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  “You must do the best you can and not let them worry you.” Uncle Maury said. “Run along, you two. But dont stay out long, now. Your mother will worry.”

  “Yes, sir.” Caddy said. “Come on, Benjy. We’re going out doors again.” She buttoned my coat and we went toward the door.

  “Are you going to take that baby out without his overshoes.” Mother said. “Do you want to make him sick, with the house full of company.”

  “I forgot.” Caddy said. “I thought he had them on.”

  We went back. “You must think.” Mother said. Hold still now Versh said. He put my overshoes on. “Someday I’ll be gone, and you’ll have to think for him.” Now stomp Versh said. “Come here and kiss Mother, Benjamin.”

  Caddy took me to Mother’s chair and Mother took my face in her hands and then she held me against her.

  “My poor baby.” she said. She let me go. “You and Versh take good care of him, honey.”

  “Yessum.” Caddy said. We went out. Caddy said,

  “You needn’t go, Versh. I’ll keep him for a while.”

  “All right.” Versh said. “I aint going out in that cold for no fun.” He went on and we stopped in the hall and Caddy knelt and put her arms around me and her cold bright face against mine. She smelled like trees.

  “You’re not a poor baby. Are you. You’ve got your Caddy. Haven’t you got your Caddy.

  Cant you shut up that moaning and slobbering, Luster said. Aint you shamed of yourself, making all this racket. We passed the carriage house, where the carriage was. It had a new wheel.

  “Git in, now, and set still until your maw come.” Dilsey said. She shoved me into the carriage. T. P. held the reins. “ ’Clare I don’t see how come Jason wont get a new surrey.” Dilsey said. “This thing going to fall to pieces under you all someday. Look at them wheels.”

  Mother came out, pulling her veil down. She had some flowers.

  “Where’s Roskus.” she said.

  “Roskus cant lift his arms, today.” Dilsey said. “T. P. can drive all right.”

  “I’m afraid to.” Mother said. “It seems to me you all could furnish me with a driver for the carriage once a week. It’s little enough I ask, Lord knows.”

  “You know just as well as me that Roskus got the rheumatism too bad to do more than he have to, Miss Cahline.” Dilsey said. “You come on and get in, now. T. P. can drive you just as good as Roskus.”

  “I’m afraid to.” Mother said. “With the baby.”

  Dilsey went up the steps. “You calling that thing a baby,” she said. She took Mother’s arm. “A man big as T. P. Come on, now, if you going.”

  “I’m afraid to.” Mother said. They came down the steps and Dilsey helped Mother in. “Perhaps it’ll be the best thing, for all of us.” Mother said.

  “Aint you shamed, talking that way.” Dilsey said. “Dont you know it’ll take more than a eighteen year old nigger to make Queenie run away. She older than him and Benjy put together. And dont you start no projecking with Queenie, you hear me, T. P. If you dont drive to suit Miss Cahline, I going to put Roskus on you. He aint too tied up to do that.”

  “Yessum.” T. P. said.

  “I just know something will happen.” Mother said. “Stop, Benjamin.”

  “Give him a flower to hold.” Dilsey said, “That what he wanting.” She reached her hand in.

  “No, no.” Mother said. “You’ll have them all scattered.”

  “You hold them.” Dilsey said. “I’ll get him one out.” She gave me a flower and her hand went away.

  “Go on now, ’fore Quentin see you and have to go too.” Dilsey said.

  “Where is she.” Mother said.

  “She down to the house playing with Luster.” Dilsey said. “Go on, T. P. Drive that surrey like Roskus told you, now.”

  “Yessum.” T. P. said. “Hum up, Queenie.”

  “Quentin.” Mother said. “Dont let”

  “Course I is.” Dilsey said.

  The carriage jolted and crunched on the drive. “I’m afraid to go and leave Quentin.” Mother said. “I’d better not go. T. P.” We went through the gate, where it didnt jolt anymore. T. P. hit Queenie with the whip.

  “You, T. P.” Mother said.

  “Got to get her going.” T. P. said. “Keep her wake up till we get back to the barn.”

  “Turn around.” Mother said. “I’m afraid to go and leave Quentin.”

