jg.paintedhouse-第74部分

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　　　〃Sounds　pretty　good。〃
　　　〃We'll　always　e　back　and　visit　Pappy　and　Gran　and　Ricky。　It'll　be　a　new　life；　Luke；　one　that's　far　better　than　this。〃　She　nodded　toward　the　field；　toward　the　ruined　cotton　out　there　drowning。
　　　I　thought　of　my　Memphis　cousins；　the　children　of　my　father's　sisters。　They　rarely　came　to　Black　Oak；　only　for　funerals　and　maybe　for　Thanksgiving；　and　this　was　fine　with　me　because　they　were　city　kids　with　nicer　clothes　and　quicker　tongues。　I　didn't　particularly　like　them；　but　I　was　envious　at　the　same　time。　They　weren't　rude　or　snobbish；　they　were　just　different　enough　to　make　me　ill　at　ease。　I　decided　then　and　there　that　when　I　lived　in　Memphis　or　Little　Rock　I　would　not；　under　any　circumstances；　act　like　I　was　better　than　anybody　else。
　　　〃I　have　a　secret；　Luke；〃　my　mother　said。
　　　Not　another　one。　My　troubled　mind　could　not　hold　another　secret。　〃What　is　it？〃
　　　〃I'm　goin'　to　have　a　baby；〃　she　said　and　smiled　at　me。
　　　I　couldn't　help　but　smile；　too。　I　enjoyed　being　the　only　child；　but；　truth　was；　I　wanted　somebody　to　play　with。
　　　〃You　are？〃
　　　〃Yes。　Next　summer。〃
　　　〃Can　it　be　a　boy？〃
　　　〃I'll　try；　but　no　promises。〃
　　　〃If　you　gotta　have　one；　I'd　like　a　little　brother。〃
　　　〃Are　you　excited？〃
　　　〃Yes　ma'am。　Does　Daddy　know　about　it？〃
　　　〃Oh　yes；　he's　in　on　the　deal。〃
　　　〃Is　he　happy；　too？〃
　　　〃Very　much　so。〃
　　　〃That's　good。〃　It　took　some　time　to　digest　this；　but　I　knew　right　away　that　it　was　a　fine　thing。　All　of　my　friends　had　brothers　and　sisters。
　　　An　idea　hit；　one　that　I　couldn't　shake。　Since　we　were　on　the　subject　of　having　babies；　I　was　overe　with　an　urge　to　unload　one　of　my　secrets。　It　seemed　like　a　harmless　one　now；　and　an　old　one；　too。　So　much　had　happened　since　Tally　and　I　sneaked　off　to　the　Latchers'　house　that　the　episode　was　now　sort　of　funny。
　　　〃I　know　all　about　how　babies　are　born；〃　I　said；　a　little　defensively。
　　　〃Oh　you　do？〃
　　　〃Yes　ma'am。〃
　　　〃How's　that？〃
　　　〃Can　you　keep　a　secret；　too？〃
　　　〃I　certainly　can。〃
　　　I　began　the　story；　laying　sufficient　blame　on　Tally　for　everything　that　might　get　me　in　trouble。　She'd　planned　it。　She'd　begged　me　to　go。　She'd　dared　me。　She'd　done　this　and　that。　Once　my　mother　realized　where　the　story　was　leading；　her　eyes　began　to　dance；　and　she　said　every　so　often；　〃Luke；　you　didn't！〃
　　　I　had　her。　I　embellished　here　and　there；　to　help　move　the　story　and　build　tension；　but　for　the　most　part　I　stuck　to　the　facts。　She　was　hooked。
　　　〃You　saw　me　in　the　window？〃　she　asked　in　disbelief。
　　　〃Yes　ma'am。　Gran；　too；　and　Mrs。　Latcher。〃
　　　〃Did　you　see　Libby？〃
　　　〃No　ma'am；　but　we　sure　heard　her。　Does　it　always　hurt　like　that？〃
　　　〃Well；　not　always。　Keep　going。〃
　　　I　spared　no　detail。　As　Tally　and　I　raced　back　to　the　farm；　the　headlights　in　pursuit；　my　mother　clutched　my　elbow　almost　hard　enough　to　break　it。　〃We　had　no　idea！〃　she　said。
　　　〃Of　course　not。　I　barely　beat　y'all　in　the　house。　Pappy　was　still　snorin'；　and　I　was　afraid　y'all　would　e　check　on　me　and　see　that　I　was　covered　with　sweat　and　dirt。〃
　　　〃We　were　too　tired。〃
　　　〃It　was　a　good　thing。　I　slept　about　two　hours；　then　Pappy　woke　me　up　to　go　to　the　fields。　I've　never　been　so　sleepy　in　my　life。〃
　　　〃Luke；　I　can't　believe　you　did　that。〃　She　wanted　to　scold；　but　she　was　too　caught　up　in　the　story。
　　　〃It　was　fun。〃
　　　〃You　shouldn't　have。〃
　　　〃Tally　made　me　do　it。〃
　　　〃Don't　blame　Tally。〃
　　　〃I　wouldn't've　done　it　without　her。〃
　　　〃I　can't　believe　the　two　of　you　did　it；〃　she　said；　but　I　could　tell　she　was　impressed　with　the　story。　She　grinned　and　shook　her　head　in　amazement。　〃How　often　did　y'all　go　roamin'　around　at　night？〃
　　　〃I　think　that　was　it。〃
　　　〃You　liked　Tally；　didn't　you？〃
　　　〃Yes　ma'am。　She　was　my　friend。〃
　　　〃I　hope　she's　happy。〃
　　　〃Me　too。〃
　　　I　missed　her；　but　I　hated　to　admit　it　to　myself。　〃Mom；　do　you　think　we'll　see　Tally　up　North？〃
　　　She　smiled　and　said；　〃No；　I　don't　think　so。　Those　cities　up　thereSt。　Louis；　Chicago；　Cleveland；　Cincinnati…have　millions　of　people。　We'll　never　see　her。〃
