The Better Angels Page #4

and asked him

if he would stay by me.

He was very cheerful.

He would die

when I bid die."

Here, boy!

I got him!

And when he'd come

to the house at night,

he'd tilt the chair

by the chimney

and sit on his backbone

and read.

Where do they come from?

The jungle.

She always put a candle

on the mantelpiece for him.

His Pappy'd just shoo him

off to bed.

She said it didn't

bother her none.

He's a fast learner.

Interested in everything.

I'd like to tutor him here,

in fact,

on days away from school.

You was in the war.

Nothing's ever the same since,

I bet.

Taking odd jobs...

Never had no proper

learning, yourself.

And I pay you in corn,

and hides.

If you want more,

you might want to take it

someplace else.

Well, I don't want payment.

I brought two books for him.

I'm ready.

He wants it, come on,

give it to him.

You're up next.

Whoa, whoa, whoa,

whoa, whoa, whoa!

All right, nice work there.

Come here,

I want to show you again.

Come on, push harder,

come on.

That's it.

See, come on, come again.

Get down low.

Yeah, that's nice.

All right, you're up now.

Come on.

You and me.

You know,

get your head up there strong.

Put it up strong...

all right, see?

Get a grip on me

so you can feel me now.

Can't you?

And you got that other hand...

you're looking to get in there,

trying to work that leg.

Come on.

I got ya all tangled up now,

see?

Come on, start again.

Start again.

Come on.

Let go, he's got him.

He's got him now!

Come on,

you can't get like that.

Don't give me your back.

Come on, I ain't finished yet.

Come on.

That's it.

Got me down, nice work.

Tie me up.

That's good.

That's good, that's good.

My Pappy got real sick and died.

Sure glad to have a new one.

Yours is real nice.

Everybody runs him down.

Never gave him credit

for what he was.

He made a good living.

His Pap kept his word.

He paid his way.

Couldn't say that of every man.

Not even today.

And men are decent-er

than they used to be.

Found 'em.

You found 'em, son,

you keep 'em.

I wanna be as strong as you.

You're a good boy.

Your Ma would be

real proud of you.

I ain't...

a fairer man,

not to nobody.

But I always looked out for you

and your sister.

You're gonna be twice

the man I am.

One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven.

Three, four, five, six,

seven, eight...

Hey! You cheat!

Now it's your turn.

Two, three, four, five, six...

What it means

when you hear locust nearby,

is somebody died

and their soul's risin'.

That's the truth.

My dad told me that once.

There ain't nothing

worth talking about.

Nobody much worth talking to...

since he's gone.

My God.

I had to go out to the farm

to tell her.

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