The Gardener's Son (6 page)

At the top of a hill he meets two blacks seated by the side of the road taking their dinner from pails. They are dressed in rags of overalls. McEvoy stands before them and looks down at them. Behind them is a lane leading into the graveyard and the tombstones rise out of the winter grass and weeds. They look up at McEvoy.

1
ST
B
LACK
You wants to take dinner with us you gots to ast. I aint goin to ast you. You liable to shoot me.

M
C
E
VOY
What are you all doin up here?

2
ND
B
LACK
We takin our dinner. When that bell ring down there for folks to quit and take they dinner it ring for us too.

The first black waits for him to finish, then answers McEvoy's question.

1
ST
B
LACK
We diggin a grave. I dont like to eat my dinner in there. He dont care. But I does.

2
ND
B
LACK
Them folks in there dont care. No more’n you would.

1
ST
B
LACK
Everbody that aint got a say so, dont mean they dont care. In this life or out of it.

He looks up at McEvoy.

1
ST
B
LACK
Is you new to these parts?

M
C
E
VOY
Whose grave you diggin?

2
ND
B
LACK
Some old woman that died.

1
ST
B
LACK
A lady in the town. Dont know her name. She aint got no kinfolk buried here.

A wind blows dead leaves over the road. McEvoy raises up and looks past the seated blacks toward the stones.

2
ND
B
LACK
Her husband give us two dollar. We supposed to get paid from Mr Evans but he said not to take his money and he give us two dollar.

M
C
E
VOY
You dont know her name?

1
ST
B
LACK
No suh.

2
ND
B
LACK
He was up here most of the mornin . . .

1st black looks at the second nervously, and at McEvoy.

2
ND
B
LACK
Went all around takin up the old dead flowers off folks’ graves . . .

1
ST
B
LACK
Odell . ..

2
ND
B
LACK
Said folks ought not to bring flowers if they wasnt fixin to come back.

McEvoy stares down at the blacks. They look nervous. He hobbles past them down the little lane into the graveyard. They watch him go with wide eyes. In a few minutes he returns. He has their pick and shovel under his arm and he drops these in the road in front of them.

M
C
E
VOY
You all eat your dinner and get back on down to wherever you started from. That woman’s not to be buried up here. She dont belong to the mill.

2
ND
B
LACK
We gots to work to suit the man what pays us. You dont want that grave dug you see him.

1
ST
B
LACK
Hush Odell.

McEvoy leans toward the second black.

M
C
E
VOY
You get your shit and get gone. I see you up here again diggin I’ll blow a hole in your black ass.

2
ND
B
LACK
Yessuh. I didnt mean nothin by it. I was just doin like I was told . . .

1
ST
B
LACK
Will you hush now, Odell? Will you?

McEvoy steps back and the two gather up their pails and their half eaten dinners and scrabble up the picks and shovels and start off down the road half sideways, nervously watching McEvoy.

1
ST
B
LACK
I knowed when I seen you you was trouble.

They turn and go on down the road, arguing among themselves. McEvoy watches them go.

Interior. Afternoon. The McEvoy house. The mirrors in the house are covered with cloths and in the front room is a dark wood coffin trestled up on sawhorses wrapped in black crepe. The coffin is open and there is a lighted candle on a table and there are three old ladies in black mourning. Two are sitting in chairs and the third is arranging flowers in a vase. Robert McEvoy appears in the door and they all turn to look at him. He ignores them and comes into the parlor and goes to the coffin and looks down at his dead mother. The woman arranging the flowers has stopped and watches him. The other two turn and whisper and the first one looks at McEvoy with disapproval and rises and goes to the door and shuts it. At the sound of the door shutting McEvoy turns and looks at the old woman.

M
C
E
VOY
Where’s the old man?

No one answers.

M
C
E
VOY
Where’s Martha?

They regard him nervously and he turns and goes on through the house, looking in rooms.

M
C
E
VOY
Hey.

He returns to the front room. He looks at the old women.

M
C
E
VOY
You all get out. I dont know you.

O
LD
W
OMAN
We caint leave. We give word to set up with her.

M
C
E
VOY
I want you out.

