9

After the show they snuft the torches then every body got in littl clumps in the divvy roof hummering and mummering and getting pist. Goodparley & Orfing when theyd fittit down they drunk a littl with Straiter Empy and Flora Miltan Empys wife and his nexters and all the seanyer members which now I were 1 of them. Goodparley dint say nothing to me he dint even look at me it wer like hed los me out of memberment and tirely. Orfing dint say nothing nyther only at leas he lookit at me like he knowit I wer a live. After a littl I jus wantit my oan sylents not thers I got up and going out of the divvy roof. Goodparley finely lookit my way then like he cud acturely see me. He begun nodding his head and he said to me, “Thats ther game you know. They cant live without you kil the 1 and open up the other. Youve got to do it its the onlyes way to keap them going.”

I noddit my head and all. Dint say nothing. Orfing put his han on my sholder and give me a littl shake frendy. I put up my hood and gone out in to the rain. Out to the fents and up on the hy walk.

Lissening to the nite and the rain. I leant my back agenst the fents and looking to the divvy roof. There hadnt ben no Trubba for a long time but we stil hadnt put no sides on it. Sit there nite after nite getting pist with 1 eye on the dark not to get snuck. Lissening to the rain dumming on my hood and looking at the candls and the nite fires in the roof and the crowd all sat there with the rainy dark all roun them. You know some times you get a fealing you dont want to put no words to.

Durster Potter that wer Nimbel Potters dad come a long the hy walk he wer on look out. He said, “I wunt want to be out this nite.” Rain streaming down him and you cudve rung about a buckit of water out of his beard.

I said, “You are out tho. You cant get no wettern you are.”

He said, “I mean on the out side of the fents.”

I wer thinking how some fents poals and a gate make all the diffrents.

The Big 2 dint drink long jus only for the pearents of it then they roadit out. Ther hevvys come up in the gate house and on the hy walk same as when they come in.

Goodparley lookit up and seen me in the lite of the gate fires and he done some mor nodding. Orfing lookit up and raisit his han. I dint hear him say nothing but I seen his mouf move. I thot he wer saying, “Good Luck.” Off they gone then in to the rain.

I had off nex day no digging to do only in my head for Nex Nite and my connexion. I had a nuff and moren a nuff to connect with all I had to do wer sort it out my head wer perwel humming and spinning with it.

Come the nite and stil raining. Dumming on the divvy roof and the wind blowing and spattering in every time it veert and the torch fires shimmying and smoaking. Peopl shushing the kids and waiting for Straiter Empy and me to do the askings.

Straiter said, “Eusas come to us agen. Weve lookit and weve lissent.”

I said, “Ive lookit and Ive lissent as wel.”

He said, “How is it with you? On or off?”

I said, “On.”

He said, “Is there a connexion?”

I said, “Theres all ways a connexion.”

He said, “Is there a reveal for this crowd?”

I said, “Theres all ways a reveal if itwl come.”

He said, “Is it come?”

I said, “Yes its come. Eusas forage is our meat. Eusas pain is our gain if we look and if we lissen.”

He said, “Tel us.” Then he sat down.

Every body looking at me waiting to hear what kynd of connexion Brooder Walkers boy wer going to do. On my belly I cud feal them 3 stroaks pulling. Torch fires shimmying and the rain spattering in and the shadders shaking over us inside the roof. Faces all ternt to me out of bodys what lookit like wet bundels throwt down on benches and steaming in the warm. Our crowd pong rising which it wer mud and wet it wer meat smoak and sweat long soakt in to the levver and the wool and the hard clof. Suddn it comes to you: What can any body tel any body?

I said, “All right here I am your new connexion man which Im the son of your old connexion man Brooder Walker him as ben kilt in the digging at Widders Dump for a peace of old rottin iron. Here goes my 1st connexion then.”

Befor I write down that 1st connexion I bes say a word or 2 about connexions and I myt as wel tel Truth. When my dad ben a live I all ways thot I cud do better connexions nor him when my chance come. How he done it he wud mummel slow and qwyet and start and stop with long sylents be twean and mosly his connexions wernt nothing very as citing. Every body liket them tho. They all ways gone strait to the hart of the matter plus they wer jus that littl bit else nor mos peopl wuntve thot of it qwite the same way.

Like the time back when I ben 7 or 8 when Littl Salting Fents got largent in by Dog Et Form. That ben up on Top Shoar and we ben down by Fork Stoan then in Crippel the Farn Fents. Every body heard of it tho and talking on it. Dog Et tol some cow shit story of a Outland raid from over water they said thats how Littl Salting got ther Big Man kilt plus 8 mor dead and the res of the crowd sparsit out to who ever wud take them in. In that woal story Dog Et tol there bint a word of Truth only how many dead. Every body knowit Dog Et said, “Les largen in to gether” and Littl Salting said “No” which then it wer arga warga for them.

Wel the Pry Mincer and the Wes Mincer done 1 of ther specials dint they. Coarse they done. My dad tol me that show over when he ben lerning me. I myt as wel tel it here then when I write down the connexion for it thatwl show his styl.

