jg.paintedhouse-第59部分

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y…six　oak　plank；　eight　feet　long；　braced　by　a　sawhorse　on　one　end　and　an　empty　diesel　drum　on　the　other。　It　tilted　slightly　toward　the　drum；　but　not　enough　to　unbalance　the　painter。　My　father　opened　the　first　gallon；　stirred　it　with　a　stick；　and　helped　me　onto　the　scaffold。　There　were　some　brief　instructions；　but　since　he　knew　so　little　about　house　painting　I　was　let　loose　to　learn　on　my　own。　I　figured　if　Trot　could　do　it；　so　could　I。
　　　My　mother　watched　me　carefully　and　offered　such　wisdom　as　〃Don't　let　it　drip〃　and　〃Take　your　time。〃　On　the　east　side　of　the　house；　Trot　had　painted　the　first　six　boards　from　the　bottom；　from　the　front　of　the　house　to　the　rear；　and　with　my　scaffold　I　was　able　to　reach　another　three　feet　above　his　work。　I　wasn't　sure　how　I　would　paint　up　to　the　roof；　but　I　decided　I　would　worry　about　it　later。
　　　The　old　boards　soaked　up　the　first　layer　of　paint。　The　second　one　went　on　smooth　and　white。　After　a　few　minutes　I　was　fascinated　by　my　work　because　the　results　were　immediate。
　　　〃How　am　I　doin'？〃　I　asked　without　looking　down。
　　　〃It's　beautiful；　Luke；〃　my　mother　said。　〃Just　work　slow；　and　take　your　time。　And　don't　fall。〃
　　　〃I'm　not　gonna　fall。〃　Why　did　she　always　warn　me　against　dangers　that　were　so　obvious？
　　　My　father　moved　the　scaffold　twice　that　afternoon；　and　by　supper…time　I　had　used　an　entire　gallon　of　paint。　I　washed　my　hands　with　lye　soap；　but　the　paint　was　stuck　to　my　fingernails。　I　didn't　care。　I　was　proud　of　my　new　craft。　I　was　doing　something　no　Chandler　had　ever　done。
　　　The　house　painting　was　not　mentioned　over　supper。　Weightier　matters　were　at　hand。　Our　hill　people　had　packed　up　and　left；　and　they　had　done　so　with　a　large　amount　of　the　cotton　still　unpicked。　There　had　been　no　rumors　of　other　workers　leaving　because　of　wet　fields。　Pappy　didn't　want　folks　to　know　we　were　yielding　anything　to　the　rains。　The　weather　was　about　to　change；　he　insisted。　We'd　never　had　so　many　storms　this　late　in　the　year。
　　　At　dusk　we　moved　to　the　front　porch；　which　was　now　even　quieter。　The　Cardinals　were　a　distant　memory；　and　we　rarely　listened　to　anything　else　after　supper。　Pappy　didn't　want　to　waste　electricity　so　I　sat　on　the　steps　and　looked　out　at　our　front　yard；　still　and　empty。　For　six　weeks　it　had　been　covered　with　all　manner　of　shelter　and　storage。　Now　there　was　nothing。
　　　A　few　leaves　dropped　and　scattered　across　the　yard。　The　night　was　cool　and　clear；　and　this　prompted　my　father　to　predict　that　tomorrow　would　be　a　fine　opportunity　to　pick　cotton　for　twelve　hours。　All　I　wanted　to　do　was　paint。
　
　
　Chapter　30
　　　
　　　I　glanced　at　the　clock　above　the　stove　as　we　ate。　It　was　ten　minutes　after　four；　the　earliest　breakfast　I　could　remember。　My　father　spoke　only　long　enough　to　give　his　weather　forecast…cool；　clear；　not　a　cloud　anywhere；　with　the　ground　soft　but　firm　enough　to　pick　cotton。
