As I Lay Dying - section 55

Vardaman

Now it is wider and lighter, but the stores are dark because they have all gone
home. The stores are dark, but the lights pass on the windows when we pass. The
lights are in the trees around the courthouse. They roost in the trees, but the
courthouse is dark. The clock on it looks four ways, because it is not dark. The
moon is not dark too. Not very dark. Darl he went to Jackson is my brother Darl
is my brother Only it was over that way, shining on the track.

"Let's go that way, Dewey Dell," I say.

"What for?" Dewey Dell says. The track went shining around the window, it
red on the track. But she said he would not sell it to the town boys. "But it
will be there Christmas," Dewey Dell says. "You'll have to wait till then, when
he brings it back."

Darl went to Jackson. Lots of people didn't go to Jackson. Darl is my
brother. My brother is going to Jackson

While we walk the lights go around, roosting in the trees. On all sides it
is the same. They go around the courthouse and then you cannot see them. But you
can see them in the black windows beyond. They have all gone home to bed except
me and Dewey Dell.

Going on the train to Jackson. My brother

There is a light in the store, far back. In the window are two big glasses
of soda water, red and green. Two men could not drink them. Two mules could not.
Two cows could not. Darl

A man comes to the door. He looks at Dewey Dell.

"You wait out here," Dewey Dell says.

"Why cant I come in?" I say. "I want to come in, too."

"You wait out here," she says.

"All right," I say.

Dewey Dell goes in.

Darl is my brother. Darl went crazy

The walk is harder than sitting on the ground. He is in the open door. He
looks at me. "You want something?" he says. His head is slick. Jewel's head is
slick sometimes. Cash's head is not slick. Darl he went to Jackson my brother
Darl In the street he ate a banana. Wouldn't you rather have bananas? Dewey
Dell said. You wait till Christmas. It'll be there then. Then you can see it.
So we are going to have some bananas. We are going to have a bag full, me and
Dewey Dell. He locks the door. Dewey Dell is inside. Then the light winks out.
He went to Jackson. He went crazy and went to Jackson both. Lots of
people didn't go crazy. Pa and Cash and Jewel and Dewey Dell and me didn't go
crazy. We never did go crazy. We didn't go to Jackson either. Darl
I hear the cow a long time, clopping on the street. Then she comes
into the square. She goes across the square, her head down clopping . She
lows. There was nothing in the square before she lowed, but it wasn't empty. Now
it is empty after she lowed. She goes on, clopping . She lows. My brother
is Darl. He went to Jackson on the train. He didn't go on the train to go
crazy. He went crazy in our wagon. Darl She has been in there a long time. And
the cow is gone too. A long time. She has been in there longer than the cow was.
But not as long as empty. Darl is my brother. My brother Darl

Dewey Dell comes out. She looks at me.

"Let's go around that way now," I say.

She looks at me. "It aint going to work," she says. "That son of a bitch."

"What aint going to work, Dewey Dell?"

"I just know it wont," she says. She is not looking at anything. "I just
know it."

"Let's go that way," I say.

"We got to go back to the hotel. It's late. We got to slip back in."
"Cant we go by and see, anyway?"

"Hadn't you rather have bananas? Hadn't you rather?"

"All right." My brother he went crazy and he went to Jackson too. Jackson
is further away than crazy

"It wont work," Dewey Dell says. "I just know it wont."

"What wont work?" I say. He had to get on the train to go to Jackson. I
have not been on the train, but Darl has been on the train. Darl. Darl is my
brother. Darl. Darl