“You, Benjamin.” Mother said. “If you dont be good, you’llhave to go to the kitchen.” “Mammy say keep himout the kitchen today.” Versh said. “She say she got all that cooking
to get done.”
“Let himgo, Caroline.” Uncle Maury said. “You’llworry yourself sick over him.” “I know it.” Mother said. “It’s a judgment on me. I sometimes wonder”
“I know, I know.” Uncle Maury said. “You must keep your strength up. I’ll make you a toddy.”
“It just upsets me that much more.” Mother said. “Dont you know it does.”
“You’ll feel better.” Uncle Maury said. “Wrap him up good, boy, and take him out for a while.”
Uncle Maury went away. Versh went away.
“Please hush.” Mother said. “We’re trying to get you out as fast as we can. I dont want you to get sick.”
Versh put my overshoes and overcoat on and we took my cap and went out. Uncle Maury was putting the bottle away in the sideboard in the dining-room.
“Keep himout about half an hour, boy.” Uncle Maury said. “Keep himin the yard, now.” “Yes, sir.” Versh said. “We dont never let himget off the place.”
We went out doors. The sun was cold and bright.
“Where you heading for.” Versh said. “You dont think you going to town, does you.” We went through the rattling leaves. The gate was cold. “You better keep them hands in your pockets.” Versh said, “You get them froze onto that gate, then what you do. Whyn’t you wait for them in the house.” He put my hands into my pockets. I could hear him rattling in the leaves. I could smellthe cold. The gate was cold.
“Here some hickeynuts. Whooey. Git up that tree. Look here at this squirl, Benjy.” I couldn’t feelthe gate at all, but I could smellthe bright cold.
“You better put themhands back in your pockets.”
Caddy was walking. Then she was running, her book-satchelswinging and jouncing behind her.
“Hello, Benjy.” Caddy said. She opened the gate and came in and stooped down. Caddy smelled like leaves. “Did you come to meet me.” she said. “Did you come to meet Caddy. What did you let himget his hands so cold for, Versh.”
“I told himto keep themin his pockets.” Versh said. “Holding onto that ahun gate.”
“Did you come to meet Caddy.” she said, rubbing my hands. “What is it. What are you trying to tellCaddy.” Caddy smelled like trees and like when she says we were asleep.
What are you moaning about, Luster said. You can watch them again when we get to the branch. Here. Here’s you a jimson weed. He gave me the flower. We went through the fence, into the lot.
“What is it.” Caddy said. “What are you trying to tellCaddy. Did they send himout, Versh.” “Couldn’t keep him in.” Versh said. “He kept on until they let him go and he come right
straight down here, looking through the gate.”
“What is it.” Caddy said. “Did you think it would be Christmas when I came home from school. Is that what you thought. Christmas is the day after tomorrow. Santy Claus, Benjy. Santy Claus. Come on, let’s run to the house and get warm.” She took my hand and we ran through the bright rustling leaves. We ran up the steps and out of the bright cold, into the dark cold. Uncle Maury was putting the bottle back in the sideboard. He called Caddy. Caddy said,
“Take himin to the fire, Versh. Go with Versh.” she said. “I’llcome in a minute.” We went to the fire. Mother said,
“Is he cold, Versh.”
“Nome.” Versh said.
“Take his overcoat and overshoes off.” Mother said. “How many times do I have to tellyou not to bring himinto the house with his overshoes on.”
“Yessum.” Versh said. “Hold still, now.” He took my overshoes off and unbuttoned my coat. Caddy said,
“Wait, Versh. Cant he go out again, Mother. I want himto go with me.”
“You’d better leave himhere.” Uncle Maury said. “He’s been out enough today.” “I think you’d both better stay in.” Mother said. “It’s getting colder, Dilsey says.” “Oh, Mother.” Caddy said.
“Nonsense.” Uncle Maury said. “She’s been in school all day. She needs the fresh air. Run along, Candace.”
“Let himgo, Mother.” Caddy said. “Please. You know he’llcry.”
“Then why did you mention it before him.” Mother said. “Why did you come in here. To give him some excuse to worry me again. You’ve been out enough today. I think you’d better sit down here and play with him.”
“Let themgo, Caroline.” Uncle Maury said. “A little cold wont hurt them. Remember, you’ve got to keep your strength up.”
“I know.” Mother said. “Nobody knows how I dread Christmas. Nobody knows. I am not one of those women who can stand things. I wish for Jason’s and the children’s sakes I was stronger.”
“You must do the best you can and not let them worry you.” Uncle Maury said. “Run along, you two. But dont stay out long, now. Your mother willworry.”
