he come s h ere?
He likes the coffee? I don't know, Norma said, smoking a cigarette. I waited on him 'cause I didn't get to talk to him the other time and I had something I wanted to say. The manager called the camp right away and that's all there was to it, the MPs came and picked him up. I been thinking, he must come here 'cause he knows he'll be safe. Nobody's going to come in and shoot him.
What'd you talk about?
As soon as he sat down I went to the counter to wait on him, I was anxious to tell him something. Here he is, Carl, the enemy, but doesn't look anymore like a foreigner than you do. His hair seems different, but that's about all. I planned to tell him, if we got to talk, my husband was with Patton's Fourth Armored racing through France, but I didn't. I was polite and asked him how he liked Oklahoma. He said fine, but had expected to see mountains, Oklahoma being out west. The MPs came in pointing guns at him, but all they did was kid around, like they're sure he's seeing a girl. But you know what he told me? I have pretty eyes.
Yeah...? Carl smiling now.
He and Norma had graduated from Okmulgee High the same year, Carl a Bulldog in three sports while Norma hung around with guys behind the stands smoking cigarettes.
Before the MPs came in he said, 'Come here, closer,' motioning to me. I leaned my arms on the counter right in front of him, and he reached over and pretended to pull a coin out of my ear, a dime, and gave it to me, with a nice smile you could see in his eyes.
Wanting you to trust him.
He said, 'Thank you, Norma, for the coffee.' He said my name.
It's on your uniform.
I know, but he took the trouble to say it, 'Thank you, Norma,' making it sound natural, like we'd known each other a while, or maybe were even pretty close at one time.
Carl said, You got all that out of 'Thank you, Norma?' He was giving you his ten cent magic trick.
With the smile, Norma said.
I've seen the smile. He's sure of himself, isn't he? But without sounding cocky. He doesn't put on any airs. He tell you anything about himself?
He wanted to know about me, if I lived alone. He didn't ask if I was married, only do I live alone.
Wants to know if you're available.
I told him my husband was with General Patton's armor right this minute heading for Germany. You know what he said? 'Patton, yes, with the discipline.' He said when Patton came to Africa to command the Second Corps he made all his tank crewmen and infantrymen wear neckties. He said, 'You know of course George Patton is German.' I said, 'That's funny, I read he's Scottish and his people go back to the time of George Washington.' You know what Jurgen said? 'Yes, one or the other.'
You catch him making something up, Carl said, it doesn't bother him. Like it isn't important anyway.
I didn't know they had to wear ties, Norma said. Bobby wasn't with Patton till after Normandy and never mentioned wearing a t ie. If he did he wouldn't of told me anyway, knowing what I think of George Patton.
How do you see him?
Carl, the man's a showoff, he wears a pair of six-shooters with ivory handles. But he can get guys like Bobby willing to die for him. She kept tapping her cigarette in the ashtray. How come you weren't interested in Jurgen before?
We're starting to wonder if he's up to something?
Like what?
Some kind of sabotage. Set fire to storage tanks.
Born on an oil lease she knew what he was talking about. Norma said, On his own? He'd need help. I told you the guards think he has a girlfriend and the only reason he escapes, it's to get his ashes hauled. They're sure of it.
How come?
'Cause whatever he's up to must be the kind of thing nobody ever sees you doing anyway. If you know what I mean.
Carl said, You know the girl would have to live around here.
Course she would.
Carl said, You might even know her.
Norma said, Or you might if I don't.
*
During the first World War young Wesley Sellers showed he was alert and like d b eing in the U . S . Army and
He likes the coffee? I don't know, Norma said, smoking a cigarette. I waited on him 'cause I didn't get to talk to him the other time and I had something I wanted to say. The manager called the camp right away and that's all there was to it, the MPs came and picked him up. I been thinking, he must come here 'cause he knows he'll be safe. Nobody's going to come in and shoot him.
What'd you talk about?
As soon as he sat down I went to the counter to wait on him, I was anxious to tell him something. Here he is, Carl, the enemy, but doesn't look anymore like a foreigner than you do. His hair seems different, but that's about all. I planned to tell him, if we got to talk, my husband was with Patton's Fourth Armored racing through France, but I didn't. I was polite and asked him how he liked Oklahoma. He said fine, but had expected to see mountains, Oklahoma being out west. The MPs came in pointing guns at him, but all they did was kid around, like they're sure he's seeing a girl. But you know what he told me? I have pretty eyes.
Yeah...? Carl smiling now.
He and Norma had graduated from Okmulgee High the same year, Carl a Bulldog in three sports while Norma hung around with guys behind the stands smoking cigarettes.
Before the MPs came in he said, 'Come here, closer,' motioning to me. I leaned my arms on the counter right in front of him, and he reached over and pretended to pull a coin out of my ear, a dime, and gave it to me, with a nice smile you could see in his eyes.
Wanting you to trust him.
He said, 'Thank you, Norma, for the coffee.' He said my name.
It's on your uniform.
I know, but he took the trouble to say it, 'Thank you, Norma,' making it sound natural, like we'd known each other a while, or maybe were even pretty close at one time.
Carl said, You got all that out of 'Thank you, Norma?' He was giving you his ten cent magic trick.
With the smile, Norma said.
I've seen the smile. He's sure of himself, isn't he? But without sounding cocky. He doesn't put on any airs. He tell you anything about himself?
He wanted to know about me, if I lived alone. He didn't ask if I was married, only do I live alone.
Wants to know if you're available.
I told him my husband was with General Patton's armor right this minute heading for Germany. You know what he said? 'Patton, yes, with the discipline.' He said when Patton came to Africa to command the Second Corps he made all his tank crewmen and infantrymen wear neckties. He said, 'You know of course George Patton is German.' I said, 'That's funny, I read he's Scottish and his people go back to the time of George Washington.' You know what Jurgen said? 'Yes, one or the other.'
You catch him making something up, Carl said, it doesn't bother him. Like it isn't important anyway.
I didn't know they had to wear ties, Norma said. Bobby wasn't with Patton till after Normandy and never mentioned wearing a t ie. If he did he wouldn't of told me anyway, knowing what I think of George Patton.
How do you see him?
Carl, the man's a showoff, he wears a pair of six-shooters with ivory handles. But he can get guys like Bobby willing to die for him. She kept tapping her cigarette in the ashtray. How come you weren't interested in Jurgen before?
We're starting to wonder if he's up to something?
Like what?
Some kind of sabotage. Set fire to storage tanks.
Born on an oil lease she knew what he was talking about. Norma said, On his own? He'd need help. I told you the guards think he has a girlfriend and the only reason he escapes, it's to get his ashes hauled. They're sure of it.
How come?
'Cause whatever he's up to must be the kind of thing nobody ever sees you doing anyway. If you know what I mean.
Carl said, You know the girl would have to live around here.
Course she would.
Carl said, You might even know her.
Norma said, Or you might if I don't.
*
During the first World War young Wesley Sellers showed he was alert and like d b eing in the U . S . Army and
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