Of Love and Dust Read Online Free PDF Page A

in the back door, eating. After a while, Marcus came back there. I nodded toward the plate. He washed his hands and sat down at the table.
    “Gave you a pretty rough time, huh?” I said.
    “Shit,” he said. “I got news for all of them. That overseer and Marshall Hebert, too.”
    “Yes?” I said.
    “They think I’m go’n stay on this fucking place any five years, they got another thought coming.”
    “They figure it’ll be about seven years,” I said. “After you get through charging at the store, it might be more than that.”
    “Shit,” he said. “Seven years from now I won’t even remember the name Hebert.”
    “When you figuring on running?” I said.
    “You won’t know the day or the hour,” he said.
    “I might tell, huh?”
    “Just ’cause I’m eating your food don’t say I trust you,” he said.
    I ate and looked out in the yard. It was a good ninety degrees out there. The grass that was bent over with dew this morning was standing straight up now.
    “Soon as they have that little fifteen cents trial, I’m picking my chance,” Marcus said.
    “Why don’t you run now?” I said.
    “Uh-uh, they looking for that. I’ll wait till they forget all about it.”
    I looked up at him.
    “You got it all figured out?”
    “I had it all figured out when I walked out of jail,” he said. “Shit, you don’t think I come here to stay, do you?”
    “Yes, I think you come here to stay,” I said. “I know you come here to stay.”
    “Shit,” he said. “They don’t nut this kid like they done nut all the rest of y’all round here.”
    “I still have mine,” I said.
    He didn’t say anything, but I could see he didn’t believe me.
    “That boy you killed don’t mean a thing, does it?”
    “Nigger come on you with a knife, what you suppose to do, just stand there? Get him ’fore he get you.”
    “You got a lot to learn in this world,” I told him.
    “I done forgot more than plenty people’ll ever know,” he said.
    “Sure,” I said.
    “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll pay you back your food.”
    “Anytime,” I said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
    He ate.
    “How much they go’n pay me for working?” he asked.
    “They don’t pay ‘bond people’ anything,” I said. “They feed you, they clothe you. If you want anything else, you can charge it at the store out there. That adds to your time.”
    “And they think I’m go’n stay here? Shit,” he said.
    “If I was you, I’d pick up some clothes at the store this evening,” I said.
    “You mean that shit I see y’all wearing round here?” he asked.
    “Yes, that’s the shit I’m talking about,” I said.
    “I’ll never put that convict shit on my back,” he said. “I’m used to silk.”
    When I got through eating I got up and put my plate in the dishpan on the stove.
    “Well, I’m going to take myself a good nap,” I said. “Round two we’ll hit it again.”
    He sat there eating and looking out in the yard. I wanted to feel sorry for Marcus, but God knows he didn’t help you.
    “You better get yourself some rest, too,” I said. “Johnand Freddie were playing this morning. They won’t be playing this evening when Bonbon come out there.”
    “Them two freaks and Bonbon can all kiss my ass,” he said.
    “Just thought I’d mention it, buddy,” I said. “See you in a couple hours.”
    It was too hot to lay down on the bed, so I went out on the gallery. Ten minutes after I laid down I was sound to sleep. Round two, maybe a couple minutes before two, I was up again.

7
 
    It was hot, it was burning up. You could see little monkeys dancing out there in front of you.
    I got myself a cold drink of water and filled up that gallon jug and took it out to the tractor. By the time I had cranked up Red Hannah, I saw John and Freddie coming down the quarter. They were walking close together and just giggling. I didn’t see how any two people, punks or no punks, could find anything to giggle about in all this