　　　The　adults　were　anxious。　Much　of　our　crop　was　still　unharvested；　and　if　it　remained　so；　our　little　farming　operation　would　fall　farther　into　debt。　My　mother　and　Gran　finished　the　dishes　in　record　time；　and　we　left　the　house　in　a　pack。　The　Mexicans　rode　with　us　to　the　fields。　They　huddled　together　on　one　side　of　the　trailer　and　tried　to　stay　warm。
　　　Clear；　dry　days　had　bee　rare；　and　we　attacked　this　one　as　if　it　might　be　the　last。　I　was　exhausted　by　sunrise；　but　plaining　would　only　get　me　a　harsh　lecture。　Another　crop　disaster　was　looming；　and　we　needed　to　work　until　we　dropped。　The　desire　for　a　brief　nap　arose；　but　I　knew　my　father　would　whip　me　with　his　belt　if　he　caught　me　sleeping。
　　　Lunch　was　cold　biscuits　and　ham；　eaten　hurriedly　in　the　shade　of　the　cotton　trailer。　It　was　warm　by　midday；　and　a　siesta　would　have　been　appropriate。　Instead；　we　sat　on　our　picking　sacks；　nibbled　our　biscuits；　and　watched　the　sky。　Even　when　we　talked；　our　eyes　were　looking　up。
　　　And；　of　course；　a　clear　day　meant　that　the　storms　were　on　the　way；　so　after　twenty　minutes　of　lunch；　my　father　and　Pappy　declared　the　break　to　be　over。　The　women　jumped　up　as　quickly　as　the　men；　anxious　to　prove　they　could　work　just　as　hard。　I　was　the　only　reluctant　one。
　　　It　could've　been　worse：　The　Mexicans　didn't　even　stop　to　eat。
　　　I　spent　the　tedious　afternoon　thinking　about　Tally；　then　Hank；　then　back　to　Tally。　I　also　thought　about　the　Spruills　and　envied　them　for　escaping。　I　tried　to　imagine　what　they　would　do　when　they　arrived　home　and　Hank　wasn't　there　waiting　for　them。　I　tried　to　tell　myself　that　I　didn't　really　care。
　　　We　had　not　received　a　letter　from　Ricky　in　several　weeks。　I　had　heard　the　adults　whisper　about　this　around　the　house。　I　had　not　yet　sent　my　long　narrative　to　him；　primarily　because　I　wasn't　sure　how　to　mail　it　without　getting　caught。　And　I　was　having　second　thoughts　about　burdening　him　with　the　Latcher　news。　He　had　enough　on　his　mind。　If　Ricky　were　home；　we'd　go　fishing　and　I'd　tell　him　everything。　I'd　begin　with　the　Sisco　killing　and　spare　no　details…the　Latcher　baby；　Hank　and　Cowboy；　everything。　Ricky　would　know　what　to　do。　I　longed　for　him　to　e　home。
　　　I　don't　know　how　much　cotton　I　picked　that　day；　but　I'm　sure　it　was　a　world　record　for　a　seven…year…old。　When　the　sun　fell　behind　the　trees　along　the　river；　my　mother　found　me；　and　we　walked　to　the　house。　Gran　stayed　behind；　picking　as　fast　as　the　men。
　　　〃How　long　they　gonna　work？〃　I　asked　my　mother。　We　were　so　tired　that　walking　was　a　challenge。
　　　〃Till　dark；　I　guess。〃
　　　It　was　almost　dark　when　we　got　to　the　house。　I　wanted　to　collapse　on　the　sofa　and　sleep　for　a　week；　but　my　mother　asked　me　to　wash　my　hands　and　help　with　supper。　She　made　corn　bread　and　warmed　up　leftovers　while　I　peeled　and　sliced　tomatoes。　We　listened　to　the　radio…not　a　word　about　Korea。
　　　In　spite　of　a　brutal　day　in　the　fields；　Pappy　and　my　father　were　in　good　spirits　when　we　sat　down　to　eat。　Between　them；　they　had　picked　eleven　hundred　pounds。　The　recent　rains　had　driven　up　the　price　of　cotton　in　the　Memphis　market；　and　if　we　could　just　get　a　few　more　days　of　dry　weather；　then　we　might　survive　another　year。　Gran　listened　from　a　distance。　She　listened　but　did　not　hear；　and　I　knew　she　was　off　in　Korea　again。　My　mother　was　too　tired　to　talk。
