west, not east” He took a sip of his coffee ”Think I can get a hitch on one of those trucks out there going west?”
”You kin ask,” she said ”They'll be gittin' up soon”
”I wiU, thank you”
She started back to the counter Halfway, she turned and came back to him ”You mean what you said? Goin' to California?”
He nodded
'I never been there either,” she said ''I hear it's real pretty out there The sun shi+nes all the time an' it's never cold”
He looked up at her without speaking