The Gardener's Son(10)

The whiskey is passed to McEvoy and he holds it up to the light of the lamp and gives it a shake to check the bead and unscrews the lid and tilts it and takes a drink. He lowers the jar and looks at the men and swallows and blows. He takes the knife and potato offered him and slices off a piece and eats it and replaces the jar lid and passes the jar and the potato back.

The second man leans forward and looks at McEvoy, somewhat suspiciously, as if he doesnt expect the truth.

SECOND MAN What all did she die of?

MCEVOY Malaria fever.

SECOND MAN Funny time of year to die of that.

MCEVOY She took sick back two months ago. I come quick as I heard but she died fore I got here.

PINKY When did she die, honey?

MCEVOY Yesterday mornin.

FIRST MAN Well leastways ye got here for the buryin. They aint buried her have they?

McEvoy shakes his head no. He sits slumped, he is weary.

PINKY Here Ed, lets see a little of that muleshoe.

He takes the jar and unscrews the cap and drinks and hands the jar to McEvoy.

PINKY Here, honey. Get ye a drink. Ed, lets see that tater here.

McEvoy takes the jar and dr inks and passes it back.

PINKY You all are all about growed aint ye? I mean, they aint no babies at home.

MCEVOY Maryellen's the least’n. She’s eleven.

PINKY It’s hard when they leave young’ns. A man caint raise em. My sister died left five and the oldest’n not started school. We had to hunt homes for em. They done all right. But it was hard.

FIRST MAN You tell your daddy we was sorry as we could be.

PINKY A finer son of a bitch never wore shoe leather. Let’s have a little old drink Ed.

The jar is passed around.

FIRST MAN You back to stay are ye?

MCEVOY I dont know.

FIRST MAN Reckon you seen a right smart of the world since you left out of here.

MCEVOY Some.

PINKY Its kindly slack times here. Reckon it is everwheres.

FIRST MAN You reckon to get on at the mill?

MCEVOY I aint lost nothing down there.

PINKY I hear ye. Only way to get ahead down there is to get your wife knocked up by the boss. Give ye a little leverage.

SECOND MAN Talkin about people dyin . . .

MCEVOY I better get on, I reckon.

SECOND MAN Talkin about people dyin they found another old boy dead in the woods down towards Vaucluse. Speculate the niggers got him.

MCEVOY I best get on. I got to hunt the old man.

McEvoy does not rise nor move.

FIRST MAN Most likely he’d been at church this evenin wouldnt he? Wife dead and all.

PINKY Aint no Catholic church in Graniteville.

FIRST MAN Well now that is right. I forgot about him bein Catholic.

PINKY You wont find him carryin on in no Amen corner. Will ye son?

McEvoy shakes his head no. He looks toward the tong game.

MCEVOY I better get on and hunt him.

PINKY Just jump in that tong game there why dont ye. Get ye feet wet.

MCEVOY I aint never played.

FIRST MAN Lord, dont let em hear that. They’ll be over here a courtin ye.

SECOND MAN Had his throat cut, they said. Reckoned it to of been the niggers.

Second man spits against the stove.

FIRST MAN Where’d that jug get to?

The third man, who has not spoken, reaches down alongside the crate where he is sitting and fetches up the jar and holds it to the light and passes it on. They drink. Pinky takes the potato with the knife stuck in it and cuts the remaining piece in two and passes one slice to McEvoy and eats the other and takes a new potato from the bib of his overalls and falls to peeling it. He shakes his head slowly.

PINKY Lord dont they hate whiskey over to that mill.

FIRST MAN They hate for you to drink it. That aint sayin they wont take a drink their own selves.

PINKY The old man would by god not take one.

FIRST MAN No. You right about that.

PINKY I guarangoddamntee ye.

FIRST MAN What about James?

PINKY That son of a bitch will take a drink.

The jar comes around to the second man. He takes it and shakes his head.

SECOND MAN Never thought I’d live to see the day. Niggers runnin crazy killin folks. Right in ye own county.

He drinks.

PINKY Dont get him started on the niggers, for God’s sake.

Second man slices potato and eats and passes the jar on to the third man. Third man takes jar.

THIRD MAN Thing about James. He never did want to put the jam on the lower shelf where the little man could get some.

FIRST MAN Get ye a little old drink there, Housecat.

THIRD MAN Theys plenty of rhubarb all around the farm. And another little drink wont do us any harm.

Exterior. Night. Robert McEvoy drunk staggering through a field.

McEvoy on a narrow country road, reeling along on his crutch. He pauses to rest, leaning against a barn. He listens to the silence. A few dogs bark in the distance. He goes on. There is a horse leaning over a fence and he and the horse look at each other and McEvoy moves on.

McEvoy hobbling up the road to Graniteville. He has passed a few houses and now several dogs have come into the road behind him and circle to pick up his scent and howl. They are seen by the light of a lamp in the window and their hackles are up and they howl after McEvoy who wobbles on into the darkness.