“Awright,” he said.
Tom crawled over the pots and knelt in front of Ma.
“Look,” he said. “It says they want cotton pickers.
I seen that sign.
Now I been tryin’ to figger how I’m gonna stay with you, an’ not make no trouble.
When my face gets well, maybe it’ll be awright, but not now.
Ya see them cars back there.
Well, the pickers live in them.
Now maybe they’s work there.
How about if you get work there an’ live in one of them cars?”
“How ’bout you?” Ma demanded.
“Well, you seen that crick, all full a brush.
Well, I could hide in that brush an’ keep outa sight.
An’ at night you could bring me out somepin to eat.
I seen a culvert, little ways back.
I could maybe sleep in there.”
Pa said,
“By God, I’d like to get my hands on some cotton!
There’s work, I un’erstan’.”
“Them cars might be a purty place to stay,” said Ma. “Nice an’ dry.
You think they’s enough brush to hide in, Tom?”
“Sure.
I been watchin’.
I could fix up a little place, hide away. Soon’s my face gets well, why, I’d come out.”
“You gonna scar purty bad,” said Ma.
“Hell!
Ever’body got scars.”
“I picked four hunderd poun’s oncet,” Pa said. “’Course it was a good heavy crop.
If we all pick, we could get some money.”
“Could get some meat,” said Al. “What’ll we do right now?”
“Go back there, an’ sleep in the truck till mornin’,” Pa said. “Git work in the mornin’.
I can see them bolls even in the dark.”
“How ’bout Tom?” Ma asked.
“Now you jus’ forget me, Ma.
I’ll take me a blanket.
You look out on the way back.
They’s a nice culvert.
You can bring me some bread or potatoes, or mush, an’ just leave it there.
I’ll come get it.”
“Well!”
“Seems like good sense to me,” said Pa.
“It is good sense,” Tom insisted.
“Soon’s my face gets a little better, why, I’ll come out an’ go to pickin’.”
“Well, awright,” Ma agreed. “But don’ you take no chancet.
Don’ let nobody see you for a while.”
Tom crawled to the back of the truck.
“I’ll jus’ take this here blanket.
You look for that culvert on the way back, Ma.”
“Take care,” she begged. “You take care.”
“Sure,” said Tom. “Sure I will.” He climbed the tail board, stepped down the bank. “Good night,” he said.