Half of Paradise

“It ain’t going to rain. We’ll be breathing this goddamn dust the rest of the year,” Billy Jo said.

“Not us. We only got a week to pull,” Jeffry said.

“Shut up,” Billy Jo said.

“Why is everybody on my ass today?”

“Because you ask for it,” Billy Jo said.

“I ain’t done a thing and everybody is getting on my ass about it.”

“Then shut your mouth and we’ll leave you alone.”

“I can smell the rain in the air,” Daddy Claxton said. “Like a paper mill. They say it means somebody is going to die when it stays dry a long time and then it rains.”

“This weather ain’t natural,” Brother Samuel said. “I only seen it like this once before. The sky was yellow and the sun was like a red ball. When the rains come the fever come too, and people was dropping dead in the marsh like sick rabbits. They was still finding bodies two months later.”

“It’s a drought. Ain’t you guys ever seen a drought before?” Billy Jo said.

“This one ain’t natural,” Brother Samuel said. “It means something.”

“Where do you get a drink of water around here?” LeBlanc said.

“Call for the trusty.”

“Where is he?”

“Down the ditch someplace.”

“Don’t drink too much water if you can help it,” Avery said.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It makes you sick.”

“Trusty! Bring the water barrel,” Billy Jo said.

“Why ain’t there any decent water?” LeBlanc said.

“The state don’t want to pay for digging a new well,” Jeffry said.

The trusty brought the water can. LeBlanc drank from the dipper.

“I wouldn’t water stock with this,” he said. He threw the dipper inside the can. The water splashed over the rim.

“What the hell!” the trusty said. “You got my shirt wet.”

“Go put some clean water in the can,” LeBlanc said.

“That’s all there is. You drink the same as everybody else.”

“What’s going on down there?” Evans said from the top of the ditch.

“This guy don’t want to drink the water.”

“Let him go thirsty,” Evans said.

“This water come out of a swamp,” LeBlanc said.