　　　I　thought　about　the　Cardinals　and　the　Cubs　and　the　Reds。　I　thought　about　Stan　Musial　racing　around　the　bases　in　front　of　thirty　thousand　fans　at　Sportsman's　Park。　Since　the　teams　were　up　North；　then　that　was　where　I　was　headed　anyway。　Why　not　leave　a　few　years　early？
　　　〃I　guess　I'll　go；〃　I　said。
　　　〃It'll　be　fun；　Luke；〃　she　said　again。
　　　
　　　When　Pappy　and　my　father　returned　from　town；　they　looked　as　though　they'd　been　whipped。　I　guess　they　had。　Their　labor　was　gone；　their　cotton　was　soaked。　If　the　sun　broke　through　and　the　floodwaters　receded；　they　didn't　have　enough　hands　to　work　the　fields。　And　they　weren't　sure　if　the　cotton　would　dry　out。　This　time；　the　sun　was　not　to　be　seen；　and　the　water　was　still　rising。
　　　After　Pappy　went　into　the　house；　my　father　unloaded　two　gallons　of　paint　and　set　them　on　the　front　porch。　He　did　this　without　saying　a　word；　though　I　was　watching　his　every　move。　When　he　was　finished；　he　went　to　the　barn。
　　　Two　gallons　would　not　paint　the　front　of　the　house。　I　was　irritated　by　this；　then　I　realized　why　my　father　had　not　bought　more。　He　didn't　have　the　money。　He　and　Pappy　had　paid　the　Mexicans；　and　there　was　nothing　left。
　　　I　suddenly　felt　rotten　because　I　had　kept　the　painting　alive　after　Trot　had　gone。　I　had　pushed　the　project　along；　and　in　doing　so　had　forced　my　father　to　spend　what　little　money　he　had。
　　　I　stared　at　the　two　buckets　set　side　by　side；　and　tears　came　to　my　eyes。　I　hadn't　realized　how　broke　we　were。
　　　My　father　had　poured　his　guts　into　the　soil　for　six　months；　and　now　he　had　nothing　to　show　for　it。　When　the　rains　came；　I；　for　some　reason；　had　decided　that　the　house　should　be　painted。
　　　My　intentions　had　been　good；　I　thought。　So　why　did　I　feel　so　awful？
　　　I　got　my　brush；　opened　a　can；　and　began　the　final　phase　of　the　job。　As　I　slowly　made　the　short　strokes　with　my　right　hand；　I　wiped　tears　with　my　left。
　
　
　Chapter　34
　　　
　　　The　first　frost　would　kill　what　was　left　of　our　garden。　It　usually　came　in　the　middle　of　October；　though　the　almanac　that　my　father　read　as　devoutly　as　he　read　the　Bible　had　already　missed　its　predicted　date　twice。　Undaunted；　he　kept　checking　the　almanac　every　morning　with　his　first　cup　of　coffee。　It　provided　endless　opportunities　for　worry。
　　　Since　we　couldn't　pick　cotton；　the　garden　got　our　attention。　All　five　of　us　marched　to　it　just　after　breakfast。　My　mother　was　certain　that　the　frost　was　ing　that　very　night　and；　if　not；　then　for　sure　the　next　night。　And　so　on。
　　　For　a　miserable　hour　I　pulled　black…eyed　peas　off　vines。　Pappy；　who　hated　garden　work　more　than　I　did；　was　nearby　picking　butter　beans　and　doing　so　with　mendable　effort。　Gran　was　helping　my　mother　pick　the　last　of　the　tomatoes。　My　father　hauled　baskets　back　and　forth；　under　the　supervision　of　my　mother。　When　he　walked　by　me；　I　said；　〃I　really　want　to　go　paint。〃
　　　〃Ask　your　mother；〃　he　said。
　　　I　did；　and　she　said　I　could　after　I　picked　one　more　basket　of　peas。　The　garden　was　getting　harvested　like　never　before。　By　noon　there　wouldn't　be　a　stray　bean　anywhere。
　　　I　soon　returned　to　the　solitude　of　house　painting。　With　the　clear　exception　of　operating　a　road　grader；　it　was　a　job　I　preferred　over　all　others。　The　difference　between　the　two　was　that　I　couldn't　actually　operate　a　road　grader；　and　it　would　be　years　before　I'd　be　able　to。　But　I　could　certainly　paint。　After　watching　the　Mexicans；　I'd　learned　even　more　and　improved　my　technique。　I　applied　the　paint　as　thinly　as　possible；　trying　my　best　to　stretch　the　two　gallons。
　　　By　mid…morning　one　bucket　was　empty。　My　mother　and　Gran　were　now　in　the　kitchen；　washing　and　canning　the　vegetables。
　　　I　didn't　hear　the　man　walk　up　behind　me。　But　when　he　coughed　to　get　my　attention；　I　jerked　around　and　dropped　my　paintbrush。
　　　It　was　Mr。　Latcher；　wet　and　muddy　from　the　waist　down。　He　was　barefoot；　and　his　shirt　was　torn。　He'd　obviously　walked　from　their　place　to　ours。
　　　〃Where's　Mr。　Chandler？〃　he　asked。
　　　I　wasn't　sure　which　Mr。　Chandler　he　wanted。　I　picked　up　my　brush　and　ran　to　the　east　side　of　the　house。　I　yelled　for　my　father；　who　poked　his　head　through　some　vines。　When　he　saw　Mr。　Latcher　beside　me；　he　stood　up　quickly。　〃What　is　it？〃　he　asked　as　he　hu