Dan howled.
“Hush now.” T. P. said. Our shadows moved, but Dan’s shadow didn’t move except to howl when he did.
“I cant take you down home, bellering like you is.” T. P. said. “You was bad enough before you got that bullfrog voice. Come on.”
We went along the brick walk, with our shadows. The pig pen smelled like pigs. The cow stood in the lot, chewing at us. Dan howled.
“You going to wake the whole town up.” T. P. said. “Cant you hush.”
We saw Fancy, eating by the branch. The moon shone on the water when we got there.
“Naw, sir.” T. P. said. “This too close. We cant stop here. Come on. Now, just look at you. Got your whole leg wet. Come on, here.” Dan howled.
The ditch came up out of the buzzing grass. The bones rounded out of the black vines.
“Now.” T. P. said. “Beller your head off if you want to. You got the whole night and a twenty acre pasture to beller in.”
T. P. lay down in the ditch and I sat down, watching the bones where the buzzards ate Nancy, flapping black and slow and heavy out of the ditch.
I had it when we was down here before, Luster said. I showed it to you. Didn’t you see it. I took it out of my pocket right here and showed it to you.
“Do you think buzzards are going to undress Damuddy.” Caddy said. “You’re crazy.”
“You’re a skizzard.” Jason said. He began to cry.
“You’re a knobnot.” Caddy said. Jason cried. His hands were in his pockets.
“Jason going to be rich man.” Versh said. “He holding his money all the time.”
Jason cried.
“Now you’ve got him started.” Caddy said. “Hush up, Jason. How can buzzards get in where Damuddy is. Father wouldn’t let them. Would you let a buzzard undress you. Hush up, now.”
Jason hushed. “Frony said it was a funeral.” he said.
“Well it’s not.” Caddy said. “It’s a party. Frony dont know anything about it. He wants your lightning bugs, T. P. Let him hold it a while.”
T. P. gave me the bottle of lightning bugs.
“I bet if we go around to the parlor window we can see something.” Caddy said. “Then you’ll believe me.”
“I already knows.” Frony said. “I dont need to see.”
“You better hush your mouth, Frony.” Versh said. “Mammy going whip you.”
“What is it.” Caddy said.
“I knows what I knows.” Frony said.
“Come on.” Caddy said. “Let’s go around to the front.”
We started to go.
“T. P. wants his lightning bugs.” Frony said.
“Let him hold it a while longer, T. P.” Caddy said. “We’ll bring it back.”
“You all never caught them.” Frony said.
“If I say you and T. P. can come too, will you let him hold it.” Caddy said.
“Aint nobody said me and T. P. got to mind you.” Frony said.
“If I say you dont have to, will you let him hold it.” Caddy said.
“All right.” Frony said. “Let him hold it, T. P. We going to watch them moaning.”
“They aint moaning.” Caddy said. “I tell you it’s a party. Are they moaning, Versh.”
“We aint going to know what they doing, standing here.” Versh said.
“Come on.” Caddy said. “Frony and T. P. dont have to mind me. But the rest of us do. You better carry him, Versh. It’s getting dark.”
Versh took me up and we went on around the kitchen.
When we looked around the corner we could see the lights coming up the drive. T. P. went back to the cellar door and opened it.
You know what’s down there, T. P. said. Soda water. I seen Mr Jason come up with both hands full of them. Wait here a minute.
T. P. went and looked in the kitchen door. Dilsey said, What are you peeping in here for. Where’s Benjy.
He out here, T. P. said.
Go on and watch him, Dilsey said. Keep him out the house now.
Yessum, T. P. said. Is they started yet.
You go on and keep that boy out of sight, Dilsey said. I got all I can tend to.
A snake crawled out from under the house. Jason said he wasn’t afraid of snakes and Caddy said he was but she wasn’t and Versh said they both were and Caddy said to be quiet, like Father said.
You aint got to start bellering now, T. P. said. You want some this sassprilluh.
It tickled my nose and eyes.
If you aint going to drink it, let me get to it, T. P. said. All right, here tis. We better get another bottle while aint nobody bothering us. You be quiet, now.
