“ Lennie was this big dumb sorta guy. Jesus, he towered ‘bove everyone. He wore denim overalls, which was small an’ kinda strange on a big guy like him. He kinda limped like a bear, like one foot a wee hobble behind the other…Then, there was George, he was the smart, good lookin’ one, the type that the ladies like you know… an’ they traveled together! These two grown men, travellin’ together! The bunkhouse is just ‘as t’was then. I guess t’is a wee bit shabbier now. It ain’t fancy, it’ never been. But its still a nice place to go after a ‘hoe day out. I met them there, The boss was mad cos they was late, an’ Curley sure didn’t like Lennie one bit, not from the first time he laid eyes on poor ol’ Lennie.”
“That night, Carlson got ‘his Luger, and shot my ol’ dog in t’ head. My ol’ dog, Butch, t’was called…’had him since he was a pup, he was my friend, maybe my only…. Before’ that, I herded sheep wit’ him, he was the best damn sheep dog, I ever known! By then he was ol’, stiff wit’ rheumatism…that arsehole said he stunk up the bunkhouse, well whatta that fuckface know? I’m tellin’ you, he stunk bad to me. That fat bastard dragged poor Butch out and took a shot outta him. Damn good for nothin’ arsehole…but the worse thing was…I couldn’t stop him. He was walkin’ al’over me, caught me dead for words, caught me straight ‘on. I remember, a’fter that, I was thinkin’: should’ve shot Ol’ Butch myself, shouldn’t let no stranger get to him. But me…stupid wimp that I’ am. I let him go, I let that feckin’ Carlson lug him out…an’ I didn’t do nothin’ bout it. T’was my fault…t’was mine…good ol’ useless me…I jus’ lay on my bunk and cry my heart out.”
“ I was doin’ that, feelin’ sorry for myself, wonderin’ why the heck I was livin’ life the way I was. By then, ‘everyone was out in the barn cos something sprung up between Slim and Curley’s lady. Jus’ me, George and Lennie was left. Wit’ my head on the pillow, I drowned myself in m’tears, I could feel th’ wet patch there, an’ I could taste th’ salt on the tip’uv my lip. Then I hears somethin’ like ‘ Ten acres, gotta win’mill, little shack on it, an’ a chicken run, got a kitchen …’ I listened, ‘cherries, apples, peaches, cots’’ was thinkin’ how heavenly, ‘ easily build a few hutches an’ you could feed the rabbits alfalfa. When we kill a pig, we can smoke the bacon an’ hams an’ make sausage. Ever’ Sunday, why we’d even kill a chicken or a rabbit’ But what struck me most, was the end bit “ It’d be our own place, and nobody could can us We’d be our own boss, we’d be livin’ off the fatta the land, And when it rains, we’d say to hell wit’ th’ work….’ I couldn’t stand it no more, I sat straight’ up and I asked’ if I could go too. They was shocked, didn’t know I was there. I begged and I pleaded, I tol’ them how I los’ my hand, how they were gonna can me any minit, I tol’ them how much I had, I tried ta make’ myself seem good. I tol’ em I’d make a will
an’ give ‘em everything I had.
“Then, George said yes, oh that was sweet ‘as ‘heaven. It seemed almost gonna happen, like in’a month or so, we would get a stake t’gether, we could’ave done it! I was so happy; I never felt no luckier be‘fore. T’was like god had heard my silent prayers, an’ answered me. An’ it really felt, really did, like…like I had been touched by an’ angel itself. I jus’ wanted. Like be’fore I’d die, somethin’ good for my’self, somethin’ I could call my own. I once heard that the drive for ‘land, t’is a powerful drive. An’ t’is true…I felt…like, I don’t ‘know, I kinda felt complete. We were gonna get a little place of our own, a ranch with a shack, somewhere up in Sacramento. It would’ve been great, I’d cook and clean for George an’ Lennie, and they’d work on th’ crop outside, It was a dream, it was things that men like us only dare ‘ta dream ‘bout. But this time, this time it felt as if ‘tis dream was gonna come’ true.”