  “Cant turn here.” T. P. said. Then it was broader.

  “Cant you turn here.” Mother said.

  “All right.” T. P. said. We began to turn.

  “You, T. P.” Mother said, clutching me.

  “I got to turn around somehow.” T. P. said. “Whoa, Queenie.” We stopped.

  “You’ll turn us over.” Mother said.

  “What you want to do, then.” T. P. said.

  “I’m afraid for you to try to turn around.” Mother said.

  “Get up, Queenie.” T. P. said. We went on.

  “I just know Dilsey will let something happen to Quentin while I’m gone.” Mother said. “We must hurry back.”

  “Hum up, there.” T. P. said. He hit Queenie with the whip.

  “You, T. P.” Mother said, clutching me. I could hear Queenie’s feet and the bright shapes went smooth and steady on both sides, the shadows of them flowing across Queenie’s back. They went on like the bright tops of wheels. Then those on one side stopped at the tall white post where the soldier was. But on the other side they went on smooth and steady, but a little slower.

  “What do you want.” Jason said. He had his hands in his pockets and a pencil behind his ear.

  “We’re going to the cemetery.” Mother said.

  “All right.” Jason said. “I dont aim to stop you, do I. Was that all you wanted with me, just to tell me that.”

  “I know you wont come.” Mother said. “I’d feel safer if you would.”

  “Safe from what.” Jason said. “Father and Quentin cant hurt you.”

  Mother put her handkerchief under her veil. “Stop it, Mother.” Jason said. “Do you want to get that damn loony to bawling in the middle of the square. Drive on, T. P.”

  “Hum up, Queenie.” T. P. said.

  “It’s a judgment on me.” Mother said. “But I’ll be gone too, soon.”

  “Here.” Jason said.

  “Whoa.” T. P. said. Jason said,

  “Uncle Maury’s drawing on you for fifty. What do you want to do about it.”

  “Why ask me.” Mother said. “I dont have any say so. I try not to worry you and Dilsey. I’ll be gone soon, and then you”

  “Go on, T. P.” Jason said.

  “Hum up, Queenie.” T. P. said. The shapes flowed on. The ones on the other side began again, bright and fast and smooth, like when Caddy says we are going to sleep.

  Cry baby, Luster said. Aint you shamed. We went through the barn. The stalls were all open. You aint got no spotted pony to ride now, Luster said. The floor was dry and dusty. The roof was falling. The slanting holes were full of spinning yellow. What do you want to go that way for. You want to get your head knocked off with one of them balls.

  “Keep your hands in your pockets.” Caddy said, “Or they’ll be froze. You dont want your hands froze on Christmas, do you.”

  We went around the barn. The big cow and the little one were standing in the door, and we could hear Prince and Queenie and Fancy stomping inside the barn. “If it wasn’t so cold, we’d ride Fancy.” Caddy said, “But it’s too cold to hold on today.” Then we could see the branch, where the smoke was blowing. “That’s where they are killing the pig.” Caddy said. “We can come back by there and see them.” We went down the hill.

  “You want to carry the letter.” Caddy said. “You can carry it.” She took the letter out of her pocket and put it in mine. “It’s a Christmas present.” Caddy said. “Uncle Maury is going to surprise Mrs Patterson with it. We got to give it to her without letting anybody see it. Keep your hands in your pocke
ts good, now.” We came to the branch.

  “It’s froze.” Caddy said, “Look.” She broke the top of the water and held a piece of it against my face. “Ice. That means how cold it is.” She helped me across and we went up the hill. “We cant even tell Mother and Father. You know what I think it is. I think it’s a surprise for Mother and Father and Mr Patterson both, because Mr Patterson sent you some candy. Do you remember when Mr Patterson sent you some candy last summer.”

  There was a fence. The vine was dry, and the wind rattled in it.

  “Only I dont see why Uncle Maury didn’t send Versh.” Caddy said. “Versh wont tell.” Mrs Patterson was looking out the window. “You wait here.” Caddy said. “Wait right here, now. I’ll be back in a minute. Give me the letter.” She took the letter out of my pocket. “Keep your hands in your pockets.” She climbed the fence with the letter in her hand and went through the brown, rattling flowers. Mrs Patterson came to the door and opened it and stood there.

