sinking into the dark abyss of his tortured madness until finally someone would find him the next morning and get him to a hospital.
It wasn't until the next morning that the news spread that the men Ruben had killed had been police. Then the stories began to fly. They had run into the bar after a junkie to arrest him for something or other, nobody really knew what. But one thing was sure, they knew the two officers were chasing after a drug addict, and before daybreak the addict's name was all over town. Even the police knew who the man was, only they didn't know where to find him.
Across town in a small, brown-frame house, the Fernandez family gathered. It was early in the morning before the story reached them about the two policemen their older brother had shot. After that, they began making calls on their old wall telephone. The ones doing the calling were the younger brother, Pedro, and the angry Emilio, who knew at once who the junkie was the two policemen had been chasing. He blamed himself for his older brother's death. But more than himself, he blamed Dan for running into the bar telling the lie he had obviously told.
Before daylight arrived, Fat George came by the Fernandez house with his wife, Maria. They both told the tale of how Dan had run into the bar and swore Fat George and Curtis were about to be robbed and how Ruben swore nobody would get stuck up in his bar.
The two brothers cursed loudly, while their mother and sister cried. The two Mexican women held each other and cried in each other's open arms.
Pedro had reacted the night before but didn't tell Emilio about his actions. He wanted more blood. Ruben had been like the father to the whole family, supporting them from his earnings ever since the day he had left school after their father's death. Sometimes he had worked two jobs so that there would be enough food and good clothing in the house for all the kids. The younger members of the family weren't asked to do anything but to continue on in school.
The only thing that Ruben wouldn't tolerate from any of his brothers or sisters was skipping school. He had an idea that, if they got good educations, they would never have to work at sharecropping like their father had done. He hated farms.
Now that Ruben was dead, the old gray-haired mother of the family was in a state of shock. She couldn't believe her oldest child was dead. They hadn't brought the body home, so all she had to go on was the word of other people. True, she had sent her sons down to see the body and they came back and told her it was Ruben. She still didn't want to accept it. Sarah, her daughter, had been sent back to the city morgue with Emilio to see the body. When she returned with the same report, Mrs. Fernandez had broken down completely.
After telling everything he knew about the death of Ruben, Fat George dug into his pocket and removed a hundred-dollar bill. On a second thought, he pulled out another one and left two hundred dollars on the table beside the old woman. George couldn't look her in the eye. For some reason, he felt that she thought he was responsible for the death of Ruben. He quickly left with his wife on his arm.
Once outside the house, Maria spoke. For once, her voice was low and subdued. "I hope they catch that lying sonofabitch for causing this family all this grief!"
"Don't worry," George said quietly, "it will be taken care of, and if the police don't move quick, there won't be nothing for them to arrest."
"That's good, Georgie," she said, using the name she always used when she was thankful for something he had done for her.
George seemed to be speaking to himself as he continued. "Yeah, that nigger is a dead man. Even if the police do get him, he'll die in prison, you can lay odds on it, and be makin' a sure bet!"
Maria patted his fat arm as he opened the door for her. If George said it would be taken care of, she didn't have to worry about it any longer. It would be taken care of.
8
IT
It wasn't until the next morning that the news spread that the men Ruben had killed had been police. Then the stories began to fly. They had run into the bar after a junkie to arrest him for something or other, nobody really knew what. But one thing was sure, they knew the two officers were chasing after a drug addict, and before daybreak the addict's name was all over town. Even the police knew who the man was, only they didn't know where to find him.
Across town in a small, brown-frame house, the Fernandez family gathered. It was early in the morning before the story reached them about the two policemen their older brother had shot. After that, they began making calls on their old wall telephone. The ones doing the calling were the younger brother, Pedro, and the angry Emilio, who knew at once who the junkie was the two policemen had been chasing. He blamed himself for his older brother's death. But more than himself, he blamed Dan for running into the bar telling the lie he had obviously told.
Before daylight arrived, Fat George came by the Fernandez house with his wife, Maria. They both told the tale of how Dan had run into the bar and swore Fat George and Curtis were about to be robbed and how Ruben swore nobody would get stuck up in his bar.
The two brothers cursed loudly, while their mother and sister cried. The two Mexican women held each other and cried in each other's open arms.
Pedro had reacted the night before but didn't tell Emilio about his actions. He wanted more blood. Ruben had been like the father to the whole family, supporting them from his earnings ever since the day he had left school after their father's death. Sometimes he had worked two jobs so that there would be enough food and good clothing in the house for all the kids. The younger members of the family weren't asked to do anything but to continue on in school.
The only thing that Ruben wouldn't tolerate from any of his brothers or sisters was skipping school. He had an idea that, if they got good educations, they would never have to work at sharecropping like their father had done. He hated farms.
Now that Ruben was dead, the old gray-haired mother of the family was in a state of shock. She couldn't believe her oldest child was dead. They hadn't brought the body home, so all she had to go on was the word of other people. True, she had sent her sons down to see the body and they came back and told her it was Ruben. She still didn't want to accept it. Sarah, her daughter, had been sent back to the city morgue with Emilio to see the body. When she returned with the same report, Mrs. Fernandez had broken down completely.
After telling everything he knew about the death of Ruben, Fat George dug into his pocket and removed a hundred-dollar bill. On a second thought, he pulled out another one and left two hundred dollars on the table beside the old woman. George couldn't look her in the eye. For some reason, he felt that she thought he was responsible for the death of Ruben. He quickly left with his wife on his arm.
Once outside the house, Maria spoke. For once, her voice was low and subdued. "I hope they catch that lying sonofabitch for causing this family all this grief!"
"Don't worry," George said quietly, "it will be taken care of, and if the police don't move quick, there won't be nothing for them to arrest."
"That's good, Georgie," she said, using the name she always used when she was thankful for something he had done for her.
George seemed to be speaking to himself as he continued. "Yeah, that nigger is a dead man. Even if the police do get him, he'll die in prison, you can lay odds on it, and be makin' a sure bet!"
Maria patted his fat arm as he opened the door for her. If George said it would be taken care of, she didn't have to worry about it any longer. It would be taken care of.
8
IT
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