Doc asked, "How are things going up at the Palace?"
Hazel ran his fingers through his dark hair and he peered into the clutter of his mind. "Pretty good," he said. "That fellow Gay is moving in with us I guess. His wife hits him pretty bad. He don't mind that when he's awake but she waits 'til he gets to sleep and then hits him. He hates that. He has to wake up and beat her up and then when he goes back to sleep she hits him again. He don't get any rest so he's moving in with us."
"That's a new one," said Doc. "She used to swear out a warrant and put him in jail."
"Yeah!" said Hazel. "But that was before they built the new jail in Salinas. Used to be thirty days and Gay was pretty ho to get out, but this new jail--radio in the tank and good bunks and the sheriff's a nice fellow. Gay gets in there and he don't want to come out. He likes it so much his wife won't get him arrested any more. So she figured out this hitting him while he's asleep. It's nerve racking, he says. And you know as good as me--Gay never did take any pleasure beating her up. He only done it to keep his self-respect. But he gets tired of it. I guess he'll be with us now."
1 comment:
I got me some chicken chorizo to add to a pot of mussels...since the husband does not eat of the swine.
Not bad, not bad a'tall...though I am sure the Portugese are gnashing teeth and rending garments over the thought of pork-free chorizo.
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