The Grapes of Wrath

Over by the water hose, Connie and Rose of Sharon stood together, talking secretly. Connie washed the tin cup and felt the water with his finger before he filled the cup again. Rose of Sharon watched the cars go by on the highway. Connie held out the cup to her. “This water ain’t cool, but it’s wet,” he said.

She looked at him and smiled secretly. She was all secrets now she was pregnant, secrets and little silences that seemed to have meanings. She was pleased with herself, and she complained about things that didn’t really matter. And she demanded services of Connie that were silly, and both of them knew they were silly. Connie was pleased with her too, and filled with wonder that she was pregnant. He liked to think he was in on the secrets she had. When she smiled slyly, he smiled slyly too, and they exchanged confidences in whispers. The world had drawn close around them, and they were in the center of it, or rather Rose of Sharon was in the center of it with Connie making a small orbit about her. Everything they said was a kind of secret.

She drew her eyes from the highway. “I ain’t very thirsty,” she said daintily. “But maybe I ought to drink.”

And he nodded, for he knew well what she meant. She took the cup and rinsed her mouth and spat and then drank the cupful of tepid water. “Want another?” he asked.

“Jus’ a half.” And so he filled the cup just half, and gave it to her. A Lincoln Zephyr, silvery and low, whisked by. She turned to see where the others were and saw them clustered about the truck. Reassured, she said, “How’d you like to be goin’ along in that?”

Connie sighed, “Maybe— after.” They both knew what he meant. “An’ if they’s plenty work in California, we’ll git our own car. But them”— he indicated the disappearing Zephyr— “them kind costs as much as a good size house. I ruther have the house.”

“I like to have the house an’ one a them,” she said. “But ’course the house would be first because—” And they both knew what she meant. They were terribly excited about the pregnancy.

“You feel awright?” he asked.

“Tar’d. Jus’ tar’d ridin’ in the sun.”

“We got to do that or we won’t never get to California.”

“I know,” she said.

The dog wandered, sniffing, past the truck, trotted to the puddle under the hose again and lapped at the muddy water. And then he moved away, nose down and ears hanging. He sniffed his way among the dusty weeds beside the road, to the edge of the pavement. He raised his head and looked across, and then started over. Rose of Sharon screamed shrilly. A big swift car whisked near, tires squealed. The dog dodged helplessly, and with a shriek, cut off in the middle, went under the wheels. The big car slowed for a moment and faces looked back, and then it gathered greater speed and disappeared. And the dog, a blot of blood and tangled, burst intestines, kicked slowly in the road.

Rose of Sharon’s eyes were wide. “D’you think it’ll hurt?” she begged. “Think it’ll hurt?” Connie put his arm around her. “Come set down,” he said. “It wasn’t nothin’.”

“But I felt it hurt. I felt it kinda jar when I yelled.”

“Come set down. It wasn’t nothin’. It won’t hurt.” He led her to the side of the truck away from the dying dog and sat her down on the running board.

Tom and Uncle John walked out to the mess. The last quiver was going out of the crushed body. Tom took it by the legs and dragged it to the side of the road. Uncle John looked embarrassed, as though it were his fault. “I ought ta tied him up,” he said.

Pa looked down at the dog for a moment and then he turned away. “Le’s get outa here,” he said. “I don’ know how we was gonna feed ’im anyways. Just as well, maybe.”

The fat man came from behind the truck. “I’m sorry, folks,” he said. “A dog jus’ don’ last no time near a highway. I had three dogs run over in a year. Don’t keep none, no more.” And he said, “Don’t you folks worry none about it. I’ll take care of ’im. Bury ’im out in the corn field.”

Ma walked over to Rose of Sharon, where she sat, still shuddering, on the running board. “You all right, Rosasharn?” she asked. “You feelin’ poorly?”

“I seen that. Give me a start.”

“I heard ya yip,” said Ma. “Git yourself laced up, now.”

“You suppose it might of hurt?”

“No,” said Ma. “’F you go to greasin’ yourself an’ feelin’ sorry, an’ tuckin’ yourself in a swalla’s nest, it might. Rise up now, an’ he’p me get Granma comf’table. Forget that baby for a minute. He’ll take care a hisself.”

“Where is Granma?” Rose of Sharon asked.

“I dunno. She’s aroun’ here somewheres. Maybe in the outhouse.”

The girl went toward the toilet, and in a moment she came out, helping Granma along. “She went to sleep in there,” said Rose of Sharon.

Granma grinned. “It’s nice in there,” she said. “They got a patent toilet in there an’ the water comes down. I like it in there,” she said contentedly. “Would of took a good nap if I wasn’t woke up.”