We stopped under the tree by the parlor window. Versh set me down in the wet grass. It was cold. There were lights in all the windows.
“That’s where Damuddy is.” Caddy said. “She’s sick every day now. When she gets well we’re going to have a picnic.”
“I knows what I knows.” Frony said.
The trees were buzzing, and the grass.
“The one next to it is where we have the measles.” Caddy said. “Where do you and T. P. have the measles, Frony.”
“Has them just wherever we is, I reckon.” Frony said.
“They haven’t started yet.” Caddy said.
They getting ready to start, T. P. said. You stand right here now while I get that box so we can see in the window. Here, les finish drinking this here sassprilluh. It make me feel just like a squinch owl inside.
We drank the sassprilluh and T. P. pushed the bottle through the lattice, under the house, and went away. I could hear them in the parlor and I clawed my hands against the wall. T. P. dragged the box. He fell down, and he began to laugh. He lay there, laughing into the grass. He got up and dragged the box under the window, trying not to laugh.
“I skeered I going to holler.” T. P. said. “Git on the box and see is they started.”
“They haven’t started because the band hasn’t come yet.” Caddy said.
“They aint going to have no band.” Frony said.
“How do you know.” Caddy said.
“I knows what I knows.” Frony said.
“You dont know anything.” Caddy said. She went to the tree. “Push me up, Versh.”
“Your paw told you to stay out that tree.” Versh said.
“That was a long time ago.” Caddy said. “I expect he’s forgotten about it. Besides, he said to mind me tonight. Didn’t he didn’t he say to mind me tonight.”
“I’m not going to mind you.” Jason said. “Frony and T. P. are not going to either.”
“Push me up, Versh.” Caddy said.
“All right.” Versh said. “You the one going to get whipped. I aint.” He went and pushed Caddy up into the tree to the first limb. We watched the muddy bottom of her drawers. Then we couldn’t see her. We could hear the tree thrashing.
“Mr Jason said if you break that tree he whip you.” Versh said.
“I’m going to tell on her too.” Jason said.
The tree quit thrashing. We looked up into the still branches.
“What you seeing.” Frony whispered.
I saw them. Then I saw Caddy, with flowers in her hair, and a long veil like shining wind. Caddy Caddy
“Hush.” T. P. said. “They going to hear you. Get down quick.” He pulled me. Caddy. I clawed my hands against the wall Caddy. T. P. pulled me. “Hush.” he said. “Hush. Come on here quick.” He pulled me on. Caddy “Hush up, Benjy. You want them to hear you. Come on, les drink some more sassprilluh, then we can come back if you hush. We better get one more bottle or we both be hollering. We can say Dan drunk it. Mr Quentin always saying he so smart, we can say he sassprilluh dog, too.”
The moonlight came down the cellar stairs. We drank some more sassprilluh.
“You know what I wish.” T. P. said. “I wish a bear would walk in that cellar door. You know what I do. I walk right up to him and spit in he eye. Gimme that bottle to stop my mouth before I holler.”
&nb
sp; T. P. fell down. He began to laugh, and the cellar door and the moonlight jumped away and something hit me.
“Hush up.” T. P. said, trying not to laugh. “Lawd, they’ll all hear us. Get up.” T. P. said. “Get up, Benjy, quick.” He was thrashing about and laughing and I tried to get up. The cellar steps ran up the hill in the moonlight and T. P. fell up the hill, into the moonlight, and I ran against the fence and T. P. ran behind me saying “Hush up hush up.” Then he fell into the flowers, laughing, and I ran into the box. But when I tried to climb onto it it jumped away and hit me on the back of the head and my throat made a sound. It made the sound again and I stopped trying to get up, and it made the sound again and I began to cry. But my throat kept on making the sound while T. P. was pulling me. It kept on making it and I couldn’t tell if I was crying or not, and T. P. fell down on top of me, laughing, and it kept on making the sound and Quentin kicked T. P. and Caddy put her arms around me, and her shining veil, and I couldn’t smell trees anymore and I began to cry.
Benjy, Caddy said, Benjy. She put her arms around me again, but I went away. “What is it, Benjy.” she said. “Is it this hat.” She took her hat off and came again, and I went away.
