Like a meeting.
Know what they did yesterday, Mrs. Joad?
They had a chorus.
Singing a hymn tune and rubbing the clothes all in time.
That was something to hear, I tell you.”
The suspicion was going out of Ma’s face.
“Must a been nice.
You’re the boss?”
“No,” he said. “The people here worked me out of a job.
They keep the camp clean, they keep order, they do everything.
I never saw such people.
They’re making clothes in the meeting hall. And they’re making toys.
Never saw such people.”
Ma looked down at her dirty dress.
“We ain’t clean yet,” she said. “You jus’ can’t keep clean a-travelin’.”
“Don’t I know it,” he said.
He sniffed the air. “Say—is that your coffee smells so good?”
Ma smiled.
“Does smell nice, don’t it?
Outside it always smells nice.” And she said proudly, “We’d take it in honor ’f you’d have some breakfus’ with us.”
He came to the fire and squatted on his hams, and the last of Ma’s resistance went down.
“We’d be proud to have ya,” she said. “We ain’t got much that’s nice, but you’re welcome.”
The little man grinned at her.
“I had my breakfast.
But I’d sure like a cup of that coffee.
Smells so good.”
“Why—why, sure.”
“Don’t hurry yourself.”
Ma poured a tin cup of coffee from the gallon can.
She said,
“We ain’t got sugar yet.
Maybe we’ll get some today.
If you need sugar, it won’t taste good.”
“Never use sugar,” he said. “Spoils the taste of good coffee.”
“Well, I like a little sugar,” said Ma.
She looked at him suddenly and closely, to see how he had come so close so quickly.
She looked for motive on his face, and found nothing but friendliness.
Then she looked at the frayed seams on his white coat, and she was reassured.
He sipped the coffee.
“I guess the ladies’ll be here to see you this morning.”
“We ain’t clean,” Ma said. “They shouldn’t be comin’ till we get cleaned up a little.”
“But they know how it is,” the manager said. “They came in the same way.
No, sir. The committees are good in this camp because they do know.” He finished his coffee and stood up. “Well, I got to go on.
Anything you want, why, come over to the office.
I’m there all the time.
Grand coffee. Thank you.” He put the cup on the box with the others, waved his hand, and walked down the line of tents.
And Ma heard him speaking to the people as he went.
Ma put down her head and she fought with a desire to cry.
Pa came back leading the children, their eyes still wet with pain at the ear-scrounging.
They were subdued and shining.