The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton

Author:Clyde Edgerton [EDGERTON, CLYDE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC000000
ISBN: 9780316032803
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2008-08-11T04:00:00+00:00

Henry, his valise in one hand, Miss Sarah’s arm in his other, stepped slowly down the front steps. She was so tiny. She grasped the straps to her purse in one hand — the purse bumped a step on each step down — and the car keys in the other. Mrs. Finley, following, said, “She can’t see all that good, but it’ll be good for her to get out. She ain’t drove in . . . I don’t know how long it’s been.”

“Has she drove since she had her stroke?” asked Henry.

“Well . . . Sarah, have you drove since you had your stroke? I don’t remember.”

“What?”

“Have you drove since you had your stroke?”

“I don’t think it was a stroke.”

“That’s what the doctor said.”

“He won’t all that smart, if you ask me. His secatery wouldn’t even look at you.” She halted, glared up at Henry. “I can’t stand it when a body won’t even look at you.”

“Yes ma’am,” said Henry. “Have you driven since you got sick?”

“I think I did. Let’s get in the car.”

“I’ll be glad to drive,” said Henry.

“That’s a good idea,” said Mrs. Finley. “Wait a minute. Let me go back and get my handbag. He’s going to drive, Sarah.”

Miss Sarah halted again, frowned. “He’s going to what?”

“Drive,” said Henry. “If that’s okay with you.”

“I don’t think so. I want to drive. I like to drive. Where are we going?”

“Jeffries. Up to Jeffries.”

Mrs. Finley, coming down the steps with her pocketbook, said, “She wants to drive, I bet.”

Henry turned. “Yes ma’am.”

“Then it’s nothing much we can do. I’ll sit in the back.”

The car faced out of the garage. Henry opened the driver’s door for Miss Sarah. Two bed pillows rested on her seat. She reached in and smoothed the top one. “Them pillowcases need changing,” she said. She looked up at Henry. “Why you need to go to Jeffries?”

“To see my girlfriend,” he said. He felt like spring had come.

“Oh. Well. That’s a good reason.” She slowly climbed into the seat. It took her a while. Henry closed the door. Mrs. Finley sat in back with her door closed.

Henry got in, noticed a radio on the dashboard. “Oh, good. You got a radio.”

“I thought it would be a nice thing to have,” said Mrs. Finley from the backseat.

Miss Sarah inserted the key, turned it, stepped on the starter; the engine turned for a few seconds and then caught. She stepped on the clutch, pulled the floor gear lever into first, and drove out the driveway and into the road, looking both ways but not stopping.

They were quiet for a few miles.

“I didn’t even look at the gas,” said Miss Sarah. “How much gas is in there? I can’t read the dial.”

Henry leaned over. “It’s about half full.” He felt a hope, an urgency, yeasting up. The ladies would drive off and leave him there with her. He could maybe get a kiss somehow and then the next time would be at night up at the motel, or somewhere, and .

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