osc.am1.seventhson-第13部分

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　name　and　run　away；　and　that　was　a　whole　lot　worse　than　a　poke　in　the　behind。　It　made　him　mad　as　a　constipated　buffalo；　it　was　so　unfair。
　　Finally　he　was　mad　enough　to　make　the　ultimate　threat。　〃If　you　don't　e　out　I'll　do　it　right　in　front　of　the　door　so　you'll　step　in　it　when　you　e　out！〃
　　He　waited；　but　whoever　was　in　there　didn't　say；　〃If　you　do　I'll　make　you　lick　it　off　my　shoe；〃　and　since　that　was　the　customary　response；　Al　realized　for　the　first　time　that　the　person　inside　the　privy　might　not　be　one　of　his　sisters　after　all。　It　was　certainly　not　one　of　the　boys。　Which　left　only　two　possibilities；　each　one　worse　than　the　other。　Al　was　so　mad　at　himself　he　smacked　his　own　head　with　his　fist；　but　it　didn't　make　him　feel　no　better。　Papa　would　probably　give　him　a　lick；　but　even　worse　would　be　Mama。　She　might　give　him　a　tongue…lashing；　which　was　bad　enough；　but　if　she　was　in　a　real　vile　temper；　she'd　get　that　cold　look　on　her　face　and　say　real　soft；　〃Alvin　Junior；　I　used　to　hope　that　at　least　one　of　my　boys　would　be　a　born　gentleman；　but　now　I　see　my　life　was　wasted；〃　which　always　made　him　feel　about　as　low　as　he　knew　how　to　feel　without　dying。
　　So　he　was　almost　relieved　when　the　door　opened　and　Papa　stood　there；　still　buttoning　his　trousers　and　looking　none　too　happy。　〃Is　it　safe　for　me　to　step　out　this　door？〃　he　asked　coldly。
　　〃Yup；〃　said　Alvin　Junior。
　　〃What？〃
　　〃Yes　sir。〃
　　〃Are　you　sure？　There's　some　wild　animals　around　here　that　think　it's　smart　to　leave　their　do　on　the　ground　outside　privy　doors。　I　tell　you　that　if　there's　any　such　animal　I'll　lay　a　trap　and　catch　it　by　the　back　end　one　of　these　nights。　And　when　I　find　it　in　the　morning；　I'll　stitch　up　its　bung　hole　and　turn　it　loose　to　bloat　up　and　die　in　the　woods。〃
　　〃Sorry；　Papa。〃
　　Papa　shook　his　head　and　started　walking　toward　the　house。　〃I　don't　know　what's　wrong　with　your　bowel；　boy。　One　minute　you　don't　need　to　go　and　the　next　minute　you're　about　to　die。〃
　　〃Well　if　you'd　just　build　another　outhouse　I'd　be　fine；〃　Al　Junior　muttered。　Papa　didn't　hear　him；　though；　because　Alvin　didn't　actually　say　it　till　the　privy　door　was　closed　and　Papa'd　gone　back　to　the　house；　and　even　then　he　didn't　say　it　very　loud。
　　Alvin　rinsed　his　hands　at　the　pump　a　long　time；　because　he　feared　what　was　waiting　for　him　back　in　the　house。　But　then；　alone　outside　in　the　darkness；　he　began　to　be　afraid　for　another　reason。　Everybody　said　that　a　White　man　never　could　hear　when　a　Red　man　was　walking　through　the　woods；　and　his　big　brothers　got　some　fun　out　of　telling　Alvin　that　whenever　he　was　alone　outside；　especially　at　night；　there　was　Reds　in　the　forest；　watching　him；　playing　with　their　flint…bladed　tommy…hawks　and　itching　to　have　his　scalp。　In　broad　daylight；　Al　didn't　believe　them；　but　at　night；　his　hands　cold　with　the　water；　a　chill　ran　through　him；　and　he　thought　he　even　knew　where　the　Red　was　standing。　Just　over　his　shoulder；　back　over　near　the　pigsty；　moving　so　quiet　that　the　pigs　didn't　even　grunt　and　the　dogs　didn't　bark　or　nothing。　And　they'd　find　Al's　body；　all　hairless　and　bloody；　and　then　it'd　be　too　late。　Bad　as　his　sisters　were　　and　they　were　bad　　Al　figured　they'd　be　better　than　dying　from　a　Red　man's　flint　in　his　head。　He　fair　to　flew　from　the　pump　to　the　house；　and　he　didn't　look　back　to　see　if　the　Red　was　really　there。
　　As　soon　as　the　door　was　closed；　he　forgot　his　fears　of　silent　invisible　Reds。　Things　were　right　quiet　in　the　house；　which　was　pretty　suspicious　to　start　with。　The　girls　were　never　quiet　till　Papa　shouted　at　them　at　least　three　times　each　night。　So　Alvin　walked；　up　real　careful；　looking　before　every　step；　checking　over　his　shoulder　so　often　he　started　getting　a　crick　in　his　neck。　By　the　time　he　was　inside　his　room　with　the　door　closed　he　was　so　jittery　that　he　almost　hoped　they'd　do　whatever　they　were　planning　to　do　and　get　it　over　with。
