The man backs up to his house and goes inside briefly, coming back out with a hand behind his back. He walks closer to me and says “sure is some nice weather we been having lately...” then his hand darts out and he throws something at me. I duck out of the way just as it whizzes by my head. “You sure do got some good reflexes. I know you ain’t from no circus since you would have caught that there tennis ball. Everyone knows that circus people is all capable of juggling at all times. Can’t help but catch a ball what is wung their way.”
He spits and sits back down on his wood. “Well. What all you want with me, child that’s not from the circus?” I walk even closer, careful not to look back at where Daddy is, even though I’m powerful curious to see what all he’s doing back there. Probably thinking I’m squealing on him. “Like I say, my brother done fell off a sharp pile of branches and he done got stuck inside. I think he’ll probably die eventually since you can’t live in a tree branch pile for too long I expect.”
The man stands up and starts scratching at his crotch, “well, let’s get on over there then. See what all the fuss is about. But you mind me, I find that you is trying to trick me into something, I’ll stove your head in and feed you to my chickens.” I ain’t answer that, only start to lead him into the woods and away from his house. I see Daddy out of the corner of my eye, and he’s still peeking above the log, only his eyes look like they is laughing and that’s good. He trusts me. I’m heading on at a good pace and the man is tripping around behind me, for I’m leading him through a thicket. He says “how much further to this here branch pile? I got the sweats and I ain’t cut out for hikin’ even though I live in the woods.
I ain’t like to walk around too much on account of how it do chafe my legs too much. I have to powder them and I ain’t like the smell of that no chafe power too good. It puts me off my meal and gets on my fingers and feels slippery and not in a good way. More of like a powdery way that don’t sit right with me. Sometimes it gets into my soup and they’s little powder chunks on top of the soup and they ain’t mix in and just sit there on top. I try to scoop them out onto the table but they stick to the spoon and the whole thing is disgusting. Ain’t nobody should have to go through that.”
I say “just a little closer now, can’t you hear him hollering?” The man cocks his head to the side and says “I rightly can’t hear nothin’ nope, but I tell you, I got about a few minutes left of this walking business, then I’m going to have to turn back. I ain’t like to leave my property. I ain’t going to get caught away from there for too long in case I get hit by a falling piece of airplane or something that causes sudden and final death what all I ain’t looking out for.” “Just up here” I say “right on up here and round this corner of trees” the man sighs and bends over with his hands on his knees, wheezing.
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He nods his head and breathes hard “okay, get on movin’ then. I better be getting some kind of a reward for this here life savin’ activity.” He stares at me and keeps scratching his crotch, only slow this time. "Yes sir” I say “you’ll be so happy with the kinds of rewards you’ll get. Once you save my brother and become a big hero, you‘ll get your name in the paper and get calls from someone famous or the president or something of the like. They’ll you a piece of paper with an official seal on it that’s also probably good for a free meal somewhere I expect.” the man says,
“I ain’t like to leave my property, like I said, but I do like turkey. You think they’ll send me a turkey up here so I don’t have to leave?” “I just bet they will” I say “big ol’ turkey. You probably don’t even have to wait until thanksgiving. can eat it straight away” the man nods and looks excited now. “let’s do it! Lead on! Get a move on! Get on!” So I do. I lead the way. I ain’t lie. There's a big pile of sticks and branches and all what someone piled up a while ago. The branches is bone white from age and look sharp and dangerous, which is just what I told the man.
“There she is!” I say “brother inside that pile there and he sure is in a painful predicament!” The man rubs his hands and says he’s going to get right to it. He heaves his weight onto the first branch and almost loses his balance, but grabs for another branch just in time to save himself from a short fall. He wipes his brow and mutters, then takes another step up. And another. “I ain’t see him in there, where he at inside?” I say “he’s in there real deep, he fell right from the top and right on inside the middle part so you can only see him from the top.
Get on up there and I’ll be right behind to point him out.” he continues to climb. I climb on after. He’s taking his time and his legs is mighty short even though his top half is a big as a barrel. He ain’t too good at this. He ain’t lie about being bad a hustling with his legs. He’s at the top now and he calls something to me but I ain’t answer, pretending I don’t hear him until I’m right up next to him. He’s peering through the maze of branches. I expect we’s about twenty feet off the ground now.
He says “I still ain’t see him, you point him out so I can get my brain thinkin’ about fixin’ a solution and get famous and get a free turkey and that.” I point through an opening in the branches and he leans way over, trying to get a better look. I step closer to him. Much closer. He turns around and smiles. “Well now, this is starting to get pretty comfortable.” He reaches for me with one arm while rubbing furiously at his crotch. It doesn’t take much to push him over.