Of Mice And Men
Alternative Ending:
Lenny was sitting in the barn looking at the dead puppy stroking its little ears. He did not realize that Curley's wife had came into the barn. "Are you ok?" she asked. Lenny jumped to his feet. "If George finds me here talkin to ya, he won let me tend no rabbits" Lenny cried. He turned around and started walking away but she grabed his larges hand and stoped him from leaving. "Why do you need Georges permission to tend rabbits, it's not like he owns ya or nothing." She said sounding irritated. Lenny looked at the dead puppy beside him. "There aint no way he gonna let me now n now im talking to you and that'll just make everythin worse." Lenny whimpered. "Listen Lenny, George has no right to tell you what you can and can't do." She said starting to get upset. George takes care of me, he always has. He gets me outta trouble when I get carried away. " Lenny said getting agitated with Curley's wife. "I mean, I ain't even supposed to be talkin to ya, your Curleys wife"- "Is that all I am know by? I just don't understand it. It's nonsense. Why is it so bad for people to call me by my name. I know what everyone says about me on this ranch n it aint right. I mean I don't even really like Curley…I could have been a singer but no I decided to give all that up for so little. " She said with the anger building up in her voice. "Well no one ever tol me your name so how was I suspose to know it?" "Lenny said. Well from now on please call me Kate." She said sternly. "Ok…Kate" Lenny said softly.
"Well I guess I'm just gonna go n find a cave so I don't bug George no more." Lenny said in a painful voice. "I wont be tending no rabbits n I wont have no ketchup." He said quietly. "Will you stop tha' we know you wont do it. I may have an idea that'll get ya outta trouble with the dead pup." Said Curley's Wife. "REALLY, WHAT!?!" Lenny shouted. "SHH!" She said in a gentle voice. "You don't wanna bug George anymore right? She asked. "Right" He answered. Well I hate it here and I have a fair amount of money. What do ya say we get outta here n start our own life?" She asked. "I couldn't, I wont! I cant leave George after all hes done fer me!" Lenny exclaimed. "You just said that you were going to leave why does it matter if I am simply accompanying you? Well get a small farm just like you n George was going to get. Well have rabbits and a garden n maybe a pig and a cow." she explained. Lenny was so unsure he just looked at her blankly not know what to say. He wanted to go but he just couldn't get it through his head leaving George. "Umm well if you are sure that this is what you want…" He said slowly. "I'll get my things packed and I'll meet you by the gates in 10 minutes" Kate said. "Ok" Said Lenny. They both parted their ways to get their things packed. When Lenny got to his bunk he had very little to bring he had 50$ of what he was paid for work and his bindle. He quickly went off to the gates.
When he got there Kate was nowhere in sight. Had he been left and this was all some kind of joke he wondered. He heard some rustling in the bushes and out cam Kate. She had a sweet smile on her face and her hair was pulled back. Lenny had never seen this side of her, almost as if she was happy for the first time and she was making a decision for herself. "Shall we be off then?" she asked. I think so" He said happily. They strolled down the dark street together.
Meanwhile Curley and George were playing poker by the fire when they notices that Kate and Lenny were both gone. "Where is tha dirty trap?" He snarled. Beside Curley was a bottle of whiskey that was almost gone. He was drunk of course but George seemed to be ok. "I'll go see if I can find her or Lenny for that matter I haven't seen that crazy basterd for hours. They both got to their feet and Curley stumble around. He finally got control and strolled off into the darkness yelling random comment to his wife "Tramp? Whore? "Where the hell have u gone?" George stepped in the bunkhouse. He could still hear Curly yellin fer his wife. He looked across to where he saw Lenny's bunk was empty. Curley then walked into the bunkhouse. "She's gone. She's gone off with that oaf, that sneaky little bastard. I should have known he was up to something with her! " He yelled. "Well theirs no use worrin about it. Your drunk n they'll be long gone by now. "No way! I am gonna go get that basterd myself" Curley yelled. "No you wont well try and find her tomorrow you're in no state to go out looking for someone, you cant even stand up with out swayin. Their aint nothing you can do. " Yelled George. Then and there Curley passed out on the floor beside George. He just looked at him. Crawled into his bed but when he got in he felt something soft then a crunch. "What the hell?" He said confused. He say the dead little puppy the there was a note beside it. It was from Lenny it was very hard for George to make out the printing Lenny was very much of a writer:
Dear George
I am sorry that I have caused you all of the trouble in the past. I just couldn't let you go wasting your life watching over me all the time. You could be enjoying yourself in a whorehouse, playing pool at the bar, and being a man instead of being my babysitter. I just hope you can be happy now I have gone now and I don't think I will be coming back. Have a nice life. Get the farm we were gonna get and ill come and find you one day. We can have our own plot of land, grow our own crops have animals to feed and take care of. I don't think I want to tend the rabbits anymore I can't live with killing anymore animals. Well I guess I may see you I may not who know what the future holds.
From
Lenny
George read the letter many times and could not believe it. After all the times he said that he was going to leave George thought that he would never actually do it. He kept the note with him wherever he went to remind him of Lenny. With that he turned over and went to sleep happy knowing that Lenny was safe and that he had his life back.