C4 antho - Chamber Four

~204~ The Chamber Four Fiction Anthology
“But Miguel―”
“Billy,” James Carl said, raising his voice, “if the next
word out of your mouth ain’t some Mexican gibberish I can’t
understand, then I don’t want to hear another word.”
“Dormir?” Billy said.
“Good, but look at them when you’re talking. They’re the
Spanish speakers, now ain’t they?”
Billy turned to the group of Mexicans, who had grown
silent as James Carl’s voice had risen. Miguel walked up.
Billy searched the boy’s face, then said, “Dormir. Quere
dormir.”
Miguel nodded to him. “We will, too, then.”
“I’m a dirty bastard,” James Carl said, looking at Billy. “I
had me a feeling about this.” He walked off toward the
house. “Put the cots up.”
Watching his boss walk away, Billy thought he should
say something. Anything. Explain himself somehow. He
wanted to tell him how he would try to learn how to speak it
and how he knows how to read it, but what came out was,
“But my parents―”
James Carl turned back. “What? What about your parents?”
Billy couldn’t finish his thought because he didn’t have
any idea what he had planned to say. It just came out. Embarrassed,
he lowered his eyes and stared at the ground.
“I won’t put up with a boy who’ll run his parents down,
particularly when they ain’t here to defend themselves. Is
that what you intended to do? Tell me it’s their fault you lied
to me?”
Billy said nothing.
“What then?”