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Back Come Again No More Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

“I ran because I wanted to get away. I was so shocked. I ran and I got hit by Alf’s truck and I lost our baby. That child is gone forever. The one thing I wanted more than anything in the world. I don’t ask for much, I don’t complain that we’re poor. I don’t care that we can’t eat a meal without swallowing dust with every bite. I don’t mind that I get up every morning at five o’clock to make your breakfast and work until I drop. But I want it to be for something. It was all going to be for that child. Now he’s gone.”

“Hell, taint all my fault, woman. You’re the one did a fool thing and run off.”

“Why can’t you understand? I ran because I saw my husband with Kitty Perks. In our barn, during our party. I should have stuck one of you with a pitchfork. Are you a dog, that you have to do it in the street?”

“Aw, hell. She’s a pretty gal. Never happened before. We had a bit a wine and danced a little, then she wanted to go for a walk, one thing led to another.”

“Oh, Jake. Do shut up. Do please just shut up. I don’t want to hear your stupid excuses. Our baby is gone.”

She fiddled with her gown, listening to the hospital sounds. The rush of nurses, a bell somewhere, farmers and ranchers in the hallway chatting about the drought, the price of wheat, the dusters. She was on the same floor where Velma had died in 1933. That awful January, the long vigils. Nights listening to the rattle of her mother’s breathing, tuned to every slightest change. Waking to find Velma dead. She had lost a mother in this place, now she had lost a baby. All she wanted was to get away from this hospital, this town, the farm, this man. She decided she might as well tell him and get it over with.

“When I can travel, I might go stay on the ranch.”

“In Wyoming?”

“That’s where the ranch is, isn’t it?”

“Well, I dunno. You’re comin back, aint you?”

“I don’t know, Jake.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that I don’t know.”

“It aint that difficult a question. Are you comin back or aint you?”

“I said I don’t know. I saw you with her, I got hit by a truck, I lost a baby. That’s a lot to think about. I need some time. Maybe I’ll go cook for Ezra and the boys.”

“There aint no need to go runnin off. You know I’m sorry for what I done. I didn’t know it would bother you, or I never would a gone into that barn with Kitty.”