vb7
05-17-2010, 07:01 PM
" 'Sgonna be a long dry patch, Millie."
" Why ye ain't tryin' harder? Why ye leavin' all the work to lil' Pete?"
" I've dun ma share o' work around this goddamn here soil, 'an I ain't about to throw away ma backbone to water some dirt that ain't takin' any!"
" He's tired. He's your son."
" The hell he is."
She scrutinized the grey icing sugar beneath her bare feet and decided for the third time today that he wouldn't and couldn't be reasoned with. She gave him a dry and loving kiss and trudged back to the stoop where her son was soaking his little feet in a bucket of ice water. He looked up with bags under his eyes and winced as he moved one of his feet to the side, avoiding the ice cubes. There was a hoe and a hand shovel on the floorboards beside him and he scootched them aside with his only arm to make room for his mother.
" Mam, ye know the other kids had their first day o' class with Miss Miller today. Paulie tells me her hair looks jus' like tumbleweed! Jus' like it. He swore so."
" Lil' Pete, why'd ye let him come here? I told ye your Pap doesn' like it when them wealthy folk come by to gloat 'bout their lives an' that."
" Paulie ain't a wealthy folk, Mam. He looks like me."
" Almost."
Millie took in her son's shorter limb and let out a small sigh. She tilted her gaunt face towards the simmering sun, closed her eyes and affirmed in her head that there was no God and that no one would ever fogive her for this.
" Mam?"
" What is it?"
" Is Pap still mad at me?"
" What kind of a question is that, lil' Pete?"
" I was jus' wonderin'."
In the distance, she heard her husband yell for her son. Lil' Pete jumped up from his chair and ran out into the barren landscape to the yelling pinprick in the distance. Millie smirked a little, telling herself for the millionth time: "at least he can run". She turned into the rancher, bypassing the tiny wet footprints that were quickly vapourizing from the bone dry earth.
" Dammit, lil' Pete. Jus' lemme do it."
" Pap, I almost finished a whole row!"
" Well ye shoulda finished at least five by now. Ye know what I told ye about feelin' sorry for yourself. That ain't gonna put food on the table for Mam. There ain't been any rain, doesn' mean we stop plantin' the seeds. Your Mam needs to be healthy. I thought ye liked your Mam."
" When's the new baby comin'? I want a lil' sister. I bet she'll have red hairs jus' like Mam."
" Quit your bloody daydreamin'! Put that damn hand to work! Jesus Christ, lil' Pete, if your mother had any guts ye wouldn't have to go through this.."
They finished their day off behind schedule, as usual. Lil' Pete followed his father back to the house about 100 yards behind, as usual. He focused his gaze on the train tracks below the hill behind the field and wondered if you needed two hands to conduct a steam engine.
By the time lil' Pete walked through the door and shook of the dust from his toes, Millie was already placing a generous helping of ground beef and carrots infront of her husband. He spooned butter onto his plate and began shovelling the food down his gullet, not noticing the little boy gazing hungrily at the meat. Millie shoved a plate of boiled rice with tomato juice on the table for her and her son and silently began eating. She was sitting at a strange angle, leaving room for her belly while leaning over the table. Lil' Pete thought she looked like an angel watching over a child like he had seen at church with Paulie.
"Lil' Pete, I want ye to put that dish in the sink and help me with the cats outside."
" Really? I can help with the cats? Mam, can I? I can! I told ye I could! Pap, did ye hear Mam? I'm gonna help with the cats!
" You're a big enough boy now."
Millie took the boy's hand and led him into the yard. They walked right by the mother cat and her kittens that she was watching over diligently, grabbing the smallest one in her jaw and carrying it back to the group.
" Mam, I thought I was gonna help with the cats."
" I have something more important for ye to do."
Her expression was flat and lifeless. Her face was white. Her palms were clammy and she had a strange cadence to her speech. She led her first son down the hill behind the yard and stood there for a minute, watching the fascination, hope and awe well in lil' Pete's eyes. He looked up at her hesitantly when she led him to the edge of the tracks. He could almost touch them.
" Mam, Pap said never to go this close to the tracks!"
" I know. He said it was okay of ye helped me git my wedding ring back. It rolled down the hill and our hands was too thick to get under the track. Your arm can fit under there where it's hiding under the dust. Can ye do that for me lil Pete? Can ye help your Mam? Your Pap dun' think ye can."
" I can, Mam! Ye jus' watch! I'm good at going into tiny places like the space behind my bed. Jus' watch, Mam. I can do it."
Millie watched as her son squeeze his entire arm under the tracks, so much so that part of his shoulder and back here underneath too. He had to wiggle his body to get further and further under until he thought he felt something at his fingertips, just out of reach. Lil' Pete was too focused to feel the rumble that Millie felt under her toes. She closed her eyes and put her arms around her belly. She thought of only having to make one helping of rice and tomato juice and how much more bread there would be for her husband. She wondered if he would kiss her back now.
" ..Mam? Mam. ..Mam!"
She felt a familiar kick on her hands and she walked up the hill, appreciating the frantic growl of the steam engine in the predictable evening air.
