There's this little old hammock that hangs between me and Curley's house and this real old oak tree. While all the men are out at work and when I have no chores left to do I usually lie there– right in a nice patch of shade, and just stare at the boys bunk house and wait for them to come back from the field.
I get a lot of free time.
Before I met Curley, back when I was at home with ma, I hated having so much time on my hands. Don't get me wrong I never liked to work I mean that I hated time spent away from people. When I was a little girl, I spent as much time as I could in town.
Me and ma's farmhouse was about as boring as anything. I can remember the walk to town each day to go to school- I practically ran I got there so fast- and after school had ended sometimes me en Claire'd spend our nickels for milk to see a picture show at the Movie Palace.
Those were some awful good times.
From my spot in the shade I mostly just think about how much I hate it here. With the men gone it gets mighty quiet. One reason why I asked Curley to put my hammock here was so I could see when they boys get back but they make such a racket it doesn't matter. If Curley knew that he'd get real angry at me but I don't care much what he thinks.
This mornin' Curley got word that two new hands were commin' up from town, and he gave me a real talking to about me not hanging around when they show up. I sure do hope the new hands aren't the type to take Curley seriously because I sure am lonely.
I wonder why those new guys are coming here. Sure- to them Soledad probably seems as good as the next town over, but heck, if I had to choose again I sure wouldn't have wound up here. By now I'd be in Hollywood starring in a movie- I'd have my very own house right in the middle of town and everywhere I'd go people would know me- because they'd seen me in the pictures.
Maybe I'll still get there one day.
I met a man back in my hometown. Said his name was Joe Peterson- he told me I'd make it big in the pictures. I met him at a dance, and he was the freshest guy there- always telling these tall tales about anything you could think of.
All us girls thought he was real handsome, and I let him kiss me after the dance was over, and I was the only girl he said he'd ever kissed. All my friends were real jealous after that. He said he'd send me a letter about the pictures but I never did get it
.
That letter was the main reason I ended up here- miserable.
I kept waitin' around for it, and was useless for anything ma wanted, which was housework and that kinda stuff which I'm not real good at in the first place. Up 'till right before I met Curley it got so bad she couldn't even look at without yelling how I should be.
But she was also kinda shook up since dad died a few years back- a horse had kicked him right in the head, and ma had found him there just moanin' for her to kill him, but he only lived bout and hour after she found him anyhow. After that I was her only hope at keeping the farm- I had to marry well and proper, and not cause no trouble.
Well, I got to thinking. My letter from Joe hadn't come, and I'd been just about a year since I'd met him back at the dance. He had to have already sent the letter already, so it either got lost or stolen.
So I told ma that I thought she stole my letter because she disapproved, an then she got real mad. Some of what she said made sense, and got me to thinking. Maybe she's right maybe I should just give up and get married.
That night I went to another dance at the Palace and met Curley. He seemed a good enough guy- I guess it's kinda funny because now I can't stand the sight of him. I only ever married him out of pity for ma, but now I'm not sure if she's even worth it anymore…