jg.paintedhouse-第51部分

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　like　wild　animals；　piled　on　again。
　　　I　heard　the　women　yell　from　the　porch。　It's　about　time！　I　thought。　Mrs。　Latcher　arrived　first　and　began　pulling　boys　from　the　heap；　scolding　them　loudly　as　she　flung　them　around。　Since　I　was　on　the　bottom；　I　got　up　last。　My　mother　looked　at　me　in　horror。　My　clean　clothes　were　covered　with　dirt。　My　nose　was　oozing　warm　blood。
　　　〃Luke；　are　you　all　right？〃　she　said；　grabbing　my　shoulders。
　　　My　eyes　were　watery；　and　I　was　beginning　to　ache。　I　nodded　my　head　yes；　no　problem。
　　　〃Cut　me　a　switch！〃　Mrs。　Latcher　yelled　at　Percy。　She　was　growling　and　still　flinging　the　two　smaller　ones　around。　〃Whatta　you　mean　beatin'　up　that　little　boy　like　that？　He　ain't　done　nothin'。〃
　　　The　blood　was　really　flowing　now；　dripping　off　my　chin　and　staining　my　shirt。　My　mother　made　me　lie　down　and　tilt　my　head　back　to　stop　the　bleeding；　and　while　we　were　doing　this；　Percy　produced　a　stick。
　　　〃I　want　you　to　watch　this；〃　Mrs。　Latcher　said　in　my　direction。
　　　〃No；　Darla；〃　my　mother　said。　〃We're　leaving。〃
　　　〃No；　I　want　your　boy　to　see　this；〃　she　said。　〃Now　bend　over；　Percy。〃
　　　〃I　ain't　gonna　do　it；　Ma；〃　Percy　said；　obviously　scared。
　　　〃Bend　over；　or　I'll　get　your　father。　I'll　teach　you　some　manners。　Beatin'　up　that　little　boy；　a　visitor　to　our　place。〃
　　　〃No；〃　Percy　said；　and　she　hit　him　in　the　head　with　the　stick。　He　screamed；　and　she　whacked　him　across　the　ear。
　　　She　made　him　bend　over　and　grab　his　ankles。　〃You　let　go　and　I'll　beat　you　for　a　week；〃　she　threatened　him。　He　was　already　crying　when　she　started　flogging　away。　Both　my　mother　and　I　were　stunned　by　her　anger　and　brutality。　After　eight　or　ten　very　hard　licks；　Percy　started　yelping。　〃Shut　up！〃　she　shouted。
　　　Her　arms　and　legs　were　as　thin　as　the　stick；　but　what　she　lacked　in　size　she　made　up　for　in　quickness。　Her　blows　landed　like　machine…gun　fire；　fast　and　crisp；　popping　like　a　bullwhip。　Ten；　twenty；　thirty　shots；　and　Percy　was　bawling；　〃Please　stop　it；　Ma！　I'm　sorry！〃
　　　The　beating　went　on　and　on；　far　past　the　point　of　punishment。　When　her　arm　was　tired；　she　shoved　him　to　the　ground；　and　Percy　curled　into　a　tight　ball　and　wept。　By　then　the　other　two　were　already　in　tears。　She　grabbed　the　middle　one　by　the　hair。　She　called　him　Ray…ford　and　said；　〃Bend　over。〃　Rayford　slowly　clutched　his　ankles　and　somehow　withstood　the　assault　that　followed。
　　　〃Let's　go；〃　my　mother　whispered　to　me。　〃You　can　lie　down　in　the　back。〃
　　　She　helped　me　up　to　the　bed　of　the　truck；　and　by　then　Mrs。　Latcher　was　pulling　on　the　other　boy；　yanking　him　by　the　hair。　Percy　and　Rayford　were　lying　in　the　dirt；　victims　of　the　battle　they'd　started。　My　mother　turned　the　truck　around；　and　as　we　drove　off；　Mrs。　Latcher　was　battering　the　youngest　one。　There　were　loud　voices；　and　I　sat　up　just　enough　to　see　Mr。　Latcher　running　around　the　house　with　a　trail　of　children　behind　him。　He　yelled　at　his　wife；　she　ignored　him　and　kept　hammering　away。　When　he　reached　her；　he　grabbed　her。　Kids　were　swarming　everywhere；　everyone　seemed　to　be　either　screaming　or　crying。
　　　The　dust　boiled　behind　us；　and　I　lost　sight　of　them。　As　I　lay　down　again　and　tried　to　get　fortable；　I　prayed　that　I　would　never　again　set　foot　on　their　farm。　I　never　wanted　to　see　any　of　those　people　for　the　rest　of　my　life。　And　I　prayed　long　and　hard　that　no　one　would　ever　hear　the　rumor　that　the　Chandlers　and　the　Latchers　were　related。
　　　My　return　home　was　triumphant。　The　Spruills　were　cleaned　up　and　ready　for　town。　They　were　sitting　under　a　tree；　drinking　iced　tea　with　Pappy　and　Gran　and　my　father；　when　we　rolled　to　a　stop　less　than　twenty　feet　away。　As　dramatically　as　I　could；　I　stood　in　the　back　of　the　truck；　and　with　great　satisfaction　watched　them　react　in　shock　at　the　sight　of　me。　There　I　was…beaten；　bloodied；　dirty；　clothes　ripped；　but　still　standing。
　　　I　climbed　down；　and　everyone　gathered　around　me。　My　mother　stormed　forward　and　very　angrily　said；　〃You're　not　gonna　believe　what　happened！　Three　of　them　jumped　Luke！　Percy　and　two　others　caught　him　when　I　was　in　the　house。　The　little　criminals！　We're　takin'　food　over；　and　they　pull　a　stunt　like　this。〃