  Mr Patterson was chopping in the green flowers. He stopped chopping and looked at me. Mrs Patterson came across the garden, running. When I saw her eyes I began to cry. You idiot, Mrs Patterson said, I told him never to send you alone again. Give it to me. Quick. Mr Patterson came fast, with the hoe. Mrs Patterson leaned across the fence, reaching her hand. She was trying to climb the fence. Give it to me, she said, Give it to me. Mr Patterson climbed the fence. He took the letter. Mrs Patterson’s dress was caught on the fence. I saw her eyes again and I ran down the hill.

  “They aint nothing over yonder but houses.” Luster said. “We going down to the branch.”

  They were washing down at the branch. One of them was singing. I could smell the clothes flapping, and the smoke blowing across the branch.

  “You stay down here.” Luster said. “You aint got no business up yonder. Them folks hit you, sho.”

  “What he want to do.”

  “He dont know what he want to do.” Luster said. “He think he want to go up yonder where they knocking that ball. You sit down here and play with your jimson weed. Look at them chillen playing in the branch, if you got to look at something. How come you cant behave yourself like folks.” I sat down on the bank, where they were washing, and the smoke blowing blue.

  “Is you all seen anything of a quarter down here.” Luster said.

  “What quarter.”

  “The one I had here this morning.” Luster said. “I lost it somewhere. It fell through this here hole in my pocket. If I dont find it I cant go to the show tonight.”

  “Where’d you get a quarter, boy. Find it in white folks’ pocket while they aint looking.”

  “Got it at the getting place.” Luster said. “Plenty more where that one come from. Only I got to find that one. Is you all found it yet.”

  “I aint studying no quarter. I got my own business to tend to.”

  “Come on here.” Luster said. “Help me look for it.”

  “He wouldn’t know a quarter if he was to see it, would he.”

  “He can help look just the same.” Luster said. “You all going to the show tonight.”

  “Dont talk to me about no show. Time I get done over this here tub I be too tired to lift my hand to do nothing.”

  “I bet you be there.” Luster said. “I bet you was there last night. I bet you all be right there when that tent open.”

  “Be enough niggers there without me. Was last night.”

  “Nigger’s money good as white folks, I reckon.”

  “White folks gives nigger money because know first white man comes along with a band going to get it all back, so nigger can go to work for some more.”

  “Aint nobody going make you go to that show.”

  “Aint yet. Aint thought of it, I reckon.”

  “What you got against white folks.”

  “Aint got nothing against them. I goes my way and lets white folks go theirs. I aint studying that show.”

  “Got a man in it can play a tune on a saw. Play it like a banjo.”

  “You go last night.” Luster said. “I going tonight. If I can find where I lost that quarter.”

  “You going take him with you, I reckon.”

  “Me.” Luster said. “You reckon I be found anywhere with him, time he start bellering.”

  “What does you do when he start bellering.”

  “I whips him.” Luster said. He sat down and rolled up his overalls. They played in the branch.

  “You all found any balls yet.” Luster said.

  “Aint you talking biggity. I bet you better not let your grand-mammy hear you talking like that.”

  Luster got into the branch, where they were playing. He hunted in the water, along the bank.

  “I had it when we was down here this morning.” Luster said.

  “Where ’bouts you lose it.”

  “Right out this here hole in my pocket.” Luster said. They hunted in the branch. Then they all stood up quick and stopped, then they splashed and fought in the branch. Luster got it and they squatted in the water, looking up the hill through the bushes.

  “Where is they.” Luster said.

  “Aint in sight yet.”

  Luster put it in his pocket. They came down the hill.

  “Did a ball come down here.”

  “It ought to be in the water. Didn’t any of you boys see it or hear it.”

  “Aint heard nothing come down here.” Luster said. “Heard something hit that tree up yonder. Dont know which way it went.”

  They looked in the branch.

  “Hell. Look along the branch. It came down here. I saw it.”

  They looked along the branch. Then they went back up the hill.

