cwilleford.cockfighter-第21部分

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at　she　had　cooled　off。　The　moment　she　turned　off　the　engine；　I　pulled　her　toward　me　and　kissed　her　mouth　softly；　barely　brushing　her　lips　with　mine。
　　〃You　do　love　me；　don't　you；　Frank？〃　she　asked　softly；　with　her　eyes　glistening。
　　I　nodded；　and　kissed　her　again；　roughly　this　time　the　way　she　liked　to　be　kissed。　One　day；　when　we　had　first　started　to　go　together；　Mary　Elizabeth　had　asked　me　thirty…seven　times　if　I　loved　her。　At　each　affirmative　reply　she　had　been　as　pleased　as　the　first　time。　Women　never　seem　to　tire　of　being　told；　again　and　again　and　again。
　　〃Here　es　Wright；〃　Mary　Elizabeth　said　quickly；　looking　past　my　shoulder。　〃We'd　better　get　out　of　the　car。〃
　　We　got　out　of　the　car　and　waited　beneath　the　tree；　watching　her　brother　approach　us　from　the　barn　with　his　unhurried；　shambling　gait。　Wright　Gaylord　hated　me；　and　I　was　always　uneasy　in　his　presence　because　of　his　low　boiling　point。　He　worshiped　his　little　sister　and　had　put　her　through　college。　Now　in　his　late　forties；　Wright　was　still　unmarried。　He　had　never　found　a　woman　he　could　love　as　much　as　he　loved　his　sister。　He　hated　me　for　two　reasons。　One；　I　could　sleep　with　Mary　Elizabeth　and　he　couldn't。　After　all　these　years　he　was　bound　to　know　about　us；　or　at　least　suspect　the　best。　And　two；　when　I　married　Mary　Elizabeth；　he　knew　that　I　would　take　her　away　and　he　would　never　see　her　again。　When　our　engagement　had　been　announced　and　published　in　the　paper；　he　had　locked　himself　in　his　bedroom　for　three　days。
　　〃I　didn't　get　sick　or　anything。〃　Mary　Elizabeth　said　as　Wright　came　within　earshot。　〃Frank　came　home；　so　I　took　the　day　off　for　a　picnic。〃
　　Wright　glared　at　me。　His　face　reminded　me　of　a　chunk　of　red　stone；　roughly　hewn　by　an　amateur　sculptor；　and　then　left　in　the　rain　to　weather。
　　〃When　are　you　leaving？〃　Wright　asked　rudely；　shoving　both　hands　into　his　overall　pockets　deliberately；　to　avoid　shaking　hands。
　　〃Now；　that's　no　way　to　talk；　Wright；〃　Mary　Elizabeth　chided。　〃Frank　just　got　home　this　morning。〃　She　patted　her　brother's　meaty　arm。　〃We're　going　to　The　Place　for　our　picnic。　Why　don't　you　e　with　us？〃
　　〃I　ain't　got　time　for　picnics；〃　he　said　sullenly。　〃I　got　too　much　work　to　do。　Anyway；　I've　been　meanin'　to　go　to　town　all　week。　Give　me　the　keys；　and　I'll　take　your　car　instead　of　the　pickup。〃
　　Mary　Elizabeth　handed　him　her　keys。　〃It　might　do　you　good　to　take　a　day　off　and　e　with　us。〃
　　Wright　grunted　something　under　his　breath；　got　into　the　car；　and　slammed　the　door。　We　entered　the　house；　picked　up　a　quilt　and　the　lunch　basket　to　take　with　us；　and　then　cut　across　the　fields　for　The　Place。
　　
　　
　　We　had　called　it　The　Place　for　as　long　as　I　could　remember。　The　tiny　pool　in　the　piney　woods　wasn't　large　enough　to　be　called　a　swimming　hole。　Fed　by　an　underground　spring　that　bubbled　into　a　narrow　brook　about　fifty　yards　up　the　pine…covered　slope；　the　pool　was　only　big　enough　for　two　or　three　people　to　stand　in　fortably；　and　the　water　was　only　chest　deep。　The　clear　water　was　very　cold；　even　on　the　hottest　days。　On　a　cruel　summer　day；　a　man　could　stand　in　the　pool；　his　head　shaded　by　pines；　and　forget　about　the　heat　and　humidity　of　Georgia。