“Benjy.” she said. “What is it, Benjy. What has Caddy done.”
“He dont like that prissy dress.” Jason said. “You think you’re grown up, dont you. You think you’re better than anybody else, dont you. Prissy.”
“You shut your mouth.” Caddy said. “You dirty little beast. Benjy.”
“Just because you are fourteen, you think you’re grown up, dont you.” Jason said. “You think you’re something. Dont you.”
“Hush, Benjy.” Caddy said. “You’ll disturb Mother. Hush.”
But I didn’t hush, and when she went away I followed, and she stopped on the stairs and waited and I stopped too.
“What is it, Benjy.” Caddy said. “Tell Caddy. She’ll do it. Try.”
“Candace.” Mother said.
“Yessum.” Caddy said.
“Why are you teasing him.” Mother said. “Bring him here.”
We went to Mother’s room, where she was lying with the sickness on a cloth on her head.
“What is the matter now.” Mother said. “Benjamin.”
“Benjy.” Caddy said. She came again, but I went away.
“You must have done something to him.” Mother said. “Why wont you let him alone, so I can have some peace. Give him the box and please go on and let him alone.”
Caddy got the box and set it on the floor and opened it. It was full of stars. When I was still, they were still. When I moved, they glinted and sparkled. I hushed.
Then I heard Caddy walking and I began again.
“Benjamin.” Mother said. “Come here.” I went to the door. “You, Benjamin.” Mother said.
“What is it now.” Father said. “Where are you going.”
“Take him downstairs and get someone to watch him, Jason.” Mother said. “You know I’m ill, yet you ”
Father shut the door behind us.
“T. P.” he said.
“Sir.” T. P. said downstairs.
“Benjy’s coming down.” Father said. “Go with T. P.”
I went to the bathroom door. I could hear the water.
“Benjy.” T. P. said downstairs.
I could hear the water. I listened to it.
“Benjy.” T. P. said downstairs.
I listened to the water.
I couldn’t hear the water, and Caddy opened the door.
“Why, Benjy.” she said. She looked at me and I went and she put her arms around me. “Did you find Caddy again.” she said. “Did you think Caddy had run away.” Caddy smelled like trees.
We went to Caddy’s room. She sat down at the mirror. She stopped her hands and looked at me.
“Why, Benjy. What is it.” she said. “You mustn’t cry. Caddy’s not going away. See here.” she said. She took up the bottle and took the stopper out and held it to my nose. “Sweet. Smell. Good.”
I went away and I didn’t hush, and she held the bottle in her hand, looking at me.
“Oh.” she said. She put the bottle down and came and put her arms around me. “So that was it. And you were trying to tell Caddy and you couldn’t tell her. You wanted to, but you couldn’t, could you. Of course Caddy wont. Of course Caddy wont. Just wait till I dress.”
Caddy dressed and took up the bottle again and we went down to the kitchen.
“Dilsey.” Caddy said. “Benjy’s got a present for you.” She stooped down and put the bottle in my hand. “Hold it out to Dilsey, now.” Caddy held my hand out and Dilsey took the bottle.
“Well I’ll declare.” Dilsey said. “If my baby aint give Dilsey a bottle of perfume. Just look here, Roskus.”
Caddy smelled like trees. “We dont like perfume ourselves.” Caddy said.
She smelled like trees.
“Come on, now.” Dilsey said. “You too big to sleep with folks. You a big boy now. Thirteen years old. Big enough to sleep by yourself in Uncle Maury’s room.” Dilsey said.
Uncle Maury was sick. His eye was sick, and his mouth. Versh took his supper up to him on the tray.
“Maury says he’s going to shoot the scoundrel.” Father said. “I told him he’d better not mention it to Patterson before hand.” He drank.
“Jason.” Mother said.
“Shoot who, Father.” Quentin said. “What’s Uncle Maury going to shoot him for.”
“Because he couldn’t take a little joke.” Father said.
“Jason.” Mother said. “How can you. You’d sit right there and see Maury shot down in ambush, and laugh.”
“Then Maury’d better stay out of ambush.” Father said.
