No Pain Like This Body Read Free Page B

eastern side of the riceland. He ran as fast as a cloud moves in the sky. Then he stood up on a meri on the other side of the riceland and looked at Pa.
    â€œNow Balraj come outa dat wadder!”
    â€œI fraid you beat me.”
    â€œI not goin to do you notten boy.”
    â€œOright.”
    Pa was smarter than a snake; he began to talk soft as if a child was talking. He said that he was not going to beat Balraj, because he was a child. He thought that Pa was talking the truth; he began to walk to meet him. Pa just stood there and looked at him; just stood on the edge of the riceland and waited as a snake.
    Balraj walked slowly. His feet didn’t go splash splash in the water; they went splunk and splunk and then splunk as if a lit­tle child was walking in the water. He watched Pa with fear in his eyes as he came closer to the western edge of the riceland. Pa wasn’t backward; he was watching Balraj with snaky eyes. The wind was blowing cold cold. Balraj was trembling. His teeth went clax clax clax. The wind was blowing from the north. It was cold as ice cream, and Balraj was trembling and watching Pa. The sky was black as Sunaree’s hair, and Pa was watching Balraj. Balraj was almost out of the water. Pa leaned over the edge of the riceland and tried to hold his hand. Balraj ran splash splash. Pa ran eastwards along the rice-land bank; his feet went tats tats tats. There were many snakes in the riceland; they lived inside the deep holes near the barahar tree. Balraj was trying to keep away from the holes, because he was afraid of the snakes. Balraj was tired running. He just stood in the water and looked at Pa. Pa was mad. He jumped up and down on the riceland bank.
    â€œBalraj come outa dat wadder!” Pa shouted.
    â€œI fraid you beat me.”
    â€œBoy com outa dat wadder!”
    Balraj was afraid. He knew Pa was going to beat him real bad. Crax crax cratax doom doommm doomed! the thunder rolled. Balraj looked at the sky; it was blacker than a dream of snakes and evil spirits. Pa bent down and picked up dirt from the riceland bank. He started to pelt Balraj. Balraj was moving from side to side trying hard to get away from the dirt. Pa couldn’t hit him. Pa was in a rage; he was pelting as a mad­man. Then Pa shouted, “Now come outa dat wadder boy! I goin to pelt inside dem snake holes.”
    Balraj made no effort to come out of the riceland. Pa kept pelting dirt into the deep holes. The water was bubbling and bubbling and bubbling; bubbling and bubbling as if it was boiling over with rage; it was boiling and bubbling as when a ricepot bubbles over a fireside, but Balraj just stood there and looked at Pa.
    â€œYou feel you is a big man?” Pa asked him.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œDen come outa dat wadder!’’
    â€œI (raid you beat me.”
    â€œDen you is a big man?”
    â€œNo. I is a little little chile. Little little.”
    â€œWell I goin to make a snake bite you ass!”
    It was August, the middle of the rainy season. The rain was falling and falling and falling as if the sky was leaking or some­thing. Sunaree, Rama and Panday were still by the rainwater barrel. Sunaree was holding the enamel dipper, but it slipped from her hand and fell in the yard. The dipper was dirty; full of mud all over. Rama and Panday were still naked. Trembling.
    â€œI feelin cold.”
    â€œHush else Pa go bust you liver wid a kick,” Rama said. “Pa stupid,” Panday declared.
    â€œPa stupid like God.”
    â€œNow God have big eyes and he seein wot all you Join,” Sunaree said.
    â€œSomebody shouda hit God one kick and bust he eye!” Rama shouted.
    Sunaree told Rama that God had great big eyes; God never winked; even if dirt or flies or smoke went into his eyes, he never winked; God never slept or drank or ate; he never shel­tered with a leaf from the wind and the rain; he just lived in heaven and stared at the earth all the time.
    And