　　The　Place　had　other　advantages。　There　was　a　wide　flat　rock　to　the　right　of　the　pool；　with　enough　room　for　one　person　at　a　time　to　stretch　out　on　it　and　get　some　dappled　sunlight。　To　the　left　of　the　pool；　facing　up　the　steep　hill；　there　was　a　clearing　well　matted　with　pine　needles。　For　two　people；　the　clearing　was　the　perfect　size　for　an　opened　quilt　and　a　picnic。　Best　of　all；　The　Place　was　secluded　and　private。　Located　on　the　eastern　edge　of　the　Gaylord　farm；　the　wooded　section　merged　with　a　Georgia　state　forest。　The　only　direct　access　to　The　Place　was　across　Wright　Gaylord's　property。　and　nobody　in　his　right　mind　would　have　trespassed　on　Wright's　land。
　　Two　hours　before；　Mary　Elizabeth　and　I　had　arrived　at　the　pool；　hot　and　dusty　from　trudging　across　the　cultivated　fields。　We　had　stripped　immediately　and　jumped　into　the　water。　After　splashing　each　other　and　wrestling　playfully　in　the　icy　water；　we　had　allowed　the　sun　to　dry　us　thoroughly　before　we　made　love　on　the　quilt　stretched　flat　on　the　bed　of　pine　needles。　There　had　been　no　protest　from　Mary　Elizabeth；　despite　my　long　absence。　Her　natural；　animal…like　approach　to　sex　was　really　miraculous　in　view　of　her　strong　religious　views。　I　sometimes　wondered　if　she　ever　connected　the　physical　act　of　love　with　her　real　life。
　　I　don't　believe　she　thought　consciously　of　sex　at　all。　If　she　did；　she　must　have　thought　of　it　as　〃something　Frank　and　I　do　at　The　Place；〃　but　not　connected　with　conjugal　love　or　as　something　out　of　keeping　with　her　straitlaced　Methodist　beliefs。　Perhaps　it　was　only　habit。
　　I　had　never　managed　to　make　love　to　Mary　Elizabeth　anywhere　else。　She　had　been　seventeen　the　first　time；　with　just　the　two　of　us　at　The　Place。　It　had　been　an　accident　more　than　anything　else。　Afterward　I　had　been　ashamed　of　myself　for　taking　advantage　of　her　innocence。　But　the　first　time　had　led　to　the　second；　and　all　during　that　never…to…beforgotten　summer　we　had　made　daily　pilgrimages　to　The　Place。
　　I　have　never　underrated　Mary　Elizabeth　nor　underestimated　her　intelligence；　but　the　situation　was　unusual。　After　all；　Mary　Elizabeth　was　a　college　graduate　now；　and　a　teacher　of　high　school　English…she　surely　must　have　known　what　we　were　doing。　But　we　had　never　discussed　sex。　I　had　an　idea　that　the　subject　would　be　distasteful　to　her；　and　she　had　never　brought　it　up　on　her　own。　And　yet；　every　time　I　came　home　we　headed　for　The　Place　like　homing　pigeons　long　absent　from　their　coop。　I　had　a　hunch；　and　I　had　never　pressed　my　good　fortune；　that　as　long　as　Mary　Elizabeth　never　thought　about　it；　or　discussed　it；　we　could　continue　to　make　love　at　The　Place　forever。
　　Once；　and　only　once；　I　had　asked　Mary　Elizabeth　to　drive　to　Atlanta　with　me　for　a　weekend。　She　had　been　shocked　into　tears　by　my　reasonable　proposition。
　　〃What　kind　of　girl　do　you　think　I　am？〃　she　had　asked　tearfully。
　　pletely　bewildered　by　her　reaction；　I　had　been　unable　to　e　up　with　a　ready　reply。　I　had　never　brought　the　subject　up　again。　And　besides；　there　wasn't　a　better　spot　in　the　world　for　making　love　than　The　Place。
　　Mary　Elizabeth　sat　up　suddenly；　swung　her　long　bare　legs　gracefully　around；　and　sat　on　the　rock　facing　me；　dangling　her　feet　in　the　water。　I　was　in　the　pool；　chest　deep；　and　I　had　been　studying　her　body　as　she　lay　flat　on　her　back。　Spreading　a　towel　across　her　lap；　but　leaving　her　breasts　uncovered；　Mary　Elizabeth　looked　at　me　sternly；　and　then　wet　her　lips。
　　〃What　about　us；　Frank？〃　she　said　at　last。　〃How　long　do　we　go　on　like　this？〃　The　tone　of　her　voice　had　changed。　It　wasn't　harsh；　but　it　wasn't　feminine　either。　It　was　more　like　the　voice　of　a　young　boy；　on　the　near　verge　of　changing。
