The Americans Are Coming Read Free

floor.”
    “What happened, Buck?”
    “Got caught stealin’. Took some old jeezer’s pipe and it fell right out of me pocket in front of the boss. Fired me on the spot. Livin’ in Fredericton now. Workin’ at the bottle exchange and junk yard. Breakin’ batteries mostly. No money in it though. How you gittin’ long?”
    “Gladys sent me a bag o’ clothes and Dad sent me a bag o’ potatoes. Know what I’m thinkin’ bout doin’?”
    “Gettin’ in the back seat?” Buck slid his hand up her thigh.
    “Don’t be foolish! No, I’m thinkin’ ’bout takin’ over old Maud’s post office.”
    “Kin you do that?”
    “Sure kin. All you have to do is collect the mailbag at the Siding, bring it home and give it out, stamp a few letters – anyone kin do it and Bert said he’d like me to do it. Thirty dollars a month.”
    “Why don’t Bert do it?”
    “Can’t read. Maud did it all. I’m gonna set it up in the livin’ room.”
    “I’d ask you to come to Fredericton with me, but there’d be no room for the kids.”
    “I know, Buck. I know you mean well. What d’ya think o’ me runnin’ the post office?”
    “You’ll have to do it, I guess. It’ll be good for ya.”
    “You could come home and help me, Buck. I’d run the post office and you could go to work.”
    “Who for?”
    “You could talk to Frank Layton. He might give you a job at the club.”
    “I ain’t workin’ for Frank Layton!”
    “Why? Frank’s a fair man!”
    “I’d rather break batteries.”
    “You got another woman in Fredericton, Buck?”
    “You know I ain’t got no other woman, Shirley. You know I ain’t that kind of man!”
    “Then why won’t you come home?”
    “Let’s not talk about that now. Let’s get in the back seat.”
    “You’re crazy, Buck.”
    “If I do come home, I’ll have to go back and get me clothes and me radio.”
    “You got a radio?”
    “Yep. Heard the last Joe Louis fight, settin’ right back in Fredericton. Ever hear of Hank Williams?”
    The conversation continued. Shirley fell in love again and Buck negotiated seduction with promises and lies. Shirley was never happier. Buck was leaving and hadn’t asked for her family allowance check.
    They climbed into the back seat and Shirley wagged her tail to Buck’s delight. Nine months later Shirley added another point to Buck’s antlers and called it Dryfly.
    *
    Dryfly figured the time was getting on to nine o’clock. The rest of the children had already left for school and Dryfly was left to himself to enjoy the little room.
    Dryfly shared his bed with Palidin and Bean. Jug and Oogan slept in the bed across the room. Naggy slept in Shirley’s room and Neeny and Bossy slept in the room next door. Junior was married to Mary Stuart and lived with Mary’s father, Silas. Digger, as usual, was tramping the road somewhere. Skippy, theoldest girl, wasn’t married, but was shacked up with Joe Moon in Quarryville. Joe Moon had a dog that occupied more of his time than Skippy. Skippy was the homeliest one of the family and considered herself lucky to be living with a bootlegger. Bonzie, of course, was dead.
    It happened on a Sunday. The family was having a picnic back of the big hollow. Some of them were fishing in the nearby brook, others sat in the shade discussing members of the opposite sex and some picked flowers. Palidin, Bonzie and Dryfly were pretending they were moose.
    “I need to have a dump,” said Bonzie and hurried into the woods in search of a roost.
    Bonzie Ramsey found his roost, a broken down birch tree, and dropped his pants, sat and found relief. He was just pulling up his suspenders when he heard the sound of rustling leaves and the crackle of a dead alder bush giving way to a passerby.
    The sound was nearby, but it was only a sound; he could see nothing but the trees and underbrush of the forest.
    “Who’s there?” he called.
    No answer. Bonzie waited and listened.
    “Who’s there?” he called again.
    “It would be