That show ben done by the same Goodparley & Orfing as done the show Ive all ready wrote down. I dont have only the las part of the patter.

Orfing says, “Eusa when you coming up?”

Eusa says rather his voyce says, “I dont know. Longs I stay down no 1 cant put me down.”

Orfing says, “Eusa you dont soun very salty.” Eusas voyce says, “May be thats why every body ben trying to salt me.”

1st figger up aint Eusa its a bloak with a pan of salt. Hes singing a littl song to his self:

“I am the man

With salt in his pan

Every body knows I am a salty man”

Hes singing like that going backards and forit with his salt pan. Mr Clevver comes up then. Hes stanning there watching the salting bloak and hes hummering to his self a littl. The salting bloak stops and hes looking at Mr Clevver.

Mr Clevver says, “Salty bloak are you.”

The salting bloak says, “I reckon Im as salty as the nex 1.”

Mr Clevver says, “Parbly you are mos of the time. This heres a nice littl peace of shoar.”

The salting bloak says, “O yes its a good a nuff peace of shoar.”

Mr Clevver says, “You bes in joy it wylst you can. Have good pleasur and good measur wylst youve got it.”

The salting bloak says, “What dyou mean? This here peace of shoar its ben myn and it all ways wil be.”

Mr Clevver says, “You myt know whats ben but you dont know what wil be. You bes keap your eye on Eusa.”

The salting bloak says, “What for?”

Mr Clevver says, “Becaws hes got his eye on your peace of shoar.”

The salting bloak says, “Wel he better take his eye off it then. Any 1 trys to move in on me wil fynd his self in Trubba. This heres my groun and Iwl stan my groun.”

Mr Clevver says, “And Iwl stan right behynt you. Here comes Eusa now.” Mr Clevver goes down then.

Up comes Eusa leading a cow. The salting bloak is looking at him hard. Eusa looking out to 1 side all scanful.

The salting bloak says, “Oy! Whatre you looking out for then?”

Eusa says, “Looking out for raiders. Im worrit over this shoar.”

The salting bloak says, “Dont you worry over this shoar. Its my groun and Im right here on it and wide a wake.”

Eusa says, “Yes I know only Im worrit any how. Heres you oansome on the shoar with no hevvy fentses and heres me jus inlan of you. Any body gets pas you is going to be headit my way aint they. Whynt you and me largen in to gether wewl be 2ce as strong then.”

The salting bloak says, “2ce as strong but ½ as oansome. Iwl keap this shoar my self. All bes and theres the out path.”

Eusas off then and the Littl Shyning Man comes down hes in 2 peaces. He says, “Onlyes way Iwl get put to gether is when peopl pul to gether.”

The salting bloak says, “Whynt you pul your self to gether no 1 wil do it for you in this worl.”

The Littl Shyning Man says, “I cant pul my self to gether.” The salting bloak says, “Wel I can. So Iwl stan my groun oansome.”

The Littl Shyning Man goes up out of site then Mr Clevver comes up agen. Hes jus stanning there agenst the back clof behynt the salting bloak and looking on. The salting bloak says, “I aint worrit Iwl be snuck from the sea side its the Eusa side Im worrit about.” Hes keaping a sharp look out tords where Eusa gone off.

Wylst the salting bloak is looking that way here comes a hevvy bloak in a boat hes coming from the other side. Hes got a club in his hans and hes coming sly. He jumps out of his boat and knocks the salting bloak on the head. Down goes the salting bloak. Off goes the hevvy bloak where Eusa gone and back he comes with Eusas cow. In to the boat with the cow and the salt and a way he goes. Mr Clevver looking on the woal time he dont do nothing he dont lif a han hes jus stanning there.

The salting bloak comes up agen hes holding his head and no 1 in site only Mr Clevver. Salting bloak says to Mr Clevver, “Why dint you help me?”

Mr Clevver says, “I said Iwd stan behynt you and I done that.” Hes larfing then he goes off.

Eusa comes up agen hes holding his head as wel. Eusa and the salting bloak holding ther heads and looking at each other.

Eusa says to the salting bloak, “Whats the matter with your head?”

Salting bloak says, “It aint as hard as the club what basht me thats whats the matter with it. What about you?”

Eusa says, “I ben basht the same plus my cow ben took off.”

Salting bloak says, “My salt ben took as wel.”

Eusa says, “I thot you ben on your groun and wide a wake. How come you ben snuck?”

Salting bloak says, “I ben looking inlan and got raidit from the sea.”

Eusa says, “I ben looking to the sea but he come roun behynt and raidit me from inlan. You cant be looking every way at lce when youre oansome.”

Salting bloak says, “May be we bes largen in to gether itwl be the safes thing for boath of us.”

Eusa says, “Iwl yes with that.”

Then Eusa and the salting bloak get fents poals and theyre largening in to gether and thats the end of the show.

Reason Ive wrote down this woal show is so I cud put in my dads reveal at the end of it. Like Ive said he tol me that show over when he ben lerning me. He ben prowd of his reveal for that 1 moren mos he done becaws for 1ce the crowd movit on his words.