　　I　raised　my　eyebrows；　watching　her　intently。
　　She　cupped　her　breasts　and　pointed　the　long　pink　nipples　toward　the　sky。　She　narrowed　her　eyes；　no　longer　greenish；　but　now　a　dark　aquamarine；　and　caught　mine　levelly。
　　〃Are　they　still　beautiful；　Frank？〃　she　asked　in　this　strange　new　voice。
　　I　nodded；　dumbly；　trying　to　figure　out　what　she　was　driving　at。
　　〃You're　wrong。〃　She　smiled　wanly；　dropped　her　hands；　and　her　plump　breasts　bobbed　beautifully　from　their　own　momentum。　〃You　haven't　noticed；　but　they're　beginning　to　droop。　Not　much；　but　how　will　they　look　in　five　years？　Ten　years？　Nobody's　ever　seen　them　except　you；　Frank；　but　how　much　longer　wifi　you　be　interested？　All　I've　ever　asked　you　to　do　is　quit　cockfighting　so　we　could　get　married。　We've　drifted　along　in　a　deadlock　too　long；　Frank；　and　it's　impossible　for　me　to　accept　your　way　of　life。　I　thought　that　as　you　got　older；　you　would　see　how　wrong　it　is；　but　now　you　seem　to　be　entangled　in　a　pattern。　And　cockfighting　is　wrong；　morally　wrong；　legally　wrong；　and　every　other　kind　of　wrong！　You're　a　grown　man　now；　Frank！〃
　　I　sloshed　forward　in　the　tiny　pool；　put　my　arms　around　her　hips；　warm　from　the　sun；　and　buried　my　face　in　her　lap。
　　〃Yes；　you　big；　dumb　child；〃　she　said　softly；　running　her　fingers　through　my　damp　hair；　〃but　I　can't　meet　you　halfway　on　an　issue　like　cockfighting。　My　roots　are　here　and　so　are　yours。　Give　it　up；　please；　give　it　up；　and　marry　me。　Can't　you　see　that　you're　wrong；　wrong；　wrong！〃　She　gripped　my　hair　with　both　hands　and　tugged　my　head　gently　from　side　to　side。
　　〃I　can't　exist　on　postcards　any　longer；　Frank。　'Dear　M。E。　I'm　in　Sarasota。　Won　the　derby　4…3。　I　love　you。　Will　write　from　Ocala。　F。！'　In　a　few　more　weeks；　I'll　be　thirty　years　old。　I　want　to　be　married　and　have　children！　I'm　tired　of　people　snickering　behind　my　back　at　our　engagement。　Nobody　believes　it　anymore。　If　you　loved　me　only　half　as　much　as　I　love　you；　you'd　give　it　up。　Please；　Frank；　stay　home；　marry　me…〃
　　There　was　a　catch　in　her　voice；　and　I　lifted　my　head　to　look　at　her　face。　She　wasn't　crying；　far　from　it。　She　was　trying　to　beat　me　down　again　with　an　emotional　appeal　to　my　〃reason。〃　I　had　explained　patiently　to　Mary　Elizabeth；　a　dozen　times　or　more；　that　cockfighting　was　not　a　cruel　sport；　that　it　was　a　legitimate；　honorable　business；　and　I　had　asked　her　to　witness　one　fight；　just　one　fight；　so　she　could　see　for　herself　instead　of　listening　to　fools　who　didn't　know　what　they　were　talking　about。　She　had　always　refused；　falling　back　on　misinformation　learned　from　reformers；　the　narrow…minded　Methodist　minister；　and　the　shortsighted　laws　prohibiting　the　sport　that　were　pushed　through　by　a　minority　group　of　do…gooders。　If　she　wouldn't　see　for　herself；　how　could　I　persuade　her？
　　〃You're　a　brilliant　man；　Frank；〃　Mary　Elizabeth　continued　earnestly。　〃You　could　make　a　success　out　of　anything　you　went　into　in　Mansfield。　This　farm　is　half　mine；　you　know；　and　when　we're　married；　it'll　be　half　yours。　If　you　don't　want　to　farm　with　Wright；　I've　got　enough　money　saved　that　you　can　open　a　business　of　some　kind　in　town。　I've　saved　almost　everything　I've　earned。　Wright　doesn't　let　me　spend　a　penny；　and　I've　been　teaching　for　six　years。　And　I'll　help　you　get　your　voice　back。　We'll　work　it　out　together；　you　and　I；　Frank。　We　can　get　a　book　on　phonetics　and　you…〃
　　As　she　constructed　these　impossib