“Yes, sir.” Caddy said. “Come on, Benjy. We’re going out doors again.” She buttoned my coat and we went toward the door.
“Are you going to take that baby out without his overshoes.” Mother said. “Do you want to make himsick, with the house fullof company.”
“I forgot.” Caddy said. “I thought he had themon.”
We went back. “You must think.” Mother said. Hold still now Versh said. He put my overshoes on. “Someday I’ll be gone, and you’ll have to think for him.” Now stomp Versh said. “Come here and kiss Mother, Benjamin.”
Caddy took me to Mother’s chair and Mother took my face in her hands and then she held me against her.
“My poor baby.” she said. She let me go. “You and Versh take good care of him, honey.” “Yessum.” Caddy said. We went out. Caddy said,
“You needn’t go, Versh. I’llkeep himfor a while.”
“All right.” Versh said. “I aint going out in that cold for no fun.” He went on and we stopped in the hall and Caddy knelt and put her arms around me and her cold bright face against mine. She smelled like trees.
“You’re not a poor baby. Are you. You’ve got your Caddy. Haven’t you got your Caddy.” Cant you shut up that moaning and slobbering, Luster said. Aint you shamed of yourself,
making all this racket. We passed the carriage house, where the carriage was. It had a new wheel.
“Git in, now, and set still until your maw come.” Dilsey said. She shoved me into the carriage. T. P. held the reins. “’Clare I don’t see how come Jason wont get a new surrey.” Dilsey said. “This thing going to fallto pieces under you allsome day. Look at themwheels.”
Mother came out, pulling her veildown. She had some flowers.
“Where’s Roskus.” she said.
“Roskus cant lift his arms, today.” Dilsey said. “T. P. can drive allright.”
“I’m afraid to.” Mother said. “It seems to me you all could furnish me with a driver for the carriage once a week. It’s little enough I ask, Lord knows.”
“You know just as well as me that Roskus got the rheumatism too bad to do more than he have to, Miss Cahline.” Dilsey said. “You come on and get in, now. T. P. can drive you just as good as Roskus.”
“I’mafraid to.” Mother said. “With the baby.”
Dilsey went up the steps. “You calling that thing a baby,” she said. She took Mother’s arms. “A man big as T. P. Come on, now, if you going.”
“I’m afraid to.” Mother said. They came down the steps and Dilsey helped Mother in. “Perhaps it’llbe the best thing, for allof us.” Mother said.
“Aint you shamed, talking that way.” Dilsey said. “Dont you know it’ll take more than a eighteen year old nigger to make Queenie run away. She older than himand Benjy put together. And dont you start no projecking with Queenie, you hear me, T. P. If you dont drive to suit Miss Cahline, I going to put Roskus on you. He aint too tied up to do that.”
“Yessum.” T. P. said.
“I just know something willhappen.” Mother said. “Stop, Benjamin.”
“Give hima flower to hold.” Dilsey said, “That what he wanting.” She reached her hand in. “No, no.” Mother said. “You’llhave themallscattered.”
“You hold them.” Dilsey said. “I’ll get him one out.” She gave me a flower and her hand went away.
“Go on now, ’fore Quentin see you and have to go too.” Dilsey said. “Where is she.” Mother said.
“She down to the house playing with Luster.” Dilsey said. “Go on, T. P. Drive that surrey like Roskus told you, now.”
“Yessum.” T. P. said. “Humup, Queenie.” “Quentin.” Mother said. “Don’t let” “Course I is.” Dilsey said.
The carriage jolted and crunched on the drive. “I’mafraid to go and leave Quentin.” Mother said. “I’d better not go. T. P.” We went through the gate, where it didn’t jolt anymore. T. P. hit Queenie with the whip.
“You, T. P.” Mother said.
“Got to get her going.” T. P. said. “Keep her wake up tillwe get back to the barn.” “Turn around.” Mother said. “I’mafraid to go and leave Quentin.”
“Cant turn here.” T. P. said. Then it was broader. “Cant you turn here.” Mother said.
“Allright.” T. P. said. We began to turn. “You, T. P.” Mother said, clutching me.
“I got to turn around somehow.” T. P. said. “Whoa, Queenie.” We stopped. “You’llturn us over.” Mother said.
“What you want to do, then.” T. P. said.
“I’mafraid for you to try to turn around.” Mother said. “Get up, Queenie.” T. P. said. We went on.
“I just know Dilsey will let something happen to Quentin while I’m gone.” Mother said. “We must hurry back.”
“Humup, there.” T. P. said. He hit Queenie with the whip.
“You, T. P.”
