Undertow Page #4

But on the outside they're just pink,

like your bumps right there.

If we were like big-size chiggers...

if I bit you, there'd be a big lump

on your head.

Really big.

Because the bites are bigger than they are.

So it would hurt a lot.

If we moved to some country

like Iceland or Nebraska...

... there it's too cold for them,

so we'd be safe.

And they'd all either die or run away.

I couldn't tell if that was a man or a woman.

There are a lot of red ants over here.

Do you like books?

Yup.

The Jinx of Payrock Canyon.

That's a really good book.

It's about this guy who's just going around,

and then he finds this treasure.

And he doesn't know what it is

and he has to go find it.

When he opens it up, it puts a curse on him.

And he avenges the guy...

that put the curse on him.

Nothing personal, Chris.

I've got labor laws to deal with around here.

Labor laws.

They'll take me off in handcuffs

if I hire someone like you.

We have nothing here for you.

I appreciate your stopping by.

Shut up!

- Who was that?

- I don't know.

- What did he want?

- Money.

All I have is the nickel Wadsworth gave me.

So I gave him my book.

- Why did you do that?

- I don't know.

I didn't get that job.

Do they have whores,

I mean horses, in Mexico?

Hell, yeah.

Goddamn it. Sh*t.

Backwards.

Turn off the goddamn engine, retard.

Hey, man, don't I know you

from someplace?

I don't think so.

Did you ever hear of a singing

and dancing group called "The Historics"?

Look man, I'm in a hurry.

It's kind of like a play on words,

like storks, like the bird...

but "Historics" because they...

Like I said, I'm in a hurry, and this car...

keeps conking out on me

every time I try to get anywhere.

You think you can persuade it

to give me a little more...

It needs torque. You know about...

There was another wreck the other day.

An ice cream truck wiped out on the road.

We had to tow it.

It still had the ice cream in it.

It was melted, but we ate it anyway.

Why are you standing

right behind me, Retardoe?

Go back in the truck.

You ever do any time?

Look, I'm in a hurry.

Where you want me to sit?

I just got out of charm school myself.

- You can sit...

- Can I sit in the back of my car?

You could, but there's always a danger

of a disconnect...

and the car would roll out.

You wouldn't be able to drive it

because it's dead.

- You're coming over here now.

- I ain't sitting in the middle.

Those boots are awesome.

I think they're awesome.

- We can sit in...

- I'll sit in the middle.

There's this one song that The Historics do.

There's a monster in the canyon

Don't you know

That there's a monster in the canyon

Think you'll ever get married?

I don't know.

They look happy...

but you never can tell.

Thank you.

Sh*t.

You seen two kids hanging around here?

I saw a kid up the street.

Tied his babysitter to a tree

with a thing of barbed wire.

What did he look like?

Just a kid, I guess.

He had a double chin.

Bad sunburn.

What's wrong?

I swallowed my gum.

Sh*t.

How did you come by

that thing on your face?

I choked on my gum.

Kind of weird.

Got that radiator fixed up

as quick as we could.

Cool.

It should last a good while.

Keep her fervid.

All right.

Bye.

- See you later.

- Thanks again.

What, are you crying now?

What does it look like I'm doing?

Throwing up boogers.

I'll give you a booger.

I'll give you a booger right where you...

This is going in your big, fat,

stupid, baby mouth.

Check it out.

The old clerk thought I just went in

to take a leak.

Where are we going?

I'll get work.

We'll get set up and then head south

till we get to Mexico...

go eat cheese or something.

- You want some?

- No.

You got the wrong damn end. Hurry up.

Come on, man!

If I was looking for work out here,

who would I talk to...

like working on boats or whatever?

You can talk to any of these guys

on a boat around here.

If he's got a boat.

I got a crew right now.

If I can get them to work. They won't work.

They stand around jawing their mouth,

talking about hurricanes and stuff.

Let me tell you the truth.

I'm looking for two boys.

My boys, they run out on me.

I figure they might be working out here.

You seen them?

No. What they look like?

A little bit like me, just smaller.

Anybody here?

Anybody here?

I wish we had a knife

so we could kill animals that come around.

You never killed nothing in your life.

A mosquito.

It's not a mosquito. It's a firefly.

There was something

Granddaddy used to say.

Something he told me a long time ago.

He was Mama's dad.

He was walking in the woods...

and there were fireflies.

A bunch of them, blinking off and on.

He called them nature's nightlights.

To help animals find their way in the dark.

Can't keep them.

They need to be able to fly around.

They'll die if they can't.

He had a way to calm me with his words.

I couldn't tell half the time

if he was talking...

or you were reading his mind.

- Why don't we go see him?

- Who?

Granddad and Grandma.

Maybe they don't want us anyhow.

You ever think about that?

They didn't like Dad's style.

And then after Mom died,

they stopped showing up.

She really got a nice voice, though.

She gets the right break,

she'll be here in a hurry.

What year was that?

That was just last year

that this picture was taken.

Her brother is a corporate airplane pilot.

She's 16 and he's about 19. So young.

You love to see young people

like that do so well...

because a lot of them don't.

I did, too. I used to have two...

Tim!

Scoot over.

This is medicine for intestinal problems.

Can you hold it down?

Make you better.

I'm thinking we should stay here for a while.

Just until you get a little better, okay?

Until your medicine starts working.

What does it taste like?

You're getting weak.

If you get weak, you got to tell me.

How's that now?

Is it good?

It's Deel. Move.

This way!

God damn it. Chris!

Why don't you boys come out

and let me look at you?

We're family, right?

Family looks after each other.

Protects each other.

They even forgive each other.

I'm here to ask for your forgiveness.

Chris!

Chris, look what you're putting Tim through.

Running him around.

Let's stop all this.

I was thinking about Dad...

how he spoke to us...

like he was afraid.

When he looked me in the eye...

sometimes...

I believe he had no idea who I was.

Or didn't care.

Who was this kid?

How did he spring from me?

I like the questions you ask yourself.

It's my money.

- Violet, are you okay?

- I am.

He's an a**hole.

Can we please get out of here?

- You're bleeding.

- Yeah.

Thanks.

That's Gus.

Hey, Gus.

Hey.

I want, like, a thousand babies.

A whole force of them, so that you're a team

and when you walk anywhere...

people always have to pay attention to you.

But maybe some more boys

than girls, because...

Where are you from?

Nowhere.

He's not doing so good.

He'll fight it off.

He always does.

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