Goodparley & Orfing when they done that show Ive jus wrote down they fittit down and off they gone like all ways. Nex day come and Nex Nite in its tern and our woal crowd with Littl Salting on its mynd and craving for how Dad wud connect that cow shit show. Dad he dint keap them waiting all nite for his reveal he let them get back to ther drinking early. When he gone up front for his connexion he scratcht his head and coft a littl and lookit a roun and like ½ smylt then he jus said, “Wel you know there it is. A littl salting and no saver.”

He dint say no moren that. The crowd ½ of them larft out and ½ of them syd deap. Nex day our Big Man which it ben Jack 1stfynd then not Straiter Empy he callit the crowd to gether to talk summit. Nex thing we done we pult out of Crippel the Farn and come up to How Fents which ben stanning emty. Reason we done it wer Hoggem Form they wer right nex to us at Crippel the Farn they had the same look in ther eye as Dog Et had befor they swallert Littl Salting.

Getting back now to my 1st connexion I dint want no 1 to think I wer trying to be a nother Brooder Walker nor I dint want to come on with nothing flash. I had in mynd to take it slow and make it solid. Put 1 thot to a nother like ring poals in poal hoals and holders to ring poals and rafters to holders and the reveal on top of it all like thatch. So you cud all ways go back from the reveal and get a good look at how the woal thing ben bilt and that wer going to be the Riddley Walker styl.

There ben a nuff and moren a nuff to connect with I dint jus only have the front patter and the show I had all that what Goodparley & Orfing said at the wotcher plus all that exter patter after the show. I ben wunnering if may be Orfing ben butting heads with the Ram with some of that patter. Wunnering if he ben doing it for me to use some way. Any how I wernt going to wayst it.

My dad use to tel me, “Dont look for your reveal til its ben.” He all ways put his self parper ready for Nex Nite but he claimt he never acturely knowit what he wer going to say til he heard the words coming out of his mouf. Wel I wunt chance that on my 1st connexion I wantit to know where I wer going so I cud make sure I got there. So I had my reveal ready when I stood up for my connexion. I wer going to come down strong on what Eusa said after the show. That about getting the hevvyness off his back. I wer going to end up with: “The man as got the hevvyness took off him wer ready to take on some mor.”

I startit out slow. I said, “Las nite wylst they ben doing the front patter when Eusa hadnt come up yet I ben looking at the back clof. There it is you seen it so many times may be you dont even noatis it no mor. Smoak and flames paintit on it. When Eusa comes up hes got smoak and flames behynt him same as that 1st Eusa him as wrote the Eusa Story. Weve all of us got smoak and flames behynt us thats why theyre paintit on the back clof. To keap all that in memberment. So les not lose it out of memberment in this connexion.”

Going on like that I wer and the rain stil dumming on the thatch the same when there begun a crackeling and like a roaring in the air or in my head I dint know which. Such a bigness of it. I kep talking like I ben doing but I wernt thinking on what I wer saying I wer thinking on Eusa how he come up all slow and scanful and terning his head this way and that. I wer seeing him and afeart he myt start biggering up and bigger bigger. I had to tel my self he wernt nothing only a woodin head on Goodparleys finger. Mynd you there wernt no Eusa figger for me to see. Goodparley & Orfing ben gone since the day befor and all the figgers in ther fit up with them. Nor I wernt dreaming nor I hadnt ben smoaking I wernt acturely seeing Eusas head it wer jus there for me I cant say plainer nor that. Which it wunt stop getting bigger I cud smel the wood and the paint of it and the finger hoal so big it wer over all of us as big as the roof. Such a blackness. Not jus over us and all roun it wer coming up inside me as wel. Not jus wood and paint I smelt the blood and boan the redness in the black. The thot come to me: EUSAS HEAD IS DREAMING US.

1ce I said that I knowit there wer a many in it only I had to wait for the diffrent shapes of it to shif a part so I cud work be twean. Which they done then I did work in be twean and seen the shapes of it. I wer going to tel the shapes but that seamt foolish all I had to do wer show them when they movit pas. Which I done I poyntit to each 1 the woal thing wer as plain. I dint even bother to say it to my self I knowit I cudnt lose it out of memberment.

When I lookit agen it wernt there. I thot: At leas it ben all ready showit. I lookit roun and every body looking at me. I said, “At leas it ben all ready showit.”

They all said, “What ben showit?”

I said, “You know. The shapes of EUSAS HEAD IS DREAMING US.”

Some said, “You never.” Others said, “Whats that?”

I said, “That ben my woal reveal.”

They all said, “You never spoak it out you jus ben stanning there and we ben waiting.”

I said, “What ben the las thing I said?”

They said, “About the back clof.”

I said, “Wel you all know its Eusas head is dreaming us.”

They said, “No. Be that your reveal?”

I said, “The shapes of it. What I showit.”

They said, “You never.”

Lorna Elswint said, “You done a trants reveal. Only it let you out too soon. Parbly you lookit 2ce when you only shudve lookit 1ce. Aint no use talking about it it wants keaping qwyet til it joyns up with the res of its self if it ever does.”

So every 1 wer lef hanging. Me and all. My 1st connexion.

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