　　　Tally　was　concerned；　too；　and　I　think　she　wanted　to　reach　out　and　touch　me；　to　make　sure　I　was　all　right。
　　　〃Three　of　'em？〃　Pappy　repeated；　his　eyes　dancing。
　　　〃Yes；　and　they　were　all　bigger　than　Luke；〃　my　mother　said；　and　the　legend　began　to　grow。　The　size　of　my　three　attackers　would　increase　as　the　days　and　months　went　by。
　　　Gran　was　in　my　face；　staring　at　my　nose；　which　had　a　small　cut　on　it。　〃Might　be　broken；〃　she　said；　and　though　I　was　thrilled　to　hear　it；　I　was　not　looking　forward　to　her　treatment。
　　　〃You　didn't　run；　did　you？〃　Pappy　asked。　He；　too；　was　moving　in　closer。
　　　〃No　sir；〃　I　said　proudly。　I'd　still　be　running　if　given　half　a　chance。
　　　〃He　did　not；〃　my　mother　said　sternly。　〃He　was　kickin'　and　clawin'　just　as　hard　as　they　were。〃
　　　Pappy　beamed；　and　my　father　smiled。
　　　〃We'll　go　back　tomorrow　and　finish　'em　off；〃　Pappy　said。
　　　〃You'll　do　no　such　thing；〃　my　mother　said。　She　was　irritated　because　Pappy　loved　a　brawl。　But　then；　she　came　from　a　house　full　of　girls。　She　did　not　understand　fighting。
　　　〃Did　you　land　a　good　punch？〃　Pappy　asked。
　　　〃They　were　all　cryin'　when　I　left；〃　I　said。
　　　My　mother　rolled　her　eyes。
　　　Hank　shoved　his　way　through　the　group　and　bent　down　to　inspect　the　damage。　〃Say　there　was　three　of　'em；　huh？〃　he　growled　at　me。
　　　〃Yes　sir；〃　I　said；　nodding。
　　　〃Good　for　you；　boy。　It'll　make　you　tough。〃
　　　〃Yes　sir；〃　I　said。
　　　〃If　you　want　me　to；　I'll　show　you　some　tricks　on　how　to　handle　a　three…on…one　situation；〃　he　said　with　a　smile。
　　　〃Let's　get　cleaned　up；〃　my　mother　said。
　　　〃I　think　it's　broken；〃　Gran　said。
　　　〃You　okay；　Luke？〃　Tally　asked。
　　　〃Yep；〃　I　said；　as　tough　as　I　could。
　　　They　led　me　away　in　a　victory　march。
　
　
　Chapter　23
　　　
　　　The　Fall　Picnic　was　always　held　on　the　last　Sunday　in　September；　though　no　one　knew　exactly　why。　It　was　simply　a　tradition　in　Black　Oak；　a　ritual　as　ingrained　as　the　carnival　and　the　spring　revival。　It　was　supposed　to　somehow　link　the　ing　of　a　new　season；　the　beginning　of　the　end　of　the　harvest；　and　the　end　of　baseball。　It　wasn't　clear　if　all　this　was　acplished　with　one　picnic；　but　at　least　the　effort　was　made。
　　　We　shared　the　day　with　the　Methodists；　our　friends　and　friendly　rivals。　Black　Oak　was　too　small　to　be　divided。　There　were　no　ethnic　groups；　no　blacks　or　Jews　or　Asians；　no　permanent　outsiders　of　any　variety。　We　were　all　of　Anglo…Irish　stock；　maybe　a　strain　or　two　of　German　blood；　and　everybody　farmed　or　sold　to　the　farmers。　Every　body　was　a　Christian　or　claimed　to　be。　Disagreements　flared　up　when　a　Cubs　fan　said　too　much　at　the　Tea　Shoppe；　or　when　some　idiot　declared　John　Deere　to　be　inferior　to　another　brand　of　tractor；　but　for　the　most　part　life　was　peaceful。　The　older　boys　and　younger　men　liked　to　fight　behind　the　Co…op　on　Saturdays；　but　it　was　more　sport　than　anything　else。　A　beating　like　the　one　Hank　gave　the　Siscos　was　so　rare　that　the　town　was　still　talking　about　it。
　　　Individual　grudges　lasted　a　lifetime；　Pappy　carried　more　than　his　share。　But　there　were　no　serious　enemies。　There　was　a　clear　social　order；　with　the　sharecroppers　at　the　bottom　and　the　merchants　at　the　top；　and　everyone　was　expected　to　know　his　place。　But　folks　got　along。
　　　The　line　between　Baptists　and　Methodists　was　never　straight　and　true。　Their　worship　was　slightly　different；　with　the　ritual　of　sprinkling　little　babies　being　their　most　flagrant　deviation　from　the　Scriptures；　as　we　saw　things。　And　they　didn't　meet　as　often；　which；　of　course；　meant　that　they　were　not　as　serious　about　their　faith。　Nobody　met　as　much　as　us　Baptists。　We　took　great　pride　in　constant　worship。　Pearl　Watson；　my　favorite　Methodist；　said　she'd　like　to　be　a　Baptist；　but　that　she　just　wasn't　physically　able。
　　　Ricky　told　me　once　in　private　that　when　he　left　the　farm　he　might　bee　a　Catholic　because　they　only　met　once　a　week。　I　didn't　know　what　a　Catholic　was；　and　so　he　tried　to　explain　things；　but　Ricky　on　theology　was　a　shaky　discussion　at　best。
　　　My　mother　and　Gran　spent　more　time　than　usual　ironing　our　clothes　that　Sunday　morning。　And　I　certainly　got　scrubbed　with　more　purpose。　Much　t