As I Lay Dying

---

My father used to say that the

reason for living

was to get ready to stay dead a

long time.

Where Jewel?

I asked you where Jewel at?

Down at the barn, harnessing the

team.

Probably down there fooling with

that damn horse.

Come here, sir.

Come here.

Dinner time.

Come on.

Come on, eat it up.

Get that goddamn stuff out of

sight while you still got a

chance.

Pussel-gutted bastard.

Sweet son of a b*tch.

What?

You ready?

Yeah, if you're all hitched up.

You wait. If she don't last till

you get back, she gonna be

disappointed.

I gave her my word we'd keep the

team here and ready, in case she

goes.

Ma ain't that sick.

That's right.

She been acting more herself

today than all week.

Yeah, well, you ought to know.

Been coming around here often

enough looking at her.

You and your folk all neighbor

like--

Shut up, Jewel.

If everybody wasn't burning hell

to get it done already, huh?

With Cash under that window all

day long!

Sawing...

and hammering...

It was her wish.

She wanted to know it were her

own blood sawed the boards and

drove the nails.

Just like she want to go in our

own wagon.

We will be beholden to no man,

me and her.

It means three dollars. You want

us to go or not?

I'm a luckless man.

It fixing up to rain.

Be back by sundown.

Well...

Well, come on!

By sundown, you hear?

I would not keep her waiting!

What do you want, Darl?

She gonna die before we get

back.

Then why you going?

It means three dollars.

Why take Jewel? You know he will

never forgive you.

She'll want to get started right

off.

It's far enough to Jefferson at

best.

Well, the road's good now.

For now. We'll see once the rain

come.

Funny how things work. Addie's

people...

gotta be buried a day's hard

ride from here.

Shame you can't just go to your

folks' ground in New Hope not

but three miles away.

They'll be back in plenty of

time. I wouldn't worry none.

Might be won't be no needs to

rush no ways.

I hope it.

She's going.

Her mind is set on it.

The Lord giveth

The Lord giveth

What you got there, boy, a hog?

Where you find that?

Down at the bridge.

You aim to leave it there?

I aim to show it to Ma.

You clean that fish.

Can't Dewey Dell clean it?

You clean it.

How, Pa?

You clean it.

Go on now!

It's bigger than him.

Jewel!

Jewel!

Takes two people to make it...

one people to die.

You know she's gonna die, don't

you?

That's how the world will end.

Which two made you two?

She's gonna die, Jewel, your

mother.

Our mother.

Addie Bundren's gonna die.

Just... breathe easy.

Why didn't you call me sooner?

Well, it was just one thing and

then another.

That ere corn me and the boys

was hoping to get up with.

Dewey Dell was taking such good

care of her.

Folks was stopping by offering

to help and such.

I just...

Damnit, Anse.

She's a' going, is she?

I knowed it.

I knowed her mind was set on it.

Pa!

You better go quick.

Jewel!

Wheel's stuck in the ditch!

Damn!

It's Jewel she wants.

Why, Addie, him and Darl went to

make one more load.

They thought there was time,

that you would wait for them.

And that's three dollar and

all...

Ma. Ma!

Cash!!

Get it up. Get it up.

You got it? You got it?

A little more. A little more!

Hold on.

You're on?

Yeah, I think so.

All right, hold it.

All right. Get that bolt.

You know she dead, Jewel.

You know that, right? Addie

Bundren's dead?

Just shut up! Shut up!

Just shut your mouth!

She's gone.

She's taken and left us.

How nigh are you done?

I reckon you better get back at

it.

You're gonna have to do the best

you can

with them boys going off that-a-

way.

Go on now, put supper on.

We gotta keep our strength up.

God's will be done.

Now I can get them teeth.

You could do so much for me, if

you just would.

If you just knew.

If you just would then I could

tell you...

and then nobody's have to know

it, except for you and me.

And Darl.

You all right?

Where she gonna go? Do you think

she'll still go as far as town?

She went farther than town.

She's in upside down.

Told you she loved that dress.

Don't want it wrinkled.

I made it on the bevel.

One, there's more gripping

surface for the nails.

Two, there's twice the gripping

surface to each seam.

Three, the water will have to

seep in at a slant.

Water moves easiest up and down

than sideways.

Four, in a house were people are

upright two thirds of the

time...

the seams and joints are built

up and down...

because the stress is up and

down.

Five, in a bed where people lay

down all the time...

the joints and seams go sideways

because the stress is sideways.

Six, except.

Seven...

a human body is not like a

crosstie.

Eight, animal magnetism.

Nine, the animal magnetism of a

human body...

makes the stress come

slanting...

so a coffin is built on the

bevel.

Ten, if you look at an old grave

site...

you'll see where the earth is

sucked towards the bevel.

Eleven, while on a natural

hole...

it sinks toward the middle, the

stress being up and down.

Twelve, so I made it on a bevel.

Thirteen, it makes a neater job.

That river is up and rising.

It's already covered the highest

water mark on that bridge piling

that I've ever seen.

That bridge won't stand a whole

lot of water. Anybody told Anse?

I told him. He said he reckoned

them boys had already heard

and unloaded, and was on the way

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