Green hops down from his perch, says, I’m going to go up
and wash those dishes while you figure things out.
What about staying with your folks in Teviston while
I go down to Bakersfield? Bobby and Smith are supposed
to meet late tonight at that place on Edison. To turn you over.
Well that ain’t gonna happen. Why do you think you need
to be there?
Loretta. She made sure that Bobby was late getting to the
hospital this morning. What do you think he’s likely to do
if he figures that out?
He’ll be as cruel as a cat with a mouse, if he finds out
she did that. Crap. I never seen him do it and Loretta
won’t talk about it, but I’m sure he beats her. Some way
that don’t leave any marks. But this’s different. He’ll
see it as taking money out of his goddamned pocket.
His fucking money. Sorry. He’s a mean man. No damn
heart at all. And you? You’re the one he’ll wanna cut.
I know, so what are we gonna do about Loretta?
Can’t just leave her to suffer Bobby’s abuse. And I
want to see what the situation is with Gus and him
before we try and go back home.
Go back home? I don’t think I have one to return to, can’t
see how I can just go back to Loretta’s. Or anywhere in
Cottonwood, now. I don’t see how you can either. Both of
them will be after your head. We don’t have jobs, a pair of
rattlesnakes are looking for revenge, I think Bakersfield is done.
You’re right. It is. That’s why I thought you should stay
in Teviston. And I don’t want Loretta to pay the price
for us, you know?
No. And she ain’t gonna. I’m going with you. She’s my cousin.
It might get real crazy. I don’t know Bobby very well,
but Gus Smith is capable of anything. He’s a poisonous disease.
I understand. But you don’t always have to be the big hero.
I can help and I’m going to. Especially taking care of Loretta.
What did you have in mind? Taking her up the Kern?
Yeah, there’s some trees I wanna…….
oh shut up.
Sorry. Okay, But you gotta promise me to stay
back if things go bad. You know how to drive a car?
I think so. Enough. I had a friend who let me drive a couple
times. I can do it if I have to. Even this jalopy of yours
What about that gun under your seat?
It’s empty. It’s just big and scary looking. No bullets.
What? You might as well paint a target on your chest.
If Bobby or Smith are packing, they sure as hell won’t be empty.
I know. I don’t plan on getting into any gunfights with them.
In fact I don’t want them to even know I’m there.
Well that’s a relief! I don’t want to be shooting any guns.
Good. Let’s give you a little driving practice on the way down.
If everything goes well, you won’t have to. Then we’ll
go up to Teviston and Fresno. I think we gotta see our folks
before we go anywhere else. And we need to figure out
where that’s gonna be.
Yeah. We do……There’s something I need to tell you about,
……….before we go see my folks.
Ok…… like what?
Ruthie strokes the seat carved in the massive fallen limb,
where Maria’s fingers had smoothed the wood when hard
words needed to be spoken to Green over the years since
he carved it with a hatchet.
There’s a boy up there in Teviston. We were engaged.
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