OMAM Chapter 4

crooks the Negro staple buck had his bunk in the harness room a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn on one side of the little room there was a square for paint window and on the other a narrow plank door leading into the barn crooks his bunk was a long box filled with straw on which his blankets were flung on the wall by the window there were pegs on which hung broken harness in process of being mended strips of new leather and under the window itself a little bench for leather working tools curved knives and needles and balls of linen thread and a small hand Riveter on pegs were also pieces of harness a split collar with the horsehair stuffing sticking out a broken ham and a trace chain with its leather covering split crooks had his Apple box over his bunk and in it a range of medicine bottles both for himself and for the horses there were Kansas saddle soap and a drippy can of tar with its paintbrush sticking over the edge and scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions for being alone crooks could leave his things about and being a stable buck in a he was more permanent than the other men and he had accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back crooks possessed several pairs of shoes a pair of rubber boots a big alarm clock and a single barreled shotgun and he had books too a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California Civil Code for 1905 there were battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special shelf over his bunk a pair of large gold rimmed spectacles hung from a nail on the wall above his bed this room was swept and fairly neat for crooks was a proud aloof man he kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs his body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine and his eyes laid deep in his head and because of their death seemed to glitter with intensity his lean face was lined with deep black wrinkles and he had thin pain tightened lips which were lighter than his face it was Saturday night through the open door that led into the barn came the sound of moving horses a feet stirring of teeth champing on hay of the rattle of halter chains in the stable box room a small electric globe through a meager yellow light crooks sat on his bunk his shirt was out of his jeans in back in one hand he held a bottle of liniment and with the other he reptilian iment into his pink palmed hand and reached up under his shirt to rub again he flexed his muscles against his back and shivered noiselessly Lenny appeared in the open doorway and stood there looking in his big shoulders nearly filling the opening for a moment crookston see him but on raising his eyes he stiffened and a scowl came on his face his hand came out from under his shirt Lenny smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends crook said sharply you got no right to come in my room this here is my room nobody got any right in here but me Lenny gulped and his smile grew more fawning I ain't doing nothing he said just come to look at my puppy and I seen your light he explained well I got a right to have a light you go on get out of my room I hate wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain't wanted in my room why ain't you wanted Lennie asked cuz I'm black they play cards in there but I can't play because I'm black they say I stink well I tell you all of you stink to me Lenny flapped his big hands helplessly everybody went into town he said slim and George and everybody George says I got to stay here and not get in no trouble I've seen your light well what do you want nothing I seen your light I thought I could just come in and set crooks stared at Lenny and he reached behind him and took down the spectacles and adjusted them over his pink ears and stared again I don't know what you're doing in the barn anyway he complained you ain't no Skinner there's no call for a buck er to come into the barn at all you ain't no Skinner yank got nothing to do with the horses the pup Lenny repeated I come to see my pup well go see your pup then don't come in a place where you're not wanted Lenny lost his smile he advanced a step into the room then remembered him back to the door again I looked at him a little slim says I ain't to pet him very much crook said well you've been taking him out of the nest all the time I wonder the old lady don't move him someplace else oh she don't care she let's me Lenny had moved into the room again crook scowled but Lenny's disarming smile defeated him come on in and said awhile crook said long as you won't get out and leave me alone you might as well set down his tone was a little more friendly all the boys gone into town huh all but old candy he just sets in the bunkhouse sharpening his pencil and sharpening and figuring crooks adjusted his glasses figuring what's candy figuring about Lenny almost shut about the rabbits you're nuts said crooks you're crazy as a wedge what rabbits you talking about the rabbits we're going to get and I get to tend them cut grass and give them water and like that just nuts so crooks I don't blame the guy you travel with for keeping you out site Lenny said quietly it ain't no lie we're going to do it going to get a little place and live on the fat of the land crook settled himself more comfortably on his bunk sat down he invited sat down on the nail cake Lenny hunched down on the little barrel you think it's a lie Lenny said but it ain't no lie ever words the truth and you can ask George crooks put his dark tin into his pink palm you travel around with George don't you sure me and him goes ever placed together crooks continued sometimes he talks and you don't know what the hell he's talking about ain't that so he leaned forward boring Lenny with his deep eyes ain't that so yeah sometimes just talks on and you don't know what the hell it's all about yeah sometimes but not always crooks lean forward over the edge of the bunk I ain't a southern Negro he said I was born right here in California my old man had a chicken ranch about 10 acres the white kids come to play at our place and sometimes I went to play with them and some of them was pretty nice my old man didn't like that I never knew till long later why he didn't like that but I know now he hesitated