all that glitters (28)

I thought you said that miner

never found any gold. He didn’t. I did.

And you haven’t done anything with it?

What would I do with it

that wouldn’t destroy this place?

The mining companies? Isn’t this Indian land?

It is. Think that would stop them?

They could take it?

Not easily. They’d find a way to buy us off.

Nothing that would last more than a few years.

And for what? Cadillacs and swimming pools?

Are your people so easily bought off?

Are yours?

I don’t know, nobody has made the offer.

Would you take it?

I can’t even imagine what that would be like.

Did you ever imagine what you did today?

Never in a million years. I’m just worried

that I won’t be able to keep it.

Of course you can, it’s already happened.

This day belongs to you, it can’t be taken back.

I know, I know, but I want more days,

I want years, hours, minutes, a lifetime.

And perhaps you’ll have them.

But you only get them one at a time.

So right now you need to figure out

how to get tomorrow. Do you think

you can get it back in Bakersfield?

I don’t know. It’s dangerous. For both of us.

But I don’t know what else we can do, least ‘til

we have some way to get out of there.

What about your family? Or Henry’s?

I don’t know about Henry’s folks.

Mine live down in Teviston. Probably

won’t be real happy about me and Henry.

Why is that?

There was a boy, a man. We were engaged.

Were?

Yeah, never called it off officially, but he,

he was drafted and they sent him over to Korea.

Something happened over there and they

sent him back. And he ain’t the same

sweet boy who went over there.

He was wounded?

No, something happened to his head.

It’s like some part of his mind

didn’t come back with him.

War does that to some.

My folks keep praying that he’s going

to get better. They tell me that I got to be

patient and put my trust in Jesus.

So what you think they going to be like

if I show up with Henry?

What about you? Do you still love him?

I loved the boy who went away.

But you know, we were just kids. Never been anywhere

very far from Teviston. I know it’s not the big world,

Bakersfield and Cottonwood,

working in the hospital…. but I know that

I want something more than churning out

half a dozen kids and cooking eight kinds of pies.

So I don’t know. It might a been different anyway

even if he hadn’t come home the way he did.

Have you told Henry about him?

No. I figured I’d have to sooner or later, but the right time

just hasn’t come along. We only met yesterday. Seems like

a different lifetime though, Lordy, does it ever!

That’s because it was.

I guess it was.......how do you.......?

Oh I’ve had many lifetimes myself.

You mean before this one?

Does it matter?

Yes. No. I s’pose not.

He hands her a canvas bag with the cornbread.

Lifts a big cast iron pot with both hands off a table

built between two posts shoring up the mine.

Let’s go back inside, your young man

is probably wondering if we got lost.