“Shoot who, Father.” Quentin said. “Who’s Uncle Maury going to shoot.”
“Nobody.” Father said. “I dont own a pistol.”
Mother began to cry. “If you begrudge Maury your food, why aren’t you man enough to say so to his face. To ridicule him before the children, behind his back.”
“Of course I dont.” Father said. “I admire Maury. He is invaluable to my own sense of racial superiority. I wouldn’t swap Maury for a matched team. And do you know why, Quentin.”
“No, sir.” Quentin said.
“Et ego in arcadia I have forgotten the latin for hay.” Father said. “There, there.” he said. “I was just joking.” He drank and set the glass down and went and put his hand on Mother’s shoulder.
“It’s no joke.” Mother said. “My people are every bit as well born as yours. Just because Maury’s health is bad.”
“Of course.” Father said. “Bad health is the primary reason for all life. Created by disease, within putrefaction, into decay. Versh.”
“Sir.” Versh said behind my chair.
“Take the decanter and fill it.”
“And tell Dilsey to come and take Benjamin up to bed.” Mother said.
“You a big boy.” Dilsey said. “Caddy tired sleeping with you. Hush now, so you can go to sleep.” The room went away, but I didn’t hush, and the room came back and Dilsey came and sat on the bed, looking at me.
“Aint you going to be a good boy and hush.” Dilsey said. “You aint, is you. See can you wait a minute, then.”
She went away. There wasn’t anything in the door. Then Caddy was in it.
“Hush.” Caddy said. “I’m coming.”
I hushed and Dilsey turned back the spread and Caddy got in between the spread and the blanket. She didn’t take off her bathrobe.
“Now.” she said. “Here I am.” Dilsey came with a blanket and spread it over her and tucked it around her.
“He be gone in a minute.” Dilsey said. “I leave the light on in your room.”
“All right.” Caddy said. She snuggled her head beside mine on the pillow. “Goodnight, Dilsey.”
“Goodnight, honey.” Dilsey said. The room went black. Caddy smelled like trees.
We looked up into the tree where she wa
s.
“What she seeing, Versh.” Frony whispered.
“Shhhhhhh.” Caddy said in the tree. Dilsey said,
“You come on here.” She came around the corner of the house. “Whyn’t you all go on up stairs, like your paw said, stead of slipping out behind my back. Where’s Caddy and Quentin.”
“I told her not to climb up that tree.” Jason said. “I’m going to tell on her.”
“Who in what tree.” Dilsey said. She came and looked up into the tree. “Caddy.” Dilsey said. The branches began to shake again.
“You, Satan.” Dilsey said. “Come down from there.”
“Hush.” Caddy said. “Dont you know Father said to be quiet.” Her legs came in sight and Dilsey reached up and lifted her out of the tree.
“Aint you got any better sense than to let them come around here.” Dilsey said.
“I couldn’t do nothing with her.” Versh said.
“What you all doing here.” Dilsey said. “Who told you to come up to the house.”
“She did.” Frony said. “She told us to come.”
“Who told you you got to do what she say.” Dilsey said. “Get on home, now.” Frony and T. P. went on. We couldn’t see them when they were still going away.
“Out here in the middle of the night.” Dilsey said. She took me up and we went to the kitchen.
“Slipping out behind my back.” Dilsey said. “When you knowed it’s past your bedtime.”
“Shhhh, Dilsey.” Caddy said. “Dont talk so loud. We’ve got to be quiet.”
“You hush your mouth and get quiet, then.” Dilsey said. “Where’s Quentin.”
“Quentin’s mad because we had to mind me tonight.” Caddy said. “He’s still got T. P.’s bottle of lightning bugs.”
“I reckon T. P. can get along without it.” Dilsey said. “You go and find Quentin, Versh. Roskus say he seen him going towards the barn.” Versh went on. We couldn’t see him.
“They’re not doing anything in there.” Caddy said. “Just sitting in chairs and looking.”
“They dont need no help from you all to do that.” Dilsey said. We went around the kitchen.
Where you want to go now, Luster said. You going back to watch them knocking ball again. We done looked for it over there. Here. Wait a minute. You wait right here while I go back and get that ball. I done thought of something.