　　But　they　didn't　do　it　and　they　didn't　do　it。　He　looked　around　the　room　by　candlelight；　turned　down　his　bed；　looked　into　every　er；　but　there　was　nothing　there。　Calvin　was　asleep　with　his　thumb　in　his　mouth；　which　meant　that　if　they　had　prowled　around　his　room；　it　had　been　a　while　ago。　He　began　to　wonder　if　maybe；　just　this　once；　the　girls　had　decided　to　leave　him　be　or　even　do　their　dirty　tricks　to　the　twins。　It　would　be　a　whole　new　life　for　him；　if　the　girls　started　being　nice。　Like　as　if　an　angel　came　down　and　lifted　him　right　out　of　hell。
　　He　stripped　off　his　clothes　quick　as　he　could；　folded　them；　and　put　them　on　the　stool　by　his　bed　so　they　wouldn't　be　full　of　roaches　in　the　morning。　He　had　kind　of　an　agreement　with　the　roaches。　They　could　get　into　anything　they　wanted　if　it　was　on　the　floor；　but　they　didn't　climb　into　Calvin's　bed　or　Alvin's　neither；　and　they　didn't　climb　onto　his　stool。　In　return；　Alvin　never　stomped　them。　As　a　result　Alvin's　room　was　pretty　much　the　roach　sanctuary　of　the　house；　but　since　they　kept　the　treaty；　he　and　Calvin　were　the　only　ones　who　never　woke　up　screaming　about　roaches　in　the　bed。
　　He　took　his　nightgown　off　its　peg　and　pulled　it　on　over　his　head。
　　Something　bit　him　under　the　arm。　He　cried　out　from　the　sharp　pain。　Something　else　bit　him　on　the　shoulder。　Whatever　it　was；　it　was　all　over　inside　his　nightgown；　and　as　he　yanked　it　off；　it　kept　right　on　nipping　him　everywhere。　Finally　it　was　off；　and　he　stood　there　stark　naked　slapping　and　brushing　with　his　hands　to　try　to　get　the　bugs　or　whatever　they　were　off　him。
　　Then　he　reached　down　and　carefully　picked　up　his　nightgown。　He　couldn't　see　anything　scurrying　away　from　it；　and　even　when　he　shook　it　and　shook　it；　nary　a　bug　fell　off。　Something　else　fell　off。　It　glinted　for　a　moment　in　the　candlelight　and　made　a　tiny　twinking　sound　when　it　hit　the　floor。
　　Only　then　did　Alvin　Junior　notice　the　stifled　giggling　from　the　room　next　door。　Oh；　they　got　him；　they　got　him　sure。　He　sat　on　the　edge　of　his　bed；　picking　pins　out　of　his　nightgown　and　poking　them　into　the　bottom　corner　of　his　quilt。　He　never　thought　they'd　be　so　mad　they'd　risk　losing　one　of　Mama's　precious　steel　pins；　just　to　get　even　with　him。　But　he　should　have　known。　Girls　never　did　have　any　bounds　of　fair　play；　the　way　boys　did。　When　a　boy　knocked　you　down　in　a　wrestling　match；　why；　he'd　either　jump　on　you　or　wait　for　you　to　get　back　up；　and　either　way　you'd　be　even　　both　up　or　both　down。　But　Al　knew　from　painful　experience　that　girls'd　kick　you　when　you　were　down　and　gang　up　on　you　whenever　they　had　the　chance。　When　they　fought；　they　fought　in　order　to　end　the　fight　as　quick　as　they　could。　Took　all　the　fun　out　of　it。
　　Just　like　tonight。　It　wasn't　a　fair　punishment；　him　poking　her　with　his　finger；　and　them　getting　him　all　jabbed　up　with　pins。　A　couple　of　those　places　were　bleeding；　they　stabbed　so　deep。　And　Alvin　didn't　reckon　Matilda　had　so　much　as　a　bruise；　though　he　wished　she　did。
　　Alvin　Junior　wasn't　mean；　no　sir。　But　sitting　there　on　the　edge　of　the　bed；　taking　pins　out　of　his　nightgown；　he　couldn't　help　but　notice　the　roaches　going　about　their　business　in　the　cracks　of　the　floor；　and　he　couldn't　help　imagining　what　it　would　be　like　if　all　those　roaches　just　happened　to　go　a…calling　in　a　certain　room　full　of　giggles。
　　So　he　knelt　down　on　the　floor　and　set　the　candle　right　there；　and　he　began　whispering　to　the　roaches；　just　the　way　he　did　the　day　he　made　his　peace　treaty　with　them。　He　started　telling　them　all　about　nice　smooth　sheets　and　soft　squishy　skin　they　could　scamper　on；　and　most　of　all　about　Matilda's　satin　pillowcase　on　her　goosedown　pillow。　But　they　didn't　seem　to　care　about　that。　Hungry；　that's　all　they　are；　thought　Alvin。　All　they　care　about　is　food；　food　and　fear。　So　he　started　telling　them　about　food；　the　most　perfectly　delicious　food　they　ever　ate　in　their　life。　The　roaches　perked　right　up　and　came　close　to　listen；　though　nary　one　of　them　climbed　on　him；　which　was　right　in　keeping　with　the　treaty。　All　the　food　you　ever　wanted；　all　over　that　soft　pink　skin。　And　it's　safe；　too；　not　a　speck　of　danger；　nothing　to　worry　about；　you　just　go　on　in　there　and　find　the　food　on　that　soft　pink　squishy　smooth　skin。
　　Sure　enough；　a　few　of　the　roaches　started　skittering　under　Alvin's　door；　and　then　more　an