Ain't Them Bodies Saints Page #4

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doing?"

He said, "well, in case anything

happens to me, I want to make

sure my mama can recognize me. "

So he put on this coat he had

when he was 12 years old, and he

tried to button it up, and he

was a big old boy, and it ripped

right out the back.

And he kept that thing on all

the way up to St. Louis and back

down to Texas.

He looked like a damn

raggedy Ann.

And when we got back, I said,

"Joe, you know your mama would

have recognized you if something

happened to you. "

He said, "yeah, 'cause I had my

coat on. "

I mean, he didn't get it.

You see, people... they don't

know things the way that they

think they know them.

Sylvie... she's gonna know me.

She'll know me

without looking at me.

And Ruth... by God, she'll feel

me coming down the street.

I mean, we always just been...

You know, just two parts of the

same.

I mean, we would fight, and we'd

fight like two kids with a ball.

And she'd rip through the house

like she was on fire, and I'd

just want to hold her.

I'd just want to hold her.

But she'd be yelling and

flapping around so quick, it was

like a hummingbird.

I'd say, "Ruth... "

You can scream at me till your

voice is gone...

But it doesn't make much

difference...

Because when you're all done

screaming...

"It's just gonna be you and me

sitting here in a room. "

And she said, "that's right.

It's always just gonna be the"

"two of us. "

Look how pretty that is.

You like that?

Happy Birthday.

Well, there's, uh, one

last... Surprise, I suppose.

You know how to open these?

All right. Let's open her up.

Yeah.

Okay.

So, this was mine when I was

about your size.

Let's see how it looks on you.

Say hi to Ruth for me?

I'll tell her.

I guess I hope I never see

you again.

#... My love to the day

# my precious little goodbye

# stay

# well, I hollered up into the

night #

# and I hollered up into the

day #

# and from that big black hole

come running down #

# back every word that I would

say #

# forever mine has gone away

# away

How's a dog sound? Ruff, ruff.

Ruff, ruff? Try that.

Ruff, ruff, and then go back

to cat.

Try that.

# and some will travel 'cross

the land, looking for their

love #

One more time.

# Others gaze upon the sea

and search the sky above #

# But count me not among them

# as I was before

# now I go wandering

# wandering no more

# I shall go wandering no more,

my lord #

# I shall go wandering no more

you are all the treasure #

# That I've been searching for

# I shall go wandering no more

# I shall go wandering no more

Why don't you hang on to this?

Maybe in a week or so, I'll

check back in with you, and

maybe you'll play me a song.

How's that? No.

No?

I'm going on a trip tomorrow.

A trip? Is that right? Mm-hmm.

She's great.

You all right? Yeah, I'm fine.

What are you doing here?

Well, I didn't mean to wear

out my welcome.

No. I just want to know.

Just happy to be here.

You're planning on leaving?

Yes, I am. All right.

You know where you're headed?

No, I don't know yet... just

away from here.

Well, if you need any help...

I don't need anything.

I appreciate the invitation, and

I bid you good night.

Good night.

Ruth.

I want to tell you something.

This has been, uh, weighing on

me for some time.

Uh... When I was in the hospital,

I wasn't, uh... I wasn't sitting

there making plans or anything.

You know, I got nothing against

Bob.

And what happened... I mean,

that's the risk.

That's... that's part of my job.

And beyond that, I don't hold it

against him to be who he was or

do what he was doing, and I

still don't.

I'm glad to be alive.

I'm glad to know you.

And if you weren't who you were

and had never been with him and

somehow we had still come

together right here, right now,

I wouldn't feel any different.

Do you understand?

You remember that day?

I remember getting shot.

I remember feeling like I'm

getting punched in the shoulder,

seeing the big old Texas sky.

I remember that, but, uh...

Did you see me?

No, ma'am.

Did you hear what I said

after? I read your statement.

It wasn't all true, you know.

I wasn't just a little girl who

got dragged in over her head.

I knew what I was doing.

Well... I think that, uh...

A lot of things were said that

might not have been true.

But you did what you did.

So did he.

And whatever it is you've done,

when I see you with your

daughter... All I see is good.

Maybe I'm just fooling you.

Are you?

Ugh!

Ugh!

Wait. Wait, God damn it!

Ugh!

Ugh! Ugh!

Ugh.

God damn it.

You shot me.

Why'd you shoot me?

I've never even seen you.

No, sir.

What's this about... money?

You... it's about you.

You and the girl.

Everything you tried to do.

You gonna shoot me?

I don't want you to think

I owe you anything.

No, you don't.

The only person I owe

anything to is Bob.

That's not so.

I've been storing

things up all this time...

Sitting awake at night, thinking of

all the things I want to say to him.

Except now I have so many

things, I don't know how I'd

ever start.

All I had was Sylvie and I.

I didn't know how to write about

her.

How do you write about something

like that?

I remember the day she was born.

I was so scared, and I tried to

keep her from coming, but she

came anyway.

And when they put her in my

arms...

Ugh!

We just stared at one

another, and I thought I would

die from all that love.

And I tried to write to him

about it so he'd know what it

was like, but... but I just

couldn't find the words to do it

right.

So, I just stopped... stopped

writing to him.

I figured that I'd just tell him

all at once when I saw him.

He'd walk through the door, and

I'd know exactly what to say to

him, and things would be the way

they used to be.

That's why I've been saving

every little thing.

And I haven't slept in four

years...

And I'm tired.

I'm just so goddamn tired.

Then rest.

Will you wait with

me while I do?

Are you all right? Okay?

Hey, what are you... what are you doing?

Drive, man. Drive.

Please, just take the keys.

Step on the gas, man!

Step on the gas!

All right.

And just stick to the highway.

When you get to highway 6, you

turn right.

I... I'm just trying to go see

my family, okay?

I'm just trying to get home.

I ain't gonna put up a fight.

I'll do whatever you want.

I just want to make sure I get

home to them.

I just want you to drive.

What's your family?

What? What family have you got?

You have a wife and kids? No.

No, I'm going to see my parents.

Your parents?

Mom and dad? Yeah.

What's your name?

Will. Will's your name?

Yeah.

Will, do you have anything to

drink? No.

You don't? Unh-unh.

Shoot.

I could go for some water.

You need to... you need to go

to a hospital or something?

No, man.

Just stay on the highway.

Turn at highway number 6.

Yes, sir.

Well, I guess you can

tell I got shot. Yep.

These men came looking for me.

They wanted to put me under.

Somebody sent them, and they

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