  “Have you got that ball.” the boy said.

  “What I want with it.” Luster said. “I aint seen no ball.”

  The boy got in the water. He went on. He turned and looked at Luster again. He went on down the branch.

  The man said “Caddie” up the hill. The boy got out of the water and went up the hill.

  “Now, just listen at you.” Luster said. “Hush up.”

  “What he moaning about now.”

  “Lawd knows.” Luster said. “He just starts like that. He been at it all morning. Cause it his birthday, I reckon.”

  “How old he.”

  “He thirty-three.” Luster said. “Thirty-three this morning.”

  “You mean, he been three years old thirty years.”

  “I going by what mammy say.” Luster said. “I dont know. We going to have thirty-three candles on a cake, anyway. Little cake. Wont hardly hold them. Hush up. Come on back here.” He came and caught my arm. “You old loony.” he said. “You want me to whip you.”

  “I bet you will.”

  “I is done it. Hush, now.” Luster said. “Aint I told you you cant go up there. They’ll knock your head clean off with one of them balls. Come on, here.” He pulled me back. “Sit down.” I sat down and he took off my shoes and rolled up my trousers. “Now, git in that water and play and see can you stop that slobbering and moaning.”

  I hushed and got in the water and Roskus came and said to come to supper and Caddy said,

  It’s not supper time yet. I’m not going.

  She was wet. We were playing in the branch and Caddy squatted down and got her dress wet and Versh said,

  “Your mommer going to whip you for getting your dress wet.”

  “She’s not going to do any such thing.” Caddy said.

  “How do you know.” Quentin said.

  “That’s all right how I know.” Caddy said. “How do you know.”

  “She said she was.” Quentin said. “Besides, I’m older than you.”

  “I’m seven years old.” Caddy said, “I guess I know.”

  “I’m older than that.” Quentin said. “I go to school. Dont I, Versh.”

  “I’m going to school next year.” Caddy said, “When it comes. Aint I, Versh.”

  “You know she whip you when you get your dress wet.”
Versh said.

  “It’s not wet.” Caddy said. She stood up in the water and looked at her dress. “I’ll take it off.” she said. “Then it’ll dry.”

  “I bet you wont.” Quentin said.

  “I bet I will.” Caddy said.

  “I bet you better not.” Quentin said.

  Caddy came to Versh and me and turned her back.

  “Unbutton it, Versh.” she said.

  “Dont you do it, Versh.” Quentin said.

  “Taint none of my dress.” Versh said.

  “You unbutton it, Versh.” Caddy said, “Or I’ll tell Dilsey what you did yesterday.” So Versh unbuttoned it.

  “You just take your dress off.” Quentin said. Caddy took her dress off and threw it on the bank. Then she didn’t have on anything but her bodice and drawers, and Quentin slapped her and she slipped and fell down in the water. When she got up she began to splash water on Quentin, and Quentin splashed water on Caddy. Some of it splashed on Versh and me and Versh picked me up and put me on the bank. He said he was going to tell on Caddy and Quentin, and then Quentin and Caddy began to splash water at Versh. He got behind a bush.

  “I’m going to tell mammy on you all.” Versh said.

  Quentin climbed up on the bank and tried to catch Versh, but Versh ran away and Quentin couldn’t. When Quentin came back Versh stopped and hollered that he was going to tell. Caddy told him that if he wouldn’t tell, they’d let him come back. So Versh said he wouldn’t, and they let him.

  “Now I guess you’re satisfied.” Quentin said, “We’ll both get whipped now.”

  “I dont care.” Caddy said. “I’ll run away.”

  “Yes you will.” Quentin said.

  “I’ll run away and never come back.” Caddy said. I began to cry. Caddy turned around and said “Hush.” So I hushed. Then they played in the branch. Jason was playing too. He was by himself further down the branch. Versh came around the bush and lifted me down into the water again. Caddy was all wet and muddy behind, and I started to cry and she came and squatted in the water.

  “Hush now.” she said. “I’m not going to run away.” So I hushed. Caddy smelled like trees in the rain.

  What is the matter with you, Luster said. Cant you get done with that moaning and play in the branch like folks.