and when he spoke again his voice was softer there wasn't another colored family for miles around and now there ain't a colored man on this branch and there's just one family in Soledad he laughed if I say something why it's just a saying it Lennie asked how long you think it'll be before them pups will be old enough to pet crooks laughed again a guy can talk to you and be sure you won't go blabbing a couple of weeks and then pups will be all right George knows what he's about just talks and you don't understand nothing he leaned forward excitedly this is just a talkin and a busted back so don't mean nothin see you couldn't remember it anyways I seen it over and over a guy talking to another guy and it don't make no difference if you don't hear or understand the thing is they're talking or they're sitting still not talking it don't make no difference no difference his excitement had increased until he pounded his knee with his hand George can tell you screwy things and it don't matter it's just the talking it's just being with another guy that's all he paused his voice grew soft and persuasive suppose George don't come back no more suppose he took a powder and just ain't coming back what do you do then Lennie's attention came gradually - what had been said what he demanded I said suppose George went into town tonight and you never heard of him no more crooks pressed forward some kind of private victory just suppose that he repeated he won't do it Lennie cried George wouldn't do nothing like that I've been with George a long time he'll come back tonight but the doubt was too much for him don't you think he will crooks face lighted with pleasure in his torture nobody can't tell what a guy will do he observed calmly let's say he wants to come back and can't suppose he gets killed or hurt so he can't come back Lennie struggled to understand George won't do nothing like that he repeated George is careful he won't get hurt he ain't never been hurt because he's careful well suppose just suppose he don't come back what do you do then Lenny's face wrinkled with apprehension I don't know say what you doin anyways he cried this ain't true George ain't got hurt crooks bored in on him want me to tell you what will happen they'll take you to the booby hatch they'll tie you up with a collar like a dog suddenly Lenny's eyes centered and grew quiet and mad he stood up and walked dangerously toward crooks who hurt George he demanded crooks saw the danger as it approached him he edged back on his bunk to get out of the way I was just supposing he said George ain't hurt he's all right he'll be back all right Lennie stood over him what you suppose in for a nobody going to suppose no hurt - George crooks removed his glasses and wiped his eyes with his fingers just sat down he said George ain't hurt Lennie growled back to a seat on the nail cake ain't nobody going to talk no hurt to George he grumbled crooks said gently maybe you can see now you got George you know he's going to come back suppose you didn't have nobody suppose you couldn't go into the bunkhouse and play rummy because you was black how'd you like that suppose you had to sit out here and read books sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark but then you got to read books books ain't no good a guy needs somebody to be near him he whined a guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody don't make no difference who the guy is Long's eased with you I tell you he cried I tell you a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick George gonna come back Lennie reassured himself in a frightened boy maybe George come back already maybe I better go see crook said I didn't mean to scare you he'll come back I was talking about myself a guy sets alone out here at night maybe reading books or thinking her stuff like that sometimes he gets thinking and he got nothing to tell him what so and what ain't so maybe if he sees something he don't know whether it's right or not he can't turn to some other guy and asked him if he sees it too he can't tell he got nothing to measure by I seen things out here I wasn't drunk I don't know if I was asleep if some guy was with me he could tell me I was asleep and then it would be all right but I just don't know crooks was looking across the room now looking toward the window Lennie said miserably George won't go away and leave me I know George won't do that the stable buck went on dreamily I remember when I was a little kid on my old man's chicken ranch had two brothers they was always near me always there he used to sleep right in the same room right in the same bed all three had a strawberry patch had an alfalfa patch used to turn the chickens out in the alfalfa on a Sunday morning my brothers had set on a fence rail and watch them white chickens they was gradually Lenny's interest came around to what was being said George says we're going to have alfalfa for the rabbits would rabbits we're going to have rabbits and a berry patch you're nuts we are - you asked George you're nuts crooks was scornful I seen hundreds of men come by on the road and on the ranches but there bindles on their back and that same damn thing in their heads hundreds of them they come and they quit and go on and every damn one of them's got a little piece of land in his head and never a goddamn one of them ever gets it just like heaven everybody wants a little piece of land I read plenty of books out here nobody never gets to heaven and nobody gets no land it's just in their head they're all the time talking about it but it's just in their head he paused and looked toward the open door for the horses were moving restlessly and the halter chains clink a horse we need I guess somebody's out there crooks said maybe slim slim comes in sometimes two three times a night Slim's a real skinner he looks out for his team he pulled himself painfully upright and moved toward the door that's you slim he called Candy's voice answered slim went in town say you seen Lennie you mean the big guy ya seen him around any place he's in here said surely he went back to his bunk and lay down candy stood in the doorway scratching his ball dressed and looking blindly into the lighted room he made no attempt to enter tell you what Lenny I've been