Monday, March 10, 2014

Remarkable Part of "The Road" by John Ehle

photo credit: www.goodreads.com

“You got a wife and family?” Esau asked and Weatherby nodded.

I do too. But my wife probably gave up on me by now. I tried twice to escape (prison) and that doubles the time (of my detention). I counted up; I’d have to live, to be a hundred five years old to get out of here. That’s too long for a woman to wait. But I’d like to see her,” Esau said solemnly, “even if all I find out is who’s with her.”

---

Weatherby turned away and stopped by a convict who lay on the ground whimpering. He felt the man’s forehead and the man jerked his head away; he never had been touched by a white man before. “You have a fever,” Weatherby said.

“No, suh, I’m all right.”

Weatherby sent forth a blanket and covered up the convict. “How old are you? You fifty years old?”
“I lost count,” the sick man said, embarrassed by all the attention. “But I can remember being as young as that.”

“You from downcast?”

“Flatlands. You can’t fall off a cliff there. It’s so flat at home that the water wont flow.”

“How do you keep it fresh?”

“The catfish keep it moving.” He bobbed his head in pleasure, thinking about it. “I wish I was home.” He spat blood then squinted at Weatherby. “Are we going to have a Christmas here?”

“I’ve not planned much, except maybe an orange apiece.”

“Christmas is the only day I care about. When that little Jesus was born. I wish He’d come and get me out of here.”

---

“I’d marry ye, Nettie.”

“You like to be here, but you don’t love me,” she said. “A woman wont marry the man who offers the most, but the one who needs her most.” Her pretty voice spun out the meaning, and Red wasn’t sure he like it.

“Nettie, you’re complicated,” he said.

“Listen to that,” she said. “Is there a woman who’s not? We all have to be needed, even if we know it’s only for a little while.”

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