Tom said, “You was a hell of a long time. How far’d you go?”
Al sighed. “Got the rod out?”
“Yeah.” Tom held up the sack. “Babbitt jus’ broke down.”
“Well, it wasn’t no fault of mine,” said Al.
“No. Where’d you take the folks?”
“We had a mess,” Al said. “Granma got to bellerin’, an’ that set
Rosasharn off an’ she bellered some. Got her head under a mattress an’ bellered. But Granma, she was just layin’ back her jaw an’ bayin’ like a moonlight houn’ dog. Seems like Granma ain’t got no sense no more. Like a little baby. Don’ speak to nobody, don’ seem to reco’nize nobody. Jus’ talks on like she’s talkin’ to Grampa.”
“Where’d ya leave ’em?” Tom insisted.
“Well, we come to a camp. Got shade an’ got water in pipes. Costs half a dollar a day to stay there. But ever’body’s so goddamn tired an’ wore out an’ mis’able, they stayed there. Ma says they got to ’cause Granma’s so tired an’ wore out. Got Wilson’s tent up an’ got our tarp for a tent. I think Granma gone nuts.”
Tom looked toward the lowering sun. “Casy,” he said, “somebody got to stay with this car or she’ll get stripped. You jus’ as soon?”