The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck [183]
“I was worryin’,’’ Ma said. “I didn’ know where you was.’’
“We was jus’ lookin’,’’ Ruthie said.
“Well, where’s Tom? You seen him?’’
Ruthie became important. “Yes, ma’am. Tom, he got me up an’ he tol’ me what to tell you.’’ She paused to let her importance be apparent.
“Well—what?’’ Ma demanded.
“He said tell you—’’ She paused again and looked to see that Winfield appreciated her position.
Ma raised her hand, the back of it toward Ruthie. “What?’’
“He got work,’’ said Ruthie quickly. “Went out to work.’’ She looked apprehensively at Ma’s raised hand. The hand sank down again, and then it reached out for Ruthie. Ma embraced Ruthie’s shoulders in a quick convulsive hug, and then released her.
Ruthie stared at the ground in embarrassment, and changed the subject. “They got toilets over there,’’ she said. “White ones.’’
“You been in there?’’ Ma demanded.
“Me an’ Winfiel’,” she said; and then, treacherously, “Winfiel’, he bust a toilet.”
Winfield turned red. He glared at Ruthie. “She pee’d in one,’’ he said viciously.
Ma was apprehensive. “Now what did you do? You show me.’’ She forced them to the door and inside. “Now what’d you do?’’
Ruthie pointed. “It was a-hissin’ and a-swishin’. Stopped now.’’
“Show me what you done,’’ Ma demanded.
Winfield went reluctantly to the toilet. “I didn’ push it hard,’’ he said. “I jus’ had aholt of this here, an’—’’ The swish of water came again. He leaped away.
Ma threw back her head and laughed, while Ruthie and Winfield regarded her resentfully. “Tha’s the way she works,’’ Ma said. “I seen them before. When you finish, you push that.’’
The shame of their ignorance was too great for the children. They went out the door, and they walked down the street to stare at a large family eating breakfast.
Ma watched them out of the door. And then she looked about the room. She went to the shower closets and looked in. She walked to the wash basins and ran her finger over the white porcelain. She turned the water on a little and held her finger in the stream, and jerked her hand away when the water came hot. For a moment she regarded the basin, and then, setting the plug, she filled the bowl a little from the hot faucet, a little from the cold. And then she washed her hands in the warm water, and she washed her face. She was brushing water through her hair with her fingers when a step sounded on the concrete floor behind her. Ma swung around. An elderly man stood looking at her with an expression of righteous shock.
He said harshly, “How you come in here?’’
Ma gulped, and she felt the water dripping from her chin and soaking through her dress. “I didn’ know,’’ she said apologetically. “I thought this here was for folks to use.’’
The elderly man frowned on her. “For men folks,’’ he said sternly. He walked to the door and pointed to a sign on it: MEN. “There,’’ he said. “That proves it. Didn’ you see that?’’
“No,’’ Ma said in shame, “I never seen it. Ain’t they a place where I can go?’’
The man’s anger departed. “You jus’ come?’’ he asked more kindly.
“Middle of the night,’’ said Ma.
“Then you ain’t talked to the Committee?’’
“What committee?’’
“Why, the Ladies’ Committee.’’
“No, I ain’t.’’
He said proudly, “The Committee’ll call on you purty soon an’ fix you up. We take care of folks that jus’ come in. Now, if you want a ladies’ toilet, you jus’ go on the other side of the building. That side’s yourn.’’
Ma said uneasily, “Ya say a ladies’ committee—comin’ to my tent?’’
He nodded his head. “Purty soon, I guess.’’
“Thank ya,’’ said Ma. She hurried out, and half ran to the tent.
“Pa,’’ she called. “John, git up! You, Al. Git up an’ git washed.’’ Startled sleepy eyes looked out at her. “All of you,’’ Ma cried. “You git up an’ git your face washed. An’ comb your hair.’’
Uncle John looked pale and sick. There was a red bruised place on his chin.
Pa demanded, “What’s the matter?’’
“The Committee,’’ Ma cried. “They’s a committee—a ladies’ committee a-comin’ to visit. Git up now, an’ git washed. An’ while we was a-sleepin’ an’ a-snorin’, Tom’s went out an’ got work. Git up, now.