“They will be, a little later,” Huston said. “We’ll hold on.”
“We have to go,” said Pa. “Folks been so nice here—an’ the toilets an’ all. But we got to eat. Got a tank of gas. That’ll get us a little piece up the road. We had a bath ever’ day here. Never was so clean in my life. Funny thing—use ta be I on’y got a bath ever’ week an’ I never seemed to stink. But now if I don’ get one ever’ day I stink. Wonder if takin’ a bath so often makes that?”
“Maybe you couldn’t smell yourself before,” the manager said. “Maybe. I wisht we could stay.” The little manager held his temples between his palms. “I think there’s going to be another baby tonight,” he said. “We gonna have one in our fambly ’fore long,” said Pa. “I wisht we could have it here. I sure wisht we could.”
TOM AND WILLIE AND JULE the half-breed sat on the edge of the dance floor and swung their feet. “I got a sack of Durham,” Jule said. “Like a smoke?”
“I sure would,” said Tom. “Ain’t had a smoke for a hell of a time.” He rolled the brown cigarette carefully, to keep down the loss of tobacco. “Well, sir, we’ll be sorry to see you go,” said Willie. “You folks is good folks.” Tom lighted his cigarette. “I been thinkin’ about it a lot. Jesus Christ, I wisht we could settle down.”
Jule took back his Durham. “It ain’t nice,” he said. “I got a little girl. Thought when I come out here she’d get some schoolin’. But hell, we ain’t in one place hardly long enough. Jes’ gits goin’ an’ we got to drag on.”
“I hope we don’t get in no more Hoovervilles,” said Tom. “I was really scairt, there.”
“Deputies push you aroun’?”
“I was scairt I’d kill somebody,” said Tom. “Was on’y there a little while, but I was a-stewin’ aroun’ the whole time. Depity come in an’ picked up a frien’, jus’ because he talked outa turn. I was jus’ stewin’ all the time.”
“Ever been in a strike?” Willie asked. “No.”