| Boys and Girls Together |
| 1 | William Saroyan Boys and Girls Together Tasol nambawan taim God i wokim ol samting, em i wokim man na meri. Orait. (Gud Nius Mak i Raitim. St Mark's Gospel in Neo Melanesian, or Pidgin English.) That's all number one time God he walk them all same thing, he walk them man and woman. All right. |
| 2 | (Saroyan-American, or Buzzard English.) But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. (The Gospel According to Saint Mark, Chapter 10, Verse 6. King James Version, or Chicken English.). |
| 3 | Chapter 1 They were sitting in the parlour they both hated so much but somehow liked too and there wasn't a thing doing. They were married, there were two kids out of it, the boy first and then the girl, and now the kids were asleep at last, or at any rate in bed. They were trying to think what to say so they wouldn't be just sitting there, but there wasn't really anything to say unless they fell into dirty talk, which they frequently did. |
| 4 | "I saw Charley's wife when I took the girl walking," the woman said. "Who did you see when you took the boy walking?" "I didn't see anybody. Who's Charley's wife?" "Ellen. Didn't you see a girl?" "I saw a girl standing on the corner waiting for a streetcar." "Would she be as good as me?" "Once or twice maybe she would, but I don't want a fight.". |
| 5 | "If you don't want a fight, why do you look at every girl you see and wonder how she'd be?" "It's a habit." "She was a dog and you know it." "She didn't seem a dog when I saw her. She seemed clean and hopeful, but later on she could easily become a dog." "Do you mean that's what I've become?" "I don't know what you've become." "Oh yes you do." "What have you become?". |
| 6 | "I've become a good wife, and a good mother, and damned tired of it, too." "It's what you wanted. It is tiring, though, I suppose. Now, if you'd take a bath and get yourself relaxed once the kids are out of the way every night, maybe it wouldn't be so tiring." "I'm too tired to take a bath. I'm so hungry I can't stand the thought of eating the things we know how to cook.". |
| 7 | "If you'd take a bath, you'd be able to stand the thought." "No, I'd just want to put on my best clothes and go out and have two or three drinks and a real supper." "Well, we can't do that, but if you'll take a bath and put on your best clothes, I'll open two cans of chili. I'll have everything ready for you when you're ready and we'll have two or three Scotches apiece before we eat the chili.". |
| 8 | "After we eat, what'll we do?" "Let's eat first." "Do you think we'll know then?" "We ought to. Go ahead, take your bath and take your time." "I'll put on some perfume, too." "I like the way you smell after a bath without perfume, but maybe you don't, so put some on if it makes you happy. I like the smell of clean skin that's breathing.". |
| 9 | "I won't put any on, then. Don't you smell the soap?" "I like to smell the soap." "If the boy gets out of bed, spank him." "O.K." He went to the woman and hugged her. She smelled tired and dirty and frightened. Her skin was suffocating with dirty sweat, and the expensive perfume she'd used that afternoon made the smell worse. "Don't kiss me now. Don't spoil it in case we think of something after the chili." "Go bathe.". |
| 10 | The wife went to the bathroom and the husband heard her singing softly, almost happily. When she was in the tub the door of the bedroom opened and the boy came out in his bare feet. "Where's Mama?" "She's bathing." "I want to bathe with her." "You can't. Now, go right back and get into your bed." "I want a drink of water first.". |
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