figuring out about them rabbits crook said irritably you can come in if you want candy seemed embarrassed I don't know course if you want me to come on in if everybody's coming in you might just as well it was difficult for crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger candy came in but he was still embarrassed he got a nice cozy little place in here he said two crooks must be nice to have a room all to yourself this way sure said crooks and a manure pile under the window sure it's well Lenny broke in you said about them rabbits candy leaned against the wall beside the broken collar while he scratched the wrist stump I've been here a long time he said and crooks been here a long time this is the first time I ever been in his room crooks said darkly guys don't come into a colored man's room very much nobody been here but slim slim in the boss can he quickly change the subject Slim's as good a skinner as i ever seen lenny leaned toward the old Swampert about them rabbits he insisted candy smiled I got it figured out we can make some money on them rabbits if we go about it right but I get to tend them Lenny broken George says I get to tend him he promised crooks interrupted brutally you guys is just kidding yourself you'll talk about it a hell of a lot but you won't get no land you'll be a Swamper here until they take you out in a box hell I seen too many guys Lenny here oh quit and be on the road in two three weeks seems like every guy got land in his head candy rubbed his cheek angrily you goddamn right we're going to do it George says we are we got the money right now yeah said crooks and where's George now in town in a whorehouse that's where your money's going Jesus I seen it happen too many times I've seen too many guys with land in their head they never get none under their hand candy cried sure they all wanted everybody wants a little bit of land not much just something that was his something he could live on and there couldn't nobody throw him off of it I never had none I planted crops for damn near everybody in this state but they wasn't my crops and when I harvested them it wasn't none of my heart we gonna do it now and don't make no mistake about that George ain't got the money in town that money's in the bank me and Lennie and George we're going to have a room to ourselves we're going to have a dog and rabbits and chickens we're going to have green corn and maybe a cow or a goat he stopped overwhelmed with his picture crooks asked you say you got the money damn right we got most of it just a little bit more to get have it all in one month George got the land all picked out two crooks reached around and explored his spine with his hand I never seen a guy really do it he said I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land but every time a whorehouse or a blackjack game took what it takes he hesitated if you guys would want a hand to work for nothing just his keep why I'd come and lend a hand I ain't so crippled I can't work like a son of a if I want to Annie you boys seen Curley they swung their heads toward the door looking in was Curley's wife her face was heavily made-up her lips were slightly parted she breathed strongly as though she had been running curly ain't been here candy said sourly she stood still in the doorway smiling a little at them rubbing the nails of one hand with the thumb and forefinger of the other and her eyes traveled from one face to another they left all the weak ones here she said finally think I don't know where they all went even Curley I know where they all went then he watched her fascinated but candy and crooks were scowling down away from her eyes candy said then if you know why you want to ask us where Curley is at she regarded them amused funny thing she said if I catch any one man and he's alone I get along fine with him but just let two of the guys get together and you won't talk just nothing but mad she dropped her fingers and put her hands on her hips you're all scared of each other that's what every one of you scared the rest is going to get something on you after a pause crook said maybe you better go along to your own house now we don't want no trouble well I ain't giving you no trouble think I don't like to talk to somebody every once in a while think I like to stick in that house all the time candy laid the stump of his wrist on his knee and rubbed it gently with his hand he said accusingly you've got a husband you got no call fooling around with other guys causing trouble the girl flared sure I got a husband you all seen him swell guy Annie spends all his time saying what he's going to do to guys you don't like and he don't like nobody think I'm gonna stay in that two-by-four house and listen how Curly's gonna lead with his left and then bring in the old right cross one two he says just the old one-two and he'll go down she paused and her face lost its sullenness and grew interested say what happened to Curly's hand there was an embarrassed silence candy stole a look at Lenny then he coughed wipe Curley he got his hand caught in a machine ma'am bust his hand she watched for a moment then she left baloney what you think you're selling me Curley started something he didn't finish caught in a machine baloney why he ain't give nobody the good old one-two since he got his hand bust who bust him candy repeated sullenly got it caught in a machine all right she said contemptuously all right cover him up if you wanted what I care you bindle bums think you're so damn good what do you think I am a kid I could I tell you I could have went with shows not just one neither and a guy told me he could put me in pitchers she was breathless with indignation Saturday night everybody out doing something everybody what am i doing standing here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs a and a dum-dum and a lousy o sheep and liking it because they ain't nobody else Lennie watched her his mouth half open crooks had retired into the terrible protective dignity of the Negro but a change came over old candy he stood up suddenly and knocked his nail cake over backward I had enough he said angrily you ain't wanted here we told you you ain't and I tell you you got floozy ideas about what us guys amounts to you ain't got sense enough in