“T’was on cloud nine a’fter that. Couldn’t think ‘of nothin’ but how we was gonna seal the deal. Jus’ one month, George and Lennie were gonna be poudin’ their tail, buckin’ grain bags. Wit’ them and my’ share, we were gonna get the jack t’gether. I did a’lotta thinkin’, lots’ of it, the only thing that put me down was that Butch ain’t gonna join me there. Lennie was gonna bring ‘his pup…Butch would’ave liked it. Like me an’ him in the ol’ days when we took after the sheep, with’out a care in’tha world. But the dream ain’t gonna liv’forever. Somethin’ bad had ‘ta happen. On the evenin’ after that, I was walkin’ into the barn, lookin’ for the Jackson fork, y’ see. Then, I saw Curley’s wife lyin’ face down on tha’ hay. I ain’t ever liked that woman, was real bad, t’was a floosy she was. Never seen no jailbait worse off. I’d seen her give Slim, George and e’ven Lennie the eye. Every’one knew she was trouble, now t’was happenin’ before my eyes. I say, ‘Why, I didn’t know you was here’. She didn’t answer me, so I said it louder, still no reply. I walk up closer, an’ shit hell, turns out she’s dead. I knew, darn, it had t’ave been Lennie. That guy was too strong. Hell, his own strength, t’was his worse enemy. So, I tol’ George. Then, the trouble begun”
“That evenin’, t’was a wild goose chase for Lennie. Never saw him again. Word has it that George ‘himself shot Lennie, b’fore Curley could get’a him. The dream wasn’t gonna happen, cos if Lennie ain’t there, George would get his time an’ like th’other men, go into town, into a cat-house, blowin’ his jack. Wit’ me and George, it ain’t gonna happen. I knew why, we weren’t buddies, like the two of ‘em were. I was’ jus the guy wit’ th money. Came back, worked for’a bit, took off like every’one else, t’was never the same again, tried to avoid me, when we did talk, t’was never‘bout the dream. Well, t’a hell with th’ two of them. I hate him, I hate both ‘of them.”
“ Y’know, some days are short cos they jus’ pass so fast right? Then they’re long, cos the memory of it, t’is forever in your mind. That’s how days was with George and Lennie around. Today, I dunno, I resent th’ two. I wish I never dreamt, never did belief, cos the letdown was so painful. I wish I never seen th’ two, never did dare t’a believe. I think I think that I did, and I’m now a more bitter man, I ain’t gettin’ younger, but my heart seems t’ave aged a thousand years. I think George was thinkin’ like me, never let your friend get shot, so do it yr’self. Cos killing them y’rself is better than getting’ a stranger t’a, t’is true. I learn th’ hard way.”
“ Life ain’t no different from b’fore, No, actually t’is. Lots slower, lots more hurtin’. I never dare no dreamin’ like be’fore, jus’ waitin’ for th’ day I die. Ain’t got n’body t’a give my money t’a, can’t go int’a cathouse cos I’m way too ol’. God damn my life, I s’pose t’was god’s ploy. T’a create me, then play ‘round wit’ me an’ make my life shit. Get bored ‘of me, and leave my’ aside t’a die. Well, I ain’t lookin’for the gates of heaven no more, t’was over that long time be’fore.”
“ The treshin’ machine still’s goin’ on. Then, I can picture George and Lennie buckin’ th’ grain. Bathin’ in gold dust, jus’ like always. The light hits their faces, and y’ave t’a squint real hard t’a see them right. There’s sweatin’ all over, there’s the drone of’ th machine. Feckin’ arseholes, Th’y smilin’ at each other. T’is makes me sick. I wish…I wish I ain’t never lain eyes on ‘em. Wish I ain’t there when they was talkin’. Wish I neva did hear, neva did trust. Oh boy…how hard I do wish…”