" Why ye ain't tryin' harder? Why ye leavin' all the work to lil' Pete?"
" I've dun ma share o' work around this goddamn here soil, 'an I ain't about to throw away ma backbone to water some dirt that ain't takin' any!"
" He's tired. He's your son."
" The hell he is."
She scrutinized the grey icing sugar beneath her bare feet and decided for the third time today that he wouldn't and couldn't be reasoned with. She gave him a dry and loving kiss and trudged back to the stoop where her son was soaking his little feet in a bucket of ice water. He looked up with bags under his eyes and winced as he moved one of his feet to the side, avoiding the ice cubes. There was a hoe and a hand shovel on the floorboards beside him and he scootched them aside with his only arm to make room for his mother.
" Mam, ye know the other kids had their first day o' class with Miss Miller today. Paulie tells me her hair looks jus' like tumbleweed! Jus' like it. He swore so."
" Lil' Pete, why'd ye let him come here? I told ye your Pap doesn' like it when them wealthy folk come by to gloat 'bout their lives an' that."
" Paulie ain't a wealthy folk, Mam. He looks like me."
" Almost."
Millie took in her son's shorter limb and let out a small sigh. She tilted her gaunt face towards the simmering sun, closed her eyes and affirmed in her head that there was no God and that no one would ever fogive her for this.
" Mam?"
" What is it?"
" Is Pap still mad at me?"
" What kind of a question is that, lil' Pete?"
" I was jus' wonderin'."
In the distance, she heard her husband yell for her son. Lil' Pete jumped up from his chair and ran out into the barren landscape to the yelling pinprick in the distance. Millie smirked a little, telling herself for the millionth time: "at least he can run". She turned into the rancher, bypassing the tiny wet footprints that were quickly vapourizing from the bone dry earth.
" Dammit, lil' Pete. Jus' lemme do it."
" Pap, I almost finished a whole row!"
" Well ye shoulda finished at least five by now. Ye know what I told ye about feelin' sorry for yourself. That ain't gonna put food on the table for Mam. There ain't been any rain, doesn' mean we stop plantin' the seeds. Your Mam needs to be healthy. I thought ye liked your Mam."
" When's the new baby comin'? I want a lil' sister. I bet she'll have red hairs jus' like Mam."
" Quit your bloody daydreamin'! Put that damn hand to work! Jesus Christ, lil' Pete, if your mother had any guts ye wouldn't have to go through this.."
They finished their day off behind schedule, as usual. Lil' Pete followed his father back to the house about 100 yards behind, as usual. He focused his gaze on the train tracks below the hill behind the field and wondered if you needed two hands to conduct a steam engine.
By the time lil' Pete walked through the door and shook of the dust from his toes, Millie was already placing a generous helping of ground beef and carrots infront of her husband. He spooned butter onto his plate and began shovelling the food down his gullet, not noticing the little boy gazing hungrily at the meat. Millie shoved a plate of boiled rice with tomato juice on the table for her and her son and silently began eating. She was sitting at a strange angle, leaving room for her belly while leaning over the table. Lil' Pete thought she looked like an angel watching over a child like he had seen at church with Paulie.
"Lil' Pete, I want ye to put that dish in the sink and help me with the cats outside."
" Really? I can help with the cats? Mam, can I? I can! I told ye I could! Pap, did ye hear Mam? I'm gonna help with the cats!
" You're a big enough boy now."
Millie took the boy's hand and led him into the yard. They walked right by the mother cat and her kittens that she was watching over diligently, grabbing the smallest one in her jaw and carrying it back to the group.
" Mam, I thought I was gonna help with the cats."
" I have something more important for ye to do."
Her expression was flat and lifeless. Her face was white. Her palms were clammy and she had a strange cadence to her speech. She led her first son down the hill behind the yard and stood there for a minute, watching the fascination, hope and awe well in lil' Pete's eyes. He looked up at her hesitantly when she led him to the edge of the tracks. He could almost touch them.
" Mam, Pap said never to go this close to the tracks!"
" I know. He said it was okay of ye helped me git my wedding ring back. It rolled down the hill and our hands was too thick to get under the track. Your arm can fit under there where it's hiding under the dust. Can ye do that for me lil Pete? Can ye help your Mam? Your Pap dun' think ye can."
" I can, Mam! Ye jus' watch! I'm good at going into tiny places like the space behind my bed. Jus' watch, Mam. I can do it."
Millie watched as her son squeeze his entire arm under the tracks, so much so that part of his shoulder and back here underneath too. He had to wiggle his body to get further and further under until he thought he felt something at his fingertips, just out of reach. Lil' Pete was too focused to feel the rumble that Millie felt under her toes. She closed her eyes and put her arms around her belly. She thought of only having to make one helping of rice and tomato juice and how much more bread there would be for her husband. She wondered if he would kiss her back now.
" ..Mam? Mam. ..Mam!"
She felt a familiar kick on her hands and she walked up the hill, appreciating the frantic growl of the steam engine in the predictable evening air.