　　　Pappy　hated　leftovers；　but　he　still　thanked　the　Lord　for　them。　He　also　gave　thanks　for　the　dry　weather　and　asked　for　more　of　it。　We　ate　slowly；　the　day's　exhaustion　finally　settled　in。　Conversation　was　soft　and　short。
　　　I　heard　the　thunder　first。　It　was　a　low　rumble；　far　away；　and　I　glanced　around　the　table　to　see　if　the　adults　had　heard　it；　too。　Pappy　was　talking　about　the　cotton　markets。　A　few　minutes　later　the　rumbling　was　much　closer；　and　when　lightning　cracked　in　the　distance；　we　stopped　eating。　The　winds　picked　up；　and　the　tin　roof　on　the　back　porch　began　to　gently　rattle。　We　avoided　eye　contact。
　　　Pappy　folded　his　hands　together　and　rested　his　elbows　on　the　table　as　if　he　might　pray　again。　He　had　just　asked　God　for　more　good　weather。　Now　we　were　about　to　get　another　drenching。
　　　My　father's　shoulders　dropped　a　few　inches。　He　rubbed　his　forehead　and　gazed　at　a　wall。　The　rain　began　pecking　the　roof；　a　little　too　loudly；　and　Gran　said；　〃It's　hail。〃
　　　Hail　meant　high　winds　and　fierce　rain；　and　sure　enough　a　storm　roared　across　our　farm。　We　sat　at　the　table　for　a　long　time　listening　to　the　thunder　and　rain；　ignoring　the　half…eaten　supper　before　us；　wondering　how　many　inches　would　fall　and　how　long　it　would　be　before　we　could　pick　again。　The　St。　Francis　couldn't　hold　much　more；　and　when　it　spilled　out；　the　crops　would　be　finished。
　　　The　storm　passed；　but　the　rain　continued；　heavy　at　times。　We　finally　left　the　kitchen。　I　walked　to　the　front　porch　with　Pappy　and　saw　nothing　but　a　pool　of　water　between　our　house　and　the　road。　I　felt　sorry　for　him　as　he　sat　in　the　swing　and　gazed　in　disbelief　at　the　waves　of　water　God　was　sending　us。
　　　Later　my　mother　read　Bible　stories　to　me；　her　voice　barely　audible　above　the　rain　on　the　roof。　The　tale　of　Noah　and　the　flood　was　off…limits。　I　fell　asleep　before　young　David　slew　Goliath。
　　　
　　　The　next　day　my　parents　announced　that　they　were　driving　into　town。　I　was　invited…it　would've　been　too　cruel　to　deny　me　the　tripbut　Pappy　and　Gran　were　not　included。　It　was　a　little　family　outing。　Ice　cream　was　mentioned　as　a　possibility。　Thanks　to　Cowboy　and　Tally；　we　had　some　free　gasoline；　and　there　was　nothing　to　do　around　the　farm。　Water　was　standing　between　the　rows　of　cotton。
　　　I　sat　in　the　front　with　them　and　paid　close　attention　to　the　speedometer。　Once　we　turned　onto　the　main　highway　and　headed　north　toward　Black　Oak；　my　father　finished　shifting　and　sped　up　to　forty…five　miles　an　hour。　As　far　as　I　could　tell；　the　truck　ran　the　same　as　it　did　at　thirty…seven；　but　I　wasn't　about　to　mention　this　to　Pappy。
　　　It　was　oddly　forting　to　see　the　other　farms　idled　by　the　rain。　No　one　was　trudging　through　the　fields；　trying　to　pick。　Not　a　single　Mexican　could　be　seen。
　　　Our　land　was　low；　prone　to　early　flooding；　and　we'd　lost　crops　before　when　other　farmers　had　not。　Now　it　appeared　as　if　everybody　was　getting　soaked　in　equal　measure。
　　　It　was　midday　with　nothing　to　do　but　wait；　and　so　families　were　gathered　on　porches；　watching　the　traffic。　The　women　were　shelling　peas。　The　men　were　talking　and　worrying