that chicken head to even see that we ain't stiffs suppose you get us can suppose you do you think we'll hit the highway and look for another lousy two-bit job like this you don't know that we got our own ranch to go to in our own house we ain't got to stay here we got a house and chickens and fruit trees and a place a hundred time prettier than this and we got friends that's what we got maybe there was a time when we was scared of getting canned but we ain't no more we got our own land and it's ours and we can go to it Curley's wife laughed at him baloney she said I've seen too many you guys if you had two bits in the world why you be in getting two shots of corn with it and suck in the bottom of the glass I know you guys candies face it grown redder and redder but before she was done speaking he had control of himself he was the master of the situation I might have knew he said gently maybe you just better go along and roll your hoop we ain't got nothing to say to you at all we know what we got and we don't care whether you know it or not so maybe you better just scatter along now cuz curly baby ain't gonna like his wife out in the barn with us bindle sniffs she looked from one face to another and they were all closed against her and she looked longest at Lenny until he dropped his eyes in embarrassment suddenly she said where'd you get them bruises on your face when he looked up guiltily who me yeah you Lenny looked to kandi for help and then he looked at his lap again he got his hand caught in a machine he said Curley's wife laughed okay machine I'll talk to you later I like machines kandi broken you let this guy alone don't you do no messing around with him I'm gonna tell George what you says George won't have you messing with Lenny who's George he asked the little guy you come with Lenny smiled happily that's him he said that's the guy and he's gonna let me tend the rabbits well if that's all you want I might get a couple rabbits myself crook stood up from his bunk and faced her I had enough he said coldly you got no rights coming in a colored man's room you got no rights messing around in here at all now you just get out and get out quick if you don't I'm gonna ask the boss not to ever let you come in the bar no more she turned on him in scorn listen she said you know what I can do to you if you open your trap crook stared hopelessly at her and then he sat down on his bunk and drew into himself she closed on him you know what I could do crooks seemed to grow smaller and he pressed himself against the wall yes ma'am well you keep your place then I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny crooks had reduced himself to nothing there was no personality no ego nothing to arouse either like or dislike he said yes ma'am and his voice was toneless for a moment she stood over him as though waiting for him to move so that she could whip at him again but crooks sat perfectly still his eyes of her everything that might be hurt drawn in she turned it last to the other two old candy was watching her fascinated if you was to do that we'd tell he said quietly we'd tell about you framing crooks tell him be damned she cried nobody had listened to you and you know it nobody had listened to you candy subsided no he agreed nobody had listened to us Lenny whine which George was here a wish George was here candy stepped over to him don't you worry none he said I just heard the guys coming in George will be in the bunkhouse right now I bet he turned to Curley's wife you'd better go home now he said quietly if you go right now we won't tell Curley you was here she appraised him coolly I ain't sure you heard nothing better not take no chances he said if you ain't sure you better take the safe way she turned to Lenny I'm glad you bust up Curley a little bit he got it coming to him sometimes I'd like to bust him myself she slipped out the door and disappeared into the dark barn and while she went through the bar on the halter chains rattled and some horses snorted and some stamp their feet crook seemed to come slowly out of the layers of protection he had put on is that the truth what you said about the guys come back he asked sure I heard him well I didn't hear nothing the gate banged candy said and he went on Jesus Christ Curley's wife can move quiet I guess she had a lot of practice though crooks avoided the whole subject now maybe you guys better go he said I ain't sure I want you in here no more a colored man got to have some rights even if you don't like them kandi said that did not have said what that to you it wasn't nothing crooks said dully you guys coming in and set and made me forget what she says is true the horses snorted out in the barn and the chains rang and a boys called Lenny Eleni you in the barn it's George Lenny cried and he answered hear George I'm right in here in a second George stood framed in the door and he looked disapprovingly about what you're doing in crooks is room you had not to be in here crooks not I told him but they come in anyways well why don't you kick him out I didn't care much say cooks Lenny's a nice fella now candy aroused himself Oh George I've been figuring and figurin I got a doped out how we can even make some money rabbits George scowled thought I told you not to tell nobody about that candy was crestfallen didn't tell nobody but crooks George said well you guys get out of here Jesus seems like I can't go away for a minute candy and Lennie stood up and went toward the door crooks called candy huh remember what I said about hoeing and doing odd jobs yes at candy I remember well just forget it said crooks I didn't mean it just foolin I wouldn't want to go no place like that well okay if you feel like that goodnight the three men went out of the door as they went through the bar and the horses snorted and the halter chains rattled crooks sat on his bunk and looked at the door for a moment and then he reached for the liniment bottle he pulled out his shirt and back poured a little liniment in his pink palm and reaching around he fell slowly to rubbing his back

Channel: Erin Dickey

Views: 469,062

Rating: 4.6492643 out of 5

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Id: PiUYCLvc414

Length: 23min 6sec (1386 seconds)

Published: Sat Nov 28 2015