Гроздья гнева

           HegotoutandwaiteduntilAlcameup.

           "Nowgoeasy,"hecalled."Takehersloworyou’llbreakaspringtoo."

           Al’sfacewentredwithanger.Hethrottleddownhismotor."Goddamnit,"heyelled,"Ididn’tburnthatbearin’out!Whatd’yamean,I’llbustaspringtoo?"

           Tomgrinned."Keepallfourfeetonthegroun’,"hesaid."Ididn’meannothin’.Justtakehereasyoverthisditch."

           Algrumbledasheinchedthetouringcardown,anduptheotherside."Don’tyougogivin’nobodynoidearIburnedoutthatbearin’."Theengineclatteredloudlynow.Alpulledintotheshadeandshutdownthemotor.

           Tomliftedthehoodandbracedit."Can’tevenstartonherbeforeshecoolsoff,"hesaid.Thefamilypileddownfromthecarsandclusteredaboutthetouringcar.

           Paasked,"Howbad?"Andhesquattedonhishams.

           TomturnedtoAl."Everfittedone?"

           "No,"saidAl,"Inever.’CourseIhadpansoff."

           Tomsaid,"Well,wegottotearthepanoffan’gettherodout,an’wegottogetanewpartan’honeheran’shimheran’fither.Goodday’sjob.Gottogobacktothatlas’placeforapart,SantaRosa.Albuquerque’saboutseventy-fivemileson—Oh,Jesus,tomorra’sSunday!Wecan’tgetnothin’tomorra."Thefamilystoodsilently.Ruthiecreptcloseandpeeredintotheopenhood,hopingtoseethebrokenpart.Tomwentonsoftly,"Tomorra’sSunday.Mondaywe’llgetthethingan’prob’lywon’tgetherfitted’foreTuesday.Weain’tgotthetoolstomakeiteasy.