Life Must Go On

Danielle Ducrest

George lay on the cot facing the wall. It used to be Lennie's cot, but he'd slept in it for a week now. Behind him in the bunkhouse were the other ranch workers, Carlson, Slim, and Candy. They were talking, but George didn't feel like joining in the conversation. He didn't feel like much of anything. He had felt that way all week. Lennie didn't care that George was sleeping in his cot because Lennie was dead.

The day after Lennie killed Curley's wife and George killed Lennie, the funerals took place. Everyone came to Curley's wife's funeral. Curley's father, the boss on the ranch, made sure they did. Lennie's funeral was an hour after hers. Crooks, Slim, Candy and George were the only spectators. Slim helped George bury Lennie.

That was when it started raining. Rain clouds that had grown darker during Curley's Wife's funeral finally let go of their burden. It made the grave digging harder to do, but George didn't care. He was grateful of the rain because they disguised the tears that he couldn't keep in any longer.

No one had cried at Curley's wife's funeral. It had been very sunny then. The rain clouds had appeared after it. It was still raining after a week, keeping everyone indoors. George could hear the others set up a peg for an indoor game of horseshoes. Slim approached the bed. "Want to join us, George?"

George shook his head, but didn't turn to look up at Slim. "No thanks."

For a moment, Slim stood there, but after a minute, George heard him leave. A few seconds later, he could hear horseshoes hitting the peg and men's shouts. He wished all of them would shut up. He grabbed the pillow under his head and covered his ears. The tears came again now after an entire week. He hoped no one would hear over the noise of the pouring rain and the ruckus of the men behind him.

Sunday morning came, and the rain stopped. The next day, after almost everything had dried, the men were sent to the fields. George wasn't among them. He was already on the dirt road walking the many miles to the bus station. He was alone. He had to get on with his life.

He stopped at the clearing next to the river. It was the same clearing he and Lennie had stopped and slept in that night before they went to the ranch. It was the same clearing he'd told Lennie to go to if he got into trouble. He had. Lennie had killed Curley's wife, and Lenny had come here, waiting for George to show up. George had, only to kill Lennie. He hadn't wanted to kill him. But what choice did he have? He had to make sure Lennie wouldn't kill someone else.

The last place George wanted to be was that very clearing. But here he was. His legs carried him to the very spot he had sat in with Carlson's rifle aimed at Lennie's neck. Lenny had been sitting only inches away with his back turned, oblivious to what was about to happen. George sat down in that very spot, in the very direction they'd been facing. For a long time he sat, watching the water skip along the rocks sticking out from the bottom of the river.

"He always did get us into trouble," he said at last. "I never could stay in one place with him around, always up to no good." It had happened again. Now he was no longer working on the ranch, and he was off to get another job on another ranch somewhere else. It had happened several times because of Lennie. But this time, he was alone. He hadn't been so alone in his life.

Any moment now, he expected Lennie to come back from his quest for wood, and to return with wet feet and pants and a dead mouse in his huge palm. He expected Lennie to forget everything they'd just talked about and ask about it again. He expected Lennie to ask him to tell about the rabbits again. But Lennie wouldn't. Now, it was all in the past. George realized, as much as Lennie had infuriated him, he came to expect that he would always be there, no matter what. Now he was alone. Lennie wouldn't get into any messes anymore, and George wouldn't have to look after him for another minute. He'd probably live the rest of his life on the next ranch where he got a job, without Lennie to do something that would make them leave immediately.

"No," George said, standing up. "It's not going to happen that way. I'm going to get that land for you, Lennie, and those rabbits you were so crazy about, no matter how many months I have to work to get it." With that, he picked up his load and started on the road again. Alone, but determined to do this for his friend.

THE END