The old women regard each other. The two seated are nervous, are ready to rise and leave. The one standing sets her jaw. When McEvoy sees her he flies into a rage. He hobbles to the door and flings it open and screams at them.

M
C
E
VOY
Get out! Out, damn it!

The two seated ones rise and scurry past and out the door. The other takes a last look at the coffin and giving McEvoy a hard look she goes past him. Outside she turns as if she'd say something to him but he slams the door in her face. The wind from the door sets the candle guttering. McEvoy goes to the casket and looks down. He takes the coffin lid up from behind the box and fits it over the top of the coffin and then he leans on the coffin and lets his head fall forward onto his clasped fists.

Interior. The McEvoy parlor. Darkness outside, the only light the candle which is now burned down low. McEvoy is sitting in one of the chairs with his hands folded in his lap. The door opens and Martha enters. She comes forward and kneels in front of him.

M
ARTHA
Bobby?

M
C
E
VOY
When did she die?

M
ARTHA
Yesterday. Early of a mornin.

There is a long moment of silence.

M
ARTHA
You got the letter?

McEvoy takes a crumpled letter from his shirt pocket. He smooths it absently and looks at it.

M
ARTHA
I know you come quick as you could.

He looks down at her. He looks at the letter.

M
C
E
VOY
I wish you hated this place like I do.

He shakes his head.

M
C
E
VOY
No. I dont.

M
ARTHA
Did you want me to fix you some supper?

He shakes his head no.

M
C
E
VOY
She was supposed to been took back up home.

M
ARTHA
Its all right.

M
C
E
VOY
No it aint.

M
ARTHA
Its done been arranged. Bobby. For her here.

M
C
E
VOY
She aint going to be buried here.

M
ARTHA
What do you aim to do?

M
C
E
VOY
He’s got the money. He could of took her up there on the train.

M
ARTHA
He cant stand it. Bobby. He’s just tore up . ..

M
ARTHA
We went up there last year. He and Mama. We seen our old place up at Pickens and we went to Greenville and I seen Captain, Bobby. He was harnessed to a wagon in the street and he knowed me, Bobby. And we was up there three days . . .

M
C
E
VOY
Where's he at?

M
ARTHA
I dont know. I sent Maryellen up to Clabo’s. He wouldnt have her buried today he said give Aunt Fern and them time to get down here but they aint comin. Bobby. I know they aint. I prayed ever day for you to get my letter. From the time she first took sick .. .

M
C
E
VOY
When trouble once finds a house it stays on. You caint get shed of it.

M
ARTHA
Dont be that way Bobby.

M
C
E
VOY
What way am I?

She looks down. She doesnt answer.

M
C
E
VOY
You dont know how I am. You dont know me.

M
ARTHA
You’re still my brother.

M
C
E
VOY
The good book says all men are brothers but it dont seem to cut no ice, does it?

Exterior. Early evening. The greenhouse that Patrick McEvoy used to tend. Weeds grow by the greenhouse wall and a number of panes are stoved and broken. Robert McEvoy approaches the greenhouse and pushes in the door. It creaks back on its hinges. Lizards scuttle dryly in the late sun. Inside are withered pottings. He enters and pokes about. While he is there an old man comes to the door and looks in.

O
LD
M
AN
Who’s that?

Robert turns. The late sun throws shadows of dead weeds across him. The old man is squinting in at the door.

O
LD
M
AN
Who’s there? Come on out.

Robert McEvoy comes to the door and faces the old man. The old man looks down at his leg and his crutch.

O
LD
M
AN
Ah. It’s you.

R
OBERT
I was looking for my father.

O
LD
M
AN
Ye’ll not find him here.

R
OBERT
Where would I find him?

O
LD
M
AN
Got to keep these boys out of here. They’ve broke some more of these lights. See them there lights? Busted em out.

R
OBERT
What’s it used for?

O
LD
M
AN
How’s that?

R
OBERT
What’s it used for. The greenhouse. There’s nothing growing in here.

O
LD
M
AN
Well. Uh. Hmph. Dont have to be used. Aint no sign to tear it up just cause it aint used no more. Rock it plumb out. See here?