You got to live ahead ’cause you’re so young, but—it’s jus’ the road goin’ by for me.
An’ it’s jus’ how soon they gonna wanta eat some more pork bones.” Her face tightened. “That’s all I can do.
I can’t do no more.
All the rest’d get upset if I done any more’n that.
They all depen’ on me jus’ thinkin’ about that.”
Granma yawned shrilly and opened her eyes. She looked wildly about.
“I got to get out, praise Gawd,” she said.
“First clump a brush,” said Al. “They’s one up ahead.”
“Brush or no brush, I got to git out, I tell ya.” And she began to whine, “I got to git out. I got to git out.”
Al speeded up, and when he came to the low brush he pulled up short.
Ma threw the door open and half pulled the struggling old lady out beside the road and into the bushes.
And Ma held her so Granma would not fall when she squatted.
On top of the truck the others stirred to life.
Their faces were shining with sunburn they could not escape.
Tom and Casy and Noah and Uncle John let themselves wearily down.
Ruthie and Winfield swarmed down the side-boards and went off into the bushes.
Connie helped Rose of Sharon gently down.
Under the canvas, Grampa was awake, his head sticking out, but his eyes were drugged and watery and still senseless.
He watched the others, but there was little recognition in his watching.
Tom called to him,
“Want to come down, Grampa?”
The old eyes turned listlessly to him.
“No,” said Grampa.
For a moment the fierceness came into his eyes. “I ain’t a-goin’, I tell you.
Gonna stay like Muley.” And then he lost interest again.
Ma came back, helping Granma up the bank to the highway.
“Tom,” she said. “Get that pan a bones, under the canvas in back.
We got to eat somepin.” Tom got the pan and passed it around, and the family stood by the roadside, gnawing the crisp particles from the pork bones.
“Sure lucky we brang these along,” said Pa. “Git so stiff up there can’t hardly move.
Where’s the water?”
“Ain’t it up with you?” Ma asked. “I set out that gallon jug.”
Pa climbed the sides and looked under the canvas.
“It ain’t here.
We must a forgot it.”
Thirst set in instantly.
Winfield moaned,
“I wanta drink.
I wanta drink.”
The men licked their lips, suddenly conscious of their thirst.
And a little panic started.
Al felt the fear growing.
“We’ll get water first service station we come to.
We need some gas too.”
The family swarmed up the truck sides; Ma helped Granma in and got in beside her.
Al started the motor and they moved on.
Castle to Paden twenty-five miles and the sun passed the zenith and started down.
And the radiator cap began to jiggle up and down and steam started to whish out.
Near Paden there was a shack beside the road and two gas pumps in front of it; and beside a fence, a water faucet and a hose.
Al drove in and nosed the Hudson up to the hose.
As they pulled in, a stout man, red of face and arms, got up from a chair behind the gas pumps and moved toward them.