按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
In the night…time； as soon as the kids were in bed； she was
free。 That was the most important time of all。 A lot of things
happened when she was by herself and it was dark。 Right after
supper she ran out of the house again。 She couldn't tell
anybody about the things she did at night； and when her Mama
asked her questions she would answer with any little tale that
sounded reasonable。 But most of the time if anybody called
her she just ran away like she hadn't heard。 That went for
everybody except her Dad。 There was something about her
Dad's voice she couldn't run away from。 He was one of the
biggest； tallest men in the whole town。 But his voice was so
quiet and kindly that people were surprised when he spoke。
No matter how much of a hurry she was in； she always had to
stop when her Dad called。
This summer she realized something about her Dad she had
never known before。 Up until then she had never thought
about him as being a real separate person。 A lot of times he
would call her。 She would go in the front room where he
worked and stand by him a couple of minutes— but when she
listened to him her mind was never on the84
things he said to her。 Then one night she suddenly realized
about her Dad。 Nothing unusual happened that night and she
didn't know what it was that made her understand。 Afterward
she felt older and as though she knew him as good as she
could know any person。
It was a night in late August and she was in a big rush。 She
had to be at this house by nine o'clock； and no maybe either。
Her Dad called and she went into the front room。 He was
sitting slumped over his workbench。 For some reason it never
did seem natural to see him there。 Until the time of his
accident last year he had been a painter and carpenter。 Before
daylight every morning he would leave the house in his
overalls； to be gone all day。 Then at night sometimes he
fiddled around with clocks as an extra work。 A lot of times he
had tried to get a job in a jewelry store where he could sit by
himself at a desk all day with a clean white shirt on and a tie。
Now when he couldn't carpenter any more he had put a sign at
the front of the house reading 'Clocks and Watches Repaired
Cheap。' But he didn't look like most jewelers—the ones
downtown were quick； dark little Jew men。 Her Dad was too
tall for his workbench； and his big bones seemed joined
together in a loose way。
Her Dad just stared at her。 She could tell he didn't have any
reason for calling。 He only wanted real bad to talk to her。 He
tried to think of some way to begin。 His brown eyes were too
big for his long； thin face； and since he had lost every single
hair the pale； bald top of his head gave him a naked look。 He
stul looked at her without speaking and she was in a hurry。
She had to be at that house by nine sharp and there was no
time to waste。 Her Dad saw she was in a hurry and he cleared
his throat
'I got something for you；' he said。 'Nothing much； but maybe
you can treat yourself with it。'
He didn't have to give her any nickel or dime just because he
was lonesome and wanted to talk。 Out of what he made he
only kept enough to have beer about twice a week。 Two
bottles were on the floor by his chair now； one empty and one
just opened。 And whenever he drank beer he liked to talk to
somebody。 Her Dad fumbled with his belt and she looked
away。 This summer he had gotten like a kid about hiding those
nickels and dimes he kept for
85
himself。 Sometimes he hid them in his shoes； and other times
in a little slit he had cut in his belt。 She only halfway wanted
to take the dime； but when he held it out her hand was just
naturally open and ready。
'I got so much work to do I don't know where to begin；'
he said。
That was just the opposite to the truth； and he knew it good as
she did。 He never had many watches to fix； and when he
finished he would fool around the house doing any little job
that was needed。 Then at night he sat at his bench； cleaning
old springs and wheels and trying to make the work last out
until bedtime。 Ever since he broke his hip and couldn't work
steady he had to be doing something
every minute。
'I been thinking a lot tonight；' her Dad said。 He poured out his
beer and sprinkled a few grains of salt on the back of his hand。
Then he licked up the salt and took a swallow
out of the glass。
She was in such a hurry that it was hard to stand still。 Her Dad
noticed this。 He tried to say something—but he had not called
to tell her anything special。 He only wanted to talk with her
for a little while。 He started to speak and swallowed。 They just
looked at each other。 The quietness grew out longer and
neither of them could say a word。
That was when she realized about her Dad。 It wasn't like she
was learning a new fact—she had understood it all along in
every way except with her brain。 Now she just suddenly knew
that she knew about her Dad。 He was lonesome and he was an
old man。 Because none of the kids went to him for anything
and because he didn't earn much money he felt like he was cut
off from the family。 And in his lonesomeness he wanted to be
close to one of his kids —and they were all so busy that they
didn't know it。 He felt like he wasn't much real use to
anybody。
She understood this while they were looking at each other。 It
gave her a queer feeling。 Her Dad picked up a watch spring
and cleaned it with a brush dipped in gasoline。
'I know you're in a hurry。 I just hollered to say hello。' *No； I'm
not in any rush；' she said。 'Honest。' That night she sat down in
a chair by his bench and they talked awhile。 He talked about
accounts and expenses and86
how things would have been if he had just managed in a
different way。 He drank beer； and once the tears came to his
eyes and he snuffled his nose against his shirt…sleeve。 She
stayed with him a good while that night。 Even if she was in an
awful hurry。 Yet for some reason she couldn't tell him about
the things in her mind—about the hot； dark nights。
These nights were secret； and of the whole summer they were
the most important time。 In the dark she walked by herself and
it was like she was the only person in the town。 Almost every
street came to be as plain to her in the nighttime as her own
home block。 Some kids were afraid to walk through strange
places in the dark； but she wasn't。 Girls were scared a man
would come out from somewhere and put his teapot in them
like they was married。 Most girls were nuts。 If a person the
size of Joe Louis or Mountain Man Dean would jump out at
her and want to fight she would run。 But if it was somebody
within twenty pounds her weight she would give him a good
sock and go right on。
The nights were wonderful； and she didn't have time to think
about such things as being scared。 Whenever she was in the
dark she thought about music。 While she walked along the
streets she would sing to herself。 And she felt like the whole
town listened without knowing it was Mick Kelly。
She learned a lot about music during these free nights in the
summer…time。 When she walke